The countries of the Middle East offer a wealth of interest to the visitor, from the incredible history of Egypt to the modern metropolis of Dubai. With guaranteed sunshine, top quality hotels and short flight times, it’s no wonder this region is so popular. There’s nowhere quite like Egypt for accessible history, unique sights, amazing diving and guaranteed weather, and its all just a 5 hour flight away! While it’s seen its fair share of change in the last few years, once Egypt is back on its feet it will return to its place as one of the world’s best visitor destinations. A Nile cruise is a superb option for taking in a few thousand years of history in comfort, while the Pyramids and Sphinx should be on  anyone’s ‘must see’ list. Divers flock to the Red Sea and it’s easy to see why, plus there’s loads for non-divers too. Dubai has firmly established itself as one of the world’s leading destinations over the last few years, and offers an incredible range of lu...

Darren checks out Egypt's history from the air!  This month we're celebrating our 10th birthday at  Escape Worldwide , and looking back at 10 years of globetrotting in the name of bringing you great holidays - at least that's our excuse! We're having a look at our personal top 10 favourite travel experiences of the last 10 years. "I'm a huge fan of Egypt's historical sites - I think it dates back to my school days when tales of Pharaoh's and their treasures buried in the desert really captured my imagination! The thing to my mind that's so wonderful about Egypt's history is how accessible it is, and how easy it is to picture the scene thousands of years old - so many temples and other sites are so well preserved, it has to be the best place in the world for any history buff!  Balloon over Luxor at sunrise Luxor probably has the highest concentration of antiquities of any part of Egypt, and the West Bank is pro...

At Number 3...... Sightseeing Beer We love a spot of sightseeing when we’re on holiday, but we also like a beer or two, and we’d hate for one to get in the way of the other. On a Nile cruise , you can enjoy a cold Stella or Sakara beer while gently cruising down the Nile and seeing the sights as you go – the best of both worlds! The beauty of a Nile cruise is that it’s packed with interest yet is very relaxing – OK, there are some early starts and you’ll take in an incredible amount of history, but there’s plenty of time to chill out and relax on board, and with most boats having a sundeck and swimming pool, you’ll come away as relaxed – and tanned – as you would on a beach holiday.   Over the years we’ve visited Egypt more times than we can remember, and we’ve narrowed our beer of choice down to two – Stella (nothing to do with the Belgian brand) and Sakara. Stella has been around for well over 100 years while Sakara is far newer - unlike the pyramids it’s named after! In th...

Yes is the answer to that, Darren recently visited a lovely hotel in Makadi Bay in Egypt call the Makadi Palace Family Star which is a beautiful 5* hotel and offers a great all inclusive package. The Makadi Palace Family Star has fantastic family rooms that sleep upto 2 adult and 4 children (11 and under) and what’s even better is that the children only pay £399 per child anytime of year, making it a great value option. The rooms are well configured with a large sofa bed, two separate single beds which are screened for the living area and a separate bedroom for the adults! Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/   The hotel offers a comprehensive all inclusive which allows you to dine in pretty much all of their restaurants so you’re not just stuck with the buffet. The hotel also has a good sized swimming pool, with children’s pool, various sporting activites, direct beach access, kids club even FREE wifi in the receptions. All in al...

As happy a time Christmas is, by January, there’s not better feeling than putting your feet up and taking a deep breath of relief knowing that you’ve got 300 odd days until the next round of festive cheer. But seeing as you’ve been buying gifts and treating others around you, why not reward yourself with a New Year’s getaway? Abandon the cold weather, rainy days (and maybe even snow) and fly of to somewhere with abit of winter sun. There’s many places worth going on late deals in January - Luxor would be my personal choice offering great value for money aswell as the nice weather! Other destinations I would suggest include Cairo for a slightly busier sightseeing trip. Going away in the New Year may initially seem expensive, but you can actually find some great deals - Stay for 7 nights in Luxor 3* from just £309! Or see the amazing Pyramids in Cairo 4* for 4 nights from £599 Dubai or Abu Dhabi for either a beach or city break are also great options - Stay for 5 nights in Dubai 3* fr...

