Yes, hiring a car in Cuba is an excellent way of seeing the more remote parts of Cuba. Though don’t expect the big plays like Dollar Rent A Car or Hertz. Car hire companies tend to be local Cuban companies so expect some paperwork! Pre-booking before arriving in Cuba is pretty much a must with most companies in the UK only booking the car hire as part of a complete holiday package. A few points worth remembering when hiring a car... Roads are pretty good in most of the country, but as the East is less developed some of the roads in this area can be a bit bumpy. It is more likely you’ll get stuck behind a donkey rather than another car, so progress can be slow occasionally! I found the traffic in Havana reasonably busy but once you’ve made it to the main ring road out of the city things came down a bit! Petrol stations aren’t as common as in the UK, so fill up when you see one! Cars in Cuba tend to be modern and various sizes and types available ranging from small compacts to people...

Having just returned from an amazing time in Borneo , I found that that there were so many individual experiences you could choose from. But one particular question that is often asked by potential visitors is where is the best place to see Orang-utans ? I actually got to see the Orang-utans twice whilst in Borneo. The first being in the more commonly known Sepilok. The Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre was a moving experience. After chatting to some of the Rangers within the centre, I was warned not to be disappointed if I didn’t see any as this would actually be a good thing. The Orang-utans are trained in order to return back into the Jungle, but are still fed by the Rangers if they are not quite ready to fend for themselves. This process can take years. So waiting on the viewing platform, I was standing wondering would I actually see an Orang-utan in the flesh... and as feeding time came, they appeared. I had mixed reactions at this point - Firstly, it was amazing to be so c...

Hi All,  We have some great special offers at the moment, so check out our latest newsletter at:  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Oct11b2.html This week we have some great deals to Thailand , Sri Lanka  and a  Hong Kong  / Dubai THAI TRIPLE CENTRE BANGKOK, PHUKET & KRABI   - From Only £1099 per person  Fantastic savings to Thailand - save up to £300 per person on this superb triple-centre holiday combining three of our favourite parts of the Country, taking in Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi staying in quality hotels throughout.  Check out the details:   http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/prices/offers/thai25.PDF   SRI LANKA TOUR & BEACH ALL INCLUSIVE TOUR  - From Only £1225 per person  A superb 5-night tour of Sri Lanka followed by 5 nights on beautiful Bentota Beach, with a full sightseeing programme and all meals & drinks included - saving up to £160 per person makes ...

Visiting hotels in exotic locations may sound like a dream job, but it can be really hard work – honestly! Natalie visited the Cuban beach resort of Varadero as part of a longer trip to the Caribbean ’s largest island, and certainly didn’t get time to chill on the beach! “We were spending two nights in Varadero as part of a week-long trip to Cuba, that had already taken in Havana, Pinar Del Rio and Trinidad – we’d already clocked up quite a few miles and had visited plenty of hotels. Varadero is Cuba’s largest resort so there were various hotels here I was keen to see – I was hoping two days would be enough, but it soon became clear that it wouldn’t! The hotels we’d seen in the other parts of Cuba were generally small places, quite often historic buildings, which meant that they were quite easy to visit – some had only around 15 rooms, with a restaurant and bar, and the odd one also had a pool. Cuba’s historic hotels are generally beautiful and full of character,...

Thailand ’s food is one of the highlights of any visit here, and after many years of travelling to the Country, the staff at Escape Worldwide have their own view of it! Karen used to be the biggest wimp in the office when it came to spicy food, but over the years she’s developed a real taste for Thai food. “I tend to stick to dishes that I know I like, so I don’t get any unexpected surprises. Everything is so fresh, and the seafood in particular tends to be superb – and so well priced, compared to the UK. In fact, I tend to go a bit overboard in Thailand as the food is really good value – crab cakes or spring rolls as a starter for £ 1, a main dish of a Thai curry for maybe £ 1.50, all washed down with copious quantities of Singha or Chang beer – and you still won’t have hit a fiver!” Natalie remembers one meal in particular. “I think the hottest meal I’ve ever had was in Bangkok, when I thought I’d try a Thai Green Curry. The restaurant our hotel, the Dusit Thani, su...

Hi all, We now have a regular feature in West Essex Life Magazine , so check out our first feature about holidays to Thailand  : http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/wanstead/WEL/July%202011%20-%20Thailand.pdf Happy reading! Darren Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

Hi All, Sorry for next updating the blog recently, all been a bit busy with being away and also welcoming James to our team! So what have you missed?! The following are a couple of our last newsletters that you might of missed: 48 hours in Hong Kong :  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/guide/48hrsHKG2.html We focussed on one of our favourite cities in the Far East, Hong Kong . Hong Kong is a diverse fun packed cosmopolitan city with plenty of things to see and do. The star ferry is a great, fun way to get around and cheap too. Stay either on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon with give you a chance to experience this amazing city. Read all about it in our guide:  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/guide/48hrsHKG2.html Beaches with a difference:  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk/newsletter/offers/Aug11b.html This week we looked a some amazing beach holidays with a bit of a difference. Nha Trang in Vietnam is one our our fa...