Ferry to Spain, for a Family Holiday in France?

Yes the heading is right, I think that catching one of the Ferries to Spain could make for a fantastic family holiday in the South of France.

The Spanish ferry leaves from Portsmouth and takes 2 nights to get to Bilbao on Spain's northwestern coast. From here it is a very scenic two hour drive along the pretty Spanish coast and then up and over the Pyrenees mountains.

Sure it does cost more than the many cheap ferry crossings to France (Dover to Calais or Dunkirk), but in this way you get two nights to relax on the ferry, with all it's restaurants, live entertainment, casinos, saunas, beauty salon and gym, instead of the ten hour drive down the length of France. You must also remember that you are also saving on the fuel and toll road costs this way.
Why not fly to France?
I am not going to knock flying to hard as I use it often, but that is just the point, we travel so much by air these days, it is no longer exciting and more of a chore, something to get out of the way. I feel that doing something a little different, like catich the ferry can make it part of your holiday. If you do fly, you will also then have to hire a car in France, where as by using the ferry, your holiday starts from the moment you lock your front door.

To read more about our proposed trip to the South of France read the Beach Holiday Blog post on the
Ferry crossing to Spain

Prague City Breaks

I have recently returned from a fantastic long weekend city break in Prague, where the spring weather was simply glorious and I would highly recommend a visit before it gets too hot and the city gets too crowded with tourists.

Prague Weather
Because Prague sits in the middle of Europe, it has an almost Mediterranean climate, with cold winters. Prague tends to get really hot winters and short very cold winters. This means that probably the best time for a city break to Prague is in the spring or autumn.

Flights To Prague
The flying time for us from London Gatwick airport was only 1 hour 40 minutes, with our outward flight leaving very early on Saturday morning and returning on Monday Afternoon, meant that we had plenty of time to explore the city.

Prague Holidays
Our hotel (actually a floating hotel – Botel Racek) was located just outside of the city centre on the river, it was a very simple tram journey into the main tourist part of Prague, but we decided to walk in most of the time as the walk along the river was fantastic.

I am not usually a city break type of person, but I must say that Prague, like a few other smaller European cities (Amsterdam & Edinburgh) are fantastic to visit, you can walk them without feeling too overwhelmed and the river, whilst not only beautiful with it's bridges, makes for a fantastic point of reference making the city really simple to navigate.

So to sum up, I highly recommend a visit to Prague, it makes the ideal long weekend city break location as it is a fantastically beautiful city with something pretty much for everyone: River boat cruises, castles, cathedrals, beautiful parks, restaurants, cafes pubs, museums and more.

For more information check out this page on Prague City Breaks

Beaches in Malta: Ghajn Tuffieha Bay and Golden Bay

Two of my favourite beaches in Malta are Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, they both sit next to each other and are only walking distance apart. They are situated on the Western part of Malta, with Golden bay having most of the facilities, like places to eat and toilets and the large 5 star Radisson Golden Sands Hotel and thus this beach gets much more populated especially in mid summer. You can hire all sorts of equipment for watersports from this beach and there is a diving school also located on site.

If you are looking for an un-crowded beach, somewhere to get a little peace and quiet Ghajn Tuffieha Bay may be just what you are looking for, this beach is also great for snorkeling. Because Ghajn Tuffieha Bay does not have any facilities, it tends to be much quieter and though it cannot be described as a nude beach, I have seen nudists at the far end of the beach before. If that is not your thing, you can easily stay away from that area and you would probably not even notice them.

You have to climb over 100 steps or you can choose to climb down hillside paths to get to Ghajn Tuffieha bay and so would not be suitable for anyone who has dificulty in climbing. To get to Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha Bay you can take the bus Route 47 from Valletta or alternatively route 652 from Sliema.

Jumeriah Beach in Dubai

Dubai (2008) 10
Originally uploaded by Martin O'Connell

Dubai is a fantastic winter holiday location, with tons of shopping, loads of world class golf courses and stunning beaches.

This post is however all about what is acceptable for you to wear on the beaches in Dubai

I often get asked if it is ok to wear a bikini on the beaches in Dubi. I think wearing a bikini on the private hotel beaches like the Jumeirah Beach Hotel located near Jumeriah Beach is fine and you will not offend anyone. The photo of this post is actually of a couple on Jumeirah Beach and as you can see she is definitely wearing a bikini. I would say though it would probably be inadvisable to go topless in Dubai, save that for your beach holidays to Spain and Portugal!

Topless Beaches in Malta

P'tit cul maltais
Originally uploaded by jdlechere

I have had a number of people asking me if the beaches in Malta are topless, or indeed if there are any nude beaches in Malta.

