With the first month of the year done and dusted, January has once again proved to be a popular time for most of us to book our yearly holiday (or holidays!). And it’s no surprise that 2012 has truly started with a bang for Holidaysplease, with record sales reported in January.

Sales were 30% up year on year with the average value up 22%. Despite overall industry figures decreasing year on year, Holidaysplease continues to trade strongly despite current economic situations.

It seems holiday makers are favouring the value of expertise rather than low cost holidays in 2012 with many consumers being more careful as to which travel companies to trust. Perhaps this is another reason behind the success experienced by the ABTA approved luxury holiday company, Holidaysplease.

Richard Dixon, senior director of Holidaysplease, said “The fantastic growth in sales reflects general interest and our dedicated sales team have and will continue to respond to customer demands and trends individually. We are lucky to have a team consisting of real travel experts and we look forward to growing our team as well as our sales throughout 2012.”

The January boom has also helped to identify the top destinations for 2012. These include the likes of the Maldives, Mauritius, the USA, Antigua, Malaysia, as well as Thailand, UAE, Sri Lanka and even Mexico.

In a recent survey of 1,000 holidaymakers, luxury holiday website www.holidaysplease.co.uk found that 64% of holidaymakers are not sure of the weather statistics that they have read prior to going on holiday.

Despite over 90% of people saying that they checked the likely weather prior to travelling over half were left unsure by the answers they got. The most common reasons for confusion were:-

1) Getting conflicting statistics from different weather websites

2) Difficulty in working out whether certain number of millimetres of rain was a little or a lot

3) Not knowing whether sunshine hours included periods of weak sunshine/light cloud cover

4) Having to translate temperature figures in unfamiliar metrics. For example Celsius into Fahrenheit and vice versa.

5) Finding that graphs did not have clear statistics next to them.

6) Not knowing whether the statistics had been taken from a place near to where they would be staying.

In view of this www.holidaysplease.co.uk has set up an area where real travellers can leave real reviews of the weather they experienced on holiday. This allows future holiday travellers to easily visualise the weather they are likely to get in easy to understand language. Long gone are the days of having to get out your calculator and thumb through pages of statistics!

These weather reports can be found at:-

http://www.holidaysplease.co.uk/weather/

Already over 500 people have submitted reviews with the most popular being for destinations such as Mauritius and the Maldives.

Mauritius Weather

Maldives Weather

Yesterday saw Chancellor George Osbourne bring some good news for the travel industry in this year’s budget. It was announced that Air Passenger Duty (APD) will not be increasing this year. Osbourne told how he will be delaying the increase until next year due to the heavy rises in tax last year.

It was also confirmed that talks will be starting today regarding the system of distance banding used for the tax. These talks will review the “rather arbitrary nature of the banding system which appears to consider the Caribbean to be further away than parts of the US and Hawaii,” he commented.

APD will now be extended to private jets too so that APD taxation does not have to be increased. He said “the wealthiest should not escape the tax the ordinary holidaymaker has to pay.” The hefty rise in last year’s duty and the increasing cost pressures on families was the reason behind the delay in the APD rise.

Osbourne further added that he wanted to replace APD with a per plane duty. However current international laws permit this, and so the UK government will now be working to change this law.

What did you make of Chancellor George Osbourne’s 2011 budget? Are you happy with the freeze in APD or do you think better changes should have been made instead? Let us know your opinions by leaving your comments below.

Prince William recently proposed to Kate Middleton and they are set to be wed in spring or summer next year… As exciting as this all is, all I can think of is where will the honeymoon be!?  Traditionally newlywed royals retreat to Scotland and stay in royal residence, but will the modern times change this tradition? Seeing the couple retreat to a private tropical island in the Indian Ocean…? Who knows…?

Or perhaps they will follow in William’s parent’s footsteps and spend their honeymoon, cruising around the Caribbean.

If you where a member of the royal family where would you choose for your honeymoon?

Perhaps something different like a safari…? Or opt for the deluxe lifestyle Dubai offers (hot spot for celebs such as the Beckhams)

If you are thinking about your honeymoon (royalty or not) Holidays Please will ensure everything is organised and planned for you. You will have your own personal expert travel advisor who will advise you throughout the process, to ensure your honeymoon is as ‘Royal’ and luxurious as it can be.

I can’t help but notice the days getting shorter and shorter, darkness creeping in faster, and waking up in the morning and it being grey outside! As winter is getting nearer I feel a huge urge to ensure I have something to look forward to… You can’t beat a mid winter trip to get the skin glowing again. The winter seems so much longer if it isn’t broken up with a welcome taste of sun.

Holidays Please specialise in long haul luxury holidays and therefore know where and when to go to many destinations. We also provide up to date deals weekly, allowing you to save money and be treated like royalty at many of our luxury holiday destinations. Our best offer at the moment is to the luxury Oberio resort in Mauritius, providing all year round sun and beautiful beaches. This destination will certainly shift those winter blues.

Enquire about your winter relief, and a member of our expert team will be in touch to offer you fantastic advice.

Family holidays’ can be hard to get right. The last thing you want as parents, is bored children nagging you all holiday, and the last thing your kids’ want is to be bored with nothing to do.

With this in mind, Holidays Please recommends Mauritius for you luxury family holiday, it offers fun and exciting activities for the children, as well as the opportunity of a relaxing escape for the adults…

1)     Mauritius is surrounded by a coral reef which creates a safe tranquil lagoon around the island, making it an incredibly safe environment for the children; and a lot less stressful for mum and dad!
2)      Many of the hotels in Mauritius have child care. Club Med in particular caters for different age groups; babies from as young as 24 months all the way up to the under 18’s can benefit from the clubs, with lots of fun activities all day!
3)      Mauritius also encourages family activities and there is a huge selection of fun activities to try, including water skiing, kayaking and swimming! Try them all and rate each other’s attempts!
4)      Why not designate a day to complete relaxation. Most hotels and resorts provide spas, so while the kids are making friends and enjoying their own activities, you can book yourself a massage and enjoy some time relaxing and unwinding!

We recommend the Shandrani resort and spa. As well as the incredible spa, they also offer a ‘mini club’.

If you’ve been unsure of where to travel next, hopefully our Mauritius holiday guide has helped! Place an enquiry now and a member of our sales team will be pleased to offer you more advice.

Recent data released by Gatwick Airport shows that the number of people visiting long haul destinations increased, despite the overall decline of holiday sales. Long haul destinations grew by 11.3% despite there being a total drop of 1.3% to 1.7 million, in the overall travel market.

These figures are surprising with the recent riots in Bangkok deterring travellers to this region.

The strength of the pound wasn’t enough to encourage more travellers to North America; surprisingly there was a 12% decrease in those travelling to the USA.

This proves that travellers are choosing to get as far away from home stresses as they can. Long haul destinations like Mauritius and the Maldives are the ideal luxury holiday destination, with picture perfect landscapes and once in a life time activities.

If you’ve always dreamed of visiting a long haul destination, Holidays Please is for you. Specialising in this area, we can offer excellent advice and information on stunning locations all over the world. Stuck for ideas? Our expert sales team are on hand to guide through the selection process when choosing your dream holiday destination. Fill in an enquiry form now!

Are you dreading the days getting shorter, driving or walking to work when it’s still dark? Then there really is only one option; to book a winter holiday to offer some light over the horizon! Long haul destinations such as the Caribbean, The Maldives and Mauritius have glorious weather all year round. With crystal clear sea and white sand beaches the only thing you have to worry about is packing your suncream!

 With January being the most depressing month of the year, after the excitement of Christmas and New Year, the miserable idea of not having anything to look forward to can sometimes be too much to handle.

