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.


Spread the Word: Share/Submit or Bookmark this Post...

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.


Spread the Word: Share/Submit or Bookmark this Post...

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!


Spread the Word: Share/Submit or Bookmark this Post...