If you are on Facebook - or even if you are not - go and take a look at our Travelicious Adventures group! Great for people who'd prefer to not use their email to stay ahead of our features and offers, and especially wonderful for people who love Facebook and want to be part of a fun group!
I'd also love to know what you'd like from being a member of the group - so please leave comments on the wall there, or on the blog here, and I can respond and cater for you accordingly!
Last year I wrote about a competition that Exodus had launched to find a new exciting tour itinerary, inviting entrants the chance to come up with an amazing holiday to be considered as new tour. If they were the chosen winner, along with FIVE friends, they would be the first to go on the new Exodus holiday!
Well, that winner has now been announced as Nicola Watson and the Adventure Pioneers tour, a fabulous journey through Istanbul to Tehran, taking in Lake Van, Shiraz, and Isfahan, as well as joining the Trans Asia Express, is to take place for the first time in September this year.
What a fabulous and exciting prize - Nicola must be thrilled to pieces, but if you fancy joining her and her friends, the trip departs on 22nd September and costs from £1649 including flights. Read the trip notes for Istanbul to Tehran with Exodus, or more details can also be found on Wren Elite Travel website.
Have you booked an Arctic cruise or Antarctic cruise? Here some tips from Kumuka (one of the adventure touring companies that Wren Elite Travel works with) on keeping warm for your trip:
1. Wicking thermals are the latest and most definitely greatest. They keep you toasty warm whilst 'wicking' away any unwanted sweat, they are comfortable, take up no room in your luggage and you can wash them anywhere.
2. Goretex lined shoes or boots make a huge difference when it comes to sub zero temperatures
3. If you really want to be decadent, take fleecy lined trousers, these days you can even buy jeans with such a lining!
I would also like to add a couple of extra tips:
4. Be sure to pack some emergency hand warmer gel packs - some can stay warm for hours and they are really handy to be kept stored in your jacket if your gloves should get wet / lost / left behind.
5. Think layers! Lots of layers such as a synthetic base layer vest, thin fleece long-sleeved tops, zip up fleece jackets and then an over-jacket.
Oberammergau is truly a very rare event - occurring only once a decade in this small, Bavarian village in Germany, it's the kind of thing that will take your breath away and make the hairs on your neck stand on end in awe. However, if you haven't already got your placed booked - now is the time to seriously consider doing something about it.
As always, the Passion Play will be a world-sell out. We're only in the first quarter of 2009 and many tour operators have already reported that 75% of places are filled for the 2010 event over May to September. If you want an opportunity to see this great re-enactment of the Passion of Christ, start making your enquiries now!
And there are people of many religions and faiths, as well as those who have an interest in history, who come to enjoy watching this depiction of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are religious or not, the involvement of a whole village of 2000 people and the buzz of excitement around can only leave you amazed.
Don't miss out on your opportunity for the 2010 Oberammergau Passion Play - this will not be an occasion to book 'last minute'!
To book or learn more about Oberammergau, see:
Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 - don't miss it!
Are you looking for more genuine photographs when you come back from a trip? Then I hope you will find my 7 Top Tips to Taking Local Photography useful when it comes to getting the 'local angle' in your travel photography. Please read on!
3. Be discreetly snap happy:
Be
respectful - but just take the picture when it comes to people!
This Bolivia market seller above was just getting along with her business, although sometimes it is more appropriate to ask and also offer money, and
that will mean a staged rather than an authentic shot. However, if you
consider the picture you want before you raise your camera, and then
quickly take the photo, you can often go unnoticed for some of the
best 'people pictures'.
4. Hang around a while:
The perfect picture isn't always the easiest to get, and sometimes it's a case of remaining patient (take a bottle of water and some snacks!) until you get the shots you want. Having said that, some of the best pictures are the least expected, and you just never know when they will happen!
5. Look for the unusual:
Don't always opt for the obvious shots - some of the most unusual subjects (even if they are a bit weird and whacky!) can make the most interesting pictures. This pile of fishheads was on sale at Vancouver's China Town market, and makes a marvellously fascinating subject I think, giving a real depiction of lives lived differently.
6. Arise at dawn:
Depending on
where you are in the world, jet-lag can help with this one – but to
really get life as it is, before the tourists get in the way, get up
early to take your snaps. You'll get fantastic sun rises, street
markets just coming to life, wildlife still hunting for food, and you
won't have the glare of the sun to content with on your pictures.
7. Let the 'objects of life' sometimes replace people
This picture above was taken in a very sleepy, tiny mountain village in Tuscany. There had been a small boy running around and playing previously (and I'd taken some pictures), but he'd wandered off and left his tricycle. The small trike replaces a human subject in the photograph, but still gives a feeling of local life, in an almost deserted, peaceful way.
Are you looking for more genuine photographs when you come back from a trip? This is a local child outside his shack home in Soweto - the infamous Township in Johannesburg - which I took when I was doing a Township tour just 2 years ago. The child was just playing and the opportunity was too great to miss!
If you would like your holiday snaps to have a much more authentic feel about them, as my picture above does, then I hope you will find my top tips about getting the 'local angle' in your travel photography useful.
1. Take the limelight off
people:
Getting the locals into shots can be important to add
life to the picture, but don't always make them the central focus.
Taking the main attention off people can stop your photography from
looking too staged, and allows the scenic or landscape subject of the
photo to be brought into the fore (without being boring).
2. Move off the tourist trail:
Getting
off the beaten track is one of the best ways of ensuring more
authentic and genuine photography experiences. Stay safe, but go in
search of wilderness regions, back alleys, villages, less trodden
roads, and even industrial areas or work stations where you're only
likely to see life 'as it is'.
3. Be discreetly snap happy:
Be
respectful - but just take the picture when it comes to people!
This Bolivia market seller above was just getting along with her business, although sometimes it is more appropriate to ask and also offer money, and
that will mean a staged rather than an authentic shot. However, if you
consider the picture you want before you raise your camera, and then
quickly take the photo, you can often go unnoticed for some of the
best 'people pictures'.
4. Hang around a while:
The perfect picture isn't always the easiest to get, and sometimes it's a case of remaining patient (take a bottle of water and some snacks!) until you get the shots you want. Having said that, some of the best pictures are the least expected, and you just never know when they will happen!
5. Look for the unusual:
Don't always opt for the obvious shots - some of the most unusual subjects (even if they are a bit weird and whacky!) can make the most interesting pictures. This piles of fishheads was on sale at Vancouver's China Town market, and makes a marvellously fascinating subject I think, giving a real depiction of lives lived differently.
6. Arise at dawn:
Depending on
where you are in the world, jet-lag can help with this one – but to
really get life as it is, before the tourists get in the way, get up
early to take your snaps. You'll get fantastic sun rises, street
markets just coming to life, wildlife still hunting for food, and you
won't have the glare of the sun to content with on your pictures.
7. Let the 'objects of life' sometimes replace people
This picture above was taken in a very sleepy, tiny mountain village in Tuscany. There had been a small boy running around and playing previously (and I'd taken some pictures), but he'd wandered off and left his tricycle. The small trike replaces a human subject in the photograph, but still gives a feeling of local life, in an almost deserted, peaceful way.
I will most definitely be watching The Great Migration tomorrow night (Wednesday 25th February 2009) on BBC 1 at 9pm, as part of the Nature's Great Events series with David Attenborough narrating it - and would certainly recommend you tune in also! I watched The Salmon Run last week and was mesmerized by the photography and filming of the show - it was absolutely amazing and almost brought tears to my eyes at one point!
The Great Migration is of particular interest to me because I have recently made a booking for a couple (friends of mine) who are going on honeymoon to Kenya in September, where they'll be hoping to catch something of this marvellous natural spectacle themselves. Kenya of course, as I'm sure tomorrow's film will show, isn't the only place to see the mighty Wildebeest make their way across the African plains for their annual migration - Tanzania is also a hot spot.
I do anticipate that there will be much interest for people to head off to these parts of Africa to see the Migration themselves after this programme has been screened, so please so get in contact if you want to know more about having such a fascinating trip yourself.
I'm happy to announce that Wren Elite Travel will now be working with specialist singles' holidays tour operator, Solo's Holidays. As we are an agency which understands that increasingly - and for many reasons - more people want or need to travel solo, we are keen to develop our portfolio of holiday providers that we can rely on for being able to offer our single customers with wonderful travel experiences.
Aimed at all age groups, Solo's Holidays range from activity & walking breaks to sun & sand relaxation to golfing holidays all over the world, and even black tie balls and dinners in the UK! The opportunity to share great experiences with new friends. Booking a Solo's Holiday, you will receive a single room with private facilities for sole occupancy, with no single supplements on most departures.
Recognising that everyone is different and whether solo or not, your holiday is your own, there is a flexible schedule on breaks, and you can opt in and out of the group activities as you choose. travel is with a group, but it's up to you how much you join in.
Solo's Holidays are also great value for money, as many meals, excursions and activities are included in the price of your holiday, with a wide range of destinations in the UK and around the world to suit every budget (UK events start from just £59!). A friendly Tour Leader travels with every group to ensure you have a great holiday and the company has 25 years of experience in organising quality escorted group holidays exclusively to single travellers.
Interested in booking a Solo's Holiday? Get in touch with Wren Elite Travel for more information.
**************************************************************************************************************************
To check availability or book a Solo's Holiday, call on 0845 475 0342 or e-mail enquiries@wrenelitetravel.co.uk. Alternatively FILL IN OUR ON LINE ENQUIRY FORM BY CLICKING HERE!
**************************************************************************************************************************
Coming out of customs on a standard package is always a drag - especially when you're tired, or if you are travelling with children. Not only do you have to fight your way with the crowds to get your name signed off for the coach, then tediously wait for everyone to get on the bus, but then it's 5 drop-offs before you reach your own hotel.
However, imagine getting to the airport and as soon as you come out of customs with all your bags, you spot someone waiting for you with your name on a card? How nice is that idea? Especially if arriving in busy and frantic airports such as Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, which is a popular destination at this time of year.
Instead of having to follow the hoards and hang around for ages for everyone to find their way and get their cases on board, you are immediately whisked off to your private car and driven straight to your accommodation - no stopping to drop off anyone else.
That's the beauty of private transfers. And when it comes to returning home after such a fabulous start to your holiday, it's as easy as when you arrived.
Luxury tour operators naturally provide private transfers, and Wren Elite Travel works with a number holiday companies which only offer this type of journey to your resort or hotel. For example, Classic Collection Holidays, as well as Kirker, are two operators that provide private transfers and really look after customers while travelling.
ITC Classics and The Azure Collection, who are very much preferred tour operators, are two others worth considering, especially for Indian Ocean holidays and going further afield.
On your next holiday, isn't it time you decided top opt out of the mass market and get a little more special treatment for yourself?
Early birds catch the boat...
As we all know, times are a-changing, and while we have enjoyed an era of last minute holidays and knock-your-socks off deals if we're prepared to hang on until a few weeks before departure, it seems that this era may have pretty much come to an end.
A result of the last very painful few months of upheavals in the travel market and the global economy generally, capacity has been tightly squeezed and cutbacks mean that seats on planes, as well as the airlines' routes, are much fewer. XL's collapse left a huge gap in capacity, and even no-frills airlines Ryanair and easyJet have caused rumbles with many winter routes stopped. And these are but a few.
The consequence of this for the consumer is that the 'lates' market we have become so accustomed to has shrunk considerably, and combined with the fact that fuel supplements can add so much to the price of travel now, the bargains we were used to no longer can be had. And this appears to be the general consensus from the travel trade.
In a recent issue of the TTG (Travel Trade Gazette), managing director of Virgin Holidays Amanda Wills claims that now it is the “early bird that catches the flight”, for the very reasons stated, and she warns that “leaving it late doesn't guarantee a lower price. But it may guarantee a smaller choice.”
Just one example I'm aware of comes from the cruise market, where it is the early bird that catches the boat. Viking River Cruises have already sold 65% of capacity for 2009 after having an early launch of their programme, offering major price benefits for customers who book at beginning, instead of the end, of the sales period. So, that's almost two thirds of their 2009 holidays already sold.
It does, of course, depend of what you are looking for. But even for the independent traveller who rarely books any kind of holiday or cruise package, with less 'bum-space' on airlines overall, those who leave it late to book flights could find they end up not flying at all, either because there is no availability, or the price is prohibitively expensive.
Unless we are prepared to forego any real choice when it comes to picking a holiday, and be left with the bottom of the barrel, the best deals on offer now are available well in advance of travel. If you have your heart set on a particular holiday, it's probably best not to leave it until you've got 3 weeks (or even 3 months) to go.
Andrea Wren
BACK TO Wren Elite Travel