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IRELAND'S PREMIER SOURCE OFTRAVEL INFORMATION
FEBRUARY 2013
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2
Free
The Glens of Antrim
IstanbulAustralias north west wonderland
PRICES AND OPTIONS FOR 2013
WASHINGTON CAPITAL EXPERIENCE
NEW GUINEA THE LAST FRONTIER
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page 001 cover Feb 2013 r 2 14/01/2013 09:49 Page 1
page 002 11/01/2013 11:34 Page 1
Holiday Villages
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CALL:
1850 45 35 45
ONLINE:
falconholidays.ie
VISIT:
Falcon Travel Shops or Local Travel Agent
BOOK NOW
*Prices are subject to availability and includeextras. Flight supplementsmay apply. Insurance andight
meals not included.Departures fromDublinAirport. Falcon is fully bonded and licensed by CAR (TO 021)
LOW DEPOSITS + OUR LOWEST PRICES GUARANTEE!
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All Inclusive
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page 003 11/01/2013 11:35 Page 1
THE KNOWLEDGE www.travelextra.infoCONTENTS
5 News TV holidays back on airwaves6 Hotels: News10 Brochures: First flush of 201314 Trends: Places to watch in 201316 Destinations: Washington DC,ChiangMai, San Diego, Australias out-back, Yosemite, Broome, Alaska, Santi-
ago de Compostela, Asturias, CostaLuz, Papua New Guinea, Lisbon,Alen-tejo, Kwazulu Natal, GranCanaria, Brit-tany, Ski Austria, Ski Andorra. 37 Holiday World: Fair for the fares58-63 Flying: Trans Atlantic growth64 Fashion: Courtney & Lennon65 Cruise launch: Celebrity Reflection66 Afloat: Cruise and ferry
68 Cruise: Brilliance of the Seas70 Ireland: Home holiday news72 Ireland: Glens of Antrim & K Club74 Postcards: from the travel industry76 Global Village Inside the travel industry77 Window seat: Our columnists78 Pictures: Out and about
The 2013 holidayseason, at firstglance, does notthrow up much hope forbargains. But if youthink laterally and fol-low the trends in the in-dustry, you can make themost of your free time in2013.
FLASH sales areso commonplace nowthat they may have to berenamed prolongedbeam of light sales. Getyourself on as manyemail lists as possible tokeep track of them. Startwith the airlines, to catchthe flash sales that werepioneered in this countryby Ryanair, four daysseat promotions at 12,and have been copied byall the main airlines andthe main hotel groups.Individual hotels are alsoholding flash sales.
ESHOT lists areguaranteed to save youmoney. The biggest mar-ket in the flash salesbusiness is operated bycompanies such asGroupon, giving theireshot recipients 24 hoursto book a low cost deal.These are ridiculouslycheap, hotels are sellingrooms in the hope of get-ting a few euro backfrom a meal or in thebar, or generating repeatbusiness. There are now25 flash sale websitesand eshots, so many thatsomebody has set up awebsite to keep track ofthem all, calleddealspage.ie.
ONLINE depositswere the good newsstory of 2012. Airlinessuch as Aer Lingus andBritish Airways no
longer force you to payfor your flight in fullwhen you book. Remem-ber that travel agents andtour operators also allowyou to pay a low depositrather than taking yourcredit card for the fullamount in January whenyou are not travellinguntil July. Some airlinessuch as American Air-lines are also allowing ahold option when yousee a low price on the In-ternet you can hold it fora day and then decide. Ifthe price is gone up, youcan still buy at yester-days fare.
VOUCHERSare the currency of re-cession. Stay in a hoteland expect to have a 50voucher off your nextstay left by your pillow.
BIDE your time ifyou are flexible withyour plans and you dontlike any of the fares orprices you see, flashsales by the major air-lines are common place.They sell off the emptyseats at a better rate thanyou can get now. Sign upfor the email alerts fromall the major airlines toget this. Airline revenuemanagement systems usefour main factors in put-ting prices on the win-dow (computer or yourtravel agency): historicalflight data, seasonality,market demand, and(most importantly) com-petitive considerations.If there are more thantwo airlines on a route,prices are harder to man-age for the airline andbetter for the consumer.
BOOK now if youlike the price and are dueto fly in the next sixmonths. The airlines liketo get the very earliestbookers to pay throughthe nose for their tickets,people who KNOW theyhave to be somewherefor a wedding or a fam-ily occasion. After that,it is a pretty simpleprocess where the airlinefare rises as each sectionof the aircraft getsblocked off. Sometimesif sales are a little live-lier than they antici-pated, they will taketickets off the market -the reason the lowestfares youre searchingfor may already be soldout is because the airlinethinks theyll be able tosell those seats at ahigher value and will as-
sign them accordingly.The computer has a re-think with six weeks togo. With a fortnight togo, prices will climbsteadily, so much so thatif you miss your flightand have to rebook, theshortest Ryanair flightcan cost you 300.
NEW destinationscost less than well estab-lished ones, because theytake a while to becomewell known enough.This applies to packageholidays as well as air-lines. This year there arenew routes to Scandi-navia and America thatwill take some time toestablish themselves.New systems can helptoo. United moved theirmuch-praised Orion rev-enue management sys-tem to origin anddestination-based insteadof by segment in 2012. Itunder performed whichtranslates as good newsfor the consumer..
CHERRY pick.The wise guys in avia-tion have been un-bundling their productsand services. They telltheir investors they saythis has created highmargin items whichdrives profit. Fliers cancherry pick what is left.If you dont want thechecked bag or food, optout and save money.
FERRY pick. Lowdeposits are the normwith ferry companiesand they offer a more re-laxed journey with dayrooms, showers and evena mini-spa. You arriverelaxed and with asmany bags as you like.
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 4
Opportunity knacks
Travel ExtraAdvertising & Subscriptions6 Sandyford Office Park
Dublin 18(+3531) 2913708
Fax (+3531) 2957417
Editorial OfficeClownings Straffan
Co Kildare
Managing Editor:Gerry OHare
Editor:Eoghan [email protected]
Publisher:Edmund Hourican
Sales Director:Maureen [email protected]
Accounts and Advertising:Maria [email protected]
Picture Editor:Charlie Collins
[email protected] Subeditor:
Chief Features Writer:Anne [email protected] :Eanna Brophy
[email protected] Carberry
[email protected] Higgins
[email protected] Madhavan
[email protected] [email protected]
Ida [email protected] Murphy
[email protected] Murphy
[email protected] Extra
takes no responsibility for errors and omissions.
Distribution Manager:Shane [email protected]
Origination: Typeform
Printer:WG Baird LimitedCaulside Drive Greystone Rd
Antrim BT41 2RS
Contact 01-2957418 ifyou have difficulty getting Travel Extra.
Make sure to catch the flash rather than splash the cash
Page 004 Knowledge r 14/01/2013 14:32 Page 1
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 5
Successfulgetaway
New travel programme gets 420,000 viewers
BROOKINGS
Institute in the USAs
annual report suggests Ireland dropped from
12th to 22nd in the rankings for end to end pas-
sengers since 2003 with a dip of 4pc, in com-
mon with many European countries being
overtaken by Latin America/Caribbean traffic.
US-UK traffic dropped 3.8pc but remains 3rd
(after Canada and Mexico). Spain (+17pc) re-
mains 13th, Switzerland (+70pc) rose from
24th to 18th and was the only European coun-
try to overtake Ireland. Netherlands dipped
1.5pc and from 14th to 23rd. Belgium (+40pc)
improved from 34th to 32nd. Brookings says
Dublin provided 1,35m passengers in contrast
to DAA's figure of 1,53m for all transatlantic.
Kuoni have listed their top 10 in 2012: 1 Mal-
dives, 2 Thailand, 3 Sri Lanka, 4 USA, 5 UAE,
6 Mauritius, 7 Malaysia, 8 Barbados, 9 Singa-
pore, 10 St Lucia
NEW YORK CITY
welcomed a
record 52m visitors in 2012, a new all-time
high and a 2.1pc increase over 2011
VACCINE SHORTAGE
There
are fears of a typhoid vaccine shortage fears
for holiday makers after the recall of the vac-
cine by Sanofi.
BEIJING
Irish citizens have been able to
make three-day visa-free visits to Beijing and
Shanghai since New Years day.
T
he new Irish travel programme
Getaways has achieved a
Neilsen rating of 420,000 and
a 27pc market share onits debut.
