Raise your class

NOW I  do like my wine. So when I travel to a new destination I like to try out the local alcohol offerings. But I have never really been much of a buff on vintages and always wanted to be able to distinguish between a fruity and oaky tastes and understand all the  jargon used by the experts.

So I have embarked on a wine-tasting course at Gibneys of +Malahide Dublin The pub and off licence has been at the heart of this leafy village in County Dublin for decades - and the staff know their stuff.

Each student is presented with a box of six tasting glasses. Last night we were given an overview of wine production and various techniques. My fascinating discovery was that white wine can be made from red grapes. Two of the three grapes used to make champagne are RED.

We got to taste six wines from around the world. A spittoon was on each table but it didn't get much use. And at the end of the evening, us students were invited to polish off the bottles. Three of us dedicated scholars eventually left the classroom three hours after the end of lesson.

Next week is all about France. The final week concentrates on champagne. I hope there are lots of samples to finish off after school.

Holiday World Show

WITH the way the weather has been recently, I can't possibly think of a better time to attend the Holiday World Show in +Dublin. I'll be making my way to the RDS tomorrow for the annual event. There will be loads of representatives from destinations all over the world. I am sure that just about anywhere will be more appealing than the freezing wet and cold in +Ireland right now.

I'll be there for the trade session, so if you see a chap wearing an Honest Travel Guy t-shirt bearing a pic of me wearing the same hat on my head, please  come and say hello.

The exhibition runs until Sunday. Tickets and more details are available at www.holidayworldshow.com

Holiday World Show - my review

IT doesn't matter what your holiday plans are for this year, my advice is get yourself down to the Holiday World Show at the RDS in Dublin. I went there today and was totally overwhelmed by the choice and ideas I gained of  places I'd like to visit. It was like going to a mega store of a travel agent. One company that caught my eye was +Intrepid Travel  They are into adventure holidays and trips that are maybe a bit offbeat. Visit a remote village in South America perhaps. Whatever you fancy, I need to go back this weekend to make sure I have everyone covered.

Holiday World Show - the finale

I JUST can't get enough. I am going back tomorrow for the final day of the Holiday World Show in Dublin's RDS.

I spent most of my first day looking at destinations and resorts where Irish tourists may be interested in visiting. Tomorrow, I want to focus on attractions for tourists visiting Ireland. A huge number of visitors come from the +United States of America ♥. So whether they are coming from New York, California or Florida, the +Holiday World Show exhibits plenty to offer.

The hotels will be gearing up for the influx of +The Gathering Ireland so there will be a huge welcome. Who knows with President Barack Obama staying in office, he might consider a return to the country of his ancestors. Perhaps his staff at +The White House, should consider pencilling in a visit.  You can still visit the exhibition. Visit holidayworldshow.com

honesttravelguy.com

Keep it in perspective

honesttravelguy.com

YOU won't write anything bad about my country, will you - asked the heavily-pregnant representative at the Egyptian stand at the Dublin Holiday Travel Show.
It struck me as a rather bizarre question at first. There we were at the trade section of this exhibition. She was there to promote Egypt and my quest was to look for interesting places to write about.
On the whole, us globetrotting wordsmiths give a fair and accurate description of our encounters for the benefit of readers who might to choose to follow our paths.
And we are unlikely to lash out criticism if minor things go wrong - that can happen anywhere.
But then I reflected on the terrible scenes of violence from Port Said being beamed around the world. The slightly nervous tone in the voice of the woman at the trade show was a reference to that situation.
Her concern was understandable... but is it?
I would be interested to look at the figures..but I wonder if there is a link between atrocities in one part of a large country and the effect on tourism as a whole?
I doubt it.
We have seen barbaric and heartbreaking scenes in places like Alabama and Colorado after shooting rampages.
I am not aware that tourists in large numbers started having second thoughts about trips to New York,  California or Florida.

