Holiday & Travel

An adventure to seek out Manni the Mud Monster, a barbeque party in the great outdoors and pony rides – this year, the BIG Family will sweep you off on an exciting summer holiday. New this year is the Serlespark in Mieders. Right next to the mountain station Koppeneck, the new Serlespark theme park and world of relaxation ensures that the whole family gets to enjoy a variety of activities on the mountain.

Sydney, Australia is awash with colour this evening as more than 90 light installations light up the city for the annual Vivid Sydney festival, projecting colourful art on the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and throughout the city. Vivid Sydney runs for 23 nights until 18 June 2016. Vivid Sydney is the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas.

As the Maldives is listed as one of the top locations for diving in the world, Kurumba Maldives wishes to encourage more guests to experience this wonderful activity, in a very unique environment. The aesthetic of the Dive Centre has been designed to provide a welcoming and open entrance which will be much easier for guests to find. Flowing spaces make up the tank room, storage and drying rooms as well as allowing for an inspiring dive school classroom; while in addition, the showers and bathrooms have been updated.

With Wimbledon fever set to strike, those inspired to dig out their dusty tennis rackets can now rediscover the racket wielding sport as Health and Fitness Travel, the leading specialists in healthy holidays worldwide, share their top tennis training holidays. Gain the advantage whether training in Thailand at a specialist sports retreat frequented by sporting stars, or diversifying your racket skills with tennis, squash and padel in Portugal.

This Father's Day, sporting dads and children are invited to celebrate with a UK break at two of de Savary family's luxury properties.  Whether it's a weekend fishing for trout and relaxing in the peace of the Cotswolds countryside, or playing a round at one of the UK's leading golf courses followed by a gourmet dinner, the de Savary Father's Day packages offer the perfect bonding breaks.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) were delighted to showcase the best of Asia's World City to over 45 high performing Travel Counsellors, as part of their annual Gold Weekend this month. Travel Counsellors is a leading independent travel company operating in seven markets with over 1,500 experts across the globe. 

Yorkshire folk are the least likely to go away this summer, with more people staying at home in Leeds than any other major UK city, World Travel Market London research reveals. Overall, 33% of Brits say they are not going to have a summer holiday this year, with the figure rising to 44% in Yorkshire. It’s even higher in the Leeds area, where 50% of residents say they are not having a summer holiday.

Even on a cold, wet day, you can be cheered up by the thought of summer on the beach.  The beach is where memories are made – building sandcastles, exploring rockpools, discovering seaweed and heading into the water to swim, surf, Stand Up Paddle Board, kayak or just paddle in the shallows.  It's a passion which started with the Georgians, who began to visit the coast in great numbers in the 18th century. 

Recent news of one of Thailand's most beautiful islands - Ko Tachai - closing due to 'excessive tourism' has sparked questions on whether it is still possible for travellers to experience the country without heavily impacting the environment.  This news comes 20 years on from the release of Alex Garland's cult novel 'The Beach' which inspired mass wanderlust to Thailand's turquoise shores.

The 238-room Radisson Blu Hotel in Edinburgh has unveiled a contemporary new look and feel - the result of a £12m investment programme.  Work to completely upgrade the Royal Mile hotel began in early 2015 and since then all guest bedrooms, meeting rooms, and public areas, have been transformed.  The hotel's ground floor space has also been restyled, creating a warm and inviting ambience throughout; whether it's for a casual meeting, a coffee in the lounge, or a lunch or dinner date in Itchycoo, the hotel's stylish bar and restaurant. 

Just 30 minutes outside Lisbon, easily accessible either by car or train, the seaside resorts of Estoril and Cascais are where national and international visitors come every summer to relax on their golden sand beaches and take in the refined ambience – expect glamorous company, elegant accommodation and myriad dining options.   

Puffin Fest, Scotland's celebration of the iconic puffin, returns to the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick, for the third consecutive year from 20 to 30 May. During the 10-day festival, the award-winning visitor attraction will host a family-friendly programme of activities, aimed at inspiring locals and visitors alike to learn more about the 'clowns of the sea', while also highlighting the importance of conserving and protecting Scotland's seabirds for future generations.

There is good news afoot for travellers who want to discover the unspoiled charm, spectacular scenery and adventure pursuits of the Caribbean destination of St. Kitts.  Until 17 May 2016, British Airways is offering huge savings on holidays to St. Kitts. Whether visiting the island for the first time or returning, now is the time to check out St Kitts for options available before it's too late. 

The VOLT Festival,  29 June – 2 July 2016 winner of the Best-Medium Sized Festival in 2015, takes place in Sopron close to the Austrian border in Hungary. It's easily reached by train from Budapest and this year's line-up includes Iron Maiden, The Prodigy, Damien Rice, Stereo MC's and Slayer. The festival attracts around 100,000 people each year and has become one of the most popular and diverse festivals in Europe.