Going away for Christmas

There was a time when it was de rigeur to spend Christmas at home, much of the time spent slaving away over meal preparations. However recent years have seen an increase in people going away for Christmas, with sometimes whole extended families taking off together for Christmas in the sun, free from the worries of catering. Forget spending most of Christmas Day cooking a three or four course meal, and tearing your hair out over the one important item that you forgot to buy. Forget all the worry about stocking up with food and drinks as if you are going to be under siege for a couple of weeks. Go away and let the hotel worry about the catering.

But are you put off by the fact that going away will just add even more to the stupendous expense that Christmas is anyway? Well, you might actually be pleasantly surprised. You will save the money that you would have spent catering for Christmas, and some parents have an agreement with their children that the holiday is the present. Likewise couples.

Add to all this the fact that hotels really know how to do Christmas a treat with fantastic food, plenty of champagne, fancy dress parties, quizzes, and lots of activities. And isn’t nice to have lots of new people to talk to at Christmas, instead of family and friends spending the day hermetically sealed from the outside world with nothing to do but eat and play charades?

So if you feel like breaking with tradition, stick around, because in my next post I will offer some suggestions on where to go for Christmas.


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The Rise of the Flashpacker

I came across a new word today – flashpacker! You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the word flashpacker comes from the word backpacker, and refers to someone who used to go backpacking back in their poverty stricken youth, but now goes backpacking with a bit more cash to spare. The flashpacker fell in love with the experience of being on the road with a pack on their back, and doesn’t want to give up this distinctive travel experience. With a more comfortable budget than the traditional backpacker, the flashpacker can afford to splash out on a comfy hotel and good meals when s/he feels the need, though equally s/he can rough it with the best of them in search of an authentic experience.

Being a flashpacker is also decidedly associated with being tech-savvy, and the good flashpacker will naturally travel equipped with mobile phone, laptop, digital camera and iPod. The flashpacker will seek out WiFi internet access wherever s/he can find it, and will no doubt be posting an on-the-road travel blog giving a day-by-day account of her/his experiences. Cool!

The flashpacker is most likely travelling independently, and not part of any organised tour, seeking out the spots off the beaten track that were once the preserve of the hardened long-term backpacker. The flashpacker may well be taking a break from a relatively well-paid career to do a bit of travelling.

Related to the rise of the flashpacker is the concomitant rise of the boutique hostel, such as Mama Shelter in Paris and Miss Sophie’s Hostel in Prague. Where once hostels offered cheap communal dorms with iron beds and the smell of socks, today’s boutique hostel has moved upmarket, offering individual rooms, chic contemporary design and furniture, while still retaining the feel of a friendly communal sort of place where dedicated travellers can come together to share stories and trade tips.

As the first backpacking generation comes of age, new technology adds an extra dimension to travel, and more and more people are wanting to explore the world around them, the flashpacker is no doubt here to stay.


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Best places to see the 2010 solar eclipse

It may seem a little early to be thinking about 2010, after all there’s still plenty to do in 2009. However, when it comes to viewing a solar eclipse, it makes sense to get your booking in early. On January 15th 2010 the moon will pass between the sun and the earth creating an annular solar eclipse that can be viewed along a narrow corridor of the earth, creating a truly fantastic sight for those who happen to be standing in the right place. Indeed, this will be the longest annular eclipse of the 3rd millennium and it will be visible across Africa, the Indian Ocean, India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia.

In case you’re wondering, a total eclipse happens when the sun is completely blocked out by the moon, with only the corona of the sun visible around the moon. An annular eclipse happens when the apparent size of the moon is smaller than the sun, so that the sun appears as a very bright ring surrounding the moon.

So now could well be the time to think about grabbing a cheap flight or holiday package to get yourself to the right place at the right time. So where should you head for?

Places that are proving popular as eclipse viewing venues are the Indian tropical paradise of Kerala, Lake Nakuru in Kenya, renowned for its beauty and abundance of wildlife. Or you could always head for China and see the eclipse from the Yangtze River, Xi’an City Wall, or the pretty city of Dali in Yunnan province.

It’s a once in a lifetime experience, so it could be worth pushing the boat out!


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Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui

This month, October 2009, has seen the re-opening of the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, in that very hub of Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui. This opening completes a trio of Hyatt properties in Hong Kong, with the other two being Grand Hyatt Hong Kong in Wan Chai and the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, which opened earlier in 2009.

Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, spans floors 3 to 24 of the new K11 development that runs the length of Hanoi Road in the very heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. The hotel is right at the top of ‘The Art Mall’, which is six stories of boutiques and restaurants, and through The Art Mall, you get direct access to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR subway.

The hotel is beautifully contemporary and international, with a strong emphasis on home-style comfort. The hotel’s 381 rooms, including 33 suites, are decorated in rich tones of burgundy and grey, with tactile textured wallpaper, leather-effect headboards and plush velour armchairs and ottomans. There are fantastic views over Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

So what about eating? At Hugo’s you can get classic European cuisine while you enjoy magnificent views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Hugo’s is loved for its Caesar Salad, Lobster Bisque, Steak Tartare, Cherries Jubilee and Café Diablo. Especially popular are Hugo’s Chocolate Bonbons, which are round, ice cream-filled chocolate shells, served from a bowl of billowing dry ice.

At the all-day restaurant Café you will find international food, with seven show kitchens specializing in sushi and sashimi, teppanyaki, Chinese and dim sum, Indian with Tandoor ovens, antipasti and pizza, cold cuts, and desserts.

The hotel also has a Chinese restaurant, and the famous Chin Chin Bar.

So for a hotel in the very heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, with good connections, great views, wonderful comfort and perfect food to suit every taste, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong is the place to stay.



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Belgrade - art, music and architecture

Belgrade, situated at the point where the Sava and Danube Rivers join, is the capital city of Serbia. It was first settled by the Celts, then later by the Romans, and has been under various rulers at various times including Byzantine, Frankish, Bulgarian, and Hungarian. Once a part of the Ottoman Empire, and then later the Habsburg Empire, Belgrade was also the capital of former Yugoslavia, before the establishment of Serbia as an independent country again in 2006.

Belgrade is still in some ways a little off the beaten track for a city break, but now is really the time to visit, before the city becomes more expensive, popular and crowded.

So what is there to see? Well, The National Museum of Serbia has plenty to take a look at with its fantastic displays of archaeology, numismatics, and its collection of art which ranges from the medieval to the modern. The art collections include French, Italian, Dutch, Flemish, Russian, Austrian, German and Japanese art as well as Serbian, and other art of the area of former Yugoslavia. The museum now has a glass dome for the roof, which allows plenty of light into the museum. Nearby you will also find The National Theatre where there are performances of drama, opera and ballet. The theatre was designed by Aleksandar Bugarski who designed a great number of Belgrade buildings in the nineteenth century.

The impressive Kalemegdan Fortress also attracts the visitors, as much for the surrounding parkland as for the fortress itself. From the fortress the view is fantastic, and you can see clearly where the Sava River flows into the Danube.

The bohemian quarter of Belgrade, Skadarlija, is really popular with tourists, artists and musicians, who like to enjoy its restaurants, art galleries, antique and souvenir shops. You’ll also find street performers here from music to people pretending to be statues.

So next time you fancy a city break to some part of Europe that you’ve not yet explored, give Belgrade some thought.


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