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Month: May 2014

60 hot summer holiday deals – worldwide

May 29, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Dusit Thani Maldives

I’m always on the look out for a good excuse to take another trip, whether it’s here in the UAE or further afield. One sure way to tip the balance and convince my husband is a good old-fashioned discount.

The Entertainer,  a Dubai-based international company offering a portfolio of worldwide ‘buy one get one free’ incentives, has recently launched its ‘Hot Summer Nights’ travel promotion, offering  guests the opportunity to enjoy their holiday for longer with amazing hotel offers. The offers are so good this year, I decided to share.  All you have to do is become a member, download the app and voila!

The promotion features over 60 hotels and resorts in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, Doha, Lebanon, Turkey, Maldives, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Some of the participating partners include Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa in Oman, The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa, Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, Fairmont The Palm in the UAE, plus properties across Asia and Indian Ocean including Banyan Tree Phuket, Conrad Hong Kong, Vivanta By Taj – Coral Reef Maldives, Lux* resorts and many more.

So, from the 1st of June to 31st August 2014, Entertainer Members can book one night, get one free; book two nights, get two free or even book three nights and get three free!

Stitched Panorama

So how do you become an Entertainer Member?

Simply go to www.theentertainerme.com/hotsummernights and registered as an Entertainer Member.

Yes, it’s a global offer! So anyone who’s purchased any Entertainer product can access these offers.

Even better, you can win a free travel app here on The Apple & Cart!

To celebrate the launch of the new travel app The Apple & Cart readers are being given the chance to win the travel app worth AED 450/$122.

Answer the following question and the first 3 entries will get a complimentary travel app:

Where and what would be your ideal family holiday?

Good luck!

The first three entries will be will contacted by The Entertainer group.  This gives the winner access to the Hot Summer Nights offer, but also access to 800 Buy One Night Get One Free offers for hotels across Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe that are all valid until December 2014.

 

 

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Posted in: LIFE, TRAVEL DEALS Tagged: competition, dubai, family travel blogger, travel, travel blogger dubai

Countdown to Cusco, Peru

May 16, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Cusco, Peru

Cusco – birthplace of the world

In less than eight weeks my ten year old daughter and I will be travelling to Cusco, Peru to volunteer in the local conservation zoo.

As volunteers, we will be based in the ancient city of Cusco, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and only a few hours from Peru’s most famous landmark, Machu Picchu. We plan to visit the surrounding area, the captivating landscapes such as the Sacred Valley, markets and take a two day tour to Machu Picchu.

Cusco sits at an altitude of around 3,500m with a semi-dry and cold climate and we can expect temperatures of 21°C down to 1°C. The  capital  and  largest  city of Peru,  Lima,  is a 1 hour flight or approximately 22 hour bus ride away from Cusco.  Many people think of it as a small village, Cusco is actually a bustling city of 400,000 people.

Seductive, striking and natural, Cusco’s history lives in its streets, squares, valleys and towns. There is a plethora of museums, markets, cultural and historical sites within the city limits that are easily accessible and visited.

I’m looking forward to scouring the markets for a few trinkets and gifts. Here’s my must-go list of Cusco markets:

  • Plaza San Blas – workshops and showrooms of local craftspeople
  • Center for Traditional Textiles – traditional weavings and textiles
  • The Centro Artesenal Cusco – souvenirs and alpaca wool handicrafts
  • San Pedro Mercado Central – fruit and vegetables
  • Central Plaza de Armas  – street food and drinks

‘Weird and Wonderful things at Cuscos San Pedro market’ , not your usual display of  fruit and veg – especially numbers 1 to 6! 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blog, blogger, conservation, cusco, dubai, peru, travel, travel blogger dubai, zoo

Temple of Tooth, Kandy, Sri Lanka

May 13, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

DSC_0191

Located in Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy. Although you do not get to see it, the temple houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha.

Upon entering the site I could feel the serene ambiance and smell the fresh of Jasmine and Lotus flowers being sold as offerings.

Fortunately, there a number of story boards in English hanging around the main hall inside where the children can easily read the potted history of the tooth. We all left feeling a little bit more enlightened.

Time to head back to the hotel for dinner and a pillow fight.




 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blogger, dubai, family, kandy, sri lanka, temple of tooth, travel

Gem factory, Kandy Sri Lanka

May 13, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Gamini gem factory

Back in the AC, we were on our way to the next stop in our roomy 12-seater minibus to Gamini Gem factory, Kandy.

At this point, I think it’s a good time to point out that there were times when we simply felt like a purse being sent from one place to the next.

When you decide to take tour with a driver, like we did you are – in part – agreeing to visit some, let’s say, mutually beneficial establishments where things always end with a sale.

DSC_0165

My husband and I were well aware that we were about to be ‘sold to’ at this particular venue but decided to put our cynicism aside and embrace the experience. Good job really, the kids loved it. The mini ‘tour’ started with a step by step explanation of how rough stones are selected, polished and made into beautiful jewelry. We were then escorted to the shop across the street, with assistance from two authoritative-looking policemen in brown suits, to the pride of place ready for the essential gem presentation.

