Archive for November, 2008
Results of Telegraph Travel Awards 2008
Nov 26th
New Zealand, Cape Town, Italy and York have come top as the Telegraph readers’ favourite destinations in the newspaper’s annual travel awards.
In a recent poll of more than 25,000 readers, 92% maintained that the credit crunch would not affect their choice of holiday destination.
Favourite airlines included Singapore Airlines, Virgin and Emirates while San Fransico, Vancouver and Sydney came out as the most popular cities to visit.
New Zealand came first for the third successive year. Holiday budgets also seem to be defying the credit crunch, with over half of those polled spending more than ‚£1000 on their last holiday, and one in six spending between ‚£2500 and ‚£5000.
Dubai celebrates new hotel with $20m party
Nov 24th
Despite the current global economic climate, Dubai has recently celebrated the opening of a new hotel in true luxury style by throwing a $20m party with fireworks and celebrities.
Over 2000 clebrities were at the party including sports heroes and film stars such as Robert de Niro, Mischa Barton and Wesley Snipes.
The party celebrated the opening of the $1.5 billion “Atlantis, The Palm”, which has 1539 rooms and is made up of two rose towers connected by a bridge housing a $35000-a-night suite.
The luxury hotel is built on a man-made palm-shaped island. “Where we are now there was water five years ago,” said Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, the chairman of local developer Nakheel, at the inauguration.
Sol Kerzner, the South African billionnaire, hotel and gambling tycoon, who organised the $20m party, said “We built something that’s quite extraordinary. We’ve got to tell the world about it.”
Aside from its spectacular structure, the hotel boasts the largest water park in the Middle East and an enormous aquarium.
Visit Europe’s best Christmas markets
Nov 24th
A recent report by Travel and Leisure Magazine has revealed the top Christmas markets throughout Europe offering magical festive experiences this season.
The Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen boasts a fabulous display of almost four miles of twinkling lights arranged in patterns by the head designer of Tiffany’s. Here the yuletide, or “Jul” is celebrated in real style with its famed Christmas market at its centre piece.
The season also brings out some of Europe’s most mysterious traditions, such as the kindly witches in Rome, treacherous demons in Salzburg and an 8000-pound fruit cake in Dresden.
Some of the most magical Christmas markets can be found in Brussels, Dresden, Munich, Nuremberg and Prague – all of which offer a fantastic holiday experience for the whole family.