TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Vietnam Airlines has started selling nonstop flights from the UK on its website ahead of the launch of its new services in December The Vietnamese flag carrier will start flying between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and London Gatwick on December 8.It will offer two return flights a week to each city, providing the only non-stop services between the UK and Vietnam. It plans to increase frequency to seven flights a week by 2014.The carrier said the UK had become one of Vietnam’s most important trading partners in the European Union, with nearly 90,000 Britons visiting last year, an increase of 28% over 2009. It hopes Vietnam will become a hub for tourists wishing to travel to Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. www.vietnamairlines.com Kenya’s tourism industry has suffered a further blow following revelations that naval experts believe the entire coastline could be under threat from attacks by Somalian pirates News that a European naval force operating a counter-piracy operating in the region believes that the danger has spread is bound to act as a deterrent to those planning holidays to the country’s beach resorts. According to a report in the Sunday Times, the European Naval Force Somalia has warned the danger could extend to the rest of the coastline. Kenya’s tourism authorities said extra police had been drafted in to protect hotels on the coastline and there was helicopter surveillance of the border with Somalia
Weekend Hideawa
For winter and snow lovers and those looking for a special place to ring in the New Year, Four Seasons Hotels in Prague & Budapest has created some wonderful festive experiences. The winter wonderland begins with a glass of mulled wine by the Lobby fireplace upon arrival, and includes accommodations, American breakfast, 30 minute romantic ride in a horse drawn carriage through the Old Town of Prague, and a bottle of Champagne. The package is available from November 1 to December 30, 2011, with rates beginning at EUR 340.00 based on minimum two night stay. Four Seasons Hotel Prague invites guests to ring in 2012 in style. In addition to accommodations and breakfast, the New Year’s Eve Package includes a fun-filled evening of dining and dancing in the Karel Ballroom. Around-the-world dinner selections include Czech, Italian, Asian, North American and Middle-Eastern dishes in a lavish buffet featuring a sushi live station, and highlights including chilled steamed prawns, Canadian lobster tails, prime rib in salted crust, hummus and labneh with pita bread,
Living
Prague ham in a bread crust, and much more. The package is available from December 30, 2011 until January 2, 2012 with the rates starting at EUR 510.00 per night. The cobblestoned streets and roofs during n Four Seaso winter and covns Gresham Palace, Bud ered with snow . gue apest. Pra ge, Brid rles Cha n look so romantic. Winter is a favourite time in Prague also because it is not so busy with v i s i t o r s . ing champs of Concerts, exhibitions, Christmas markets, the Heineken roasted chestnuts and mulled wine – a per- Cup and their fect winter getaway. The holidays are also loyal fans will a special time in Budapest as the entire city descend upon celebrates the festive season. Christmas the Stade de markets, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, la Mosson in Christmas cookies and special sweets, Montpellier as choirs and concerts create a magical at- Leinster get mosphere in this cultural heart of Europe. ready to battle Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace invites it out in order n Cliff House, Ardmore. guests to join in with a series of dinners to try and hold and parties for young and old - from a spe- onto their title. cial degustation dinner on Christmas Eve Experience the in the Pava room to the Broadway Dinner e l e c t r i f y i n g and Dance party in Zrinyi Passage on New a t m o s p h e r e The splendid Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore , Co Year’s Eve. In addition to special dinners, among fellow fans and join the Blues with Waterford one my favourite properties on the islunches and Sunday Christmas brunch, Cassidy Travel www.cassidytravel.ie For land has been named a 2011 Fodor’s Choice propFour Seasons will prepare a tasty treat for those looking to get away for Christmas erty by Fodor’s Travel, the leading provider of locals looking for something unique for this year but not wishing to enjoy the festravel intelligence for travelers for 75 years! Each their holiday celebrations at home: Turkey- tivities by the beach, Thomas Cook Cruises year there expert team of writers and editors desTo-Go. Holiday favourites such as salmon are offering a novel alternative with a tour ignates an exclusive list of restaurants and hotels gravlax with fine herbs blinis, smoked beef of the Mediterranean, taking in Christmas as the best of the best in the region. Award winand poached quail eggs with port sabayon Day itself in Malaga. For less than the cost ners are noted with the Fodor’s Choice distinction or acacia honey glazed goose breast will of