There's plenty of snow out on the mountains so why not escape on an exhilarating ski break with a last minute special offer from Kuoni.
Metropole, Interlaken, SwitzerlandModern, efficient and friendly, the four star Metropole is centrally located and has superb facilities. A popular choice, well placed to explore Interlaken.10th March for 7 nights from GBP469. Save GBP190 per couple. Includes 2 FREE nights Flights based on British Airways from Gatwick. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Derby Hotel, Grindelwald, SwitzerlandAn excellent superior three star superior hotel, in a central spot in lively Grindelwald, with a real genuine Swiss style and high standard of comfort and facilities. In the most central spot in Grindelwald, adjoining the silent little mountain railway station from Interlaken and up to Kleine Scheidegg skiing area and miles of prepared piste. The busy shops and restaurants are on the doorstep. 10 minutes walk to Firstbahn gondola.14th April for 7 nights from £559. Save £110 per couple. Flights based on Swiss International Airlines from Heathrow. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Silberhorn Hotel, Wengen, SwitzerlandTraditionally decorated, the Silberhorn is a hugely popular four star hotel set in a prime position at the heart of Wengen, with great views of the mountains and valleys. In the heart of Wengen, opposite the little mountain railway station with superb views across the Lauterbrunnen valley and the Jungfrau.23rd March for 7 nights from £699. Save £146 per couple. Includes 1 free nightFlights based on Swiss International Airlines from Gatwick. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, CanadaSet against the stunning backdrop of Blackcomb Mountain, this hotel offers Fairmont's usual high standards and superb facilities. Located at the base of Blackcomb Mountain only ten minutes walk from Whistler Village. 2 minutes walk from Blackcomb lift and 2 hours 30 mins drive from Vancouver airport. 24th March for 7 nights from £920. Save £728 per couple.Flights based on Air Canada from Heathrow. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Kempinski Pragelato Village, Pragelato, ItalyA five star resort, sprawled over 17 acres of private grounds at an altitude of over 1500 metres, the Kempinski Pragelato Resort and Spa Village offers Italian hospitality, superb facilities and cool understated luxury. Sprawled over 17 acres of private grounds at an altitude of over 1500 metres.30th March for 7 nights from £899. Includes 1 free night. Save £400 per couple.Flights based on British Airways from Gatwick. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Banff Caribou Lodge and Spa, Banff, CanadaA charming lodge, positioned on Banff Avenue, hand hewn logs accent the buildings exterior and lobby which centres on a massive fireplace. The Caribou is about ten minutes walk from shops and restaurants in the centre of Banff, and runs a free shuttle service into town every evening, 2 hours from Calgary airport.20th April for 7 nights from £829. Save £372 per couple.Flights based on Air Canada from Heathrow. Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing a room. Normal booking conditions apply.Visit the Kuoni Website for more information
If you're looking for the holiday experience of a lifetime then an Antarctic cruise should be at the top of your list.Antarctica is a continent of extremes. It is the coldest, windiest, driest, iciest and highest of all the major landmasses in the world. It is the continent with the longest nights and the longest days and it plays host to the greatest concentration of wildlife in the world. It is also one of the last true wilderness areas left on earth and remains largely unchanged since the early explorers and whalers first landed on its inhospitable shores less than two centuries ago. The lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere on earth (-89.2°C) was recorded on July 21 1983, at Vostok Station. Winds have been recorded at 200 mph in the interior of the continent and the average annual water precipitation in the interior is only about 50 mm.
The continent itself is roughly circular with a spindly arm, called the Antarctic Peninsula, reaching northwards towards Tierra del Fuego in South America, the nearest landmass, some 600 miles away. Considerably larger than either the United States or Europe, and twice the size of Australia, the continent is surrounded by a frozen sea that varies in area from one million square miles in summer to 7.3 million square miles in winter.
Ninety-five percent of the continent of Antarctica is ice covered and contains the freshest water on earth - about 70 percent of all fresh water on earth in fact. The highest point in Antarctica is Vinson Massif, with an altitude of 16,864 feet above sea level; the lowest point is the Bentley Subglacial Trench at 8,200 feet below sea level, located in West Antarctica. Antarctica has the highest average elevation of all the continents at about 7,500 feet about sea level.
The Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands abound with wildlife activity. Penguins gather with their fast-growing chicks, whales are seen in great numbers, seals haul out onto ice floes and beaches, and numerous albatross and other seabirds trail in our wake.If you would like to visit this land of extremes then you'll need to book well in advance. Only a limited number of expeditions head to Antarctica each year and they book up fast.Visit inspiringholidays.com for a selection of Antarctic Cruises from top cruise expedition companies like GAP Adventures, Kuoni, Page & Moy, The Adventure Company & Travelsphere:
Back in the Industrial revolution it was the development of the steam engine that gave rise to the relatively modern concept of holiday-making. The linking of the great British cities and the coast meant that factory workers could now travel quickly, cheaply and efficiently to seaside resorts to enjoy their free time. For over half a century trains became the principal mode of transport for going on holiday. For many, the trips were cheap and cheerful but for others the golden age of railways represented the golden age of travel as well.
And then came the jet engine and cheap mass travel to foreign shores and somehow we managed to forget about the train. Years of under-investment in our own national rail network provided even more disillusionment with a service that had once been the envy of the world. However train travel is increasingly coming back into vogue, not only as a means to get from A to B but also as a holiday experience in its own right, and what’s more research has suggested that it’s a more environmentally-friendly way of travelling.
One only has to mention the name ‘Orient Express’ and you are instantly transported back to an age of elegance and style where ‘getting there’ wasn’t an ordeal but an integral part of the holiday. In fact Orient Express trains & holidays are alive and well and still providing the ultimate in luxury train travel. A number of Orient Express holidays are featured on the inspiringholidays.com website.
Although Orient Express represents the ultimate in train holidays there are in fact train holidays to suit all tastes and budgets. And one of the great things about holidaying by train is that it opens up views and landscapes often unseen by other forms of transport. In fact some train holidays such as the trans-Canadian railroad or cross-Australia route are consistently voted amongst the top travel experiences.
If you’re interested in holidaying by train inspiringholidays.com features a range of train holidays in countries as diverse as Peru, India and Canada as well as luxury journeys around the British Isles. They feature holidays from tour operators such as Orient-Express, Kuoni, Travelsphere, Cosmos and more.
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There's plenty of snow out on the mountains so why not escape on an exhilarating ski break with a last minute special offer from Kuoni.
