Dumfries, situated, not that far from the Solway Firth, on the banks of the River Nith is, by a large number, the most populous town in the southwest part of Scotland (the population is more than thirty thousand souls). Dumfries, in a similar way to Ayr, has a great association with the life of, the poet, Robert Burns.

For people wishing to take a vacation in Dumfries we have listed below details of three popular tourist attractions to visit; Robert Burns House, Dundrennan Abbey and Lochmaben Castle:

Dundrennan Abbey

King David I founded Dundrennan Abbey in 1142. At this time, Scottish abbeys were commonly built of a reddish sandstone, but Dundrennan Abbey was built of very hard-weathering, local grey sandstone. This is probably the reason why many of the unique architecural forms and mouldings have survived. The first monks to reside in the Abbey, originally come from Rievaulx, Yorkshire. Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night on Scottish soil at Dundrennan Abbey in 1568. She then found her way across the Solway Firth to Workington, and was soon imprisoned and captured by the English. In 1587, following the Scottish Reformation, the property was passed into the hands of the crown.

Lochmaben Castle

The Lochmaben Castle, that is left today, was not the first Lochmaben Castle. The first was built by the Bruce family, Lords of Annandale, in the beginning of the twelfth century. In 1298, King Edward I of England captured the castle, and then constructed another Lochmaben Castle in a better defensive location. This second castle was completed at the beginning of the fourteenth century, leaving the old castle derelict. From 1306 to 1588, the castle was either in the hands of the Scots or the hands of the English. It was in 1588 that James VI besieged and captured the castle from the Maxwell family. The castle was eventually abandoned after the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

Robert Burns House

One of Scotland’s most famous men, Robert Burns, resided in Dumfries during the later years of his life. The house that he and his family once lived in has now become a place of pilgramge for his fans from across the globe. He died prematurely at the age of 37 years in 1796, at home. Today, one can catch a glimpse of how he and his family lived, back in the late 1700′s. The chair and desk where he sat and wrote are on display, as are many of his orginal manuscripts. There are personal items on display as well, that once belonged to his family.

If you are planning on taking vacation in Scotland and you wish to spend some time in Dumfries you might want to book your accommodation online and you will discover listings of Dumfries accommodation and hotels at http://dumfries.hotelreservationhelper.com.

Castle Douglas is found in a district of Scotland called Dumfries and Galloway. In the 18th century Castle Douglas had something similar to a redesign by a local man called William Douglas who wished to make his home town into a prosperous commercial and industrial center. Regrettably the enterprise ultimately failed, but the town benefited a small amount with a small number of lovely buildings made from a mix of red sandstone and gray granite and a straight high street called King Street. Being roughly eighteen miles from Dumfries, Castle Douglas benefits from an incredible selection of tourist attractions and places worth visiting and we introduce three; Threave Castle, Castle Douglas Art Gallery and Threave Gardens:

Threave Castle

situated on an island in the middle of the River Dee, is the breathtaking Threave Castle. The journey to the castle itself is really awesome. First one has a ten minute stroll over farm land and through woods, where one comes upon a jetty, at the river’s edge. Here you will find a brass bell that is the sign for the ferrY man to come and transport you across to the castle. Threave castle was constructed in the 1370′s by Archibald Douglas (Archibald the Grim), soon after he became Lord of Galloway. Threave continued to be his home until his death in 1400. The source of the name Threave comes from the Old Welsh word for Homestead, ‘Tref’.

Threave Gardens

Liverpool businessman, William Gordon, acquired Threave House and estate, as a summer dwelling for his extensive family, in 1867. The twenty four acre Threave Gardens were developed alongside the house, and are now a popular visitor attraction. The National Trust for Scotland continue to develop and maintain the house and gardens, as well as running the visitor center. There are various gardens around the estate, including the
Peat Garden, Woodland Garden and Secret Garden. In springtime, the parade of daffodils are wonderful, and attract visitors from near and far. A favorite of children who visit Threave Gardens is the Discovery Garden. It was designed to attract children, with its mown grass paths twisting through meadows decorated with a multitude of wild flowers.

Castle Douglas Art Gallery

The Castle Douglas Art Gallery is an excellent venue, which regulary hosts an array of art and crafts throughout the year. Many touring exhibitions are exhibited regularly, as well as temporary exhibitions, all running from Easter to Christmas. The art gallery was founded in 1938, and was donated to by the artist, Mrs Ethel Bristowe. In 1996 the gallery was upgraded with funds granted by the National Lottery. A lot of the exhibits in the gallery, including photographs, are for sale. Close to the gallery, are two other attractions, Threave Garden and Threave Castle. These are to be found no more than a couple of miles away.

