Escape Worldwide is a long haul travel agent based in the UK. We specialise in various destinations such as Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania and Cuba and many of the places we feature have been visited by us. See http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk for more info!
Thursday, 14 November 2019
Amazing Elephant Hills, Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
We have some great holiday ideas to this amazing part of Thailand - http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/thailand/elephant_hills_khao_sok_national_park.html
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Cruise and stay with Escape Worldwide ⛴🛳
Cruises are amongst the most popular types of holidays at
the moment, effortlessly taking you to different destinations throughout your
trip - without the need to keep packing & unpacking! Settle in to your ship
and wait for the world come to you, ideally with a good book and a gin &
tonic.
At Escape Worldwide we tend to focus on Cruise & Stay
Holidays, with the cruise as part of your trip but with a whole load more
included too. Invariably you’ve flown to your departure port, so rather than
heading straight from the airport to the port we’ll include a few days to
explore the destination - places such as Singapore, New Orleans, Cape Town, and
Dubai deserve more time than just passing through. After you’ve disembarked we
can take you on to another location to round off your trip - a beach resort,
perhaps, or another city. Fly onwards from Singapore to Bali or Phuket, take a
train from New Orleans to Memphis, pick up a rental car as you return to Cape Town
and head to the Winelands, or transfer
to the beaches of Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah from the port at Dubai.
Cruise ships and cruise lines vary enormously, so it’s vital
to make sure you’re on board a ship that’s going to suit you. There’s been a
plethora of mega-ships launched in recent years, with anything up to 2750
cabins onboard - perfect if you want a huge array of dining options, round the
clock entertainment and more leisure activities than you can cope with. If the
thought of a mega-ship terrifies you then there are options that are altogether
more personal & boutique in style, with fine dining & intimate
entertainment, often focusing on smaller ports.
From family-friendly to adult-only, terribly British to
truly international, great value to simply luxurious, there’s a huge variety of
cruise ships, cruise lines and destinations available.
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Tuesday, 6 August 2019
The stunning Indian Ocean.....Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and more! 😎🏖☀
The islands of the Indian Ocean are surprisingly varied,
ranging from cultural melting pots to dots on the horizon - it’s important to
pick the right one for you! The gorgeous islands of the Maldives are probably
the most beautiful beach destination we’ve ever been to - picture postcard
stuff, and then some! Each resort is an island in its own right, and as you
can't really get off your island it’s important to make sure that your resort
is ideal for you.
The Maldives is perfect for relaxation and gentle activity -
if it’s sightseeing and culture you’re after, you’re in the wrong place! Water based
activities are popular - if you want decent snorkelling and diving (it’s world-class
here) then look for an island with a house reef, or if you prefer to potter in
the shallows with a good book and a glass of sauvignon blanc (we’re definitely
the latter!) then you need an island with a lagoon. Some resorts come with hefty
price tags, so it’s important to get things right!
Beautiful Mauritius is a great option if you like to get
away from it all, but still with a few things to see and do outside of your
hotel - it’s a larger island with more to it than just beautiful beaches. We
love colourful Port Louis, the small capital which has great markets and a
local feel, and the nearby Pamplemousses Gardens are a must for anyone with an
interest in local flora. Combine Mauritius with the likes of Dubai or Cape Town
for something a little different.
The tiny islands of the Seychelles are spread over a vast
area, and are truly in the middle of nowhere. Tiny Mahe is the main island and
where most visitors head to, but for us a spot of island hopping is essential.
Take the ferry to nearby Praslin or a short flight to the likes of Silhouette
island or La Digue. It’s a very relaxed part of the world where the emphasis is
on the environment - All Inclusive hotels aren’t really found here to encourage
you to explore and use local restaurants.
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Friday, 7 June 2019
We adore South Africa......
We ADORE South Africa! It really has
to be one of the most spectacular countries on the planet, with dramatic
scenery at every turn - add in fabulous wildlife, great cities, a lovely climate
(rarely too hot, rarely too cold) and some of the best food & wine (we’re
easily swayed!) anywhere, and it’s easy to see why South Africa is one of our
favourite places!
All South Africa trips should take in CapeTown at some point - talk about an incredible city! The setting is stunning,
with Table Mountain as its backdrop, plus there’s loads to see and do. We love
the hop-on hop-off buses that will take you to all of the main sights,
including the beaches of Camps Bay and the seals of Hout Bay. Be sure to head down
to the Cape Peninsula – dramatic scenery, incredible flora & fauna, and all
just a short drive form the city. South Africa is perfect for a Fly-Drive holiday,
or we can also arrange an Escorted Tour, or just a few days in a couple of locations
with transfers included if you prefer not to drive. Driving is easy, though, and
this is where South Africa really comes in to its own.
One of the most famous drives is the classic
Garden Route, but there are many ways to take in this area - we love
including a bit of the Karoo region with its barren landscapes and quirky
towns. And don’t get us started on the Winelands – anywhere that has a hop-on
hop-off tram for wine tasting is top of our list!
South Africa is also home to
some excellent wildlife too, with Kruger National Park leading the way
plus numerous private game reserves offering easy game viewing coupled with
impressive accommodation options - anyone for safari tents with private plunge
pools?! All in all it’s the diversity and natural beauty that makes South
Africa so special - plus it’s great value for money, and did we mention the
wine?! It’s a big country so don't try to do too much in one go, but we’re sure
that you’ll be planning your return trip to take in another area of the Country
before you’ve even got home!
Escape Worldwide
Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Our Top Trips in 2018 - Mark in Australia
We're continuing our look back at our teams travels this
week - Mark visited Australia on an epic three-state trip, starting in Sydney,
moving to Victoria and driving most of the Queensland Coast in a campervan -
here's a quick look at the highlights of his Aussie adventure. . . .
Starting in Sydney
The first time I visited Australia was 27 years ago as an
18-year old backpacker, but I'm always excited to go back - it's one of the
most diverse, incredible countries on the planet. As with many visits Down
Under I started in Sydney, which is a very easy city to get to grips with - for
me, if you stay anywhere between Central Station and Circular Quay you can't go
too far wrong, and it's such as easy place to explore. I stayed right in the
middle of Sydney at the Grace Hotel, which has pretty much everything you want
to see within a 20 minute walk - I took in the Sydney Tower Eye, Darling
Harbour and the amazing Sydney Opera House, all on foot.
One of my highlights of my stay in Sydney was a trip to
the fabulous Taronga Zoo , located
across the harbour from the city centre - one of the best aspects of a visit
here is the journey, taking a ferry from under the Harbour Bridge and past the
Opera House - spectacular! The zoo itself is home to a superb array of animals,
with plenty of indigenous Australian wildlife - a great place to start an
Aussie adventure!
Melbourne & Victoria
A quick flight took me from Sydney to Melbourne, which is
such a likeable city - OK so there's no iconic Opera House or Harbour Bridge,
but it's all about the lifestyle here, with superb restaurants and funky bars,
amazing wines & beers, and fresh local produce. I stayed close to the
excellent Queen Victoria Market at the City Tempo Apartments - staying in an
apartment for a few days if you're on a longer trip is a great idea as they
come with handy laundry facilities! I spent a great few days enjoying Melbourne
- including a fair few beers at my new favourite Victoria pub, the quirky
Ponyfish Island, in the middle of the Yarra River!
Victoria is one of the best Australian states for exploring
by car, with a landscape that changes constantly and not quite the epic
distances of some of the larger states. It's a very easy drive down to Lorne,
for example, which is the start of the iconic Great Ocean Road, one of the
world's most famous drives - spend a few days heading along the coast to
Warrnambool to take in the stunning scenery, before looping back inland to the
gorgeous Grampians National Park.
Driving through Queensland
Back in 1991 I spent 6 months in Queensland, working in a
supermarket on the Gold Coast and camping throughout the state, so I've always
had a soft spot for this part of the country. This time I decided to hire a
campervan and drive from Cairns in the north all the way down to Surfers
Paradise in the south - almost 2000 km, and I only had a week! A campervan is a
great way to explore the more rural areas of Australia, although it's not
always the cheapest way of doing it - but pulling up at a beachside park and
cracking open a beer to watch the sun set is truly special.
From Cairns I took a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef,
which is a 'must do' for any visitor - I'm not a great swimmer and certainly
not a diver, so I travelled to Quicksilver's platform at Agincourt Reef, which
caters brilliantly to everyone from qualified divers to those who don't even
want to get their feet wet - underwater viewing rooms, submarines, easy
snorkelling and advanced diving are all available here - I even took a helicopter
trip over the Reef, which was just amazing!
As you travel through Queensland you can see the landscape
changing from the tropical north to the sugar cane plantations further south -
you really get a sense of just how big Australia is! Highlights for me included
the gorgeous Whitsunday Islands (OK, so the weather was having an off day and
the world's most beautiful beach - Whitehaven - was in torrential rain!) and a
return trip to the Gold Coast, to catch up with old friends. Lots of Brits have
connections to Australia, so it's a great excuse to visit the country to pop in
on old friends!
I'm a huge fan of Australia and this trip was packed with
highlights and memories - for me it's one of the best countries anywhere for a
driving adventure, and I'm already planning my next visit!
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Tuesday, 5 February 2019
Karen in New York, Miami & Las Vegas
We're having a look back at some of our favourite travels
from last year - Karen headed to the USA, visiting New York, Miami and Las
Vegas, on an action-packed trip. Here's a quick look at the highlights of her
visit State-side . . . .
I've been to various parts of the States before, but this
was my first trip to New York - it's one of those cities that's so well known
on TV and in films that you kind of feel that you know it already, so it did
feel like I was on a movie set at times - or at least in an episode of Friends!
I chose to stay close to Penn station as I was taking the
train to my next destination - the Wyndham New Yorker is in such a handy
location, plus I love the Art Deco feel of the place. I used the hop-on hop-off
buses quite a bit - what a great way to get around and to take in all the main
sights - plus I took a cruise out towards the Statue of Liberty, which was fab!
There's so much to see and do that you could go back time and time again and
see new things, but as this was my first trip to the Big Apple there were some
basics I wanted to do - the Empire State Building, Central Park and One World
Trade Center were top of my list.
I also wanted to catch some sport and take in a bit of
nightlife, but being short of time I tried to combined the two - being an avid
Liverpool fan I managed to watch one of their matches at the fantastic
Carragher's Bar in Midtown Manhattan, but given the time difference the match
started at 8 am so the 'nightlife' aspect didn't quite work out. Still, it's
beer o'clock somewhere in the world - and at least the Reds won!
I then took the train from New York to Miami - we book a lot
of holidays with trains in the US but not normally this route as it's around 30
hours, but as I was travelling with my husband and he's a train nut, I didn't
really have the choice! Thankfully it was great fun - we had a fab little cabin
- and it was fascinating to see the US countryside pass by. If you're
interested in travelling by train in the US just give me a call and I can tell
you all about it!
I love Miami - I hadn't expected it to be quite so
entertaining! It has to be one of the best places for people-watching I've ever
been to - anywhere! We spent an enjoyable few days just watching the world go
by in South Beach - Miamians love to see and be seen, so we took a seat in a
bar with a view and sat back to take it all in! I was lucky enough to stay at
the iconic Fontainebleu Hotel, a gorgeous Art Deco property set right on the
beach - it's a resort in itself so there was barely any need to leave, but with
so much going on in Miami we took the opportunity to explore. It's an amazing
place, and the architecture in South Beach is fabulous - a great place for a
lazy day of mooching (and people-watching!)
I also visited Las Vegas, a city that's been on my wish list
for some time - and I wasn't disappointed! What an incredible place - such a
buzz! I was treated to a stay at the
new-look Park MGM (if it's good enough for Lady Gaga's residency then it will
suit me just fine!) and as it's in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip the
location is perfect for taking in this incredible city - it really is like
nowhere else I've ever been to!
My USA trip finished with a helicopter flight over The Strip
- what a way to finish an amazing itinerary!
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
Sunday, 13 January 2019
Our Top Trips in 2018 - Darren in Bali & Java
As 2019 gets underway we've been having a look back at our
favourite trips of 2018 - we love to travel at Escape Worldwide, and one of
Darren's favourite trips last year (there were many to choose from!) was to
Indonesia, taking in the islands of Bali and Java. Here's a quick look at his
highlights . . . .
I've been to Bali a number of times over the years, but this time
I also visited a totally new place for me, the neighbouring island of Java. On
Bali I based myself in the lively resort of Seminyak - probably my favourite
part of the island - but explored all the main resorts. When I say 'explored' I
actually mean 'bar-crawled' - there's no better way to get to know a place!
Seminyak has a real buzz to it, with loads of restaurants and
bars, but it's not as lively as Kuta. For me the reason I love Seminyak is for
sunsets - grab a beanbag on the beach and a cold Bintang beer, and watch the
sun set in spectacular style. The next evening I headed down to Jimbaran,
towards the south of the island, which has a very different feel - it's much
more relaxed than Seminyak, with a glorious stretch of beach and loads of local
seafood restaurants dotted along the
shore. For a few Pounds I had an incredible meal, with my feet in the sand
sitting under the stars.
My final stop was in Sanur, on the east coast - so no spectacular
sunsets - but for me this resort is ideal if you like a buzz, but not too late
night partying. There's a string of places to eat and drink along the beach
footpath, with low prices and plenty of choice. I had a fabulous meal at Cafe
Bamboo, set right on the beach. All of Bali's beach resorts are very different
so it's important to get the right one for you - if you're not sure which, just
ask me!
For me Bali really becomes special as you head away from the
coastal resorts and start to explore the interior a little - this is where you really start to see the uniqueness of the
island's culture, and the beauty of its scenery. I drove through the
countryside passing through small villages, many of which were gearing up for a
festival that evening - there's always something to celebrate on Bali! On the
way up to Bali there's a string of small villages, each of which specialises in
a particular craft - woodwork in Mas, wind chimes in Sukawati and silver
jewellery in Celuk. I'm not allowed to buy any crafts on my trips any more (I
got banned after an incident with a giraffe carving in Kenya) but it's a great
place to window shop!
Ubud itself is a small town in the hills, but the Ubud 'area'
takes in gorgeous scenery of rice terraces and river gorges of the surrounding
countryside. The town is packed with restaurants, shops and galleries, but for
me it was the tranquility of the countryside that really stood out. I visited
the friendly Wapa Di Ume Resort, set just outside the town itself and
surrounded by beautiful scenery - as soon as you arrive you feel relaxed (the
food here is amazing!) There are plenty of hotels in this area, and a few days
away from the coast will really show you a different side to the island.
For me the highlight of this trip was Java, an incredibly diverse
island of stunning scenery, energetic cities and an incredible history. I
travelled overland from Bali to Yogyakarta in Central Java, travelling via
Mount Bromo on the way.
Mount Bromo is an active volcano and probably the most spectacular
place I've ever been - although to do it justice you have to see the mountain
as the sun rises, so it involves a 3 am start (after an 11 hour drive to get
there!) Mount Bromo smoulders away and is one of three volcanoes standing in
the vast crater that's 10 km across. After sunrise I climbed up to the rim of
the volcano itself (seemed like a good idea at the time!), at which point you
can really feel the ferocity of it.
From Mount Bromo it was another epic journey through Java to the
city of Yogyakarta, the heart of the island and a city rich in culture &
history. Yogya is fascinating, but for me the highlights were just outside the
city - two phenomenal temple complexes that really took my breath away!
Borobudur is the world's largest Buddhist monument and it straddles a whole
hillside, with its 500 or more Buddha statues gazing serenely over the
surrounding countryside. Nearby is Prambaban, one of the largest Hindu temples
in South East Asia, with the 1200 year old structures telling stories of their
era.
I've been to Bali a number of times before but it's such a vibrant
island and there's always somewhere new to discover. Java came as a bit of a
surprise, and I'd say that it was my highlight of the year. Including Yogyakarta
in an itinerary is surprisingly straightforward and I'd highly recommend it to
anyone!
Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk
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