48 wicklownews
TRAVEL
`
Living
TUESDAY 28 JULY 2009
Home & Away with Robert Walshe BRITISH Airways is taking the fight for customers to the nofrills carriers by launching a “value calculator” on ba.com. It will allow customers to check the true cost of Ryanair and EasyJet’s added charges versus the value of BA’s full service. The system enables customers to select how they’re choosing to travel, be that checking in at the airport or online, selecting a seat 24-hours before they fly, taking a bag, or opting for food and drink on board. It will then calculate what Ryanair, EasyJet and BA will charge in total for those options. www.ba.com/ valuecalculator
Holiday Hotspot
The ruins of the ancient city of Angkor, capital of the Khmer kingdom, Cambodia, are one of the world’s marvels. The “City of Kings”, Ang-
kor, boasts some of the largest religious monuments ever constructed. Unknown to the world until French naturalist Henri Mouhot literally stumbled onto it in 1861, the area of Angkor existed for centuries only as a myth. The temple complex covers some 97 square kilometres and carries the remains of passageways, moats, temples and palaces that represent centuries of building in the capital. Siem Reap now supports a host of large five-star hotels and resorts, fine-dining and the kind of good services, shops, galleries, and spas that make this little city a new oasis of luxury in western Cambodia. The town’s central market is a great stop for souvenir purchases, and the nearby downtown area is abuzz day and night with fine-dining options and quaint bars party
■ Angkor Wat, Cambodia
spots and massage. A three- or four-day visit will suffice and bring your sense of adventure, your camera, and a youthful sense of wonder. The Howard Hotel is nearly at the end of the Hotel Strip past most of the other properties, modern, great pool and very good staff. The bedrooms are either road, garden/pool or side view, so be mindful of the location of your room. You won’t be disappointed by amazing Angkor at Siem Reap. I rate this experience as one the most exhilarating I have ever witnessed. The best way to see Angkor is by rickshaw and I suggest you book a guide for the day. Thai airlines fly to Angkor directly from Bangkok or the country’s capital, Phnom Penh.
Weekend Hotspot
Boston is an easy blend of historic charm and modern conveniences with a busy street life and beautiful architecture, green parks and gardens, skyscrapers and modern freeways, museums, galleries and colonial churches. Boston is home to the first public library, the first public school and the first subway system; it is the site of the Boston Tea Party that started the Revolu-
■ Cheers Bar, Bostonn
with Kathleen Murray
When dogs become ill THIS is something that doesn’t enter the minds of too many people when they get a dog. However, it is a reality. It does happen so think before you get one, if you don‘t already have one. This is a costly business when it does happen so you need to budget for it, otherwise you will be in a dilemma. Young dogs don’t have many problems but there are certain problems that certain breeds are prone to getting. West Highland terriers often have skin problems that plague them throughout their lives. Bigger breeds like German Shepherds, Labradors, St Bernards, Mastiffs etc., can develop hip
problems that can be very disabling. Greyhounds can have a tendency towards rheumatism and arthritis. Bloodhounds can be prone to torsion (build up of stomach gases). When you get a dog it is always a good idea to research the illnesses or ailments that it may be prone to because, on top of those, you will have to deal with unexpected problems also. A dog could have an accident at any time or it may eat something and cause a blockage or get poisoned. When a dog gets older it gets normal “old age” complaints. These can range from incontinence to cancer. Heart prob-
lems can also come to light, blood disorders etc. These all cost money to diagnose and treat. Calls often come in to rescue charities saying that someone has had their dog to the vet and didn’t realise that it would cost so much. They ask for help with the payment (saying that they are not well off financially). In the animal world there is no medical card. You pay for the treatment. The tests and medication costs are the same as for humans. People need to know this so that if they get a dog or cat or whatever….. there will be bills to be paid.
tionary War, and is the location of the Cheers bar, made famous by the popular TV sitcom of the same name. Boston has been nicknamed ‘the Athens of America’ because of its great cultural, political and economic influence. The top 10 attractions are; 1, The Freedom Trail; 2, Boston Public Garden; 3, Quincy Maket; 4, Fenway Park; 5, Museum of Science; 6, Sam Adams Brewery; 7, New England Aquarium; 8, Harbour Islands; 9, Museum of Fine Arts; 10, Cheers Bar. The Omni Parker House Hotel is the oldest of its kind in the States and occupies a great site smack-bang in the centre of the city. The hotel was built in 1855 and has had £15 million spent on it in the last few years. It truly is beautiful with many original paintings, antiques and chandeliers. The city is well served from the Irish market direct by Aer Lingus or any of the American carriers ex Dublin via Newark or Philadelphia. www.visitboston.com or www.aerlingus.com
Weekly Best Buy
Have you always wanted to see how the Queen lives? Now’s your chance as Buck-
ingham Palace opens its 19 State Rooms to the public between July 26 and September 30, 2009. Conveniently situated within 20 minutes walking distance from Buckingham Palace, Guoman’s five-star Royal Horseguards Hotel is perfectly located for a visit to the Palace. From only £190 per room, price includes a deluxe double bedroom, breakfast and VAT and is subject to availability. www.theroyalhorseguards. co.uk. Escorted rail specialist Great Rail Journeys has put its worldwide programme on sale, with prices on 50 per cent of tours held or reduced for 2010. Tours include Las Vegas and the Golden West, Alaskan Adventure and Indian Maharaja Www.greatrail.com. Newly launched this week are Natural Retreats, luxury selfcatering homes at five of the country’s top resort hotels: Adare, the K Club, Parknasilla, Castlemartyr and Kilronan Castle. They can be rented for a minimum of two nights. Rates for the August bank-holiday weekend at Parknasilla are from €810, Adare from €1,030 and Castlemartyr from €610. www.naturalretreats.ie. Trabolgan Holiday Village has sizzling summer deals this July with prices from just €25 per person per night! While younger children will love singing along with Barney the dinosaur and taking part in Bob the Builder’s new interactive show with his friend’s Wendy and Spud, sporty teens will get an adrenaline rush trying out Trabolgan Adventure Sports, including go karting, quad biking, zip wiring, snorkelling, archery and abseiling. As well as great live entertainment with The Bluecoats, X-Factor stars Andy Abraham, Laura White and Ruth Lorenzo will perform FREE LIVE SHOWS for overnight guests on selected dates this July. www.trabolgan.com
Home and Away Extra IRISH Ferries has put out a call to racegoers reminding them that their services from Rosslare to Pembroke place them less than a one hour drive fromthe finishing post at Britain’s newest racecourse. Situated at Ffos Las, Llanelli in Carmarthen, it is the first new turf racecourse opened in Britain in more than 80 years. Following its recent debut race attended by a sell-out crowd of over 10,000 punters, fixtures planned for 2009 includes an official grand opening event over jumps on August 28.www.irishferries.com. With more than 1 million Irish unique users a month and as one of Ireland’s top websites, MSN. ie has re-launched a brand new and exciting travel channel. Partners on the new MSN.ie travel channel include Hostelworld, Irish Hotels Federation, Tour America, 1800hotels, Sunway, gohop.ie, Crystal holidays, King breaks, Baby Travel Shop, Pierre Vacance and Blue insurance. The MSN.ie travel channel allows the consumer view offers from the main operators in the Irish market in one place with dynamic feeds of special offers, guides, videos, podcasts and much more. MSN.ie is the perfect place to research and plan holidays abroad. Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor/ broadcaster to travel publications and radio programmes across Ireland and the UK.