There is no doubt that we were all amazed to see the tragic news that Madeira had been Hit by one of the Worst storms in recent History which has taken the lives of so many people, and in times of adversity the Islanders and the Portuguese Authorities have moved incredibly quickly to restore life back to normal
The situation in Madeira has improved immensly over the last few days, and most Tourist Areas and Hotels have not been affected and Tour Operators to Madeira are operating as normal.
Select World Travel has some great Special offers with Atlantic Holidays in conjunction with Parent Company the Pestana Hotels & Resorts Group and they have just released some great savings to its hotels in Madeira from London Gatwick. Regional flights are available at a supplement, please check at time of booking with select World travel on 01684 577007 or info@selectworldtravel.co.uk
5* Pestana Carlton Madeira FREE upgrade to Half Board and Sea View - Save up to £465.50pp
5* Pestana Casino Park FREE upgrade to Half Board and partial Sea View - Save up to £346.50pp
4* Pestana Bay FREE upgrade to Half Board - Save up to £202.50pp
We also have access to lots of other special offers to help entice people back to the paradise Island of Madeira and it's fantastic neighbouring Island of Porto Santo with it's glorious Sandy Beaches. Direct flights operate from London Gatwick to Porto Santo leading in at prices of just £499 per person staying at the 5 star Pestano Porto Santo Hotel on 31st May or 7th June.Call Select World Travel on 01684 577007 or e-mail info@selectworldtravel.co.uk
The Madeiran Archipelago consists of the exotic floating garden of Madeira, the sand and sea worshippers' island of Porto Santo and the uninhabited islands of the Selvagens and Desertas. Located 400 miles west of Morocco and 600 miles from the European mainland the islands are located on similar latitudes to Bermuda and Los Angeles and enjoy an excellent year round climtate.
The Island of Eternal Springtime, Lovers' Isle, Pearl of the Atlantic, Floating Garden of the Atlantic are just a few of the epithets awarded to Madeira, the largest of the islands. Madeira is the tip of a gigantic mountain protruding from the ocean depths and the variations in altitude provide a variety of natural habitats from stunning coastal scenery to soaring mountainous peaks. The central area is volcanic in origin although you need have no fears ? the last eruption is thought to have occurred 1.7 million years ago!
The island of Madeira is 35 miles long and 16 miles wide. Its subtropical climate; warm in the summer (22-24C) and mild in the winter (l8-22C) and moderate rainfall provide an environment where lush vegetation prevails and exotic flowers bloom all year. The water temperature is also pleasant year round due to the warming influences of the Gulf Stream.
Madeira's neighbouring island, Porto Santo, with its 5 miles of golden sandy beaches, was officially discovered in 1418 by the Portuguese although many believe that the islands had been visited in early Christian times. Madeira (the Portuguese word for wood) was named in 1420 by its discoverer, Joao Goncalves Zarco, because that's pretty much all he saw when he arrived. The islands had no indigenous population or any signs of previous occupation. Christopher Columbus came to Madeira in 1478 and married the governor of Porto Santo's daughter, Filipa Moniz.
Madeira has a diverse cosmopolitan heritage resulting from various invasions and occupations. In the 16th century, Madeira suffered attacks from French pirates as Santo, lying to the north-west was constantly under threat from Algerian, Moons and even English Pirates. In the 17th century Madeira became a significant part trading routes between Europe and the New World, specifically the Portuguese colony of Brazil. There is a major British influence, which is a throwback to the Napoleonic Wars when friendly occupation by the British finally ended in 1814. The British were particularly instrumental in Madeira's booming wine sales, a trade which was only overtaken in the 20th century by the tourism industry.
The 25th of April, a National Holiday, is celebrated in honour of the 1974 revolution when Madeira was designated an Autonomous Political Region in a constitution drawn up in Portugal's capital, Lisbon. Since 1976 the region has been governed by the charismatic Alberto Joao Jardim and his Popular Social Democratic party.
