After celebrating last New Year’s in London, myself and a few friends decided we wanted to do something different for 2012. In the end we all agreed to celebrate Christmas in Cambodia and New Years in Vietnam. Hopefully this blog will help share some of our amazing experiences.

Lebua Hotel, Bangkok

Skybar, Lebua

Lebua Hotel, Bangkok – We kicked off our tour in Bangkok at the incredible Lebua Hotel. The first thing we all did was rush to the skybar, while the girls sipped cocktails and snapped skyline photos, the boys were busy rein acting scenes from hangover 2. The Lebua was definitely a luxurious stay and a perfect starter to our holiday. Later we ventured into the city and found ourselves at a ladyboy show. This was probably one of the most entertaining and fun experiences…especially when the star of the show was flirting with my friend Deepan, who was trying so hard to hide.

Thunder Ranch Shooting Range, Phom Phen

Thunder Ranch Shooting Range, Phom Phen  – The next stop was Phom Phen. We jumped in our tuk tuks (local taxis) and headed to Thunder Ranch, run by the Royal Cambodian Army. We all had a go at firing AK47s and M116s. I wasn’t expecting the jolt back and noise but it was a good experience, even if I did miss most of the targets. It was also the part of my trip my brother was most excited about, being an avid Call of Duty fan.

The Choeung Ek Memorial Stupa, housing 8000 of the skulls unearthed at the Killing Fields.

The Killing Fields, Phom Phen  – The Killing fields was a very moving and emotional experience. It was the one place we had to visit in order to fully appreciate and understand a very important part of Cambodian history. It was hard to believe that 3 million people lost their lives in the most horrific circumstances, under the communist Khmer Rouge regime, just a few years before we were born. We all did some prior reading, but nothing could have prepared us for the stories, photos and facts documented at the museum. Despite such tragic events we all felt that the people of Cambodia were extremely friendly, forgiving and brave.

Christmas Day, Siem Reap

Christmas Day, Siem Reap – Celebrating Christmas day in 30 degree heat was a bit surreal. Everywhere we went seemed to play Christmas carols and all the shops and restaurants were decorated in tinsel and fake snow. We thought we’d join in and wear santa hats to get in the Christmas spirit. We exchanged our usual turkey for crocodile, and after a big feast headed to a bar for some local beers and wines. The night ended on the dancefloor singing along to YMCA…as you do! It was just like being back at home. Outside the club was a line of children dancing and selling bracelets. Although we danced with the children and brought their bracelets, we couldn’t believe these kids were dancing out here at 3am, when they should have been in bed.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap – After our all-nighter, we literally freshened up at the hotel and headed straight to Angkor Wat. Sleepy-eyed we sat on the banks and watched the sunrise. Despite the foggy weather it was an amazing view, everyone sat and admired the temple silhouette come to light. Later on we got a closer look at the inscriptions and impressive architecture.

Sheraton Hotel, Hanoi

NYE, Sheraton Hotel, Hanoi  – We had taken quite a few internal flights and long coach journeys so by this stage we were looking forward to relaxing at the Sheraton hotel in Hanoi. After a traditional Thai massage we were invited to a ballroom dance. As none of us could ballroom dance, we decided to join the Sheraton NYE party instead. After a lovely champagne reception, we joined the locals and hotel guests for an unforgettable countdown and night of entertainment.

Ta Phin Village, Sapa

Local Villagers

Ta Phin Village, Sapa  – The next adventure was an overnight train to Ta Phin village in Sapa, Northern Vietnam. On arrival we were greeted by our tour guide. The village itself was set within a valley layered with rice paddies, with towering mountains at one end. The people were from ethnic minorities known as Kinh, Red Dao and Black Hmong. The moment we stepped out of our van an army of kids barricaded us with trekking sticks. It was difficult to choose who to buy from but we did the obvious thing and brought from the youngest. The children all seemed to work hard and play hard. Two girls followed my side most of the walk and were very interested in life in the UK. The girl’s mother was happy they were practicing their English and told me that the village was very poor before tourists began to visit.  But now they get to sell their crafts, make money and meet new people.

Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, Bangkok

Wat Pho, Bangkok

Wat Pho, Bangkok – The very final destination was Wat Pho, aka the reclining Buddha Temple. The main focal point is the 46 metre gold plated buddha, which is pretty impressive from any angle. The temple is extremely busy, so you do have to walk through quite fast. The rest of the grounds feature an array of gardens, temples and statues. Throughout the whole of my holiday I had tried very hard to capture a photo of a monk but failed. This was my last chance, and it turned out to be the best photo from my entire collection. I was told by his senior that he very rarely smiles, so my thumbs up before the photo must have done the trick.

We had an amazing time on our travels and would definitely return in the future.

If you would like to experience Cambodia and Vietnam for yourself simply complete an enquiry form and our travel experts will be delighted to help.

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.

Yesterday it was mainly the North of the country that was feeling the effects of this adverse weather, today however Gatwick airport has closed, with no flights arriving or departing until tomorrow morning (Thursday 2^nd December) before 6am.

Passengers have been asked not to travel to the airport; some flights however are being diverted to Luton.

Gatwick airport has been closed since 10.30pm on Tuesday after 6 inches of snow fell, causing between 550 and 600 flights have been cancelled.

Following on from yesterday… will this additional chaos cause travellers who would usually plan to escape the winter freeze cut their losses and spend Christmas with family in front of the fire?

With there still being time to book that Christmas escape or even the after Christmas detox…! Holidays Please recommend the Indian Isles as the weather is usually very warm this time of year. This is Thailand’s most pleasant time of year; November to the end of February brings a cooling north-east breeze and lower humidity.

Holidays Please also have their own customer care team and you will have your own holiday advisor who will help you throughout.

Somewhat following on from yesterday’s blog… It looks as though the royal wedding will have a dramatic effect on the travel sector. With the wedding date set for Friday April 29th 2011, this gives everyone an additional bank holiday, with the 22nd and the 25th already being public holidays for Easter, and the 2nd of May also being a bank holiday, you can have a 16 day holiday and only use 7 working days! Fantastic! – I hear you say while rubbing your hands together… However with this sudden realisation, people have started booking their spring holidays… With it being first come first served, I’d recommend getting in there fast…

This time of year also brings ideal holiday weather to most destinations, including the Caribbean, Far East and the Maldives.

These are just two of the great deals around…

22nd April – 8th May
3 night at Amari Bangkok – Bed and Breakfast – Superior room
11 Nights Centara Villa Samui – Bed and Breakfast – Garden Villa
All from £2909 total

10 nights Kuramathi Island – All Inclusive – Beach Villa – with sea plane transfers
From £4797

If you’d like to get in there first (which I really would recommend) then make an enquiry now and a member of the sales team will be in touch to help and advise you.

I was looking around the internet at travel news and came across and article which stated the best time to book a holiday is exactly 8 weeks before your departure date, exactly 8 weeks from now would land us on the 26th of October. At holidays please we are constantly updating our holiday’s deals page (having spent the majority of my day doing so) and we currently have fantastic deals to a verity of destinations.

Now going back to the eight week booking thing, we currently have on offer eight nights at 5 Star Evason Phuket Resort & Spa, the offer ends on the 24th of October, now I know it’s slightly pushing the boundaries of the rule but this fantastic offer of only £1758 per couple!!! And falls very close to the 8 week rule, and therefore couldn’t just be overlooked!

An offer however which does fall in the middle of the rule if you book now, is our offer to The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, with 6 nights in Koh Samui Malaysia pay 4 and save £310! This deal applies for departures between 25th September and 31st of October!  The resort itself offers beautiful rooms and private villas, with breath taking views of the sea and sandy beaches. The resort is located amongst a fishing village on a small Malaysian island in the Andaman Sea, with the nearby harbor and town Kuah which is famous for shopping.

To book one of these fantastic deals visit www.holidaysplease.co.uk/holiday-deals and put in an enquiry, but remember book soon to fit into the eight week rule!

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.