Produced Maggi Gibson for Holy-
wood based JannineWaddell and pre-
sented by 2005 Rose of Tralee
Aoibhinn N Shilleabhin and
Belfast broadcaster Joe Lindsay, the
series covers 12 destinations in six
episodes airing on Thursdays on
RTE1 and Mondays on BBC NI, a
programme which is which is six
minutes longer due to the absence of
commercial breaks.
Each programme features one main
foreign destination and a local stay-
cation destination. In this seriesAoib-
hinn and Joe are heading to Malta,
northern Italy, Lisbon, the Izmir re-
gion in Turkey, Chicago and Mo-
rocco. The Holiday Show on TV3 is
concentrating on home holidays this
season.
Joe Lindsay and Aoibhinn N Shilleabhin
NNEEWWSS
Contact your local Travel Agent | www.sunway.ie | 01 2366 845
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Prices are per person based numbers shown. Child prices are based on under 12 sharing including flights, accom. & taxes. Instant
purchase on above offers. Deposit only offers available, please ask Sunway Sales agent for prices. Offers subject to availability.
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Gran Canaria
2* Colina Mar Apts S/C from 399 467 529 439
Lanzarote
2* Marazul Apts S/C from 399 489 599 529
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FromFrom 619pp619pp
Page 005 News 14/01/2013 11:16 Page 1
Flat out
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visitabudhabi.ae
*2012, 2011, 2010 & 2009 World Travel Awards
page 006-007 11/01/2013 12:16 Page 1
In our Pearl Business Class, you have all the room in the world
to get comfortable. Stretch out on our award-winning 61
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Not to mention over 600 hours of entertainment on the widest
screens in the sky. Weve got 10 ights a week from Dublin
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page 006-007 11/01/2013 12:16 Page 2
HOTELS
www.travelextra.info
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 8
GUILBAUDS
The DailyMeal.com
has listed Patrick Guilbaud 68th among its 100
best hotel restaurants in world. The number
one was Jol Robuchon Restaurant at MGM
Grand Las Vegas.
ADARE
Manor has become the the first
ever Irish property to win a World Travel
Award It was awarded Worlds Leading Bou-
tique Golf Resort.
SOFITEL
will be opening two new
properties in Dubai in 2013. Sofitel The Palm
with 361 rooms and 182 serviced residences,
and 31-storey, 350-room Sofitel Downtown
hotel
FERMANAGH
Lusty Beg Island
owner Michael Cadden has opened a new 35-
bedroom Fermanagh Hotel on site of the for-
mer Fort Lodge Hotel
DAILY MEAL
Five Irish restaurants
in the Daily meals top 100 list for Europe,
Chapter One 25th, Guilbaud 48th, Fishy Fishy,
Kinsale 82nd, Ballymaloe 83rd and Aniar, Gal-
way 88th Osteria Francescana in Modena Italy
was selected as the best restaurant in Europe.
ABU DHABI
Jumeirah at Etihad Tow-
ers has opened the Observation Deck at 300
EXPEDIA
has bought hotel price com-
parison website Trivago for 477m.
TRAVELODGE
hotels have comiled
a list of unsuual things left behind by hotel
guests in 2012, theyb include a winning Eu-
roMillions ticket, a stamp album worth
250,000, an original Harry Potter wand,
breast implants, a box of live crabs, a Persian
Chinchilla kitten, a pantomime horse, a
50,000 Rolex watch, a diamond encrusted
phone
SHANGRI-LA
groups first UK prop-
erty will also be the first new-build five-star in
London in over a decade. It will take up floors
34 to 52 of this architectural giant, offering 202
rooms and suites. Epic views of the capital
will, of course, come as standard.
OSLO
s The Thief opened on 9 January
is so-christened because it sits in Tjuvhol-
men, a fjord-side district where criminals were
once executed. But times change, and The
Thief equipped with 119 rooms is the latest
element in the gentrification of a waterfront
that is rapidly shedding its warehouses for
cafs, shops and the drama of Norways na-
tional opera house.
NICARAGUA
s first luxury accom-
modation opens in February, with the unveiling
of the Mukul Resort. ouse spa.
THE REFINERY
is to open in New
Yorks Garment District on West 38th Street
(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues), making use
of the Colony Arcade Building a former hat
factory.
Charlie Sheil, GM of the Marker Hotel: a four star plus property to open in Dublins Grand Canal Harbour
Square March, is a sign of renewed optimsim in the hotel industry
Rovers return
Dublin and south-west lead occupancy improvement
I
rish hotel occupancy has im-
proved in 2012, but there are still
regions of the country with dan-
gerously low levels of occupancy.
Filte Ireland CEO Shaun Quinn
said that things had improved, parti-
cal on the touirm hotspots, but that
there were parts of the country where
there are lots of 50, which are not
good. Occupancy rates are lowest in
the midlands, the trophy properties
there are going to find it hardest.
Challenge for hotels is generating the
margin to reinvest in the property
Filte Ireland research suggests that
domestic trips are holding up, and 9m
trips were
taken by Irish people in Ireland but
Irish people are spending less, 100m
less in 2012. Of hoteliers and guest-
house owners surveyed by Filte Ire-
land 8/10 are increasing marketing
effort, 7/10 are cutting operating
costs, 6/10 are discounting prices and
1/2 targeting new markets, introduc-
ing new products or services, while
the other three responses are falling
this one is increasing
Redmond ODonoghue, chairman
of Filte Ireland said that the hotspots
reported increased hotel occupancy
leading to strong margins. He said
that while 2009 and 2010 were about
survival, 2011 was stop the bleeding,
number up 5pc, 2012 was the year of
consolidation, and 2013 is the year for
growth at last.
The physical infrastruture is in
place, bridges, tunnels, the tourism in-
frastructure is in place, hotels, golf
courses and attractions, the heavy lift-
ing has been done, the programmes
are in place with the Gathering.
ODonoghue said that 2012 was an
exceptional year for business tourism
and that 2013 prospects had initially
been much weaker but were now
strengthening.
ODonoghue praised what he
called a tourism friendly govern-
ment and contrasted the irish posi-
tion on VAT with that in Portugal,
there the government increased their
13.5pc VAT rate to 23pc under pres-
sure from the Troika nearly killing
the industry
0818 44 44 47
Region 2010 2011 2012
Average 58 59 63
Dublin 63 66 73
East Midlands 44 41 46
South East 61 59 64
South West 61 62 64
Shannon 53 54 49
West 59 61 66
North west 52 51 54
Big town 61 64 69
Smal town 55 55 57
Rural 55 54 57
HOTEL OCCUPANCY
Profitabllity up down same
Hotels 54 25 21
Guesthouses 38 16 46
Hostels 35 16 49
Atratcions 30 31 39
Self catering 25 31 44
Bed & breakfast 15 17 68
PROFITABILITY
Page 008 Hotels 14/01/2013 09:10 Page 1
page 009 11/01/2013 12:19 Page 1
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 10
A
fter 2012s
sad, sorry,
pathetic ex-
cuse for a summer,
it doesnt seem one
bit too early to be
planning ahead for
next year. So, if you want to get an idea
of whats likely to be the next trend, the
Falcon summer 2013 brochure is ready
to rock.
There are enticing savings for those
ready to book before the end of January
2013 - savings of E150 per adult or
E300 per couple, one-parent family sav-
ings, guaranteed free child places, free
room and board upgrades, group places
and holiday flexibility guarantees for
those prepared to plump for next years
summer holiday right now.
You can reserve your plane seat for
Euro15 (adults) and Euro 7 (children)
and babies aged under two get a 10kg
baggage allowance on top of their
pushchair or car seat.
There are family-friendly places with
loads of kids clubs and a grown-up
zone on page 17, if you are travelling
with another adult, with a la carte dining
in Holiday Villages themed onMexican,
Italian or Chinese food, just for exam-
ple.
The 2013 summer brochure also in-
cludes details of next years cruise op-
tions with an extended choice on two
up-graded Platinum ships, the Thom-
son Dream and Thomson Celebration.
All Inclusive is the big thing at the
moment with both self-catering and
half-board upgradable (facilities and
timings vary by hotel) see page 18. If
you like the idea of stashing your wallet
for a week or two
in your room safe
this is for you!
On pages 12
and 13, Falcon
include a quick
guide to their main
Holiday Villages, specially for children.
These are ideal for families because of
the variety of entertainment, sport and
both outdoor and indoor (just in case of
a cloud or two) activities ranging from
crches, cartoon character appearances,
stage academies, assault courses, foot-
ball and the like.
