Holidays

Yesterday Michelin released its selection of recommended hotels and restaurants in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2009. The new edition features 203 establishments in all, a number that includes 173 restaurants and 30 hotels. Tokyo is tied with Paris for the number of three-star eateries.

Combine a city stay in one of the world’s great cities with one of the world’s top diving destinations on a ‘Simply Egypt’ seven night holiday through Discover Egypt to Cairo and the Red Sea. Cairo should be on everyone’s must see ‘once in a lifetime’ list for the magnificent Great Pyramids and Sphinx that have stood at the edge of the desert at Giza, just outside of Cairo for an incredible 4,500 years.

On 24 February 2009, 48 passengers – including special guest Angie Butler - will board the ice-strengthened expedition ship, Professor Multanovskiy, on a voyage bound for the famed island of South Georgia, where they will deliver a bronze memorial plaque for Frank Wild (1873–1939) to the South Georgia Heritage Trust Museum.

Enjoy some of the most stunning scenery in South Africa and celebrate the 110th anniversary next year of the Kruger National Park with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. This long-established walking holiday specialist operator is offering a 17 day, half-board adventure embracing Swaziland, The Kruger National Park and Hazyview, Mpumalanga.

The UK’s biggest and fastest growing hotel brand, Premier Inn, continues its international expansion plans as Premier Inn Hotels LLC signs a joint venture to introduce the budget hotel chain to Oman. The move comes after this year’s successful Premier Inn Hotel opening in Dubai.

Bales Worldwide has added two new destinations to its choice of African holidays for 2009. Independent and group travel options to Madagascar and Rwanda join holiday choices in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mali, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Uganda making the 2009 programme the largest ever for the operator.

Are you bored of Berlin? Over Oslo? Think Paris is past it? Then why not ditch the well worn, tourist clogged, clichéd cities and head off the holiday-makers map? But remember, you don’t need to leave the continent to find exciting, exotic destinations. Skyscanner counts down Europe’s most undiscovered capitals; cities that feel much further from home than they really are…

Eurocamp's deals of the week include holidays to Picardy, France, Frejus on the French Riviera, Carnac, Southern Brittany and St Hilaire-de-Riez, Vendèe, two of which are even during the peak Easter holidays.

To celebrate its 142nd anniversary, DFDS Seaways is giving away cruises to Amsterdam - all you have to do is donate to local charity, Children North East. Sailing from Newcastle to Amsterdam on a mini cruise on the 11th December, the DFDS Seaways’ Charity Cruise Break includes two nights on board ship in an en suite cabin, coach transfers to and from Amsterdam and the best part of the day to explore this wonderful European city.

After a successful first year Inghams’ Villas programme has gone from strength to strength. For 2009, Inghams will offer a wider choice of destinations to appeal to those wishing to travel further afield in Europe. In addition to Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Austria and Switzerland, Portugal has been added to the selection.

Are you itching to get on the dance floor? Then make sure you take steps to keep the rhythm alive. Planet Holidays, specialist tour operator to Greece and Cyprus are offering you the chance to join them in Cyprus, to kick start spring 2009 with the best line and partner dancing holiday ever.

Larnaca on the southern coast of Cyprus is the resort favoured by the locals. There is plenty to do all year round, whilst February and March are great months to catch the sun without the crowds. Visit the 6th century church built by Angels, Panayia Angeloktisti or for celeb spotting - take a peek at the villa built by Peter Andre for Katie Price.

Haven Holidays has launched its 2009 website, and visitors can now check out videos showing what’s on offer at its 35 family holiday parks around the UK, scan through galleries of pictures that will give you a feel for the facilities and browse your way around lots of lively user-friendly info about the activities, accommodation and entertainment.

Brits love a good cuppa and it’s often the one thing they really miss whilst abroad, so where better to get one than in a place where they grow the stuff. Mauritius is home to some of the world's best beaches, fantastic scenery and wildlife and some of the friendliest people on earth. It is also home to several tea plantations and the tea trade is very much part of the history and culture of the island.

The leading website for hotels and travel within Russia, destinationRussia.com, has launched its brand-new, dedicated Russian travel brochure. The brochure offers a range of luxury and budget hotels in St Petersburg and Moscow aimed at the holidaymaker and business traveller.

Africa continues to be a popular long haul destination and the new 2009 brochure published by specialist tour operator African Pride offers a great selection of holidays and safaris throughout southern & east Africa.

As the long winter nights begin to draw in, why not lift your spirit with a pre-Christmas City break to one of Europe’s hotspots.

People looking to combat the effects of short winter days are being offered a range of winter-blues busting walks in Hadrian’s Wall Country. According to NHS Direct, eight in ten people in the UK suffer from winter blues, or sub-syndromal SAD, which starts as the days grow shorter and less light reaches our brains.

MSC Cruises UK and Ireland office recorded a huge increase in phone enquiries to its call centre and in bookings during October. The number of calls made throughout October rose by 47% while the number of bookings increased a staggering 84% over the same period in 2007.

During January and February Mallorca is covered in the delicate snow-white blossoms of the almond trees which are in abundance on the island. There is no better way to see Mallorca in its winter finery than to stay in a cosy cottage or traditional farmhouse and hike among the countless almond groves that dot the rolling hillsides.

In conjunction with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and travel website asiatravelmarket.co.uk , Qantas Holidays is celebrating the launch of its first Asia dedicated brochure by offering a luxury five-day holiday for two to Hong Kong, staying at the 5* Shangri-La hotels.

Explore some of the world’s great artistic centres with Cox & kings’ expert-led art treasures tours. Cox & Kings has launched its new Art Treasures brochure for 2009, featuring special arts tours to some of the world’s most important centres for music, art and architecture. Each tour is accompanied by an experienced lecturer who will develop the visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the destinations visited through a series of formal and informal talks.

As the dark nights set in and the Christmas countdown begins, it is that time of year again when we begin to think about our next holiday away.

Qantas Holidays has unveiled its 2009/2010 Australia & New Zealand brochure containing an extensive range of accommodation and touring options which translates into a choice of over 600 brochured products.

Forte Village is a luxury resort in Sardinia set within 55 acres of pine forest and subtropical gardens, next to a dazzling white beach at the southern tip of the luxurious island of Sardinia where the seawater is crystal clear.

Thomson Worldwide is offering fourteen nights for the price of seven at the 4 Star Plus Heritage Golf and Spa Resort, Mauritius. A haven of peace and tranquility, this deluxe resort combines a distinct level of excellence and comfort with classical charm to create a contemporary hideaway on the unspoilt South Coast of Mauritius.

DFDS Seaways has launched its new Holiday brochure with some inspiring new value for money holiday ideas for 2009. Departures are from Newcastle and Harwich with lead in prices of £134pp for a nine-night holiday. The new brochure includes an extensive range of holidays across Northern Europe and Scandinavia ideal for families and groups.

The team at Dive Worldwide has been busy researching and testing (yes they do get their feet wet) lots of new and imaginative watery destinations for 2009! The result of their endeavours to find the next diving hotspots, is a bulging new brochure packed with innovative new itineraries and ideas for Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Maldives, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tonga.

Walks Worldwide’s exhilarating new 16-day fully guided walking holiday in Venezuela’s Gran Sabana treks to the most famous tepui of all – Roraima, inspiration for Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, and visits the world’s highest single drop waterfall – Angel Falls. Departures from London are available daily, year-round (wet season is May-November, but don’t be put off, wildlife is more active during this time).