TRAVEL

Our 3 Favourite Long-Haul City Breaks <<< [ travel ]

NEW YORK

Simply one of the best cities in the world, New York is the ideal destination for a long-haul city break. Of course, there’s a plethora of tourist hotspots, from Times Square and Central Park to the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, but there’s a lot more to the city. Fantastic shopping, unbeatable nightlife and interesting history and architecture will keep you entertained for days in the Big Apple.

Whether you’re visiting to see the iconic attractions, to shop till you drop or to feast on America’s huge portion sizes, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

HOW TO GET THERE: Kick off your New York trip from Birmingham Airport with Air France, Aer Lingus, Eurowings, KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss, and enjoy a stop-off in Europe to break up your journey.

WHEN TO GO: Christmas in New York is a magical time but if its warmer weather and slightly fewer crowds you’re after, we recommend visiting between April and June or September to November.

There’s something particularly exciting about a city break. Head to the airport, hop on a flight and within a few hours you could be tucking into tapas on a cobbled street of Barcelona or taking a gondola ride down Venice’s Grand Canal. But what’s even more exciting is travelling a little further afield. If you love a city break but want to venture beyond Europe, why not consider a long-haul city break for your next trip?

There are loads of amazing cities all over the world that make for a great 3-5-day trip. From Brazil to Southeast Asia, read on to discover our three favourite long-haul city breaks, all easily reachable from Birmingham Airport.

3 UNMISSABLE THINGS TO DO IN NEW YORK:

• Admire the sunset at Top of the Rock – From the observatory on top of the Rockefeller Center, you’ll get a cracking view of the Empire State Building, Manhattan and as far as the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. The observatory is on multiple levels, indoor and out: head to the very top, outside, for a front-row spot without any glass or barriers.

• Stroll around Central Park – One of the world’s most renowned green spaces, Central Park comprises 843 acres of rolling meadows, manicured Europeanstyle gardens, a lake and reservoir. Not to mention an outdoor theatre, a memorial to John Lennon, a tempting waterside eatery and a famous Alice in Wonderland statue! If you’re visiting during the summer, pack a picnic and head to Sheep Meadow before visiting Central Park Zoo.

• Be mesmerised by Times Square – One of the most iconic locations in the world, Times Square is a constant hub of activity. From some of the best shops and restaurants to the brilliant lights and sounds, Times Square can’t be missed. Take a Times Square Tour, snap some pics with the lit-up advertising boards and buy some souvenirs from the array of shops.

SPECIAL FEATURE

RIO DE JANEIRO

Falling in love with Rio De Janeiro is easy. It’s a vibrant, diverse city, which offers its visitors the hustle and bustle of city life with the surrounding beauty of lush mountains, verdant rainforests and inviting, white sandy beaches. Rio’s residents, known as cariocas, have perfected the art of living well, so it’s no wonder people who live there never leave and people who visit never want to. From stunning coastlines to edgy underground nightlife hangouts, from magnificent monuments to favela societies, the city offers travellers a dynamic, adventurous visit.

HOW TO GET THERE: Start your journey at Birmingham Airport with Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss, and enjoy a stop-off to break up your journey.

BEST TIME TO GO: Rio is a year-round destination and you’re guaranteed to have an amazing time whatever month you decide to travel.

The warmest months are November to March – perfect for enjoying New Year and Carnival celebrations.

3 UNMISSABLE THINGS TO DO IN RIO DE JANEIRO:

• Hit the beach – No trip to Rio is complete without a visit to one of the world’s most famous stretches of sand: Copacabana. Watch the locals play football, catch some rays and kick back with a caipirinha or two. Head to Arpoador Rock, tucked at the end of Ipanema Beach, for a stunning sunset.

• Visit the Christ the Redeemer – Probably the most popular tourist attraction in Rio, the Christ the Redeemer monument is an image recognised all over the world. Take a train, van or hike to the summit of the 700 -metre tall Corcovado Mountain to reach the monument and enjoy exquisite views over the whole city.

