What sound makes your holiday?

HEATHROW, Europe’s largest hub airport is encouraging travellers to go one step further in capturing their holiday moments this year by asking them to capture their perfect Sound Escapes, creating an even more evocative way of capturing memories than a classic photo.

It is well known that brains connect sounds to emotions, making it an important part of the feeling and memory of a holiday. From the buzz of children’s laughter and soft rustling palm trees to local musician’s beats, lapping sea waves and city cabs honking, these distinctive holiday sounds capture the very essence of a holiday. Submissions by the public over four months, will be refined and collated into a captivating and immersive soundscape by award-winning composer and sound artist Nick Ryan.

Holidaymakers are invited to submit up to a minute of their sounds to soundescapes@heathrow.com, with the resulting one-of-a-kind soundtrack, created by award-winning composer and sound artist Nick Ryan, revealed in January 2019 for travellers to experience, enjoy and use as inspiration for the next getaway.

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Score a break from the madness

ARE you among those who would rather catch the flu than watch a game of football? No need to go to such drastic measures come June 14 when the 2018 World Cup kicks off in Russia. Agoda has some suggestions on where to escape the football madness.

Head to the South Pacific island of Palau where abundant marine life, volcanos and epic waterfalls are the main attractions. Palau also wins bonus points for not having national football team. Check out the Palau Royal Resort for beach views and vibes.

You'll likely meet more surfing fiends than football fans in Baler, also known as the 'birthplace of surfing in the Philippines'. Home to sandy beaches and epic waves, plus scenic winding mountain roads and hiking excursions, this island won't get a 'red card' from you. Bright and breezy Costa Pacifica Resort on Sabang Beach is the ideal base camp.

The North West Cape in Western Australia is home to the Cape Range National Park and Ningaloo Reef, where you'll encounter exotic wildlife that don't care about 'games of two halves'. Sal Salis, an exclusive safari camp surrounded by only bush and beach, makes an ideal base camp for exploring the area.

Renowned for its cricket, rather than football, enjoy the gentle pace and laidback streets of Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There'll be no penalties for shopping on this trip. Fort Square Boutique Villa, which is conveniently located in Galle's city center, is worth a visit.

Your own private island - Pangkor Laut Resort is made up of 140 villas and 8 estates on privately-owned 300-acre island, offering complete privacy amidst gorgeous ocean views.

For a truly 'off the grid' experience, head to the Raja Ampat, where the lack of internet and Wi-Fi mean you will easily lose track what day it is, let alone whether the football is still on. At the Waiwo Dive Resort, you can kick back and relax with massages and yoga classes.


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Europe tops Xmas short-break wish-list

EUROPEAN breaks top the list of Christmas getaways for Brits, according to flight booking website CheapOair.co.uk. Dublin tops the list of preferred Christmas get-aways with almost double the number of flight bookings than Amsterdam, second in the list.

Tenerife, Barcelona, and Alicante in the list of top ten Xmas break destinations for Manchester and Edinburgh airports, while Berlin and Dusseldorf seem to be favoured by holidaymakers flying from Birmingham Airport.

Londoners are split between keeping it wintry and heading for warmer climes. Six of the top 10 cities to which they are flying are in northern Europe – including Reykjavik in Iceland – with the remaining four including three Spanish cities and Bangkok.

The top ten festive escape destinations booked by Brits this year are:

• Dublin 
• Amsterdam 
• Paris 
• Malaga 
• Barcelona 
• Cork 
• Tenerife 
• Lisbon 
• Belfast City 
• Alicante

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It’s Christmas … get me out of here!

RESEARCH by Travelbag, a tailor-made holiday specialist, suggests that Christmas advertising, festive shop displays, and hosting Christmas dinner for families are some of the reasons for Brits choosing to flee abroad for the Xmas holiday season. 

Travelbag’s study found that 39% of UK adults have spent Christmas abroad, with almost a quarter admitting they did so to escape their families, the whole idea of Christmas, or taking part in Christmas traditions.

While 37% leave the UK to visit family who live abroad, a further 18% follow the sunshine as they leave the country because of the weather. Fifteen percent just like the idea of spending Christmas in a different country to experience foreign traditions.

Of those surveyed, 37% said avoid Christmas in the UK every year, followed by a third who escape every other year, and 22% who say they’ve done it couple of times.

Some (16%) of those escaping the country are not fans of festive TV advertisement; they wish they could leave the country as soon as the John Lewis Christmas ad and Coca-Cola Trucks are screened. A further 15% would leave the country the moment they see shops putting up Christmas trees in their windows. Many say the jolly TV advertising and programmes are their least favourite aspects of the season. 

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48411817@N04/11327286036">2013 Holiday Train - Midway Station</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)

UK boost for Maldives tourism

VISIT MALDIVES has announced an increase in visitor arrivals from the UK, with the 2015 figures revealing a 3.6% increase to 61,720 in the number of British holidaymakers during the first eight months of 2015.

Tourism developments in the #Maldives pipeline for 2016 include hotel and villa openings, a luxury catamaran transfer service, and the introduction of all-inclusive plans at Palm Beach Resort and Spa.

www.visitmaldives.com


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5 million Brits plan Xmas escape

AN ESTIMATED five million Britons are planning to #escape the weather and family politics this #Christmas by jetting off to sunnier climes, based on a survey of 10,000 UK holidaymakers. 

Research by insurance and travel specialist Staysure reveals that more than two thirds (68%) of people put the weather at the top of their list of reasons for the great festive get-away, followed by avoiding having to cook Christmas dinner (30%). One in five is keen to skip the stress of hosting family and friends (20%), and steer clear of family politics (13%).

The Canary Islands remain a firm favourite for short haul winter sun, while Florida, Sydney and New York top the list for long haul #destinations.

For those staying home during the festive period – one in five cannot get away due to family obligations, while one in ten feel they must stay home to look after their pets.

Top 10 Christmas/New Year destinations

1. Lanzarote
2. Gran Canaria
3. Algarve
4. Fuerteventura
5. Florida
6. Sydney
7. Malta
8. Barcelona
9. New York
10. Majorca

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