For under-twos there are swim-a-
song courses where babies and young
ones are taught pool skills using nursery
rhymes and interactive play (sessions fill
up fast so book ahead) and evening ses-
sions are limited to two per week or
three per two weeks (clearly these are
popular!).
For three-to-eight-year-olds there are
Kids Clubs with expert-run academies
(stage and football although not si-
multaneously so dont worry that your
youngster will return home with the
histrionics of a Roy Keane ).
From Egypt to the usual Spanish sun-
spots in the islands and mainland, the
Algarve, Turkey, Bulgaria, Crete, Za-
kynthos, Corfu and Cyprus the choice
is wide and getting wider at Falcon.
Importantly, of course, all holidays
are with a licensed and bonded operator
with 24/7 support in-resort (if you want
it no intrusive sales talk if you dont)
so no chance of being stranded abroad
or losing your precious holiday money.
More from Falcon on 1850 45 35 45.
FALCON
SUMMER
catpion
W
ith 268
p a g e s
of holi-
days to choose
from, the Thomas
Cook Summersun
2013 brochure is
really packed with
new destinations,
hotels and ideas for next summer such
as more family activity holidays and
more all-inclusives.
There are 37 new resort hotels for
next year, three of them in stylish
France, and an entirely new coastline in
Spain the Costa de la Luz in the south-
west of the country.
Theres a newhotel also onCrete (which
gets warmer earlier and stays warmer later
because of its southerly position) and there
are the eight Aquamanias including a
new one on theAlgarve.
Villas have also been added to the pro-
gramme, such as the three-bedroom Sun-
shine Villas in Puerto Rico on Gran
Canaria which sleep six adults in a small
complex on a hillside from 629 per per-
son for seven nights from Dublin or Cork.
For families, the Thomas Cook
brochure also tackles the problem head
on (see page 7). The low-down on what
you and your brood can expect at the
companys specialist familyWORLD re-
sorts is explained in detail, from room-
size to kids clubs and pool areas.
Better safe than
sorry, say I and the
list of resorts with
this kind of attention
to detail is included
there are just four of
them, but they are
the business! Baby-
WORLD features
baby-bottle sterilising and food-warm-
ing facilities.
Sunstar resorts are for older children
with entertainment laid on such as soccer
academies, dance-coaching, crches,
evening cabarets, teen activities and
evening sessions so parents get a night off.
There is also guidance on which re-
sorts are young and lively (now
theres a euphemism) with Club 18-30 if
youre looking for 24-hour non-stop
party holidays. Escapades is what to
look for if youre dead set on the worlds
best nightlife.
After youve picked the kind of holi-
day you want, its a choice of destina-
tion and hotel. There are literally
hundreds to choose between.
I know the H10 Estepona Palace on
page 105 as its where a relative got
married eighteen months ago. The view,
from the terraces, of the sea, beach and
even NorthAfrica is stunning but it re-
ally can be difficult to choose when the
list appears endless.
For more, contact your local travel
agent or 01-514 0328.
THOMAS
COOK
SUMMER
Azureoptions
F
rom Aruba to
Zanzibar
and just
about every other
letter of the alpha-
bet in-between:
Topflight are offer-
ing the world this
year and their new
brochure is a hefty 140
pages long.
Tony Collins and his team are nothing
if not enthusiastic and their big selling
point is they are Irish-owned, bonded to
the hilt and multi-award winning. So
you get the choice you want, without the
risks of going it alone.
New this year in the brochure is the
destination of Sri Lanka perfect to
combine with firm favourites such as the
Maldives, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
and Malaysia.
The company uses a wide range of
airlines to carry customers across the
world including Virgin Atlantic, Thai,
China Airlines, Air Mauritius and Eti-
had, although its specialist partner is
British Airways.
Needless to say, within the brochures
pages is a glamorous array of beach hotels,
each more alluring than the last, on a daz-
zling choice of islands from west to east.
I was glad to see my old favourite,
Blue Waters on Antigua, featured. Its
genuinely laid-
back, set on a
wonderful, calm
beach and its not
the largest resort
in the world,
which suits me
fine.
There are
plenty of adult-only
beach hotels which are ideal for honey-
mooners not yet ready for the patter of
tiny feet and all-inclusive hotels for
those who want nothing more than to put
their wallets away for a week.
On Cuba, there are some specialist
tours for those who want to see this is-
land before the days of Castro end.
ARum and Rhythm Tour gives you an
insight into Cuba, the beaches as well as
history and politics.
The Maldives (not a place I have ever
visited personally, something I must put
right) are quite stunning. If global warm-
ing doesnt get tackled soon, they are first
on the list to disappear so see themquick!
Dubai is selling itself now as afford-
able luxury and certainly there is more
value to be had here than there was at
the height of the boom and the hotels are
really top-class. Youve heard of The
Palm (a resort of man-made islands in
the outline of a palm-tree) now go and
see it for yourself. More from the com-
pany direct on 01-240 1788.
TOPFLIGHT
WORLD
WIDE
OFF THE RACK
Anne Cadwalladers Brochure Reviews
Page 010 Brochures 14/01/2013 09:16 Page 1
DUBLIN
HOLIDAY WORLD 2013 SHOW DATES
RDS SIMMONSCOURT
Fri Jan 25
th
10am - 1pm Trade Only
Fri Jan 25
th
1pm - 7pm Trade and Public
Sat Jan 26
th
11am - 5.30pm Trade and Public
Sun Jan 27
th
11am - 5.30pm Trade and Public
BELFAST
HOLIDAY WORLD 2013 SHOW DATES
KINGSS HALL BELFAST
Fri Jan 18
th
1pm - 9pm Trade and Public
Sat Jan 19
th
11am - 5.30pm Trade and Public
Sun Jan 20
th
11am - 5.30pm Trade and Public
YOUR TRADE DAY
Friday 25
th
January, 2013
VISIT
To Pre-Register for FAST TRACK ENTRY log on to
www.registrationdesk.ie/holidayworldtrade
VENUE
RDS Simmonscourt | Simmonscourt Road
Ballsbridge | Dublin 4
EXHIBIT
Please contact Maureen Ledwith
t: + 353 (0)1 291 3700
To find out more log on to:www.holidayworldshow.com
Featuring:
Wedding & Honeymoon
Destinations
at Home and Abroad
Over 55s
Holidays
page 011 11/01/2013 12:20 Page 1
Travel trade promotion
5 ONE4ALL VOUCHER
per booking for all accommodation booked
with a transfer valid for bookings made
from now till 14th February 2013
Email [email protected] at the end of the
promotion to claim your vouchers.
DONT MISS OUT IN 2013, BOOK NOW!
page 012-013 11/01/2013 12:22 Page 1
Competitive Prices
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The more you book the more you earn
Unbeatable travel agency incentives
State of art XML feeds available
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lowcostbeds.comLimitedLondon,RomanshornBranch.BranchRegistrationNumber:CH440.9.024.481.2VATNumber:CH763279
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the trades favourite
accommodation provider
page 012-013 11/01/2013 12:22 Page 2
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 14
I
f 2012 was the year
of the east thanks to
the three airlines who
bring us to theAsian gate-
ways. Increased capacity
in 2013 will be to the
west and to the north.
Not that the east has
faded. Emirates, Etihad
and Turkish have all en-
joyed high load factors
and each of them is now
talking about double
daily services. With Eti-
had offering ten weekly
services through Abu
Dhabi, Turkish offering
ten through Istanbul, and
Emirates offering seven
through Dubai, a whole
new world of one-stop
connection possibilities
have opened up.
Australia is by far the
most important for the
Irish market. It remains
our long haul destination
of choice with a large in-
crease in tourism among
the young and the over
50s, who seem to be tak-
ing the opportunity of-
fered by bargain fares to
visit their relatives who
have gone out on one
year visas. Etihad offer
one stop connections to
Brisbane, Melbourne and
Sydney. Emirates offer
Adelaide and Perth as
well. The Emirates deal
with Qantas means that
Dubai rather than Singa-
pore is going to be the
gateway of choice for
people flying toAustralia.
Direct services to
India, a real possibility
before the recession that
hit both Ireland and Air
India are no longer on the
runway but we have lots
of new one-stop options.
Emirates serve ten
cities in India, Etihad
nine, and TurkishAirlines
serve Delhi and Mumbai.
