View from a houseboat Mark was on on a recent trip to Kerala in India. Mark spent  the night on a stunning houseboat, cruising around the backwaters of Kerala. Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

Mark is a great fan of Mombasa in Kenya and on his recent visit he did a bit of shopping: Whenever I travel overseas I always bring back a few knickknack souvenirs, despite the fact I have a house full of the stuff anyway – wooden carvings, paintings, spice boxes and the like. When I go to Mombasa, though, I buy stuff more for fun of the bartering than the goods themselves. On this trip I’d set myself a mission – I wanted a small plate to use as a spoon tray in the kitchen at home, and under no circumstances was I to buy any form of wooden carving – and definitely not an animal of any nature. Bartering for souvenirs on the beaches of Mombasa can be quite an intimidating process if you’re not expecting it – lots of sellers shouting random prices to you faster than you can work out the Sterling equivalent. On past trips I’d also been asked for pens and socks as these items are harder to get hold of in Kenya, so on this occasion I’d come prepared. Armed with my previous experi...

OK, the Pandas are a must see and there’s no better place than Chengdu, however Darren found Chengdu to have so much more to offer. I loved Chengdu and like most cities in China it’s busy and bustling with so much going on, however I found the place to have a whole charm of it’s own. The people are fun and friends and of a night the place becomes alive. A must visit is the Chinese Opera. The Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera is an amazing mix of the old and the new. Wonderful traditional Sichuan Opera costumes, stories, mask changing which was pretty mesmerising, fire breathing and puppetry are mixed with laser and multimedia effects. It’s easy to prebook, or book locally with your tour guide or at the hotel and with tickets starting from around £20 per person its great value for money. After the show head to the beautiful Anshun Lang Bridge (just by the Shangri La Hotel) which is beautifully lit creating a mystical reflection on the river. Just across the Jin River...

Bangkok, Siem Reap and Hua Hin  A superb three-centre itinerary combining cities, history and relaxation, taking in vibrant Bangkok, the incredible Temples of Angkor in Cambodia, and relaxing Hua Hin to finish. This is one of our favourite holidays at Escape Worldwide. Mark has been to all three destinations to feel free to give him a call! ITINERARY Day 1 - UK to Bangkok Fly from Heathrow to Bangkok, arriving the following day. Departures from other UK airports are also available, please ask for details. Day 2 - Bangkok On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, the handily located Park Plaza Bangkok Soi 18 for a three night stay. Our holidays to Thailand are extremely flexible so if you’d prefer a shorter or longer stay just ask! Days 3-4 - Bangkok Spend the next few days exploring chaotic Bangkok . Check out the temples, markets, restaurants and nightlife of this wonderful city. Day 5 - Bangkok to Siem Reap Transfer back to ...

Mark, one of our Japan rail fans, gives his suggestions of how to spend his time on a trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo – feel free to speak to Mark to discuss your own travel plans. “With two nights in Osaka, three nights in Kyoto and three nights in Tokyo and a rail pass included, this is how I’d spend my time in Japan! Day 1 – UK to Osaka Fly from Heathrow to Osaka Kansai Airport, arriving next day. Departures from Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and other UK airports are also available. Day 2 – Osaka On arrival in to Kansai airport, I would head straight for the Japan Railways (JR) Ticket Office, located just outside the main terminal building, in the station complex. Here, you can collect your JR Pass for your week’s train travel around Japan – don’t actually activate the Pass today, the helpful staff will arrange this to happen on day 4 as you will make the most of the 7 days this way (there’s no need to extend to a 14 day pass!) You’ll also be able to make seat reservation...

It’s been a crazy year of travel already this year for the Escape Worldwide team. The team has been far and wide looking at hotels, resorts, cities, checking out the beaches and of course testing the local beers! So far this year we have been to: ·          Sydney and most of New South Wales ·          Jamaica ·          Japan (Osaka, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Kyoto by bullet train) ·           Cuba (Havana, Vinales Valley, Santa Clara, Trinidad, Ceinfuegos, Remedios and Varadero) ·          Abu Dhabi ·          Ras Al Khaimah ·          Dubai ·          Orlando All this before June, so what’s next for the rest of the year, well th...

South Africa is an amazing destination offering everything from wildlife, stunning scenery and amazing food and fine wines! We can offer plenty of holiday options and one of our favourite is combining vibrant Cape Town with the sheer beauty of the Garden Route and the thrill of safari in the Eastern Cape - one of the most popular South Africa fly-drive itineraries, taking in the best of the Rainbow Nation. SUGGESTED ITINERARY Day 1 - UK to Cape Town Fly from London to Cape Town, arriving next day. Days 2-4 - Cape Town On arrival you'll be transferred to to your chosen hotel, for a three night stay - we have a range to choose from, and your length of stay in Cape Town is flexible. Spend the next few days exploring Cape Town . Perhaps pre-book a Discover Cape Town City Tour (from £23 per person) - a great introduction to this spectacular city, the Cape Town City Tour provides the perfect opportunity to sample some of its attractions and get your bearings. We generally...