Is Booking A 'Green' Airline Important To You?

'Green flight' app launched by Directflights

'Green flight search' functionality has been included in a new flight comparison app from Directflights.com

The app for iPhone and Android devices allows users to compare the ‘carbon rating’ of each airline. This is independently calculated by a carbon consultancy.

It provides global flight search covering 500 airlines plus destinations and multiple currencies.

Managing director Rob Stross said: “Our focus has been on functionality, design and speed. “We wanted to incorporate everything our users love about the site – ease of use, simple layout and quick, accurate results but in a mobile format. "This, in combination with the green element, gives us a unique and effective app in a competitive market and allows users to find the cheapest flight quickly and easily.

"Initial take up has been exceptional and we’ve had over 10,000 downloads already.”

Source: Travolution.co.uk, directflights.com

Useful Turkish words for your holiday to Bodrum, Akbuk & Gulluk

If you are thinking about or have already booked a holiday to Bodrum, Akbuk or Gulluk for this summer you may be wondering how am I going to get by with the language or will they speak good English.

Generally the Turkish people speak good English but you may find in some of the resorts that it may help if you know some basic words to get by with. We always find the locals respond well if you try and speak with them in their language at least with the pleasantries.

The following is a very brief guide to some basic words that you will use everyday on your holiday to Bodrum so have fun with it and practise before you go and you may come back speaking another language!

Hello - Merhaba - MEHR-hah-bah
Good morning, good day - Günaydin - gew-nahy-DUHN
Good evening - Iyi akşamlar - EE ahk-shahm-LAHR
Good night - Iyi geceler - EE geh-jeh-LEHR
Goodbye.- Allaha ismarladik - ah-LAHS-mahr-lah-duhk
What is your name? - Adiniz ne? - AH-duh-NUHZ neh
My name is .. - Adim ... - Ah-DUHM ...
How are you? - Nasilsiniz? - NAHS-suhl-suh-nuhz
I'm fine - Iyiyim - ee-YEE-yihm,
Pardon - Affedersiniz, - af-feh-DEHR-see-neez, pahr-DOHN
Yes/no - Evet/hayir - eh-VEHT/HAH-yuhr
Please - Lütfen - LEWT-fehn
Thank you - Teşekkür ederim - tesh-ek-KEWR eh-dehr-eem
Help yourself - Buyurun(uz) - BOOY-roon-(ooz)
Thanks - Teşekkürler. Sağ ol. Mersi - t eh-sheh-kewr-LEHR SOWL mehr-SEE
You're welcome - Bir şey değil - beer SHEHY deh-YEEL

Turkey is a great country and the people are extremely friendly especially in the resorts. Let us know how you get on and we would love to hear your stories of how your efforts went down.

Well Placed Apartments have some great apartments for holiday rentals in Gulluk, Bodrum and Akbuk with some good early booking discounts still for this summer.

Introduction to Diving in Hurghada

Scuba Diving in Hurghada, the Red Sea

Water temperature: 20°C (68°F) in February to 27°C (81°F) from July to October

Suit: 3mm or 5mm wetsuit (November - April), shortie for rest of the year

Visibility: 20 - 60 metres (65 - 200 feet), 30 - 40 metres (100 - 130 feet) on average

Type of diving: Reefs, walls, wrecks

Marine life: Turtles, blue spotted rays, jacks, snappers, barracudas, lionfish, reef fish, colourful coral

When to go: Any time of year, although if you are after really warm water it is best to visit the Red Sea between June and September. Air temperatures reach 40°C (104°F) in August and fall to 20°C (68°F) in the winter, which may also dictate when you travel

How to get there: Entry visas are required when visiting Egypt. These can be purchased at the airport itself at a cost of about $25 USD / £15 GBP. From the UK - Direct five hour flights from Gatwick and Manchester on Sundays, Tuesday & Fridays  to Hurghada. Transfers to apartments & hotels from the airport take between 10 - 30 minutes

    
Day diving in Hurghada is characterised by sheltered reef, tower and pinnacle dives close to shore, and boat dives around the Giftun Islands and Sha’ab Abu Nuhas. There are also a few local wrecks such as the El Mina or the possibility of journeying slightly further to the Salem Express. Marine life is abundant and varied, and the hard and soft corals are improving since conservation efforts increased in the early 1990's. If you are a novice the conditions are perfect: shallow, warm, clear with the possibility of visiting fantastic wrecks that are within your depth. The wrecks on the north of Sha’ab Abu Nuhas Reef are outstanding and shallow enough for inexperienced divers to visit on extended day trips. From west to east these are the Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Chrisoula K and the Kimon M.

Hurghada is less developed than Sharm El Sheikh, although it is growing all of the time. It was once a traditional fishing village and the old town is situated slightly north of the large hotels that stretch along the coast. Here you can visit local bazaars selling leather, gold, carpets, clothes and shisha pipes. Be prepared to barter and to be accosted by the locals to spend money in their shops. From Desert Pearl Apartments, it is possible to go on two-day trips to Cairo and day trips to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings and the Temples of Karnak. They also offer jeep safaris and quad biking in the desert. However, for non-divers a holiday to Hurghada will ultimately be spent relaxing by the pool or on the beach.

Well Placed Apartments offer a couple of options if you are booking a Hurghada diving holiday, both of which offer a great value for money alternative to the hotels. Desert Pearl Apartments and Green Park Resort are well located in the heart of the new tourist area of Hurghada ensuring easy access to all the dive schools in Hurghada

Will your diving in Hurghada holiday be delayed by the Olympics?

'Airlines warn of severe delays during the Olympics'

Flight delays during the Olympics is forecast.

Are you planning to flee the UK during the Olympics, do you have a diving in Hurghada holiday planned or a week lazing by your pool in your holiday rentals apartment in Bodrum?

If so be warned because the major airlines are forecasting chaos during the Olympics! The following is an extract from Travel Weekly

British Airways, BMI, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic called for "urgent action" to prevent delays in a letter to transport secretary Justine Greening. They say potential chaos can be avoided if airlines and controllers at the National Air Traffic Services can operate differently from normal during the Games.

The carriers also raise concerns about increased airspace traffic caused by non-scheduled flights and business jets. They want to prioritise scheduled flights ahead of other aircraft. In their letter to Greening, the airlines say: "The industry believes there is a significant risk of severe delay and disruption at all of London's major airports unless urgent action is taken." They insist a failure to respond "would be fool-hardy and reckless".

The letter, published ahead of a meeting with transport bosses this Thursday (March 22), warns: "Time is running out to ensure that any changes to procedures and the appropriate training is in place prior to the Games and we urge both DfT (Department for Transport) and CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to support and agree to the proposals that the industry, including NATS, have put forward.

"Failure to respond leaves the UK vulnerable to the type of major disruption that will cause significant reputation damage and would be fool-hardy and reckless."

A DfT spokeswoman told the Press Association: "The government is committed to delivering safe and efficient transport services for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and aviation is clearly a major part of this. That is why we have already announced a range of special measures designed to protect scheduled air services from disruption during the Olympics period.

"We are confident that the majority of these additional issues have now been addressed and we look forward to discussing them with the airlines concerned at a meeting next week. “We continue to work closely with the CAA, NATS and the industry to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum."

With the Olympic weeks being some of the busiest for holiday companies like Well Placed Apartments the thought of our clients being severely delayed at their departure airport is very worrying, but we know the diving in Hurghada is worth the wait!

Akbuk, Turkey - What does it offer?

Mandalya Gardens Holiday Village

Akbük is set at the foot of gently sloping mountains and extending around a beautiful turquoise blue bay is quickly becoming a hot travel destination. For those who love peace and tranquillity including breathtaking views this is the place to be. Although not a throbbing tourist resort yet, Akbük offers the benefits of a traditional Turkish village.

Akbük is an ideal place for those who enjoy beautiful scenery, peace and quiet and the sea. Akbuk used to be a small fishing port where they would fish for Aegean Sea Bass. Nowadays, Akbük is a popular tourist resort with hotel complexes as well as holiday apartments to rent. The economy in Akbük is now turned towards tourism with the local fishermen using their boats for trips around Akbük Bay during the summer months.

Akbük now has many holiday resorts with hotels and luxury apartments like Mandalya Gardens Holiday Village.There are many restaurants and bars by the sea where fish and local Turkish foods can be had at very reasonable prices. Mandalya Gardens Holiday Village has it own resetaurant and bar on site which is very popular for the self catering holidays

Akbük has the usual range of shops and markets selling food, produce, tools and hardware. There are doctors, dentists, schools and a bus station with regular service going to all of the neighbouring towns including Altinkum, Soke and Kusadasi.

The road to Bodrum Airport is along a beautiful scenic road winding through the mountains - or via the the old route passing Lake Bafa with both roads requiring about an hour drive by car. The unique terrain at Akbük with its mountain backdrop and gently sloping land leading from the sea and slowly rising upwards means that for most of the villas there is a sea view.

There are two small islands within the bay which are uninhabited due to regulations by the local Belediye which effectively have made the view of the entire bay more pristine.

