We are not long back from our holiday to Fuerteventura and our visit to the magnificent Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real in Corralejo and we have just heard that the hotel has won the prestigious Tripadviser Award of Excellence for 2011.

The Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real 5* GL has achieved again the Certificate of Excellence 2011 awarded by the world’s largest community of travellers – TripAdvisor. This award has been gained thanks to the opinions and comments made by the hotels guests who have valued positively the quality and excellent standard of professional customer service offered by the hotel.

This certificate puts the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real as one of the top hotel destinations in the world. The hotel has won numerous awards which reflect the high standards of service offered.

Atlantis Hotels also own two other hotels in Corralejo; The Suite Hotel Atlantis Fuerteventura Resort and Atlantis Duna Park. The Suite Hotel Atlantis, which is an All Inclusive all suite hotel,  has also been awardeda Certificate of Excellence for 2011. This is also due to the excellent reviews in Tripadvisor.  Again, this award reflects the high levels of satisfaction and the positive feedback from its guests.

Having visited these hotels only a few weeks ago, we are not surprised that these hotels have won awards as in our opinion they are outstanding. The 5 star Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real is a beach front hotel with 5 restaurants including one which has a Michelin star. The rooms and facilities at this hotel are amongst the best we have seen.

The Suite Hotel Atlantis Fuerteventura Resort is aimed at families wanting an All Inclusive holiday. The hotel has excellent facilities for children of all ages. The saying goes that “if the children have a good holiday then so will the parents” and certainly everybody looked happy when we visited a few weeks ago.

DavidB Canary Islands Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real, holdiay to fuerteventura, Suite Hotel Atlantis Fuerteventura Resort

News just out about the best city in the world to live in doesn’t give us too many surprises. Vancouver in Canada has for several years been the number one city to live in but now it has been knocked off the number one position by Melbourne, Australia. Apparently, these wasn’t much to choose between the top ten cities but Vancouver slipped to third place because of something to do with the closure of a motorway!

Four cities in Australia are in the top ten which shows that despite the strong Australian Dollar, Australia is still a good place to live and work. No city in the UK was anywhere near the top ten, even though our home city of Leeds is a good place to live, we think so anyway, it can’t really compare with the lifestyle, space and weather of Melbourne.

If you don’t qualify for emigration to Melbourne then the next best thing is to go to Australia on holiday!

There is so much to see and do in Australia that you probably need to emigrate to see it all but a 2 or 3 week holiday will enable you to see quite a bit if it is planned properly and it will give you a flavour of the country so that you can return in the future and it might give you the enthusiasm to work on a permanent move in the future.

Melbourne is in the southern state of Victoria and is where you will find the famous 12 Apostles. These are rock stacks that rise up from the Southern Ocean and you can see them as you drive along the magnificent Great Ocean Road.

Created by constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland beginning 10-20 million years ago, the stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore. View the 12 Apostles at sunrise and sunset as they change colour from dark and foreboding in shadow to brilliant sandy yellow under a full sun.

Melbourne is also home to famous Bells Beach. In Autumn and Winter you are likely to see some of the world’s best surfers as Bells Beach is for the experienced surfer. There are good vantage points along the cliffs.

In Melbourne itself there is plenty to give the visitor occupied. Melbourne has a thriving arts and culture scene with museums and art galleries. There is also public art at the Geelong Waterfront.

One way to see Melboune and the Great Ocean Road and, of course, some of the rest of Australia is by a self drive Motorhome or campervan. This is a flexible way to take a holiday in Australia. Here at Global Holidays we can organise various types of motorhomes from budget upwards. Give us a call on 0800 433 2300 or take a look at our Australia Self Drive Holidays page.

Related Travel Blog Articles about Australia

Bondi Beach – Surf, Sun and Lifeguards

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One of the highlights of the sporting calendar is set to kick off, as the the Rugby World Cup starts in New Zealand. Teams from around the world including England, Wales and Scotland will battle it out with other teams including the mighty All Blacks and Australia.

The Rugby World Cup only takes place once every four years, so it is always a special occasion and captures the attention and imagination of rugby fans all over the world. Martin Johnson and his troops have already arrived in New Zealand but the serious business of the test matches does not get under way until 9 September, with England playing Argentina on 10 September. Various venues will host games including Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

New Zealand is guaranteed to prove a hospitable venue for players and fans alike. It has a marginally larger land area than the UK, but its population is just four million. As a result, the country is delightfully tranquil, with mile after mile of impressive coastline, mountain ranges and fiords to take the breath away.

There are 14 national parks and 19 forest parks, containing a wide variety of untouched landscape and vegetation. More than 5 million hectares – a third of New Zealand – is protected in parks and reserves.

Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is found at the southern tip of the North Island, and boasts a beautiful harbour. It is also small in size, just two kilometres wide, so it is easy for tourists to explore on foot.

Wellington is considered to be the arts and culture centre of New Zealand, and the Te Papa, situated on the waterfront, is the national museum. The city is surrounded by beautiful green hills and it is possible to talk walking tours and coach tours to explore the surroundings more fully. The top of Mount Victoria provides stunning views across the city.

Wine enthusiasts will content themselves with trips to the country’s top wine regions, such as Marlborough and Wairarapa, both within range of Wellington. A more recent tourist development is the Lord Of The Rings tour, which allows you to visit the locations that were used during the epic film trilogy.

Auckland, situated towards the north of the North Island, is fondly known as the City of Sails. The city is a launch pad to explore so much. Within half an hour, you can reach beautiful beaches, walking trails or holiday islands, or content yourself with the city harbours, fine restaurants and Maori culture.

You can go up the impressive Sky Tower, 328 metres high, for stunning views of the city, and you can even enjoy a spot of dinner up there too. A visit to the National Maritime museum is worthwhile, or you can learn more about the city at the Auckland Museum. Music lovers can also check out the Joshua tree that inspired the naming of the famous U2 album.

Christchurch, on the South Island, is another city where there is plenty to do to satisfy most tastes. For those seeking to do something more on the relaxing side, you can visit thermal pools, punt down the river, go hot-air ballooning or enjoy the wealth of culture and wildlife on offer.

But if it is action you are after, then you will not be disappointed. You can take your pick from adrenaline activities such as jet-boating, white water rafting, skydiving, bungy jumping, or in the winter skiing and snowboarding.

Elsewhere on the South Island, the Southern Alps provide a number of glaciers, the biggest being the Tasman glacier, visible by making the short walk from Mount Cook village. The most famous glaciers are the Franz Josef and Fox, on the West Coast. They are easily accessible to walkers and mountaineers, and quite spectacular

The Fiordland area, in the south-west of the South Island, is another example of stunning natural beauty. Hundreds of lakes fill the landscape, including Lake Hauroko which is 462m deep. There are 14 fiords, running from Milford Sound in the north to Preservation Inlet in the south. The most popular for tourists are Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
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In total, New Zealand has some 15,000 kilometres of varied coastline. The north of the South Island has some great beaches, while the coastline around the rest of the South Island tends to be wilder. Views from the coastal road are superb, a visual treat waiting around every headland.

Intererested in a holiday to New Zealand? Call Global Holidays the UK travel agent for tailor-made holidays worldwide.

Browse a selection of  New Zealand Motorhome holidays and tours and New Zealand sightseeing

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We have been selling luxury holidays since 1996 so we think we know quite a lot about travel, holidays and offering great deals. As we look forward to 2012 we thought we would look at what visitors to our website searched for in 2011. We keep statistics of what holiday destination is searched for when someone uses our website search system so we thought that it would be a good idea to publish the details. Maybe it will help you decide where to go on holiday in 2012.  

So, here we go:-

Our Top Holiday Destinations

1. Goa – this has been a favourite winter holiday destination for many years. Goa is great value for money and you get to see a different culture, wonderful people, excellent food and the weather is hot. Flights operate from the UK between November and April.

2. Cyprus – again a long term favourite with us Brits. Cyprus offers hot summers and warm winters and is great if you want a family holiday and also Ayia Napa caters for those of you wanting a young and lively holiday. Cyprus is still popular despite the fact that its more expensive than Greece and Turkey. 

3    Bulgaria – If you are looking for a cheap and cheerful holiday then Bulgaria might suit you. Sunny Beach is the most popular destination as it offers a glorious beach and good value holiday accommodation.

4    Turkey – Turkey is forecast to be even more popular as a cheap holiday destination in 2012. This is due to the fact that it is outside the Euro zone. Turkey certainly boasts well developed holiday resorts and a stunning coastline with great beaches. The standard of holiday accommodation in Turkey is not as good as it is in Spain. Many 4 star hotels we would only rate as 3 star and many 5 star hotels in Turkey do not deserve the 5 star rating so choose carefully when considering where to stay.

5    Tenerife – This Canary island is still a firm favourite especially out of the main high season months of July and August because the weather stays warm for most of the year. There will be holiday bargains in Tenerife in 2012 as hoteliers reduce their prices to attract customers. Los Cristianos is an excellent family holiday destination.

6   Egypt- The Red Sea resort is incredibly popular not just outside the main high season months but also now in July and August as well. Many new hotels have been built offering excellent facilities, especially for families. This year there will be bargains to be had as people may well be wary of visiting Egypt this year, even though Sharm was hardly affected by the upheaval in the country.