While Dublins direct
service to Beijing is still a
possibility (the Chinese
capital is the same distance
from Dublin as Los Ange-
les), Etihad serve seven
cities in China, Emirates
and Turkish three each.
Emirates and Etihad both
serve four cities in Pakistan
and Turkish two.
All three serve
Bangkok, our second
favourite long haul holi-
day destination. Kuala
Lumpur is still a direct
flight possibility. Emi-
rates recently launched a
flight to Phuket and im-
proved their Bangkok
connections. Etihad have
great connections to the
Seychelles.
Vietnam, for a long time
a two stop destination, is
now just one stop away via
Turkish or Emirates.
The options are also in-
creased when you look
south toAfrica. Durban is
now one stop away by
Emirates.
S
o far one exciting
new westbound
route has been de-
clared for 2011, the
United service to Wash-
ington Dulles. It offers
100 seats less per aircraft
than the equivalent Aer
Lingus services to BWI
in 2002-3 and Dulles in
2007-9 but it opens up
lots of exciting prospects
in Virginia and Maryland
as well as the vast open
air museum that is Wash-
ington DC.
A hub or an alliance
can make a difference.
Charlotte was the new
route of choice in 2011
and it opened up dozens
of extra Florida connec-
tions. Aer Linguss tie in
with Jetblue has created
west coast opportunities
that would never have
justified a direct service.
Air Canada has
launched a new code-
share with Aer Lingus
and increased capacity on
the Dublin Toronto route.
It is a matter of time be-
fore this becomes year-
round.
South American one
stop options are also in-
creasing. British Airways
now has eight direct
flights under its own liv-
ery to Dublin each day.
The propensity of other
airlines to offer their
lower cost flights in the
Irish market, rather than
affect local sales, means
it can also make sense to
fly east to go west, to Sao
Paola via Istanbul.
Extra connections to
Frankfurt in 2013 will
mean more connection
options through
Lufthansas fast growing
hub.Anew fourth runway
means it will overtake
Heathrow as Europes
busiest airport in three
years time.
T
our operators are
showing undue
caution in the
chartering of services for
2013, many preferring in-
stead to block book seats
on scheduled airlines.
Tenerife is the only ex-
ception, with both Falcon
and Thomas Cook return-
ing to the island after
pulling out in 2012 be-
cause of competition
from Aer Lingus and
Ryanair.
There will be extra
weekly charter flights to
Corfu, Palma, Faro and
Lanzarote. Sunways
Agadir operation resumes
in summer after two sea-
sons when it was just a
winter service.
Services to Egypt, Mo-
rocco and Tunisia are still
suffering the effects of
the Arab spring.
But there is action here
as well. Three new tour
operators received their
licenses in the November
licensing round.
The entry of One Stop
Touring Shop into the
Irish market has boosted
interest and bookings
across their range of three
products, Insight Vaca-
tions, Contiki for the 18
to 35 age group and Uni-
world Boutique River
Cruise Collection.
The dramatic entry of
Wings Abroad into the
market in 2011 was a suc-
cess despite the effect the
new competition had on
prices, and are hoping to
expand further in the Irish
market in 2013 with a
longer season from Shan-
non. Aer Lingus have op-
erated their Izmir flight
since 2011 on a charter li-
cense.
Short haul routes are
also growing again after
two years of hiatus. Air
Frances service to Pau
was one of the most ex-
citing developments of
2011.
Aer Lingus had 18 and
Ryanair 17 seasonal serv-
ices last summer. Capac-
ity has been cut back so
much that it is unlikely
there will be further cut-
backs in 2013, particu-
larly after a summer of
high prices.
F
ashions change fast
in the holiday busi-
ness. Often the
choice of destination is
decided for us by an am-
bitious tour operator or
airline operator.
Topflight, Sunway and
the Travel Department
are all planning expan-
sion in Asia in 2013.
Direct flights have
made a brief impact in the
past for unlikely destina-
tions such as the Azores,
Cape Verde, Corsica,
Cuba, Dominican Repub-
lic, several Greek islands
(most recently Santorini
and Skiathos), Romania
and Thailand. Most fea-
tured as fashionable
places for about three
months before they, or
their access routes,
stopped.
Sometimes a bad expe-
rience (Jamaica 1992) or
a season of intensive
overbooking (Croatia in
2004) can see off the rep-
utation of an entire desti-
nation. Croatia and
Bulgaria in 2006-8 both
peaked only to perish as
the punter decided the
product was not exactly
what they wanted.
Sicily and Sardinia, in-
troduced more gingerly
by innovative tour opera-
tors in the late 1990s,
both stayed the pace.
Flights to Bulgaria, for
instance, went from one
to nine weekly and back
again to three over an
alarming three year pe-
riod. This ski season Bul-
garia has no direct flights
from Dublin.
Croatia is returning to
the bookings chart this
autumn and could well be
the new Croatia.
Lets hope the beds are
still available, unlike last
time, when we arrive for
the holliers in 2013. The
average price of a 2x2
bucket and spade holiday
climbed to over 3,000
last summer.
Most of the air capacity to the USA is directed to New York
Westerly wanderings
Westerly wanderings
Increased frequency on west bound routes offer possibilities in 2013
TRENDS 2013
Page 014-015 Trends r 11/01/2013 12:29 Page 1
ALGARVE
Nothing seems to dent the popu-
larity of the southern Portuguese coast. It recently
captured Majorcas crown as the mainland summer
holiday destination of choice for Irish people and the
summer services from all Irish airports are set to sta-
bilise or increase again in 2013.
ANDALUCIA
There are 100,000 beds in
Torremolinos alone (more than New York), so a
change in fashion or a spat between Ryanair and an-
other airport will never stop the trail of Irish holiday
makers returning to Spains most touristed region.
AUSTRALIA
Increasingly our favourite
long haul destination out of Ireland. Go diving with
the Whale Sharks in Exmouth or swimming with the
fresh water crocs in Kakadu and you will never ever
forget the experience. All the major cities are now
one-stop options through the Middle East.
BOSTON
Is Boston the new New York? The
availability of an extra aircraft has enabled Aer Lin-
gus have put on extra services for the summer of
2013. Shopping is tax free, the hotels are cheaper and
the museums are amazing.
CANADA
Air Canada are getting more adven-
turous by the year with the size of craft and Transat
have opened up Montreal as well. The beautiful north
beckons.
CHINA
Ethnic travellers used to fill the few
available seats through our favourite European hubs
to this vast and diverse country, pushing prices
Pagoda-high. This has changed with the creation of
additional transfer options. Direct flights from
Dublin? It is an inevitability.
DUBAI
An amazing 25-year success story of
tourism is set to continue as Emirates increased their
craft from a 237-seater to a 360-seater and still find
they need more capacity.
LISBON COAST
Picture postcard towns
like Ericeira and Obidos are among the highlights of
one of the most richly decorated stretches of coast in
Europe. For a long time Irish eyes were focussed fur-
ther south, but good air services to Lisbon has at-
tracted the surfers, of both the real and web variety,
golfers or those whose idea of a good time is a nice
wine and the finest seafood watching the sunset over
the Atlantic.
MAJORCA
A victim of its entrenched rela-
tionship with tour operators in the past, tens of thou-
sands of hotel beds along the coast have been
released to accommodation only specialists in the
past two years and brought greater flexibility.
MALTA
Getting married? There are nearly 400
churches in Malta, one at every turn of the road.
It also can save a lot of money. A wedding in Malta
will set you back an average of 4,500, compared
with the average of 23,000 at home.
SCANDINAVIA
Lots of extra capacity
from SAS and Aer Linguss return to Stockholm and
Copenhagen should keep the major Scandinavian
destinations on the radar for 2013.
TURKEY
This is one of the fastest growing
destinations out of Ireland, going from 10 to 20
flights weekly in two years. You can fly to Antalya,
Bodrum and Izmir on the south west coast. The Turk-
ish Airlines daily service to Istanbul which offers
connections throughout the country is to go from
seven to ten flights weekly in May.
WASHINGTON
The newest west bound
route of 2012 was the United Airlines daily service.
Washington is not just the US capital, it is a vast open
air museum. There are lots anniversary commemora-
tions of the US Civil War,
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 15
Dublin on the arrivals board at Abu Dhani
TRENDS 2013
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FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 16
W
ashington DC
runs on gos-
sip. They
spend days cultivating it
and plucking it when it is
ripe. People gather in the
trendy clubs and high end
eateries to bitch and back-
bite.
Government agencies
and embassies scramble
for streetscape, compet-
ing with each other like
arriviste merchants.