If you are considering having a Scottish vacation and you plan to spend a few days in Castle Douglas you might want to book your accommodation online and you will find listings of Castle Douglas accommodation and hotels at http://castledouglas.hotelreservationhelper.com.

Ayr is the largest town on the Firth of Clyde coast and, for a few hundred years, it was an important seaport and trading center, amazingly, at one time, it was nearly the same as Glasgow in size and importance to the nation of Scotland. The towns tourist trade really started during Victorian times. Nowadays Ayr is still a popular place for tourists to stay due, in part, to its association with Robert Burns life but also because of the multitude of tourist attractions to be discovered in and about the town of Ayr. We have listed below details of three popular visitor attractions to visit; The Auld Brig, The Electric Brae and Greenan Castle.

Greenan Castle

During the 12th century, Roger De Scalebroc built a fortress, which was later the site of Greenan Castle. In 1476, the Lands of Greenan were lost by John, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles, for his treason against James III. The Lands of Greenan were then passed on to William Douglas, who was the son of Archibald, Earl of Angus, by James IV, in 1493. The rectangular tower house was built in the beginning of the 17th century, by John Kennedy Baltersan, and the original fortess was immersed in this construction. Built on the edge of a sheer coastal cliff, Greenan Castle is in a picturesque locale, with breathtaking views. Not far from the castle is a large stone, where the Scots and the Picts supposedly signed the peace treaty.

The Auld Brig

The Auld Brig is not the only bridge in Ayr, in fact, over the centuries there have been three. The other bridges were the New Brig and the old iron footbridge. Years before the Auld Brig was built, in 1470, the only way over the river, and into town, was via a wooden bridge. In 1788, the New Brig was built, but tragically was washed away during a flood about a century later. Once again the Auld Brig became the primary crossing until another New Bridge could be built (1878). The majority of people have heard of the Auld Brig thanks to Robert Burns, who composed the poem, ‘The Brigs of Ayr’.

The Electric Brae

This naturally occurring phenomenon can be found in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Electric Brae is a gravity hill, where a parked vehicle on the road, with the brakes off, will appear to move steadily uphill. This is purely an optical illusion which is because of the way the land lies. There used to be metal markers on the road pointing to the spot, but these have now been substituted with a stone cairn. The stone cairn is also engraved with an explanation of the Electric Brae. Originally people thought the phenomenon was due to an electric or magnetic force within the Brae, hence the name.

If you are in the process of considering having a Scottish vacation and you plan to spend some time in Ayr you might wish to book your accommodation online and you will find listings of Ayr hotels and accommodation at http://www.ayrhotelscotland.com.

The Holiday Property Bond (HPB) offers an interesting alternative to the traditional timeshare concept.

The “bond” is actually a life assurance bond which invests up to 65% of its funds in holiday properties in Britain and Europe. After fees and charges have been deducted the rest of the fund is invested in British government bonds, Eurobonds and other income producing securities.

Investors receive an annual allocation of Holiday Points according to the amount of money they have invested in the bond. The minimum initial investment is £4,000 and one point is allocated for each pound invested. However, the investment is inflation-proofed to protect members’ booking power year by year.

Bond members may use the points to book rent-free holidays in any of the available properties any time of the year, as long as they have enough points to cover the “points charge” of a particular property, and provided the property is not fully booked.

It should be noted that “rent free” does not mean “100% free” because Bondholders are expected to pay a “no-profit user-charge” which, according to the HPB portfolio catalogue, is a “contribution towards the actual costs of servicing” the property during the period of occupancy. This still represents good value, especially as the terms of booking stipulate that “all the facilities on most sites are provided to Bondholders at no extra cost.”

One problem Bondholders may encounter is that their preferred holiday site is already fully booked, especially during the peak holiday season. HPB management maintains that even if every bondholder were to book a holiday in the same week ten percent of the accommodation would still be empty. In other words, although some holiday sites fill up quickly there will always be accommodation available somewhere. Courtesy of Car Hire at Port Elizabeth International Airport

The Holiday Property Bond was launched in 1983 with just one holiday property in the Canary Islands. Twenty five years later the portfolio has grown to include 19 properties in Britain, three in France, two in Spain, Italy and the Canary Islands, and one in Austria, Portugal, Turkey, Madeira and Majorca, so HPB may be said to offer more choice and flexibility than the traditional timeshare model.

The portfolio includes a castle, a manor house, mansions, farmhouses and country cottages in Britain; a French chateau; a medieval palazzo and a trulli development in Italy to mention just a few. On site or nearby facilities can also be impressive, such as a championship golf course in Norfolk, a salmon beat in Scotland, and skiing in Austria.