Madeira and Porto Santo together have a population of 260,000 with approximately half living in Funchal, the capital. Portuguese is the national language although English is widely understood and often spoken more precisely than a native English speaker!
Madeira's rich history provides many places of interest. Amidst the natural beauty you can discover small traditional villages, seek out interesting churches and museums and enjoy various festivals with the locals who delight in sharing their many celebrations with visitors.
Madeira is the perfect holiday destination for those wanting to escape the stresses everyday life. It is a beautiful island with an abundance of nature. There is no golden sand although the island boasts a few manmade beaches. There are numerous lidos and wonderful hotel poo1s often overlooking the ocean or situated in magnificent tropical gardens which make Madeira an ideal destination for sunworshippers. The hotel standards are high, the people are friendly and there are few places where you would enjoy better or more courteous service.
FUNCHAL
Located on the south east coast of the island in a picturesque bay, Madeira's capital, Funchal, lies between the deep blue of the ocean and the lush green of the mountains behind. Approximately half of the island's population lives in Funchal; the centre of town is especially busy where the 16th century streets attempt to cope with 21st century traffic! Most of the hotels are located west of the city centre at Funchal Lido - an important tourist area with shops, restaurants and cafes. The style is changing, however, with colonial mansions being converted into luxurious hotels although many enclaves and the port still retain an old fashioned feel mixed with the commercial buzz of its working environment.
Funchal's port area provides a fabulous vantage point to gaze at the rich (and sometimes famous) as cruise ships moor up for their overnight stops. A short walk from the port is the old part of town, interesting to meander through during the day and excellent to visit in the evening when the cafes and restaurants spill out onto the streets allowing you to enjoy alfresco dining.
During the day the streets and old squares of Funchal are alive with flower sellers. With the blue sea in front, the greenery of the mountains behind and the pavements alive with the vibrant colours of the Birds of Paradise, Arum lilies and Amaryllis flowers, you can wander for hours. There is interesting 16th century architecture, a smattering of worthwhile museums and, if you love to shop, you can easily while away a morning or afternoon in the designer shops or at the local market which is well worth a visit - packed with local produce and heaps of freshly caught Espada (Scabbard Fish).
A 'must do' during your stay in Funchal is to travel up in the cable car to Monte. The journey takes 15 minutes and there are wonderful views on the way up and from the top. A fun outing at the top is to visit Quinta do Monte for a typical Madeiran drink 'Poncha' then with a light head, toboggan back on one of the infamous wooden sleds!
Eating and Drinking
You can eat healthily and heartily, and relatively inexpensively. There's a ready supply of superb fish and locally grown vegetables and no end of tasty fresh fruit.
Typical starters include Portuguese vegetable soup, caldo verde, and fish and bread soup, acorda. Main courses for meat lovers include lamb stew with fresh vegetables and potatoes, estufada de carneiro and skewered beef, espetada, which is normally served with polenta (fried maize), milho frito. The locally caught Espada, Scabbard Fish, can be enjoyed simply grilled with lemon, or the more traditional battered version served with deep fried locally grown bananas!
For dessert, you cannot beat fresh fruit or the local, bolo de mel, Madeira honeycake which - actually made from molasses - is squidgey, dark and delicious. And, of course, one of the great treats of eating in Madeira is the chance to sample the local wine which is much more varied in flavour than the sweet wine that is normally associated with the name. Madeira wines are labelled according to one of the four types of grape used: Sercial, pale in colour and very dry; Verdelho, golden colour with a medium dry taste; Bual, dark gold and medium sweet; and Malmsey, the original grape which produces a sweet wine with a rich chestnut brown colour.
Soft drinks include fresh fruit juices, one of which, maracuja, is a particularly delicious passionfruit nectar.
Dining out is a favourite evening pastime amongst locals and visitors alike but if you do want some additional thrills there's a Casino where you can enjoy glitzy cabaret entertainment over dinner. And for the trendier and young at heart there is a handful of sophisticated bars, late night clubs and a few pubs with live entertainment.
