A family sailing holiday is a fantastic way to build confidence in and on the water, and also enjoy a fun and exciting vacation together. 

Instead of just looking at the beautiful water or staying confined to the pool at a resort, a sailing trip will get you out on the water and enable you to see your destination from a fresh new angle. After all there are miles and miles of beautiful coastline in the world to look at so why restrict yourself to the beach?

Kids will love the feel-good factor of sailing which offers great opportunities for socialising with peers and a real sense of achievement. If you need convincing any further then consider the health benefits of sailing. Not only is the sea air charged with healthy ions that accelerate the body’s ability to absorb oxygen, but maneuvering one’s boat is equivalent to doing anaerobic exercises, flexing and toning the muscles and promoting cardiovascular health.

Here is a selection of sailing resorts which are perfect for all the family; guaranteed to put the wind in your sails!

Lakitira, Greece
The Lakitira Beach Resort in Kardamena is a superb RYA recognized sailing resort which ticks all the boxes for sailors of every level. The light winds most mornings are ideal for beginners and conditions build in the afternoon to force three to five – perfect for the more advanced sailors. Free group sailing clinics are spread over six days of the week for beginners through to intermediate level and you and your family can gain official qualifications through one of the ten RYA courses on offer.

San Agostino, Greece
San Agostino Beach Resort boasts usually perfect wind conditions making it a truly premier sailing resort.  There is a wide range of dinghies to use as well as first class instruction and RYA sailing courses for adults and children. Set on a beautiful private beach, San Agostino has a wonderful, warm atmosphere with a superb watersports set-up making it an ideal destination for your family sailing holiday.

San Lucianu, Corsica
Set amongst elegant gardens with a soaring mountain range as a backdrop, San Lucianu Beach Resort is certainly one of the most picturesque places to sail. Sailors love it for the good mix of wind conditions and the gently shelving beach ensures quality sailing for all levels. As part of the childcare programme on offer at San Lucianu, children learn to sail and have fun on the water as part of their activity programme.

Perdepera, Sardinia
Set on a magnificent beach in ever fashionable Sardinia, Perdepera Beach Resort is a laid-back place to sail. Located on the eastern coast of Sardinia just south of the village of Cardedu, the resort is reached via a scenic drive from the airport at Cagliari, taking in mountains and dramatic red cliffs as well as the sea. The beach is well protected by a headland making for perfect sailing conditions for novices in the morning and the more advanced in the afternoon.

Sea Garden, Turkey
Set in an elevated position on the stunning Aegean coast of Turkey, just a short drive from Bodrum is the Sea Garden Hotel. The resort is located beside two bays backed by pine clad mountains – an area of largely untouched natural beauty. The small sheltered bay is perfect for beginner sailors but then opens up into a large bay with consistently good wind conditions suitable for intermediate and advanced sailors.

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About The Author:  Mark Warner offers a range of sailing holidays with Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses, including free group sailing clinics, at resorts in Greece, Corsica, Sardinia and Turkey. Families can also take advantage of their complimentary childcare facilities for kids from 4 months to 17 years. Visit www.markwarner.co.uk for more information.
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Try bunking down in a cave as the Turkish nomads once did, get out on the water with a floating hotel or climb to the forest canopy to sleep in a treehouse. Now where is that adventurous spirit of yours? For your next vacation try staying…

In a treehouse…Turkey

Every kid dreamed of sleeping in a treehouse and in the enchanting valley of Olympos in Turkey, such dreams can come true! Kadir’s Tree House has something for everyone. Thrill seekers can enjoy a host of watersports and hiking, others might prefer lounging on the stunning beach complete with turquoise and clear water, also a spot where the loggerhead turtles come to breed so it is also fantastic for nature lovers. There is an onsite bar and pizza restaurant and breakfast is included in the price.

On a jumbo jet…Sweden

No chance of travel sickness on this one. Jumbo Stay STF/HI is a converted Boeing 747-200 Jumbo Jet parked at Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm. So, if you have an early flight to catch in the morning, this hotel is ideally situated just 10 minutes ‘walk from the airport check-in .You can even stay in the exclusive cockpit suite, the most luxurious space to be converted in to sleeping quarters.

On a river…Serbia

Floating idly on the river Danube Arkabarka Floating Hotel is a multi-storey houseboat accessible from a small jetty. Out on the water it offers spectacular views across to the Kalemegdan fortress and Ratno Ostrvo (War Island) which you can enjoy from many of the bedrooms as well as the bar and communal balcony. It is moored at the edge of Usce Park, a charming leafy location for your stay in Belgrade and guests can make the most of the free cycle hire.

