Join us for afternoon tea on 2nd March to meet the cruise experts and find out more about cruising.

Places are limited, please contact us on 016977 2929 for more information and to reserve your place.

France, Italy, Switzerland or Austria?

Fantastic piste conditions throughout Europe & some great prices too!

Contact us to find you a great ski deal.

016977 2929 The Travel Team

brampton@thetravelteam.info

For more information contact The Travel Team 016977 2929

Free parking is available at Newcastle Airport when you book with Balkan Holidays for your ski holiday to Bulgaria.

Ive been to Bansko and there is a good choice of hotels and some lovely tree-lined ski runs, also modern efficient lifts.

If you would like more information please contact me -  Liz 016977 2929 e.beaty@thetravelteam.info

Two million visitors are expected to flock to Venio, close to the German border next year to enjoy Floriade, the world’s famous horticultural exhibition. It is a truly international cultural extravaganza, including dazzling displays of the world’s most exquisite flowers. Plants. Trees and fruit, and a host of innovative attractions.

Covering a vast area of specially landscaped woodland, the park comprises five unique themed zones linked by tree-lined avenues, worlds in which you will see, feel and experience nature in a constantly changing way. each with its own theme. including the popular world show stage which provides some of the liveliest exhibits, celebrating the connections between nature and culture around the world.

The Floriade is a global spectacle in which many dozens of countries participate, you will find yourself immersed in a melting pot of cultures where you will be introduced to different customs and rituals. Enjoy typical gastronomic delights in the attractive restaurants. Where regional dishes are served all prepared using seasonal products. Each day features a cultural programme of music, dance, literature, theatre and visual art from all over the world, with countless exciting – innovative and educational attractions and activities.

There are various packages to see the Floriade by coach, by air, and river cruises, please contact The Travel Team for further information.

Tel - 016977 2929

 

Do you need some ideas for that hard to buy for person??

Travel Gift Vouchers are available at The Travel Team.

From £20, we can personalise a gift voucher.

Please contact us for details 016977 2929 brampton@thetravelteam.info

Colette has recently returned from a fantastic holiday to Kuala Lumpur & Bali !!!!!

Colette flew out with Malaysian Airlines for a 2 centre holiday in Kuala Lumpur and Bali. She stayed at the 5* Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur which is situated in an excellent location close to the bars and restaurants. Kuala Lumpur is a very multi cutural city which is also know as "The City of Lights" due to the city becoming a magnitude of bright lights at night time. Colette visited the Batu caves which is about 30 minutes from the city, you need to climb up 272 steps but it is definately worth it as the views are breathtaking. Here you will find the tallest free standing Buddha statue in the world !! There are hundreds of monkeys waiting inside the caves , they like to grab things out of your hands so be careful !!!! Also recommended is a visit to the famous Petronas Towers and the KL Tower which are both close to the hotel. You can dine at the top of the KL Tower for something a bit different !!

Next , Colette spent 7 nights in Bali at the 4* Bali Hyatt hotel which sits directly on beautiful Sanur Beach and has wonderful views of the ocean from your balcony. The hotel is Balinese in style and there are 5 restaurants each offering different types of cuisine. Sanur is very relaxed and there are lots of stalls selling everything from clothes to souvenirs to bring home. You can take a boat ride out for the day or even go scuba diving. There are many restaurants and for something special you can take a Sunset cruise which goes around the harbour and includes a 4 course buffet meal, entertainment, a welcome drink and a lai !! It is a wonderful relaxing trip and excellent value for money !!! Bali is an island where you do absolutely nothing but relax and chill out , the locals are very friendly and is it very popular which honeymooners and couples.

For more information about this holiday or if you are interested in visiting Kuala Lumpur or Bali please do not hesitate to contact Colette on 016977 2929 or e-mail Colette@thetravelteam.info . Appointments to see Colette can also be made.

We are an appointed travel agent to sell Great Rail Journey holidays....

Great Rail Journeys offer escorted tours to Europe and around the world.

Why chose a rail holiday?

• Avoid the stress and hassle of an airport
• Make your journey part of your holiday
• Relax, confident that someone else is in charge of your holiday arrangements
• Discover off the beaten track places and local culture & enjoy views not possible by other modes of transport
• Travel in the knowledge that your journey is environmentally friendly

Great Rail Journey's have over 25 years of experience, organising quality esocorted holidays and are the UK's number one operator for holidays by rail. They operate 130 individual rail journeys in over 40 countries.

They offer worlwide holidays including USA Coast to Coast tour a once in a lifetime rail journey, the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, the Silk Road from Moscow to Beijing, the Blue Train in South Africa, The Ghan in Australia, Trans Siberian Train, Eastern & Oriental Experess and many other iconic train journeys in South America, Japan, India, Hong Kong and many more destinations.

They have Europe covered with summer holidays by train as well as winter time, river crusing, Christmas Markets and UK breaks. You can travel to Germany & Eastern Europe, France, Scandanavia and the Baltic, Southern Europe and the Med, The Alps, UK and Ireland and more.

Holidays with Great Rail Journeys are fantastic value for money, including excellent rail travel and transfers, fabulous hotels in prime locations, excursions to interesting and cultural places, many meals, some with great wines and terrific tour managers - and of course stunning scenery on every tour.

Fore more information please contact us: tel: 016977 2929

Email: brampton@thetravelteam.info

Sri Lanka - a island that will suprise you!

Sri Lanka offers fantastic beaches, fascinating sightseeing, and has been romantically christened the "tear drop of India". Sri Lanka offers 7 UNSECO Heritage sites and culture of unbelivable depth and diversity. You will find lush green mountains, lined with tea plantations and golden sandy beaches. All this can be experienced in one holiday package - an experience to be rememberd forever.

Highlights include Colombo where you will find shopping and colonial heritage along with excellent restaurants and famous for the historic Galle Face which dominates the seafront. Kandy which is situated on the banks of the Mahaweli River is a picturesqure city where you will find the Temple of the Tooth, Royal Botanical Gardens and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. The Gold Coast is south of Columbo and offers vast palm fringed shores, lapped by the warm Indian Ocean and here you will find many of the resort hotels are situated.

Other places of interest include Anuradhapura the ancient capital of Sri Lanka,Nuwara Eliya where world famous tea is produced, Negombo a classic fishing town which has amazing sunsets,and Sigirya where you can climb an incredible rock fortress for stunning views - this is a real highlight of a trip to Sri Lanka, as it is compared to a visit to Ayers Rock in Australia.

Sri Lanka is home to jungles, rivers, waterfalls, rainforests, high altitude cloud forests, and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is 11 hours to fly direct from the UK to Sri Lanka or you can split the journey time by flying via Dubai with Emirates where you can now depart from Newcastle as well as Manchester and Glasgow or Manchester via Abu Dhabi. The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee and they are 5.5 hours ahead of us. English is widely spoken, you don't need a visa to travel to Sri Lanka for a holiday of less than 30 days, and it is advised to check with the nurse for the upto date advice for any vaccinations needed.

Offers:

For more information please contact us: 016977 2929

Madeira "as beautiful as ever"

Overview:

Madeira is located in the Atlantic Ocean 310 miles off the African Coast, it is actaully an archipelago of islands with Madeira and Porto Santo being inhabited, and the islands of Savage and Desertas uninhabited. The landscapes are beautiful, there are so many varieties if flowers to be seen, there are dramatic sea cliffs, tall green mountains and lovely beaches at Porto Santo. Madeira is a year round destination as the temperatures remain constant between 16C and 22 C.

There is plenty to do in Maderia including diving, sailing, surfing, boat trips, paragliding, game fishing, mountain biking, walking - there are more than 200 levada footpaths on the island, as well as 3 world class golf courses, cable car and helicopter rides, and a theme park in Santana. There is many historic buildings to see including the 16th century Cathedral of Funchal, St Peter's Church, Santo Antonio Church and the Christopher Columbus Museum on Porto Santo. You can also visit the spectacular Sao Vicente Caves, the natural rock pools at Porto Moniz, or Laurissilva Forest - a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site.

Where to stay in Madeira: There is a wide choice of accomodation options, with many top-class hotels especially in Funchal. One of the most famous hotels in the Reid's Palace which was popular with Sir Winston Churchill. Many hotels have fantastic food and recreation facilities including spas to relax and unwind. You could also chose to stay in a Quinta which is mentioned in our top 5 things to do in Madeira below.

Festivals in Madeira:

Madeira Annual Wine Festival - 2nd to the 5th September 2010. Funchal is decorated with lights and flags and celebrates the harvest of the islands most famous export, Madiera Wine.

Christmas & New Year celebrations  - 26th November to the 6th January 2011. Madeira's celebrations are some of the best in Europe, with lights and illuminated decorations. The fire works on New Year's Eve are breathtaking.

Carnival - March 2011. This is said to be one of Europe's best street parties. It is a highlight of Maderia's event calender. The streets of Funchal become alive with parades, costumes, samba bands, puppet shows and fireworks.

Flower Festival - April 2011. You can see parades, music conerts, floats, flower markets and much more this is a celebration of Madeira's colourful flora.

Top 5 things to do in Madeira:

1. Stay in a quinta - if you are looking for something special stay one of Madeira's quintas which are former manor houses which have been converted into boutique-like hotels with excellent restaurants. They usually only have about 20 rooms, they have a cosy and individual feel which make your holiday more personal. Quintas make a great base to enjoy the islands countryside and mountains.

2. See the flowers - No visit to Madeira is complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens near Funchal which contain more than 2000 excotic plants and is also a centre which protects endangered species. Also the Monte Palace Tropical Gardne in Quinta Monte Palace houses 100,000 species including a variety of ferns, heathers and azaleas. You will also find orchid and rose gardens, and at the Palherio Gardens you can see some of the most rarest and valuable exotic plants in the world.

3. Local cusine and wine  - The local speciality in Madeira is fish, and a local dish to try is fried tuna served with cornmeal. There are also many other dishes to try out including pork in a wine and garlic sauce, and beef rubbed in garlic and salt, grilled over wood chips. Madeira wine is well worth trying, it is richer than ordinary wine and more alcoholic as it is made by combining it with brandy and heated before being aged for about 3 years.

4. Whale and dolphin watching - In the waters around Madeira there have been 20 species of whales and dolphins spotted, including sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins. There is always a good change of spotting whales and dolphins year round in Madeira, and tours in the summer last about 3 hours, and 2.5 hours in the winter.

5. Ride in a toboggan - One of the most unusual attractions but also very popular is to ride in a wicker basket  toboggan at a high speed down a steep road in Funchal. Two men in uniforms and straw hats will be at either side steering the wheel and brakes. You enter the basket in Monte which is an 11 minute cable car ride from the centre of Funchal, the ride is roughly a mile long and the baskets reach speeds of upto 30 miles per hour.

Essential information:

• The main island of Madeira is 35 miles by 13 miles
• You can visit year round, it has a mild climate which is never to hot or too cold
• The currency is the Euro
• Their time zone is GMT the same as us
• Their language is Portuguse but English is widely spoke

Getting there:

The flight time from the UK is 3 hours 30 minutes. In the summer time you can fly from a many UK airports including Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester. In the winter time there are also flights from Glasgow and Manchester.

For more information and for a holiday quote to Maderia please do not hesitate to contact us: 016977 2929