The premiere takes place on Saturday, 15 May 2010. The Play will be staged for a total of 102 days up to four times a week.
Select World Travel in partnership with the UK’s leading tour operator to Germany has provided travel arrangements to five previous passion play seasons, Select World Travel will be offering the following offers for the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010:
Travel arrangements for individuals and groups
Tailor-made packages for group bookings
5, 8 or 10 day group itineraries including Austria and Germany
Travel by Air,Fly Drive,Coach or Self-Drive
In Addition to the above options, Select World Travel has an Exclusive Escorted Departure from Great Malvern and Worcestershire Areas.( Other local departures would be on a request basis or you may join our party at London Heathrow) Our 7 Night departure includes 5 Nights in Berchtegaden and 2 nights in Oberammergau departing on the 2nd of August 2010. This Departure will include a Special Select World Travel Bonus as well as Optional Excursions to Innsbruck and the 'City of music' Salzburg.Please contact Select World Travel for more details on 01684 577007 or info@selectworldtravel.co.uk.Please note at the time of writing this tour is almost full
Lee Harrison, Owner and Director of Select World Travel has recently returned from a Visit to Berchtesgaden,Oberammergau and has met the Owners and Inspected the Hotels and guesthouses being used in our programme in association with Dertour." I was so impressed at the very high standards of the accommodation we are using, and the added benefit that all of our Accommodation allocated for our groups is right in the heart of Oberammergau and just a short distance from the Passion play theatre".
We are delighted to enclose our Brand new Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 brochure which goes on sale from 29th of September 2008.PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK OR ON THE BROCHURE COVER BELOW TO OPEN UP A PDF COPY OF THE BROCHURE.Please note the brochure contains 16 pages and is 21.5mb, so please allow a short time for the download of the brochure
In previous years the demand for tickets has always been much higher than the number available; therefore we recommend that you book now to avoid disappointment!Please Contact Select World Travel on 01684 577007 or e-mail info@selectworldtravel.co.uk for more information or to Book for Oberammergau 2010
Select World Travel are pleased to launch their new Book and search System with Hoseasons offering you lots of great value holidays and offers. Just Click on the Panel below and take a look at a great choice of Parks,Lodges,City break apartments, Villas abroad and Boating holidays in the UK and abroad.
HOLIDAY PARKS IN THE UK
....and to the widest choice of self-catering and short break holidays in the UK. For action packed fun and activities look no further than Hoseasons holiday parks. This is the biggest range of holiday parks in the UK by far! Choose from family holiday parks with clubs, evening entertainment and indoor pools... quiet country caravan parks in scenic locations... holiday parks in the UK’s top resorts.
...and to the widest choice of quality lodge holidays - UK and Channel Islands, coastal and countryside - from small clusters of holiday log cabins and cottages in peaceful rural settings to village style resorts of holiday lodges, perfect for romantic breaks and countryside escapes at any time of the year. With over 200 holiday lodge UK locations, you’ll find the perfect place to suit you.
...and welcome to a tempting cottage holiday assortment - holiday cottages in England’s countryside; holiday cottages in Scotland’s glens; holiday cottages in Wales’ valleys - cottage holidays which promise you the very best in UK self-catering. Holidays to remember forever...
… and welcome to the widest choice of cruiser and canal boat holidays and short breaks available anywhere – from holidays cruising the beautiful Norfolk Broads to narrowboat holidays throughout the canal and river network of England, Wales and Scotland. Lots more boat holidays in Europe, too, from Erne and Shannon boating in Ireland to boating holidays in France, Belgium, Germany, Holland and Italy.