In a castle…Italy

Now, everyone want to feel like the bees knees by staying in a castle at least one in their life. And the 14th century Castello di Galeazza in Bologna will help you with that fantasy. Only 45 minutes from the city centre, the castle is something of a rural retreat, the perfect place to catch up on some reading – there are plenty of nooks and crannies where you can disappear with a good book or lounge in a hammock in the surrounding

In circles…China

You won’t have seen anything like them before in your life. The Yude-style building, which is the Zhangzhou Wei Qun Lou Inn, was built in 1802 in the Fujian province of China. It suffered fire damage started by a warlord and in 1972 was rebuilt to house six families. The complex of round houses can be seen from the hills and some say they appear to represent a ‘beautiful apron of girls’. The architectural space is particularly stunning at night in the glow of red Chinese lanterns which hang from every floor. The building is now listed as World Cultural Heritage for its representation of Hakka culture.

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About the Author:  This article was contributed by HostelBookers.com, a terrific site for finding budget lodging across the globe.
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Brazil (Mardi Gras Carnival)

If lavish carnivals are your thing then head down to Brazil where the world famous Mardi Gras carnival will be taking place on 5 March. Here Rio de Janeiro comes alive with people dancing in the streets all day and night. Extravagant parades feature colorful floats and costumes that surround you as everyone dances to the rhythm of a Samba beat. Come together with the locals to celebrate this African-American tradition and leave all your worries behind.

Tips for planning a trip to Brazil Carnival:

• Book your accommodation early! This carnival is one of the most popular and biggest ones of its kind so make sure you book your hotel in advance to avoid disappointment.
• The carnival can become quite crowded so beware of your valuables and only carry the essentials.
• Plan which area of the city you wish to stay in and research the area beforehand. Make sure you are able to navigate yourself safely around the city. The safest areas are on the southern side of Rio so try to secure a hotel in these areas.

India (Holi)

Dance to the rhythm of the pulsating drums of India where Holi is celebrated to welcome in the arrival Spring each year. Paint the town and yourself in colors as positive energy spreads throughout the towns and cities. Holi takes place in late March so why not immerse yourself in the colorful festivities.

Tips for celebrating Holi in India:

• Wear old clothes which can be easily thrown away as they may become permanently stained.
• Apply oil or cream all over your body before you partake in the celebrations. This will help protect your skin from any harmful chemicals and allow you to wash off the colors easily afterward.
• Don’t apply colors near open wounds, eyes, nose, ears or other sensitive areas.

Italy (Carnevale d’Ivrea Orange Throwing)
This messy 3 day event takes place in the in the town of Ivrea, Italy and sees people throwing oranges at each other. Legend has it that back in the 12^th century the Duke of the area started a tradition whereby he was allowed to spend the night with each newly married woman in his province. One young woman refused and chopped his head off, which started a revolution! The oranges therefore symbolize the head of the unfortunate Duke. Carnevale d’Ivrea takes place every year in late February and consists of 9 brightly costumed teams who attack each other with citrus fruit.

Tips for attending Carnevale d’Ivrea:

• Wear a red cap if you do not wish to partake in the festivities. This shows the locals that you are just there to watch so you don’t get attacked by the oranges.
• If you wish to take part in the action you’ll need to join one of the teams, which is easy to do, simply volunteer.

After this cold, drab winter, we know these fun Spring festivals are just what you need to put some laughter back in your life!

Article contributed by the travel experts at Holidays Please.  Contact them to arrange your Spring trip to one of these wonderful festivals.

Image: whl.travel, Flickr

For years, a premiere destination for sunshine and a great value package holiday has been Spain. But with the Euro in trouble and wildcat strikes halting flights in Spain, a new contender has entered the holiday arena – vacations to Turkey.

Flights from US to Britain are comfortingly affordable during the winter season and exotic Turkey is just a short 3 hour flight away.  The currency exchange is also in your favor.  At this posting, one Turkish Lire is worth 1.49 USD – so one TRY will cost you only 67 cents.   What better way to mix up a holiday abroad then to step into a whole new palette of sights, sounds  and smells.

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As recently as eight years ago, people started to realize that Turkey offered all the advantages of Spain as a destination both for holidays and for buying property.  Those who were smart enough to make an investment in the country have seen their investments grow by as much as 500%, and property prices in Turkey are still some of the cheapest in Europe.

But Turkey has realized that the spotlight has been focused well and truly on its spectacular landscapes and shorelines as a holiday destination as well. Consequently, a massive amount of investment has been poured into the region to cater for all styles of holidaymaker – from the family package holiday right up to luxury apartments for the rich and famous. Indeed, Hollywood A-listers are abandoning the traditional destinations of Monaco and the south of France for a more exotic and just as luxurious holiday in Turkey. And where Hollywood leads, the rest of the world follows.

Bodrum – region of choice for visitors

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The most popular area is the coastline between Kusadasi in the north and Alanya in the south-east, which includes the resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris and Izmir. Bodrum is one of Turkey’s largest and most cosmopolitan destinations.   With flights to Bodrum now readily available from most UK airports, this jewel on the Turkish coast is now the destination of choice for an increasing number of visitors from all over the world. The bustling harbour town of Kusadasi and Altinkum, with stunning beaches, are both rapidly expanding resorts. But if resort life isn’t your ideal holiday environment, a short drive away from the resort areas will quickly take you into the real Turkey.

yilmaz_volkan flickr.com

And it is this that is attracting the more adventurous tourist. This juxtaposition between superb resort facilities, high class hotels and easy access to direct flights to Bodrum and the ability to experience a completely different culture that is well preserved and vibrant and with ancient roots. It is this that gives Turkey its appeal. A warm welcome, the chance to experience Turkish life by just simply taking a stroll through a village market and yet still having access to five star hotel facilities and all the trappings of a perfect holiday – Turkey offers the best of everything to the visitor.

A cultural melting pot

Will Turkey usurp Spain entirely? Well the answer is probably not. Spain is still a massively popular destination and always will be. But as our horizons expand, more people are willing to travel a little further afield and dip their toe into the cultural melting pot that is the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey, in turn, has learned from Spain’s mistakes and while there is talk of over development in some areas and the occasional poor quality hotel, the vast majority of Turkey’s development has been sympathetic to the existing culture of the region.

A greater emphasis has also been placed on environmentally sensitive development so while there are some generic developments in the more popular resorts, Turkey has preferred to focus on smaller, more culturally reflective growth that allows visitors to really ‘experience’ Turkish life. The result has been a tourist trade that has been impressed with what Turkey has to offer so far, and is coming back for more.

With flights to Bodrum and other destinations across the region easily available, there has never been a better time to explore this ancient and fascinating country.

We would like to thank the folks at FlyThomasCook for sharing this article.

Located on the border of South Africa and Botswana, the Madikwe Game Reserve is a great place to see not only Africa’s “big five” (elephant, rhino, leopard, lion, and buffalo) but to also catch a glimpse of endangered species like the wild dog and cheetah. There are plenty of places to stay during your visit to Madikwe including the luxurious Madikwe Hills, which will assist you on all of your safari trips.

Linyanti Game Reserve, on the border between Nambia and Botswana, is a marshland habitat perfect bird lovers. Since the reserve does consist of a marshy area, it is the perfect place to spot elephant and other animals in the dry months as they search for water. Hyena can be spotted in Linyanti, as well as bat-eared foxes. May through October are the best times to see game as they search for water along the river that runs through the reserve.

A five hour drive from Johannesburg finds you at the Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve. A part of the larger Kruger National Park, the reserve boasts a bird population of over 350 species. If leaving as little of your mark on your surroundings as possible is important to you, the reserve also contains the “the most environmentally sensitive lodge in Africa” in the Earth Lodge.

Animals from the Serengeti National Park seek refuge in the plentiful rivers and streams of the Maswa Game Reserve in the dry season. If it is wildebeest you are interested in seeing, they pass through the reserve in January and February in search of grass. Gazelle and impala can also be seen roaming the fields of Maswa.

One of the more famous reserves in Africa would have to be the Shamwari Private Game Reserve, host to many celebrities and dignitaries, the area is home to premiere lodging, and a sanctuary for big cats rescued from circuses and zoos. The reserve is also home to five different ecosystems, and the big five are plentiful in the area.

If you’ve spent your entire life dreaming of taking an African safari, there are plenty of places to explore across the continent. Just take your time in researching what the different reserves have to offer, what you’ve always dreamed of seeing, the season that you can travel, and get ready to have an experience you won’t ever forget.

Thanks go to Ker Downey for being guest authors of this article.  Wicked Good Travel Tips considers Ker Downy to be one of the premier travel providers of exceptional Africa safari experiences.

Ker Downey is a luxury travel company servicing not only Africa, but other exotic locations around the world. For more information visit http://kerdowney.com.

Give it a try – it will teach you to pay more attention when the news comes on!!!!
Fun Map Game

They Sleep With The Fish – And So Can You!
Fantasea Reefworld – Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Climb aboard the high speed air-conditioned Fantasea catamaran for a journey through the Whitsunday Islands to Reefworld suspended above on the Great Barrier Reef. Here you’ll find a high tech floating platform that serves as your entryway to Hardy Reef. Explore by semi-submersible submarine, an underwater viewing chamber or dive and snorkel right into the reef. And for a lucky few (6 people per night) you can spend the night and have the whole facility and undersea viewing areas to yourself. Find all the details at Fantasea Reefworld.com.au

Jules Undersea Lodge - Key Largo, Florida
Yes, you’ll feel like Jules Vern in his futuristic undersea cocoon. This underwater research habitat and laboratory facility rests 5 fathoms deep (30 feet) in the Emerald Lagoon of Key Largo, FL. Originally developed to conduct underwater research, it now offers two 8×10 lodge rooms for a few fortunate guests. This is truly an undersea stay, as you must scuba dive 21′ to reach the entrance. Once there you’ll enjoy all the amenities of home with a kitchen, phone, entertainment centers with surround sound, and 42″ viewing windows in the bedrooms. Don’t dive? – no problem, this is the perfect place to learn, just sign up for the dive course during your stay. Get all the details at JUL.com

Utter Inn (Otter Inn) – Sweden
This unique lodging started it’s life as an art project by creator Mikael Genberg, who’s goal is to make art for the public. Perched on the waters of lake Mälaren, an hour west of Stockholm, it’s cheerful cherry red upper house connects to an undersea aquarium below the lake with panoramic windows, twin beds and a table. Built for just one couple, you will truly be the master of all your survey – both above and below the water! Find full details at Unusual Hotels of the World

Opening Soon:
Thanks to the pioneering spirit of the Jules Undersea Lodge, developers have taken their initial concept and gone wild with it. Three fantastic, futuristic undersea resorts are on the drawing board (and in construction).

Watch the video presentation by the Poseidon Resort in Fiji - it will bow you away! The resort is scheduled for completion in 2008 and will forever change your vision of undersea life!

Hydropolis – Dubai

Qingdao – China

A strategy to attract the wealth of the region (and the world) has brought Dubai to the pinnacle of attention in lux media reporting. But all is not fun and games in this man made eden.

According to reports by Times Online, “A mere speck of a drug forgotten in a trouser pocket can bring a four-year jail term. Four years’ imprisonment is a common sentence for drugs possession, and trafficking carries the death penalty. Since January last year possession of even trace amounts of illegal drugs has resulted in four-year jail terms for foreigners in transit through Dubai.” €œThe presence of drugs in the body is counted as possession, the Foreign Office cautions. In other words, travelers can be jailed even if they have no drugs on them: a trace in the blood-stream of a drug consumed before entering the UAE is enough to secure a jail term.” “Painkillers that are available with a doctor’s prescription or are even available over the counter in Europe or the United States can be illegal in Dubai.” Read the full story about just how intolerant the United Arab Emirates are on drug and alcohol issues: TimesOnline

So I decided to take a peek at the US State Department’s travel advisory site for the Counsular Sheet on the United Arab Emerites. WOW…..who knew…..? Individuals are required to have a personal liquor license to enjoy a beer or glass of wine at home. While tourist hotels serve alcohol in restaurants and bars, the consumption of alcohol anywhere else is strictly prohibited. No drunken displays of affection here – unless you want to cool off for, let’s see, FOUR YEARS!!

The State Department also reports: “In addition, the UAE’s tough anti-narcotics program also includes poppy seeds, widely used in other cultures, including the U.S., for culinary purposes, on its list of controlled substances. The importation and possession of poppy seeds in any and all forms is strictly prohibited. Persons found to possess even very small quantities of controlled substances listed by the UAE are subject to prosecution by the authorities and may be given lengthy prison terms of up to 15 years.”

Better swear off the lemon poppy-seed muffins before heading to Dubai - sure as shootin, a few seeds would fall into your cleavage and then…….disaster, arrested for smuggling in poppy seeds!

And don’t even think about arguing about your hotel bill or restaurant tab… you guessed it, confiscation of your passport and detention until the matter is resolved.

So next time you see all those glossy pictures promising a vacationers’ paradise – remember only well behaved, straight and sober tourist allowed! It will be interesting to see how mass tourism changes Dubai over the next 10 years.