Up in the air … to Jersey and Norway

BMI REGIONAL will fly direct from Bristol to Jersey from July 16 for the summer season. The new route is designed for leisure travellers, with a Saturday morning flight each week.  Fares start from £80 one way.

The airline is also starting flights between Newcastle and Stavanger, Norway, from May 31. The Norwegian city is both a major business destination due to the proximity of North Sea oil fields and a tourist base with original dockside warehouses and 18th century streets.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

British adventurer prepares for Channel Islands triathlon

ENDURANCE athlete and adventurer #LauraKennington will circumnavigate three of the #ChannelIslands in June in her own Channel Islands Triathlon, supported by VisitGuernsey. 

The 29-year-old British athlete will swim around Sark, kayak around Guernsey, and cycle around Jersey over three days in a challenge never before attempted.

Laura aims to inspire and encourage others to take on their own adventures, and to showcase Guernsey as a leading adventure sports destination.

Laura’s toughest challenge to date will begin on June 11 with the five-mile swim around the island of Sark, just off Guernsey’s east coast. The Channel Islands have one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, and water temperatures in June expected to be around 12C/53.6F.

After circumnavigating Sark, Laura will kayak 28 miles non-stop around Guernsey on June 12, followed by a 45-mile cycle ride around Jersey on June 13.

www.lauraexplorer.com
www.visitguernsey.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Channel Isles ready to celebrate heritage

THE full programme of events for the 2016 Channel Islands Heritage Festival across #Guernsey and #Jersey has been completed, featuring exclusive openings, guided walks, family adventures, and coastal tours from March 25 to May 10.

Marking the shared history of a group of small islands in the English Channel, the festival will take a maritime focus in celebration of the islands’ coastal significance and naval traditions. Across the islands, there will be 55 events and activities, 42 guided walks, four cycling tours, two coach tours, three boat tours, and 11 exhibitions.

The full list and details of all activities can be found in the comprehensive festival guide, available to download from VisitGuernsey.com at www.visitguernsey.com/sites/default/files/2016_channel_islands_heritage_festival_booklet.pdf

Among the latest events added to the programme are:

Resistance Nest Schonbucht Mitte
Belle Greve Bay Bunker – March 25 : Festung Guernsey, a group of local volunteers dedicated to restoring and preserving the island’s wartime defences, will be giving a guided tour of the German defences of Belle Greve Bay. Admission is free. www.visitguernsey.com/event/resistance-nest-schonbucht-mitte-1

 Seafarers coach tour
Liberation Monument, Guernsey – March 28-May 2: From famous admirals to Bordeaux, the fishing port that inspired Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea, this day-long tour around the island delves into Guernsey’s maritime heritage. It will include visits to two working harbours, entry to La Vallette Underground Military Museum, the Shipwreck Museum at Fort Grey and lunch. The price is £55 per person. www.visitguernsey.com/event/seafarers-tours-coach-tours

The Sea Around Us – guided walk in Sark
Sark Visitor Centre – April 7 and 21, May 5: A two-hour guided walk on the island of #Sark, a 45-minute ferry from Guernsey, to explore the island’s fishing methods, local navigation, and pilotage, and the natural history of the archipelago’s seas and shores. The fairly easy stroll will finish at Pilcher Monument on the island’s west coast. The price is £4 for adults and £2 for children under 14. www.visitguernsey.com/event/sea-around-us-sark

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/28370443@N08/21152051638">Sark</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">(license)

Family fun on the Channel Islands

THIS year’s #ChannelIslands Heritage Festival (March 25-May 10) will celebrate a group of small islands with a big history, offering five weeks of family-friendly events across Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark. 

There will be nautical tours of castles, towers, and lighthouses, guided walks, cycle rides, kayak adventures, and vintage bus tours.