Each property is sympathetically decorated, comfortably furnished, and fully equipped. The sites are maintained to a high standard.

As well as the properties under HPB ownership, further choices available to members through the HPB Tenancy Programme, which extends the range of countries covered by the portfolio and takes it beyond Europe to the USA (Florida and New England) and South Africa (Capetown).

The Bond is issued by HPB Assurance Limited, which is registered in the Isle of Man. Bondholders who wish to cash in can do so after two years. Unlike some timeshare schemes, there have been no reports of difficulties in encashing. Courtesy of Car hire in Bloemfontein

However, investors looking for major financial gains would be advised to look elsewhere and encashment after just a few years has tended to result in losses on the initial investment.

For many Bondholders, the real value of the Holiday Property Bond lies elsewhere, in providing a life assurance vehicle that allows investors to enjoy holidays in attractive and well-maintained accommodation in a variety of interesting locations.

Courtesy of Car hire in Cape Town

Most travelers know that some of the best bargains are in the off-season, when poorer weather or the start of school makes vacationers scarce.

So when do you travel to get the best deals? That depends. Peak season varies from region to region. Summer airfares to popular maintain areas, parts of Canada, and Europe can be high. But summertime travel to warm weather destinations…Florida, the Southwest, parts of Mexico, and the Caribbean…can be a bargain. If heat isn’t a big deal to you, why not take advantage of lower costs? Summer in the United States is winter in Australia and the Galapagos Islands (as well as a lot of other places), so travel deals are available. Yet you can see and do many of the same things as in the peak season.

Midweek stays at resorts are often less costly than weekends; but city hotels that cater to business travelers have high rates during the week and bargains on weekends. The best airfares often require a Saturday night stay unless it’s a local hop. You’ll sometimes find better domestic fares in the middle of the week or during off-hours on weekdays (late at night, early in the morning). Weekend flights almost always cost more. Here’s the catch: If you have to take off two days of work in order to get a midweek flight or book a midweek resort stay, and you lose either pay or vacation time, what have really saved? You’ll need to consider those factors as well.

SEASONAL SAVINGS
When it comes to lodging, consider the “shoulder” season..the time between peak and low travel periods. If you book a stay early in shoulder season, you can get a deal and probably still have the benefits of the same weather and opportunities available during peak season.

But sometimes programs are not available in shoulder season. At many guest ranches, for example, families can cut costs in June and September, but there may not be a supervised children’s program or as many children to make friends with. If you have older kids who would be out riding with you anyway, this is an excellent time to visit a guest ranch, as it’s often less children’s program so you could get in adults-only time, the money you save by traveling during the off-season may not make up for that loss.

YEAR-ROUND BARGAINS
Keep in mind that deals can be had at almost any time of year and that bargaining skills are not just for use in foreign marketplaces. At many hotels it’s standard practice to quote callers the highest rate first. Reservationists are often told not to volunteer deals unless specifically asked about them. To get a better deal after a rate is quoted, ask if there’s a better price available. There usually is. If you’ve seen a special deal in a newspaper or flyer, you should mention it. Ask about discounts for group members. You’re likely to have the best luck bargaining with reservationist at the hotel itself as opposed to those at a nationwide number, but try both. If no one will offer a deal, find a different hotel. You can almost guarantee that your costs will come down if you negotiate. After booking your stay, check periodically to see if new deals have come up in newspaper travel sections. Ask your travel agent to continue checking airfares in case of special promotions. But don’t obsess about it. Vacation is all about letting go and being laid-back. At this point in time you might also consider Shark Diving

TRIP INSURANCE
Did you know in advance the last time your child got sick? Probably not. And it’s a sure bet you won’t know the next time either. In the everything-that-can-wrong-will-go-wrong scenario, picture your child breaking out with chicken pox the day before you’re scheduled to leave. And then there’s the possibility of lost or delayed luggage, theft of baggage or important documents, and medical mergencies en route. These delays it’s hard to tell which airlines have come out of bankruptcy and which are just filing. The same is true of tour operators. So what happens when the company you shcedule with goes belly up? You’re out of luck unless you purchased travel insurance (some credit cards include travel coverage, too, so check yours). Most curise lines, tour operators, and many outfitters will either offer a specific insurance pachage in their information kits or be able to suggest one. Travel agents can do the same thing for you. You will not get your best deal from those vending machines at the airport, so try to arrange for insurance when booking your trip.

Of course, some unforseen problems are not covered by travel insurance, such as your boss’s deciding at the last minute that this is a bad time for you to be away. Read the fine print so you know exactly what you’re buying and what it covers.

