Jetsettersblog

Book two West End show tickets as part of ShowAndStay.co.uk’s £10 Hotel Offer and you’ll get an overnight stay in a handpicked city hotel for just £10pp. With this great deal you’ll be able to book a West End theatre break from just £59.50* per person.

Show and Stay provide top-quality West End theatre ticket and hotel packages for the biggest London shows at the best possible prices. ShowAndStay.co.uk also offer tables at fabulous pre-theatre restaurants and tickets to the city’s most-popular visitor attractions.

A Theatreland getaway can seem like an expensive treat, but when you book with Show-and-Stay.co.uk visiting the West End is surprisingly affordable. When you book during the £10 Hotel Offer, it’s a bargain.

To take advantage of this money-saving deal, simply visit Show-and-Stay.co.uk before 27 September 2011 and select any show displaying the £10 Hotel Offer icon, then simply select a stay date before 30 September 2011. When you book your tickets, a £10 hotel room can then be easily added to your package. If you’re in the mood for an added touch of luxury, you can upgrade to a superior hotel from £20 in just a few clicks.

The best bargain currently available as part of the £10 Hotel Offer is a pair of tickets to see Stomp packaged with an overnight stay at Travelodge Waterloo. That package comes in at just £59.50 per person; it’s ideal if you’re looking for a West End theatre break bargain.

Other bargain-priced packages include two tickets for The Woman in Black and a stay at the Holiday Inn Express Wandsworth at just £65 per person or two tickets to Mamma Mia! with an overnight stay at the Travelodge Kings Cross for £74 per person.

If you want to splash out on your theatre break then how about two tickets to see audience favourite Legally Blonde with an overnight stay at a 5-star hotel at only £96pp?

To book, visit www.ShowAndStay.co.uk  or call 0800 0832841

*All prices are subject to availability and change.

Finland is about to have a change of pace. Flow Festival, a well respected music and arts festival, is getting ready to take over Helsinki from the 12th to 14th of August 2011. Returning for its eighth year, Flow is known not only for its top name performers but also for its experimental music, groundbreaking installations, great food, drink and visual arts.

Flow has already promised that this year’s festival will be bigger and better than many. With headliners ranging from Kanye West to Iron and Wine, there is something for every festival goer. For 2011, Flow will also welcome a new festival tent which not only expands the capacity for a further 5,500 fans, but also offers a new venue from which to admire the artists at work. Flow is committed to enhancing the new venue with state of the art technology to guarantee vibrant and dynamic musical performance.

Located in the heart of Helsinki, Flow is known for its picturesque setting. Taking place in Suvilahti, better known as the now deserted energy producing area of Helsinki, the off-beat choice only adds to the charm. Festival attendees can be dancing under a smoke stack one moment and looking at graffiti in the old power plant the next.

Flow Festival is excited to announce that many of this year’s acts will be performing in Finland for the first time. These artists include US artist Q-Tip and Australian artist Empire of the Sun, who head to Flow after their critically acclaimed performance at annual US music festival Coachella.

Tickets for Flow are on sale now. They can be purchased on popular ticket website tiketti.fi or in the UK at seetickets.com. Festival goers can buy one, two or three day passes costing €70 for one day, €95 for two days and €115 for all three days.

Many hotels in Helsinki are offering deals and discounts for festival goers Updated deals can be found on the Flow Festival website (flowfestival.com).

The Flow festival provides yet another reason to visit the beautiful and historic city that is Helsinki. With its emphasis on not only music, but also visual arts and cuisine, Flow Festival is one event not to be missed this summer. For the most up to date information about the festival, visit Flow Festival on Facebook.

Sardinia is best known for its crystal clear, turquoise tinted water that laps the tiny bays, rocky coves and long sandy beaches. The majority of holiday accommodation there has been tastefully built and carefully dotted around the stunning coastline offering spectacular views across the sparkling sea. Sardinian food and wine has an excellent reputation and the ice-cream is not to be missed! Fig, olive and wild orange trees cover the countryside intertwined with vineyards that are heavy with fat and juicy grapes come the end of the hot summer.

The Island of Sardinia has a huge appeal to it and many have fallen under its spell over the years.

Essential Italy are pleased to offer 20% off this beautiful retreat in enchanting Porto Rafael for the week starting 30th July and the week starting 13th August. SAVE £170! Just £696 for the week.