'This is bound to hit tourism,' is an oft used comment in the aftermath of these atrocities but I believe that such a reaction tends to be rather alarmist and unjustified.
Now I should stress there are some very dangerous places in the world where there is a strong threat of acts against foreign visitors. And, if you are considering going to those countries, then you are strongly advised to heed guidance from your own governments.
But restricted actions do not always require such widespread caution.
Over at the Northern Ireland section of the Holiday Trade Show, businesses there were also lamenting the impact on tourism of Belfast being back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time there are protests on the streets over the flags dispute.
But these demos are taking place in parts of this city where the average tourist is unlikely to be wandering on a discovery or heritage tour neither in the day nor at night.
And in my native London, there are areas where the average local would wary of visiting at the wrong time of day - but that doesn't mean that tourists should avoid the largely safer rest of the capital.
Places like Belfast are a beacon to the world showing how communities steeped in history of discord can come together in harmony.
Millions have been spent celebrating the beauty and positive aspects of life of Northern Ireland. Belfast is very proud of its shipbuilding heritage - and the Titanic exhibition is a great success. Over in Londonderry/Derry, celebrations are under way to mark the hosting of the European City Of Culture.
The place deserves credit for its remarkable achievements.
Don't stay away because of some 'bad headlines' from the wrong side of town.

honesttravelguy.com

London Pretty Airport

London City Airport, pictured above, has been voted one of the world’s ten most scenic airport landings in a poll conducted by PrivateFly.com. The company asked travel experts and fans across the world to vote for the most scenic airport landings in its annual survey.

Full top ten:

1. St Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), Caribbean
2. Barra Airport (BRR), Scotland
3. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), USA
4. Paro (PBH), Bhutan
5. Las Vegas McCarran Airport (LAS), USA
6. Phinda Airstrip, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
7. London City Airport (LCY), UK
8. Aruba Princess Beatrix International Airport (AUA), Lesser Antilles
9. Mustique Airport (MQS), St Vincent & The Grenadines
10. Nice Cote D’Azur Airport (NCE), France

honesttravelguy.com

Wales lures Irish tourists

honesttravelguy.com

TOURIST chiefs in Wales are launching a major drive for visitors from their nearest neighbours across the water - Ireland.

+Visit Wales  is targeting a 10 per cent rise in tourists from the Emerald Isle in the next five years.

Ireland is Wales’ largest and most important international market for tourism. In 2011, a total of 148,000 visits to Wales from Ireland were recorded, with a total expenditure value of £33million. 

Wales is very accessible from Ireland - in addition to ferry links; +Aer Lingus  flies daily to Cardiff from Dublin and Flybe operates daily flights from Belfast to Cardiff.  Daily flights from Ireland to Manchester and Birmingham also mean that North Wales is within easy reach by air.

The Welsh Government wants to see more people from Ireland opting for Wales as their holiday destination where they can visit breathtaking scenery like Snowdonia, pictured above.

First Minister Carwyn Jones  said, “Wales has so much to offer our Irish neighbours. From our ancient history, much of it shared with Ireland, through to our food, literature and our great outdoors, Wales is a nation waiting to be discovered by Irish visitors who will find a warm, Welsh welcome.

 As well as promoting Wales’ beautiful landscapes and coastline, the campaign will showcase the many spectacular events taking place in 2013. In Cardiff, the National St David’s Day Parade takes place in March; May sees the first anniversary of the opening of the 870-mile Coast Path.

The +The Hay Festival  of Literature kicks off on 23^rd May, while the Cardiff Singer of the World Festival takes place in June, along with the Gregynog Festival, the oldest extant classical music festival in the world. 

Thousands will flock to Wakestock, Europe’s largest wakeboarding music festival in July, with the World Bog Snorkelling Championships taking place in August. Dylan Thomas will be remembered at the annual festival in October and November and rugby will remain a key tourism driver with Ireland playing Wales at the Millennium Stadium next week.

honesttravelguy.com

London to Jakarta non-stop

NON-stop flights from London to Indonesia are to be launched later this year, it has just been announced (Friday night).
National airline +Garuda Indonesia  has chosen Gatwick to operate the flights from London to Jakarta.
In the last three months of 2013,  there will be six flights a week aboard new Boeing 777-300 aircraft. The planes come with WiFi and a chef for First Class passengers.

honesttravelguy.com

Daily service Dublin to Adelaide

honesttravelguy.com
EMIRATES is introducing three extra flights a week, ensuring a daily service between Dublin and Adelaide.

The increased volume comes  just three months after Emirates commenced its four time a week service to its fifth Australian gateway in November 2012. It will see an additional 1,062 seats operate in and out of the state per week, carrying an expected 200,000 passengers on the route each year.

Emirates operates its 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER on the popular 13 hour flight between Adelaide and Dubai, offering eight First Class Private Suites, 42 Business Class lie-flat seats and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Don't panic

Tips to grab a Nice holiday bargain

honesttravelguy.com

OK I know Christmas is barely over but it is worth giving a thought to your summer holiday in 2013. With a bit of planning and research you can save a fortune on last-minute prices - and you can have the fun and excitement of being in total control of your holiday.

My advice is to first decide on a location that you would like visit - maybe a couple. Then get an idea of how much flights are likely to cost. Does your nearest airport offer the cheapest flights? Also keep an eye on new routes. I predict a lot of interest in Ryanair flights from Knock to Malaga and from Stansted to Kefalonia.

Now pinpoint places online that you might want to stay - hotels, guesthouses, campsites.

GOLDEN RULE: Find the website for the hotel itself rather than a booking site. This can be quite a tricky exercise as search engines tend to draw you to agents. Some hotels will tell you it is cheaper to book through the other sites - but this is NOT always the case and big savings can be made and you won't have to pay any money up front..if at all. And you can always check for variations in rates.

NOW JUGGLE: This is where you can get a great deal with a bit of flexibility.  Start playing with potential hotel dates and corresponding flight times and costs. Spend some time on this exercise. You might find, as I have, that the overall cost of extending a break from seven days to ten is marginal as air fares tend to be cheaper. This means you can stay longer at the hotel rather than paying more to the airline to go home earlier.

The only major upfront payment is the airfare but, again, you can get good deals with early bookings.
Package deals give you the option of spreading payment of the whole holiday. But, if you have the cash available to book flights, you could have a great time.

Here is what I did four years ago.

I decided I wanted to take my family of six to the south of  France from Dublin. After a lot of digging, I found the website for the Seaside Park Hotel in Nice www.seasidepark.fr and found  a family room for ten days self-catering in July for €1,000 and airfares with +Aer Lingus for €1,200 - that's €200 each return.  The hotel rate was initially higher but just a week after booking I noticed that the discount on the other family room had increased from 40 per cent to 52 per cent. The hotel were happy to offer the same reduction when I called to query.

The hotel is based in Villeneuve Loubet just to the west of Nice. The rooftop pool gives you fantastic views of the coast. The beach is just a few minutes away the other side of the coastal road and railway - but don't let that put you off as you don't hear any noise and, by bus or train, you have access to the creme of the Riviera stretching from Monaco to Nice (of course), Antibes, Cannes and St Tropez. You also have Marineland nearby - Europe's largest marine park. www.marineland.fr

We tried to guess which celebrities were bathing on the multi-million euro yachts and cruisers that dotted the beautiful coastline as we took the tourist train rides in Antibes and Cannes.

One of the things I love about France - and Italy - is the all-round high standard of food at a good price. For lunch or breakfast, you can pop along to the nearby supermarket and buy wonderful fresh bread, pastries and other delicious treat. A bottle of wine for less than €5 has a purity in its taste that you don't find for that price back. We also loved the Chez Rosy cafe - three minutes from the hotel.

Hotels like this are little havens. You can savour the delights of  these millionaire playground resorts without the expense.

It just goes to show that you can't beat a good bargain hunt.

Aer Lingus raises the steaks

honesttravelguy.com

HERE is one to read just before eating. Be warned - it is yummy.

+Aer Lingus  has launched a premium three-course meal choice,  Sky Dine,
available to pre-order  for customers travelling in economy class on transatlantic flights
between Dublin, Shannon and the USA from February 14.

Head chef James Keaveney has created a number of three-course meals with a choice of red or white wine for just €17.50.

The Steak House meal consists of fillet of beef, sautéed potatoes with onion, spinach,
mushrooms, topped with tomato tartar and served with peppercorn sauce. Chocolate
mousse or cheesecake, by Lily O’Brien, is served for dessert.

The Cod with Salsa Verde meal option is a fillet of cod topped with salsa verde crust,
served with baby potatoes and steamed fresh vegetables. Dessert is a delicious seasonal
fruit salad.

A third option is Chicken stuffed with Irish black pudding, wrapped in bacon, served
with colcannon mash potato and steamed root vegetables. Chocolate mousse or tasty
cheesecake, by Lily O’Brien, is served for dessert.

Customers travelling on long-haul flights who wish to enjoy their quality meal on board can
now pre-order up to 90 days in advance of travel while making their booking or by adding it
to an existing booking via the Manage Booking facility on aerlingus.com


The launch follows the Sky Deli Pre-Order Meal Service on flights to UK and
Europe.

