We travelled from Gatwick Airport on a Sunday morning flight with British Airways, which was a smooth and quick flight, simplified by taking just hand luggage which enabled us to speed through the airport without any delay.

Just outside the airport terminal at Edinburgh Airport we took a Lothian Bus to take us to the city centre and our hotel (for travel in and around Edinburgh including Edinburgh Airport, city bus tours and night buses). The Lothian Bus staff where extremely friendly and helpful giving us tourist tips, one of which was to advise us that as it was the weekend, which Scotland celebrate St Andrews Day (Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland), which meant that we could take a visit Edinburgh Castle and take advantage of free entry.

We booked to stay for two nights at the George Hotel, which boasts a prestigious location in the heart of the city, taking prime position on the elegant George Street. The hotel was beautiful both on the interior and exterior. I cannot recommend this hotel enough. The location is wonderful with everything in easy walking distance. The staff are attentive and the decor is stunning throughout including spacious bedrooms and comfy bed. The breakfast was another highlight and just what is needed before long strolls round this stunning city in the cold.

It was so lovely to travel in late November/December when the city is decorated with it’s magical lights, decorations, Christmas Market, ice rink and fair rides.

Edinburgh Castle is a must on any trip to Edinburgh along with a sample of whisky and buy some tartan souvenirs from one of the many shops on the Royal Mile.

To really appreciate the city with spectacular views from up high, take the steep spiral steps of Sir Walter Scott’s Monument, which is located on the south side of Princes Street, roughly opposite ‘Jenners’.

This is certainly a city that we are looking to go back to in a few years if not before. My top tips include: wear comfortable shoes especially when walking round the city along the cobbled lanes. Also wrap up warm with hats, gloves and scarf’s which are a must during the winter months.

We were met from the plane and taken straight to the front of the queue at passport control and after a bit of discussion with the officials were let through – this “queue jumping” probably saved us about an hour stood in line, now although annoying for those in the line represented a real saving for us in terms of time and stress – I would strongly recommend this “meet and greet service”.

We stayed in the Ritz Carlton a superb hotel located on a lovely beach (man made) there are four good restaurants to choose from offering either international or local food none of which I could fault. There is a lovely bar near to the reception with a wide range of drinks there are also several other bars near the pools and beach although the bar near to the reception is the only one open during the evening which is slightly disappointing.

There are at least four swimming pools some designed for children. Due to the coral reef located directly at the beach you can’t swim from the beach you need to go out on a floating jetty over the reef before you can enter the sea. If you are looking for diving there is a dive centre too and if you like snorkelling you can also hire the gear. I have dived on a holiday in the Maldives and did feel the diving & snorkelling was better in the Maldives although I can really only speak for the diving and snorkelling around the reef of the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

For a destination to go to for sunshine it would be hard to beat this on a 5/6 hour flight during the winter we had temperatures of around 29/30 degrees so plenty hot enough to sit around and relax. You should note that in December the days are short and come 4.30pm the sun has gone, if your prepared to get up early then the sun is hot enough to sit out in from 7.30am onwards.

The hotel has a good gym with a wide range of equipment and this is open 24 hours a day. I also went on several runs at either the beginning or end of the day these were very enjoyable although you need to watch the unevenness of the pavements and the large curb stones.

We were looking for a relaxing and restful holiday in the sun and we certainly got this, we ventured from the hotel one night into Nama Bay. If you are looking for a big lively cosmopolitan resort then this is it, as with a lot of Egypt be prepared for all the locals wanting to be your friend, invite you to their restaurant or bar, one night was enough for us but we had not gone for that sort of holiday – there were plenty of people who all seemed to be having a nice evening out while on their holiday to Nama Bay.

The only real negative I could say about the holiday was the cost. It was expensive while you were there. I had always felt that Egypt was a relatively cheap place to go to and I also accept that the Ritz Carlton is an expensive international hotel, but in general prices seemed expensive (at least on par with the UK) I would highly recommend going on a half board or all inclusive on your holiday to Sharm El Sheikh.

For a week in the sun in the winter a holiday to Sharm El Sheikh can be highly recommended and worth a visit, if you want to get really hot then a visit in our spring, summer or autumn will guarantee gloriously hot weather.

Sharm El Sheikh Coastline image courtesy of: Nafaraj Metz | Sharm El Sheikh Sunset image courtesy of: Womeos Photo’s

They’re giving away over £1000 of Haglofs gear, and you can enter in four different ways!

To find out more, head on over to

http://shop.packyourbags.com/xmascomp

Good luck !!

Our hotel was called the San Rocco Hotel and it is absolutely fabulous. In 2007 and 2008 it won awards as the ‘Best Small Hotel’ in Croatia and I now know exactly why. It is a family run affair that places the attention to detail and guest well being very high on the agenda. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a lavishly finished palace but more a perfectly appointed, tranquil place where you are made to feel special and valued as a guest. The village of Britonigla is a little like a place that to a degree time has forgotten, as are most of the villages in the areas. Simple, rustic and rural charm that just sucks you in and slows you down. I still smile when I think about the tractors chugging into the village with wife and kids sitting on the wings.

Our first week on holiday in Croatia happened to coincide with the villages annual festival week. Music, song and dance for 5 nights on the trot. Great fun concentrated to the centre of the village that does not disturb outside of the main square in front of the church.

Britonigla is perfectly placed allowing you to choose to explore the villages in one direction or the coast in the other. The villages are picture postcard hill top delights. As you go from one to another you drive through vineyards, olive groves and general small scale agriculture.

As you would expect the coast line is a little more focused towards the tourist but not so as to put you off. What is far More obvious in these places in the focus on fishing industries. The beaches we saw tended to be pebble or rocks and not crowded. Harbour fronts we cafe lined and a very pleasant place to just kick back, drink coffee and people watch.

Eating out was a pleasant surprise as it was not as expensive as we feared it could be. In the villages the both of us could eat and drink for £15 all in! There were more expensive alternative but we preferred to eat where the locals where eating.

I think I will always look back on our time in Istria very fondly. A special place.

The Island is fantastic with a great picturesque harbour and back drop mountains; the island itself is very green that’s where it got its name from. While we were on holiday in Grenada we took a guided tour up to the fort where the island was first ever invaded and there is still bullet holes in the walls as a part of their history that they like to keep.

The island of Grenada is very hilly and I wouldn’t recommend it to people who have walking difficulties.

The hotel was great it was set on 2 beaches and was great for snorkelling.

Even though we took our holiday to Grenada in September when it was their rainy season it only rained 1 day and a few odd showers for 15 minutes for 3 days, it is very hot and I would recommend that you use at least factor 50 sun lotion.

Whilst we were there the mosquitos and flies were out, they are known for this being their biting season due to the humidity, so my advice is to take lots of repellent and sprays.

The island is beautiful with friendly people and the beautiful crystal clear sea and golden sandy beaches; it really is the most relaxing island we have ever been to.

Grenada is a holiday destination for everyone from honeymooners to single travellers to older families. 

The currency is EC Dollars and US Dollars, we took EC Dollars as it is the most common form of currency.

To get a taxi into the main town it is approximately 10EC which equals to £2.50 so it’s very cheap for venturing out and about.

If you are looking for a long haul holiday with the days spent lying on the beach drinking cocktails and sight seeing; Grenada is the Caribbean Island for you

Left Top Image Courtesy of: Jimg944
Right Bottom Image Courtesy of: Zakgollop

Here’s what Alan said: “It was taken whilst i was doing the Cape Wrath trail last May, leaving Shenavail Bothy, Nr Ullapool, so why is it interesting? Well the person in the picture is your Michelle, who I met en route and walked with for several days. Happy memories.”

Please send your photographs to photos@packyourbags.com.

The park is split up in to lands each with a variety of scary rides, children’s rides and snack areas.

I visited in August and thought it would be really packed with children as it was the schools summer holidays, taken this into account we decided to arrive super early. The park gates open at 10 am to allow you to buy your parking ticket for the day (currently 5 euros per car), you can then go and queue at the main entrance of the park if you already have your tickets the main park gates open at 11 am.

The first area we visited on arrival was Egypt which has pretty much taken some famous monuments from Egypt and recreated them in Spain they even have a semi replica of the Port of Alexandria. The first ride we went on was called the Falls of the Nile and since it was a really hot day when we visited this was a welcomed ride. There were 6 of us placed into a sarcophagus you are then shot off along a narrow river then taken up a high shoot when you then experience a stomach turning drop and a complete and utter soaking, the ride continues much the same way until the ride turns you around and you experience the drops but backwards. All in all a great way to cool down on a hot day I’d give this ride 8/10.

The second area we visited was called Greece and the rides and whole area was themed on ancient Greek legends.

The first ride we went on hear was called the Titanide which is a looping coaster of over 60mph with lots of hair raising twists turns and drops, in fact we enjoyed this one so much and the queue was so short that we went on twice in a row.

The next ride that we went on in the land of Greece was called Tritons Fury which is again another log flume ride (we had dried off from the previous soaking!) this ride is really a bigger version of the 1st log flume we went on however after doing some research on my return I discover that the theme for this ride is telling the marine adventures of the ancient inhabitants of Crete and Mycenae.

The best ride for drying off in the land of Greece is The Icaruses which is basically a giant swing. They have 3 rows of swings and it spins you around for a while giving you a lovely refreshing breeze and fabulous views over the Mediterranean.

The final ride we went on in Greece was The Labyrinth of the Minotaur which is a sit you down shoot at things with a laser gun ride giving you the opportunity to get higher scores than your friends major benefits of this ride are its in a cool air conditioned building and is great for all ages be you 8 or 58!

