A certain member of staff  has been like a cat on a hot tin roof this week as she clears her desk in readiness for her holiday.  Being a huge music fan, the words of James Taylor’s song have been playing on her mind for weeks, so much so that the older members of our staff are humming along to the tune now!  She is off to the extraordinary Carolinas today – the unique mountains of the Southern Appalachians, The Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Charleston and the captivating coast. 

Her journey starts with a direct 9 hour flight from Gatwick to Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who became queen consort to King George 111.  She is then off to Boone in the western part of North Carolina, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, before returning to Asheville. Her route then zig-zags through Bryson City and Charlotte and off to the coast.  Take a trip to www.visitnc.com and www.discoversouthcarolina.com, the state tourism websites, which offer enormous amounts of information on both states. 

We can’t wait to hear of her adventures, but if you can’t quite wait that long, visit our Carolinas page at http://www.experienceholidays.co.uk/index.asp?pgid=184 or call us on 01323 446550.  Holidays to the USA are great value at the moment, with some good flight deals to be had, especially if you can avoid the school summer holidays.

Getting back to James Taylor, where is that CD?

After the most fantastic journey through the States of Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho and finally Utah. I am heading home.  The beauty of these states has astounded me, the variety of wildlife seen – not just one bear, but four separate sightings, two of which included cubs with their mothers – the friendliness of every person I have met and the ‘can do’ attitude at every turn.  Cheery smiles go a long way, and sunny skies certainly helped.  But it is now time to return to the UK – but if you are planning a holiday to these wonderful states, call us on 01323 446550 – ask to speak to me – Jackie, or to Helen.  We look forward to assisting you with your next holiday.  Visit our website at www.experienceholidays.co.uk to see several suggested itineraries all of which can be amended and adjusted to suit your requirements.

As I write, I (Jackie), have now safely arrived in Jackson, having driven through both Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  What an extraordinary mixture of thermal activity, ancient geological history, wildlife and scenery.  From the bubbling mud pools, to hot springs at Mammoth and the remarkably reliable geyser at Old Faithful erupting in plumes of boiling water and steam as regular as clockwork every 90 minutes or so, the oldest of all American National Parks is living up to its reputation.

The ever changing scenery with high mountains, deep canyons and the caldera with its basins of activity spread out across the thousands of acres of land delights all its visitors – especially me!  In fact, my whole trip has been a learning curve to beat many I have taken in recent years.  Helen told me that I would fall in love with this Real America, and fall in love I have – head over heels with every last amazing sight.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have stated that theKenyaCoastis considered safe apart from the 67 kms next to the Somali border. The Kenya Government has tightened security along the entire tourist coastline and all of the hotels and lodges have put in place their own security as well.

This is good news for those that enjoy a safari and like to finish their holiday with a few days of rest on a silver sand beach. In addition the Kenya Wildlife Service has started taking charge of activities on the shoreline with a view to enhancing the experience for tourists. On those beaches that they have started patrolling this has already seen the souvenir salesmen confined to a designated area and tourists having the run of the beach without being constantly hassled, but still having the opportunity to buy their souvenirs.

Kenyaremains a great destination for those that are thinking of a safari for the first time. It is arguably the place where safaris became affordable for most people. With a choice of airlines flying daily toNairobi, well established National Parks and a tourist industry geared to cater to all tastes. As you drive out of the airport, you will see the first of the animals as the road in toNairobiskirts the boundary ofNairobiNational Park.

The team at Experience Holidays work to create individual holiday arrangements for our clients to our specialist areas – North America (Canada, Alaska and the nice bits of the USA), Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, Madagascar, Mozambique and parts of East Africa) and Australasia (Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific).  Our arrangements can include anything from flights, accommodation, tours, vehicle hire, rail travel packaged and protected by our ATOL licence, to any individual part of a holiday.  Our advice is unbiased – no single airline or accommodation is favoured over another, suggestions are made on the suitability for you and your particular requirements.

As with so many services that carry a ‘tailormade’ label, the assumption is that arrangements must be more expensive.  This is not the case – our aim is to offer you the best possible value for money every time and to meet your budget.

Take the first step towards being there by calling us on 01323 446550 or emailing us at info@experienceholidays.co.uk.

 

As the song goes – “If you ever plan to motor west” – well I decided to do just that with a road trip from Chicago to Seattle along the route pioneered by Clark and Lewis just over 200 years ago. With warning of deep snow in the Rockies ringing in our ears we flew over Labrador andNewfoundlandwith clear views of the sea ice and landed inChicago.

Chicagohas much to offer from skyscrapers to a truly vibrant music scene. The city claims to be the birthplace of modern skyscrapers and certainly has many to see. A ride to the 94^th. floor of theHancockTower, only the third highest in the city, will leave you with views along the waterfront that are unrivalled. Lake Michigan givesChicago a feeling of having a seafront, with beaches and parks along the front. Back in the city choose one of the many restaurants for an excellent meal (ask for a doggy bag if you cannot finish it – everyone does) and then head for a club that plays your kind of music. They are inexpensive, full of life and really good live music.

 

We picked up our brand new RV (recreational vehicle), which was very well set out, equipped and comfortable and negotiated our way out of the suburbs of the city.

 

The roads were well maintained, free of snow and the other drivers very courteous. In fact almost everyone we met was friendly, interested in our trip, our accents and very welcoming. We decided to do a mixture of eating in and stopping at diners which gave us the best of both worlds. You can get lost in a Walmart – I did inRapid Citymaking my stop here anything but rapid! But with eating out it is worth remembering that Americans eat early and you will be frowned at if you arrive after 8.00 in the evening.

 

It would be true to say that the first 1000 miles could be considered dull, as you cross the prairies, but there is enough to keep you interested as you cross Illinois, Iowa and the first part of South Dakota. The farms and the wide horizons are punctuated with crossing theMississippiandMissouriRivers.

 

But everything changed when we got to theBadlandsand Black Hills of Dakota. The scenery was fantastic in the Badlands; throw in the sculptures of the Presidents atMount Rushmoreand the equally impressive and developing sculpture of Crazy Horse just half an hour away. You also meet the first of the bison and other American wildlife inCusterState Park. 

 

The next destination was Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern part ofYellowstoneNational Park(the only bit open at this time of the year) stopping at Little Big Horn Battlefield along the way. All National Parks and Historic sites are very informative, well run and kept as natural as possible. Mammoth Springs are spectacular with steam and algae in the hot water making colourful pools and rocks. Here the wildlife was even more abundant with elks outside the RV at breakfast, but it was cold at night and the snow was still on the ground; in some places as deep as your waist.

 

There is more to write about this trip, particularly about the Rockies andSeattle, but that will have to wait until another time. If you ever want to travel West then, contact us for the Highway that is the best.

 

Sunrise over Taj Mahal or alternatively or by moonlight

Tiger spotting in Ranthambore National Park

Climbing in the Himalaya’s… see the snowy peaks of Everest

Rickshaw ride in Delhi or Mumbai

Elephant ride in Jaiphur to see the pink city

not forgetting in all of these places ………the unforgettable food experience India has to offer 

So if this taste of India has set you thinking, then give us a call or email and we can help put together your holiday experience of life time, to this wonderful destination. Remember you can always twin a tour with a beach extension, either in Southern India or maybe do your beach extension in the Maldives or Dubai.

 

 

 

The journey I am taking has brought me through some amazing scenery, and served to fill in huge gaps in my historical knowledge of the North American continent, but further exploration of the Bighorn Basin has further cemented the rather large gap between the days when woolly mammoths roamed this land, and the much more recent arrival of the white settlers.  Worland and Tensleep in the heart of the Bighorn Basin have served not only to provide yet more wonderfully varied scenery, but to fill in at least a little of that gap.  Native Americans were here some 12,000 years ago according to the Washakie Museum in Worland – thats quite a long time!  They were hunter gatherers, and right up until the arrival of the settlers, it would seem that their lives did not change all that much.  There is much more yet to be discovered……………..

Some may say that the Badlands of South Dakota are similar in many ways to the moon – but not having been lucky enough to visit the moon, its difficult to say if this is true!  What I can tell you is that the Badlands are hauntingly beautiful!  Layers of brilliantly coloured sandstone laid down over many millions of years, and eroded through time resulting in a spectacularly eyrie landscape of grassland prairie, deep ravines, oddly shaped hoodoos and much more.

The state of South Dakota is one that deserves more than a couple of days, spend 7/8 days if you can and explore all that it has to offer – you won’t be disappointed.

Which hills – well, I am now in the Black Hills of South Dakota, exploring, amongst other places, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  Both are extraordinary sites, and to be honest, I am not sure which I preferred.  Mount Rushmore is a beautiful place, especially when one has time to explore, but Crazy Horse is somehow more of a labour of love – an unfinished project that will probably not be completed in my lifetime.  The haunting face of that Indian warrior seems to be looking down on all that survey – I loved it.

Is the age of Cowboys and Indians dead – no it most definitely is not!!  I am off to see the genuine real life ‘Hole in the Wall’ from the famed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Where??? Well…….

Call us and I’ll let you into the secret!  And if you would like to spend the evening in a real live wild west saloon,  well, we can point you in the right direction for that too.