We’ve been chatting to our friends over at Gates Travel here in the yard this week and they’ve been sharing their top travel thoughts with us!
1. The heart of the ski season is upon us, and snowfall has been extensive in Northern Italy and the French Alps – there’s no better time to book your ski break!
2. This time of year and the next few months offer a great opportunity to experience the Northern Lights, these can be found (nature permitting) in a number of locations – Iceland is always popular (a city break with excursions from Reykjavik) and also the farthest remotest locations in Finnish Lapland (where activities can include snowshoeing, husky safari and snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm with your stay in a log cabin or glass ingloo); in the best conditions the phenomena fills the sky above.
3. Staying within (our) winter season there are regular destinations which are always well travelled, the Canary Islands, Caribbean and south of the Equator – South Africa, Australia and New Zealand (with Middle East and Asia stopovers) and more than ever, Latin America.
4. Springtime brings additional options from the less obvious city break – we have recently booked a number of trips to Valencia and Malaga – to an escorted tour around Japan following the all too brief lifespan of the cherry blossom season at it navigates south to north from late March to early May (a sakura smartphone app can be downloaded to view a forecast of the best hanami opportunities).
5. Experiential holidays are regarded as the next big thing. The reason for travelling to a particular destination can be cultural or culinary. And how you travel from on foot (easy walking to more taxing trekking) to cycling – immersive slow(er) touring.
6. The summer will eventually arrive, IT WILL!!!, and Croatia is initially appearing to be a leading contender as most asked for location. Further afield Canada is a constant featuring an abundance of varied options – self drive itineraries, rail tours through the Rockies and Alaskan cruises from the Vancouver and Victoria Island region.
If you’re looking to book your travel plans for the year ahead, pop in and talk to the lovley team at Gates, they’re always more than happy to help.