The GypsyNesters

If the prospect of chilly days and a lack of sun have tipped you over the edge, it’s time to wave it all goodbye and head off to sunnier climes. While the rain may be pouring down in the UK, somewhere not too far away there’s sun, sea, and sand. Top up your Vitamin D levels, grab yourself a tan, and put a smile back on your face. We’ve picked out some of the best places to catch some rays when summer back home is well and truly over, or you can discover winter sun destinations from Holiday Hypermarket, or one of the other main holiday websites.

Tenerife

With temperatures hitting the 20°C mark even in January, Tenerife – and any of the other Canary Islands for that matter – make a wise choice for a spot of winter sun. When you holiday ‘off peak’ you’ll also be able to bag yourself some serious accommodation bargains, too. Tenerife is just under five hours from the UK by plane and offers resorts to suit everyone. From all-inclusive hotels where you needn’t step foot outside the complex, to little fishing villages with sandy bays, this island is a firm favourite with Brits seeking some winter sun. For added thrills, check out Siam Park – one of the world’s best water parks. If getting back to nature is more your scene, Teide National Park makes for great day hikes.

Lanzarote

Lanzarote boasts 300 days of sun every year, so if you’re hankering after warmer weather, this is the place to come. In winter, the temperatures rarely dip below 16°C so pack your swimwear and get ready to enjoy. In terms of places to stay, you’ve got loads to choose from. If you’re here to party you might want to stay in Puerto del Carmen which is well known for its nightlife. If a quieter, family vibe, is more your style, Costa Teguise with its water park and nearby aquarium should be on your wishlist. And if you’re here with small kids, make sure you check out the beach at Playa Jablillo – shallow waters make it great for paddling. Lanzarote’s beaches range from dark volcanic numbers to golden curves, so compile a list and work your way around your favourites.

Jamaica

If you’re happy to head a little further afield to make sure you get as much sun as possible while everyone else is freezing back at home, it’s time to go to Jamaica. The flight takes a little over 10 hours but once there, you’re practically guaranteed sun. Temperatures here range from around 22°C to 31°C all year round. However you can get tropical downpours in the wetter months of October, November, May and June so stick to the darkest days of the UK winter and you should be fine. As you’d expect, Jamaica has a host of beautiful beaches, but the prettiest has to be Frenchman’s Cove on Port Antonio.

Mexico

The best time to travel to Mexico is exactly the time of year when the UK is seriously lacking in sunshine hours – so it’s a great option for winter sun. Travel between December and March and you’ll avoid the wet season and make the most of the warm, drier climate. Discover ancient Mayan ruins, paradise beaches, and fantastic nightlife in this country that’s a little over 12 hours by plane from London. Visit Cancun on the Yucatán Peninsula for coconut groves and blissful beaches. Head a little further south from Cancun and you’ll find Riviera Maya – for more vanilla-white beaches, luxury hotels, and turquoise water.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde is the least well known of our best winter sun destinations, but don’t let that put you off. This cluster of 10 islands is about six hours by plane from the UK and enjoys sun that rarely dips below 20°C all year round. The islands of Sal and Boa Vista offer the driest weather so head there if you want to be sure to avoid any rain. On Sal you’ll find the gorgeous Santa Maria Beach. It’s a long stretch of golden sand and during the winter months it’s a great spot for kiteboarding and windsurfing. Meanwhile on Boa Vista you’ve got Santa Monica Beach – a 9km swathe of golden sand that’s among the best in Cape Verde.

Winter doesn’t have to be all short days and dark nights. Dig out your travel bag from the back of your wardrobe, pull out that bikini, and fish out your passport from the filing cabinet – there’s sun to be had if you’re prepared to travel.

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Located on Spain’s sunny southeastern Mediterranean coast, the city of Alicante is often overlooked in favour of resort towns such as Benidorm and Calpe. While places like Benidorm may attract the crowds looking for that perfect beachside escape the beaches in and around Alicante are also world class and offer something Benidorm can’t, which is a touch of the real Spain.

