Family holiday in Cornwall ( England )

Discovering something new is easy on a Cornwall holiday. With 7 of our John Fowler Cornwall caravan parks dotted along the county's coasts, you are never far from everything this exciting region has to offer. We have as many holiday parks in Cornwall as our Devon holiday parks and Somerset holiday parks combined, which shows just how much faith we place in Cornwall as a holiday destination.

Cornwall is famous for its beautiful beaches and our Cornwall holiday parks are perfectly situated for you to take advantage of the glorious coastline. Cornwall has more coast than any other county in England, with loads of beaches, cliff top walks and hidden coves all along it. Whatever you’re looking for in a beach, be it small, quiet and covered in pebbles, long and sandy, or even a mix of everything, you should be able to find it in Cornwall. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the cliff walks as well. Long, steep walks that constantly go up and down, or flatter, shorter walks that are a perfect stroll before lunch are also available. You can even explore different landscapes, as the coast of Cornwall is made up of very different areas. Different plants, animals and geography mean that no two places are quite the same to wander through. So, the county offers some of the South West's most exciting beaches and coast, whether you want to swim in the sea, explore rock pools, play on the sand or walk for hours.

There are always plenty of seaside activities for you to get involved in as well. Why not try out some surfing with one of the all day lessons offered by clubs along the coast? Or you could learn to rock climb on Cornwall’s amazing cliffs. If you’d rather start at the top and go down then coasteering, where you jump from the top of a cliff into the ocean, may well be for you! There are plenty of activity centres that regularly organise these sorts of trips, so you can book before you arrive or look one up once you’re here. With this sort of variety, it’s no wonder that Cornwal caravan parks remain a popular choice year after year. There’s plenty to get every member of the family involved with, and everybody is guaranteed to find something that interests them going on within the county.

When not on the beach you can immerse yourself in Cornwall’s culture and history, with festivals taking place all year round and ancient castles, country houses and even old mines open to the public. The carnivals that many towns and villages put on during the summer are an excellent way to discover what great community spirit Cornwall possesses, and you’ll get to enjoy some great live music and local ales whilst doing so. The annual county show is another great way to experience Cornish culture, with dog trials, sheep dog trials, gymkhana and more taking place in the bright south west sun. Of course, this is all much easier to experience by staying in one of our cheap holiday cottages in Cornwall and planning each day out from there.

Have Enjoyable Days at Madeira (Portugal)

Holidays in Madeira are for those who like splendid scenery, as well as sub-tropical flora and fauna, not to mention a modicum of old colonial charm. Yes, as a holiday destination, Madeira really is a class act. Known to the Romans as the Purple Islands, it's been wowing visitors for centuries, many of whom travel to Madeira over and over again. And contrary to popular belief, it's not just for ladies of a certain age who love flowers. There are things to do for everyone, including exciting watersports like diving, sailing and windsurfing.

When it comes to accommodation, Madeira puts many holiday destinations in the shade. It has some of the best hotels in the world, including the famous Reid's place, which has been one of the island's classic landmarks for over a century. There are also some luxurious modern properties for all inclusive holidays to Madeira or, if you're extremely lucky, for late deals.

Walking has long been a favourite pastime for those on holidays in Madeira. The levadas (irrigation channels) that criss cross the island form a network of trails that take you through spectacular volcanic landscapes. As for souvenirs, it's a must to bring back a bottle of Madeira wine and a Madeira cake. And you might pick up the odd bargain on wickerwork too, as long as you're sure you can fit your basket or animal sculpture in the overhead locker on your flight back.

Botanical Gardens In Madeira

Alaska

Destination Alaska

Destination Alaska

The seven kayers following the Savonoski Loop in katmai National Park were settled in for the evening, sipping mugs of hot tea, when across the Grosvenor River a brown bear appeard. It was a young male, maybe 200lb, 300lb, 300lb tops. He followed the bank for s a short spell and then splashed across the river and came within 30yd of their four Kleppers, folding kayaks composed of a light wooden frame and a rubberized canvas hull that a brown bear, even a small one, could mangle in minutes. The kayakers stood in unison, grabbed pots and pans and banged them while chanting 'hey, bear whoa bear!' For a brief moment everybody stared nervously at each other, acknowledging the other's existence, then the young bear decided that whatever the kaykers were selling, he didn't and scrambled off into the woods.

Alaska is where human beings stand on equal footing with nature. Nowhere else in the U.S.A is there such undeveloped, unpopulated and untrampled place.

Tourists who make the long journey north solely to discover the unspoiled character of this 'final frontier' are still often stunned by the grandeur of what they see. There are mountains, glaciers and rivers in other parts of North America, but few are on the same scale as those in Alaska. This state as the third longest river in the U.S.A, 17 of the country's 20 highest peaks and 5000 glaciers, including one larger than Switzerland. The Arctic winters are one long night and Arctic summers on long day. In Alaska, there are King crabs that measure 3ft from claw to claw, brown bears that stand over 12 ft tall, farmers who grow 90lb cabbages and glaciers that discharge icebergs the size of small houses.

In other states protests are staged to save a wetland or a woodlot or a park .In Alaska the battleground is an entire ecosystem. At almost 20 million acres, trhe Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is the size of the South Carolina, encompassing 18 major rivers and the greatest variety of plant and animal life including 36 species of land mamals- of any conservation area in the circumpolar north.

The battle over drilling for oil in ANWR has been raging since the 1980's but has intensified with the recent price surge at the pump. With gas breaking $4 gallon at one point in 2008, the ANWR again took centre stage as one of the most contentious issues hovering over Alaska. The question of drilling not only pits environmentalists again free-market conservatives but Alaskans against Outsiders and even Native tribes against eachother. The sudden rise in the price of other resources- copper,gold,zinc and silver to name but a few- has had a similar effect,with a marked increse of mining projects around the state delving into nature in an effort to retrieve what is needed elsewhere.

Many Alaskans moved here, or simply stayed here a tthe end of their trip, because of Alaska's overhelming beauty. But in choosing to reside here they have to make a living in a place where there is little farming and even less industrial manufactoring. Hovering near 7% Alaska's unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country. This is why the vast majority of Alaskans are in favor of opening the. ANWR to the oil industry and building a natural gas pipeline across the state, running, south from the vast deposites in the North Slope. Both schemes represent jobs, an economic boom,and a new source of revenue in a place where oil royalties account for more than 80%of the state treasury.

Getting started

You can't see all of Alaska in a summer and you can't plan an Alaskan trip in a week. This is no quickie getaway. For most travellers the 49th state is a big

land that's far away. It's size means visitors need to focus on the regions that interest them the most, while its short, but busy, summer season almost

demands advance planning. The less time and the tighter the budget you have, the more you'll want to plan the trip and have reservations in a place

when you arrive. It's easy to travel in Alaska but not at the last minute.

When to go

The traditional season for heading to Alaska is June through Augost when the weather is at its best, the days are long and everybody - tourists and locals

alike - are outside playing. Summers in Alaska are a beatiful mixture of long days and short nights, climaxing on summer solstice (june 21) when Anchorage

enjoys more than 19 hours of sunlight and Fairbanks almost 22 hours. Along with the sunshine, the average summer tempratures in the Interior range

from 55°F to 75ºF, with a brief period in July to August when they top 80ºF or even 90ºF.Anchorage averages 60ºF to 70ºF in the summer while the southeast and Prince William Sound are coller and wetter. The Bush, north of the Arctic Circle, is

cool for most of the summer, with temperatures around 45ºF.

Activities

Alnwick Castle (England)

One of the best-known castles in Britain, its current popularity partly attributable to its starring role in the Harry Potter films, Alnwick's history is as interesting as any work of fiction. The castle is still the seat of the Dukes of Northumberland and is the second-largest inhabited castle in the country.

History

Yves de Vescy built the earliest parts of the fortress in 1096 and by the middle of the 12^th century the castle had taken on the basic plan that remains today. It was one of the earliest Norman fortresses to have been built without a square keep, and fragments of the Norman masonry still exist in curtain walls.

The de Vescys held Alnwick through several sieges and periods of turbulence (Eustace de Vescy was a ringleader of the Baron's Revolt in 1212;the castle was ordered to be destroyed,but this wasn't carried out) until early in the 14^th century when the fortress and manors of Alnwick were handed to Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham. The direct male line of the de Vescys died out in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn and the de Percy family, who became one England's most powerful dynasties, came to Alnwick in 1309.

Today

Today the castle receives around 300,000 visitors and is becoming recognized as a mustsee destination nationally and internationally.

There certainly is plenty here to occupy visitors of all ages. The Harry Potter link will engage many children and,one day a week in the summer, Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore are on hand to perform magic. The Knight's School allow youngsters to experience what it was like to train as a Knight. Also in summer a magician performs tricks and birds of prey are demonstrated. Alnwick's website offers lots of game and fun for kids. If you feel like a break for refreshments,there is a tea room.

The castle is filled with treasures, including paintings by artists such as Bellini,Gainsborough and Claude Lorraine, furniture and statues accumulated by the family and it has its own museum.Events are staged regularly and there are permanent displays to further your knowledge about the castle and the part it played in history.

How to get there:

Location: Northumberland

Map ref: NU 187137

Tel: 01665510777 or

      01665511100 (24hrs)

Web: www.alnwickcastle.com

Open: April-late October daily 11-5

Vilamoura (Algarve) Portugal

Vilamoura

Vilamoura is the name given to an area rather than to any actual town. It is outstanding in that it is one of the largest single tourist complex in Europe and covers some 2.000 hectares of land. The land is variable in its vegetation, some parts covered in pine forests whilst others open recovered marshland. Vilamoura is a special place, a unique leisure and recreation resort community where the pace of life is so easy it feels like summer all year round.

Information

Vilamoura Europes largest private tourist development is a blend of luxury hotels, apartments and villas, supported by extensive commercial services and leisure facilities. The existing infrastructure include all the community services required in a residential area: school multi-denominational church, post-office and medical centres.

Active visitors and residents have nearly every conceivable on their doorstep to choose from. The five 18-hole golf courses offer enough golf to test every aspect of a player's game, there is a golf ridding centre, an Olympic shooting club, a lawn bowling club a tennis centre and sport centre offering squash, badminton, weight training and acrobats. Joggers have across-country trails, and of there is always the beach. Three kilometres of golden sands lay directly before Vilamoura. To the west of the marina entrance, the much photographed Falesia beach with the stunning of beauty of its colourful sandstone cliffs stretches into the distance. To the east, in front of the main hotel group,the sands hum with activity. In july 2003, falesia rocha baixinha beach became the only Portuguese beach and one of the first beached worldwide to be granted environmental management and permanent improvement of the environmental quality its visitors are able to enjoy.

When not simply soaking up the sun, once can swim, windsurf, water-ski,scuba dive or snorkel,rent a pedalo,fish or simply enjoy leisure walks along the edge of the water.

Activities

Many activities may be enjoyed at the Marina.Boat charters, big game fishing and scuba diving are among the opportunities available jet-skis and bicycles may be hired

Events

The organisation of great events, such as the most important sailing events/trophies in Europe, complete the range of varieties and options that make Vilamoura Marina into a must go harbour that is worth a visit.

Traveling from Faro airport to VilaMoura

• Distance from Faro Airport to Vilamoura: 29 km
• Travel from Faro to Vilamoura by Train: no convenient train station
• Travel from Faro to Vilamoura by Bus: 3.75€
• Transfer from Faro to Vilamoura by Taxi: 27€ for a 4 seater Mon-Fri 6am-9pm (32€ outside this time and bank holidays); 34€ or 40€ for a 6 seater depending on time.

To get to Faro train or bus station (which are close to each other just before Faro marina) either get the bus from the airport (the stop is right outside the 'arrivals' doors) and will cost you around 1.75€, or get a taxi at a cost of around 10€. To check train timetables visit. (the site is available in English) and select 'Regional and Inter Regional services' to get the timetable for Lagos/Vila Real de Santo António/Lagos.
For bus timetables visit. Again most of it is available in English except the 'frequency' on the tables. (Days of the week: Monday is the 2nd day of the week - '2as'-and Friday is the 6th day. 'Sábado' and 'Domingo' - Saturday and Sunday; 'Feriados' is holidays; 'Diariamente' is daily,). Bus times from the 'aeroporto' to Faro are also listed .
For additional bus timetables visit which covers a limited area of the Algarve.