Terminal decline

JUST watching Sky News and I'm wondering how Colin Matthews, boss of Heathrow Airport,  can keep a straight face as he tries to justify higher charges. His argument is that Terminal 5 was like taking out a higher mortgage to pay for an extension to your house. It was now time to meet the higher payments. They also need to make further investments totalling £5bn. No argument with that last point  as Terminal 1 is a dump.

But why do we have to pay?

It is reckoned that passenger numbers have been overestimated. But Heathrow Airport is the third busiest airport in the world. Charges have tripled over the past 11 years. The cost-effectiveness of any expansion is calculated on the basis of increases in business to recoup the outlay. Over the next five years, they want to raise charges from the equivalent of £19.33 per passenger now to £21.96 next year and up again to £27.30 in 2018-19.

So, if I understand the argument, Heathrow Airport want to expand to make more money and want passengers to foot the bill. Do we get shares for our investment or maybe lower charges later? Don't hold your breath.

The latest proposed rises smack of a business that knows its customers have few alternative options. So bosses go cap in hand to those customers like a nationalised industry expecting someone else to bailout business decisions if they get their sums wrong .

I wonder why, despite the opening of Terminal 5 (remember that fiasco?), passenger numbers have not risen as much as expected?

Could it be that the place is still an overcrowded dump that most air passengers do their best to avoid?

The last time I used the London Underground station there it was like entering a grim undersized dungeon - not the gateway to one of the world's most exciting cities.

London Mayor Boris Johnson describes the airport as a cul-de-sac. He prefers a new airport to the east of the capital.

He has a point. I love flying into the new Southend Airport with +Aer Lingus. You are through the airport in minutes and can enjoy a hassle free train journey into the heart of London. And, if you are flying to the States, it is a hell of a lot easier to fly from Southend and then onwards from Dublin.

+British Airways and +Virgin are furious  at the plans - calling for a reduction in charges.

The Heathrow plans have to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Let's hope they put the interests of the passengers first.

Here to improve - and help you make money

THERE is nothing more powerful than the written word. I have worked in newspapers for 30 years - mostly for +The Sun and Daily Express - so communication in language that people understand comes as second nature to me.

So this message is simple.

Content is king in reaching your customers.

Let me help you to communicate effectively your message. Whether you are producing a brochure, writing a newsletter or planning a digital marketing campaign, get in touch.

Thanks

Andrew Waller

andrew@honesttravelguy.com
@honesttravelguy
+Andrew Waller
http://www.facebook.com/honesttravelguy
+353 879380414

Aruba mover

honesttravelguy.com

ARUBA  aims to keep its visitors on track with all of its attractions by becoming the first island in the Caribbean to launch a public tram service.

Introducing a nostalgic form of public transport, Aruba’s authorities have launched the new tram service as part of an on-going plan to rejuvenate its capital Oranjestad and encourage more visitors to visit downtown. And in line with Aruba’s green credentials, the trams will run on rechargeable batteries.

Operating free of charge, the two-carriage trams, each carrying 70 passengers, will run on a 12-minute circular route. This will connect the Oranjestad cruise terminal with the Commercial Plaza shopping mall, taking in key points of interest en route, such as the city’s archaeological museum and its historic fort.

Three trams will operate the route, Aruba having been assisted in the construction of the rail network and the carriages by Dutch tram company HTM.

Aruba has already announced plans to become a carbon-free destination by 2020 and is working with the leading organisation, Carbon War Room to achieve this. Other plans for Oranjestad include the development of a Linear Park, a 10-mile landscaped walkway from Aruba’s airport and heading north. When completed, it will be largest project of its kind in the Caribbean.

Google back free wi-fi

It sounds like Google are right behind Honest Travel Guy campaign for free wi-fi.

Take a look at this link:

Google free wi-fi

Emirates launch Milan to New York daily service

+Emirates is launching a direct service between Milan and New York from October.

The new service will link up with the frequent flier partnership with +easyJet for flights serving Italy and +JetBlue across the US, including the West Coast.

Emirates already a strong link with the Italian city - as shirt sponsors of +AC Milan.

Emirates flight EK205 will depart Dubai at 09:05hrs arriving in Milan at 13:50hrs, the flight will then depart Milan at 16:00hrs arriving in New York at 19:00hrs the same day. The return journey on flight EK206 will depart New York at 22:20hrs arriving in Milan at 12:15hrs the following day before departing for Dubai at 14:00hrs, touching down in Dubai at 22:00.