Illuminating The Palm Beaches

THE Palm Beaches is a collection of 39 cities and towns stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta, with 47 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches and sophisticated art and culture. The destination has more than 200 cultural organizations that produce 42,000 events, exhibitions and performances annually.

This holiday season, travelers looking to ditch the cold for a sunny, culture-filled getaway are headed to Florida's Cultural Capital to experience an incredible selection of cultural programming for all ages and interests. A sampling of holiday happenings in the Palm Beaches includes:

Handel's Messiah – The Benjamin School (Palm Beach Gardens)
On Friday, December 14, celebrate the holidays with Masterworks Chorus of The Palm Beaches' presentation of G.F. Handel's Messiah. Tickets are $25/person; $10/students.

Garden of Lights – Mounts Botanical Garden (West Palm Beach)
Through Sunday, December 30, visitors of Mounts Botanical Garden can gaze in awe as thousands of lights illuminate garden areas, with live dance performances and musical presentations will be held on select nights. The garden is open daily from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and tickets are available online or at the gate.

Photos with Santa – Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society (West Palm Beach)
Jolly old Saint Nick takes time out of his busy schedule to spend quality time with visitors at the zoo through Saturday, December 22.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical – Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (West Palm Beach)  The 'Most Famous Reindeer of All' comes to life on Sunday, December 23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Families can enjoy all of their favorite characters as the beloved classic soars onto the stage for two performances on Sunday. Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online and at the venue.

A Very Jewish Concert on Christmas Day – Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center (Boca Raton) Led by Aaron Kula and featuring the sounds of Klezmer, Yiddish, Israeli and Chassidic music from Second Avenue and beyond, the renowned Klezmer Company Orchestra will perform on Tuesday, December 25 at 3 p.m.


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Christmas Merry-Go-Round

THE Christmas present most Brits can expect this year is ‘déjà vu’, according to new data by IHG Rewards Club, the loyalty programme from IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), which reveals the average Brit will have FOUR 'Christmases' this year.

The research found that adults who celebrate Christmas will attend on average, one work party, two family get-togethers and have a festive do with friends.

They’ll visit six relatives and four friends, give an average of 16 presents, receive 10 in return and pull four crackers in total – one for each Yuletide celebrated.

The majority of Brits (62 per cent) will spend Christmas at home, but 45 per cent admit they would like to enjoy it somewhere else.

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Top Christmas Destination

HAVING been named the world’s number one Christmas city, #Helsinki is more than ready for another festive holiday season. The unique appeal of the Finnish capital is obvious also during the Christmas season, the warm atmosphere, fun activities, stunning nature and other Christmas elements are described in detail on the MyHelsinki.fi website. 

Helsinki has been highlighted as a top destination this Christmas by numerous international media outlets, The Guardian listed Helsinki has one of Europe’s best Christmas getaway destinations. Christmas in Helsinki is a mix of new and old traditions. A Christmas atmosphere is guaranteed all the way from late November through to Epiphany at the start of the New Year. The holiday season is rounded off by the popular Lux Helsinki light festival, which presents brilliant light art throughout the city centre from 5 to 9 January 2019.

The most anticipated architectural grand opening of the year takes place around Finnish Independence Day at the start of December, when the internationally acclaimed Helsinki Central Library Oodi opens to the public. The grand opening programme includes dance, music and theatre performances over two days on 5 and 6 December.

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Holidays over presents at Christmas

SUN-seeking Brits would rather spend their hard-earned cash on a winter holiday than buying presents for loved ones at Christmas, a study by British Airways has found. The average Brit plans to spend £1,260 each on Christmas this year, including £360 on presents. However we would spend a similar amount – £1,345 – on a winter getaway and 45 per cent of us say we would rather splurge our cash on a winter getaway than a Christmas giveaway. 

After presents, the biggest drain on Brits’ wallets over Christmas was found to be food (£180), travel (£179), drink (£113) and decorations (£86). British Airways, who commissioned the survey as part of their Winter Sun campaign which offers an array of holiday and flight deals over the winter season, found that twenty-eight per cent of those surveyed said they would rather give holidays as presents rather than objects, believing they create more lasting memories than objects placed under the tree. 

A quarter (25%) of Brits say they have no idea what they received for Christmas last year – and 40 per cent can only remember some gifts they received. 

For two-thirds of Brits (65 per cent) the stress of the festive season is such that they say they need a holiday to get over the Christmas break. 

Nearly half (47 per cent) said they go on holiday if they could get out of the obligatory Christmas visit to families and friends and more than half (54 per cent) say they need a holiday during the Christmas break itself. 


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Festive experiences and year-end celebrations in Dubai

EMAAR Hospitality Group is all set to mark the festive season and welcome the New Year with an unparalleled array of extraordinary #festive experiences and sensational year-end events in the heart of #Dubai.

The incredible host of celebrations include over 100 offerings at more than 15 destinations across the city, to offer residents and visitors a truly delightful holiday season.

Offering the best of Dubai, visitors and residents can explore diverse offers under the five easy-to-navigate categories - Festive Season, New Year's Eve, Corporate Events, Festive Treats and Stays at http://www.myfestivedubai.com.

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Zagreb voted best destination for Christmas holidays

ZAGREB was named the best destination for the Christmas holidays in Europe for the third year running, by the voters’ choice of the European Best Destinations web site. 

The Croatian capital defended the title competing against 20 cities, making it the only city crowned with the best Christmas destination recognition for three consecutive years.

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Seasons Greetings . . .

Seasons Greetings one and all and a Happy New Year!

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On the naughty or nice list?

SANTA'S Lapland (www.SantasLapland.com) offers three and four day family holidays to Lapland each year with activities including a private meeting with Santa, snowmobile safari, husky and reindeer sleigh-rides and visits to the Elves’ magical igloo playgrounds. 

The short breaks also include half board stays at one of the three or four star hotels, flights, resort transfers and thermal clothing to equip the whole family for the adventures that lie ahead.

For those who missed the chance to visit Santa this year, Santa’s Lapland has now put 2018 dates on sale and is offering fantastic low prices for children including free half-board accommodation for those under six and even free child places!

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Santa heads south

SANTA is heading south and ditching his usual sleigh for a more traditional mode of island transportation for his annual visit to Waikiki Beach. As part of the #Waikiki tradition, Outrigger invites holiday-makers to take part in the festivities at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort this holiday season with a can’t-miss arrival by Santa in canoe, followed by hula dancing, a delicious breakfast and a meet-and-greet with Mr. Claus himself! 

To celebrate the one-of-a-kind occasion, guests and elves alike can head to the shores of Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort on Saturday, Dec. 9, to cheer-on Saint Nick as he paddles to shore. Santa and his helpers will ride the waves right onto Waikiki Beach to be warmly greeted by a keiki hula group. Following, children and families are encouraged to meet Santa and pose for pictures with the “Hawaiian Kana Kaloka” in the resort’s lobby for a merry and memorable morning.

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Santa's Lapland

EACH winter Santa’s Lapland offers families magical three- and four-day breaks to Santa’s home in Saariselkä. #Families can stay in one of Santa’s #Christmas Cabins or hotels with accommodation options to suit a range of budgets. 

Santa’s Lapland guests enjoy a private meeting with the real Santa; husky sled ride; reindeer sleigh rides at the Reindeer Centre; Elf & Igloo Fantasia; snowmobile sleigh rides plus much more. 

New for 2017, Santa Lapland has added more departure dates with a great value three-day ‘Post-Christmas Magic Break’ and a four-day ‘New Year Spectacular Break’. Flights are available from 19 UK regional airports and transfers to resort are included. 

SantasLapland.com

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The Brecons beckon in the winter

THE Brecon Beacons National Park, located in South Wales, is a treasure trove for visitors. From adrenaline-fueled abseiling and mountain biking, to scenic walks and pub lunches, visitors can explore the destination year-round.

Christmas is a particularly magical time to visit the National Park as the market towns come to life with festive markets, food celebrations and Santa grottos in underground caves.  Here are a roundup of festive activities to do in the #BreconBeacons this winter:

Hay Festival Winter Weekend, 23-26 November 2017
The world famous Hay Literature Festival’s Winter Weekend promises an array of literary talks and events throughout the book town alongside a food and vintage festival.  Over 40 exhibitors will attend the food festival and those looking to pick up a vintage bargain will be able to do so on Sunday 26 November at the fashion fair. http://www.hayfestival.com/winterweekend/

Royal Welsh Winter Fair, 27-28 November 2017
Recognised as one of the most popular attractions on the British agricultural show calendar and the finest prime stock show in Europe, the best Welsh food producers get together to showcase their produce. The two day event includes cookery, produce, handicraft, poultry, horticulture, floral art and meat products competitions, a firework display, Christmas gifts and a Santa’s grotto. www.rwas.wales/winter-fair  and prices cost £15 for adults and £5 for children.