From the research that I have done, I think officially public nudity is illegal in Malta, but having said that I have seen some people go nude on some remote beaches like Gnejna Bay.

As for topless sunbathing, most people turn a blind eye to topless bathing, but again it tends to be done at the more remote beaches of Malta and Gozo.

So to answer your question, I would say that it is ok, as long as you don't wander the streets or go into the bars topless! For me though this is definitely not a reason not to visit Malta and it's wonderful beaches.

Active Winter Sun Holidays in Dubi (Dubai)

Dubai or Dubi as many people seem (including me) seem to spell it by mistake, is an excellent location for a winter sun holiday location where it is possible to view a completely different way of life as well as go to the beach, perhaps play a bit of golf as well as experience some of the finer things in life. In this post I am going to focus on some of the more physical activities you can enjoy on holiday in Dubai.


Dubi as a active holiday location?
Desert safaris, camel racing, sand skiing, golf and exploring the wadis in a 4x4 vehicle are all very popular in Dubi.

Dubai Golf Holidays
Dubi also has some of the best Golf courses that you could ever wish for and is an excellent location for a golfing holiday. one of the best and probably most well known golf courses in Dubi is the Dubai Emirates Club and actually has two 18 hole par 72 courses: The Majlis, which is where the famous Dubai Dessert Classic [Dubai Desert Classic] is played and the Wadi which was redesigned by Nick Faldo in 2006. Like most golf courses in this region it is a magnificent oasis of green grass and water features reclaimed from the desert sand and well worth a visit to anyone who loves their golf. If you want more info try this guide to all Dubai Golf Courses including the emirates golf club Dubai.

Scuba Diving in Dubai
Scuba diving is often forgotten by people looking for some adventure in Dubai, which is a shame as there is some pretty good dive sites and centers in Dubi.

Hotels in Dubai that have a dive center include the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (00 971 4348 0000) and you can expect to pay around £15/US$30 per trip if you have your own equipment, or if you ar new to diving in Dubai around £280/US$500 for a full PADI open water qualification. Children are also welcome and they have dive courses suided for them as well.

Another location is the The Scuba International Headquarters is a fully licensed PADI 5 star Instructor Development diving centre in Dubai located on the Al Wasl Road and has a purpose built on-site swimming pool for training.

Wadi Bashing - 4x4 Holidays in Dubai
Wadi Bashing involves bouncing a four wheel drive vehicle (4WD) through dried up creeks and river beds. There are many companies that run safaris to Wadi Hatta or the Hajar Mountains, so should not be very difficult to organise.

If you are more of an independent traveler you can try camping under desert stars or again organise the trip through a company.

Jebel Shams lays claim to the title "Grand Canyon of the Middle East", climbing up to nearly a mile-and-a-half above sea level. The eastern emirates have plenty to offer too. Ras Al Kaimah to Dibba is a classic route, climbing from sea level to over 6,000ft and back again. It's always advisable to take a second car and tow rope in case one gets stuck. Most major car-hire firms are represented at Dubai airport an important point is 4x4's will need to be booked in advance.


For more info on Holidays in Dubi check out Dubi Holidays & Beach Holiday Guide

Winter Sun Holiday in Cape Verde

Cape Verde makes an excellent spot as a beach holiday destination all year round, but because of it's location, it also makes the perfect winter sun beach holiday destination.

So where is Cape Verde?
For those of you who don't know, Cape Verde is a group of very small islands in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of Africa and so make a great tropical island paradise almost all year round. The temperature in winter average around 24 degrees Celsius and the summer has a low temperature of around 29 degrees Celsius. So thats the first check sorted in any good beach holiday - the weather.

The beaches in Cape Verde
Cape Verde has some of the best beaches I have ever seen, up till now pretty much unspoilt, the perfect place for a relaxing beach holiday. For the more energetic there are also beaches that offer water sports, like windsurfing, snorkeling and even scuba diving around the islands.

So apart from the beaches what else is there to do in cape Verde?
Cape Verde is known for it's their own style of folk music, which is sung all over the island and there are many laid back beach bars and clubs where you can join in.

Like most tropical beach locations, Cape Verde also makes a great spot for your honeymoon or a romantic holiday as it has a very laid back out of the way feel to it. You could easily rent a holiday villa or self catering holiday apartments giving you all the seclusion you could ask for for the ultimate romantic holiday!

The Cape Verde’s islands are however much more than just a beach holiday destination, if you venture inland you will find some stunning scenery perfect for those who love of hiking. It is also important to remember that each island is unique and special in it's own way and my advice would be to definitely do a bit of island hopping.

So there you go, I would recommend The Cape Verde Islands as a truely relaxing beach holiday destination both as a winter sun holiday location and as a summer destination. So if you are lloking for something a little different why not give these beautiful islands a try.