Lobbyists and lawyers,
tens of thousands of each,
and politicians, peacock
through the streets and
social spots like shop-
keepers daughters.
So what do you do in a
village? Take to the sad-
dle, tinkle the bell and
cycle the length of its
finest sights. The mall is
Washingtons viewing
gallery of monuments to
the fallen, its martyrs and
militarists, a map of
Americas heroes and
hang-ups around a pool
of swampy water.
The tour, led by Tujon
Gallagher of Bike and
Roll (its as easy as rid-
ing a bike, he reassures
us) is magnificent beyond
expectations, his stories
informed and entertaining
as he talks us through the
politics of commemora-
tion, of which the Mall in
Washington is a case
study.
Probably the most
complicated of all is the
FDR memorial, each sec-
tion of it a battleground of
competing interest
groups. Americas
wounds are most openly
on display with the Viet-
nam memorial, commis-
sioned and in place 22
years before the World
War II memorial.
T
here is no WW1
memorial yet, a
hundred years
after the event. There is a
feisty Korean war memo-
rial. Martin Luther King
looks white and Maoist,
as befits the Chinese de-
sign. There is big type to
the left hand side of Lin-
coln, his inaugural speech
forever in three feet high
carving looking to the eu-
ture rather that the future.
Most impressive of all,
slightly eccentric, is Ein-
stein, a short distance
from the main cluster.
Dont look for any
mention of the losing side
in the Civil war anywhere
in the city. There is none.
You have to go to Rich-
mond, Virginia, for that,
Eddie Sielenski one of
the guides said. The
north won and there was
this attitude around.
You couldnt help but
think that after 150 years,
a bit of Civil War recon-
ciliation might be in
order. If the French and
Germans can do it
They have drained the
enormously stenchy pond
and refreshed the water.A
pity, because that was
part of the story.
You can also ogle the
White House from be-
yond the perimeter fence,
132 rooms and six chefs.
This is all a prelude to
the Hill, all pomp and se-
curity and the self impor-
tance accorded the
political masters of the
heaving collection of cul-
tures that is theUnitedStates.
A security lock-down
in the US Congress meant
we were shut in like Holy
Hour drinkers in the old
days, listening to the
valedictory speech of Illi-
nois politician Judy Big-
gert to an empty House of
Representatives. They es-
corted us in, took our mo-
bile phones from us, and
when a distant alarm was
activated then told us we
could not retrieve our
possessions even if we
were allowed to leave.
It was one of the most
interesting lock-ins on the
planet. We also peeked in
to the public gallery of
the Senate, looking down
on a floor full of failed
US presidential candi-
dates.
A
t Juniper restau-
rant they tell us
they make their
own honey on the roof of
the hotel.
The Doyle Collection
has three hotels in the
city, three slices of Ire-
land in the embassy dis-
trict. The Dupont Circle
Hotel offers 327 rooms,
in a great part of the city,
near James Hobans pub
(the man who designed
the White House has no
monuments in the city but
gets an Irish pub named
after him) and just round
the corner from one of the
most eccentric bookshops
in the world, an amazing
establishment called
Kramer Books, a book-
shop with a bar, or is it a
bar with a bookshop?
An earthquake has prevented visits to the Washington memorial, adding to the mystique of the column
Easy DC
Eoghan Corry in Washington
A fitting monument to the Irishman who designed the White House
DESTINATION USA
Biker in Dupont Circle, the way to see the city
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International Airport is operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft featuring 169 seats
16 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst and 153 in United Economy, including 45
Economy Plus seats with added legroom and increased personal space.
Fares star from 510 incl tax www.united.com 1890 925 252
Page 016 washington dc r 11/01/2013 12:31 Page 1
ho
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I dreamt of being able to spend more time with my daughters, Katie
(aged 5) and Laura (aged 3). Now I work from home, I am there
for the children if they need me. I am also earning way more than
I did before, so I can treat us all more often.
Rosemary Chawke, Tipperary
Travel Counsellor for 7 years
Three blocks away is
another slice of Ireland,
the Fairmont Embassy
Row hotel, where
Alexandra Byrne and
Stephen Johnston host us
for breakfast in their sig-
nature restaurant, 2100
Prime.
This place used to be
the Jockey Club and there
are still pictures of horse-
men around the walls.
This is where Kennedy
dined on the evening of
his inauguration.
The best bit of Wash-
ington DC, without a
doubt, is the rooftop bar
in the W. This place has
some amazing monu-
ments, stunning sights,
and an occasional historic
avenue. And thats just
the fellow-revellers
there is more to see if you
turn around to look at the
city instead. The White
House is waving distance
but a tree gets in the way.
Hotel GM Ed Baten
tells me that half of the
revenue at the W comes
from food and beverages.
It is easy to see how, this
is one of the coolest
places in town, topping a
very historic hotel, haunt
of presidents for 150
years, and a nightmare to
refurbish before they re-
opened it two years ago.
Try their Rock and Eye
cocktail made with spices
and Jamaican dark rum.
I
nevitably,Washington
DC has a media mu-
seum, the Newseum
where journalism junkies
can soak it all in. The trib-
utes to the fallen include
Veronica Guerin who gets
three mentions while
Martin OHagan and the
Eastbourne victims fea-
ture in the list of the
fallen. I meet the staff to
talk about the inclusion of
Irish journalists Jarlath
Dolan andAustin Finn on
the list of the fallen and to
correct the spelling of
Tony Hennigans name.
This is where I had a
sobering meeting with the
sister of Gerardo Ortega
a journalist killed in the
Philippines last year for
exposing corruption in
local government at the
Freedom Forum section
of the journalism mu-
seum on Pennsylvania
Avenue, the Newseum.
S
ince MayWashing-
ton has been acces-
sible from Ireland
once more. The route was
profitable from the first
month United Airlines
launched the direct flight.
The key to this is the air-
craft type, a Boeing 757-
200, with 16 business
class seats plus 186 seats
in economy and the fact
that Dulles is a United
hub with 65pc of their
passengers onward
bound.
There are other op-
tions. Is it worth flying
east to go west?
Lufthansa is the first cus-
tomer for the new Boeing
747-8 which is being
used to launch their new
business class product.
The staircase up to busi-
ness class has been
widened and become a
design feature of the
craft. Luggage bins are
bigger and tucked out of
the way.
Lufthansa has config-
ured the aircraft for 467
passengers with 98 busi-
ness in class and 380 in
economy. They serve
great food and wine and
even change the lighting
to resemble the outside
world and take the hard
edge off the jet lag.
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 17
The best view of Pennsylvania Avenue is from the balcony of the Newseum
DESTINATION USA
Page 016 washington dc r 11/01/2013 12:31 Page 2
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 18
N
o beach, big
draw. The most
popular inland
holiday destination in
Asia, Chiang Mai is a
wonder to behold before
you do anything touristy
like climb up the steps of
its eagles nest temple.
Thailand was the first
Asian country to cut it as
a beach destination. Back
in the 1950s and 1960s
while the rest werent
sure where to start, Thai-
land captured five major
European markets, get-
ting people excited about
Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi
and Koh Samui.
They even got the
movie with the best
name, the Beach.
How did Chiang Mai
fit into all of this? Even
the people who oversaw
the success are not sure.
There are bigger cities
like Beijing and more
handsome places like
Hanan or Ankor Wat. But
as a uniquely tourist des-
tination, Chiang Mai tops
the inland charts.
C
hiang Mai looks
handsome as we
arrive and start
with a highly efficient
check-in at the Furama
Hotel, a three star offer-
ing that is better than
many four star hotels I
have been in, with big
rooms.
It has two pools sur-
rounded by quasi-reli-
gious statues, one of
which is an enchanting
rooftop pool with a view
across the valley to the
mountain from which the
towns iconic temple
beckons, Wat Phra That
Doi Suthep.
The temple is a spiri-
tual place, where people
carry flowers as they do
circuits and nests of can-
dles fill the air with a
spiritual sizzle.
M
ountain towns
in Asia are dif-
ferent from
their crowded lowland
contemporaries, Chiang
Mai is villagey and al-
most sprawling, with a
European style 17th cen-
tury walled town at its
heart. The night market is
full of stuff from China.
Arent all markets nowa-
days?
There are 30,000
rooms in Chiangmai and
350 hotels, ranging from
the D2 discount chain to
five star product at about
40 a night. Hoteliers
complain there are too
many.
Hoteliers always do.