Rosetta Studio (sleeps 2) -
http://www.essentialitaly.co.uk/sardinia_apartments_rosetta.php

Perfect studio apartment in Porto Rafael with spectacular views, private terrace and your very own access to the beach. Create your own sumptuous candle-lit dinner overlooking the sea and enjoy a bottle (or two) of chilled spumante with no worries about driving home – the bed is just 2 steps away!

Location: Porto Rafael – private access to the beach from the terrace, 2 minute walk to the square, bar and supermarket. Nearest town Palau 4kms, Olbia airport 45kms, Alghero airport 170km

Price: £696 for the week – usually £870.

Flights from London Gatwick to Sardinia (Olbia) with Easyjet start at £90 per person return.

Meliá Hotels International presents OPPORTUNITY DATES a new online tool for Meetings & Events available at www.melia.com providing access to the best rates and a great choice of special promotions for groups throughout the hotel chain portfolio of properties.

Designed for groups, conventions and incentives, the tool shows a calendar with the best available rates for company hotels in orange and special promotions in blue, in addition to exciting added values such as discounts on meeting rooms, upgrades and a wide range of other benefits. Opportunity Dates allows potential customers to view all of the company’s special promotions for groups online in all of the company’s hotels worldwide.

To make a reservation, users just have to choose a destination and a hotel, select their dates and sent an online booking request.

For more information see the Meetings & Events section on www.melia.com

The Newby Bridge Hotel is offering special motoring themed breaks this summer where for just £150 per person visitors can enjoy a two night break with complimentary entry into the Lakeland Motor Museum.

The offer, which is provided on a dinner, bed and breakfasts basis represents a saving of at least £15.50 per person while an entire family of four could be saving over £40. The evening meals consist of a three course Table d’hote dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Furthermore early bookers will benefit from a complimentary upgrade to a four poster room with Jacuzzi. (subject to availability).

The Newby Bridge Hotel is located less than a mile from the Lakeland Motor Museum and also close to other attractions including Windermere Lake Cruises, Lakeside to Haverthwaite Steam Railway and Fell Foot Park, making it a great place for visitors and families who want to make the most of a holiday in the Lake District.

The hotel offers a wide range of on-site facilities including an indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym, games room, bar and restaurant. There is also ample parking.

The Lakeland Motor Museum is one of the Lake District’s premier attractions and the home of a range of veteran, vintage and classic motor vehicles including a full sized replica of Donald Campbell’s Bluebird. The museum is also hosting a special exhibition this year, dedicated to the Isle of Man TT.

To take advantage of this fantastic offer and claim your free ticket to the Lakeland Motor Museum please contact the Newby Bridge Hotel on 015395 31222 or visit http://www.bestlakesbreaks.co.uk/lake-district-motor-museum-offer.htm

New England may be famous for the brilliance of its autumn foliage, but it’s not essential to cross the Atlantic to enjoy this annual phenomenon. Head instead to the Grand Hotel Kronenhof (www.kronenhof.com) in Pontresina, which is located in the heavily wooded Upper Engadine Valley in south-east Switzerland.

The Engadine, protected by high Alpine mountains on all sides, is famous for its sunny climate and beautiful landscapes (Engadine in local Romantsch dialect means The Garden of the Inn River, as the valley is a veritable treasure trove of greenery), making it the perfect European destination to witness autumn colours set against clear blue skies.

Visits to the Engadine at this time of year are particularly popular among hikers and artists; the light in the valley is so magical it led the 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to believe that he had found “the cradle of all silver tones”.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof’s autumn foliage package, offered between 1 September and 15 October, includes dinner, bed and breakfast, complimentary use of the hotel’s stunning spa facilities, a 10% discount on spa treatments and unlimited use of all the mountain railways in the Engadine/St Moritz area. Prices start from CHF 415 (approx £315) per night for two people sharing a beautiful double room; guests must stay a minimum of two nights.

Grand Hotel Kronenhof has fantastic facilities for children (an extensive play room, a dedicated indoor swimming pool and a children’s dining room) and special rates are available for the younger members of the family during this period.

For more details and to book, please visit the Grand Hotel Kronenhof website www.kronenhof.com

Enjoy a range of relaxed walks taking in historic sites, golden temples, local tribes and national parks on a – new for 2012 – Treasures of Thailand guided touring holiday courtesy of HF Holidays, the UK’s largest walking and leisure activity holiday organisation.

Highlights include walks at Hellfire Pass, Erawan National Park with its striking multi-tiered waterfalls, the UNESCO heritage centre of Sukhothai – the first kingdom of Siam – the mountains of the Doi Inthanon National Park and the sacred temple of Doi Suthep.