• Ride the tram in Santa Teresa - Head to Rio’s oldest boho neighbourhood for a different taste of Brazil. Start by snapping a picture on the Escadaria Steps – made famous by Snoop Dog’s “Beautiful” video – then take a wander past the crumbling houses and walls coated in vibrant murals. Browse the shops, eateries and drinking spots before hopping on a tram back downtown.

SINGAPORE Arguably the best city break in the whole of Asia, Singapore is worth its considerable flight time. Clean, safe and boasting one of the best transport systems in the world, Singapore has fewer hassles than you might encounter in other Southeast Asian cities.

For a tiny island city-state, Singapore packs a mighty punch. Whether you’re an adventure-seeker, urban explorer or proud foodie, this sprawling metropolis has a bit of everything.

HOW TO GET THERE: Ready to book your holiday? We offer a range of airlines from Birmingham Airport including Air France, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Swiss.

BEST TIME TO GO: Singapore – for the most part – is a year-round destination. The months of February to April fall within Singapore’s dry season and experience less rainfall than other times of the year.

3 UNMISSABLE THINGS TO DO IN SINGAPORE:

• Eat like a local – The best way to appreciate a country’s culture is by eating the local cuisine. Punchy chilli crab, fragrant chicken rice, nutty satay, sweet and sour rojak, spicy barbecue sambal stingray: Singapore’s hawker food is legendary.

• Explore the Gardens - One of the most iconic attractions in the city, the Gardens by the Bay are a Singapore must-see. Encased in two giant greenhouses, here you’ll find some of the most unusual and exotic plants imaginable. Visit at night for hourly twinkly light shows set to music.

• Enjoy a gorgeous sunset at Marina Bay – Singapore is famous for its stunning skyline. The Marina Bay Sands Boardwalk gives you an unrestricted view of what can only be described as the best view in the city. Visit at around 6pm so you can do some people watching before seeing the sun go down.

Hopefully we’ve inspired you with our three favourite long-haul city breaks.

Discover where else we fly and book your next trip from Birmingham Airport.

<<< [ travel ]

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT ANNOUNCES NEW CHARITY PARTNERSHIP

Birmingham Airport, the Midland’s largest airport, is delighted to announce its new three-year corporate charity partnership with locally based charity, Solihull Mind.

Solihull Mind provides a wide range of services to those with mental health problems. The charity works across the borough of Solihull and support reaches many areas in close proximity to the airport, including; Balsall Common, Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Dorridge, Kinghurst, Knowle, Meriden and Smithswood.

Mindful of the large number of people living in communities close to the airport, Birmingham Airport has a long track record of successfully implementing measures to mitigate any negative effects of its operations. An integral part of the airport’s new sustainability strategy is a reaffirmation of its commitment to play an active role in the life of those communities impacted by the airport operations.

The decision to support Solihull Mind came directly from Birmingham Airport employees, who were given the opportunity to nominate local charities. All 800 employees had the chance to vote for the new charity partner.

The start of construction on Birmingham Airport’s £30m departure lounge extension has commenced. This is the Airport’s biggest terminal investment in ten years. The project will provide a modern two-storey extension with outdoor terrace area, growing the space by 45 per cent to create more natural light, circulation space, seating and toilets, plus five new catering units and three additional retail outlets. Within the new space an additional 30,000 sq feet of retail, food and beverage area will be created. Five new food and beverage units will open allowing Birmingham Airport’s catering offer to expand with the introduction of Asian cuisine, an additional premium bar, additional grab and go food outlets and casual dining brands. The retail units will include additional island unit opportunities centred around gifting and a further speciality/accessory offer whilst also allowing for an improved confectionary, tobacco, news and book store offer. Birmingham Airport recently committed to becoming a net zero carbon airport by the year 2033, some years ahead of the UK’s 2050 target. It is developing a carbon roadmap to outline how this can be achieved over the next 15 years. WORKS START ON BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT’S £30M DEPARTURE LOUNGE EXTENSION

38 dluxe-magazine.co.uk From 3rd June 2020, Aegean Airlines will be flying direct from Birmingham Airport to the Greek capital of Athens – a brand new route for the airport this year.