Events include:

Land Sailing with Pure Adventure, Jersey 

April 2, 4, 8 and 23
The fresh winds and five mile stretch of beach along Jersey's St. Ouen's Bay offer perfect conditions for adrenalin-fuelled land sailing. Families can try out the sport and race each other around a triangular course. Land sailing is suitable for children over nine and costs £25 per adult and £15 for children. To book, visit www.purejersey.com

Island Explorers Treasure Hunt, Guernsey
Throughout the festival

With the help of an explorer's map, adventurers young and old are challenged to find clues across the island's historic sites. The map is free to download from the VisitGuernsey website and all completed treasure hunts that are returned to Guernsey Museum will receive a small gift and be entered into a prize draw. www.museums.gov.gg 

Through the Looking Glass – A Kayak Exploration of Jersey's Maritime Jungle, Jersey
March 28, April 4, 11, 18, 26 April, May 2

Families can explore one of Europe's most diverse marine ecosystems on a sea kayak tour and observe marine and bird life. All kit is supplied and beginners are welcome. The cost is £40 per adult and £27 for children. Advance booking is essential through Jersey Kayak Adventures - info@jerseykayakadventures.co.uk

Bunkers at Night – Evening Tour, Jersey
March 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5

Learn about Jersey's WWII heritage with a visit to various sites at night to light up Jersey's Military Heritage in a new way. The cost is £30 per adult and £15 per child aged 7-15. Booking is essential through Jersey War Tours - www.jerseywartours.com

Sea to Sea Cycle Tour, Jersey
March 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5

Families are invited to join local Blue Badge Guide Arthur Lamy on a cycle tour from St Helier along Jersey's south coast to Les Platons, on the north coast, which offers views of the nearby coast of France and the other Channel Islands.  Along the 15 mile route, the tour stops to discover dolmens, manor houses, and even where the Jersey Royal early potato was created.  The tour costs £15 per person.  www.arthurthebluebadgeguide.com

Beau Vallon Maritime Family Fun Day, Guernsey
May 1

A jam-packed day of activities including a pirate treasure hunt, free scuba diving taster sessions (age eight upwards), and maritime stalls. www.beauvallon.co.uk

www.visitchannelislands.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: www.visitchannelislands.com

Jersey tourism stakeholders launch partnership

VISIT JERSEY, Jersey Heritage and Ports of Jersey have agreed a two-year partnership with the aim of delivering high quality, year-round information services across the island.  

#Jersey Heritage has agreed to house the tourist information centre in Jersey Museum in return for undertaking the retail operation while Ports of Jersey will continue to deliver front of house services, which it has been providing on behalf of Visit Jersey since March 2015.

The tourist information centre will provide an information service that will embrace digital and physical components. This will include an online ‘go to’ hub of information and inspiring seasonal displays.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Mont orgueil castle from quayside 2014 by Stablenode - Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Visit Jersey launches UK advertising campaign

VISIT JERSEY is launching its Escape to Jersey winter campaign, designed to give UK city people a taste of the island’s winter pleasures.

The promotion is an extension of its Escape to Jersey summer campaign and highlights that, as a destination, Jersey is seasonally diverse and offers something for visitors year-round.

The hub of the integrated campaign is a bespoke Escape to Jersey microsite that introduces visitors to local legends, shares insider secrets and focuses on the island’s winter-time delights, which include spas, scenery, and seasonal produce and cuisine.

#VisitJersey is calling on residents to become local ambassadors for the #island, sharing favourite winter moments, via Visit Jersey’s Facebook page.

Adam Caerlewy-Smith, head of Marketing at Visit Jersey says: ‘We know how passionate locals are about Jersey and who better to inspire potential visitors, and tell our winter story? Personal recommendations are incredibly powerful – and we want to harness our untapped local knowledge and encourage residents to share what makes Jersey special, during winter.’ 


Perhaps rent a campervan and travel around the island . . .

https://govillasandcottages.co.uk/property/9077084107120077081061061/jersey-camper-hire-spingside-trinity.html

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Victoria Tower, St Catherine's breakwater, Jersey by No machine-readable author provided. Man vyi assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims).. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons 

Gourmet delights on Jersey

THE Atlantic Hotel will host the inaugural Eat Jersey Food Festival (November 5-7), when leading chefs from across the British Isles and France gather for a gourmet event designed to celebrate the island's finest produce. 

The hotel’s owner, Patrick Burke, says: ‘We are passionate about promoting the wonderful produce available from both coast and country on our beautiful island. The #EatJersey #FoodFestival has been a number of years in the making, and we are delighted to be welcoming so many highly respected chefs to #Jersey. Their talent and creativity combined with the very finest and freshest of ingredients promises a spectacular weekend of gastronomy.’

Eat Jersey Food Festival tickets are priced at £175 on the 5th, £250 on the 6th, and £45 on the 7th.

www.theatlantichotel.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40231253@N05/5455760737">Scallops with Dill and Lime</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Eat out on Guernsey for a tenner

GUERNSEY will be holding its 18th annual Tennerfest from October 1 to November 11, when more than 170 restaurants on Jersey, Guernsey and its sister island Sark offer three course menus starting from £10 – £12.50, £15, £17.50, and £20 menus will also be available.

The special menus represent savings of almost 50% on normal prices and include Guernsey's fresh seafood and locally grown produce. 

Tennerfest is one of Guernsey's most popular foodie events with an estimated five million Tennerfest meals consumed since the festival began in 1998. More than 300,000 covers are served at each Tennerfest.

Restaurants participating offer menus focusing on Guernsey ingredients and specialties such as Guernsey Gâche, a fruit loaf often served with Guernsey butter; the traditional 'bean jar', a one pot meal cooked overnight and made of beans, pork belly, and onions, and Gâche Méléé, which is similar to apple cake. Guernsey-made cheese is also offered for dessert on many menus, along with locally-brewed beer and cider.

www.visitguernsey.com/event/tennerfest 

Looking to stay over and sample even more?  Try one of the beautiful apartments at La Pompe Country Apartments, Les Mouilpieds, St Martin.

https://govillasandcottages.co.uk/property/9077084107119079065061061/la-cachette,-la-pompe-les-mouilpieds-st-martin.html

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49970491@N07/6378823015">Sweets</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Video-led campaign for Jersey

VISIT #JERSEY has launched an interactive campaign – Escape to Jersey – in which first person video footage will be used to depict the Jersey experience, allowing travellers to try before they fly.

The video shorts aim to evoke a “physiological” reaction in the viewer by appealing to the senses, and to give a taste of a potential break in Jersey without leaving the comfort of the sofa.

A team of local videographers spent the three weeks touring the island to capture the essence of Jersey in a series of video vines. From the beaches at St Ouen to the views from Mont Orgueil Castle, the entire Jersey experience has been captured. Visit Jersey will be adding further footage of the island throughout 2015.

Adam Caerlewy-Smith, head of marketing from Visit Jersey said: ‘The travel and tourism industry is undergoing a huge change in the way it seeks to engage new visitors and to continue to appeal to existing ones. We wanted to challenge people’s perceptions of Jersey and capture rich data which can shape future marketing initiatives.

‘The Escape to Jersey campaign puts a little slice of #island life in the palms of potential visitors and shows them what escaping to Jersey really feels like.’

For more information about the campaign, go to www.escapetojersey.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32662631@N00/3947832080">Jersey</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Jersey’s parade of the flowers

JERSEY’S big event in August is the island’s annual #BattleoftheFlowers.

The Daytime Parade will be on August 13, and the Moonlight Parade is on the evening of August 14. 

This year’s designated charity is the British Red Cross.

What began more than a century ago as a one-off celebration to mark a royal coronation – of King Edward VII – has grown into one of the largest floral carnivals in Europe.

In those early days, the floral floats were mostly horse-drawn. 

The tradition at the time was for flowers and petals to be torn from the floats and thrown to women in the crowd, in the hope that they would be thrown back … which explains how the ‘Battle’ got its name. 

www.battleofflowers.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Battle of Flowers 2014

New flights with Flybe

FLYBE has started Cardiff-Jersey service, running from May to October.

Launched as a Saturday flight, the frequency will be increased to three-times weekly from June 1, with a Sunday service being added in September. One-way fares are available from £34.99 including taxes and charges.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

CityJet links with Blue Islands for Channel Islands flights

LONDON CITY AIRPORT operator CityJet is joining forces with Blue Islands, the Channel Islands airline.

The partnership will provide islanders with improved access to major European cities on hundreds of connecting codeshare flights every week from London City Airport through the CityJet network.

It means that day returns to Amsterdam and Paris are now possible from Jersey. Blue Islands also announced an additional lunchtime service to London City.

The new daily connecting flights via London City will commence early in 2015.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Island campaign

THE first VisitGuernsey television advertisements in a decade will be part of a promotions campaign in February. 

The advertisements will focus on gastronomy, scenery, and history.

A joint heritage festival with Jersey is also planned for next year to help boost visitor numbers.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "LeDehusTombArt sr1" by Richard Scott-Robinson via Wikimedia Commons.

Islands unite for Liberation anniversary festival

JERSEY AND GUERNSEY come together next year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands in May 1945.

During World War II, the Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to fall into German hands. Each island still displays many visible signs of Germany's five-year military occupation in the form of fortifications and bunkers across the coastline, as well as underground tunnels and hospitals.

During the festival (April 3-May 11), coastal castles will be brought to life, doors will be unlocked on wartime bunkers and historic towers, and the islands will hang the flags out for Liberation Day.

Celebrations will reach a crescendo on May 9 with a day-long carnival. Commemorative events will also take place on the islands of Alderney, Sark, and Herm.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Flybe’s bus in the sky

FLYBE has announced multi-stop hop-on hop off services between Aberdeen and Jersey.

From October 26, the hop-on and off FlyShuttle service will operate three flights a day between the two destinations, with people able to board or get off at Southampton and Leeds-Bradford.

The new option will increase frequencies and re-instate some routes between the four locations, with the first flight from Aberdeen and Jersey departing at 7am each day.

Paul Simmons, Flybe’s chief commercial officer said: ‘Designed to be used as a shuttle bus service in the sky, all the way between Jersey in the south and Aberdeen in the north, we are again showing that we are‘the fastest way from A to Flybe, faster than road or rail … and certainly more affordable.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Oxford-Jersey flights resumed

OXFORD AIRPORT has welcomed the return of weekly flights to Jersey. Running from May to September, the flights are operated by Channel Islands-based regional airline Blue Islands.

Return seat-only flights start at £129 per person. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

Coming up in Jersey

Upcoming Jersey highlights include:

Jersey Food Festival – May 23-26: A celebration of the iconic Jersey Royal potato and the seafood and diary produce for which the island is famous. Farm and dairy tours, low water walks, and producer tours. www.jersey.com/food

Coin Hoard – May 26-December 31: Jersey Heritage will be displaying the world's largest Celtic coin hoard, discovered in 2012 and containing up to 70,000 silver alloy coins plus gold and silver jewellery. It will be the centrepiece of an exhibition which looks at the Channel Islands as part of the ancient Celtic and Roman worlds. www.jerseyheritage.org

Jersey International Festival of Motoring – June 6-8:  Steep winding hills and straight, long beaches provide the perfect motoring festival for participants and spectators. The festival is the largest annual motoring event in the Channel Islands, with competitive sprint and hill climbs for classic and vintage cars and motorcycles, a large static motor show, and a touring event visiting places of interest around the island. www.jerseyinternationalmotoringfestival.com

Jersey Festival of Cycling – June 13-15: A weekend of cycling activities for all ages and abilities to showcase the island's perfect cycling terrain. www.jersey.com/festivalofcycling

Collas Crill Round Island Walk – June 21: Covering 48.1 miles, this annual charity walk, organized in association with Rotary de la Manche, attracts local and visiting walkers. Not for the faint hearted, the walk goes anti-clockwise around the island, with 13 checkpoints along the way. Participants can expect to complete the walk in 12 to 21 hours. www.jersey.com/walking                         

Jersey in Bloom – July 5-8: Jersey at its floral best showcases private gardens, The Jersey Rose Show, environmental walks, and the island's floral attractions. www.jersey.com/floral

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk