Tour and Travel

Making the Most of Your Spa Day

Going for a spa day at somewhere like this Chester luxury spa breaks hotel https://rowtonhallhotel.co.uk/the-spa/ is a great way to unwind and spend some time for yourself. Whether you are going alone, with your partner or with a friend or a group, it is important to plan for your trip to help you get the most out of it.

Before the day arrives, it is a good idea to check your booking and see what is included. Knowing what the package includes prevents any confusion on the day and also allows you to book treatments if you want to, and also if you want to eat whilst you are there you may want to book meals – often places can be busy and you may not be able to do this on the day itself.

You should also plan how you will get there and check how long this will take so that you don’t arrive late – remember to leave time on the journey for issues like traffic that may crop up and also to have time to change when you get there and check in.

Whilst you are there it is a good idea to stay as hydrated as possible. It can be easy to dehydrate and if you are using a gym, as well as saunas and you are in a warm spa environment, being well hydrated is important. When you have a massage, the massage therapist will also advise you to hydrate well afterwards.

Why September Is a Great Time to Visit North Wales

September is a fantastic time to visit North Wales, offering many of the benefits of summer without the big crowds. When the school holidays are over, popular attractions and beauty spots tend to be quieter, while the weather is often cooler without it being very cold, making it much more pleasant for exploring. The countryside has also started to take on the beautiful colours of early autumn.

Here are some of the best places to go if you are looking for a break in North Wales at this time of the year…

Conwy

The historic town of Conwy is most famed for its amazing castle which is a must for any history lovers looking to explore this medieval building. In the town itself, you can wander along the little streets and visit the cafes and browse the independent shops, which isn’t as busy as it is in the height of summer.

Llandudno – If it’s a seaside destination you want then Llandudno is perfect. There are plenty of places to stay including this luxury hotel Llandudno https://stgeorgeswales.co.uk/ and you can enjoy the beautiful views and walks along the beach and the promenade.

Anglesey – If you want the wild coastlines of North Wales and are a keen wildlife spotter then the Isle of Anglesey is the place to go, where you can see seabirds along the rugged cliffs and further inland you may even catch sight of one of the native red squirrels that live on the island.

Where to See Penguins in the UK

Penguins are well-loved and fascinating creatures and a firm favourite with adults and kids alike. Of course, their native habitat is the icy environment of South Africa, as well as some smaller areas in the far Southern Hemisphere, but fortunately you don’t have to travel all that way if you want to go and see penguins. Here are some of the places that you can go to see these endearing birds in the UK…

Birdland – Bourton on the Water – The pretty village of Bourton on the Water is one of the favourite tourism destinations in the Cotswolds, and many people come to see the pretty streets, the model village and enjoy a bite to eat at the independent cafes. If you are staying in the area at somewhere like this spa breaks Cotswolds hotel https://hatherleymanor.com/the-spa/spa-breaks-cotswolds/ then another thing that you can do there is head to Birdland, where you can see flamingos, cranes and storks as well as the colony of penguins of course!

ZSL London Zoo – One of the most famous zoos in the UK, London zoo is the perfect place to go if you are on a city break in London and as well as a whole host of animals, there is a fantastic enclosure where you can watch the penguins swimming and feeding. Penguin beach as it is known is the largest penguin pool in England.

Chester Zoo – A popular day out for families is Chester Zoo in the Northeast and they have a lot of seasonal events on over the summer too, making it a great summer holiday activity for the kids. Penguin feeding talks take place every day, making it a great place to come and see these adorable creatures as well as to learn more about them.

What the Dark Skies of North Wales Offer That No Urban Destination Ever Could

In British cities, we will rarely have seen the galaxy at all, let alone the sublime vision of the Milky Way, a dense river of light across the dark sky. Light pollution, the gradual denigration of our nightside vision by the expanding population, has taken this away from us and yet we remain oblivious to its loss.

In North Wales, it returns.

The Llŷn Peninsula, Snowdonia, Anglesey and the Conwy valley all offer spectacular dark sky zones. On a clear night, the distinction is rendered in the heavy, glittering density of the stars against the dark – while, in an urban sky full of light pollution, the Milky Way, like a gauzy membrane, is just an idea, visible only as an amber haze across which a few thousand stars wink and sparkle.

The experience of a dark sky is incandescent and overwhelming. It is a free transfer of horizon and outlook and a sublime and automatic alleviation from the daily worries of the little world to the infinite prospect of the great one. It is a sublime and magical transformation of outlook and a humbling experience of our place within the grand scheme. An urban destination will never deliver this. For the Best Hotel in Llandudno, visit stgeorgeswales.co.uk

For a dark sky experience, you need darkness: only achievable by distance, that is, by getting away from the ever-present, inexorable, blinding scourge of lights.