Hi everyone, On our newsletter this week we focused on triple centre holidays, check it out: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Apr11b2.html Again Escape Worldwide staff have visited the places featured and a couple of my favourites have to be: SRI LANKA from £1139 pp KANDY, SIGIRIYA & BEACH Explore one of our favourite destinations - start in cultural Kandy before continuing to the historical areas around Sigiriya. Finally, hit the beach for some relaxation. Why not include your own Private Car + Driver for only an extra £58 per person! Check out the details: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/sri2.PDF More great holidays to Sri Lanka can be found at: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/ind/destin/sriT4.shtml THAILAND from £1145 pp BANGKOK, PATTAYA & PHUKET        A great mix of lively and relaxing - vibrant Bangkok, lively Pattaya and the peaceful beaches of north Phuket, all in one amazing tr...

Hi all, This week we have some FAB special offers and holiday ideas, check em out: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Mar11d2.html For starters we have a great offer to the 4*+ Calabash Hotel in Grenada, have a look at the details: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/carib3.PDF 7 nts B&B at the 4*+ Calabash Hotel  - from £1375 per person Or how about Christmas in Kenya , 5nts Safari  followed by 5nts in Mombasa  from only £2189 per person, See the details: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/saf3.PDF How about a bargain to Egypt  - 7nts Nile Cruise  followed by 7nts relaxing on the Red Sea  from only £899 per person and that on an All Inclusive basis as well! More details at http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/egypt10.PDF Finally, Maldives , only £912 per person staying at the 5* Kurumba in the Maldives , amazing value!  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/mle6.PDF W...

Hi everyone, Yep winter has arrived, how cold has it gone. Well how about some sun before Christmas, 7 nts, all inclusive for only £439 per person. Check out Escape Worldwides  latest offers: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Oct10c2.html We have a brilliant deal to Taba in Egypt , staying at the lovely 4* Three Corners El Wekala  for only £439 per person, yes ALL INCLUSIVE for only £439 per person.... amazing! Fancy something a bit different, then how about your own Pool Villa  in the desert close to Dubai  staying at the stunning 5* Banyan Tree Al Wadi   - 5 night BB for only £1091 per person, true luxury in different and stunning setting. Check out more of the fantastic holidays  we have at http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk Happy travelling Darren Escape Worldwide

Hi fellow travellers, This week we are looking some of the great Multi Centre Holidays . See our latest newsletter http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Jul10b.html  for more details and some great holiday ideas. Probably my favorite of this weeks batch is the Egypt  triple centre holiday. This great holiday includes a staying in Cairo  home of the amazing Pyramids, followed by a cruise down the Nile  for the amazing temples and finally 2 nights in fascinating Aswan . All in all Egypt  is a simply fantastic country and has to be visited! Karen and Mark were in Egypt only 4 weeks ago and did the same itinerary and loved it, and saw numerous boats on the Nile and also plenty of hotels in Cairo and Aswan so give them a call! 020 8989 0970! Oh and Natalie just got back last night from Sharm  so give her a call if you fancy a relaxing holiday  on the stunning Red Sea! If Egypt  isn’t for you then check out some of the...

Hi All, Blimey where has the week gone, can't believe it been a week since our last newsletter.....still they say time flies when you're having fun, well if you can call BA striking fun! Anyway, here our latest newsletter: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/May10c2.html This week we are looking at freebies, yep everyone likes something for free, so cheap out the extras on these holidays Taba is Egypt is a beautiful place, perfect to kick back and chil for a week or two, especially in the luxury of the 5* Hyatt Regency ! At this lovely hotel we can offer a complimentary upgrade to a seaview room, though only for a limited period and on certain dates so book soon! Or how about staying free in Bali ! Well if you pay for 4 nights at the lovely Mercure Sanur Bali then you'll get an extra 4 for free to top up your tan on the beach! Zanzibar is probably one of my favorite islands in the world and not only can we offer a superb all inclusive stay on the beach...

Hi all, Yep time for some more great holiday ideas: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/May10b2.html This week we'll looking at some very varied options. Firstly a Nile Cruise holiday in Egypt . A Nile Cruise is a great way to see many of the amazing sites upper Egypt has to offer and there is no better way of doing this in 5* comfort on board the MS Da Vinci . Mark and Karen in our office have just return last week from the a Nile Cruise so give them a call! Or how about a holiday to Penang in Malaysia . Penang is a great beach resort, Ok so not the best beach in Malaysia , but it has such a vibe and an amazing array of places to eat and drink. It's a great all rounder! One of our favorite types of holiday is a safari and the Thorn Tree Safari in Kenya has to be one of our best. It's a great introduction to this part of the world and promises to give you memories of a lifetime. Check out all the safaris we offer at http://www.safariescapes.co.uk ...