7   Florida – The US state of Florida is a quality holiday destination and, of course, is home to Disney and The Magic Kingdom as well as many other theme parks. Prices have increased over the last few years due to higher flight prices but bargains can still be found especially outside the peak months.

8    New York – The attraction of The Big Apple has not faded and short breaks to New York are still popular and will remain so in 2012.

9   Majorca – Many are predicting that Majorca will lose out in 2012 because of the poor exchange rate, however, don’t expect that Spanish hotel owners will go down without a fight as they reduce their prices to compete. All Inclusive holidays in Majorca can still be excellent value and flight prices to Palma are still good value compared to Dalaman in Turkey.

 10    Las Vegas - With more flights to Las Vegas this city break destination will become even more popular in 2012. It is one of our favourite places to visit here at Global Holidays. Great entertainment and the Grand Canyon only an hour away. What more can you want. Las Vegas is a MUST VISIT destination ! 5 nights at the fantastic Bellagio hotel including flights costs from £659 per person.

11  Spain – The nations favourite holiday destination suffered in 2009 and 2010 and many hotels closed down. Spain has much to offer the visitor though and it will still offer great value for money in 2012.

12 The  Maldives – If you want an exotic desert island holiday experience then look no further than the stunning Maldives. With many islands having been renovated in the past two years The Maldives are a special place and not just for honeymooners.

13 Ibiza – In our opinion Ibiza is one of the most under rated holiday destinations, unless you have been there, in which case you will know how beautiful Ibiza is. Ibiza is far more than just San Antonio and non stop partying. If you haven’t been to Ibiza you should think about a visit in 2012.

14   Greece – Traditionally the Greek Islands have been the holiday destination for a last minute cheap holiday but in 2012 prices may rise due to a drop in the number of flights to the islands, not helped by the demise of Libra Holidays and Kosmar Holidays where capacity has not been replaced.

The Greek islands will still be popular in 2012 and there will probably be good deals especially in May and June 2012.

15   Cuba – Offering great value for money for a Caribbean holiday, Cuba has good beaches, excellent ‘All Inclusive’ hotels and a visit to Havana a must. Cuba, along with the Dominican Republic, are the cheapest Caribbean islands to visit. Watch out for some good deals in 2012.

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Becky Hayes, our roving Travel TV presenter has just returned from a short visit to Ibiza. Here she describes where the coolest places to visit are on the island of Ibiza.

There is one place that transforms like no other in the summer months and that is the white isle of Ibiza!

From May – Sep it hosts the best parties and club nights that you will probably ever see. Celebs and top name DJ’s flock here and there are amazing parties going on every night of the week.

I’ve been to Ibiza 3 times in total; once with the girls which was a proper party holiday and twice with the husband which was a bit more chilled out. The nice thing about Ibiza is that you can party as much as you want or just relax. I’ve just returned from a weekend there and I did a bit of both so here are my top places to go.

Café Mambo

This sums up Ibiza and everything that it’s about. It’s in San Antonio and the perfect place to watch the sun go down with a cocktail. They have top name DJ’s on the decks and Radio 1 regularly broadcast from their studios upstairs. In the evening hoards of people gather here to watch the sun go down over the med.  You can do this 1 of 2 ways; the expensive way or the cheap way! The expensive way is to grab a table for dinner with cocktails (I highly recommend the strawberry daiquiri as it’s the best I’ve ever tasted) or you can bring a takeaway pizza and pre bought bottle of wine and perch on the rocks in front of Café Mambo. Either way is great!

Blue Marlin

This place is one of the coolest places I have ever been! It is very expensive but worth it. Myself and my husband went here for dinner on our last night and had the best night we’ve ever had in Ibiza. It’s situated on Cala Jondal beach, about half an hour away from San Antonio and 15 minutes from Ibiza town. It is a luxury beach club, bar and restaurant.

For a cocktail you will pay a minimum of 15 euros and dinner is about £80 per person. The food is fantastic! We had the duck liver parfait and crab rolls followed by wok fried soy and ginger lobster which was to die for! It has a great atmosphere and is all open air. Whilst you eat, the coolest DJ’s play funky house and you can watch people dancing in the bar. If you have the money to spend then it really is the place to go. The only one thing is that it’s a nightmare getting a taxi afterwards. They won’t order them for you so you have to wait until one randomly pulls up which isn’t very often so I’d defiantly pre book a taxi next time or drive there yourself.

Formentera  

 If you are looking for white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters then this is the place to head to. You’ll need to get a boat trip here and it’ll take you about an hour to get there. The island is beautiful and pure relaxation. There are 2 restaurants on the island and both are quite expensive so if you don’t want to pay out then I’d take a packed lunch with you. Boat trips leave pretty regularly too.

David’s Pizzeria

 This is one of the most famous restaurants on the island, everybody knows Davids! It’s in San Antonio and is very reasonably priced but most importantly the food is always fantastic! You can have pretty much any pizza or pasta that you like and they also do some amazing salads like foie gras and breaded cheese salad. Here is a link to their website if you fancy checking out the full menu  – davids pizza Ibiza

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A Global holidays staff member is just back from a holiday to Fuerteventura and here he tells our Travel Blog about his opinion on the best restaurant in Corralejo.

If you are planning a holiday to Corralejo on the island of Fuerteventura then I have to tell you about my favourite restaurant in Corralejo. It might not be the best because I haven’t tried them all but it is my favourite restaurant. I have been on holiday to Fuerteventura many times and I have visited the El Sombrero restaurant on the harbour front in Corralejo old town so many times that I have forgotten how many times I have been. In fact I have just returned home after 2 weeks on Fuerteventura and I visited El Sombrero 4 times in 2 weeks.

It’s because I love the location right on the harbour side that I really like this place, but also it sells my favourite meal! It’s called the Pirate Borneo and basically it is chunks of fillet steak on a rack which is then set alight with burning brandy. It’s fairly basic stuff. It’s not gourmet cooking at its best. It’s not Michelin star but I love it!

The El Sombrero is a nice looking restaurant too. You can sit inside or outside on the wooden terrace but if you want the Pirate dish you have to sit inside. The cost of the Pirate Borneo was 15 Euro per person which I think is good value for money. You can sit and enjoy the view as you eat and drink on a typical warm evening in Fuerteventura.

Here are some photos I took of the El Sombrero in Corralejo. Make a comment if you have been to this restaurant. I would love to hear what your opinions are.

Related Articles about a holiday on Fuerteventura

Is this the best hotel on Fuerteventura

Holidays to Fuerteventura – The Facts

Search for a holiday to Fuerteventura

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Who says that you have to travel  to The Far East, Dubai or The Maldives to find the best hotels? What if we told you that you can find a hotel to match the very best anywhere, on the island of Fuerteventura, and that also you are guaranteed very good weather year round. It’s also less than 4 hours flying time from the UK. Well, all this is indeed possible when you visit Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real on the second largest of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura.

 Global Holidays paid an unannounced visit to this hotel this week and we were warmly greeted and given a tour of the hotel and its long list of impressive facilities. The Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real is a very attractive looking building, built in a traditional Spanish style and it looks out over crystal clear water to the Isle of Lobos, just off the coast of Fuerteventura, and you you can see the mountains of Lanzarote in the distance. We walked into the very stylish lobby where there were plenty of comfortable sofas and a lobby bar, and a  reception with smartly dressed staff.

The first impression we got was of a very upmarket well run hotel. The piano player in the corner added to my sense of being somewhere special.

The rooms at the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real are fantastic. We were shown a Standard Room, a Junior Suite and an Atlantic Suite. All were a good size with king sized beds. The suites were outstanding in every way. The bathrooms impressed me with their large shower areas and the balconies were comfortable and private. I would recommend paying extra for a sea view as the view to Lobos is very special.

After being wowed by the bedrooms we were shown the various restaurants. There were 5 in total including a 1 Michelin Star restaurant, La Cupula. We were also shown the Japanese,Asian, Spanish and main buffet restaurant. I looked at the menus and was very impressed with the choice offered. There are plenty of restaurants in Corralejo town but if you stay at this hotel I would recommend the Half Board option as the quality of the food is of a far higher standard than you will find in the town itself.

Next we were shown the spa facilities at the Gran Hotel Atlantis BahiaReal . I could see that there were many treatments on offer as well as sauna, steam rooms and other treatment rooms as well as a huge indoor swimming pool. All the spa facilities looked world class to me and I could see that many people would be happy to spend many hours there.

If you are looking for an extra special hotel I would highly recommend that you consider the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real in Corralejo. If you haven’t had a holiday on Fuerteventura then you are missing probably the best beaches in Europe as they are stunning.

 Related Articles about Fuerteventura

Holiday to Fuerteventura – The Facts
Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real Fuerteventura
 

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The Turkey holidays specialist Holidays4U has ceased trading leaving thousands of holidaymakers abroad. The company, according to a report in Travel Weekly  has at least 40,000 forward bookings which will mean that many families will have their summer holidays abroad ruined. Holidays4U is ATOL bonded  which means those that have booked will get a full refund although that is likely to take several months.

Those people with forward bookings will have to book again.

The failure of Holidays4U, trading since 1994 and specialising in cheap holidays to Turkey highlights the importance of booking with an ATOL bonded travel agent and is another sign of the fragile UK economy.

If you have booked with Holidays4U we can try and re-book you. Please call 0845 299 4450.

DavidB Travel News Holidays4U ceases trading