Swimming in Reykjavik, Iceland

Well, perhaps swimming isn’t an obvious association one makes with the world’s most northerly city but it has just been named, by Business Traveller magazine, as the best city in the world for swimming!

Iceland is a land that has been graced with naturally occurring hot water, and so what better way to utilise this for the populations pleasure than to dot the country with swimming pools and hot pots. Consequently, Reykjavik not only has a wealth of swimming pools in the region but also the world-famous Blue Lagoon, set amidst a field of black basalt lava, just a 30 minute drive from the city.

So, whether you desire to lounge in the lagoons powder-blue mineral rich waters whilst admiring the northern lights ahead (in winter) or relax under the glowing midnight sun (in summer), be sure to head to the Blue Lagoon for that pre or post trip revitalising dip. Or perhaps try our Blue Lagoon Spa Break for the ultimate in relaxation.

Stories from the road: Wild Western Australia

The latest dispatches have arrived from the far side of the world - as we enjoy the
grey skies of a wintry Surrey, ex-Australasia Specialist Lauren is struggling to cope in the glorious sunshine Downunder...

Western Australia is AMAZING and even better than we had expected... We hired a motorhome and spent our entire time touring the coast! After a couple of nights in the chilled out city of Perth we headed north via the small towns of Dongarra and Kalbarri. Having lived in flip flops (or Thongs as the Aussies would say!) we were eager to whack on our hiking boots and explore the coastal cliffs and gorges of Kalbarri National Park and Western Australia's second longest river - The Murchison River. We spent a couple of long, hot days enjoying the spectacular scenery of the National Park before heading further north to Monkey Mia.  

Monkey Mia is located in Shark Bay Marine Park and is a World Heritage Site. The resort is famous for bottlenose Dolphins which have been visiting the shore of Monkey Mia for around 40 years! We woke early to head down to the beach and see the daily feeding of the dolphins. This is an incredible experience, the dolphins are litterally at your feet, swimming between your legs! Due to restrcitions not everyone can feed the dolphins but fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones selected to feed a dolphin called Shock. Shock was so calm and gentle - feeding her was a real highlight of our West Coast adventure.  

After Monkey Mia we spent a few days travelling south again towards the Margaret River region. We spent our last few days on the West Coast exploring the famous wine region, enjoying a few short walks to Margaret River itself, visited a fantastic chocolate factory and relaxed on the beaches, soaking up the rays! Fabulous!  

If you're inspired by Lauren's tales why not start planning your own Western Australia Adventure - self-drives start from just £292 per person for a 4-night exploration of the Margaret River region.

Making the most of a Far East stopover!

As our erstwhile colleague Lauren continues her epic trip around the world, we have been tracking her progress through the Far East... If you're planning your own trip Downunder and trying to decide on a stopover option, Lauren's experiences below may help!

Bangkok
The hot air hit us as soon as we got off the plane... At last we had arrived in bustling Bangkok - the first stop of our Round the World Trip!  We had arrived in Bangkok in the same week as the King's birthday and the celebration was everywhere - huge photos of the King were illuminated in big white lights and songs were played on the corner of every street... From the quiet suburbs of Surrey this was mayhem! Although we tried our best to explore Bangkok City in reality we only touched the surface... From the history of the Grand Palace to the array of shops at Siam Square, the constant buzz of Koh San Road to the relaxation of a traditional Thai massage, this is one hell of a city!

Singapore
After spending the last few months travelling around Asia, Singapore came as a complete surprise. The cleanliness of the city was something we had come to forget; the streets were immaculate, the people so welcoming and friendly and everything was so easy to understand with English being their first language... We spent our days here shopping, savouring the local cusine and relaxing at the end of a hard day with a cold beer and foot massage... What more could you want?!?

Next stop for Lauren is AUSTRALIA - we look forward to reading about more of her adventures soon... In the meantime we can offer a range of stopover options in the Far East, USA and South Pacific - check out our website for full details! 

Hurry, before it melts!

When we return from our travels the two key reminders we have of our wonderful experiences are our memories and photos and if you’ve visited the world-famous ICEHOTEL in Swedish Lapland this is something to be treasured even more. The very essence of this architectural marvel is that it is a ‘one-off never to be re-created again’ spectacle and that is just one of the ICEHOTEL’s unique qualities. So if you started the year with a resolution to try something completely different, this is for you but hurry! The time has nearly come, as it does at the end of each winter season, for the ICEHOTEL to melt back into the River Torne, but before it does, seize this opportunity to stay in the 20th anniversary creation. The 20 March is your last chance to fly on our exclusive direct flight to Swedish Lapland…so why wait?

….Just remember your camera! 

Australia Day Celebrations!

Over on the other side of the world our Antipodean friends are about to commence their Australia Day celebrations, with the annual public holiday on 26th January commemorating the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet. Today the celebration focuses less on the dubious beginnings and very much more on the great nation that Australia has since become, uniting Indigenous and European heritage in a unique modern culture.