Hi All, Blimey what a mad week, who would have thought that some ash could cause such chaos! Escape Worldwide have been working closely with Tour Operators and Airlines and everyone one who has travelled with us are safe and well, most are home though others have having a great time.....a few days extra in the sun! No honestly they are, we've spoken to a couple and they are loving the delay...... Hopefully the problem has now pasted and we can get on with the job of offering some great holidays! This weeks newsletter focus on Escorted Touring holidays: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Apr10d2.html Check them out......we have some great options! Probably one of my favorites is the Pearl of the Caribbean tour in Cuba . Cuba is such a great place with so much history and culture and some simply stunning beach. The Pearl of the Caribbean tour is a great way to take in the West of the island with a local guide..... amazing! If Cuba isn't up your street then check o...

He fellow travellers, Egypt is the focus of out latest Holiday Ideas for 2010: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/special/2010egyptb.html Egypt is a fascinating mix of sun, beaches and culture and a must see, especially the ancient Pyramids at Giza in Cairo . We've got some great holiday options for you including an fantastic Nile Cruise , which is a great way to see many of Egypt's amazing sites. Short on time then how about a City break to Cairo , home of the amazing Pyramids and also the fascinating Egyptian Museum. Why not see the full range of holidays we offer to Egypt: http://www.redseaescapes.co.uk . Egypt not for you, then check out the range of amazing long-haul holidays we have: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk Happy travelling! Darren

Hi all, We have some great holiday offers to Pattaya in Thailand, Cairo in Egypt and a great tour of Vietnam this week. Check them out: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Sep09b2.html I was fortunate enough to go to Vietnam last year and it is a truly amazing place. The people are so open and friendly, which is surprising considering their checkered history. The food is great and there is so much to see and do. I loved Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), it's a mad place with motorcycles all over the place and it is a true challenge just to cross the road! Cairo is another great place and when I came up to the Pyramids at Giza was pleasantly surprise to see that they didn't disappoint ! Happy travelling! Darren

Check out Escape Worldwides latest holiday ideas: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Jul09d2.html We have some great holiday ideas to Thailand and Egypt. Also Tanzania is a great place for an amazing safari. Why not stop by: http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

On a trip to Jordan, Mark explored the famed city of Petra. “I’m a huge fan of the Middle East’s history, with locations such as Abu Simbel in Egypt and Crac Des Chevaliers in Syria amongst my favourites. Somewhere like Jordan packs so much history in to such a small country – it’s truly fascinating. Petra has always been on my list of places to see (probably as a result of the Indiana Jones movies!) so when I was in Aqaba, there was no excuse not to visit. Being August, though, high temperatures meant that it was going to be hot going! The entrance to Petra is really breathtaking – you’ve probably seen it on TV, but the narrow gap in the rocks known as the Siq that opens up in to the city itself makes for a spectacular entrance – with 200 metre high cliffs towering above you, the sense of adventure is at its height. Petra itself covers a fairly large area, so I found it useful to break it up in to different areas, to make the most of the location – and to avoid overdoing things in the...

I was recentlyh on a trip to Egypt with #EscapeWorldwide. I’m a big fan of Egypt and its history – to my mind it’s the kind of history that’s obvious. Perhaps I was scarred at school by visits to Roman ruins that looked more like a pile of rocks than the remains of a powerful civilization, but these days I’m not too in to historical sights, but Egypt is different. Here, history comes alive and you can really see how these temples and statues that are thousands of years old would have been in their heyday. What’s more, you don’t have to travel too far, or get too far off the beaten track, to take it all in – my idea of ideal history! Luxor itself is the main gateway to Upper Egypt’s historical highlights, and while you won’t get to see the Pyramid at Giza from here, most other well-known Egyptian sites are easily accessible for the town. It’s a fairly small town that’s straightforward to negotiate, focussed along the east bank of the Nile, giving the town an impressive setting. The Corn...