Wanderlust

Vacations in the UK seem to be incredibly popular this year, most likely due to the the current economy and the low value of the pound. England has many top tourist destinations including London (the English capital) and other fascinating cities plus a collection of seaside resorts such as; Blackpool, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis and Clacton-on-Sea. One seaside town often overlooked is Plymouth in the south of England.

At first glance Plymouth appears rather plain and principally modern, but searching a little bit deeper and you will very quickly discover that the city has a rich history and a deep association with the sea. As far back as the fifteen hundreds Plymouth has been an important port. In fifteen eighty eight Francis Drake set sail from the port to successfully defend the English by defeating the Spanish Armada. A further moment in history occurred in sixteen twenty when port witnessed the embarkation of the Pilgrim Fathers.

It is possible to take cheap Plymouth vacations by booking bed and breakfast in Plymouth rather than booking rooms in a expensive hotel. A quick search on Yahoo will show that rooms are available from as little as £29 a night and many guest houses offer dinners at a very reasonable rate, commonly equal to, or less costly than local restaurants.

Tourist Attractions In Plymouth

There are numerous places to visit in Plymouth. Popular tourist attractions include; Smeaton’s Tower and Plymouth Dome, the Royal Citadel, the National Marine Aquarium and Merchant’s House Museum. A boat cruise around the port is an interesting way to spend some time and if you discover that you have more time to spare why not take a trip to other places near to Plymouth, for example; Mount Edgcumbe, Buckland Abbey or Saltram House.

Saltram House is a fine Tudor Mansion which is situated two miles from the town of Plymouth, Mount Edgcumbe is another fine example of a Tudor house with landscaped gardens, coastal paths and parklands, and Buckland Abbey, about six miles from Plymouth, is a Cistercian abbey which was once owned by Sir Francis Drake and was later converted into a family home.

If you and your family are currently deciding upon spending some time in the city of  Plymouth it is vital that you book your  room at the earliest moment because, sadly Plymouth guest houses and hotels tend to be surprisingly busy and are commonly fully booked for a long period in advance. If your family is large you may find that apartments in Plymouth prove to be cheap option to bed and breakfast in Plymouth. If you are visiting the UK from abroad then you should consider making a reservation for a room in hotels in London to take in the attractions of the capital city of England too.

I was waiting to book my holiday till around Christmas time this year, so that I could take the family on a nice holiday to the Caribbean. I just managed to grab a fantastic holiday to St Lucia at the last minute, and we went to St Lucia last year. If i had some extra free time after my last holiday, I would have written about this before. So seeing as I am booking a holiday back to St Lucia, and i have some free time, I thought I would explain my last holiday there to you.

As we landed at St Lucia International Airport, we got a taxi and headed straight to our hotel. We were staying at the Le Sport hotel and the rooms were gorgeous. St Lucia has a lovely forest that covers most of the island, and we went on two safaris through the jungle, other than that we spent a lot of our time at the beach.

I had heard that there was a Volcano on St Lucia, yet i never new that we could visit it, let alone drive into it. Now I have seen a volcano before, in Greece, but never one like this. This Drive in Volcano is called the St Lucia sulphur springs. This Volcano is Dormant, so there is nothing for you to worry about, just that if the smell of sulphur fades, this means the Volcano is preparing to Erupt!

There are points in the Crater where the water and mud is boiling. After a tour guide fell into one of these boiling puddles, walking through the Volcano was called off and people were no longer allowed to go through on foot. So from that point on, walking was prohibited, and you could only take a car or bus through. It was an amazing experience, we got to see all the sulphur springs and the stunning colours splattered around the craters edge and basin. This sort of opportunity shouldn’t be passed up, so definitely give it a go. I am heading back there this year for more Volcano experience.

For St Lucia holidays, Barbados holidays and Christmas holidays, you should consider contacting a tour operator immediately.

Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has been welcoming travellers for centuries.  As intrepid Victorians were visiting this small volcanic island throughout the 1800´s.  However package holidays only took off here around 40 years ago.  Creating three main resorts and a wealth of accommodation options for the more modern tourist.

Lanzarote is located in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the south east coast of Morocco.  Many hundreds of miles south of the Iberian Peninsula.  And enjoys a semi-tropical climate as a result – with very low rainfall and average temperatures of 23 Celsius.

The bulk of visitors to the island will find themselves staying in one of the main resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca or Costa Teguise.  All of which boast a selection of accommodation ranging from chic boutique hotels through to budget studio apartments.

Lanzarote Hotels
Around 20% of all visitors to the island book all inclusive breaks in one of the 250 plus hotels in Lanzarote. 

The majority of these are located in the southern most resort of Playa Blanca.  Where tourists can select from a choice of good value four star establishments which are all arrayed along the coastline.  Such as the Timanfaya Palace, Princes Yaiza and Hesperia Playa Dorada.  Where prices start from around €80 per room per night.  Whilst big spenders can book themselves into the resort’s sole five star hotel, the impressive Gran Melia Volcan.  Which is located next to the Rubicon Marina.

The island’s oldest resort of Puerto del Carmen is also home to two perennially popular four star hotels; the Los Fariones which boasts its own private beach and the San Antonio, located just on the outskirts of the resort.

Lanzarote Apartments
In fairness Puerto del Carmen boasts a bigger and better selection of Lanzarote apartments than it does hotels.  As complexes abound here, providing good value breaks with prices starting from as little as £160 per week.  Which would buy a holiday for two people in a centrally located one bedroom apartment.

Lanzarote Villas
Lanzarote holiday villas have become increasingly popular over the last five years.  Thanks in no small part to the growth of the internet.  Which has enabled tourists to find and book their own accommodation direct online with private owners.

There’s now a large selection of villa properties available for rent across the island.  With Playa Blanca boasting one of the largest ranges.  Expect to pay from £450 per week for a two bedroom villa with pool.

The title is correct and as of spring 2010 Harry Potter’s home will be in the theme park Islands of Adventure in Florida. The park is not basing the land on any of the books or films in particular but as a collection of all of those put together. They are working very closely with WB in bringing the imagination of J.K Rowling to life. Having just returned from Florida, at the moment all that can be seen is Hogwarts Castle being built along with a Ministry Of Magic Decree saying no one can see what is going on within that area of the park.

There are two rides that are closing for a short time while they recieve total Harry Potter remakes. The family favourite The Flying Unicorn will be turned into Flight of the Hippogriff and the dual-track Duelling Dragons coaster is set to be turned into Dragon Challenge which all sounds very "I cant be bothered". The latter of the two is still currently running so perhaps the changes are not going to be very much on this one.

The last right is one of the theme parks biggest secrets to date. The only thing that Universal have announced is that it will be called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and have stated it will be “state of the art” as well as “mind blowing”. Seeing as they have not broken their promises on other rides such as Spiderman, The Mummy and the very recent Rip-Ride-Rock it it could be very interesting indeed.

Dining experience will include the Three Broomsticks, Hog’s Head and Honeydukes for all those chocolate frog fans. The shopping choices include; Ollivanders, Zonko’s, Dervish and Banges and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods. Hogsmeade station and the Owlery are also set to be included.

So book your Florida holidays and USA holidays or even perhaps USA tours now to make sure you do not miss out on this opportunity.

The International Wildlife Zoo is a non-profit natural heritage museum dedicated to supporting public knowledge and understanding for the country’s fascinating wildlife. Founded in 1988, the museum includes over 400 kinds of wildlife—insects to prehistoric mammals—from around the world.

The center displays wildlife in natural habitats, wildlife movies, interactive computers, guided interpretive tours, and hands-on displays.

Tour description:

Guided tours are available for ages 6+. Guided tours may be tailored to meet your needs of a class cours.

Other resources:

Pre-visit activity bags are available for all scheduled groups. Regularly shown animal life movies are free and available to all. Reserved movies are available to professional tour groups only.

The museum conducts weeklong summer classes for kids ages 5-11. Natural heritage exhibits and family events are provided by the museum throughout the year. Wildlife curriculum and activity programs, videos, and artifacts are also available on loan. Contact Jennifer Stoddard at 629-0100, ext. 311.

Outreach programs

Programs targets the natural heritage of wildlife across the world using live animals and artifacts. Programs can be conducted at your school or incorporated into a field trip to the museum. For a list of topics and additional details call Ms. Stoddard, Education Coordinator (520) 629-0100, ext. 311.

Parking:

Plentiful, for cars, buses, and RVs

Hours of operation:

Weekdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Weekends, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Admission fees:

$7.00 Adults
$5.50 Seniors (62 & over) and Students (w/ID)
$2.50 Children (4-12)
Free for ages 3 and under when accompanied by a parent.

School rates:
$2.00 per student for self-guided tours.
$2.50 per student for IWM-guided tours.
One free adult for every 10 students (required); additional adults are $5.50 each ($6.00 for guided tours).

Membership: Yes

Handicapped access: Yes

Lunch facilities:  Group lunch discount or bring your own sack lunches

Gift shop:  Yes; Teachers may pre-order inexpensive gift shop bags by calling 618-3568.

Curriculum relevance: Life Sciences, Biology

Contact person:  Kristine Massey, (520) 629-0100, ext. 336

Arranging a Group Visit: Reservations are required at least one week in advance.  For more information on Arizona travel, checkout Tucson events.

International Wildlife Museum
4800 W. Gates Pass Road
Tucson, AZ  85745
(520) 629-0100 ext. 336 or 311
(520) 618-3561 Fax

Keen to swap sleet and grey skies for sunshine and the beach this winter? Then look no further than the Canary Islands – the seven Spanish owned islands located off the coast of West Africa.  Which enjoy great weather all year round – offering winter breaks at prices that don’t break the bank.

The Canary Islands are one of the most affordable winter sun destinations in the world for sun starved UK tourists.  As they are located just four hours from home and are serviced by numerous low cost flight operators, such as easyJet and Ryanair.  Whilst also offering excellent value accommodation.

Lanzarote is located right at the eastern end of the chain and is renowned for its surreal volcanic scenery.  Created by a series of eruptions that have left the heart of the island covered in twisted lava.

Holidays here are surprisingly affordable – especially for those who prefer to go on self catering breaks.  With standard two bedroom villas in Lanzarote with private pools available from around £400 per week.  And Lanzarote holiday apartments available from £160 per week.

Visitors to the island arrive at the sole international airport of Arrecife before onward transfer to one of the three main resorts of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise.  It’s important to note that there are no shuttle bus services between the airport and the resorts.  So independent travellers will need to either hire a car or queue for a taxi.  Which are available just outside the main arrivals terminal.

The two most popular resorts during the winter months are Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen.  As they both enjoy a more southerly and sheltered aspect than Costa Teguise to the north.  Whilst also boasting great beaches and plenty of nightlife in the form of bars, restaurants and clubs.

Away from the resorts there’s plenty for visitors to do and see.  Such as Lanzarote´s weird and wonderful volcanic region.  Forged by eruptions hundreds of years ago this whole are looks like another planet altogether and is literally out of this world.

The best way to tour Lanzarote is by car.  As local buses don’t service the main attractions on the island.  Car hire starts from around €90 per week, whist petrol is very affordable too at around 80 centimos a litre.  The roads are good quality and very uncrowded once outside the main resorts.