There are also opportunities to discover the country’s cultural treasures with visits to the colourful China Old Town markets in Bangkok, the traditional Thai houses in King Rama II Memorial Park and the riverside stalls of Ampawa market as well as learning about the traditions of the Lao Krang tribe and the option to try weaving with the locals.

In addition, the holiday takes in the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Elephant Conservation Centre, the bird conservation sanctuary of Bung Boraphet – home to 148 species of animals – and the picturesque Ratchaphruek Botanical Gardens.

The cost is from £1985 per person, land-only or from £2750 inclusive of return Heathrow flights and transfers. These twin-share prices include 15 nights’ full board en-suite accommodation, a full programme of guided walks with specialist local guides and an HF Holidays’ leader, sightseeing and entrance fees, plus travel by train, boat and minicoach.

0845 470 7558, www.hfholidays.co.uk

World Expeditions has been committed to voyages specially designed for minimum impact on the delicate frozen landscape for more than a decade, carrying a maximum of 100 passengers aboard ice-strengthened expedition vessels.

An Associate Member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), World Expeditions already supports the Antarctic Treaty, which aims to regulate the high number of tourists in the region, and employs experts to fully brief all passengers on how to reduce impact on their surroundings.

World Expeditions guests venture onshore in small numbers: they have optimum time to enjoy unforgettable walks, surrounded by snow-capped peaks, giant tabular icebergs and crystal blue seas, and there are spontaneous opportunities for wildlife encounters, such as whale watching and walking among penguin rookeries and seal colonies.

World Expeditions offers to eco-conscious travellers a selection of voyages to the coldest and driest continent on earth– including:

- World Expeditions’ 10 or 11 day Antarctic Highlights cruise. Cabin prices start from a truly competitive US$3350. (SOME CABINS DISCOUNTED BY 10%; save up to £1025) will witness prolific wildlife, dramatic landscapes and huge icebergs on a tour that is committed to maximising enjoyment without compromising the unspoiled natural world.

- World Expeditions also offers the unique 14-day Weddell Sea and Antarctic Peninsula “In search of the Emperor Penguin and King Penguin” cruise (DISCOUNTED by 20%; was from US$7,950/£5,031; now from US$6,360/£4,025; save £1006), where we set foot on the Antarctic continent itself and discovers the most wildlife-rich part of Antarctica, whales & seals, sea birds and our aim to see all 8 species of Antarctic penguins before concluding our voyage in Port Stanley.

For more information and bookings please visit www.worldexpeditions.co.uk or call 0800 0744 135. Quoted lead-in prices are based on triple-share cabins, including all meals, excursions, activities, use of ship facilities and services of specialist expedition staff and guides. Flights are not included but can be arranged by World Expeditions on request.

Students plan a summer away as they await exam results

Youth specialist STA Travel has seen a boom in sales for Asia and North America this summer as students squeeze in a ‘mini gap trip.’

With university applications at a record high as students attempt to get a place before the introduction of tuition fees of up to £9000 per year from 2012, the gap year market has been polarised into two groups: those who are waiting for A-level results before booking travel, and those who are booking now for a mini-gap year of several weeks rather than months.

Asia and North America are the most popular destinations among those opting for a ‘mini gap’ with sales up 28 per cent and 17 per cent respectively for the summer months compared to the same period last year for STA Travel.

Group managing director John Constable said: “Recent reports have suggested that more than 700,000 applications have been received for just under 480,000 university places, meaning that there will be 220,000 students wondering what on earth to do next.

“We are expecting a higher than usual number of late bookers for gap year travel this year once the A-level and Highers results are released. We will have all our branch staff and call centre staff ready to advise them on the very best way to plan their travels. We’ve got lots of exciting trips all over the world, from an adventure tour for just a few weeks or a round-the-world trip for a year.”

Asia and North America are seeing a surge in popularity for those going away for a few weeks or a month or two this summer thanks to the wide availability of direct flights, according to STA Travel.

“Asia is our fastest growing area in terms of sales,” said Constable. “The myriad of travel options from a city such as Bangkok is very enticing to our customers. It’s a great starting place for a trip, however others such as Beijing, Singapore, Delhi and Hong Kong are seeing high double-figure growth against this time last year as secondary hub cities from which to explore countries including China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India and Thailand.”

EXCLUSIVE FARES WITH VIRGIN ATLANTIC

STA Travel has recently signed a partnership with Virgin Atlantic meaning it has access to exclusive youth and student fares. Prices start from £375 for a return flight from Heathrow to New York for students or the under-26s, from £459 for return from Heathrow to Los Angeles, and from £465 for return from Heathrow to Miami.

Constable added: “New York is consistently one of our most popular destinations however we are seeing increased interest in the West Coast for this summer with San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego all seeing significant growth. Plus party cities Miami and Las Vegas are doing well as students want to go and let off steam post-exams.

“Miami is renowned for its clubs and of being at the heart of the dance music world, plus it’s an excellent gateway to South America, one of the most poplar places for gappers.”

GAPPERS GIVE BACK

It’s not all about parties and and relaxing as gap trips are becoming more structured than ever before, with today’s young people wanting to take part in volunteering projects for a week or two of their trip – even if they are only away for a month or two.

Constable said: “We are seeing young people really focus on planning their gap year into pretty great detail. They want to know where to go and when to see a place at it’s best, or for a particular event of festival for example, or for a conservation or volunteering project.”

STA Travel’s most popular projects include two weeks working with elephants at a rescue centre north of Chiang Mai in Thailand, which includes local conservation projects too; three-weeks volunteering with underprivileged children in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro; and two weeks working alongside an experienced orangutan conservation team in the heart of Borneo.

Constable added: “Planning your gap trip, whether it’s for a year or six weeks or six months is crucial, especially for students who are looking to get a place at university or to impress future employers. Taking part in these sorts of projects is a valuable addition to a CV, there is more than just good grades to consider when it comes to impressing a university entrance board or employer – travelling broadens your mind and your horizons in more ways than one.”

STA Travel’s experts can offer advice with everything to do with a gap trip from working holiday visas in Australia, to jobs while travelling, to tax rebates on return to the UK, to Multiflex passes which allow changes to planned itinerary mid-trip.

BEST SELLING TOURS:

USA: 22-day Roadtrip America tour from New York to San Francisco (or vice versa) starts from £1410, which includes all tour accommodation and transport, selected meals and sightseeing. Price does not include international flights. Highlights: Washington DC, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park. To book go to www.statravel.co.uk  or call 0871 230 8552.

ASIA: 30-day Indochina Discovery tour round-trip from Bangkok taking in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Prices start from £1499, which includes all tour accommodation and transport, selected meals and sightseeing. Price does not include international flights. Highlights: Angkor Wat, Halong Bay and Luang Praberg. To book go to www.statravel.co.uk  or call 0871 230 8552.

The Cycle the Wolds project has been partly funded by the Coast, Wolds, Wetlands & Waterways LEADER program which is part of the rural development program for England with funding from Europe and DEFRA and is managed by Yorkshire Forward.

There is a brand new and exciting way to explore some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside – The Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route.

Officially opened by Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY), the 146-mile ride is a 5-day adventure through the rolling valleys and picturesque villages of the Yorkshire Wolds. It takes in grand country houses, nature reserves and some of this region’s most fascinating history along the way. It uses existing and newly created parts of the National Cycle Network and has brand new signs installed along the route.

Riders experiencing this exciting new visitor attraction will travel west through the market towns of Beverley, Market Weighton and Pocklington, as far north as Malton, across to popular seaside destination Bridlington in the east and then back through Driffield, passing through 47 market towns and villages and many miles of the most spectacular countryside.

This eco-friendly attraction takes you on a voyage of discovery around many of East Yorkshire’s unmissable sights including the spectacular Beverley Minster, the grand Burton Agnes and Burton Constable Halls, the towering chalk cliffs of Flamborough and the unique Rudston Monolith! An incredible range of historic and modern accommodation awaits explorers with everything from 5-star luxury country houses to budget B&B’s and a hostel in a 600 year old Friary.

Cyclists needing to recharge their batteries along the route are spoilt for gastronomy choices with a Michelin-starred restaurant, cosy village pubs, quaint tea rooms and officially the best fish and chips in the UK*!

Copies of the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route map can be collected from Tourist Information Centre’s across Hull and East Yorkshire and more information can be found online at www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com

The Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route is part of VHEY’s Yorkshire Wolds Development Programme: a major tourism development programme to attract even more visitors to the Yorkshire Wolds that has also included the opening of a series of eight day cycle rides; the Big Skies Bike Rides, the Walk the Wolds pack and the installation of visitor signage boards.

Janet Reuben, Chief Executive of VHEY, said: “The Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route will provide a great way for people to explore this beautiful region. The Wolds has a wealth of stunning countryside and tranquil villages, making it an ideal location for cyclists. This route has been created to tempt visitors to spend longer and explore further into this region as well as providing a sustainable attraction that will benefit local communities and businesses for years to come.”