Canadian Travellers’ Favourite Winter Sunshine Destinations

If you live in Canada and are thinking about getting away for the winter, or at least a week or two, you are probably thinking about heading to Cuba, the Dominican Republic or Mexico. A recent survey says that these are the most popular destinations for Canadian travellers and there has never been a better time to head south for the winter. Seek out the vacation packages available that enable you to save so much that you may be able to stay an extra day or two.

Winter Sunshine in Cuba

Cuba has some beautiful beaches where you can relax and enjoy yourself. Cayo Coco has private resorts, 5 star hotels and fantastic vacation deals that will not break the bank. Varadero is one of the most popular resort destinations and is extremely comfortable. Stay at the Iberostar Laguna Azula which is an all inclusive resort that has 6 pools, 8 restaurants and bars, a nightclub, theatre and a kids club. Have a massage at the spa or workout in the fully equipped fitness room. Located on a small private island, Hotel Barcelo Cayo Libertad Club Premium has everything you need for a spectacular holiday. You can go snorkelling, play beach volleyball or enjoy cocktails at the pool-side bar.

Winter Sunshine in Mexico

Another popular southern destination for Canadians is Mexico. The weather is beautiful all year round and you can find some excellent vacation packages that will leave you with plenty of spending money for your trip. Head to Los Cabos in Baja and catch that elusive marlin that you have been dreaming about, or book a flight to Riviera Nayarit which is the newest destination in Mexico. Stay at the Hotel Emporio and get a room with an ocean view. You can dine on fresh seafood as you bask in the sun on your own private beach.

Winter sunshine in Dominican Republic

Vacations in Dominican Republic are known for white sandy beaches and relaxed lifestyle. Get out of the cold and book an affordable vacation deal. You can stay at the newest inclusive resort in Punta Cana. The Hotel Riu Bavaro has plenty of activities which include windsurfing, kayaking, snorkelling and sailing. If you want to get away from the crowds for the day take a drive to Constanza. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the region of La Vega which is 1200 metres above sea level.

Start planning your winter holiday and book your tickets. With so many vacation packages at your fingertips you will have a hard time deciding if you want to go to Cuba, Mexico or the Dominican Republic.

My thanks for this article to Bernard Prince from travel agency VarVacation.com. You can also reach him on Facebook and Twitter

Photo Credits: Los Cabos, Baja by memoflores, Varadero, Cuba by Iker Merodio, Royal Decameron, Riviera Nayarit by EtienneT, and Cordillera Central by raunov.

More places to visit for Winter sunshine

Swimming, surfing, snorkeling – best beaches of the Dominican republic
Our top 5 Sights on Awesome Aruba
Spotlight on Cabo San Lucas in Mexico – what to do and where to stay

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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A day and night out in Cardiff – Wales

When you start a holiday, you’re always eager to see as many sights as you can, but if you get too excited, you end up seeing them all, and if you’re holidaying over the course of a week or fortnight, you find yourself bored with a few days still to go. Fortunately, when visiting Cardiff, you won’t have that problem.

Many people don’t have the time to go on a week-long break, but day and night breaks can be just as relaxing. You can take in plenty of sights, with time left to have a meal at one of the Welsh capital’s outstanding restaurants before retreating to one of those comfortable, welcoming Cardiff hotels for a great night’s sleep.

As you would expect from a capital city, Cardiff is jam packed with attractions. It has numerous parks, sporting and cultural venues, historical sites, top-class shops and eateries, all of which make the city a fantastic place to spend a weekend in.

The Millenium Stadium, the home of the Welsh national rugby union team, is one of Europe’s largest purpose-built sporting venues. As well as hosting top-class sporting events, the stadium also hosts concerts for rock and pop groups, plus the amazing Welsh National Opera.

Cardiff plays host to Wales’ National Museum and Art Gallery, which puts on various exhibitions with relevance to both the local area and the wider world. Admission is free, so if you’re holidaying with children, this is an ideal place for the whole family to visit.

Parks are plentiful in Cardiff, and if you’re looking for a peaceful weekend, then a stroll through Bute Park on the edge of the city centre, or Roath Park, which lies within its leafy suburbs could be the answer. Cardiff has more parkland per capita than any other major city in the UK, so you’re spoilt for choice.

Other attractions of note include St. David’s Hall, which is one of the country’s best concert halls, the magnificent Cardiff Castle and the inspiring St. David’s Cathedral. Shopping in Cardiff is a joy, particularly around precincts such as St. David’s, Royal Arcade and the Capitol Centre.

Once you’ve taken in all the sights, then why not cap off your day by having a meal at one of the many top-class restaurants in the breathtakingly modern Cardiff Bay area. Eateries such as Signor Valentino’s, Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant and Miller and Carter Restaurant and Bar offer flavours from South Wales and beyond, and are guaranteed to re-energise you after taking in all the sights of this wonderful, underrated city.

When you’ve finished your meal, then you’re able to retreat to a quality hotel such as the Ibis Hotel Cardiff Gate and sleep soundly in a freshly-made bed knowing that you’ve had the best day break imaginable, and if there’s anywhere you didn’t see, you can always come back for another trip.

Photo Credits: All photos by cardiffandco

More Things to see in Wales

Walking In Wales – 10 Easy And Inspirational Day Walks
Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
A snowy break at Laswern Fawr holiday in the Brecon Beacons, Wales – video

My thanks for this sponsored post to Eurobookings.com, the European booking specialist

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Brighton – a very British Seaside Town

Brighton has long been the haunt of Londoners who are in need of respite from the Big Smoke. Graham Greene wrote about it in his famous novel Brighton Rock– an interesting insight into what it was like in a time when people went down in their Sunday best clothes and strolled along the promenade in a quintessentially English way.

It has always had an eccentric air about it. Just a look at the Brighton Pavilion attests to this. The Pavilion was built for Prince Regent between 1787 and 1823 so that he could entertain his mistress there. It was designed in a skewed Indian architectural style, the British having liked the architecture in India and attempted to copy it themselves. The result is almost comic, particularly in a classic British seaside resort.

For sometime Brighton has been known as Britain’s gay capital too. There’s a good gay bar scene. Near to the station, behind (perhaps appropriately) a PVC cover, there’s Banksy’s portrait of two male policemen kissing, quite a nice nod to the community.

Brighton has what you want from a British seaside resort mixed with good pubs, restaurants and shopping. Along the seafront, there are a few fish and chip places including one that serves crab soup, which you will smell long before you see it.  However, the places along the seafront are more expensive than great well-known locations such as Bardsley’s on Baker Street.

The old Brighton pier – West Pier – stands, a charcoal husk just out to sea. It was opened in 1866. Maintenance costs led to degradation, which in turn resulted in the pier being cut off from the shore for safety. Storms after that led to parts of it falling into the sea and a couple of fires after that left it as what you see it today.

There are a couple of decorative iron pieces from the old pier in the Brighton Fishing Museum on the seafront. The pier visitors go to today is to the left of the old one. It has amusement arcades with slot machines and toy grabbing games, a helter skelter, ghost train and a couple of other rides as well as a tarot reader who works from a gypsy caravan on the pier.

The city of Brighton and Hove is known for its cultural and arts scene and there are some cute galleries on the seafront as well as inland. There are also a few market stalls dotted about when the weather suits.

There is (contrary to popular belief) a great train service between London and Brighton. So while cheap car hire would be one way to get there if coming from London, you don’t really need it unless you’re sticking around for a while. Buses here are expensive enough that you might as well.

If travelling in from another part of the UK, trains are still recommended – as long as you book far enough in advance. The UK has the cheapest advance train fares in Europe but the last minute fares are among the most expensive.

This post was brought to you by CarHireMarket.com  and written by Liz Vega who writes mostly about Britain and loves the seaside.

More things to do around England

Ships and Shopping at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
A walk around the harbourside in Bristol – Video
Hunting the Ash-black slug on Dartmoor – in Devon

Photo Credits: Brighton Pavilion by Fenners1984, Banksy’s kissing policemen by simonbooth, Seaside resort food by drchrispinnock,  and Brighton pier by EEPaul.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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