Aegean Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance group, joining seven star Alliance airlines already operating from Birmingham Airport including; Austrian Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, SWISS and Turkish Airlines.

During the summer season, Aegean Airlines will operate a twiceweekly service to Athens from Birmingham Airport on both Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The new service improves the choice of connections for passengers travelling to surrounding Greek Islands via Athens, including the likes of Corfu, Mykonos and Rhodes. Connections can also be made to destinations located in the Mediterranean, including Larnaca, a port city located on the south coast of Cyprus and Cairo, Egypt’s bustling capital.

Athens, the largest of cities in Greece is packed with layers of ancient Greek history. From views of the Acropolis from almost every part of the city, amongst many other landmarks – centuries if not millennia old, the city boats an abundance of things to see and do. Combined with a contemporary feel with its street art, art shows, architecture and beaches, Athens has something to offer a range of holidaymakers and sightseers. The climate in the summer is hot and dry, reaching highs of over 30 degrees.

JET2.COM AND JET2CITYBREAKS UNWRAPS BIGGEST EVER CHRISTMAS MARKETS PROGRAMME Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks has put its eagerlyanticipated programme of Christmas market flights and trips on sale for 2020 from Birmingham Airport, and the festive selection is bigger and more spectacular than ever - with more destinations, more flights and more choice.

With European Christmas markets continuing to enjoy enormous popularity, the company has introduced a mini-series of flights and city breaks, as well as a selection of two-night trips, to a festive assortment of winter wonderlands from November until just before Christmas.

This includes five brand-new Christmas market destinations in Berlin (mini-series), Copenhagen (mini-series), Cologne (dedicated two-night trip), Nuremberg (dedicated two-night trip) and Strasbourg (dedicated two-night trip), as well as mini-series of flights and breaks to Vienna.

This mini-series and programme of two-night trips means that Jet2. com and Jet2CityBreaks will operate 23 dedicated services to these Christmas market destinations between November and Christmas (full programme detailed below).

In addition, Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks will operate scheduled flights and city breaks to several popular Christmas market destinations from Birmingham Airport during the winter and in the build up to Christmas. With multiple weekly flights on sale to destinations such as Budapest, Barcelona, Prague and Krakow, customers have complete choice and flexibility over how long they spend visiting the most charming Christmas markets in Europe – whether it’s for a weekend, a long weekend or longer.

MEL OURNEBMEL OURNEB

S NGAPORE I S NGAPORE I

O LANDO R O LANDO R

M U BAI M M U BAI M

R O I R O I

EW YORK N EW YORK N

SHAN HAI G SHAN HAI G

JO ANNESBURG H JO ANNESBURG H

AUCKL N D A AUCKL N D A

ANILA M ANILA M

From your long-haul airport with one short stop. With excellent transport links and short connections, you can easily afford to fly long-haul from your local airport. From your long-haul airport with one short stop. With excellent transport links and short connections, you can easily afford to fly long-haul from your local airport.

<<< [ travel ]

STEP BACK IN TIME: FESSTEP BACK IN TIME: FES

A stalwart on the hippy trail back in the swinging Sixties and known as the ‘Paris of the Sahara’ Morocco lies in the northwest of Africa and directly in line with the straits of Gibraltar. It’s a country reaching for the future but steeped in the past. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition that will leave you wanting more, as Kevin Urquhart discovered recently when he visited the ancient city of Fes.

Fes is Morocco’s oldest city. Just two and a half hours flight into Fes Saiss airport with Air Arabia, you could have been transported back two and half thousand years into a biblical setting with tiny, oppressive cobbled streets in a bewildering maze; spluttering street lighting and thousands of anonymous doorways. So atmospheric is it – and, it turns out, culturally significant – that the entire city of Fes has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and much-needed investment is being ploughed into the walled-city to preserve and protect. And as you begin to explore the city, you begin to understand that this investment is destined to give this city its future, by retaining its past.