 Luckily for you, you read this today, giving you plenty of time to decide where you would like to visit. Will it be the idyllic scenery of the Maldives where all your troubles wash away as you step off the speed boat and on to the warm sand? Or will it be the laid back chilled out atmosphere the Caribbean brings? Whatever your preference, Holidays Please specialises in long haul luxury holidays, so enquire now and an expert member of our sales team will be in touch to help you plan the winter holiday you’ve been dreaming of.

So I have never been lucky enough to visit this beautiful island, with tiffany blue Ocean and white sand beaches, offering a mix of activities, diverse culture and outstanding beaches and resorts. I started to think about what I could do if I were to visit…

 You can get direct flight from Heathrow with British Airways or Mauritius airline, and takes 12 hours. When I arrive I would check in to my luxury hotel (for arguments sake let’s just say I arrive at mid day) ditch my bags, and head straight to the beach, feeling a tad jet lagged I would lay in the sun watching the clear turquoise sea crash against the reef that rings the island, until the sun sets. I imagine that to be quite phenomenal!  Ids then put on my glad rags and go for a romantic dinner in the hotels luxury restaurant.

 After a good night’s rest I would be ready for some adventure, I think id enjoy swimming with wild dolphins this can be done in the Tamarin on the west coast. Here you can also take surf lessons. The best places for diving however are Aux Bitches, Peyeybere and Grand Baie. Other water activities that Mauritius offers are Glass bottom boat trips, big game fishing, kite surfing and water skiing. I personally would love to have ago at all of these but maybe not all in the same day!

 On my second day I think I might fancy visiting destinations on the island beyond the resort. I would like to visit the multi cultural capital Port Louis which offers street sellers and shops and vibrant markets. Id visit Mauritius’s natural history museum, and Champ de Mars, which is one of the oldest race courses in the southern hemisphere. I would then head to the small village of Triolet for some history the small town is home to the biggest Hindu temple on the island.

 I would also like to visit the black Gorges National Park; this is located in the west part of Mauritius. There is a vast amount of wild life to be seen, including 1500 birds of over 150 species, giant turtles and mammals such as lions and monkeys.

 Basically there is a lot you can see and do in Mauritius, it is a versatile destination and will suit most people’s preferences.

 HolidaysPlease.co.uk offer excellent back ground knowledge and advice from experienced sales staff, make an enquiry now and let them help make your dream holiday in Mauritius a reality.

Honeymoon Honeys!

So all you lucky people out there who have found your perfect someone and now want to book a perfect honeymoon to match! Here at Holidays please we have come up with our top three destinations to get the ball rolling!

1) The Maldives
 If you were to draw a picture of your dream beach it would probably look very similar to the beaches found in the Maldives! Lying in a hammock in the sun on a golden beach surrounded by crystal clear sea! Perfect! Well it must be! As we have put it top of our honeymoon list. Here you can see Maldives Holidays http://www.holidaysplease.co.uk/holidays/maldives-holidays/maldives/ 

2) Thailand
Coming in close second is Thailand, set in Southeast Asia with both breath taking beaches and scenery mixed with diverse culture makes Thailand one of our customer’s favourite locations. There is too much to see and do!  Visit Bangkok and take a boat trip through the floating market, visit the temples and meditation centres.  Thailand is perfect for honeymoons as it is new and exciting and like nowhere else! Here you can see Thailand Holidays http://www.holidaysplease.co.uk/holidays/far-east/

3) Mauritius
Mauritius is a slice of paradise! And not surprisingly makes the top three.  Mauritius is a haven for calm and tranquillity. Surrounded by picture perfect turquoise sea and blue skies, honeymooners looking for beauty and luxury, it is a must! See our Mauritius Holidays http://www.holidaysplease.co.uk/holidays/mauritius-holidays/mauritius/

 To book your own holiday in paradise contact us at www.holidaysplease.co.uk and get specialised help and advice.