The next land we moved onto was Rome the first ride we went on in this and as the Magnus Colossus which is basically a runaway train ride top tip for this ride is bring knee pads as you do get bumped about a bit!

The next ride we went on was new to us and was called Inferno they sit 8 people to a pod 4 facing backwards 4 facing forwards you then get shot upwards and backwards (or forwards depending on which way you faced at the start) you are then spun and dropped and twisted upside down a fantastic fun ride.

The last major thrills of note in Terra Mitica are The Flight of the Phoenix which is a fantastic 54m freefall drop ride.

Ticket prices are quite high on the park gates they are currently charging €37 for a day pass however as I booked my holiday through packyourbags.com call centre they were doing a special offer of buy one get one half price plus we also got free lunches in the park! The prices I paid through them was £37pp so with our offer for 6 adults we paid £166.50 so we saved a great £55.50

Images Courtesy of Xtrex

Ask Mark!

Mark Kempster is Managing Director of packyourbags and packyourbags Travel Store. He is also worldwide travelled and has many experiences of the “dreaded” airport delays, below Mark shares some advice on how to avoid airport delays.

Not possible I hear you cry !!! Well, the only way to guarantee this is to charter your own plane where you will have most of the control of when the plane takes off or not. But as this option is out of most people’s budgets we need to look at some of the other ways you can avoid delays. Having worked in the travel industry for over 25 years, and travelled pretty extensively during the period for both work and pleasure, you get to understand the way airports work and how delays can be created. I have listed below a few tips picked up over the years. They are really ways that you can minimise your chances of a delay rather than eliminate them as this is of course really impossible unless you win the lottery and can afford the charter. They are in no particular order and just by following a couple of the bits of advice could have a positive effect on your travel plans, of course not all are practical for everyone;

• Travel to and from a regional airport. These are generally quieter than the main airport, so with less flights taking off and landing, there is less likelihood of a problem that could cause a delay
• Try and travel early in the day i.e. if there is a choice of a flight go for the earliest possible one in the morning. Often a delay, for example technical reasons, could cause a knock on effect to other planes so if you are one of the first planes out then there are less planes around to have already caused this problem. This also means that if you are on the first flight, the plane has arrived the day before so you are not waiting for it to arrive
• If you can be flexible with the day you fly, choose in general quieter days of the week like a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to travel on – if the airport is quieter, then again there is less likelihood of a problem. Avoid times like Friday evening or Monday morning
• Choose an airline that has a big fleet – preferably located at the airport you are travelling from, so if something technical happens to your plane you won’t have to wait long for a new part or new plane
• If you can try and travel with the national airline of your country of destination, quite often this airline will get preferential treatment at the airports in their home country. Although it should not happen, the reality is it does. The national airline will often dominate the airport and provide the handling services to other airlines, which can mean at times of delay local airlines are able to take off and land whereas others don’t.
• Choose an airline that has a good crew representation at the airports you are travelling to. Again, this is another good reason to choose a national airline as crew, both cabin and pilot are only allowed to be on duty a certain number of hours regardless if they are flying or not. A delay can therefore be extended if a new crew can’t be found quickly whereas travelling with an airline from its home base will probably be able to put a new crew in place quicker
• Choose an airline whose business model works based on a quick turn around i.e. it’s not in their interest either to be sat on the ground in a delay
• Check online for the delay statistics of both the airline and the airports you are travelling through and choose an airline with a good record for delays
• Avoid airlines that are controlled by unions. Strikes are one of the main reasons for delays
• Don’t cause a delay yourself. Be vigilant at the airport, listen to messages, read the boards and follow signs carefully allowing plenty of time to get from one place to another
• If you can avoid flights with a change of plane or touch down this will take out a point in your travel where delay can happen. If you are forced to travel on a connection, then make sure you are booked with plenty of connection time
• Adverse weather is one of the biggest factors that can cause a delay. If you are booking your business or holiday flight at the last minute, take into consideration the airport you are taking off from or landing at weather conditions and the forecast
• If you can avoid having checked luggage, this means if something does go wrong and you have to catch another flight, you are not prone to waiting for your luggage and can act quickly. I have known people in the past to courier their luggage to the destination as opposed to taking it on the plane.

If you are delayed, pay attention to announcements, arrive in good time at your gate, avoid if you can showing your frustrations to the staff at airports. Generally, the people who you speak to are only the messengers and not the creators of the delay. I once knew a girl who worked on a check-in counter and she said once someone was so rude to her that she “accidentally” labelled his bag to the wrong destination ! Generally, in delay situations it’s everyone for themselves, once you are talking to someone, don’t go anywhere until you are protected on another flight.

If you can afford it, travel in business or first class. Airlines treat their higher fare paying passengers much better than their economy passengers. Also, if you have a loyalty card make sure the airline knows you have this as again they look after you better.