T
he highlight of the
trip? A day at the
Chiang Mai
school for the blind on
Arak Road, splashing
paint and generally mak-
ing a mess as my taste of
a Voluntourism project.
At meal time the children
put their hand up for
more food and we rush
down to fill their plates.
When they sing and
perform a cacophony of
local instruments and the
whole experience is less
awkward than I imagined.
I am a critic of supply
side well-meaning volun-
tourism, especially as the
travel aspect of it is hope-
lessly marked up, but
when you make a child
smile it is difficult to
chaff.
When I get one of the
kids to feel the keys of
my laptop he pulls the w
off, which is orrying.
A
t night Chiang
Mai offers one of
the liveliest
scenes on the planet, we
spend several hours trans-
ferring by tuk-tuk be-
tween night clubs,
The Riverside restau-
rant, spread between in-
door and outdoor sec-
tions, where there is a
terrific live band.
The pounding heavy-
bass Good View.
The high soaring singer
in the Bali room in Fab-
rique, here the elders go
while the young ones
hang out in the techno
dancing room.
The sardine-packed
Mandalay where a
woman in our group got
hit on by twenty fresh-
faced youths in the course
of a thirty yard scrum
push to the bar.
The Monkey Club, all
screens and bounce.
On to the temple of the
young night-lifers, Warm
Up, where I felt like
everybodys grandfather.
There was a Shangi
beer and Mekhong Thai
whiskey in each one.
Thai whiskey is a mis-
nomer: it is made from a
sugar cane base which
means it is really rum,
best drunk with cola and
a morning-after warning.
Shane MacGowan
wrote a song about it, so
it must be good.
I
s there a downside?
Of course. Where you
have tourists you
have chicanery. The Thai
tourist board say the
biggest number of com-
plaints they get each year
is because tourists are fer-
ried into shops they do
not want to go.
When tourists are
brought to the Royal
Gems shop, a 40pc com-
mission goes to the driver
which gives a hint of
what the mark-up is like.
One driver got 3500 in
one day last year.
Prayers at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
n Eoghan Corry flew to Chiang Mai with Emirates via Dubai and Thai Airways
from Bangkok.
n Night Market Walking Street - Tha
Pae Gate. An iconic market in the Old
City, the heat and crowds become a bit
oppressive but always worth a look.
n Chiang Mai Safari. Travel through
300 acres of Doi Suthep-Pui National
Park and interact with animals ranging
from giraffes to zebras to rhinos.
n Chiang Dao Cave turned into a
shrine and religious site.
nWat Umong 14th-century temple
built into the side of Suthep mountain
and constructed of a series of tunnels.
nWat Chiang Man. This temple was
oldest temple in Chiangmai built in
1297 at the site King Mangrai used
when he supervised the building of
Chiang Mai.
n Elephant Nature Park, elephant res-
cue project set in Northern Thailand.
THINGS TO DO
Bright lights
small city
Eoghan Corry in Chiang Mai
DESTINATION THAILAND
Songkran Festival
Chai Phra Kiat Temple
Page 018 Thailand Chiang Mai r 11/01/2013 12:33 Page 1
Take an island break.
Drop out of the rat
race, lose yourself in
the stunning Maltese
archipelago and find your
inner balance by indulging
in the intimate experience of
relaxed living.
Urbanites may be excused
for thinking that a small
island in the Mediterranean
might be rather stifling, but
Malta is surprisingly
well-connected and highly
cosmopolitan.
Short distances mean that
you can get around with
extreme ease and being
close to its quieter areas
does not mean that you
have to forsake the vibes of
the city. Imagine being able
to wake up in one of the
beautiful boutique hotels
around the island, and com-
bine the beach, relaxation,
shopping, culture and
nightlife at once.
This is the beauty of our
archipelago. The more
urbanised Malta is only a 25
minute ferry ride away from
its quieter, smaller sister
island of Gozo, where the
pace of life allows you the
breathing space you need to
savour the quaint villages
and stunning views which
might just leave you breath-
less once more.
If its a true combination
that youre after, then look
no further than the harbour
area Valletta and the Three
Cities or the wonderfully
long, winding Sliema and St
Julians sea front.
Walking along the coast
in either area is enough of a
cultural tour in itself.
The Harbour area is a
monument to Baroque
architecture and the city of
Valletta has been designated
a World Heritage Site.
You could choose to stay
in various architecturally
significant buildings, from
historic Art Deco outside the
revamped City Gate, whose
contemporary feel juxtaposes
nicely with older buildings
just inside; or you could
choose to stay in one of the
beautifully restored, 16th
century town houses or
palazzi in the heart of the
city which allow you to
mingle with the residents
while living it up in style.
Shopping on Republic
Street, only a few streets
away, is a terrific way of
sightseeing and getting the
latest seasons must haves
in one.
The stunning architecture
of the 19th century Palazzo
Ferreria sets the tone of
your shopping experience
banks, cafes, restaurants,
international franchises and
department stores all located
in listed buildings. Indulge
in a gelato or try sipping a
cappuccino in Piazza Regina,
outside the National Library,
with the Grandmasters
Palace on your left and
shops to your right.
Valletta is furnished with
a surprisingly wide selection
of restaurants and cafes
which cater for discerning
tourists. Menus will change
regularly so that you can
never anticipate how your
taste buds will be tantalised:
Mediterranean fusion which
competes with Italian, French
and typical Maltese cuisine.
Just across the imposing
Grand Harbour, lie the three
cities, the chief one of
which, Vittoriosa or Birgu, as
it is known in Maltese,
houses not only monuments
and museums, but also a
Casino. Theres plenty to
see, the Inquisitors Palace,
the Maritime Museum and
the beautiful parish church
of St Laurence - waking up
in living museums like
these is an experience which
leaves you wanting more.
Indulge in a tour of some
of the islands best shopping
in Sliema, across the
Marsamxetto Harbour from
Valletta. Shop to your
hearts content along the
promenade, the two busy
parallel streets Bizazza Street
and Tower Road or in Tigne,
where local boutiques rub
shoulders with international
franchises. The wide variety
of restaurants and cafes will
quell any appetite.
Staying in the hotels here
is a charming experience.
They are woven into the
Sliema residential town core,
keeping you close to all the
amenities while ensuring rest
and relaxation after a day
shopping or at the beach.
The leisurely walk along
the SliemaSt Julians prome-
nade will bring you to St
Julians once a charming
fishing village but now a hip
sea-side town with a village
core and busy nightlife, with
bars and restaurants which
spill into its neighboring
suburb of Paceville.
So lose yourself in the
area and let Maltas unique
melange of old-world charm
and contemporary vibes
sweep away your stress, making
for one of the most enjoy-
able holidays youll ever have.
YOURSELF in Malta
For the lowest fares
from Dublin to Malta
all year round
LOSE
Page 019 Malta ad feature 14/01/2013 10:32 Page 1
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 20
T
he fourth person
you meet in a city
tells you every-
thing you need to know
about it. The fourth per-
son you meet in San
Diego will be in the navy.
The bay defines the
city, rather than the other
way round. The skyline
attempts to fight back
with two tall skyscrapers
and 15 other wannabe
high-risers.
It doesnt quite make
an impact compared with
the sparkling ocean and
its multifarious jetties and
shipping paths (one jetty
is named after John
Wayne, in tribute to the
big-hatted mans fishing
trips to the Baja after
which he crashed into it,
not once, but twice).
San Diego is not just an
All-American apple pie
city: it is whiteAmerican,
retro American, more
Denver than LA or San
Fran. Hispanics and
African Americans com-
bined make up less than
10pc of the population.
Want that border feel-
ing? Go to El Paso.
Come here to party.
And meet a sailor.
S
an Diego was all
about the navy
when Top Gun was
filmed here 25 years ago
and counting. Naval in-
stallations, the largest in
the world, dominated the
economy.
It is a ten minute walk
from the dock to Kansas
City Barbeque, where the
sleazy bar scene in Top
Gun was filmed and Tom
Cruise romanced Kelly
McGillis with their rendi-
tion of "You've Lost That
Loving Feeling.
It looks the same (de-
spite a fire in the interim)
and is crammed with
chatty locals.A red haired
woman down the bar de-
clares she is Irish and
starts a competition
among the clientele and
the fun goes on, a chorus
line of wit all along the
bar. How could they even
fit a camera in here, never
mind a crew?
