GREAT HOLIDAY IDEAS FOR EVERYONE BOTH IN THE UK AND OVERSEAS
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THAILAND: the teaching trip of a lifetime AND how you can do it too
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SCOTTISH HIKING BREAKS: THE SUMMER FOR THE WEST HIGHLAND WAY
OUR TOP
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HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS
TRIP OF A LIFETIME
SCHOOLS OUT: Jamie with the pupils at the school AN Alexandria man has returned home after landing a job in a school on the other side of the world. James McKenzie jetted off in 2012 to work as an English Teacher in the Nong Bua Lam Phu province of Thailand. The 29-year-old, who has travelled all over the world and worked in bars in Australia and in a car wash in Bangkok, is back home after his year long trip, and is already making plans for his next adventure. He said: “I’ve always fancied travelling and it has become part of my life now. I’m really lucky to have been to so many places such as Australia, New Zealand, a lot of south East Asia and I fancy travelling to South America.
“I have been to Thailand before, but it wasn’t anything like this type of holiday. I lived out of a backpack for a year and just went wherever I felt like going. “I decided to go back and try something different. I travelled around the islands at first then settled into a small town near the Cambodian border. “I needed a way to finance myself whilst I was across there and I thought it would be great
to teach English to kids in one of the schools. “I had never thought of doing anything like this before, it wasn’t until one of my friends i had met travelling years ago mentioned it that I decided to look into it. “I went across with SINE Education, who were fantastic. They sorted out everything for me, such as my work permit and application and I had no issues at all. “It wasn’t that difficult to apply for, which surprised me, but I never realised how bad I was at grammar until I took all the courses to get the job. Jamie worked with kids aged 12-17 teaching them basic grammar and conversation skills, and he says despite his
terrible teaching he thinks they learned something whilst he was there. He said: “I am probably the worlds worst teacher. I have no discipline what so ever, I let them get away with murder. But at the end of the day all their exam results were good so I must have been doing something right. “The funniest thing is one of the pictures I took sums up my skills as a teacher. They were supposed to be sitting an exam, and I went to take a picture. They all stopped working and looked up to smile at the camera. They all had me wrapped around their fingers. “I think they only liked me cause
What to do if you want to get involved: I am a big football fan. They are really into the English Premier league over there but unfortunately none of them knew who Dumbarton were but my mission was to try and recruit them as future players but that’s a work in progress. Although he’s glad to be home, and enjoying the luxury of drinking from the tap once again and having his mum do his washing, Jamie admits that he probably won’t be around for long. He added: “I love coming
home to see my family and friends. It’s great to be looked after instead of having to live out a backpack for months on end, but I’m getting itchy feet so I’ll probably be off again sometime soon. “I still need to decide if I’m going to go back to the same school. I still have a job there if I want it but I’m just going to roll the dice and see where I end up. I would love to go to Japan and do similar work but I’ll just need to wait and see what happens.”
Sine Education provides English conversation courses for government and private schools all over Thailand. The company has a range of fun and rewarding courses to make English as enjoyable for you to teach as it is for the students to learn. The teaching team is expanding every year, and Sine Education is looking for keen volunteers for this once in a lifetime experience. You do not need to have any teaching experience to get involved, just the right attitude. Go to www.sineeducation.com to and fill out the online application.
Five Great Things to do in:
EDINBURGH 1. Edinburgh Zoo Guang. There is plenty to see, including a penguin march a a very educational and entertaining monkey enclosure and the
Edinburgh Zoo put itself back on the map last year when they entered a breeding programme for pandas, and welcomed Tian Tian and Yuang
Edinburgh Dungeons is a tribute to the gory history of Scotlands capital city. Delve into the tales of grave digging and
only koala exhibit in Scotland. A great day out for all ages with lots of activites for children and adults alike.
2. Edinburgh Dungeons cannibalism with specially trained actors to give the fullest and skin crawling experience. With brand new rides to
make it even more terrifying, its both educational and fun. Ideal for a day out with friends, but is not advised for young children.
3. Edinburgh Castle Visit the iconic Scottish Landmark and learn all about the castle’s history. With amazing views over
The one mile street is an ideal destination for the best shops and restaurants in Edinburgh. Many people travel to the city
just to shop, and it offers all your high street stores and much more, including multi- story House of Fraser and Debenhams
Edinburgh and a number of history museums and exhibits, there is plenty to see for all the family. Visitors can also
4.Princes Street stores. Some of the best reataurants are located just off this iconic stretch. ideal for a girls day out.
5. Dynamic History Museum Dynamic Earth is an interactive history museum that is a great day our for all ages. With 3D and 4D exhibits, it takes
see the Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. An ancient relic that enthroned kings for centuries.
visitors on a journey through evolution and the creation of Earth. Visiotrs can also come face to face with exticnt dinosaurs or take a
trip to the bottom of the ocean. Open all year round, its a great day out whatever the occassion or weather.
BACK TO Unlike your average beach holiday, some people prefer to dig out the waterproofs hiking boots and head for the hills.
IT HAS been dubbed “the outside capital of the UK� - and Fort William is putting itself on the map as the place to be in Britain if you love to be outdoors. The finishing point of the West Highland Way, the 96 mile trek from Milngavie, it is known for its historical sightseeing, as well as having many cycle and hiking tracks. The quiet town at the end of the West Highland way has over 50,000 visitors a year from all over the world, who travel to climb the highest mountain in Scotland Ben Nevis. The mountain rises from sea-level to 4,406 feet in a
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relatively short distance. If climbing mountains is not to your taste, there are plenty of walks around the town that let you take in natures surroundings. For example, Glencoe Lochan trails are roughly 2.5km in length and is a great walk for people of all ages through ornamental woodland at the foot of Glen Coe.The picturesque and serene lochan and its wooded shores contrasts with the wild and dramatic mountains of the glen which are seen across it. If more of a challenge is what you seek, Garbh Bheinn is the ideal walk being 7km in length. The trek is a rather neglected but still fine cone-shaped mountain on the southern side of Loch Leven. Its
ascent is an unrelenting grind up the west ridge but the steepness of the slopes above the loch add great depth and drama to the views. However, the most famous thing in Fort William is the Jacobite Steam Train journey, which is considered one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. The train line goes through some of the most idyllic scenery and crosses a viaduct that was made famous in the Harry Potter films. There are plenty of small bed and breakfasts in the area that make Fort Willam the ideal place to escape to the country for a short break.
DREAM GETAWAY
Lying on a beach or shopping till you drop? Whats your ideal getaway?
New York. Paris. Mexico. Spain. Thailand. Tennerife. Florida. Dubai. Amsterdam. Cyprus. Greece. Canada. Australia.
OR
EVERYONE has that one holiday of a lifetime they dream about on a rainy day. An escape that caters to every need you could possibly imagine. Whether its sunbathing in a six star resort in Mexico or a week of the best restaurants and shopping in New York there is not one person in the Uk, or the world for that matter, that does not fantasise about jetting off whilst at their desk in work, praying they win big in the lottery. But is there a place that everyone wants to go? A paradise that would make everyone feel like they have died and gone to heaven? Leading travel agent Thomas Cook says that people are keen to plan their dream holiday.
Sarah Snderson, spokesperson for the comapny said: “We get a lot of people in our shops booking their dream holiday. There has been an increase in sales in longer travelling holidays, such as world trips backpacking holidays. “We also get a lot of families coming to book holidays to Florida. That seems to be one of the most popular dream holdays. “Although the more exotic destinations are on the up, such as Dubai and Mexico, bookings to the Canaries are incresing with people spending more money on higher star hotels. People save for a lifetime for the holiday of their dreams. As they say, every penny counts.
TOP 10 HOLIDAYS
1. FLORIDA 2. AUSTRALIA 3. DUBAI 4. NEW YORK 5. THAILAND 6. CANADA 7. MEXICO 8. JAMAICA 9. TENNERIFE 10. GRAN CANARIA
WHERE ARE
YOU
As summer approaches, Scottish travel agents are hard at work as holiday sales increase
GOING?
THE Scottish summer is fast approaching, and holiday bookings are on the rise to escape the winter blues. In recent years, the prospect of a warm Scottish summer has dwindled, leaving people desperate for a tropical getaway. The dream to jet off somewhere that doesn’t require wooly tights and waterproofs is everlasting in peoples minds, and it seems people are more determined this year than ever. Holiday sales jumped up by 10 per cent over Easter compared to last year, according to Scottish travel agent Barrhead Travel. Favourite destinations are Spain and the Canary Islands for holiday makers, perhaps due
to the year round sunny weather with an average temperature that ranges from 17 degrees in the winter to 24 degrees in the summer months. Long haul family holidays to Florida appear to be a top destination with more exotic resorts such as Egypt and Dubai close behind. Chief Executive of Barrhead Travel, Sharon Munro, thinks people are determined to get some sun as the weather just seems to get worse every year. She said: “While January and February are always busy for us, this year we noticed an extra spike in the weeks leading up to Easter for late deals, which we put down to people wanting to escape the bitter winter weather. The prolonged
cold snap has meant that many people have decided that the only way to guarantee some warmth and sunshine is to book a break abroad. “Our top destinations so far this year have been the Canaries, particularly Tenerife, followed by the Spanish Costas and Majorca. Forward bookings for our own summer holiday programme to five destinations in the Mediterranean have also been very strong. “There’s been a change in holiday habits in the last few years, with more people looking for allinclusive holidays, which are great value for money as well as making it very easy for holidaymakers to plan their budgets.”