DSC_0168

Yes, we bought something. Two Moonstone necklace gems for only $10 madam.

Sri Lanka is touted as a great place to buy gems but without any prior experience or knowledge of gems, we stuck to the cheapest option to reduce the risk of unscrupulous dealers. According to some reports, there are some dealers ready to trick gullible tourists by passing off blue spinel, or other semi-precious stones as sapphire.

Leaving with our treasure, we climbed into our carriage for a thoughtful and educational trip to the Kandy War Cemetery and then to the Temple of the tooth.

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: dubai, family, gem factory, sri lanka, travel, travel blogger dubai

Wish I was: on safari on The Mara, Kenya

May 7, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Giraffes

Binoculars and camera at the ready…enjoy the view as nature entertains.

Masai Mara or The Mara as its known by the locals is famed for its bountiful array of animals including lions, leopards, cheetahs and of course the annual migration. It was named in honor of the Maasai people who describe the the area when looked at from afar: “Mara,” which is Maa (Maasai language) for “spotted,” an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area.

The Great Migration of zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti is on show every year from July to October. Don’t miss it.

 

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Posted in: LIFE, WISH I WAS Tagged: family, kenya, Masai Mara, safari, The Mara, travel

5 tips: when planning to book a Sri Lankan Driver

May 3, 2014 by theappleandcart Leave a Comment

Tuc Tuc Luv SL

If like us, you want to take full advantage of your time in a new place and see as much of the island as you can in one trip, it”s likely that you’ll be considering a driver. Sri Lanka is around 25k sq miles of mostly flat land, with mountains in the south-central region, so getting around and covering a fair bit of the country should not be too much of a challenge. 

We contemplated taking a train from the airport and using a driver on an ad hoc basis but the cost versus hassle-factor finally led to a decision to go with a driver for the complete trip. Plus, travelling with two children, having limited time and not being familiar with the roads cancelled out the rental car option for us but I came across a number of stories of people who enjoyed the freedom of exploring independently.

When researching,  Google produced a mix bag of results including recommendations from visitors on sites like Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet, as well as web pages of individual drivers put together by generous clients. After speaking to friends, reading a number of forum threads, it was obvious that there was no clear market leader or agency to fall back on so there was an element of risk and lots of research involved.

I eventually opted for a one-man-band driver who had his own website, a bunch of recommendations and testimonials. Thankfully, after a few surprises, we had a fantastic holiday and a great driver but it wasn’t straightforward.

IMG_5551

Below are a few tips when booking a Sri Lankan driver:

1. Do your research. 

Things may have changed since our trip so make sure you look at up-to-date and recent posts to get a general understanding of what is available. Consider social media for tracking down some of the people that left testimonials to qualify the recommendations. Make sure the driver can speak English at a level where he is able to respond to the barrage of questions coming from seats behind him!

2. Ask lots of questions. 

One way to get a feel for your driver, before you commit,  is to ask him questions about the fine details of the trip.  There are different types of services;  ‘A tour’ is when you leave the majority of the planning to the driver, down to the hotels you stay in and the places you visit.  If you fancy being the tour manager and arranging the itinerary yourself  (like we did) you will need to make it clear at the start that you only require him to drive you to places. Most 5* hotels offer driver accommodation for around LKR 100 (45 pence) which should be covered by the driver as part of the package but it is worth checking.

3. Discuss the right-sized vehicle before you leave. 

I asked for a ‘car with a driver’ and was advised that we needed a ‘van’ for two adults and two children. I agreed to the upgrade for extra comfort. When we arrived we were greeted by a different driver, with a car. Subsequently we had to take a  two hour detour to switch to the pre-agreed van that turned out to be a  lovely new 12-seater mini-van.

4. Get what you paid for. 

As mentioned earlier, we picked a driver based on his personal website and references. However, the driver that greeted us at the airport happened to be a freelance driver who was contracted to take over our trip. Fortunately, he turned out to be a polite, professional and kind man, who was a relatively safe driver on the mad roads of Sri Lanka.

5. Don’t be afraid to change.

“If you are not happy with the driver, change him” – that was the advice from a mum we met during our travels. One of the dads told me worrying stories of how her driver would constantly take his hands off the wheel and appeared to be a struggling to drive in heavy traffic. Another woman changed her driver after day two as she felt there was no chemistry and found it difficult to communicate.

Driving in Sri Lanka was an experience, a hair-raising one and a major part of our trip. Would we have a driver again? Yes and we would probably book the same guy. Is it safe? Not technically. I had mixed feelings that ranged from the exhilaration of the anything-goes, wacky races approach to times of shear terror when we were dodging head-on trucks, wandering pedestrians and wild dogs that seemed to disappear under the van and reappear the other side none the wiser. A holiday is not a good holiday without taking yourself out of your comfort zone in my opinion – a little fear does no harm!

 Our driver was K.A. Udayasiri aka Udaya. He doesn’t have a website but can be contacted on kaudayasiri@gmail.com 

 

 

 

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Posted in: FAMILY TRIPS, LIFE Tagged: blog, driver, family, sri lanka, tips, travel

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