We have hundreds of booking offers available for 2010 which we would like to share with you but unfortunately the technical gremlins are getting the better of us and we are having problems displaying all our fantastic savings on 2010 holidays alongside our current 2009 offers. This is being worked on at the moment but in the meantime if you need further details or help with finding a holiday in 2010 we would ask you to use the 'old fashioned' method and call one of our team here on 01684 577007 who can help you find your ideal holiday for 2010. Early booking offers for 2010 include:-
Discover a fabulous selection of luxury city apartments for short breaks in Britain. Choose from apartments for rent in cities rich in history like York, Bath or Bristol. Or for great shopping, restaurants and nightlife, one of our apartments in a city like London, Manchester or Glasgow will suit you perfectly.
An active break serves you with the perfect opportunity to enjoy your favourite sports, kick off a new interest, or simply have fun and games together. Whether you want to raise the bar on a personal best, team up with friends or get on your bikes as a family, we’re sure to have something fit for you. Go for gold this holiday!
It took only one year for Diva to start gathering international awards. This luxury resort won the award for ‘Hideaway of the Year Award 2008’, presented by Hideaway, a prestigious German Travel Magazine. The renowned Condé Nast Traveler placed Diva first in all the Indian Ocean hotels in its 2009 Hot List and 14th overall on the World’s best resorts.
Diva offers 88 villas on stilts with direct access to the sea, with 45 beach villas and 12 beach pool villas.
The resort offers a superb range or restaurants and bars set in stunning locations.
Senses - Middle East style food inspired by Lebanese, Indian and Indian Ocean cuisines.
Noo - a spectacular, shell-shaped restaurant, featuring international cuisine. The restaurant is located at center of the island, serving breakfast, and dinner in buffet style with live cooking stations ranching from pizzas, rotisserie, wok and grill stations.
Iru - The brightly coloured circular bar, Iru, the local word for Sun, is located on the sea, facing the sunset. the bar is an ideal venue for an unforgettable aperitif at the end of the afternoon. Veli - The bar adjoins the circular swimming pool that extends out to sea, looking out onto the crystal-clear lagoon on three sides. Pure - features modern Japanese-style open cooking. It has a Tepaniaki table, where the Chef performs a “live” show, displaying all his skills as he prepares their dishes in front of the guests. East - This is the resort's Asian style restaurant standing on stilts over the water, with a wonderful view out over the lagoon. Seasons - The Beach Bar & Restaurant is located next to the boathouse and opens only during the day.
Allegria – the resorts’ famous Italian restaurant offering authentic mediterranean food from an open kitchen.
Diva is also known for excellent family accommodation as it offers 18 interconnecting rooms and 3 Family Villas. The well equipped Kids Club & teen facilities will allow families to enjoy indoor and outdoor games. Diva also offers excellent dive facilities and a wide variety of water sports including deep seas fishing, jet skis and snorkelling.
TO BOOK THE DIVA MALDIVES CONTACT SELECT WORLD TRAVEL ON 01684 577007 or e-mail your enquiry to info@selectworldtravel.co.uk
Speaking in London last month, Darling told The Journal: "I am quite blunt about it, we need to raise money to pay for some things we have done.
"If unemployment goes up there is a cost obviously to the family, there is cost in increased benefits, Northern Rock has cost a lot of money."
A Treasury spokesman confirmed to Travel Weekly APD has always been a "revenue raising instrument".
Petition approaches 13,000 signatures
An APD petition on government website Number10.gov.uk had reached 12,926 signatures this morning.
The petition, which calls upon the Prime Minister to 'to reconsider [the government's] intention to more than double Airline Passenger Duty (APD) in 2010' closes on April 27 2010.
APD will increase by up to 112% in November 2010.At a time when the airline industry is suffering this move will penalise holidaymakers at a time when disposable income is falling.
This Government has continually penalised the airline and holiday industry on the basis that they are doing it to help the environment, something any normal person will realise is not true. APD already raises £2 billion annually, and is obvious to anyone that the Governement is not using this money to help the environment but instead sees the airlines in the same way as they see motorists, i.e. another opportunity to tax the british public