Well Placed Apartments highly recommend a holiday to Akbuk, Turkey if you are looking for a relaxed laid back resort with great facilities and you should look no further than Mandalya Gardens Holiday Village

Source: http://southcoastof turkey.com

What does Hurghada, Egypt have to offer?

When thinking about an Egyptian holiday, the first two things that come to mind are pyramids and sphinx, however, there is a lot more to Egypt than just that. Hurghada’s twenty miles of beachfront, located alongside the Red Sea, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Al-Mahmeya Park

There are very few beaches in the world that offer sunny days all year round but the beaches in Hurghada do. The weather is precisely the reason why it is so popular for swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling and trekking. If you are not into any of these activities, you can always go boating, which is a forever-popular beach activity.

If you are planning a beach holiday in Hurghada, you would definitely want to do a lot more than just laze around. Don’t forget to slap on some sun block before leaving your apartment, or you might find yourself sunburnt before you know it. Below you will find a comprehensive list of some of the most popular activities among tourists in Hurghada:

Alig walkway, Hurghada, Egypt

1. Plan a safari trip to one of the Bedouin villages in the surrounding area, where you will get to meet local tribesmen who ride camels and knead bread. A little preview of suburban life will give you more insight on Egyptian culture than reading dozens of books will. If you are interested, you can visit El Dahar as well, which is not very far away from the beach. The town is popular for street bazaars where you can find jewellery and local delicacies made with fruit and seafood.
2. Pay a visit to monasteries of Saint Paul and Saint Anthony, where you can meet monks and take a look at ancient Egyptian libraries. If you have any interest in archaeology, you will certainly enjoy investigating the Roman ruins in the midst of desert sand.
3. Go to the Maritime Museum for a close up view of Red Sea’s underwater animals including the famous multi-coloured fish.
4. If you in the mood for enjoying a drink or two, go to Hard Rock Café or Ministry of Sound. There are also various pool bars, pubs, shacks and barbecue places right around the beach. You must visit El Gouna for best cafes and restaurants including several international eateries.
5. Take out some time for banana boat ride on the Red Sea. Most of the resorts and hotels in the area arrange these rides for families and groups of friends. You don’t have to worry about safety, in fact, you can take your children along too. The boat glides at full speed and splashes water in your face, which makes the entire experience very enjoyable. Banana boat ride is ideally meant for people who find parasailing and wake boarding a bit too challenging.
6. Sit in one of the glass bottomed cruising boats and enjoy the underwater scenery that Red Sea offers. The clarity of water will leave you astounded, especially when you get to see the diverse marine life and rich corals.

Well Placed Apartments are rental agents for 2 resorts in Hurghada from which you can enjoy all of the above. Desert Pearl Apartments and Green Park Resort Apartments both offer great value for money alternatives to hotels.

SOURCE: Travelguideline.net

Holidays to Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia

Port El Kantaoui is a purpose built holiday resort located 10km north of Sousse in central Tunisia. Peaceful and picturesque, the resort mixes Andalucian style arches, narrow cobbled pathways and lamp illuminated quays with contemporary boutiques, restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes.
Developed in 1979, the resort is popular with European tourists and well equipped with high quality hotels, a busy marina, golf courses, bars and beaches. Designed in a traditional Tunisian style, the resort is made up of brilliant white buildings, cobbled streets and narrow walkways.
UK tourists wishing to visit Port El Kantaoui can currently fly from 14 domestic airports to either Monastir (30 minutes from the resort) or Tunis (1 hour 45 minutes from the resort) airports.

And where to better to saty than the brand new Dunes Golf Resort & Spa Apartments which are beach front and offer fabulous facilities

About Port El Kantaoui

With its Mediterranean location and Moorish Andalucian style architecture, the resort of Port El Kantaoui is the height of Tunisian chic. Purpose-built to cater for up market tourists, the resort's centre piece is an impressive 340 berth marina that regularly harbours the yachts of the Mediterranean jet set.
Originally developed in 1979, the 'Garden Port' has been meticulously designed in the style of the picturesque village of Sidi Bou Said, near Tunis. The result is a luxurious holiday resort in an enchanting setting, encompassing Andalucian styled cobblestone streets, arches, lamp-lit quays and dazzling white buildings.
Port El Kantaoui's main hub of holiday activity is undoubtedly the marina, hosting a variety of cafes, boutiques and souvenir shops that can be perused at your leisure whilst enjoying a stroll in the Tunisian sun. The marina also provides the focal point for the holiday resort's nightlife with lively bars and restaurants offering a range of local and international specialties.
The Port El Kantaoui holiday rental apartments Tunisia offered by Well Placed Apartments are just a short walk from the marina area and are well placed to enjoy all the attractions of the area.