Slovakia is this winter’s hottest new ski destination for British skiers, combining both quality and value. Starting on 6th December Slovak airline Danube Wings are launching a new route from London Luton, Manchester and Dublin, direct to the heart of Slovakia’s Tatry Mountains at Poprad-Tatry. December also sees the opening one of the year’s biggest ski contruction projects of 2009, the new 13 million euro, eight passenger Grand Brhliska gondola lift.

The flights will take skiers to within just 15 minutes’ drive of the ski slopes of Slovakia’s High Tatras Mountains and around 50 minutes from the country’s biggest resort of Jasna in the Low Tatras, and cost around 158 euros return. (www.danubewings.com)

Jasna is also the site of one of the largest ski construction projects this season, with the opening of the new 13 million euro, eight passenger Grand Brhliska gondola lift. The new lift rises from close to the Grand Hotel Jasna, 320 vertical metres from 1100m to 1420m and has a capacity of 2,400 skiers per hour, double that of the older four passenger lift it replaces. The new Grand Brhliska gondola will also be 328m longer than the old lift and is styled in striking orange and black livery, designed especially for the project by Doppelmayer.

Slovakia has a long heritage of attracting tourists from the neighbouring countries of Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and from its own domestic market but is a relatively unknown destination for British skiers. Hotels are predominantly 4* and date back to the Austro-Hungarian era and offer high standard accommodation, while prices are around a third lower than mainstream Europe.

For the first time this winter Slovakia features in the Inghams Ski & Snowboard programme with prices from £477 for a week’s half board ski holiday in a 4* hotel, with return flights and transfers.

For independent skiers bookings can also be made online at www.tatrymountains.com. Seven nights half board accommodation at the 4* Grand Hotel Jasna costs from £315 per person, including a 6 day lift pass, return flights with Danube wings cost c. £145 (158 euros).

Fèis Movement ‘comes home’ to Inverness for Year of Homecoming

Gaelic culture will be highlighted as part of Scotland’s national St Andrew’s Day celebrations and the official Homecoming Scotland Finale programme in the Highlands.

Ceòl nam Fèis 2009 (literally ‘music of the festivals’) will see up to 100 Fèis Movement stars both past and present descend upon the Highland capital for a unique showcase concert of new and traditional songs, tunes and dances at Inverness’s Eden Court Theatre on Friday 27th November.

Arthur Cormack, Director of Fèisean nan Gaidheal, the organisation which supports the development of community-based Gaelic arts tuition festivals throughout Scotland, explains: “This unique event will feature former Fèis players, who are now professional musicians, coming home to work alongside groups of young people from across Scotland currently involved in the movement. Having begun some 25 years ago in Barra, the Movement now involves 48 groups across the country, from Tiree to Aberdeen, each of which are engaged in tuition and the promotion of Gaelic culture. Rehearsals for this event have been going on for several months so I can guarantee a fantastic evening with several well known faces and some of the country’s best young traditional musicians.”

Marie Christie, Project Director for Homecoming Scotland 2009, adds: “Ceol nam Feis 2009 will be a highlight of the national St Andrew’s Day celebrations and the Homecoming Scotland Finale programme in the Highlands. Scotland’s music has been the soundtrack to many great Homecoming events across the country during 2009, it is therefore very fitting that we see the year out in the Highlands with a fantastic night drawing together the country’s finest talent from the impressive work of the Fèis movement.”

Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Sandy Park, said: “Ceòl nam Fèis will provide a very rousing conclusion to the Highland Homecoming events and be a true showcase for past, present and new emerging traditional musical talent. I am sure the evening will be a glowing success that recognised the huge contribution the Fèis movement has made to strengthening our links with our cultural past and promoting the talents of our young people.”

Minister for Culture, Michael Russell, said: “St Andrew’s Day is a day to celebrate all that is great about Scotland – including our unique Gaelic culture and music. It is fitting that the Homecoming Year reaches it finale by welcoming home Fèis musicians from around the world to work with our young talent as part of this spectacular event. I’m sure that Ceòl nam Fèis will be a great success and a highlight of the Highland programme.”

The event, organised by Fèisean nan Gaidheal in partnership with The Highland Council, will be held in the Empire Theatre at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, at 7.30pm, Friday 27th November. For tickets and further information please visit http://www.eden-court.co.uk/whats-on/shows/ceol-nam-feis-2009-st-andrew-s-feis-homecoming# .

From DUBLIN, MANCHESTER & London LUTON

Slovakia is this winter’s hottest new ski destination for British skiers, combining both quality and value. Starting on 6th December Slovak airline Danube Wings are launching a new route from London Luton, Manchester and Dublin, direct to the heart of Slovakia’s Tatry Mountains at Poprad-Tatry.

The flights will take skiers to within just 15 minutes’ drive of the ski slopes of Slovakia’s High Tatras Mountains and around 50 minutes from the country’s biggest resort of Jasna in the Low Tatras, and cost around 158 euros return. (www.danubewings.com)

Jasna is also the site of one of the largest ski construction projects this season, with the opening of the new 13 million euro, eight passenger Grand Brhliska gondola lift. The new lift rises from close to the Grand Hotel Jasna, 320 vertical metres from 1100m to 1420m and has a capacity of 2,400 skiers per hour, double that of the older four passenger lift it replaces. The new Grand Brhliska gondola will also be 328m longer than the old lift and is styled in striking orange and black livery, designed especially for the project by Doppelmayer.

Slovakia has a long heritage of attracting tourists from the neighbouring countries of Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and from its own domestic market but is a relatively unknown destination for British skiers. Hotels are predominantly 4* and date back to the Austro-Hungarian era and offer high standard accommodation, while prices are around a third lower than mainstream Europe.

For the first time this winter Slovakia features in the Inghams Ski & Snowboard programme with prices from £477 for a week’s half board ski holiday in a 4* hotel, with return flights and transfers.

For independent skiers bookings can also be made online at www.tatrymountains.com. Seven nights half board accommodation at the 4* Grand Hotel Jasna costs from £315 per person, including a 6 day lift pass, return flights with Danube wings cost c. £145 (158 euros).

A new interactive website which enables people to share their favourite experiences of North East England is now live and taking its first entries.

Visitors to www.mynortheastengland.com can post individual reviews about the region’s accommodation providers, attractions, leisure activities, food and drink and much more based on their very own personal experiences. To complement their reviews, people can also upload pictures and videos, which others can also see and comment upon.

Managed by One North East, the free online tool is the first of its kind to be rolled out in the region and is part of a new approach in which the agency is adding to its online initiatives to promote North East England to visitors far and wide.

Tania Robinson, Head of Marketing at One North East, said: “The mynortheastengland website is a great way for people to share their thoughts on what makes the region such a popular holiday destination, whilst offering constructive reviews which others can then use when planning their next visit.”

It is hoped that the website will encourage local people to share their knowledge and expertise of the region, which could help maximise the true potential of North East England to visitors.

She added: “We’re looking for local people to get involved, as well as visitors. After all, it’s the people that live and work here that truly know how to make the most out of each venue and attraction.”

The website also features links to existing www.visitnortheastengland.com features including the Adventure Generator, which works by selecting three activities from across the North East at random, creating a diverse and sometimes surprising leisure suggestion.

Posting a review is quick and simple to do, with only the name and email address of a user needed before contributing their thoughts. To post your review today, visit www.mynortheastengland.com

Slovenia achieved a score of 78 in National Geographic Traveler’s prestigious ‘Destinations Rated’ survey, the fifth highest score amongst 133 worldwide destinations. Slovenia was the highest ranked country in the list, which was topped by regions of Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Japan.

The list, the sixth to be formulated by National Geographic Traveler, is described as “an assessment of authenticity and stewardship, evaluating the qualities that make a destination unique and measuring its ‘integrity of place.’”

The survey is conducted by the National Geographic Society’s Centre for Sustainable Destinations with locations evaluated by a panel of 437 experts. Criteria on which destinations are judged include environmental and ecological quality; social and cultural integrity; condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; aesthetic appeal; quality of tourism management; and outlook for the future.

The panellists are experts in a variety of fields – geography, history, sustainable tourism, ecology, monument protection, archaeology, destination management, travel writing and photography.

Slovenia won praise from the panel for being “savvy about balancing tourism with cultural and historical preservation” Ljubljana, the capital city, was described as “colourful, vibrant and architecturally appealing”, while “Slovenia’s Alps and wine country remain among the most sustainable and authentic places to visit in Europe.”

For further information on the survey, the complete list of destinations and a fuller description of Slovenia’s achievements in the eyes of the panel, please see http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/intro-text

SPECIAL OFFERS

WIMBLEDON & READING

The Apartment Service is pleased to announce a very special promotion in our serviced apartment locations in Wimbledon and Reading until Christmas.

-.-.-.-.-

Wimbledon – Chorus Apartments (NEW)

One bedroom apartments: £550 per week (normal rate: £850 per week)

Two bedroom apartments: £750 per week (normal rate: £1050 per week)

-.-.-.-.-

Wimbledon – Cascades Court

One bedroom apartments: £550 per week (normal rate: £750 per week)

Two bedroom apartments: £750 per week (normal rate: £1040 per week)

-.-.-.-.-
Wimbledon – Courtyard Apartments

One bedroom apartments: £550 per week (normal rate: £795 per week)

Two bedroom apartments: £750 per week (normal rate: £1065 per week)

-.-.-.-.-

Reading – Minster Court

One bedroom apartments: £400 per week (normal rate: £575 per week)

Two bedroom apartments: £450 per week (normal rate: £690 per week)

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Book now to avoid disappointment!!

Call: +44-(0)20-89441444
or email: res@apartment.co.uk

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The above rates exclude VAT and are commissionable to agents and bookings can be extended beyond December, however at the standard discounted rates. This offer does not run in conjunction with any other offers which are available for the same period. Minimum stay is one week.

You can sign up now to our newsletter to be kept informed of all our special offers and news. Please click here.

The Apartment Service
5-6 Francis Grove
Wimbledon
London SW19 4DT
UK

Tel: +44-(0)20-89441444
Fax: +44-(0)20-89446744
E-mail: res@apartment.co.uk
Website: www.apartmentservice.com

If you missed the first of the 2009 East Sussex bonfire celebrations (Hastings, October 17), not to worry. Saturday November 7th sees the second of the big bonfire celebrations in 1066 Country – this time in the historic setting of the town of Battle, East Sussex, site of that famous skirmish between a certain William and Harold.

Bonfires are serious business in Sussex, with many of the county’s towns and villages having their own bonfire societies – the Bonfire Boyes. Formed to regain some control over potentially riotous events, the societies oversee these massive processions and spectacular displays. They work tirelessly throughout the year on behalf of their local communities – while having a riotously good time in the process. ‘Battel Bonfire Boyes’ is Sussex’s oldest society, dating from 1605, and indeed is one of the oldest continuous membership societies in the world.

Battle’s gunpowder plot connections are the strongest in East Sussex. Guy Fawkes is said to have sourced his gunpowder from the town’s powdermill in Powdermills Lane. The oldest Guy Fawkes effigy in the world enjoys his annual outing from the Battle Museum of Local History when he plays an integral part in the bonfire procession up the High Street and through the spectacular gatehouse of Battle Abbey.

Unlike the Lewes Bonfire, the Battle Bonfire is open to all on a turn-up basis

If you decide to make a weekend of it you’ll also have time to check out the 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield and Yesterday’s World. Battle Museum of Local History displays artefacts from Battle’s gunpowder past and the only Battle of Hastings battle axe head ever to be found. Battle’s hidden gems include the Almonry Gardens and the Independent Photographers Gallery, whose current exhibition ‘Bright Ones’ shows the work of recent graduates from the University of brighton.

Can’t make this weekend? Then make a date in your diary for November 14th when it’s the turn of the Rye Bonfire Society to host their event in this beautiful medieval ‘Cinque Port’ town. They’ve burned boats here in the past as their ‘Guy Fawkes’, in a nod to the town’s history of defending the country against attacks along this part of the coast.

For further details of the history of the Sussex bonfires and their important place in our heritage, or for help with organising a visit, please get in touch sooner rather than later, as accommodation is at a premium for these popular events.

Wizz Air, the largest low fare – low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, announced that it would launch flights from Budapest to Bologna/Forli as of 30 March 2010. The flight will be operated thrice a week initially.

Tickets are already available from as low as EUR 17,49 (one way, all inclusive) on wizzair.com or by calling the call centres.

Wildlife tourism professionals are meeting this week for Wild Scotland’s Annual Conference near Perth.  This year, the conference will reflect on issues facing the sector. Many companies started this season with some trepidation owing to the state of the economy, however feedback from Wild Scotland members about their season shows that 2009 has been an excellent year for wildlife tourism.

Annual figures show that 61% of Wild Scotland members had a better year than 2008. This is the highest percentage since the survey began in 2006 and shows the continuing success of wildlife tourism in Scotland.

Almost sixty percent (59%) felt that they had benefitted from the much-heralded ‘staycation’ with British people choosing to holiday in the UK. A significant number also commented on a marked increase in European visitors this year. This may be due to the weak pound and presents an opportunity to showcase Scotland’s wildlife to an international audience.

As awareness of wildlife watching in Scotland appears to be growing, the conference will also focus on a species which is currently struggling to get noticed, the Scottish wildcat. Wild Scotland is supporting the Highland Tiger campaign which aims to raise the profile of this iconic species and our only native feline.

Caroline Warburton of Wild Scotland commented:  “Wildlife tourism in Scotland has had another great season which is excellent news for everyone. Businesses have worked hard this year but their work has paid off and the results of the survey hopefully show that wildlife tourism in Scotland is here to stay. As well as the positives, the survey also highlights the growing number of issues which businesses are facing, such as rising costs and threats to wildlife populations on which they depend. By making more people aware of the wildlife in Scotland, we hope that we can involve more people in the debate about how best to manage it”.

The conference programme will include sessions with:

• Wildlife photographer, Peter Cairns of the Wild Media Foundation who will highlight the plight of the Scottish wildcat and the Highland Tiger campaign

• Linzi Seivwright of Deer Commission Scotland who will present the findings of research undertaken on wildlife tourism.

Following the morning conference, afternoon workshops will present the opportunity for delegates to feed into current research on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the wildlife tourism industry in Scotland. This analysis forms part of a wider study into the economic impact of wildlife tourism in Scotland co-funded by the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Ryanair, Ireland’s favourite airline, today (12th Nov 09) criticised the anti-fun National Women’s Council of Ireland for lacking any charity or Christmas cheer after their unfounded attack on Ryanair’s 2010 Charity Calendar in which Ryanair’s female cabin crew volunteered to appear in, helping to raise €300,000 over the last 3 years for Angels Quest, the Dublin Simon Community and ‘KIDS’ charities.

Ryanair said it would continue to fight for the rights of girls (and boys) to take their clothes off if they chose to, adding that celebrating beauty has never been ‘old-fashioned’ as suggested by the anti–fun do-gooders in the NWCI.

Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said,

“The National Women’s Council clearly don’t like fun or charity. Ryanair’s 2010 calendar is a cabin crew initiative which our people volunteer for to raise huge sums of money for charity. It is unfair of the anti-fun, anti-charity, brigade at the NWCI to accuse Ryanair or our people of a ‘lack of imagination’ when we have produced one of Europe’s most popular calendars while raising €300,000 for charity in just three years.

“Ryanair will continue to support the rights of all girls, and boys, to take their clothes off if they want to – especially if it helps a worthy cause like disabled children”.