a staycation at Christmas in many Irish in there guidebooks and with special placement be served in the Pava room with amazing hotels, the Christmas Cruise features 9 on Fodors.com, where more than 2 million unique views of the Chain Bridge. Gypsy music nights on board the luxurious MSC Fantausers plan their trips each month. Congratulations will set the tone for a merry celebration. sia as well as one night in Barcelona. En to Mr B and his team! Lancaster London has been Gresham Palace also offers an impressive route to the Catalan capital, one passes a named “Eco Hotel of the Year” at the AA Awards Christmas Brunch for individuals and fami- myriad of different cultures, with stops at 2011-2012; The award follows a long succession lies. The menu includes delicious seafood, Lisbon in Portugal, Casablanca in Morocco, of eco-initiatives from Lancaster London, whose salads, soups and hot stations, plus a chil- Malaga in Spain and Civitavecchia (Rome) motto is “to walk softly on the planet.” In 2009, dren’s corner and dessert bar. Both Rya- and Genoa in Italy. The cruise is from 20 the hotel became the first in London to install half nair & Aer Lingus fly to Budapest & Prague to 30 December and is on offer from Thoa million honey bees on its roof as a response ex Dublin. www.fourseasons.com mas Cook Cruises from €1,219 per person, to the decline in the numbers of British honey staying in an interior cabin, with all meals, bees. Other initiatives that impressed the judges Weekly Best Buy entertainment and flights from Dublin to included the hotel cutting its landfill waste by 50% As the mighty Blues take on Montpellier Barcelona included. Visit your local travel and a reformed purchasing policy. The recent £10 on November 12th, Cassidy Travel have a agent. million refurbishment encompasses state-of-thedeal for a 1 night stay in the 3* Kyriad Hotel, Robert Walshe is a freelance contribuart equipment in the kitchens, with a specific focus return flights, transfers for €369 per person tor / broadcaster and guest travel writer on becoming as green as possible. For example, sharing with the additional costs of €75 for for River Media newspaper titles across dishwashers with integral heat exchanger pumps, tax and €40 per match ticket. The reign- the island of Ireland which reheat the water coming into the machines thereby saving energy.
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra
with Kathleen Murray
Is your dog a threat to visitors? Everyone should love their dog. Why have one if you don’t? Loving your dog is not enough though if someone other than family or friends come calling. Your dog may know your family and your friends and be friendly towards them but that does not mean it will be friendly towards everyone it meets. Lots of people have mentioned over the years about how they went to someone’s house and they were a bit apprehensive about the dog’s approach towards them. The family replied by saying “Don’t worry he won’t touch you”. That is the biggest myth
of all time. The dog may indeed do more than touch you, he may decide to take a piece out of you. This is not the fault of the dog, this is the fault of the owner. An owner needs to know their dog. They need to have seen it’s response in many different situations and the owner needs to have complete control over the dog at all times. A dog should not be left outside unsupervised in case of an accident with a passer by or a delivery person. People selling tickets are often targets. Postmen, district Nurses, Ambulance people,
Gardai, Canvassers at Election times are all easy prey for a loose dog with a protective or territorial attitude. What makes a dog bite one person and not another? What makes one dog bite, and another not bite? Dogs have different personalities just like we do and they react to different personalities just like we do. We like some people, others we don’t. Our choice. Dogs are the same. The only difference is that dogs don’t know about our laws on assault or maiming someone. If we didn’t have the law to live by then it wouldn’t be safe to step out of the house.
It would be a free-for-all. We would behave like our other animal friends, just act on instinct. That’s why the law is there… to protect us from each other. Unfortunately for our dogs they can’t read so they don’t know about our laws. It’s up to us to protect them from acting on instinct and to prevent them from being in a position where they could damage someone. If two people came into the house to visit, one was confident and the other was scared, the dog would have a different reaction to both of them. Scared people often react aggressively with
dogs which can cause a dog to react aggressively back again, even if it had no intention of doing anything in the first place. Scared dogs and confident dogs behave differently with people also. Every situation needs to be looked at separately. In the
meantime don’t leave your dog on it’s own to make up it’s own mind and don’t leave it in the same room as someone who is not comfortable with it being there. A little bit of understanding and respect all round helps to prevent ill feeling or worse.