Nowhere near the size of Valencia, the region’s largest city with a population of more than just 1 million residents, Alicante is much more compact with just 350,000 people spread out along the coast. Over the years Alicante has seen several civilizations settle in the area, but it was the Romans who first truly colonised the area building a port city called Lucentum just 3 kilometres from Alicante’s modern-day centre.

When the Moors conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century they brought with them oranges, rice, palms and spectacular architecture that is still evident in Alicante’s old town and some of the surrounding towns and cities.

Meaning “City of Light” in Arabic, visitors to Alicante today can expect to find a thriving cosmopolitan city with nightlife to rival that of Madrid and Barcelona. International restaurants and authentic tapas bars are the flavours of the day mixed with historic buildings now housing boutique hotels just perfect for that warm weather weekend escape.

Best coastal resorts in Alicante province

 Benidorm

The number one resort in Alicante province has to be Benidorm. Built on a horseshoe-shaped bay facing south, Benidorm has everything you would want in a Spanish beach holiday and then generously shares much more. A transfer from Alicante to Benidorm will save you getting a hire car with the usual insurance excess premiums. What’s more, there are so many activities and facilities all within walking distance of the holiday resorts and hotels meaning you won’t really need a car on your stay here. Although Benidorm may have had a bad rep in the press in the past, the numbers don’t lie with hundreds of thousands of tourists coming back year after year. Benidorm Old Town has some incredible views across the coastline and has a great variety of popular restaurants and local tapas bars. One thing not miss whilst on holiday here is the new generation zoo, called Terra Natura. The park is more like an education centre on wildlife preservation and it boasts almost 1500 animals. The areas are very beautifully divided off into sections of species from Asia, America, Europe and Pangea. Each area provides more of a jungle like atmosphere than a zoo.

Calpe

With a wonderful mixture of Valencian culture and 21st-century tourist facilities Calpe is regarded as having three of the best beaches in Spain.  Dominated by the towing 332-metre high rock of Ifach, a Gibraltar like monolithic limestone promontory rising from the sea Calpe has plenty for you to see and do while on holiday. If you want to visit this island, you can look for available yacht rentals in Spain and sail from one island to another.

Altea

With its beautiful blue-and-white tiled church dome overlooking the town Altea when viewed from the sea is reminiscent of Santorini in Greece with its white-washed houses and quaint cobbled streets. An artist and a photographers dream, Altea is full of surprises around every corner. Quieter than either Benidorm or Calpe, Altea is the perfect place to escape if you are looking for a place to chill out and recharge the batteries.

 Exploring Alicante City

Santa Barbara Castle

Rising high above the city of Alicante looking down on the marina is the castle of Santa Barbara one of the finest examples of a Spanish medieval fortress. Occupied for several years in the 1700s by the British Navy Santa Barbara castle has a rich and interesting history just waiting to be discovered. Free to get in, the castle is easily reached on foot, but is even easier to get to if you take the lift located opposite Postiguet beach.

Explanada de España

Made up of more than six million tiles all laid out to give the impression of waves, Alicante’s main waterfront promenade is a palm-fringed oasis where people still put on their Sunday best to stroll along the marina. Stop off at one of the many bars for a cooling drink or arrange to meet up with friends for a night on the town.

The Old Town

Just about everything you want to see and do in Alicante is within walking distance of the centre and that includes the oldest part of the city where you will find the Barrio Santa Cruz rising up the slope of Mount Benacantil. During the days walk around and admire the white-washed house and their flower adorned wrought iron balconies, but be sure to come back at night and sample the buzzing nightlife found in the tapas bars and clubs.

Tabarca Island

Once a base for marauding Barbary pirates, the tiny island of Tabarca located an hour off the coast and has the distinction of being the smallest inhabited island in all of Spain. Today people visit during the summer to spend a day swimming and diving around Tabarca where thanks to its status as a marine reserve fish and wildlife thrive in its turquoise waters.

Inland Alicante Attractions

Littered with castles wineries and many natural wonders, renting a car and exploring inland Alicante allows you to experience the real Spain away from the beaches. Just 35, minutes from Alicante is the former industrial powerhouse city of Alcoy with its famous art nouveau houses, bridges and Moors and Christians fiesta. Drive a little further through the Sierra Mariola national park and you will arrive in Bocairent a medieval town often described as being the prettiest in all of Spain. Nearby you have a local attraction of naturally formed crystal clear mountain river pools for swimming and unique cave houses built into a sheer mountain wall by the Moors. Not quite geographically in Alicante but just over the border in Valencia is Xativa a place referred to as “the town of a thousand fountains”. Once home to the powerful Borgia family, Xativa is a well, worth a visit.

Many airlines now compete to offer affordable flights to Alicante airport, so the cost of a holiday here can be within most budgets. With a little careful planning, you’ll get the opportunity to see some of the diverse and amazing things that Alicante has on offer.

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What if there were a vacation destination perfect for adventure travelers, lovebirds and families with kids alike? What if that destination was English-speaking, used a familiar currency and didn’t take days of travel to reach? What if a vacation in this place didn’t break the bank, even if you devoted a week (or more!) to seeing its sights?

Believe it or not, that place exists: It’s Niagara Falls. In the past, we’ve covered why Niagara Falls makes for a great day trip during a vacation in Toronto, but today, we’re going to explain what to do in a week-long Niagara vacation — and why you should definitely make your plans soon.

Day One

Whenever and wherever you travel, it’s a good idea to reserve your first day for getting settled in your space. While Niagara Falls isn’t halfway across the world, travel is always a bit uncomfortable and exhausting, so it’s wise to have a few hours on day one to reach the hotels near Niagara Falls, shower off the smells from airports and cars and maybe take a quick nap. If you feel up to it, you can go for a stroll around the neighborhood to take note of nearby attractions, which you might want to visit in the upcoming days.

Days Two and Three

The falls themselves are the primary reason so many millions of people visit the region every year, so you should expect to devote a couple days to exploring the falls in all their glory. There are dozens of ways to see and feel the falls as well as the roaring Niagara River, but a few should take precedence on your first day out and about in Niagara Falls:

• Queen Victoria Park. Queen Victoria Park is a long, gorgeous strip of park on the Canadian side that provides some of the most popular views of the falls, especially Horseshoe Falls. This park is free to visit, meaning you can return here throughout the day and enjoy a picnic or peoplewatching to relax.

• Hornblower River Cruise. The Maid of the Mist is the more famous Niagara River cruise, but it is also located on the American side, sells out months in advance and is always packed with tourists. Hornblower provides a near-identical experience with more convenience and less crush. This is a must-do in Niagara Falls, even

• Journey Behind the Falls. You can see the falls from below and behind at this attraction offered by Niagara Parks. As with the river cruise, you’re likely to get wet, so expect to head back to your hotel to change afterwards.

If you still have time and energy, you should also venture down the Niagara River to the whirlpool rapids. The White Water Walk is a pleasant hike that provides heart-pounding views of the class-six rapids — and if you feel up to it, you can pump up your adrenaline more on the Whirlpool Jet Boats or the Whirlpool Aerocar.

Day Four

Though the vast majority of Niagara’s attractions exist on the Canadian side, it’s worth your time to venture to the American side for at least a day. Doing so will give you another perspective on the massive waterfalls from a few unique vantage points. You should consider walking or biking across the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two sides; not only is this cheaper, but it allows you more time to take in the sight of the falls and avoid the teeth-gnashing vehicle traffic on the bridge.

Once you get to the American side, you should head straight for Goat Island. This is the landmass the breaks up Horseshoe Falls from Bridal Veil and American Falls; because of its unparalleled proximity to the falls, it provides dozens of excellent lookouts you should enjoy, especially Terrapin Point. On Goat Island, you can also visit the Tesla Monument, which memorializes Nikola Tesla’s important innovations in hydroelectric power at Niagara Falls.

Days Five and Six

Here’s where the itinerary will deviate a bit, depending on what type of Niagara vacation you want and need.

For a family-focused trip, you might devote one of these days to the historical sites around Niagara Falls. These include Old Fort Niagara, the Lundy’s Lane battlefield and various museums focused on the history, culture and art of the region. You and your kids can learn about the significance of the falls to First Nations groups as well as escaped American slaves, which is often neglected in formal studies.

The other day should be spent on frivolous fun. Clifton Hill is a wonderland of arcade games, amusement rides and more. You can take a ride on the Niagara SkyWheel, see an immersive documentary at the IMAX and more. You might also spend a few hours at an indoor water park, which is open year-round.

For a more adult-focused trip, you should spend both of these days exploring the Niagara wine country. This part of the world rivals California’s Napa and even much of France in terms of its terroir; thus, Niagara vineyards are rapidly rising in esteem, and now is the time to sample before prices rise to unattainable heights.

Day Seven

On the final day of your vacation, you should feel free to revisit whatever Niagara attraction you most enjoyed, be it the wine, the waterpark, the whitewater rapids or something else. You should take it easy and soak in your experience — so you know exactly what to do the next time you visit Niagara Falls.

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By now it is paramount you have heard of the great opportunities that lie online. More so for individuals that are often on the move to quench their wanderlust. However, with many blogs harping on travel essay writing, few articles guide you on writing travel essays that hook your writers and earn your reputation in the field.

Although some may portray travel writing as a first-hand display of information, travel writing includes vivid descriptions and scenario-based narratives that create the aura and give your audience the feel of the places. With many people seeking the ultimate destination for their next tour, being a good writer is not enough to compete.

Selecting destinations and paying keen attention to various features that your audience enjoys is of much vitality. To get help sorting out the nitty-gritty items and prepare a masterpiece travel essay, consider getting help for writing essays online thus attracting the most traffic and giving your audience the firsthand experience of your trip.

Among the tips for essay writing include;

1. The clarity in stating the purpose of your tour

Whether you were seeking clarity of a people’s culture or even going to see infamous landmarks, the purpose of a journey surpasses the need to leave the natural environment.

Since it plays a crucial role in the introduction of your travel essay, ensure that you are clear on the purpose of the trip. By doing this, you induce curiosity in your readers and leave them interested in finding if the goal was achieved.

2. Don’t turn the essay to a personal diary

Yes! The audience is after your own experience and thoughts on the multiple areas you visit. However, do not confuse the trip and your thoughts about the adventure of the various regions.

Once you are caught in the flow, it may be tempting to get off topic and give your audience a step-by-step account of issues. To retain the relevance, plan your article before you begin writing thus hitting all vital details without warding off of the topic.

To help in determining the relevance of your article, revisit the relevance of every ‘I’ in your article and cut out details that are non-informative. For example, don’t tell the audience your audience about your culinary experiences or “the time you almost were left behind by the bus” as it may put off your audience.

For unbiased scrutiny of your article, engage sites for buying essays thus getting affordable help in fine-tuning your item to hit the points.

3. Engage locals to get their cultural background and the overall feel of a place

A successful essay for travel is one that immerses writers into the environment and makes them feel like they have already been at the site or want to go to the place.

After reaching the destination, consult the locals and fellow tourists to get their opinion of the place. By knowing this, you can shape your essay and treat your writers to an authentic article without bias.

4. 4. Be specific on various elements

Although you have to draw a fine line between your experiences and relevant information when writing a travel essay, delving into some issues is of much essence.

For instance, you can praise the cultural, culinary delights or even describe the cultural richness of the locals in a bid to connect readers to the town.

5. Edit your work considering areas that require further elaboration

The first draft is never the masterpiece we all wish it would be. As such, it takes a lot of refinement and fine-tuning of your essay to reach your goals.

When correcting your essay, be keen on grammar, factual statements and the overall flow of your article. To create a better travel essay, consult custom college essay writers thus getting quality reviews and editing at an affordable price.

By following the above tips for essay writing about travel, you are assured quality and a reputation in your niche. Although you want to engage all the current elements that result to better viewership, keep off from clickbait and over usage of keywords as it may ruin your reputation and get you flagged as spam.

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Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you’re new to hopping on an airplane and flying across the globe, there are things everyone knows to pack in their luggage. Clothing, shoes, and toiletries are musts, but there are plenty of other things you should consider bringing too. That’s especially the case if you’re a senior.

Making a list while you’re packing is a great way to ensure you don’t leave anything behind. When you’re in the process of making your next list, here are four items you might want to add, and one thing you surprisingly might want to leave at home.

A Smart Alarm Clock

An alarm clock probably isn’t on your travel list. After all, you can just use your phone or the alarm clock in the room.

It’s true that you have multiple options when it comes to getting up in the morning when you’re on vacation, but you may want to consider a SmartSet alarm clock instead.

Relying on your phone can spell disaster if it dies overnight, or you lose your charger. Not to mention, depending on where you’re traveling, your phone may be useless, so there’s no point in keeping it on at all.

The hotel alarm clock can’t do half the things a smart clock can. It’s a huge benefit to have one on vacation because it includes a night light, its Bluetooth capabilities enable you to connect with other devices, and it automatically maintains the correct time during a power outage. It is also a great way to remember what time it is back home, if you’re vacationing across the globe!

An Extra Pair of Glasses

Traveling with glasses can be a challenge. Traveling with contact lenses may seem like a good solution, but they aren’t the right option for all seniors. Whether you’re traveling with glasses or contact lenses, they can both be relatively easy to lose.

The last thing you want to do is try and find a place to buy a new pair of glasses or contact lenses while you’re traveling! Instead, bring along an extra pair of glasses, just in case.

Money Belt

Why bother with a money belt when you can just use your purse or a wallet? It’s true that using what you’re used to is convenient, but it’s convenient for pickpockets too.

Thieves focus on travelers when deciding who to pickpocket, and unfortunately, seniors are favorite targets. Rummaging in a purse and pulling a wallet out of a back pocket are easy, which could leave you without an ID or money.

A money belt is a fantastic way to stop thieves in their tracks. When worn in front, thieves can’t get their hands on your cash. Your items are even more secure if you tuck your money belt into your pants.

An Extra Week’s Worth of Medication

Traveling with medication on an airplane is easier than you might think. A few tips include:

• Tell the screening officer if you have medically necessary liquids in your bag.
• Medication in pill form can be brought on the plane in unlimited amounts.
• Always put your medication in a carry-on.
• Although TSA doesn’t require prescription bottles, you should use them to avoid potential problems with other agencies.

Because it is relatively easy to travel with medication, you should make sure you pack an extra week’s worth of medicine. That way, a delayed plane or change in your travel plans doesn’t cause any undue stress.

Don’t Check a Bag

What’s the one thing you should consider leaving at home? A checked bag.

Although there are pros to checking a bag when you travel, it’s always less stressful to bring a carry-on instead. It ensures you have everything with you on the plane, which can be extremely important if you will be spending hours on the airplane flying overseas.

Using a carry-on bag means when you land, there’s no need to wait at the carousel for your checked bag. You can leave the airport and get your vacation started a little earlier. Not to mention, you don’t have to worry about your bags getting lost.

You’ll save a little money too. Checked bags cost extra!

Don’t arrive at your destination and realize there’s something important you left at home. Think carefully about what you might need, and consider the things on this list. Whether you decide to add them to your packing list or not, at least you won’t panic and realize you left something important behind!

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