Check with your travel agent, cruise line, tour operator, or outfitter for refund policies. Some offer no refunds. Others give refunds on a timeline the closer to the trip date you cancel, the less money you’ll get back. Find out what the refund policy is before you decide to sign up. At this point in time you might also consider Shark Diving

TIPPING
Paying gratuities is usually a voluntary gesture that’s based on performance and service. Many people who work in the travel industry depend on tips as a major part of their compensation. Tour guides, for example, make a decent living only if they make decent tips. If you travel with a guide in a city, on a river, on a walking or beking tour you should tip unless the service is not notably poor.

Some tips, however, are built into the pricing structure and are included on your bill. There are ranches with mandatory tips for wranglers and other staff, and there are retaurants that automatically add a gratuity to food bills. And with some types of travel–cruise ships, for example–tipping falls just short of mandatory. Exactly what’s expected will usually be spelled out in the brochures.

It’s a good idea to check guidebooks and consulates about attitudes towards tipping in foreign countries; what we mean as a than-you might be taken as an insult in some cultures. And it’s important to note that some resort have a policy of no tipping. When in doubt, always ak. Have you considered Shark Diving

The city of Dubrovnik (latin: Rausium later Ragusium, Italian and German Ragusa) is a city in southern Croatia in the Adriatic.
This 60.000- inhabitant town is also called “the pearl of Adriatic” or “Croatian Athens” and it was inscibed on UNESCO`s World Heritage List in 1979.

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Croatia.Georg Bernard Shaw said, after he had visited Dubrovnik, that it is the “paradise on earth”.
Therefor it is not really surprising that the city, which was built in the 7th century on a rock and is completely surrounded by a thick wall, is one of the most popular destinations in Croatia but every traveler must necessarily form his own unique image of the city.

The 250 cloudless days and 2554 hours of sunshine a year, invite to visit Dubrovnik the whole year.
This climate takes the place of a leading position among Southern cities.

Dubrovnik is known as a historical city and so it offers numerous sights and treasures in the old town you really shouldn`t miss.

So you should vistit:
the oldest communal theater in Europe
City Walls
Big Fountain of Ononfio
Stradun of Dubrovnik
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Treasure
Dubrovnik Franciscan Monastry
…

Don`t miss excursions to:
Elafite Islands
Island Lokrum
Water mills in Gruda (Konvale)
Bay of Kotur (Montenegro)
The island of Korcula
Mostar
Hvar Map

The excursions are very well organized with multilingual guides and an organized transportation.
Who would like to explore these regions independently, should do it by car because the areas are not that close to Dubrovnik ( especially Montenegro, Mostar and Medjugorje) and it is comfortable to be flexible.

If you want to relax, do this on one of the numerous beautiful beaches. Enjoy the nice weather on amazing beaches like the “Copacabana Beach”.

Dubrovnik offers besides numerous sights, treasures and beautiful beaches a lot of CULTURAL EVENTS.
One of the most representative cultural event in Croatia is the “Dubrovnik summer festival” with theater, ballet, opera and international music events from 10th July until 25th August.

Or enjoy one of the CULTURAL DAYS in Dubrovnik.
The most important one is the 15th February, when the habitants of Dubrovnik celebrate the Holy Patron of the city St.Vlaho.
You will see figures of St.Vlaho all over the old town like he is looking over the streets and boulevards to protect his city against enemies and evils.

And THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL also take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia since 2003.
This filmfestival (DIFF – Dubrovnik International Film Festival) is an award ceremony for films in the categories fiction, documentary and short film and some international celebraties are present at this event every year.

Do you want to know how to reach Dubrovnik?

Car: You can take the new higtway A1 from Zagreb to Split so you don`t have to take the coastal, curved road from Rijeka although it is a nice route with beautiful views of nature.

You can also take a ferry from Italy to Rijeka and than go on to Dubrovnik.

A stress-free way to come to Dubrovnik is by plain.A lot of different airlines approache the airport in Cilipi especially during the summer.

However, you surely won`t regret the decision to spend your vacation in Dubrovnik

November continues to be the low season for the Great White Sharks and it is the month for us to close down our operation and to go on a much needed holiday.

We are leaving Cape Town early in the morning and headed up the famous Garden Route, to Wilderness.