Abergavenny Christmas Food Festival, 10 December 2017
The annual Christmas Food and Drink Fair showcases over 90 stalls and exhibitors from all over Wales, including fresh and cured meats, poultry and game, cheeses and chocolates, cakes and desserts, wines and liqueurs, ales and cider. The festival includes bite-size chef demonstrations throughout the day and the chance to spend time with food experts and learn the newest seasonal tips. www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com.

Beacons Trike Tours Limited
Whether it's the thrill of a motorbike ride or the chance to soak up the surroundings whilst being 'chauffeur driven', Trike Tours offer a unique and alternative way to explore the Brecon Beacons. Running a Christmas discount from now until the end of 2017, visitors can save 15% on all tours and vouchers. www.beaconstriketours.co.uk.

Dan-yr-Ogof Cave and Cathedral Cave Christmas Experience
Forget a Santa’s grotto in a high street store, behind a curtained-off section, and instead head deep underground and explore a magical world in the caves and caverns in the Brecon Beacons. Children can step right into a Welsh mountain and discover the ancient caves whilst visiting Santa in his authentic grotto. Furthermore, families can call by the National Showcaves Centre and marvel at one of the largest collections of life-sized dinosaur models in the world. Kids can also enjoy a trailer ride to look at the animals, including the Shire Horses, on the Morgan Brothers’ farm. The caves are open every weekend in December. www.showcaveschristmas.co.uk.

Christmas at The Angel, Abergavenny
The Angel Hotel, named 'AA Hotel of the Year for Wales 2016/17', offers a number of special Christmas packages and events, including The Après Ski Bar - a popup bar bringing the ambience of alpine ski lodge to Abergavenny and serving Swiss fondue, sausages and steins.  www.angelabergavenny.com

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Leipzig Christmas market a family event

LEIPZIG Christmas market dates all the way back to 1458. Open from November 28 through December 23, its six areas are set in chime with the fascinating historical scenery of the Leipzig city centre. With more than 250 twinkling stalls embedded harmoniously in the historic centre, #Leipzig #Christmas market is not only one of the oldest but also one of the most popular and largest Christmas markets in #Germany. Visitors are offered a multitude of festive delights; they can indulge in numerous culinary specialties or explore the city’s traditional medieval market.

Traditionally, the main area of the Christmas market is Marktplatz (market square) where visitors can marvel at a Saxon spruce Christmas tree of at least 20 metres height, and enjoy a wide variety of performances at the market square stage. On Augustusplatz square a 38-metre-high Ferris wheel offers seasonal views from a lofty height. The Finnish village on Augustusplatz has become a classic over the years. The enticing scent of smoked salmon and fruity Glögi – a mulled wine made from berries – draws visitors to the Scandinavian tents and stalls.

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Kick-start the festive season at the Victorian Festival of Christmas

THE largest Christmas festival on the south coast is set to return this December when Portsmouth Historic Dockyard welcomes back the ever-popular Victorian Festival of Christmas. Open 10am to 6pm between 1 – 3 rd December, the festival is the perfect way to kick off seasonal celebrations. 

The Victorian Festival of Christmas transports visitors to a bygone era where a cast of colourful characters roam the snow-covered cobbled streets, rub shoulders with a medley of street entertainers, enjoy seasonal refreshments and over 150 stalls.

Visitors can encounter the ever-popular traditional Father Christmas dressed in green, see Scrooge in his hand-drawn carriage, bump into young chimney sweeps, and enjoy street performances from Victorian magicians and musicians. To top off proceedings, there will be a 35-foot Christmas tree alongside HMS Victory. 

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Merry Christmas!

WE are taking a break now . . . so have a great Christmas and thank you for following us. We'll be back with travel & tourism news, updates and exclusive deals on the 26th December!

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Doris & Edward Bair arrive at Heathrow

Following the hugely successful Christmas film which celebrates the gift of coming home, Doris and Edward #Bair arrived at #Heathrow on the December 20 to be greeted by their family, during the airport’s biggest week for emotional #Christmas reunions.

The bears travelled from Munich to Heathrow on a British Airways flight into Terminal 5 to be met by warm hugs and smiling faces in arrivals. Doris and Edward have been hand crafted through the creative magic of the Steiff team in Germany. At around 40cm tall, the couple have been lovingly recreated from the film with Doris wearing her distinctive orange coat and Edward presenting handsomely in his favourite tweed flat cap.

The Bair’s film debut which captured the magic of an airport reunion, has been celebrated the world over this Christmas with the heart-warming couple winning fans right across Heathrow’s route network and as far away as Japan and Australia.

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Picture Credit: Terminal5insider flickr.com/photos/22819720@N02/2306823601 Heathrow Terminal 5 - Arrivals via photopin

12 Days of Christmas

USA holiday specialists My America Holiday is giving UK holidaymakers the gift of travel, with a new discount holiday campaign, entitled ‘12 Deals of Christmas’ which launched on December 14.

The campaign is set to offer generous markdowns on a fantastic selection of US breaks. Christmas Special offers will run until Christmas Day – Sunday 25th December.

The brand will also run a special promo code – MYPRESENT, saving £50 per couple on all destination holidays booked with the company from the 14th December 2016 until the 3rd January 2017.

Travellers can find all of the special deals on My America Holiday’s Christmas-themed specials webpage. The campaign will also be promoted on all social channels.

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Industrial action is affecting Southern train services

IN the run up to the Christmas and New Year holidays make sure to check your travel arrangements if travelling by Southern or Gatwick Express services as Southern members of the ASLEF and RMT unions have announced industrial action.

Strikes will affect Southern and Gatwick Express services on the following dates:

Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December (ASLEF and RMT drivers' strike)
Friday 16 December (ASLEF and RMT drivers' strike)
Monday 19 to Tuesday 20 December (RMT conductors' strike) - changed date
Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January (RMT conductors' strike)
Monday 9 to Saturday 14 January (ASLEF and RMT drivers' strike)

Southern announced on their website that services are expected to be particularly disrupted on the drivers' strike dates with no services on most routes.

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Christmas capers at Alton Towers

THE Staffordshire-based Resort will open its gates to provide exclusive and enchanting Santa Sleepovers from November 27th*, including the opportunity to meet the man himself, Father Christmas. 

The festivities will also include fun-packed family pantomime classic, Aladdin. As well as enjoying a tasty traditional Christmas dinner, guests will also be able to enjoy the unseasonal tropical temperatures of #AltonTowers Waterpark and exclusive access to the Resort’s rides and attractions.

*Santa Sleepovers will take place on 27th Nov, 4th Dec, 11th Dec, 17th to 23rd Dec 2016. Festive Breaks will also be available from 27th Dec 2016 to 3rd Jan 2017.

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Picture Credit: By Kelvinsong - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22965014

Christmas at Legoland

AT Christmas Bricktacular at #Legoland #Florida,from December 17-18 & 24-30 families can boock time to marvel at the more than 30-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree, made with 270,000 LEGO and DUPLO bricks, and pose for a perfect holiday picture with a life-size LEGO Santa, reindeer and sleigh.

Meanwhile . . .

This Christmas season at the #LEGOLAND #Windsor Resort, England promises to be the best yet, with 12 days of festive fun complete with 20 rides and attractions*, awesome Christmas themed activities, music and magic and for the first time ever, there will be a Christmas takeover of the world famous Miniland with mini Christmas lights, Christmas market and a special ‘flying’ appearance from Santa.

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Picture Credit: clement127 flickr.com/photos/57763385@N03/16070248496 Season's greetings via photopin

Can Santa be Number 1 in the charts?

A child’s wish to help Father Christmas and his Elves is coming true this festive season as #Santa Claus (as seen at Warwick Castle) launches a bid to claim the #Christmas charity single charts number one spot. Available for download today, Santa’s Little Helpers, is a jaunty jingle, thought to have been inspired by a poem written by a child on a recent visit to see Santa at #WarwickCastle, offering to help the Elves over Christmas.

Performed by Santa Claus and local children of The Stagecoach Agency ranging from six to 10 years old, ‘Santa’s Little Helpers’ is available to download now from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon for just 79p with ALL proceeds going to Merlin’s Magic Wand.

As the race for the prestigious Christmas number one song begins, ‘Santa’s Little Helpers’ is the perfect solution to decades of assaults on the Xmas charts from the likes of X Factor winners and Mr Blobby to endless boy band ballads. Who better for the top spot than Santa himself?

Merlin’s Magic Wand is a global charity providing magical days out for ill, disabled and disadvantaged children and their families at over 100 Merlin Entertainments attractions worldwide.

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Picture Credit: orbakhopper flickr.com/photos/32029534@N00/22316275213 descending santa : castro, san francisco (2013) via photopin.