April Events: Elf Fantasy Fair in Haarzuilens, the Netherlands
If fantasy is your thing, if you share a vivid passion for elves, dwarfs and other fairy tale and fantasy creatures, you simply cannot miss the Elf Fantasy Fair held every April in Haarzuilens, the Netherlands. The yearly April weekend event is filled with music concerts, artistic events, medieval and fantasy sports and all the costumes you can dream of, fueling your imagination and pushing it to the limits of made-up universes.
The 2011 edition will take place on April 16th and 17th. According to its organizers, Haarzuilens’ Elf Fantasy Fair is “the first, the largest and most amazing fantasy outdoor event of Europe”. Everything takes place in Elfia, a magic world with its own ruling royal couple and elvish nobility. Tourists, or better yet, creatures of far away lands, are invited to stroll through the Boulevard of Books and Arts, the court of Tales, the Dark Woods, the Dragon Alley and many marvelous places that become real for this special weekend. Read more…
Celebrate the World’s Most Popular Holiday, April’s Fool
Of all the legal holidays throughout the year, there is none so popular and as international and cross-cultural as the prank filled, poorly recognized, April Fool’s Day. While the details may vary from a country to another, no matter where you are in the world, you pretty much can start planning your smart pranks for April 1st!
Although the English take pride in the first mention of this informal holiday (as April’s Fool was first mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in 1392), the number of countries celebrating it is overwhelming. You’ve got your English speaking crowd – UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, your chic France, Asian countries such as Japan, Brazil on the South American continent, Romania and Russia in Eastern Europe, along with many other countries on the Western side of the Old continent. Read more…
Theme Park Moves Ride Because of Creepy Ghost
Ghosts, poltergeists and other paranormal activities are usually a blessing for any touristic venue. They attract thousands and thousands of visitors that chase encounters with other dimensions and usually translate into lots of revenue. But a British theme park learned a very hard to swallow lesson: sometimes ghosts are too creepy and cost you money, as you need to move out of their way!
Surrey-based Thorpe Park, one of Britain’s largest amusement parks, had to relocate their latest water ride after workers reported seeing what they described as a headless monk, felt sudden cold sensations and had the weird feeling someone was always looking over their shoulders during the construction. I’ve seen enough Supernatural episodes to know it’s better to run than face a headless ghost! Read more…
UK Travel Industry Assess Effect of Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Wedding
The coming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has the travel agents and tour operators concerned that people might delay their holidays, as this event is expected to have the same impact as this year’s world cup among the Britons. Such an effect, added to the effect of the ash cloud and the earlier mentioned World Cup could seriously damage tourism agencies’ business.
It’s fair to say, as we see with major sporting events, it may cause people to delay booking their holidays until after the wedding takes place,” said Sean Tipton, the spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).
Mike Greenacre, the managing director of Co‑operative Travel, which has 400 travel agencies across Britain, said it was too early to assess the impact. We haven’t experienced anything on this scale since Charles and Diana were married.
However, in the opinion of Thomson, the UK’s largest tour operator, the impact would have been greater if the wedding date would have been chosen during summer time.
Ian Bradley, spokesman for Aito, the Association of Independent Tour Operators, believed there would be a small dip, but said: I wouldn’t imagine it will be anything significant. While these two [William and Kate] are likeable, it’s not going to have the same impact as when the Queen or Prince Charles and Diana got married. It’s not a national event like it used to be, and people can watch it just as easily in their hotel room in Mauritius.
Indeed, Thomson said the majority of its foreign hotels will show the event on television and many will hold celebrations, so its customers can “enjoy the occasion in a relaxed holiday atmosphere”.
As the monarchy is a great tourist attraction, bringing an income of over £500 million per year, the inbound travelling is expected to greatly increase.
“The benefit of a royal wedding year is likely to outstrip [any loss],” said Sandie Dawe, chief executive of VisitBritain.
“William and Kate are a modern couple. They go to nightclubs and they are outdoor people, which gives us the chance to talk about these activities on offer to overseas visitors. It is the most wonderful publicity boost.”
“The youth and vigour of the couple is very attractive. Millions of people around the world are certain to see the wedding as the perfect moment to come to Britain.”
Romantic breaks and special couples attractions have been prepared by tours operators for tourists that plan to visit Kenya, the country where the royal proposal took place. Also there are high hopes of the royal honeymoon being copied.
Monte Carlo Circus, first to perform in Basra, Iraq since the 70s
The traveling Monte Carlo circus and its team of renowned foreign acrobats, jugglers and clowns has performed in Basra, Iraq, the first in over four decades to perform here. This is a sign of improved security in the region. The people of Basra were delighted by clowns, a female animal trainer from Ukraine presenting an eclectic mix of chimpanzees, dogs, snakes and a porcupine and other exotic performances.
This is new and we’ve been waiting for something like this for a long time. We enjoyed it so much and I hope they come back often,” said Muhanad Abdul-Wahab, a 50 year-old government engineer, who brought his children to see the show. Read more…
Things to do in London (or nearby) with kids
London is a vibrant city, but don’t assume your kid is going to share your enthusiasm for discounts at famous shops or for long strolls in the museums. I took my son to London for his 8th birthday and I tried to find things that he would find enjoyable. Kids love toys, no surprise there, so naturally Hamleys and Harrods (4th floor for the toy section) proved very successful destinations. I also wanted to take the pressure off as soon as possible so that we could focus on the rest of the journey, so we started with toy shopping soon after making it to London and checking in at the hotel. If your kid is anything like mine (and something tells me chances are 99% so), it might be a good idea to talk to him/her in advance about the maximum sum you’re willing to spend there, or the number of toys you’re willing to pay for. It makes them think, analyze and choose rather than run amok among shelves and throw tantrums when you refuse to pay for the entire store. You have been warned… A couple of hours later (and a hundred pounds lighter), we hid the stash in the hotel room and went out to see the city.
London has many great parks, and feeding the birds or the squirrels is always a major hit with children. Make sure you have bread for the ducks and pidgeons and nuts for squirrels and arm yourselves with patience and nicotine. You’re going to be there a while. On a second thought, forget the nicotine and take your shoes off.
If you are fond of nature, Kew Gardens is a great destination. It opens at 10 am and kids get in free. Adults pay 13 pounds, but there’s a lot to see and do inside. There’s the Kew Explorer, a 40-minute tour with commentary, the Treetop Walkway, the Climbers and Creepers and so much more. Read more…
Sardinian Treasures – Agriturismo Ca’ La Somara
If you’re visiting the beautiful island of Sardinia and are looking for a green retreat that’s quiet, relaxing, breathtakingly gorgeous, friendly, inspirational and also has donkeys and a cool pool, Ca’ La Somara is just the place for you.
Friendly staff, enough grounds to loose yourself and let your thoughts fly mixed with a communal dinner table allowing for fun and light conversation with the other guests, a modern spa and an authentic barn and farmhouse design and decor, this hidden treasure (yes, literally hidden, as the local taxi driver had a bit of a hard time finding it) suits almost everyone. Read more…