The Garden Route is a captivating world of lakes, rivers, estuaries and beaches gently unfolding against a backdrop of lush forest and lofty mountains. We stayed at the Wilderness National Park at Ebb and Flow camp in log cabins. What I liked so much about the area is that there are loads of activities for the family, from the beach, walks, birding, canoeing and more. I think next time we will definitely plan on staying for longer. For more info contact Wilderness National Park on Tel +27 (0)44 877 1197 or try Shark Cage Diving

Whist there we also took a train ride on South Africa’s only scheduled steam train, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe train. It was a lovely train ride, through some beautiful country side as well as alongside the ocean. The train departs from the Transport Museum in George (well worth a visit to see all the olden day trains and cars), and ended up in Mosselbay at the Diaz Museum.

We also went to Addo Elephant National Park, where we did a bit of camping. I was really worried about camping with a little baby and a toddler, but rest assured, everything went just fine. We saw loads of animals: Zebra, Buffalo, Kudu, Warthogs, Hartebeest, Jackal, Ostrich, monkeys and many more animals, and of course…loads of Elephants. The bird life there was spectacular too. For more info contact Addo Elephant Park on +27 (0)12 428 9111

Then we headed inland to cross the Baviaanskloof. This area is truly spectacular. Declared a National Heritage site, the area comprises of approximately 270 000 ha. of unspoiled, rugged mountainous terrain. The vegetation also changes dramatically from thick bush, to fynbos and then semi desert scrubland. You will definitely need a 4×4 to cross the kloof and some of the bends in the mountain pass are not for the fainthearted. The scenery is truly breathtaking. We stayed at a working farm (sheep, veggies, Angora goats) for the evening and had a very peaceful braai under the stars. Shark Cage Diving

Then we headed of to Montegu. Montegu is one of my favorite areas because of the hot springs there. The village is quaint and the area is well known for its wine route. We did some wine tasting of course and stayed at another farm just outside the area.

We came home to a very windy Cape Town, and as I write this, it is still a gale force wind outside. We have had to cancel a week’s worth of shark trips now, and I am hoping the weather dies down before our film shoot that is starting tomorrow.

Well, there was no shark news to report, but I hope you enjoyed this newsletter about our travels. Next month we head of to Botswana and so the journey continues……Shark Cage Diving

It is becoming increasingly usual that the most recently built, small sized, hotels are being described as a “boutique” hotel. In the incredibly huge city of London, the capital of the UK, and in the many other major cities of the planet, you can now find a collection of excellent boutique hotels. The article below examines what makes a hotel “boutique” and where the first ones appeared

Boutique hotels are typically rather small hotels owned by a couple, family or small enterprise. However, in the last few years a few international hotel chains, in response to the increased demand for boutique hotels, have started to build their own. It is nearly fact that virtually all boutique hotels are individually styled with decoration commonly based on a theme. Such themes are commonly applied throughout the whole hotel. Such an example may be based on a particular period of history such as the eighteenth century. Every now and again a theme may be used in each different room rather than the whole hotel.

Which Was The First Hotel Described As A Boutique Hotel?

Boutique hotels first appeared in the last few years of the nineteen eighties in New York (USA). A small number of other hotels claim to have been boutique hotels as far ago as 1981, in other cities such as London in Great Britain, and San Francisco (USA). The first hotel to be described as a “boutique hotel” was the ‘Morgans’ hotel, New York, in 1984. These earlier claimants were, therefore, subsequently described as such and can not, really, claim to be the first.

‘Morgans’ hotel was owned by Steven Rubell and Ian Schrager who had commissioned the Parisian designer Andrée Putman to create a unique, highly stylized, hotel in New York. Putman created the hotel in what has become known as an “America meets Europe” fashion. In promoting his hotel Steven Rubell wished to set his hotel apart from, what he considered to be, the plain and boring hotels of the larger chains. He described other hotels as “department store” hotels and his own as a “boutique hotel” to show the distinctive difference – thus the phrase entered the English language for the first time.

Enjoyable Boutique Hotels In The U. K.

42 The Calls (hotel) in Leeds claims to be one of the first to be built in The UK. The Calls was a hotel built in the carcass of an old corn mill and used that as the overall theme. Adding interest to the hotel is the fact that they have retained some of the original corn mill machinery but the hotel is also known for its wonderfully crafted hand made beds which appear in each room.

The Blake’s Hotel in South Kensington, London, is often quoted as being one of the first boutique hotels in the world but, although this appeared before Morgans in New York, for the reasons outlined above this claim is often dismissed. In recent decades there has been a sharp increase in the number of boutique hotels opening in various places within the United Kingdom of Great Britain with the largest number opening in London.

If you are in the process of planning a vacation to the UK and thinking about spending some time in London it is rather easy these days to find boutique hotels in London and, surprisingly it is equally as easy to find a cheap London hotel. Sometimes you are able to find a cheap boutique hotel but unfortunately this is rare.