Journey Journal

Not all travellers will plan their vacation months ahead of time.  Spontaneous people like to jump on a plane at the last minute because they found a great deal.  These are last-minute people and the ones that take advantage of the amazing deals that are offered to fill rooms or airline seats at the last minute.  These people will spend some time searching for flights all over the world till they find one that suits them.
This could be flights to Turkey, flights to Peru or even flights to London. There are websites who will offer deals, so if you have time to look you could find one that you feel is right for you.  Maybe you want to catch that last minute deal to somewhere you have never been.  Or you find a destination that you have been to before and would be happy to return to.

We all have friends who tell us about the fantastic deal they found online where they flew off to France or Japan with just two days notice.  If you are one of these people who can jump on one of these deals and leave the country for a week with very little planning, then these deals are perfect for you.

We all dream about our perfect holidays. And how many of those dreams include islands? In my case, almost all of them. Be it a long weekend by the beach on a small island, a holiday cruise around the Mediterranean Sea or a long holiday in a somewhat larger island, it’s really all I can think about when it comes to Summer holidays. Sure enough, I like my holidays to be a little more cultured with sightseeing and historical sites involved, but when it comes to Summer and heat, the last thing I want to be doing is anything but swimming in the ocean, going to dry off in a towel, repeated about a thousand times.

But what great islands are there to visit? Well, I can only speak for limited experience, but I’ve been to a few. And although I never really disliked any, here’s some of the ones I likes the most. 

Gran Canaria is, simply put, awesome. Holidays to Gran Canaria are holidays where you’ll never get bored, simply because the island has so much to offer. Be it amazing beaches or an amazing landscape behind them, really good food and wine and lots of stuff to do when you leave your hotel room, there’s nothing that can go wrong there.

In fact, any Canary Island holidays has the potential to be amazing. Check out Tenerife as well, it’s just stellar.

Another of my personal favorites is Majorca. It’s far enough from Ibiza that you don’t hear the droning of dance music (I’m actually joking, Ibiza is also really beautiful and there are ways to avoid the raver crowd), but close enough to have all its beauty. The entire Baleares Islands have a very similar climate and they’re all just a ferry ride away from the coast of Spain, if you happen to either want to visit or you have an aversion to flying. Also, it’s cheap to rent a car there and travel all over the island, which is one of my favorite things to do.

Finally, no island article is complete without mentioning the Greek islands. And there’s one name that immediately jumps to mind: Santorini. This island really doesn’t seem to have the makings of a beautiful Summer resort: it lacks decent water supply, it’s small and it can get a little crowded. But you take a look at its port or you take a walk along its streets, and it’s just one of the most charming places in the World.

Greece is known for many things, from its amazing beaches to its food. Greek cuisine is among the most unique in the World, blending in influences from Ancient Greece, Turkish and Muslim Cuisine and Western influences. Its landscape is a blend of amazing beaches and high peaks, making its climate the envy of so many countries. Speaking of envy, the Mediterranean Sea is a common sight from many points in Greece, and its waters are among the most beautiful and warmest in the World. This, of course, makes Greece a primary target destination for holidays. And the crowning jewels of Greece are its islands. Sure the mainland is beautiful in itself, especially the amazing capital of Athens with its historical buildings and bustling life, but the islands are just something else. There are many different groups of islands, some small, but others really big, like Crete. It’s often not easy to find accommodation in Greek islands during the Summer months. There’s a Greek rule of thumb that says that the busy islands will have a lot of hotels, but most will be booked, but the small, lesser known islands will have less hotels and perhaps all of them will be booked. The Greeks travel quite a lot between their islands, as they will often have temporary or holiday housing in an island of their choice, often close wo wherever they live on the mainland. 

There’s a huge market for holidays in Greece. You can just as easy find cheap Crete holidays as you are likely to find expensive all inclusive cruises along the Greek islands. The Greeks themselves are very likely to take most of the good deals as they come along, as travel agencies are all over Greece, especially in Athens. In fact, if you want to find really good deals, and you’re feeling adventurous, staying in Athens for a few days and looking around for last minute deals is one of the ways to do it. Another, probably safer one, is to check Dealchecker for cheap holidays.

DealChecker is an amazing website for any traveler, but especially the one on a budget. There you can find deals on hotels and on flights to wherever you’re travelling. This means that in the same website you can compare different dates and find out which ones are best for traveling and accommodation. Plus, you can get pretty good deals on car rentals and on travelling insurance.

Many people have already planned their summer holiday, but there are those who are just now looking for that special place to go this year for their holiday.  If you search online you will find holiday packages for Miami, Orlando, the Keys, the Gold Coast and the Gulf Coast.  They all have their own deals that are offered so it is easy to find Orlando Florida holidays everywhere.  If you search for Ocean Florida, you will find the deals that they offer for July, August and September.  They offer just flights, or a deal for a family or they do packages that you can tailor to fit your needs and wants. Just contact them to find out about their upgrades and schedules and ask about special offers that are unique to Ocean Florida customers. 

This company not only offers flights and accommodations, but also cruises and Fly Drive holidays. They can tell you all about attraction tickets and deals as well. You can also make plans to stay in a villa in the Disney area.  With this type of deal you get to benefit from local knowledge and you can speak to an Ocean Florida staff that is in Orlando. If you are wanting to stay in a home for your next Florida holiday, then this is the business to contact. Online you can see all their deals and the costs. 

The state of Florida is like no place else in the world. It is here where you get so much value for your buck as you have so many choices for your holiday entertainment.  No matter what your family trip needs, you can find everything in this sunshine state where many holiday travelers end up each year.  You can swim in the sparkling seas, relax in the sun and just enjoy the amazing weather.  With the cooler temps that Florida has in the summer and being warmer in the winter, it is a year round locations for fishing trips and boat rides. Anything that has to do with the water can be done all the time in Florida. The city of Orlando, being in the middle of the peninsula, is the most popular region as well as the most successful tourist center. If you are wanting the sunsets, then you want the Gulf Coast where you will find the Everglades National Park and a lot of beauty.