Not for the faint hearted nor the lily-livered jetset wanting a sanitised cocktails and chill holiday, visiting and staying in Fes is an assault on the senses and, to get the very most out of your experience here, we’d urge you to employ the services of a local tour guide. Without them, you simply won’t get the very best out of your time here and will, without question, get lost. So labyrinthine-like is Fes that even Google gave up on trying to geo-map it. It’s very clear, very quickly why this city is of such significance:

40 dluxe-magazine.co.uk it’s Morocco’s oldest walled town or medina - 1200 years old to be precise. 600,000 people live here and it’s the site of one of the oldest universities in the world – 859AD, founded by Fatima. There are no cars – everything is transported by donkey and cart; no machinery – everything is hand or sometimes, foot crafted and the preferred method of healthcare is traditional herbal remedies and potions sold on stalls within the souk. Our guide tells us that the Medina operates as a co-operative society where money is earned and recycled within its protective walls. Despite popular belief, it’s a matriarchal society where Mama runs the house and the kids, and where the men are sent out to work and provide for the family. It’s a long-held tradition in Fes that the larger the family, the more chance you have of survival, but the lack of support system is painfully evident at times primarily by the large numbers of beggars visible throughout the city.

redeveloped as one complex and behind an

anonymous wooden door. Each of the former buildings offers a different architectural style and finish, built around an internal courtyard with tinkling fountains, courtyard

swimming pool, spa and tropical gardens. This anonymity is a typical feature of Fes and masks, they say, great wealth behind (some of) the closed doors. But in truth, there may be an elite aspect to the city, but for the majority, they are living and working below the breadline.

pavement. It is an industrious city and one with a good heart.

If you are shy, retiring and easy to convince, this isn’t the city for you - or at least not as a solo traveller. The persuasion skills of the traders are relentless, but not without humour. Be prepared to barter. That said, we had been told that goods could be bought for 75% less than the opening gambit, but we struggled at 50% as the traders are fiercely proud that everything they sell has been hand-crafted here in Fes.

That said, you can bag some bargains as the 13th century Widows Cooperative. Here, over 1365 women – divorcees or bereaved – weave the most magnificent and colourful rugs and Berber carpets, some of which can take years to create. So highly regarded are they that buyers from stores such as Harrods will buy here – at a fraction of the price they then sell them on for (for example, a hand-woven rug may cost the equivalent of £1500 in Fes, but can be retailed at more than £12,500 in UK). This Widows Cooperative has UNESCO protection specifically and is a mustsee. Handily, DHL can ship your purchase home for as little as £60.

Another must-see is the Tannery. Be sure to accept the sprig of Mint you are offered as you enter, as the smell is heady – and even more so in the summer when temperatures in the Medina can reach more than 40-degrees. This blistering heat is also why the houses in the Medina are so tightly packed – to create natural air-conditioning even in the height of the midday summer sun.

Here, you are given a birds’ eye view of how animal skins are prepared and dyed for eventual use in clothing and textiles. You’ll see more than 270 men employed in back-breaking work, transforming the fresh-from-the-slaughterhouse skins into soft, supple and highly coloured leathers ready to be transformed. This truly is a breath-taking experience and one unlike anything you will have seen outside of Fes. As you’d expect, you can buy these leather goods: wallets, purses, bags and clothing here, too.

Although aspects of Fes can be a little basic it does have its luxury side too. We stayed at Riad Fes, a luxurious retreat in the heart of the Medina. Riad Fes comprises five buildings dating from 1890 but Summing up Fes, it’s a mind-blowing assault on the senses. It is, quite literally, like stepping back into time. It’s maze of fragrant streets with kittens playing in the dirt; the beasts of burden ferrying rugs in and out of the walled Medina and goodnatured haggling.

It’s a city so unique that everyone should visit it at least once. We’d recommend it as part of a Moroccan tour encompassing Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains.

Read about our trip to Marrakech next edition...

GETTING THERE:

We flew with Air Arabia. Air Arabia operates direct flights to and from London Gatwick to Fes and Marrakech twice weekly, with prices starting from £51 one way www.airarabia.com/en

Air Arabia (PJSC), listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC). Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and operates a fleet of 55 new Airbus A320 and A321 Neo LR aircraft, serving over 170 routes across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia.