Holidays & Travel

Family Adventures at Sea: Best UK Cruises for Kids of All Ages

Let’s be honest—planning a family cruise from the UK can get a bit chaotic, can’t it? With every ship promising the time of your lives, it’s tough to know which one’s actually right for your crew. The real trick is matching your kids’ ages, their quirks, and your family’s vibe with the right cruise line. Maybe you’re tempted by the storybook magic of a Disney Cruise Line sailing (who wouldn’t be?), or you want the non-stop action of Royal Caribbean, or you’re after the more laid-back, wallet-friendly feel of P&O Cruises. Each has its own flavor, and honestly, it’s worth poking around...

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Adventure travel climbs in popularity

Gone are the days that an action filled family holiday would mean packing up and heading to Eastbourne for a long weekend, as new research reveals that just 11% are opting for a caravan holiday and only 6% are planning a camping trip. Mountaineering, mountain biking and canoeing are now fast becoming the most popular activities for British families.

The rise of adventure travel has been widely discussed and figures from Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)** shows families opting for activity filled holidays in exotic destinations increased by a staggering 65% in 4 years,...

Buckfast Abbey to host storytelling festival

In celebration of 30 years of providing inspirational, hands-on learning experiences to schools across the region, Buckfast Abbey’s Education Department will play host to a major Christian Storytelling Festival from 2nd to 4th July. Set in idyllic gardens with the magnificent backdrop of Buckfast Abbey, a working Benedictine monastery just off the A38 and within easy reach of Exeter and Plymouth and surrounding areas, the three-day extravaganza of storytelling, theatre and puppetry will include school visits on the first two days and culminate in a fabulous Family Day on Saturday 4th July...

Bluebells victorious at Greenway

National Trust gardeners at the much loved holiday home of Agatha Christie, Greenway, are celebrating a huge swing to the bluebells after one of the finest showings in many years brought visitors to its woodland gardens.

Last year Greenway gardeners were battling the invasive and unwelcome Three Cornered Leek which is similar in appearance to a white bluebell, but with a distinctive smell and a narrow green stripe down the centre of each petal.

Simon Akeroyd, Head Gardener said, “The Three Cornered Leek can smother bluebells and has a strong onion smell whereas our native...

Summer set to start with a flumin’ good bang!

Get ready to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ on Goodrington Sands this May Day Bank Holiday weekend as Splashdown Quaywest open its doors for the summer with an Opening Weekend Firework Extravaganza, free for visitors and residents alike.

As darkness falls on Saturday 2nd May, watch in awe as Splashdown’s annual Firework show returns for its 2nd year. From 9.15pm, enjoy a stunning show full of spectacular colours and a truly wonderful display managed by renowned firework technicians Firemagic UK.

Visitors can watch the Fireworks from Youngs Park and the beach at Goodrington Sands, and for...

Exeter Airport reports a busy Easter

Easter was the busiest period of the year so far for Exeter Airport with over sixteen and a half thousand inbound and outbound passengers using the airport over the holiday period; a figure which was helped by the re-introduction of the Flybe ‘sun routes’ to Alicante, Malaga and Faro.

A high level of bookings on the other Flybe services, together with those of Skybus and Thomson flights which operated to as far away as Sharm El Sheikh, meant that the airport was over fifteen percent busier than Easter last year.

Exeter Airport managing director Matt Roach said: “The Easter...

Sun route flights return for Easter

Flybe, the Exeter-based airline, has re-introduced a series of ‘sun route’ flights to Alicante, Malaga and Faro to coincide with the first Bank Holiday of 2015.

The routes to Spain and Portugal from Exeter have started ahead of the Easter break and operate until late September with a frequency of up to four per week from May when Palma Majorca is also introduced into the Flybe schedule.

Thomson Holidays have already started their 2015 flights to the very popular Balearic Island and the all year-round Thomson flights to Sharm el Sheikh, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Cyprus and...

Judges reveal secrets of campsite success

You’ve met the Hotel Inspectors – now meet the Campsite Inspectors! The judges from the AA’s prestigious Caravan and Camping Awards are coming to stay at Britain’s top site.

Oakdown Touring and Holiday Park near Sidmouth is the reigning Campsite of the Year after beating more than 900 other entrants from across England, Scotland and Wales. And now the judges are back – this time to check out the competition for the 2016 awards.

David Hancock, co-ordinator of the AA Caravan and Camping Scheme, said: “Today’s campers expect so much more than previous generations. Just because...

Splashdown Quaywest Revels in 2015 Best Tourism Award

As Splashdown Quaywest, the UK’s biggest outdoor waterpark, readies to open its doors ahead of an exciting 2015 season, they do so with a spring in their step after being named 2015 winners at the prestigious Herald Express South Devon Business Excellence awards.

Brilliantly combining 8 fantastic flume rides and some of the English Riviera's most spectacular views, the family-favourite attraction was announced winner of the Best Tourism/Leisure Award at the glittering awards ceremony on Friday 27th March, beating off stiff competition from a host of popular local attractions...

Artist teams up with Toff TV family

Artist Nick Matson has teamed up with controversial television family The Fulfords to create a unique art holiday experience at their home near Exeter.

The Fulfords rose to fame with Channel 4’s The F***ing Fulfords and BBC3’s Life is Toff, which documented their unconventional way of living in their run-down stately home.

Art enthusiasts will have a rare opportunity to inhabit the stunning period property at the Great Fulford Estate where they can soak up the grounds and landscape during a four night art holiday.

The Fulfords are opening their home for a limited...

Travellers' health at risk due to lack of knowledge about areas rife with disease

Experts are today warning of the negative implications that can come from using insect repellents that do not contain at least 20% DEET, and are fearful that young travellers are not fully aware of the potential diseases rife in popular travel destinations.

A new survey has found that 78% of people do not research current diseases that they are at risk of catching in areas they are travelling to. Further results from the study show that 93% are opposed to using insect repellent with a concentration of at least 20%.

Many diseases that young travellers are prone to catching...

Holidays & Travel

Family Adventures at Sea: Best UK Cruises for Kids of All Ages

Adventure travel climbs in popularity

Buckfast Abbey to host storytelling festival

Bluebells victorious at Greenway

Summer set to start with a flumin’ good bang!

Exeter Airport reports a busy Easter

Sun route flights return for Easter

Judges reveal secrets of campsite success

Splashdown Quaywest Revels in 2015 Best Tourism Award

Artist teams up with Toff TV family

Travellers' health at risk due to lack of knowledge about areas rife with disease

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