TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe My favourite hotel in the world exotic massages, organic facials, The Peninsula Bangkok will cel- soothing wraps, seaweed to aroebrate one of Thailand’s most fa- matic bathing rituals with steam mous traditions, the Loy Krathong room and experience showers to Festival, on 21 November with a totally soothe away all your cares special Loy Krathong package fea- and worries. The 36 bedrooms are turing luxury accommodation and spacious and luxurious all with free breakfast, a gala buffet dinner at wifi available. If the weather is on the River Cafe and Terrace – the the damp side make use of the DVD best place in the city to view the players in all rooms alongside the colourful Bangkok skyline - and a comprehensive DVD library availstunning firework display over the able at reception. As well as the à Chao Phraya River. The evening la carte menu will also feature classical Thai entertainment and dances, and each guest will receive a krathong to set afloat on the water. Loy Krathong is one of the most popular events on the Thai calendar and originated when Thai people offered thanks to the Goddess of Water by floating their krathongs - delicately crafted floats made of lotus or banana leaves, and bearing a candle and incense sticks - on the river to wash away all bad luck and misfortune, and make wishes for good luck in the future. The package benefits include: a one-night stay n SilverTassie Spa Letterk in a deluxe room, tickets for enny two to the Loy Krathong Gala Dinner Buffet at the River Cafe and Terrace, complimentary daily breakfast at the river cafe and g u e s t s terrace and a ,complimentary spa can enjoy snacks in the gift certificate from The Peninsula lounge, carvery lunch daily or afSpa by ESPA www.peninsula.com ternoon tea in the conservatory watching the world go by. The SilWeekend Hotspot ver Tassie offer exceptional value for money with their special dinner Letterkenny is one of the busiest menu at €27.50 and the seafood towns in Ireland with numerous mornay and freshly roasted joint of hotels of all standards but leading the day are better than home. Trathe way is the recently crowned ditional Irish music is available in four star Silver Tassie hotel & the every Friday night with special spa offering the very best of both meals to enjoy before the session worlds - a rural setting with amaz- begins. Music starts at 9pm in the ing views across Lough Swilly all lounge and a great evening of craic only a five minute drive from the promised. The Silver Tassie Hotel & North West’s retail capital. The Spa is an ideal base to explore the Silver Tassie has evolved over North West with a great selection the years into a unique, cosy and of activities close by to keep you intimate family run hotel which is busy & entertained. My favourite is now synonymous for service and Glenveagh National Park which lies award winning home produced along the Derryveagh Mountains. cuisine. The Blamey family have This beautiful park is a 20 minute every reason to be proud of their drive away and includes a 14,000 latest achievement with the open- hectare deer park set amongst ing of the Seascape Spa. The pas- the mountain range around Lough sionate spa team offer a range of Veagh. Here also is a visitor centreatments from purifying scrubs, tre with audio-visual displays and
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra
ssie Hotel
n Junior Suite at Silverta & Spa Letterkenny
n Afternoon Tea at Silver Tassie Hotel & Spa Letterkenny Glenveagh Castle surrounded by one of the finest gardens in Ireland. If you want to take in the scenic drives a reminder that Fanad Peninsula is 20 miles from the Silver Tassie onwards to Milford & Kerrykeel to the west and Rathmullan and Ramelton in the east. Closer to home in Letterkenny is An Grianán Theatre, numerous cinema & shopping complexes, traditional craft shops, restaurants, pubs and the must see Donegal County Museum. The Blaney Group is a Donegal based family run hotel business with other property interests including the Milford Inn and Waters Edge. There are exceptional offers available at the Silver Tassie Hotel & Spa including the Weekend “Here come the girls” package, 1BB1D plus 2 mini escape Spa treatments €139pps you can choose 2 “Mini Escape” spa treatments, unwind in the aroma steam room with tropi-
cal shower, chill in the Cocoon Room or new snooze room.. Once you have worked up an appetite enjoy a 4 course gourmet dinner in the restaurant all for €278.00. www. silvertassiehotel.com
Weekly Best Buy Knockranny House Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo is offering you the chance to come and experience incredible food, enchanting atmosphere and friendly service. From €130 per person you can spend two nights at the award winning hotel with breakfast on both mornings and an evening enjoying the Head Chef Seamus Commons’ Tasting Menu whilst gazing out at views of Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay in La Fougère Restaurant. Offer will run throughout November 2For more information visit www.khh.ie
with Kathleen Murray
Veterinary Expenses with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist
Veterinary expenses are a subject that many people find daunting. People are amazed at what they are charged often. It can be very expensive. Having a sick animal is as expensive as a sick person. An operation is an operation. There are materials and equipment involved, time involved and expertise involved. These all cost money. Sometimes people don’t think this far ahead when they get an animal, or worse, they think they can do the job of the vet themselves. Vets spend many years in college for a very good reason. Joe Soap down the road cannot do their job. There’s a saying “A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous
Living
thing” and this has been demonstrated time and time again by amateurs playing at being vets. When things go wrong with a procedure (it happens) then it’s easy to tell who’s who. Trying to save money, by dabbling in things like this doesn’t work. It often costs the animal its life and also a huge amount of needless pain and suffering before it died. This is the height of cruelty. Take for example an animal that has eaten poison. There are different treatments for different poisons. The wrong treatment could cause the animal suffering and death. I have seen the end product of people trying to neuter an animal themselves.
Apart from the horror of not using an anesthetic the animal was left in a terrible state. It was very lucky to be alive when it was found. What is wrong with people that do these things? Do they not know that animals have feelings too? Animals absolutely do feel pain! No doubt about that! Please get a vet if you have something wrong with your animals. If you can’t afford it then you need to look at the situation again. Maybe you should cut down on the number of animals you keep, or have none. Animals can’t speak for themselves. They depend on us to know what we are doing, and to take proper care of them.
BMI, British Midland International, is to launch a new, daily service from London to the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The service, operated by an Airbus A319, will begin on 1st December 2010. Customers in economy will enjoy bmi’s full service benefits such as free checked baggage to a total weight of 20kg and a complimentary food service including a hot breakfast and full bar service throughout the day. Visitors to Tripoli, a vibrant oil city, will find much of its ancient charm still intact, including the Roman arch of Marcus Aurelius. Day trips can be taken to the sites of several Roman ruins and there are many beautiful beaches outside the city. London Heathrow-Tripoli schedule (from 1 December 2010) BD469 Depart London Heathrow 08.55 - arrives Tripoli 14.30. BD470 Depart Tripoli 15.15 arrive London Heathrow 16.45. www. flybmi.com Our close neighbour Scotland is famed for its delicious natural larder, and rightly so - you only have to glance at the fresh produce available in the local markets and the menus in award winning restaurants throughout the country to see the very best seasonal produce is served up daily – and it’s all only a short ferry or plane ride away. 2010 is the Year of Food & Drink in Scotland, meaning that the very best that the country has to offer is waiting to be enjoyed by Irish food and drink lovers alike. To help visitors navigate the more traditional Scottish dishes, Visit Scotland, Scotland’s national tourism organisation, has launched a Scottish Delicacies Dictionary, available at www.visitscotland.com/harvest Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster and is guest travel writer for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland