Thailand 'most Popular' for gap Years

Thousands of students opened their A-Level results yesterday, and Abta, the travel association, estimates that around 24,000 of them will spend much or all of the next 12 months overseas.
It reported that Thailand was proving to be the most popular choice among school leavers, followed by Australia, the US and South Africa.
Other favourites were Peru, popular with those hoping to tackle the Inca Trail; Vietnam, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ha Long Bay, Hoi An and Mỹ Son; and Brazil, famous for beaches, jungle treks, and sprawling cities. India, New Zealand, and Fiji completed the top ten.
Abta suggested that rising tuition fees had encouraged more young Britons to take a gap year, adding that several of its members had reported a rise in bookings compared to last year.
Victoria Bacon, head of communications at Abta, said: “Gap years have become even more popular among British teenagers since the rise in tuition fees in 2012 and increased competition for graduate jobs, with many students now looking to travel experiences to help make their gap year stand out on the CV.

“There is now an incredible choice of activities and destinations to support young travellers in developing and learning new skills,” she added. “It’s very important that if you’re planning a gap year, you research your options thoroughly: talk to a travel professional, who will be able to offer you advice about destinations and experiences; check travel advice with Abta and the Foreign Office and always book with a reputable company.”
To help those students considering a year out, Telegraph Travel has compiled its annual Gap 100, featuring our pick of the most trustworthy gap year travel companies and websites.
We’ve also published a list of ten essential questions to ask when organising your trip, and several case studies from recently returned gap year travellers (see below).
Telegraph Travel’s gap year coverage
The gap year 100
Browse our annual directory of the best gap year travel companies, whether you're looking to learn a skill or language, volunteer, work, or simply embark on a great adventure.
Essential questions
What questions should someone planning a gap year ask before committing to a project?
How voluntourism changed my life
Wycliffe Sande, born into poverty in Uganda and orphaned at 13, explains how a volunteering project transformed his fortunes.
Gap year case study: learning a language
Felix Legge relives his experiences of learning Russian in Moscow.
Gap year case study: on the anti-poaching patrol
William Oborne describes working with rangers in Zimbabwe as part of a programme to protect rhinos from poachers.
Gap year case study: a sponsored career break
Alex Ball talks about taking a sponsored career break that saw him visiting various companies while travelling around America.
Gap year case study: training to be a ski instructor
Jenny Beard discusses her time training to be a ski instructor in the French Alps, and teaching skiing in Japan.
Gap year case study: volunteering in Uganda
Oli Denton describes his time volunteering and playing rugby in Uganda for the Lessons for Life Foundation.

Emirates Palace celebrates Eid at Ramadan Pavilion

The month long celebration of Ramadan has come to a close in the Middle East, with Emirates Palace welcoming guests to an Eid ceremony at a specially constructed pavilion to mark the occasion.The custom built pavilion sits on hundreds of square metres of ground, overlooking the beach on one side and stunning façade of the hotel on the other, and incorporated the existing 12- metre-high palm trees and grand fountain of the palace terrace.Thousands of guests visited during the holy month, with hundreds more enjoying the spectacle during Eid.Emirates Palace, the icon of Emirati hospitality in the UAE, this year partnered with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Wahat Al Zawiya to create a special Ramadan experience for residents and guests.

Alexander Schneider, Emirates Palace hotel manager said: “After providing a limited Ramadan experience in 2012, Emirates Palace decided this year to create an out-of-this-world venue for residents and guests that truly reflects the legendary Emirati hospitality.”The elegant design of the Ramadan pavilion incorporated the signature gold and traditional Mashribiya details of Emirates Palace in a light and airy space.Comfortable seating spread throughout the pavilion created cosy enclaves to enjoy time with friends and family throughout the holy month.

Built as an iconic landmark showcasing Arabian culture and hospitality at its finest, Emirates Palace, managed by Kempinski, has created an enviable niche in luxury hospitality, welcoming world leaders, celebrities, global business travellers and leisure guests with a truly memorable and unique experience, luxurious contemporary facilities and amenities in comfortable and traditional Arabian surroundings with personalized world class service.

Situated on a 1.3 km stretch of private white pristine beach and on 100 hectares of manicured lawns and lush landscaped gardens, Emirates Palace comprises 394 luxury rooms and suites and a variety of award winning dining options.The resort’s leisure facilities include two intricately landscaped swimming pools one to refresh and relax and one perfectly designed for adventure and family fun, an Anantara spa, tennis courts, and a state of the art fitness centre.