Here in the DTW office we'll be marking the event with a few cold stubbies and a bumper pack of Tim Tams - if you want to sample this Aussie delicacy for yourself (it's not just any old choccy biccy you know!) then head down to Waterloo or Liverpool Street Station tomorrow morning and pick up a free pack!!

The Puffin Story

Last week I brought you the phenomenal migratory journey of the Arctic Tern, well, this week it’s the Puffin!

Little has been known where Puffins migrate to in the winter as their entire time is spent at sea, however, thanks to ‘geolocators’ (also used in the Arctic Tern research), Puffins have now been tracked out into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a complete surprise to researchers as it was previously thought they remained in the North Sea but it has now been discovered that they make a 1 to 3 month trip to the North Atlantic. 

If you’re a fan of the little Puffin then you’ll be interested to know that the Westman Islands, just off Iceland’s south coast, is home to the largest colony of Puffins in the world. So visit Iceland and see for yourself the delightful little Puffin. Take me there >>

South Australia on the Big Screen

This Friday, 22nd January, sees the UK release of 'The Boys are Back', a beautiful film based on the book of the same name by Independent journalist, Simon Carr.  Whilst the film changes various details - relocating the story from New Zealand to Australia for one! - it doesn't lose any of the poignancy of the book.

The film charts Carr's life after losing his wife to cancer, with Clive Owen in the leading role as he portrays the true story of a widower's struggle to bring up his young son alone. Heartbreaking in places but also incredibly uplifting, the action is complemented by the spectacular scenery of South Australia - endless beaches, rolling hills, lush vineyards and the inquisitive wildlife... kangaroos were regular visitors on set! 

If you're inspired by the film then why not incorporate some of the key filming locations into your own Australian adventure?  Our team of Aussie Specialists can tailormake a South Australia itinerary to take in the best of the wildlife and outback for which the state is renowned, or you may wish to consider one of our holidays in this region such as our exclusive Southern Wildlife Wanderer or our Kangaroo Island Coast to Coast.

  

The Arctic Tern's 50,000 mile Migratory Route Uncovered...

Upon reading the news recently I was fascinated to discover that for the first time ever a team of international scientists have tracked the complete migration of the Arctic Tern. Whilst this incredible bird has always been known for its vast migratory journey, researchers using traditional bird ringing methods have only previously been able to track the birds as far as South Africa. However, using miniature ‘geolocators’, researchers have managed to follow the birds complete route, one that is largely dictated by food availability.

Research suggests that the Arctic Tern makes not only the furthest journey of any creature on Earth, a mere 50,000 mile year round trip but also sees the most daylight by travelling between the Arctic and Antarctic summers. Furthermore, despite this extraordinary migratory route, few Terns die each year and can live for up to 34 years! Truly fascinating.

Not only is this a wonderfully curious piece of research it is significant for us here at Discover the World as the Arctic Tern has long been part of our history. Discover the World began in 1983 operating holidays to Iceland and the Arctic and appropriately we adopted the Tern as our logo. Soon, we began introducing new holiday destinations with our expanding portfolio reaching as far as Antarctica. The Arctic Tern thus then became even more symbolic of our company, embodying not only the destinations we travel to but the unique and specialist operator, that is Discover the World.

Joanna Lumley's Search for the Northern Lights

Yes, if you missed the wonderful (previously aired) programme, In the Land of the Northern Lights, that follows Joanna Lumley’s search for the aurora borealis then you’ll be pleased to hear that it is being shown again on Wednesday 13 January on BBC 4 at 8pm.

For me, this programme captures the magic and enchantment of the north as Joanna travels to Lapland and Svalbard for her chance to witness the incredible northern lights. If you have been lucky enough to observe natures own light show I am sure you will agree it is a memory that will stay with you forever…

So tune in, be inspired and make your own journey there. Find out more >> 

Start training for the first ever Australian Outback Marathon!

If your 2010 New Year’s Resolution was ‘this will be the year I run a marathon’, then why not look further afield, beyond snow-covered London, to the spectacular Australian Outback... 

The Red Centre will host the first ever Australian Outback Marathon on 31st July 2010, with the majestic Uluru (Ayers Rock) as its backdrop. The Marathon, Half Marathon, 11km and 6km courses will be predominantly off-road, made up of bush trails, access roads and tracks as well as unsealed roads. Only a small amount of the course will be run on sealed roads. The running surface will consist mainly of the famous ‘red earth’ that is such an iconic feature of Australia’s vast outback. And whilst running through a desert sounds a little daunting, July is winter in Australia with average daytime temperatures at Uluru of around 21 degrees Celsius. 

Proceeds from the marathon will go to the Australian Heart Foundation, helping to improve the cardiovascular health of Aboriginal Australians, who currently are nearly three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-indigenous Australians.

If marathon-running didn’t quite make your list of resolutions this year (there’s always next year, eh?!) then why not cheer the runners on, before slipping off to enjoy a glass of champagne as the sun sets over Uluru…  Now that’s a New Year’s resolution I would happily keep!