Thai Airways and Singapore’s Tiger Airways will together launch a low-cost carrier in Thailand next year. The new carrier, Thai Tiger, will be based in Bangkok, the regional Southeast Asia hub for tourists especially those arriving from Europe. Thai Tiger will fly to destinations within five hours of Bangkok, such as Vietnam and Cambodia, offering travellers a cheap and more convenient way to travel.

The new airline is expected to launch in the first three months of 2011 and will operate as a competitor to already successful low-cost Far East carriers, Air Asia, and Qantas-owned Jetstar. The budget airline market has boomed worldwide over the past decade but there’s always negativity surrounding them. For instance in the UK carriers easyJet and Ryanair always receive mixed reactions from travellers and the media. What are your reactions to low-cost carriers- are they cheap and cheerful or a nightmare to travel with? Feel free to leave your comments below and let us hear your views. Don’t forget to take a look at our amazing Far East holidays and make it the setting for your next escape.

Thailand is a land of variety and surprise and I was heading to one of its gems, Koh Samui. This little island is only a one hour flight from Bangkok. I’d suggest you take the Bangkok Air flight, that way you can use the wonderful lounge they have at Bangkok Airport. After my long flight from the UK I really appreciated the chance to relax and stretch out before the final part of my journey.

Koh Samui has come a long way since its days as a backpackers paradise in the 1970’s. Now you’ll find luxury boutique hotels and lavish spas scattered along the beautiful beaches. I was heading to a quirky boutique hotel, The Library, on the islands most famous sand strip Cheweng Beach. The Library is only fifteen minutes away from the airport, so there’s not that long between touchdown and check in.

The Library has a very modern look, it almost looks other worldly and may not be to everyone’s taste and at first I found the design a little cold. The warm friendly welcome takes the cold edge off the slick modern lines. The suites continue in the ultra modern, but have a relaxing Zen feel that lets your mind un-clutter and relax. The rain shower was a delicious treat after my journey, as was the welcome gift of a bottle of wine.

The Library is built around the concept that we all love a good book to read on holiday. So you can find your ideal read the hotel has its own library in a building called LiB. Like me you may be envisioning a traditional British library, heavy with dark wood shelves and a slightly dusty feeling. Those ideas couldn’t be further from the amazingly sleek, clean white lines of the LiB building. This is a perfect room to browse for an easy holiday read. Just in case you can’t find a good book, there is also internet access available.

The most unusual feature at The Library has to be the red swimming pool. I’ve never a pool quite like this at any hotel. While unusual I must say it’s a very relaxing feature and I spent many happy hours of my Koh Samui holiday sat by the pool reading a book selected from those slick white shelves.

I’ve enjoyed breakfast in bed at many hotels, but the Library takes advantage of its Cheweng Beach location by offering breakfast on the beach. Lounging on a crisp white mattress on the beach in the early morning light you can take advantage of the fresh baked pastries and fruit juices. Dining at The Library is an experience at any time of day thanks to The Page, the top notch restaurant.

I love the whole concept of The Library. I fell in love with the sleek modern lines and style. I want to eat breakfast on the beach every morning. I can’t recommend this hotel enough and if you’re ready to unwind in this Zen ultra modern environment then talk to one of our Koh Samui holiday experts.

More people than ever are leaving their holiday bookings until the last minute in order to seek out the best bargain they possible can, new figures suggest.

According to InsureandGo, the length of time between customers buying travel cover and their jetting of to sunnier climes has reduced by 25 per cent between January 2007 and January 2009, suggesting that people are waiting to take advantage of special offers online.

“We think this is a good indicator that people are booking last-minute holidays,” said InsureandGo founder Perry Wilson.

Indeed, 796,000 policies were sold to customers who were departing within three days of purchase.

Mr Wilson warned that holidaymakers should always buy their travel cover as soon as they purchase their holidays in order to be covered for cancellation, as well as so that they do not forget.

The increase in last-minute bookings could also be a knock-on effect of the credit crunch, as people seek to ensure that their job will stay safe by the time summer holidays come around.

The majority of people are still seeking breaks of a fortnight, it was recently reported.

Check out holidaysplease.co.uk for special offers on destinations such as St Lucia, Thailand and Hawaii.