The naval base has
135,000 military worker
bees moving around it at
any time. They fill the
nightclubs and bars, the
streets by day and if you
have sharp eyes, you can
see the Navy Seals train-
ing in the morning from
one of the stunning rooms
across the bridge from the
city in the Hotel del Coro-
nado, the largest resort
hotel in the world when it
opened in 1888.
They say that every
week at least one female
visitor on the beach is in
need of mouth to mouth
resuscitation.
It is a spectacle when a
battle squadron pulls out
to sea, gathering their
nautical baggage and dis-
appearing with astonish-
ing speed: the giant
aircraft carriers that usu-
ally sit in the bay, as im-
portant to the cityscape as
any skyscrapers, the
flotilla of destroyers, fast
subs and finally the air-
craft, who never leave on
board the carrier taking
off over the city at inter-
vals.
One battle squadron is
the size of the entire Irish
army.
But if they ever consid-
ered invading us we
could be certain to talk
them out of it the night
before in the bar.
W
hich bar? If it
doesnt look
lively enough,
you can try the other 39
bars or 100 restaurants in
the Gaslamp Quarter
alone. Other American
cities are scrambling
around trying to invent
neighbourhoods out of
urban disarray, San Diego
has eight of them com-
pacted together like pier-
stones, The two most
famous are the Gaslamp
Quarter and Little Italy,
the East Village, Embar-
cadero, Cortes Hill, Co-
lumbia and Horton plaza
all come with their own
character (I wonder did
Horton inspire Dr Seuss
who lived locally?).
The celebration revs
into gear for 6pm and
continues until 2am, the
streets in the Gaslamp
Quarter lively and safe as
everyone spills out Fifth
Avenue and back in
search of the perfect beer
the multifarious local
brews are a new attrac-
tion.
One restaurant sits re-
splendent amongst them
all: Jim Croces widow
Ingrid has opened a
shrine to good food as
well as her singer-song-
writer husband. Her
cookbook is called
Thyme in a Bottle.
The night then ex-
plodes into multi-faceted
action. You can hear Tom
Cruises lines from Top
Gun somewhere behind
you on the sidewalk: em-
barrass yourself, get a
beer to put the flames out.
Or maybe crash and burn.
C
liffs and beaches,
beaches and cliffs.
We made peace
with the Pacifica on a tour
of the coast with Joe
Timko, who spent his
twenties at Ocean Beach
writing the great film
script that didnt happen
and then, happily, decided
his time would be better
spent hosting visitors to
this beautiful city.
The coast to the north
passes through the beach
bum magnet of Ocean
Beach, with its long holi-
day pier reminding you of
what pier pressure really
is in South California.
The shoreline life then
does a dolphin leap over
one large estuary and then
gets really interesting.
La Jolla (pronounced
by the locals, with very
unhispanic accentuation,
Lahoya) is the expensive,
Leucadia the pristine,
Torrey Pines the golf
mecca, Soledad point the
view, but for the exotic
head for a little further.
Here you find the high-
est, wildest cliffs and
places to laze and spend a
little time looking east.
And most exotic of all, a
stretch of sand below
where distant figures are
TheUSSMidway used to be known as the USSNeverdocks, now it is a permanent fixture in SanDiego
n BA have a daily direct non-stop service from London Heathrow using a Boe-
ing 777 aircraft with a choice of 3 cabins on board World Traveller, World Trav-
eller Plus and Club World. Arrivals and departures will be into London Heathrow
Terminal 5. Arrivals and departures will be into London Heathrow Terminal 5.
n San Diego is British Airways third destination to California, in addition to
Los Angeles and San Francisco.
n Fares start at 758 return including all taxes and surcharges from Dublin
using codeshare Aer Lingus.
n Bookings can be made at www.ba.com or through your travel agent.
n Departs Heathrow 15.50 Arrive San Diego 20.05 Depart San Diego 22.00 Ar-
rive Heathrow 15.20. These timings will be updated with the summer timetable.
Naval Gazing
Naval Gazing
Eoghan Corry finds why its
never lame in Southern california
F
light BA273 to
San Diego may be
THE most hidden
of hidden treasures of
Willie Walshs trove.
It is the only direct
route to the southern Cal-
ifornian destination from
Europe and the airline
and the local tourism bu-
reau have decided to risk
a visit by a group of Irish
writers. Embarkation is
from Terminal 5, tall and
quiet, housing Englands
longest escalator and its
own rapid transit train to
get to the distant satellite
gates. A glass of cham-
pagne on arrival helps
steady the nerves. The
flight from Heathrow
over the frozen waste-
lands of Greenland and
Canada is 11 hours but
you gain eight hours
along the way in time
difference. I am in one of
the so called love seats
in the middle of business
class, shared with a mid-
dle aged American male
chemist, we share an in-
terest in good conversa-
tion and a copious supply
of Californian wine.
DESTINATION USA
Page 020-021 San Diego r 11/01/2013 12:49 Page 1
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FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 21
DESTINATION USA
celebrating naturalism.
There is a gay section on
this beach, says Joe, a
couples section, and a
section where all the con-
fused people are.
The surprise here-
around is that San
Diegos orientation is so
northcentric. It is as if the
community is reluctant to
look south. They tell you
that Tijuana has a reputa-
tion for being a danger-
ous place to visit, but that
is only part of the story.
It is surely to San
Diegos advantage that a
heaving city double the
size of San Diego nestles
south of the border.
On the whale watching
expedition (a trip that will
always turn up a splash-
ing tail or two) they talk
about the sealife that
wanders up and down the
migration path to the
Baja, as if all that down
there was a distant Tr na
ng. The mood is: you
can go but dont come
crying back to me when
you fall off your horse on
your return.
R
egular first time
tourists dont
have time for the
cliffs, they are too busy
cashing in on the big sig-
natures. San Diego has
four, their Legoland the
best of the family after
Billund (subject to the
proviso that I have not
visited Tampa), they have
the original Seaworld, a
famous zoo and its sister
safari park.
Zoos are something of
an acquired taste and
have no place in the itin-
erary of an international
tourist who has seen real
animals in their natural
habitat.
San Diegos zoo, to its
credit, knows what is
doing, and does it well.
The animal kingdom is
turned into something of
a soap opera for the visi-
tors, an endless cycle of
happy marriages and cute
kids, with the hard nosed
battle-weary world of
conservation getting
mentioned as the justifi-
cation for it all.
It is hard not to be
taken in by the panda
with the stick of bamboo
or the condors who have
been saved from extinc-
tion, their siblings re-
leased back to the wild.
That is the measure of
success: there were only
22 Californian condors
left when they were
brought into care, the zoo
reports that its 300th
chick hatched this year
and many have been re-
leased again to the wild.
It works. The policy is
so successful and so fa-
mous that zoos around
the world send people
here to find out how they
do it.
As our guide Emily
Martin described it this
pair have a cute little
story, they definitely like
each other so we are
keeping our fingers
crossed for some baby
jaguars this spring.
T
he zoo, like much
of the energy that
illuminates San
Diego, was spawned by
the opening of the
Panama Canal nearly a
century ago.
Balbao Park nearby re-
mains in pristine hail-
the-new-canal 1915
condition, unusually for
these things (San Diego
was supposed to be first
port of call of ships head-
ing north).
It now houses an eclec-
tic and spell-binding col-
lection of museums, of
which the strangest is the
model railway museum.
The Prado looks like the
cover of that Eagles
album, the Californian
tower a delicious faux-
conquistador construc-
tion. And the seafood,
beer and wine are great
too.
Balbao is the secret
weapon of San Diego, not
as famous as Legoland or
Seaworld or the zoo, but
more fascinating than any
or all of them.
If you have one attrac-
tion to see before BA274
departs for home, it is the
USS Midway, home to
4,104 sailors in its 30-
year career patrolling the
Pacific, where you can
see how generations of
salts lived, worked and
breathed.
Visitors climb to the
Barillo National Monu-
ment to look back along
the bay and city skyline.
On the way back join
the queue for fish tacos at
Hodads. You wont regret
it. An all American expe-
rience with Mexican
food. So San Diego.
Ocean beach pier
Page 020-021 San Diego r 11/01/2013 12:49 Page 2
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 22
I
t is easy to under-
stand, as the Romans,
the Byzantines and
the Ottomans clearly did,
that Istanbul is the centre
of the universe.
Tourists got to the
Hagia Sophia and Blue
Mosque and Topkapi
palace to learn that.
In the process they fail
to understand that the Is-
tanbuli universe has its
own centre: Eminonu
quay.
It is a tram ride from
the tourist attractions (not
just the overground ones,
check out the Roman
baths) and here the
throngs gather to cram
the ferries bound every
15 minutes for the magi-
cal, mysterious Asian
shores.
They are coloured
vividly with scarlet
lifebuoys, and belch
black smoke as they chug
away from our continent.
The 20-minute crossing
to Uskudar costs about 50
cents. It can be a breezy
pleasure, enhanced with
strong tea in tiny tulip
glasses.
The skyline shines in
every direction, billowing
mosques, brandishing
their towers like medieval
bayonets, the silent
Galata Tower, a relic of
Genoese-colonial times;
Topkapi lurking behind
its veil of vegetation, the
extravagant mansions and
palaces that line the
shoreline, and in the dis-
tance, the gatepost castles
of the Bosphorous which
reminded everyone that
Constantinople was un-
stormable.
The sunshine dances
on the choppy surface of
the Bosphorus. The mys-
terious Kiz Kulesi, a
fairytale lighthouse on a
rocky outcrop, sits near
the shore. In the distance
you can see the Princes
Islands, a taste of holiday
resort Turkey, a three
euro boat ride from the
city, like lumps of granite
peering out in the Sea of
Marmara.
They are an enticing
sight, sun resorts from the
south east magically
towed to lie within easy
reach of the metropolis.
Then before you have
taken it all in, the engines
go quiet. Welcome to
Asia.
I
n Athenian antiquity
Uskudar was called
Chrysopolis, the city
of gold.
It is a city in its own
right, full of life and tra-
dition. You can go to the
endpoint at Fehnerbahce
(the only major soccer
club is on the Asian
shore, unlike Galatasaray
and Bezitkas) to walk the
gardens and look back at
Europe.
Dominating the main
square is the magnificent
Iskele Camii, which was
built sometime around
1557 by Sinan as a tribute
to Mihrimah, daughter of
Suleyman the Magnifi-
cent.
If you make it to Yeni
Valide Camii you will
find a peaceful courtyard
to sit in with cats for com-
pany.
As the evening light
fades the buzz of Bagdot
Street matches anything
back acrosss the Bospho-
rous.
Istanbul is not just a
city of 2,000 mosques,
157 churches and 18 syn-
agogues, but also home to
some of the hottest
nightlife in Europe.
The hottest places are
within easy reach of each
other. Su Ada has the
edge on the private yacht
scene as it is offshore. It
is vying to be trendiest
night spot in Istanbul with
Sortie (formerly Laila, re-
cently renamed), and
Reina (still, as its name
suggests, reigning cham-
pion).
The rooftop 360 offers
floor-to-ceiling windows
opens out onto a huge ter-
race and, late at night,
turns into one of the city's
hippest clubs.
The restaurant with the
best view in town is
Hamdi, serving inexpen-
sive local produce made
with the best local ingre-
dients in the best location
since 1970. Mustafa
Beys family has built the
place up and it is now a
500-seat business over
three floors.
The food is VERY spe-
cialist - minced meat
pizza, yoghurt starters,
and no one else serves
pistachio kebab. Dont
miss it.
T
here is lots to see
and a short time to
do it, so Guide
Yirdiray Kirmizi quickly
identifies the pace I like
and we have 25 stops on
a city tour to beat all city
tours - five mosques,
three churches, four
parks, four viewpoints,
three museums and other
attractions all flash by at
speed.
We pay homage, in
rapid fire succession, to
the reliquary (Patriarchate
at Fener), the beautiful
(St Giorgio), the aesthetic
(St Savior in Chora), the
spiritual (Church of Pana-
gia of Blechernae, leafy
green and out of the way,
a real treasure), the bor-
ing (Tekfur Palace), the
over-rated (spice market)
and the sublime (the huge
underwater cisterns near
Hagia Sophia).
n Eoghan Corry flew to Istanbul with Turkish Airways, who fly daily direct
from Dublin.
n Sirkeci Station is a Germanic mas-
terpiece almost within the shadow of
Topkapi Palace. For decades this was
the way to arrive in Istanbul, aboard
the Orient Express from Paris to Con-
stantinople. The route still operates.
n Salacak is hopping-on point for a
quick boat trip out to the strange Kiz
Kulesi (Maidens or Leanders Tower).
(It costs about 3) kizkulesi.com.tr
THINGS TO DO
n Kanaat Lokantasi (Selmanipak
Caddesi 25), a clean, plain, brightly lit
dining area. Big tureens brim with
classic mezzeler (shared starters), in-
cluding imam bayildi aubergine,
tomato, onions and olive oil,
n House Caf Ortaky (Salhanesi
Sokak 1; tel +90 212 227 2639), the
perfect pit stop for coffee or a shared
bottle of Turkish ros.
PLACES TO EAT
Golden Horn
Eoghan Corry finds treasure beyond
Topkapi in Istanbul
DESTINATION TURKEY
Ice cream sellers awaiting their day
There are many treasures beyond the astonishing skyline in Istanbul
Page 022-023 Istanbul r 14/01/2013 12:49 Page 1
Hagia Sophia is
one of three
must-dos in pic-
ture-postcard Istanbul,
the first-stop venue
alongside the Blue
Mosque (still blue) and
the Topkapi Museum,
which has probably the
most amazing single
room of exhibits any-
where in the world, the
sword of David, the staff
of Moses, the beard of
Muhammad and the skull
of John the Baptist all in
the same place. Hmmm.
It costs 10 (20 new
Turkish lira, each worth-
half a euro, like an old
Deutschmark) to get in to
Hagia Sophia, 10 for
the Topkapi and 7 in to
the harem, which is cheap
considering what a male
had to forfeit to get a job
there in the Sultans time.
I note the circumcision
room too is closed but I
am back in Taksim before
I have opened my legs
again, my return delayed
by a joker who diverted
me to the wrong tram
stop in a bid to get me
into the carpet shop.
M
ost tourists stay
in the nest of
hotels around
Taksim Square, an eclec-
tic area, which mixes le-
gitimate bars like the
delightful Biz Jazz Bar (it
has GREAT live music
and a bubbling atmos-
phere) with more sordid
girly bars where unsus-
pecting clients are
charged 25 a beer and
subjected to a drip-pric-
ing technique to part with
money than they an af-
ford.
Most of the dodgier
places are clearly marked
with danger signs, such as
Tayland 85 but CE&SA
bar has a legitimate air
about it until you arrive.
The tourist bits of Is-
tanbul are filled with a
well trained breed of hus-
tlers. A single male in Is-
tanbul makes friends
easily.All these guys with
woolly hair and friendly
eyes all want to talk to
you and bring you to a
distant door where they
bring you down stairs
into a darkened room
where a friendly woman
joins you.
It is not as much sex
they are selling (that too,
probably) than over-
priced drink, your drink
costs 15, hers costs
40, so you are hit with a
bill for 150-200 at the
end of the hour. This
makes the process more
like what happens at the
Galway Races than tradi-
tional prostitution.
I didnt indulge. The
system was explained to
me by a friendly waiter
more intent on getting me
a fish casserole than an
exotic belly dance.
Y
ou cant miss the
departure point
on Eminonu
quay to Istanbuls hidden
treasure. The sultans re-
sort island of Bykada is
a 3, thirty minute boat
ride from the city and
could be a distant
Mediterranean red-tile
hideaway. It being July,
the place was teeming
and while hiring a bike
(7.50) enables one to es-
cape to a more distant
beach it does not seem to
shed the crowds.
This is a taste of holi-
day resort Turkey, a mere
three euro boat ride from
the city.
FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 23
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DESTINATION TURKEY
Roof mosaics in the Kariye Museum
Page 022-023 Istanbul r 14/01/2013 12:49 Page 2
Broken Hill is that
rarity, a mining
town that en-
dured. Because it has 30
hotels and dozens of pubs
and great restaurants it
can offer that rarity, a
comfortable bed and the
remoteness of the bush at
the same time. My hotel,
the Palace, has flamboy-
ant murals and the re-
flected fame of having
been used as a film loca-
tion for Priscilla, Queen
of the Desert. It is on Ar-
gent Street, near Cobalt
Street, in a town where
the streets seem to have
been named from a chem-
istry set.
They felled every tree
within a hundred km of
Broken Hill to fuel the
smelters of the town. The
road takes you from
sparse scrubland into
thick vegetation like it
crosses a boundary. The
bull dust gets into every-
thing. More the grit out-
doors than the great
outdoo
