Is it just me or does it seem Summer is a million miles away & if one more person puts up on their social media, what an amazing holiday they’ve just come back from, so help me God !
With this is mind & to inspire me, we spoke to Travelbag, who after all have nearly 40 years of experience creating tailor made holidays to long haul destinations worldwide. They specialise in creating tailor made holidays to a range of worldwide destinations that can be booked either online, over the telephone or in one of their seven UK shops.
Their experts have their finger on the pulse of what’s next in travel.
From blockbuster breaks, party pilgrimages and ‘skip-gen’ holidays, here are Travelbag’s top seven predictions for 2018 travel:
Into the Blue (Planet II)
Sir David Attenborough’s masterpiece Blue Planet II is doing anything but floundering. Travelbag is seeing an increase in bookings to Borneo to encounter gentle green turtles and to Tanzania for a jaws-dropping look at whalesharks in their natural habitat. Since the programme aired, Travelbag experienced a zing in website traffic to its Australia packages from holidaymakers keen to explore Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef on the planet.
Foodies Go Four Wheels
Travelbag reports a growing interest in tailor made self-drive tours to South Africa, Australia and the USA, especially for the more discerning foodie looking to travel to all ends to taste the next culinary craze. These travellers know exactly where they want to travel, and what they want to eat, but they want the expertise of a Travel Expert to handle the logistics, such as flights, car hire and multiple hotel bookings, and to also provide the all-important support and booking protections.
Travelbag recommends America’s Deep South where the culinary curious can hit the open road to sample all sorts of delights, such as fried okra, honey baked ham, pecan pie and seasoned fried chicken.
Blockbuster Breaks
2018 is set to be another blockbuster year in film and will once again motivate holidaymakers to walk in the footsteps of their favourite on-screen characters. Travelbag predicts the Tomb Raider reboot, starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, will see cinema Superfans booking a ticket to South Africa where the film was shot. The spotlight shines on India’s tangled jungles for a second year in a row with the new live-action remake of The Jungle Book, directed by Andy Serkis and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Rohand Chan, Matthew Rhys, Christian Bale and Tom Hollander.
Skip-gen Travel
Marcel Proust said, ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.’ Active and adventurous grandparents with extra cash and endless free time are taking the grandkids along for the ride in 2018. Travelbag predicts that Vancouver, South Africa and Queensland will be the top long-haul destinations for skip-gen holidays because they are easy to explore independently, there is no language barrier and they offer abundant wildlife viewing to make memories that last a lifetime.
Party Pilgrimages
With Chile’s 200th year of independence, New Orleans’ tricentennial, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and Mauritius’s 50-year anniversary, 2018 will be the year of epic world parties. Voted the best place to go in 2018 by Lonely Planet, Chile has so much to offer intrepid adventurers. After experiencing Santiago’s roaring food and arts scene, Travelbag recommends a night in the Atacama Desert, famed as a stargazing mecca, a winery tour to taste some of the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignon, and an outdoor adventure in remote Torres del Paine National Park.
Long Haul City Breaks
Culture vultures are avoiding Europe’s overcrowded and frenzied capitals in the summer months and heading further afield. Travelbag’s Travel Experts say larger and newer planes have made the longer journey more comfortable for travellers, while new low-cost airlines are making long haul city breaks more affordable than ever. World wanderers can coffee-shop crawl in New York, get their art fix at the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town and shop ‘till they drop in Toronto’s trendy Queen West neighbourhood.
Cheap Thrills
With never ending changes to exchange rates across the globe, money saving, savvy travellers want to find a destination where they will be guaranteed the most bang for their buck. In a surprise take-over, Tokyo was voted the cheapest destination in this year’s Post Office Long-Haul Holiday Report, in partnership with Travelbag. There has never been a better time to visit the Japanese capital.
1. HYDRATE: to keep your skin supple, it is essential to re-hydrate constantly. Drink at least 2 litres of water per day and eat water-rich foods such as cucumber and grapes. If you’re a big fan of hot drinks like tea and coffee, try and swap them for de-caffeinated alternatives – caffeine is known for causing frequent urination and eventually, dehydration.
2. MOISTURISE: showering with a cream-based wash may feel moisturising, but it can strip your skins natural oils. Showers and baths can contribute to dry skin if you’re in there for more then 5-10 minutes, so keep it short and make sure you moisturise afterwards.
3. KEEP WARM: when you’re inside, try and make sure there’s no draughts and that the heating is on. Keeping your body at the right temperature will allow your skin to retain moisture, preventing dryness. When you go out in the cold, wear gloves and a scarf – it’ll stop your skin getting cold and feeling uncomfortable.
4. TREAT YOURSELF: facials are invaluable when it comes to your skin. Combining a mixture of masks, cleansers, scrubs and moisturisers, a facial is the full works, tailored specifically to your skin type. With the cold weather wreaking havoc on sensitive skin, taking the time to be pampered makes all the difference.
5. GO NATURAL: every day household products such as washing up liquid, bleach and air freshener are full of chemicals that are harmful if they come into direct contact with the skin. To avoid dry skin and irritation, swap your usual products for natural alternatives such as lemon juice or vinegar for removing stains. Always make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands.
