The famous American author Mark Twain once described India as “the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition…Our most valuable and most instructive materials are treasured up in India only.” And I couldn’t agree with him more! Having visited India many times before to see family and friends, I never really got to see or fully understand what exactly this amazing country has to offer. Until now… 

Visiting India has always been somewhat of a magical yet mesmerizing experience for me. Coming into the airport at New Delhi I could feel butterflies of excitement in my stomach as I was so excited to see what this trip had to offer. After spending two nights relaxing and shopping in Delhi, the next stop was Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Although there is a direct flight from New Delhi to Jaipur, we decided that travelling by road would be more fun. The 5 hour car journey went by amazingly quick as we got to soak up the real sights and sounds of India. Before I knew it we were right in the heart of Jaipur. To my left I could see tourists riding brightly coloured elephants and to the right was a tall hill with the most beautiful fort I had ever seen situated on top of it. Ajmer Fort (also known as Amber or Amer Fort) was built in 1592 AD and is one of the oldest hill forts in India, if not the world. However many see it as more of a palace than a fort but it is recognized as both. I was itching to climb the hill and explore the fort and discover the stories behind it, but we decided to check in to our hotel and go refreshed the next morning. 

Inside Ajmer Fort, Jaipur

We finally reached the 5 star Trident hotel where we were warmly greeted by the hotel staff. One member of staff welcomed us by applying a traditional ‘Tika’ on our foreheads as we walked in (an auspicious Hindu custom which symbolizes the third eye), as another member of staff offered us all a refreshing glass of lemonade to help us cool off in the 32°C heat.  We were soon taken to our Deluxe Lake View Room where we enjoyed a stunning view of the Mansagar Lake, home to the infamous Jal Mahal. 

Jal Mahal, Jaipur

The next morning we arrived at Ajmer Fort, which was only 4km away from our hotel, and entered the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate). The fort was built by Raja Singh Man I, the trusted general of the Mughal Emperor, Akbar, and is highly popular for its magnificent architecture which combines both Hindu and Mughal art.  The fort itself is made in red sand stone and white marble which oozes romance, paradise and beauty. The intricate carvings, walls and paintings were simply breath-taking. Looking at the view of the city of Jaipur and Ajmer from the palace, I soon understood why Jaipur is also known as the Pink City. The buildings and structures around me were terracotta-coloured, which were all beautiful shades of pink when the sun shone on them.  

View from Ajmer Fort

My favourite part of the fort was the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), which was completed in 1727. The whole wall is carved with stunning paintings and flowers made completely of glass and mirrors. It was said that Sheesh Mahal was made because the Queen was not allowed to sleep in the open air in ancient times, however she loved looking at the stars shining in the sky. Therefore the King decided to make a room of glass and mirrors so that when the King and Queen lit two candles in the room, the light reflected on the mirrors and glass like thousands of stars. How romantic!  

Sheesh Mahal, Jaipur

As the tour of Ajmer Fort came to an end, we were escorted to one of the most amazing souvenir shops I had ever seen, where all of the goods were hand-made right in front of us. There were beautiful rugs, carpets, statues, paintings, stunning jewellery containing emeralds, diamonds and other precious stones, bed clothing, dishware, fine fabrics such as pashminas and shawls, and so much more.  I could have spent a whole day in there! 

Handmade marble table being made 

The next day we left for Agra, a 3 hour drive from Jaipur, and checked into the 5 star Gateway Hotel. We were once again warmly welcomed by the hotel staff with a custom red ‘Tika’ and cold glass of lemonade, which was just what we needed as it was so hot! Here we enjoyed a Superior Room which offered a magnificent view of the Taj Mahal. I couldn’t wait to get closer to it when looking out of the window! After a good night’s rest we finally made our way to the infamous Taj Mahal, a monument to love. As polluting traffic is not permitted near the construction, our taxi driver dropped us off about a mile away and we were then driven up to the entrance in an electric bus with our tour guide.

It was no surprise that this was one of the wonders of the world as it was simply stunning to look at. The Taj Mahal (Crown of Palaces) combines a mixture of Mughal, Indian, Persian as well as Turkish architectures. Completed in 1653 by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, this epic Mahal was built to fulfill a promise that he had made to his wife Mumtaz as she laid on her deathbed. He wanted to erect a monument to match her beauty and remember her by. 

Taj Mahal, Agra

Like typical tourists, our tour guide also made us do the famous ‘holding the tip of the Taj Mahal’ pose as he took our pictures. We also sat on the bench where Lady Diana sat, and enjoyed the perfect reflection of the monument in the water feature. Even in the reflection, the Taj Mahal was glistening, it all seemed so surreal to me! After seeing the Taj Mahal in so many Indian and mainstream films, music videos, pictures, paintings and news stories, it felt like a dream that I was actually finally here.  

