Castlemartyr Resort, County Cork, Ireland.
Called Ireland’s hottest new city break destination, Cork City is ideal for active and green travelers.
Near the city, Castlemartyr Resort has easy access to beaches, fishing villages, bustling towns and unique attractions.
Set on 220-acres, the 103-room hotel offers activities including woodland walks with the hotel dogs; cycling; rock climbing and sea kayaking.
Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. Photo credit: Holiday Extras/istockphoto.com
UK travel company Holiday Extras has created a Green Travel Guide for travelers making greener choices. Here is an excerpt from their guide.
Looking for green summer holiday ideas? We’ve gathered together a few green h0lidays in Europe suggestions for the eco-traveler.
Looking for greener camping holidays in Europe? In England, Woodovis Park is an independent holiday park offering a greener family camping option.
On the edge of beautiful Dartmoor and a designated World Heritage Site, this Devon holiday park is committed to sustainable holidays in a natural setting.
Fancy going on a National Geographic Journey? The latest 2010/2011 National Geographic Journeys, in partnership with Titan HiTours, are now available.
The journeys include 17 worldwide travel adventures offering private access to the Great Pyramid; the Terracotta Army; camping with the Tuareg in the Sahara and more. Well-respected writers, photographers, historians, wildlife biologists and Egyptologists will be hosting the 2010/2011 small group tours.
The upcoming National Geographic Journeys will include:
For more info, visit the National Geographic Journeys online.
Image courtesy of National Geographic Journeys
Have you thought about taking active or sporting holidays?
“Improving your fitness during a holiday may seem quite the opposite of a relaxing break, but getting away from the daily grind and doing some energetic and revitalizing exercise can be the perfect re-charge,” says realbuzz.com.
“It’s all about using your free time away to allow you to indulge in the things you can’t always fit into your normal routine.”
Here are realbuzz.com’s Top 10 Sporting Holidays:
1. Windsurfing & Sailing
2. Skiing & Snowboarding
3. Walking & Trekking
4. Cycling
5. Relaxing at the beach
6. Surfing & Bodyboarding
7. Golfing
8. Scuba Diving
9. Horse Riding
10. Sport Specific Camps
For more active travel ideas, check out realbuzz.com.
Image courtesy of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark
Walking history is an educational and green way to see your destination. Take Headwater’s new guided walking and sightseeing tour to Syria with its “wealth of historic attractions.”
Starting in Damascus, this 11-day guided trip visits Syria’s most popular attractions, including its five UNESCO-listed world heritage sites.
Tour highlights will include the 12th Century crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers; the mountain village of Maloula and desert city of Palmyra (ab0ve and below). In the countryside, the “gentle walks” in lemon groves and olive terraces give views of beaches, valleys, mountains and sand dunes.
Active travel company AdventureSmith Explorations has pledged to plant 100 trees for every new traveler booked on one of its journeys during Earth Month, April 15-May 15, 2010.
After Earth Month, the company plans to continue to plant 10 trees for each traveler booked on any land-based program. AdventureSmith Explorations will partner with nonprofit Trees for the Future for this program and hopes to plant 40,000+ trees in 2010.
Says Todd Smith, founder and president of AdventureSmith Explorations:
“Part of our mission is to give something back to the individuals, communities and environments encountered on each and every AdventureSmith Explorations journey…Plus we will offer travelers a 5 percent discount on any 2010 adventure cruise or land adventure booked during this promotion.”
For more info, check out AdventureSmithExplorations.com.
Photo courtesy of Trees for the Future
Have you always wanted to go penguin spotting? Then take a look at Gap Adventures which is committed to responsible tourism.
One of the world’s largest independently-owned adventure tour operators, Gap Adventures offers 1,000+ small group experiences, safaris and expeditions on all seven continents to 100,000+ travelers a year. The company’s adventures focus on wildlife encounters, active travel and cultural interaction.
Right now, Gap Adventures is offering discounts of up to 15 per cent across several trips which all visit penguins in their natural environment. Travelers can choose from voyaging around the Galapagos, cruising in Antarctica or an overland tour in South Africa. Bookings must be made before 1 March 2010 and terms and conditions apply.
Make sure you quote PENGUINDAY10 (for Galapagos and Overland South Africa trips) or PENGUINDAY15 (for Antarctica trips) if you’re booking online at GapAdventures.com.
The following Gap Adventures trips are included:
What will be the Top 5 Travel Trends in 2010?
Adventure and luxury travel website iExplore predicts these 5 travel trends:
It’s All About Value. “Bargain hunting will still abound in 2010 as consumers have been trained by the deep discounting of the past two years to seek out the lowest prices—however, in 2010 consumers will be willing to spend if they feel like they are getting a unique experience at a good price.”
Ecotourism Here to Stay. “Not a new trend, but will still continue to play a part in consumer’s travel decisions in 2010—consumers are looking for hotels and resorts that are eco-friendly as well as destinations like Panama, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Belize that offer the opportunity to explore the rainforests, jungles and get back to nature.”
Baby Boomers Taking Experiential Trips. “Over 75 million Baby Boomers in the United States continue to shape trends. This is an active and affluent group and instead of just passing down their money, they are choosing to create lasting memories and spend the inheritance by taking their kids and grandkids on cultural and experiential vacations—hiking the Machu Picchu Trail, African Safari’s and Alaskan Adventures.”
Travel: Not a Game of Risk. “Due to the uncertain economy and insecurity about jobs and investments, many more travelers are taking out trip insurance in advance of big trips.”
Unique and Customized Itineraries. “The customization trend that is so popular and prevalent in other consumer categories has hit travel. Consumers want truly unique and off the beaten path itineraries that cater to their passions and hobbies—for example: trips to Southeast Asia that focus on photography, cooking classes in Italy or fishing in Argentina with a private guide.”
On your next trip to the United Kingdom, you’ll likely have no problem finding London hotels. What about finding the right tour of London? If you’re a traveling runner or running traveler, check out City Jogging Tours which offers guided “sightseeing tours of London – on the run!”.
Designed for active, leisure or business travelers or Londoners, they are available as regular scheduled and customized tours for runners of all abilities. So far, the company’s scheduled tours include:
