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.

So 2012 has finally arrived and everyone is already itching to find that perfect 2012 holiday. With the January rush well and truly under way, this year looks set to bigger and better than ever. Many of us are already clicking away to find the best online deals around on the market at the moment as holidays companies, like Holidaysplease, find you the best for your money.

However as most of us search high and low for the ultimate holiday, here’s something to really help lighten that January rush. This Southwest Airlines flight attendant really knows how to get the passengers attention when telling the on-board announcements. Let’s hope more of us experience this kind of customer service on our next flight, other airlines take note! Why not tell us what other quirky and funny things the flight attendant’s on your previous flights have done? Feel free to leave your comments below.

Ever wondered what it would be like to welcome in 2012 twice? Well now you can experience it all for yourself thanks to the International Date Line. Party the night away at midnight in Auckland, New Zealand, one of the first places in the world to see in the New Year. Then fly across the International Date Line to the Cook Islands, one of the last places in the world to see in the New Year. Here you will arrive on the 31^st December 2011, just in time to join in with the celebrations once again.

If you’re a serious party animal then this is the trip for you! First join in the celebrations at Auckland’s Viaduct Basin where you will find live music, fireworks and a great range of events in various restaurants and nightclubs. Then having had plenty of time to nurse the hangover, head to the airport on 1^st January 2012 to board your 5.35pm flight to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

You will then arrive in Rarotonga on 31^st December 2012 at 10.30pm local time. The International Date Line allows you to go back one day which means more time to party! Celebrate with the friendly locals as you welcome in 2012 at one of the last places in the world to see in the New Year.

So do you fancy the double celebrations of a lifetime? Holidaysplease are offering you a chance to experience all this with return flights from London to Auckland and Rarotonga. From only £2,600 this great 6-day package also includes one night’s accommodation at the five-star Langham Hotel in Auckland and four-star Sunset Resort in Rarotonga. But you’d better hurry as flights depart from London to Auckland on 29^th December!

Airports create the perfect shopping environment; people are in the holiday spirit, pockets full of spending money with time to kill before boarding. However the stores might not always be as competitive as we perceive them to be.

Have you ever wondered whether you’re still getting a good deal at airport duty free stores? We were interested to know whether duty free products really were cheaper online or on the high street so we decided to do some mystery shopping to find out. We investigated a selection of 15 electrical products from iPads to netbooks from Dixons and after some careful comparison we found that all the products were cheaper at the airport, with some products costing up to 20% less.

It’s often difficult to beat online retailers but our research just proves that when it comes to buying electrical items you could be in for a pleasant discount the next time you travel.

It seems like only yesterday that we were tormented to last year’s contestant Gillian McKeith with her tears, fainting and secret food in her knickers. Now the creepy crawlies, tears and bushtucker trials will be back on Sunday as the next lot of celebrities have now been revealed. Ant and Dec will return to our screens once again for the 11^th series and keep us fixated with 3 weeks’ worth of entertainment.

This is perhaps one of the best programs to be set in the Gold Coast of rural Australia and now you can be part of it too! Ever fancied experiencing the Green behind the Gold? Well now you can! Holidaysplease offers fantastic packages to the lush rainforests of the Gold Coast where you can discover the great outdoors.

At the O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat you can enjoy a daily “Discovery Programme” of guided 4WD bus excursions, rainforest walks and various adventure activities. With a variety of Mountain View rooms and Villas to choose from you really can escape the rest of the world at this fantastic rainforest retreat. Soak up that fresh mountain air and abundant nature as you can enjoy your very own version of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

If you fancy being thrown into the jungle, then Holidaysplease can do exactly that. Check out our Australia holidays and you too can soon be there. Simply place an enquiry and one of our Australia holiday consultants will be delighted to help you.

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.

No-Frills airline, easyJet, is usually critised for not providing enough on its aircraft. This time it has been providing too much. 10 tonnes of extra fuel to be precise.

EasyJet was forced to apologise after around 40 passengers were told to get off the plane or risk being arrested due to the aircraft being over-fuelled. The captain ordered 37 travelers, who were yet to board the plane, to stop boarding or face being arrested.

Luggage belonging to the remaining passengers was also removed from the aircraft to save weight. However passengers were only told about this after arriving in Switzerland, many passengers did not receive their luggage for a further five days. Imagine being on holiday without your suitcase! EasyJet spokespeople blamed it on a fuelling error resulting in the aircraft taking on too much fuel making it too heavy for departure. Those passengers who were offloaded were offered €250 for their trouble.

Do you think it was good of easyJet to turn people away like this and have some passengers arrive on time? Or do you think easyJet should have drained the aircraft of the extra fuel therefore resulting in a delay for everyone? Feel free to comment below and share your views about this story.

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.

It is always good to book in advance… Not only does it give you something to look forward to, you will also benefit from early bird deals.

With spring starting a little earlier in Italy than it does here, it’s a lovely time of the year to visit. Not too hot, so you can enjoy wandering around the country’s fantastic cities soaking in the beautiful architecture and history, with little worry of burning. On the other hand, you can enjoy the countryside in bloom, go south and visit Taormina and sample wine at the wineries.  Italy really does have so much to offer… It is fantastic for a long or short weekend away, and with a flight time of around 3 hours to Rome, you may as well hop over for a spot of shopping.

If you were looking for a longer break, then Italy can also fulfil this need… Why not visit all the main cities; Venice, Rome and Milan?! But make sure you pack comfy shoes the cobbles are a nightmare in stilettos!

To get more of an idea of where you can go and stay, enquire now with Holidays Please and a member of our sales team will be in touch to advise you.