Its white marble structure looks breath-taking in the sunlight and is said to change colour throughout the seasons and during the day, from when the sun rises to when it sets. Just like a jewel sparkling in the sunlight! The immense detail that had gone into the construction fascinated me enormously. From the significance of the number 22 (it took 22 years to build, there are 22 small domes on top and 22 stairs leading to the structure itself which sits on a platform 22 feet high!) to the symmetrical features and designs. I began to think that maybe Shah Jahan had a case of OCD, too!! 

Taj Mahal reflected in the water, Agra

My overall trip was simply incredible, unforgettable and inspirational. It has made me want to explore India further and see what other secrets it has to offer. If you would like further information about India holidays  or to explore Jaipur, Agra, Delhi or any other wonderful city for yourself then our India travel experts will be delighted to help you.

British Airways often offers last minute flight upgrades at discounted prices. They are called “proactive online upgrades” and mean you can upgrade to premium economy for as little as £149 each way on transatlantic flights. If you book directly with BA they are available up to 7 days before departure.

However when we booked a British Airways flight with Expedia the online upgrade offer was initially not be available. It was not until just before departure that the offer became available which was almost a week after it had become available to people who had booked directly with the airline.

This will be more than just an annoyance for travel companies and their customers but it also has serious consumer protection implications. If a customer books their flights, hotel and transfers with a single company then are covered by package holiday legislation. This legislation means the holiday company is responsible if elements of the holiday goes wrong.

However if consumers are encouraged to book their flights directly with the airline rather than with their accommodation provider then they could be left in legal limbo.

For example if your flight is delayed or cancelled then a single holiday provider would be responsible for ensuring that you get to your hotel as quickly as possible. You would not have to pay for any nights’ accommodation that you miss and indeed will be eligible compensation for any holiday curtailment.

However if you book your flight directly with the airline then you will be personally liable for every single night of accommodation you booked, even if you are not able to use it because of the delay. It is unlikely that the airline will compensate you for these expenses. They will usually just offer a refund on your air ticket or offer to get on their next available flight. If they do not run frequent flights to the destination you could be waiting for a long time.

It is also very frustrating for groups of passengers, some of whom may have booked direct with the airline and some who may have not. If they want to sit together then they would have to wait until the offer is made available to all of the passengers in the group.

So what is the advice to consumers?

• If you are looking to just book flights then booking directly with the airline may get you a special offer you would not get elsewhere. It is a bit of a gamble though because if the offer doesn’t ever materialise you may have paid more for your flight.

• If you want to book a holiday (ie flights and accommodation) then it is best to do this through one travel provider so that they take responsibility for the entire holiday. If you still want access to the airline exclusive offers then make sure you are one of the first to check in online 24 hours before departure. You should have a good chance to get the offer and failing that it may allow you to book a seat of your choice with extra legroom (e.g by the emergency exit).

It’s hard to believe that what started off in 1992 as a simple marketing event in order to boost St Lucia’s tourism industry during the low period of May, has now developed into an internationally acclaimed festival. Other Caribbean islands, like Aruba and Curacao, have also tried to stage such Jazz Festivals in the past, but many of these have failed after the first couple of years.

After seeing this happen, St Lucia organisers then decided to infuse elements of acoustical and fusion Jazz with R&B in order to appeal to the masses. Since then the St Lucia Jazz Festival has helped increase a steady rate of tourism to the island all year round as well as strengthen awareness and economic opportunities.

Previous years have seen performances from the likes of John Legend, Ne-Yo, Shaggy, Rihanna, Ashanti, Seal, UB40, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan and Mary J Blige to name a few. And this year is certainly not going to disappointment as Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Toni Braxton, Keri Hilson, Joshua Redman, Ziggy Marley, Kirk Franklin, Gypsy Kings and many more will be live on stage.

With over two decades of festivities and still going strong, the 21st St Lucia Jazz Festival will guarantee to be a worldwide headliner for many more years to come… For more information about St Lucia or the St Lucia Jazz Festival then our St Lucia travel experts will be delighted to help you.

1. Loango National Park, Gabon

The sprawling park extends to miles of pristine beach, enabling the strange, gape-inducing dynamic of elephants, buffalos, wild pigs, gorillas and ‘surfing hippos’ taking a dip in the ocean. The coast-side Loango Lodge is the best place to stay, although you’re probably advised to leave your own trunks at home and just watch these strange spectacles from the safety of the shore.