North Wales delivers both.

The sight, too, of the sky unspooling above the mountains and peninsulas at midnight, is one of the finest experiences a British traveller could hope for and one that succeeds only when we know the exact place to look.

Bouldering Warm Up Before Your First Session

Bouldering Warm Up Before Your First Session

A good warm up before entering a bouldering session is crucial, especially for the tendons and finger joints as they take longer to warm up than the rest of the muscles in the body.

Get Your Blood Moving First

Before heading out on the wall to start bouldering for the session, do 3-5 minutes of general cardio to get your heart rate up slightly. This can be done by jogging on the spot, skipping rope, using the rowing machine, or even just going for a jog around the bouldering floor to get your blood pumping to your hands.

Work Through Your Joints

Warm up your joints with some dynamic mobility. Most bouldering involves the shoulder, wrist and hip, so make sure to perform the following drills for 10 reps each: Arm Circles – Hold your arms straight out from your sides and make small circles with your hands. Gradually increase the size of the circle as you continue for the specified amount of reps. Reverse direction after completing half of the reps and repeat on the opposite side of your body. Wrist Rotations – Hold your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing downwards. Rotate your wrist in a circular motion, starting from a neutral position and moving your wrist in an upwards direction. Reverse the rotation and repeat for the specified amount of reps on the opposite side of your body. Hip Circles – Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Move your hip in a large circle, first in one direction and then in the opposite. Ankle Rolls & Shoulder Rolls – Finally, perform some ankle and shoulder rolls to loosen up the remaining joints. Make sure to keep all of the movements dynamic and within a range that allows you to maintain control throughout. Avoid locking any of the joints and do not allow the mobility to become static.

Wake Up Your Fingers Gradually

It is particularly important to warm up your fingers and pulleys before you start bouldering as they take longer to warm up than the rest of your muscles. For this reason, a good warm up for your fingers is to start off by traversing along the very easiest coloured route on the wall for about 5 minutes. The moves should be really gentle and you should try to do them slowly and deliberately and keep your fingers in the correct position.

Try Some Controlled Footwork

Use your first easy route to warm up your feet slowly and deliberately. Climb the route slowly and place each foot on the holds slowly and deliberately. Hold a balance position for a few seconds on each foothold before moving up to the next one. Climbing a route slowly with controlled footwork is the most efficient way to warm up your feet for bouldering and to rehearse the movement needed for your other climbs throughout the session.

If you are looking for bouldering near me, it’s likely that you will find a host of climbing gyms close to where you live. More on Bouldering Near Me can be found at https://www.270climbing.com/bouldering/.

By spending 10 minutes to warm up prior to your first bouldering session you will find that you can climb much better and feel much more comfortable throughout your session.

Why overseas visitors are heading to The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are becoming a huge tourist destination with overseas visitors. Holiday Lodges, the tourism company, carried out research that showed over 4.2 million people are searching for Cotswolds-related terms on Google. Interestingly, Australians show the third-highest interest levels in the world, with Americans topping the research list.

Why the Cotswolds appeal

The Cotswolds are famous for their honey stone cottages, rolling green hills and ancient cobbled streets, creating an olde worlde storybook feel that beguiles tourists looking for a traditional English countryside holiday. It’s become a hotspot for numerous celebrities too, which helps to create even more interest in the area, which now combines a buzzing social scene and modern luxury with rural tranquillity.

It’s also well set up for tourists with an explosion in Cotswolds guided tours and coach holidays by providers such as //cotswoldtour.co.uk/cotswolds-private-tours/classic-cotswolds-guided-tour/, making it easier for overseas visitors to access the area.

Where to go

Chipping Norton is one of the most popular areas in The Cotswolds, followed by Moreton-in-Marsh, Great Tew, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Broadway. However, the area is trying to avoid over-tourism, with inundated parishes like Bourton-on-the-Water demanding that councils restrict tourist coaches, which cause issues on narrow roads, attracting some 300,000 visitors a year when the local population is only 4,000 strong.

Local councils are now trying to promote other lesser-known parts of The Cotswolds to spread the tourism load and improve diversification, to avoid overstressing local amenities, facilities, roads and communities. In the meantime, the trend for overseas visitors to the Cotswolds shows no signs of easing up.

Embrace A Staycation, Vacation In The Cotswolds

After two, long, years of isolation caused by the Covid Pandemic, when individuals, couples and families were ordered to stay at home and travel of any description was strictly forbidden, it’s no wonder now, that people everywhere are embracing the idea of a Staycation, Vacation, especially here in the United Kingdom and particularly in the area of the Country known as the Cotswolds.  With the majority of the Cotswolds located within the Counties of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, the extensive area also includes parts of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Somerset.

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You Can Climb Your Own Everest In Gloucester

There is an old adage that says, “The best view comes after the hardest climb,” literally meaning the greatest reward often comes after facing significant challenges and overcoming obstacles.  This is a great analogy to describe the exciting, exhilarating, Bouldering Gloucester Centre that offers a comprehensive range of climbing experiences suitable for the ardent thrill seeker looking for an adrenaline rush or a complete novice who’s just after a different way to have some fun with friends or family.  The perfect venue to get staff together for a corporate Team-Building day.  You could say you’ll be “Scaling your own Everest” and “Climbing your own personal mountain”, the symbolic meaning behind these motivational thoughts is that a “Mountain” represents a personal goal or challenge, and “Climbing” signifies the effort needed to achieve it.  In the diverse and multicultural City of Gloucester you can certainly “Climb Your Everest” at places such as https://www.270climbing.com/,  Life is very much like climbing a mountain, there are days that are difficult and challenging and days that are easy and the views will be spectacular.  Persistence is key, enduring through difficulties leads to the most fulfilling outcome, just like the other saying that’s often seen on the side of caravans and motorhomes, “Life is all about the Journey, not the final destination”.  You may have to face your fears but by scaling new heights you will build resilience and confidence and learn to turn fear into motivation.

What makes a British holiday

We all love a break away from work to spend time with the family and choosing a staycation in the UK is the perfect budget-friendly way to do it. However, with prices soaring it is important to know where to look. So, what makes a truly British holiday, and where can you go to find one?

To bring the feeling of a holiday abroad, it can be a great idea to do a holiday by the beach. Being within walking distance from a beach works well for families with children as it provides endless hours of free entertainment. Although beaches when it rains are not the sunny scene you envisaged, there are still things to do such as rock pooling or bodyboarding. A British beach holiday can be achieved whatever the weather!

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Despite the UK not being known for its warm sea temperatures, it is becoming increasingly popular to sea swim. Body boarding and surfing are fun activities to do as a family, especially if you wear wetsuits which can usually be hired from the local beach. Cold water swimming can also be good for your mental health and the perfect way to start your morning.

You can’t have a British holiday without Fish and chips. There is something that makes it all taste better by the sea, and with cafes and restaurants serving it for decades on end, you are guaranteed a delicious meal. And if you are not quite full, there is of course ice cream. A Mr Whippy or a choice of the local homemade ice creams are an absolute must.

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Piers and fairgrounds can be a fun way to spend the day too, with plenty of seaside towns using this attraction as their selling point. For example, Brighton, Southend, or Blackpool. Worthing also has a beautiful pier however there are many other local things to do in Worthing such as visit the local shops or go to the lido meaning your British holiday can explore a range of local areas.

Don’t forget to visit the local shops to collect souvenirs and a postcard. There is nothing more British than sending a seaside postcard to family or friends. Or why not buy some local sweets or fudge to bring back home?

Finally, if you are wanting to explore the coastline then a walk along a local nature reserve is the way to do it. Walks are usually sign-posted, and Brits love to stop off at cafes or pubs along the way to keep the energy up…

Why you Need Insurance that is Specifically for a Cruise Holiday

A cruise holiday is something that many people enjoy. Having the convenience of everything that you want onboard the ship, as well as the opportunity to explore multiple destinations all within one holiday, not to mention the luxury of many cruise ships. It is little wonder that despite the negative attention that many stricken cruise liners attracted during the early days of the pandemic, that people are still keen to go cruising!

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However, making sure that you are well prepared for your cruise is important, and this means having the right travel insurance. You might think that travel insurance is all pretty much the same, however, when you go on a cruise holiday it is advisable to take out insurance that is specific to cruising from somewhere like this insurance brokers Bath based company.

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This is because there are things that can happen on a cruise ship that would not on another type of holiday. For example, if you were to break your leg and not be able to get off the ship and go on any excursions, you would want to be financially compensated for this, which is something that cruise insurance can cover.

Similarly, if you were to fall ill on the cruise and the captain required you to stay confined to your cabin so as not to spread your illness around the ship, cruise insurance would also cover this.

As well as this, it would also cover you for medical attention that you might need whether on the ship or at a hospital in the area.