Cathal O’Connell chief executive bmi regional

When British Midland International was finally subsumed into International Airlines Group, owners of British Airways, in 2012 it was by no means clear that offshoot bmi regional would be able to make it on its own. Yet a little over a year later the airline has established itself as a niche carrier, offering scheduled passenger services across the UK and Europe. As chief executive Cathal O’Connell explains to Breaking Travel News: “The hardest task we faced at the offset was telling people we still exist. With International Airlines Group taking over bmi, there is a misconception bmi regional is no longer in operation. However, this is obviously not the case.” Perhaps airline passengers could be forgiven for their mistake. bmi baby, a smaller subsidiary in the BMI stable, could not be saved and was closed down on September 10th 2012. In contrast, canny management and investment from Sector Aviation Holdings, a private company operated by the Bond Family behind Bond Offshore Helicopters, saved the larger bmi regional. A new airline was born, with new management, a new owner and a significantly increased network; up from 11 to 23 routes in summer 2013. But it was not easy, with bmi regional having to undergo a period of incubation while BMI was incorporated into International Airlines Group.

 The entire infrastructure that was used – offices, IT services, call centres, and everything else that was needed to run an airline – was provided by BMI. Following the sale, bmi regional had to rebuild all of these facilities, which is what the airline worked on for the first six months after its move until its re-launch as a standalone company in October last year. “We needed to identify what systems we needed, who we could acquire those systems from, and what staff we would need in order to make those systems run effectively. “Over time we developed a completely new infrastructure,” continues O’Connell. “We now have a new headquarters at East Midlands Airport, while operations and engineering remains in Aberdeen; having created 100 jobs over the past year, in addition to saving 300 which were on the block following the sale to IAG.” What emerged is now a materially different operation from the one that was acquired a year ago.

 This summer bmi regional operates 450 flights a week to eight countries, flying 18 aircraft - all Embraer 145 or Embraer 135 jets – and operating out of a series of regional bases, at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, East Midlands Airport and Bristol. Routes are also now focused on point-to-point services after being recalibrated away from feeder traffic needed for the former BMI parent. “The hangover from the bmi Group meant bmi regional was offering flights to Star Alliance hubs, including Frankfurt, Brussels and Copenhagen, which no longer made economic sense to the new carrier,” adds O’Connell. “All of our European routes were operating as feeder routes to Star Alliance members.

 “When we left Star Alliance the economics, not to mention the need, for these routes, disappeared.” So where to fly now? “We asked ourselves, now have these aircraft what can we do with them that makes more sense than what they are doing now?” continued O’Connell. “We recognised the aircraft we had were suited to very high frequency routes, so we looked at various markets and established those which were underserved. “We were looking for those which initially had a strong business demand, those with major companies which require the links bmi regional could provide. “We then examined the leisure opportunity on the same route, and where these two combined we considered a route; a whole range of opportunities.” A good example would be Airbus, which has a major facility in Bristol, which requires connections to Hamburg and its facilities there. Both Bristol and Hamburg are also established tourist destinations, making it a viable route for bmi regional. The carrier also has a fairly significant, and growing, non-scheduled service carrying VIPs, music groups, and sports teams to destinations around the country. But O’Connell is also quick to point out this is now low-cost carrier cherry picking routes.

 “We offer both business and economy fares – all catering onboard is free, as well as baggage carriage – the airline remains a full service carrier. “We offer the services flag-carriers offered a few years ago, and in many cases services people have forgotten about. “We aim to take the hassle out of travel,” he explains. bmi regional also owns the rights to the BMI brand, and could revert to that name, but this is not on the agenda at present. Growth instead is coming from new routes and improvements to the onboard offering. bmi regional is working on healthy options for onboard eating for example, maximising the experience for passengers. “We have also put in place a marketing campaign which tells people, yes, we do still exist,” jokes O’Connell. “We have also changed perceptions. Yes, we are a business airline, but we also offer leisure services.

 “We have more new routes in the pipeline, not just departing from the UK, but also within Europe. “We now fly into the major airports, but less for connections – our passengers now tend to be flying to their destinations, rather than toward an onward flight. “That said, looking at codeshare agreements with global carriers to offer more opportunity to our passengers. “This is good for us, and for them, offering regional airports to international passengers.” Just a year in bmi regional has established itself as a viable carrier, no mean feat in troubling times. With competition getting tighter all the time it might be a bumpy ride yet, but the carrier is certainly pointed in the right direction.

Giverny and Versailles Small Group Day Trip from Paris

After picking you up at the doorstep of your downtown hotel in Paris, our guide will take you for a wonderful day outside of Paris.This day will lead you first to the edge of Normandy, where you will visit Claude Monet's home, the "Father of Impressionism". There you will discover the famous gardens created by the impressionist painter, and the well known Japanese bridge in the midst of its flowered paths and wather-lily ponds.

"Claude Monet's property at Giverny, left by his son to the Académie des Beaux-arts in 1966, has, after completion of large scale restoration work, become the Claude Monet Foundation, inaugurated in 1980. The house, with its pink crushed brick façade, where the leader of the Impressionist School lived from 1883 to 1926, once again has its colourful décor and intimate charin of former times. The precious collection of Japanese engravings is displayed in several rooms, hung in the marmer chosen by the master of Giverny himself.
The huge Nymphéas studio, a stone's throw from the house, has also been restored. It contains the Foundation's Shop. The gardens have been replanted as they once were and offer for the admiration of visitors the "painting from nature" which Claude Monet's contemporaries considered one of his masterpieces. The rectangular Clos Normand, with archways of climbing plants entwined around brilliantly coloured shrubs, lies before the house and studios, offering from Spring to Autumn the palette of varying colours to the painter-gardner who was "ecstatic about flowers". Lastly, the Water Garden, formed by a tributary of the Epte, lies further away, shaded by weeping willows. With its famous Japanese Bridge, its wistarias, azaleas and its pond, it has once more become that casket of sky and water which inspired the pictorial universe of the water lilies."

You will have lunch at the lovely "Moulin de Fourges" restaurant, a 200-year-old mill. The architecture of this listed site, dating back to the 18th century, draws its inspiration from the hamlet of Marie-Antoinette at Versailles. It offers a unique setting with its rural grounds and its spacious terrace on the banks of the Epte.

In the afternoon, you will be driven to Versailles Palace, residence of the Sun King, Louis XIV. There, you will visit on your own Louis XIV's suite, the Hall of Mirrors... An audio guide (included) is available in eight languages (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Chinese-Mandarin). You will also have some remaining time to discover the famous "A la Francaise" gardens.

LARGEST yachts with library and marble Jacuzzi on sale for $53 MILLION

A SUPER YACHT boasting a library and a marble jacuzzi has gone on the market for a whopping $53 million (£43.3 million).
Athena is believed to be the fourth largest sailing yacht in the world - and currently the only one in this size range up for sale.

The three-storey, 295ft long vessel was built in 2004 at the Royal Huisman Shipyard in the Netherlands.

In 2011 it underwent a revamp and is now being sold by boat dealer Burgess.
It is ideal for yachting enthusiasts and can sleep up to 10 people in the five cabins, one of which is a master suite.

The master suite has its own study, walk-in-wardrobe and Jacuzzi.

The yacht can also house 21 members of staff.

Guests can enjoy sunbathing on the outdoor lounges and working out in the onboard gym.

Across this luxurious ship's three levels there are a variety of saloons.

The world's largest cruise ship, which is almost 165 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower, has set off on its first sea trial from France. Harmony of the Seas, which cost almost £800million to build and weighs 227,000 tonnes.These include a bridge deck, media room and a large main saloon that leads to a stunning dining room.

There is also another table on the vast deck so everyone can enjoy a spot of al fresco dining.

Plus there's another study area with floor to ceiling bookshelves and plenty of storage space.

This impressive yacht has been decked out in lavish mahogany wood and teak and finished with fine furnishings. Athena also boasts impressive technology with its Panamax masts rigged with 2,500 square metres of sail power. And the hydraulically hoisted crow’s nest, which sits at 190ft high, offers panoramic views.

Its twin 3156B Caterpillar engine means this boat can cruise at a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 10 knots. Although this vessel is currently sitting in the Caribbean sporting a Cayman Islands flay, it must be sold offshore and out of US waters. The story comes after a new capsule hotel could see visitors waking up on a desert island.

http://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/776268/yacht-worlds-largest-for-sale

USA Travel Guide - New York City Expert Picks for your Vacation

From Wall Street's skyscrapers to the neon of Times Square to Central Park's leafy paths, New York City pulses with an irrepressible energy. History meets hipness in this global center of entertainment, fashion, media, and finance.

World-class museums like MoMA and unforgettable icons like the Statue of Liberty beckon, but discovering the subtler strains of New York's vast ambition is equally rewarding: ethnic enclaves and shops, historic streets of dignified brownstones, and trendy bars and eateries all add to the urban buzz.

NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANTS

Ready to take a bite out of New York? Hope you've come hungry. In a city where creativity is expressed in innumerable ways, the food scene takes center stage, with literally thousands of chances to taste what Gotham is all about. Whether lining up at street stands, gobbling down legendary deli and diner grub, or chasing a coveted reservation at the latest celebrity-chef venue.

PLAN YOUR NEW YORK CITY VACATION

From Wall Street's skyscrapers to the neon of Times Square to Central Park's leafy paths, New York City pulses with an irrepressible energy. History meets hipness in this global center of entertainment, fashion, media, and finance.

World-class museums like MoMA and unforgettable icons like the Statue of Liberty beckon, but discovering the subtler strains of New York's vast ambition is equally rewarding: ethnic enclaves and shops, historic streets of dignified brownstones, and trendy bars and eateries all add to the urban buzz.

Source: http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/new-york/new-york-city

People Peace Planet Conference Costa Rica San Jose 2010

It may be a "developing" country (although I never liked the term), but did you know that Costa Rica developed the concept of carbon credits?! Pretty innovative for such a small country with such limited financial resources! Costa Rica continues to be an innovative leader in the area of sustainable tourism and ecotourism. The title of the Second International Conference hosted in San Jose, Costa Rica earlier this month says it all! Planet, People, Peace...

For the second time, CANAECO the Ecotourism Chamber of Costa Rica, hosted the International Conference: Planet, People, Peace from November 1 to 3, 2010 in San Jos?, Costa Rica. In efforts to promote the country's model of sustainable tourism and learn from experts around the world, the Conference attracted speakers from:

Kenya, such as Joseph Ole Shuel, the Director of II N'gwesi Masai Community Lodge,
USA, such as Alex Major, the Founder and Executive Director of the Green Flight Foundation; and Erika Harms, the Senior Advisor on Tourism at the United Nations Foundation,
Canada, such as Deidre Campbell, the CEO of the Tartan Group,
England, such as Richard Denman, the Certification expert appointed for the World Ecotourism Summit by the World Tourism Organization and UNEP,
Guatemala, such as Oscar Cac from the AK Tenamit Indigenous Community development Organization,
...and oh so many more!
Others, like Hitesh Mehta (a landscape architect and world designer of ecolodges), were effectively mingling with unsuspecting participants, attending companies, organizations, and professionals, who may be unaware of the "star factor" that they may discover in stopping to chat or sharing a meal. That was the wonderful aspect of this conference! Networking with international experts, indigenous community members, and business professionals was never so effortless and real. I mean you could really share your passion and talk about real issues... maybe because the Costa Rican culture provided the perfect backdrop of friendly atmosphere to an otherwise professional event. Where else do you see professionals kiss and hug when accepting a gift on the stage?!

The format and organization of the conference encouraged an active participation and exploration, including the option of translation for English speakers like myself. Guest speakers and discussion panels on the stage were joined by interesting inquires and comments from the floor, while the stands outside of the conference room continually generated a buzz of excitement.

Coming out of this significant event and having made so many wonderful and important connections, I realised on a deeper level the achievement in sustainable tourism by this little brave country. Costa Rica has been both a pioneer and an innovator and this is why it is recognized by the world as the leader in sustainable tourism. This important intrinsic aspect is ingrained in the country's culture, government and policies, and eagerly embraced by businesses that love and cherish their little piece of paradise and the pure life (pura vida) that it offers. This is very smart of Costa Rica, because tourists continue to increase their concern about the natural environment and they are consistently choosing tourist destinations using these models of sustainability. As a result, the conference reinforced the innovative Costa Rican model, creating a responsible destination where tourists can contribute to solutions and sustainable tourism.

The next step for Costa Rica? The country may be reinventing itself yet again by changing the seal from Sustainable Tourism to Carbon Neutral, thanks to the Costa Rican national airline Nature Air, the only fully sustainable airline, among others. And perhaps in the near future the country will even become "carbon negative" - another first for Costa Rica!

Source: http://mynatour.org/econews/planet-people-peace-conference-ii-costa-rica-san-jose-2010