2. Cow Beach, Goa

Bovine and beach: a pair of words that don’t typically appear in the same sentence. But all that changes in Goa, where the madness of Cow Beach sees heifers hurdle towels and bulls blunder parasols in search of a tasty lunch, and cattle generally sprawled on the brown sand, working on their tans. Despite the sanitary issues this scenario would seem to incur, the beach remains busy and bustling.

3. Punaluu Beach, Hawaii

Take the perfect white-sand beach of clichéd brochure covers, imagine the complete opposite and you’ll have some idea of what Punaluu looks like. It’s rocky, cold-watered and entirely black; its basalt sand being the product of ancient volcanic lava cooled by the sea. All of which seems to appeal to endangered Hawksbill turtles, who are regular frequenters of this curious cove.

4. Glass Beach, California

For much of the 1900s, locals in the coastal California town of Fort Bragg threw garbage onto their local shoreline, a place known subtly as ‘The Dumps’. In 1967, the area was closed for a long, gradual clean-up; one aided, in part, by the ocean’s waves wearing down all the left-over glass into smooth, multi-coloured trinkets. ‘Glass Beach’ reopened in 2002 as part of the MacKerricher State Park, and is now a confirmed tourist attraction. If you like shiny beaches, this is heaven…

5. Pink Sands Beach, Bahamas

White, yellow, brown and even black (as above) are all common sand colours – but pink? Yes, pink. Three miles long, gentle and wonderfully wide, this otherwise textbook Bahamanian cove is a weird Barbie-colour due to microscopic coral insects called Foraminifera; when they die, they considerately leave their pink shells behind to be crushed into the sand by waves.

6. Papakolea Beach, Hawaii

Oh, and sand also comes green, too. Two global beaches are green; one is on the remote Western Pacific island of Guam, and the other is this Hawaiian oddity, situated on Big Island. The reason for the strange shade is, in this case, olivine crystals; the result is a shore that looks like a slimy grass verge.

7. Hot Water Beach, New Zealand

Set on the Coromandel Peninsula, this strip is the seaside equivalent of under-floor heating. Subterranean hot springs filter up through the sand; either side of low tide, visitors can burrow down and create their own hot-water pool in which to soak. Thus is established a sort of peculiar, DIY thermal-bath experience: the most literal of ‘bucket-and-spade’ holidays.

8. Maho Beach, Saint Martin

If you like to always be within reach of home, this one’s ideal. Set a fence away from one of the Princess Juliana International Airport’s runways, Maho is thus perfect for watching huge Boeings swooping in to land. As you’d expect, the cove has become a planespotter’s pilgrimage; its Sunset Beach Bar even reportedly has a speaker that broadcasts transmissions between pilots and the airport’s control tower.

9. Traigh Mhor Beach, Barra

Then again, any self-respecting aviation beach-buff knows that Maho doesn’t even compare to Barra, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides – for here, the beach actually is the runway. Twin Otters from Glasgow and Benbecula land directly on the wide sand of Traigh Mhor – or, at least they do when the tide is out, and the beach is available. Yep – it’s a pop-up airport. On a cloudy day (this is the Outer Hebrides, after all), additional light is provided by vehicles in the car park.

10. Barking Sands Beach, Hawaii

How about a beach that sounds like a dog? Yes, you did read that right – the squeaky golden grains on Hawaii’s Barking Sands Beach. If you really want, Holidaysplease.co.uk can probably get you to these beaches. But if you’d like something more sedate, how about this?emit, when rubbed, a canine-like sound. This is a phenomenon caused by a particular quartz, and is actually present on beaches in the British Isles; but Barking Sands ramps the weirdness factor up to a whole other level by also housing a rocket-launch site. Oh, and a missile-defence testing centre. There’s barking, and there’s barking mad.

Whitehaven Beach

One of the world’s most beautiful seasides, this Whitsunday Island paradise boasts impossibly clear waters and the whitest of white sands. It’s 7km long, so finding space won’t be a problem. And at the northern end is Hill Inlet, a cove where the tide shifts the sand and water to create a stunning, swirling dazzle of colours. It’s one of the prettiest oceanic sights on the planet, and one uninterrupted by buffalos, Boeings or barking noises.

Here are some of the best insights gathered by Holidaysplease.co.uk’s research:

Secrets of getting a flight upgrade:
• Flirting with check in staff is the top tactic for bagging a free upgrade with 41% of people admitting to doing it.
• 12% of travellers admit they would flirt with check-in staff of the same sex if it meant getting an upgrade.
• Pretending to be on honeymoon (34%) and being a ‘nervous’ flyer (27%) are also popular tactics.
• 6% of travellers are even willing to pretend to be going to a funeral to get an upgrade!

Breaching security:
• 30% of travellers confess to having breached airport security, with sharp objects or oversized liquids not being spotted in their hand luggage when going through security.

Sneaky packing:
• 22% of people admit to sneaking heavier items in their partner’s suitcase.
• 5% of adults are soppy enough to take their teddy bear on holiday.

Celebrity-obsessed:
• 68% of people have spotted a celeb whilst on their travels and 10% of Brits will go over and introduce themselves. Two thirds of these people will ask to snap a picture as well.
• With airline food having mixed reactions, Jamie Oliver came out as the dream celebrity-chef (37%) for in-flight meals whereas Delia Smith was voted least-favourite.
• Prince William and Kate Middleton are the golden couple with most people (35%) wanting to sit between them; David and Samantha Cameron are more popular than Elton John and David Furnish as flight companions.

Brits abroad:
• Even though other nationalities might think us Brits unfriendly and scruffy, 69% of us apparently like to make friends whilst on holiday.
• 30% of UK tourists curiously think that speaking in English in a foreign accent will help them to fit in and will allow locals to understand them better.
• There are also British members of the Mile High Club, with 6.5% of us admitting to ‘membership’.

We can’t switch off:
This is depressing!
• Over half of us (60%) check emails at least once a day while on holiday, with one in five confessing to checking emails more than that and keeping their Facebook status updated.
• A super-sad 6.5% check their emails between five and ten times a day while on holiday.

Arguments:
• The average number of arguments on holiday is 0.4 for honeymooners, 0.5 for stag/hen holidays, 0.7 for retired couples, 1.2 for married couples and 1.9 for family holidays.
• Women wailed that the most annoying habit males have whilst on holiday is fiddling with their mobile phones, whereas the majority of men predictably moaned that ladies spend too much time shopping or lying on the beach.

Petty theft:
Holidaymakers never forget to bring home a good souvenir – even if that means stealing things from the hotel!
• Top hotel items to pilfer are toiletries, slippers, dressing gowns and even pillows and shower curtains.
• Customers think it’s acceptable to take larger value items if the hotel service is poor, so hoteliers beware!

So, how many of these stats would you agree with and what are your thoughts on these results? Feel free to leave your comments below.

What was your first job in travel?

It’s the winter of 1984. Thomson are advertising temporary positions for sales consultants in their Martineau Square call centre in Birmingham. I dismiss the opportunity as I don’t fit the age or experience requirements. My Mum decides on another course of action and applies on my behalf! Embarrassed but determined, I attend an interview and get the job. By the end of the 80′s I was running my own high street travel business.

What was the high point of your career?

Can I have three please! December 2002, the first month of sales for www.holidaysplease.co.uk We make GBP2,000 in commission after spending GBP500 on marketing and overheads….our idea works! June 2003, taking on Ruth our first Homeworker (who us still on our team!)….it feels like Holidaysplease has really arrived. April 2010, Holidaysplease is named Online Agent of the Year at the Agent Achievement Awards.

What was the low point?

There are obvious ones like 9/11 and the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, which really tested the resources of a young Holidaysplease. However I guess the lowest and most painful point for me personally was being ripped off for a few grand early in my business career. It was a tough way to learn that if something appears too good to be true it probably is!

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your career?

Easy! Barbara Collins in her time as training director for Worldchoice. In 2002, I was lucky enough to be one of three agents chosen as guinea pigs for her Partnership in Profit Training Programme. The whole experience was just a massive light bulb moment for me and totally changed my approach to running a business. Barbara deserved every one of the awards she won over the next few years for the training programme.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

I’d really like to be doing what Barbara did for me by passing on the experience I have gained being involved in growing a highly successful, modern travel business to the next generation of budding travel entrepreneurs.

What would you be doing now if you weren’t in travel?

I’d be a pro-runner on the veteran endurance circuit! Over the last 5 years I’ve really got into running and now run for a local club in the Birmingham and District League. Running gives me my release and buys me time to think. I’m currently training for the London Marathon in April and aim to run under 3 hours.

The surprise attack on the U.S naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Imperial Japan on the morning of Sunday December 7, 1941, forced the United States into World War II and ultimately turned the tide of the War.

Pearl Harbor is located on the Island of Oahu in the suburbs of Honolulu (the capital of Hawaii), a short distance west of Honolulu International Airport.

Two Japanese attacks in fact sunk or crippled 18 American ships and 188 American aircraft were destroyed. U.S military installations also came under attack.

2,403 Americans were killed, including 1,177 USS Arizona personnel. In comparison, Japanese casualties were approximately 160 men, 29 aircraft and 6 submarines.

Today, a little more than 70 years after the attack, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is one of the top Hawaiian holiday attractions welcoming well over 1,500,000 visitors each year.

For many, these historic sites form an important part of any individuals experience on their Hawaii holidays.

A visit to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Centre includes an interpretive programme in the company of a National Park Service Ranger, the opportunity to view documentaries about the attack(s), and a boat trip to the Memorial dedicated to the crew of the USS Arizona – their final resting place.

Visitors can also enjoy the USS Arizona Memorial Museum and the waterfront promenade. The landscaped area to the rear of the Visitor Centre features waterfront exhibits and a fantastic view of Ford Island which was the focal point of the Japanese attack.

Visitor Centre facilities also include an area for snacking, a central courtyard, restrooms and administrative areas.

Ultimately, a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial is a solemn experience, even for visitors not alive when the events took place. When you visit the gleaming white, 184-foot long concrete structure which spans the sunken Arizona you are quite literally standing over a grave site where 1,177 men lost their lives.

Since the dedication of the USS Arizona Memorial in 1962, further additions to the historic importance of the area have been made with the Battleship Missouri Memorial in 1999 and the opening of the Pacific Aviation Museum in 2006.

A designated National Historic Landmark, a visit to Pearl Harbor offers holidaymakers in Hawaii a chance to see where history was made, this makes their Hawaii holidays experience something to remember .

Scientist, Trevor Goward curator of lichens at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, discovered new lichens deep in the British Columbia rainforests. As a way of generating funds for the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and The Land Conservancy (TLC) both based in Victoria, British Columbia, Goward decided to auction off the naming rights for the lichens he had discovered.

Lichen (pronounced li’ken) is described as a dual organism consisting of a fungus and an alga which lives on rocks, tree branches, or bare ground.

According to scientific protocol, the person who discovers a new species has the rights to give it its scientific name. However not all of us are lucky enough to discover them so Mr Goward chose to auction off the naming rights in order to raise money. Goward said “Having your name linked to a living species is a legacy that lasts…Putting my new species up for auction for this highly-deserving environmental organization allows me to give something back to my home province.”

Wildlife artist Anne Hansen bid $4,000 for the right to name one of Goward’s discovered species ‘kockiana’ in memory of her husband, University of Guelph horticulturist Henry Kock, who passed away in 2005. The highest bidder then wins the right to name the new lichen whatever they want, even President Barack Obama has a lichen named after him (Caloplaca obamae), if he can have one why can’t you!

This new lichen auctioning trend seems to the thing of the future with many of us wanting to preserve our name forever. It probably won’t even be long before a piece of lichen will be on everyone’s Christmas list! Goward said “I believe that future auctions of this kind will garner even more support as Canadians – and others – awaken to the honour of being linked, if only in name, to other species that share this planet with us”. So how much will you be prepared to bid to have your name preserved in scientific history forever?

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.

Hawaii holidays are the way forward this year with so many amazing resort and hotels to choose from. Whether you are looking for a romantic honeymoon, couples retreat or even a well-deserved family break, there is always something for everyone with a Hawaii holiday. With a variety of all-inclusive and half board resorts, you can relax knowing that you don’t have to worry about finding the perfect restaurant or bar.

There are so many things to do and see in Hawaii for travellers of all ages. Hawaii holidays boast endless beaches where you can enjoy a variety of thrilling and relaxing water sports. These include scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, water skiing, parasailing and so much more. Or for those looking for something to do away from the beach then how about exploring the amazing volcanoes, mountains and jungles? Or shop till you drop at the fantastic shopping malls where you will find all the latest trends at the best prices. Hawaii holidays offer so many activities to entertain even the most discerning traveller.

Perhaps the most difficult decision to be made when thinking about Hawaii holidays is which destination to visit. There are 8 beautiful islands that make up Hawaii, 6 of which are open to travellers. These include Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Hawaii (Big Island) itself. Make sure you wind down in the warm evenings at a traditional Luau where you can enjoy Hawaiian hula dancing to your heart’s content, the perfect end you dream Hawaii holiday.
Hawaii holidays would be incomplete without a visit to the Big Island, which is famous for its amazing Volcanoes National Park and 442 foot waterfall at the Akaka Falls State Park. The island itself certainly lives up to its name as it is the biggest island in Hawaii despite being the youngest. The diversity of the terrain means that there are 11 different climatic regions for you to experience.

Hawaii holidays also allow you complete flexibility in that you can combine a US, Caribbean or Mexico stopover in your trip. This type of multi-centre holiday lets you visit two destinations within your Hawaii holiday.