Last chance to see the Superjeep at Destinations London!
If you have ever wondered why the Icelanders are so obsessed with their Superjeeps then why not visit Destinations London at Earls Court next weekend to see this magnificent vehicle for yourself.
In October our Managing Director, Clive Stacey, had great fun driving this beast via the Faroe Islands, on a ferry or two then through Denmark for its debut at Earls Court for the Scandinavia Show. Having visited numerous exhibitions including the Luxury Travel Fair, Wildlife Fair, Active Travel Show and Destinations Manchester it will finish its tour in London before heading back to Iceland.
Don’t miss our exclusive Destination London show offer:
SAVE *£75pp on EDGE OF THE ARCTIC SUPERJEEP BREAK
Visit us on stand E26 to learn more about our Iceland holidays and see the Superjeep on stand AA100. Show opening hours: 10:00am to 5:30pm, Thursday 2nd till Sunday 5th February 2012.
If you would like a free ticket please email your name and address to marketing@discover-the-world.co.uk by Monday 30th January (limit six per person). There's only a 100 free tickets available on a first come first served basis so request yours today.
*Subject to availability and terms and conditions, please visit our website or speak to one of our product team for full terms and conditions, as well as details of other Iceland holidays and excursions.
Posted on January 27, 2012 | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Australia Day: Our Top Picks
As we celebrate Australia Day today we asked some of our Aussie Specialists about their favourite places Downunder:
“I love Monkey Mia, Western Australia – here you can feed the dolphins right from the beach, as well as take a cruise out through Shark Bay to see dugongs, turtles, sea-snakes, sting-rays and tiger sharks… This is a real highlight of any WA adventure!” Lauren
“My favourite place to chill out is Byron Bay, on New South Wales’ Pacific Coast. With some great beaches, excellent surfing and a really laid-back café culture, as well as plenty of wildlife, you can spend a good few days here re-charging your batteries.” Ben
“Watching the sun set at Uluru (Ayers Rock) is a truly memorable experience - the colours change every minute from soft red to a vivid glowing orange, making this iconic rock seem almost alive. And later, the night sky is filled with endless stars over the vast outback of the Northern Territory." Jo
“Sydney stands out for me: everyone is familiar with images of the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, but to finally see the real thing with your own eyes is really special - you know that you can't be anywhere else in the world but Australia!" Beckie
For me it’s impossible to pick a favourite spot – from the rugged mountains of Tasmania, the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland and the rust red outback of the Northern Territory, via thriving cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, to the bountiful marine life of the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef and the array of unique land mammals to be found throughout this vast country - there really is something for everyone! Start planning your trip now and make up your own mind about which is Australia’s top spot!
Posted on January 26, 2012 in Australia , Current Affairs , Events , Travel , Wildlife | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Bringing the northern lights home.
Well not exactly but due to the peak of the solar max occurring this winter and next there is a large increase in solar flares. One such solar flare this week has enabled a few lucky people from mainland northern UK to witness some very impressive sightings of the northern lights or ‘aurora borealis’. Such amazing displays have even been covered in the national press, featuring in the guardian and the BBC to name a few.
For the best chance of seeing the northern lights join one of our dedicated aurora short breaks; browse all of our northern lights holidays. Our most popular trip is the ICEHOTEL in Swedish Lapland that utilises our exclusive direct flight from London to Kiruna, getting you there in just 3 ½ hours. There is still some availability in February and March however this is going fast so to avoid disappointment contact us today.
This year we launched an exciting new trip combining killer whale watching and the northern lights we have just added a new date the 20th February 2012 as the other eight are all now fully booked.
As there’s such limited availability we would advise you to book soon to avoid disappointment but if you were thinking of planning a trip for next winter you’ll be pleased to hear we have started taking bookings.
Posted on January 24, 2012 in Iceland , Lapland , Sweden | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Forget the big five meet the small five!
Mark Carwardine recently searched for the 'Small Five' when visiting New Zealand - ‘the land of the long white cloud’. The 'Small Five' trip enabled Mark to witness a group of charming rare and endangered wildlife consisting of the Tuatara, described as a living fossil, Hector's dolphin the smallest of its species, the notoriously cheeky Kea, a beautiful yellow eyed penguin and the iconic New Zealand Kiwi!
His first stop was a tiny island with a big secret, just off the coast of Auckland called Tiritiri Matangi. Home to the reptile Tuatara, Mark had a close encounter with the creature, following a successful stumble in the dark!
Next up was Hector's dolphin, the smallest and rarest marine dolphin in the world.
Mark’s third sighting was the Kea alpine parrot, who took a liking to Mark’s car at a spectacular mountain overlook, just outside Arthur’s Pass in the heart of the Southern Alps. He had this to say about the encounter: “A gang of five kea landed on the roof and bonnet of the car intent on doing their best to cause mischief.”
Fourth was the beautiful yellow-eyed penguin where he had wonderful close encounters with the penguins at the appropriately named Penguin Place near Dunedin, which has a unique system of hides, tunnels and covered walkways to view the birds up-close.
Finally to see the infamous but elusive Kiwi, Mark visited Stewart Island in the south of the island. Finding one in the middle of the night, he “crept up to it, lay down on the grass and realised that it was no more than a foot in front of his face”, wow!
In a couple of weeks Mark had covered all of the small five, not forgetting the many other unique and interesting other animals he sighted along the way. The trip was a huge success and had some wonderfully memorable experiences. If you would like to follow in his footsteps you can find out more about the 18-day self-drive holiday, New Zealand’s ‘small five’ safari here.
Mark Carwardine is a Zoologist, author, photographer, conservationist and TV presenter.
Posted on January 19, 2012 | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Penguin shows it's not all black and white in Antarctica
A chinstrap penguin has been discovered in Antarctica that is taking the art of dressing down quite seriously by foregoing the normal "black and white" tuxedo for a more dressed down approach.
The Huffington Post reports that David Stephens managed to capture a photograph of this lovely penguin whilst on an expedition voyage to Antarctica.
It seems quite a few of our animals are eschewing their normal colouring - remember the lovely white kiwi in New Zealand "Manukura" - well another white kiwi has just hatched in December at the New Zealand conservation centre Pukuha Mount Bruce report officials
With a snowy white reindeer in the UK and a white dolphin off Brazil can we expect to see more of these unique white animals?
Posted on January 17, 2012 in Antarctica , Science , Travel , Wildlife | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
2012: a year of centenary celebrations
Who knows what 2012 may bring, but looking back to 100 years ago it seems that 1912 was a fairly epic year in terms of world firsts – some with some sadly tragic consequences.
It was on 17 January 1912 that Captain Robert Falcon Scott arrived at the South Pole, only to find he had been beaten to his goal by Amundsen’s Norwegian team just a month earlier. On their return from the Pole, Scott and his 4 companions perished in the harsh Antarctic interior. Opinions of Scott may vary, but this year we should concentrate on celebrating his many achievements, including leading one of the most scientifically valuable expeditions ever undertaken in Antarctica.
That same year, 1912, saw another tragedy unfold as the world’s largest passenger steamship of the time fell victim to a mighty iceberg in the north Atlantic. The sinking of the Titanic resulted in the loss of 1,517 lives, of which 150 bodies were laid to rest in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
On a more positive ‘maritime’ note, 1912 was also the year that New Zealand’s TSS Earnslaw first set sail. This iconic twin screw steamer can still be seen today cruising the sparkling waters of Lake Wakatipu and is as much a part of Queenstown’s landscape as the spectacular Remarkable Mountains that provide a backdrop to the lake.
And finally, it was also 100 years ago this year that Canada’s first ever Calgary Stampede took place. This legendary rodeo is now an intrinsic part of Alberta’s events calendar, happening every July and made up of a number events including chuckwagon racing, steer wrestling, bull-riding, parades, concerts, fireworks and an endless supply of pancake breakfasts! Wills & Kate were guests of honour in 2011, but 2012 will see one of the biggest and best shows yet as the Stampede celebrates its Centenary.
But that’s enough about 1912 – back to 2012 and the start of a brand new year; it’s time to start planning your own adventures for the year ahead. Whether it’s a magical experience under the northern lights, an epic voyage to Antarctica or a long dreamt of self-drive exploration of New Zealand or Canada, there’s no time like the present so seize the day and book that trip!!
Posted on January 3, 2012 in Antarctica , Canada , Events , History , New Zealand , Science , Travel | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Eclipsing Antarctica
For those of us that weren't lucky enough to witness last week's partial solar eclipse first-hand, take a look at some extraordinary photos taken from Antarctica... This image was captured by Carlos Zelayeta, based at the Argentine San Martin research station on the Antarctic Peninsula.
More images can be found here.
Posted on December 5, 2011 in Antarctica , Australia , Current Affairs , New Zealand , Science , Travel | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
Bear vs. Beaver - Canada divided!
Canada is in uproar following recent demands from Senator Nicole Eaton to replace the country's long-standing emblem, the beaver, with "the stately polar bear". Alright, 'uproar' is a slight exaggeration, but it has sparked an interesting debate nonetheless!
In her statement to the Senate last week, Eaton described the poor defenceless beaver as an outdated and destructive rodent! However, the toothy little critter has held its position as national emblem since 1975, and played a pivotal role in Canada's early development. It was fur-trading that first attracted Europeans to the country, leading to the establishment of transport routes and trading posts that formed the basis of modern-day Canada.
Eaton claims that the polar bear would be a much better representative for Canada today, portraying "strength, courage, resourcefulness and dignity". She may well have a point - there's no doubt that the polar bear is a more majestic and imposing symbol - but we can't help but think that maybe there's room for both. After all, Canada is nothing if not diverse!
Posted on November 1, 2011 in Canada , Current Affairs , Travel , Wildlife | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
White Wombats? Whatever Next?!
Sorry, but we just couldn't resist sharing the latest weird and wonderful discovery from Australia with you...
Sheep shearers working on a remote farm near Ceduna, South Australia, came across a rare Southern hairy-nosed wombat last month - the poor thing was found abandoned and close to death through dehydration. But footage released yesterday shows this sturdy little fighter is back on his feet again, thanks to the loving care of a local wildlife volunteer who has nursed him back to full health. Named 'Polar' for his unusual colouring, you can't fail to be charmed by this little chap!
Posted on October 26, 2011 in Australia , Current Affairs , Travel , Wildlife | Permalink | E-mail this | Comments (0)
