Jennifer Morris, News Editor at the leading travel industry magazine Travel Trade Gazette, tested our travel with Tui post COVID-19 with a quick trip to Ibiza on 10th July. Take a look at her video report from the airport and what it’s like in hotels given the new Covid-related hygiene measures.
By Antoaneta Blagoeva
Why New York?
Sara and I both studied at De Montfort University and in our final year, we had the chance to visit New York for five days. We leapt at this amazing opportunity and booked the trip. New York should be on everyone’s bucket list to visit since it is amongst the world’s leading metropolises for art, culture, fashion and theatre. The city offers probably the best museums of art and history I have seen including the MET, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and the Museum of Natural History. For musical enthusiasts, NYC is the best place to experience Broadway’s glory and there are 41 theatres to choose from. Last but not least the cityscape of tall and magnificent buildings will leave you at awe and the views from the top will forever stay.
Best Time to Visit
Sara and I travelled in early January and to say the weather was freezing wouldn’t be an exaggeration. However, we witnessed the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree and many other Christmas-related attractions, which made our visit worth it. For warmer weather condition, you should visit between April and June or September to November.
How Long to Visit for
Our stay was 5 days and I can say with certainty that is plenty of time to pay a visit to all the attractions, but your days must be packed to the brim and you will have to be quite organised. It’s best to make a list of all the things you would want to do and work around to estimate how long your visit should be. Also, it will depend if you would like to explore only the Manhattan area or the surrounding boroughs as well such as Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
How to Get Around
New York’s subway sadly isn’t as fabulous as the rest of the city and you might witness a few rats here and there, but it was first established in the 20th Century. With this in mind, I would still recommend getting around the city by subway because it is the quickest way and will lead you to all attractions. A weekly pass was around £26, and you can travel as much as you need. You can also choose to take the hop-on bus but with the city’s congested traffic at any time of the day, it will probably take you twice as long.
My New York Highlights
Empire State Building
I have always wanted to see and visit the Empire State Building and it didn’t disappoint when I finally did. The main reason was to go to the 86th-floor conservatory, which is the highest open-air observation deck in the city. You can go up to the 102nd floor but I found that unnecessary. Built in 1931, the building took only a year and 45 days to construct or more than seven million man-hours. When you go to the observatory deck you can see 80 miles into New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and even Massachusetts on a clear day. You will also see Top of the Rock and Lady Liberty.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
As one of the world’s biggest and finest art museums, the MET’s art collection exceeds two million works of art from around the world. Since it is perched on the edge of Central Park, you can start your day with a lovely stroll and then spend hours exploring the museum. Sara and I spent around 5 hours and we still didn’t get to see each collection. However, if you have the time you can visit the museum up to three times because the tickets cover more than one visit. Even though the museum covers 17 acres and that might seem overwhelming, the layout of the galleries is displayed in a way that allows you to take everything in at your own pace. My favourite part was the several sculpture collections of the Greek and Roman era. I could spend hours admiring the smoothly carved marble bodies.
Times Square
The MET might have not overwhelmed me, but Times Square surely did. I never thought something could be as bright as daylight even at night. As one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, Times Square is always full of people and draws 50 million visitors annually. Sara and I were two of them and as many other tourists, we were mesmerised by the illuminated signs covering the buildings, which can be seen from outer space. Times Square is probably the most mainstream attraction but it is the centre of the Big Apple and is a great starting point to explore Manhattan. You head to Fifth Avenue or The New York Public Library. Broadway is just around the corner and the attraction is surrounded by a huge variety of diners and restaurants, one of them being Hell’s Kitchen.
To book your adventure in New York, call us on 020 3092 1288 or email [email protected]. Travel for good when you travel with us.
Win a mentoring session with double Olympian Marilyn Okoro.
New social enterprise travel agency Charitable Travel has today (Monday 13 July) launched a partnership with The Mintridge Foundation and Atlantic City USA to provide free, Olympic inspired, Weekday Wellness sessions for families to help keep children active and learn about fitness and nutrition during the school holidays, with the opportunity to ask advice from world-class athletes.
Charitable Travel Weekday Wellness is a series of live, online sessions, hosted by personal trainer and Charitable Travel Wellness Ambassador Jenny Tomei, held at 8am via Zoom every weekday from 13 July throughout the summer holidays. Incorporating fun and flexible full bodyweight work outs and covering ideas and tips on diet and nutrition, the sessions will provide young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities with the chance to increase their fitness participation and create greater knowledge of health and wellbeing. The interactive sessions hosted by Jenny will also offer young people the opportunity to ask Olympic and Paralympic athletes’ advice.
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport, working with sporting role models from a wide range of disciplines to develop confidence, resilience and create awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing. Over 40 team and individual athlete Mintridge Ambassadors will drop in to some sessions to answer questions from participants and parents can nominate children (aged between 9 – 18) for the chance to win a virtual Mintridge mentoring session with double Olympian Marilyn
Okoro.
Charitable Travel is the first of its kind, social enterprise travel agency providing travellers with the unique opportunity to donate 5% of the cost of their holiday to a charity of their choice through a partnership with JustGiving. The sport empowerment charity The Mintridge Foundation has been selected as one of the travel company’s recommended charities for 2020 thanks to its fantastic work in engaging and mentoring young people across the UK,
harnessing the power of positive sporting role models to improve lives. Atlantic City, USA, a destination offering a wide range of sporting activities on the beach, water and boardwalk is also partnering with the initiative to celebrate the importance of active lifestyles both at home and when on holiday.
Melissa Tilling, Charitable Travel commented:
“We have clear objectives to support local communities and are keen to embrace the need to keep talking about wellbeing, whether in fitness, mindfulness or nutrition. Charitable Travel’s Weekday Wellness will provide families with easy, free access to a daily session, Monday to Friday, covering a work-out, warm down, stretches and advice about the relationship we all have with food. Whilst the sessions are free, we would love those taking part to make a small donation of £10 per week to The Mintridge Foundation through a special JustGiving link shared during sign-up”.
Heather Colache, Director Tourism of Meet AC from Atlantic City commented:
“We are delighted to be supporting this great wellness activity with Charitable Travel. We want to celebrate the iconic tourism attractions available in Atlantic City but also remind visitors that we have great fitness, wellbeing and mindfulness opportunities on the water, the beach, the Boardwalk, in our resort hotels and our nearby county and state parks”.
Alex Wallace, Managing Director & Founder of The Mintridge Foundation, and Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year 2018 Grassroots Winner; Women of the Future 2017 Sport Winner said:
“Weekday Wellness is the perfect way to kickstart our partnership with Charitable Travel. Our mission is to promote greater physical and mental health through sport and this perfectly aligns. Having purpose and motivation over the past few months has been extremely difficult for so many and we are delighted to be joining the initiative to help so many build regular physical and mental wellbeing into their routines.”
To sign up to the free, Olympic inspired Charitable Travel Weekday Wellness sessions register here. Participation is free, however, those joining will be invited to donate £10
to The Mintridge Foundation to help support their work in communities across the country.
This weekend we were featured in the Daily Star Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Irish Sunday Mirror, and the Sunday Express.
Text reads:
“Copenhagen from £359pp: a three-night B&B getaway in the four-star Absalon Hotel includes flights from Bristol for departures in October.
Customers can donate 5% of their holiday price to a UK-registered charity of their choice. Book at charitable.travel.
Prices are correct at time of publication”
By Chloe D’Costa.
From its diverse cuisine to its thriving art scene, beautiful beaches, and action-packed calendar of events, Toronto is a city bursting with culture. When I moved there two years ago, I arrived with little knowledge of the city and set out to experience as much as I could in my new hometown. If you’re considering a trip to Canada’s largest city, then here are my recommendations to maximise on your time in this dynamic destination.
When to visit
May to September is the best time to visit and not only because of the weather. Between Dundas West Fest, the annual Pride parade, Canada Day celebrations, Caribana, Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), and Toronto International Film Festival, almost every weekend throughout the summer offers a chance to discover Toronto’s vibrant mix of cultures.
Entertainment
No matter your interests, Toronto has something for everyone. It’s the home of world-class sports teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey), the Toronto Blue Jays (baseball), and the reigning NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors (basketball). It’s also home to the third-largest English-speaking theatre district in the world, behind London’s West End and New York’s Broadway. Other popular attractions include the iconic CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).
Nature attractions
One of Toronto’s best assets is its proximity to nature. Hop on a ferry to the Toronto Islands to discover beaches, parkland trails, and unparalleled views of the city skyline. Cycle the trails or revel in the novelty of beach time in a city. Ferries to Centre Island depart regularly from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in downtown Toronto. You could also take a bus to Rouge Urban National Park—the first of its kind in Canada—to take in the lush landscapes, or head to Scarborough Bluffs to hike along the shoreline. If you want to stay closer to the city, consider Evergreen Brickworks. The former industrial site has been restored and now hosts regular events such as farmer’s markers, thrift fairs, and beer festivals. It’s also a gateway to hiking trails in the Don River Valley.
Neighbourhoods to visit
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is a bustling neighbourhood with quirky cafes, colourful murals and a myriad of vintage shops. During the summer, the streets are often pedestrianised at the weekends to give way to food stalls and musicians.
Distillery District
The Distillery District is an eclectic mix of Victorian industrial architecture with contemporary design and the result is a fascinating contrast to the modern buildings that comprise Toronto’s downtown area. The historic area lay derelict before undergoing an extensive restoration process back in 2003. Today, the pedestrianised cobbled streets are the perfect way to spend an afternoon discovering the arts and culture that have made this one of Toronto’s most popular spots.
Queen Street West
A stroll along Toronto’s Queen Street could easily fill a whole day. Spend time browsing the independent boutiques and local bookshops and make a stop at Trinity Bellwoods park before heading to one of the many restaurants such as Oyster Boy, Mi Taco or Planta. Be sure to check out Graffiti Alley, located near the intersection of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue, to marvel at the street art murals that adorn the walls.
Where to eat
Toronto has a cuisine to suit every taste with neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown, and Little India offering up a range of flavours and fusions. If you can’t decide on just one cuisine, then it’s worth taking a trip to St Lawrence Market—a hub for Toronto’s assorted food offerings—for takeaway options and fresh produce. Don’t leave Toronto without trying poutine. The Quebecois invention consists of chips topped with gravy and cheese curds. The best place to sample a plate is a much-contested title but Smokes Poutinerie’s downtown locations are a popular choice.
Niagara Falls
No trip to Toronto would be complete without a visit to the magnificent Niagara Falls. This world-renowned site borders the US and is less than two hours’ drive from Toronto. The town of Niagara Falls is home to three waterfalls, including Horseshoe Falls, the most powerful waterfall in North America. Plan ahead and book a spot on the Hornblower cruise to voyage towards the mighty falls and delight in their icy mist. While the falls are a spectacular sight that shouldn’t be missed, the surrounding town is a tourist hotspot with chain restaurants and a strip of casinos, so my recommendation would be to continue on to the charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you aren’t driving, be sure to book a tour that includes a visit here. The quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is like stepping back into the 19th century. Stop here for ice-cream or fudge (or both!) before heading to a local winery to sample a glass of the region’s famed ice wine.
To book your trip to this fantastic city, call us on 020 3092 1288 or email [email protected]. Don’t forget, book with Charitable Travel and 5% of your holiday price is donated to charity. Read more here.
As you know we are Charitable Travel so, although the sessions are free, we would love your kindness making a small donation of £10 per week to registered charity The Mintridge Foundation who are dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We will share more about this amazing charity… Read more at charitytoday.co.uk or at Weekday Wellness.
Text reads:
“SPAIN
– Costa Dorada from £568pp: Seven nights on all-inclusive at the three-star Hotel Best Mediterraneo in Salou comes with flights from Birmingham on August 1 and transfer. Customers can donate 5% of their holiday price to a UK-registered charity of their choice. www.charitable.travel
Click here to see this deal!”
On 16 June 2020 six global charity nonprofit organizations came together for the first time to form The Future of Tourism Coalition with the global mission to place destinations at the center of recovery strategies – the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Destination Stewardship Center, Green Destinations, Sustainable Travel International, Tourism Cares, and the Travel Foundation, with the guidance of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
With our unique approach to travel and tourism through social enterprise Charitable Travel are pleased to become a signatory to the guiding principles of The Future of Tourism Coalition. Through Charitable Travel our customers can give 5% of the price of their holiday to their chosen charity at no extra cost through our margin sacrifice in support of our social purpose.
The Coalition share that decades of unfettered growth in travel have put the world’s treasured places at risk – environmentally, culturally, socially, and financially. The travel and tourism industries face a precarious and uncertain future due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, with international tourist numbers projected to fall 60-80% in 2020. As tourism moves forward and recovers, re-centering around a strong set of principles is vital for long term sustainable and equitable growth.
To rally global change, the Coalition has put forth Guiding Principles that outline a bold vision for tourism’s path forward and is calling on tourism agencies, travel companies, governments, investors, non-governmental organisations and destination communities to commit to them.
The Guiding Principles provide a clear moral and business imperative for building a healthier tourism industry while protecting the places and people on which it depends. Those Principles call for signatories to:
Charitable Travel CEO Melissa Tilling says “We are delighted to be a signatory to the guiding principles of The Future of Tourism Coalition. We believe social enterprise is contributing significantly to these guiding principles already every day but we’re also aware this is a ‘journey’ towards a sustainable and responsible future for our industry”.
She continues, “Looking at the signatories so far there is lower representation from the PATA region right now, but these principles are critical to the future of the region. We encourage our fellow PATA UK Chapter and global PATA community to get involved and embrace this change.”
Interested travel and tourism stakeholders are invited to show their support and become part of the movement by joining as signatories.
Vietnam always stood out. The ancient history and architecture were enough to spark a fire in me that made me hungry to visit. The thought of their delicious cuisine also had my belly rumbling to get on a plane
By Roxanne Davis
I was always jealous of people I knew who went off travelling the world on their own. I wanted that freedom and adventure but was also scared to be somewhere completely alone. My brother found a company called G Adventures, he booked and holiday for him and his fiancé and they spent three weeks travelling across South America, but with a group of people their age. I thought it was a fantastic idea, travelling on my own but with a group of strangers, all experiencing it together. The thought of going on tours and travelling across countries became even less scary when I found out you have a tour guide from the area you’re visiting to take you on your adventure.
Fast forward to my birthday and my brother had booked us on a tour to Vietnam.
After visiting Thailand, a few years previous with my family, I was desperate to get back to South East Asia no matter where I went. Although Vietnam always stood out. The ancient history and architecture were enough to spark a fire in me that made me hungry to visit. The thought of their delicious cuisine also had my belly rumbling to get on a plane. It also helps that it is a beautiful place with postcard picture perfect views to make you wanderlust for the rest of your life to be there again.
My brother booked us on an 8-day long tour that went from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh, starting in mid-October. During our stay, the weather varied depending where we were. The weather can vary across the country, and the rainy season stretches roughly from May to September (depending on the part of the country you visit.) If you are touring the country and visiting lots of different places, like we did, I would say the best time to visit would be around October – December. You’ll experience hot sunny weather in the north, some monsoon rain in the center, and hot sun again in the south.
During our time in Vietnam we took a few different modes of transport but also spent a good amount of our time exploring on foot. Due to the nature of our holiday being a group tour we had a bus that took us from place to place, however for our longest part of the journey we took an overnight train. For one day of our tour we travelled round the city on the back of motorbikes. This was fun and a little terrifying, having never been on the back of a motorbike before, this was a new experience for me.
There’s a difficulty in picking the highlights of my trip to Vietnam as every day was a highlight and new adventure. Here’s what I could narrow down.
Our second night in Vietnam was spent on a boat. We sailed out to Ha Long Bay where our boat stayed for the next day. During our first day on the boat we took a kayak out in and watched the sun setting over the bay. It was tranquil and beautiful. After kayaking we boarded the boat again for dinner, not being a big fan of fish, I was worried I’d dislike the meal. I was extremely wrong, the fish was cooked to perfection and flavoursome. We spent the evening dangling our legs over the back of the boat and fishing for squid. The next day we woke to sail to an island to visit a cave and have a higher view overlooking the bay.
During our time in Hue, we had a motorbike tour organised for us. Strapping on a helmet, jumping on the back of a motorbike and holding on to a stranger’s waist was something I never thought I’d be doing. I’m so glad I did though, we travelled round the city, stopping off in various places to look at views and gorgeous temples. Temples in Vietnam are beautifully made and are a thing of wonder to see and walk around. From the roof tops adorned with intricate dragons to the red and gold lined walls and ceilings. Driving on, we also visited markets where we saw local art and incense.
We had a couple of days in Hoi An, which was brilliant. We had a chance to explore the Old Town (ancient town), which although small is packed with thing to see. Whilst being shown on a walking tour round Hoi An we visited the tailoring streets, shop upon shop of tailors, we even purchased matching dresses for me and my sister-in-law’s sister. We picked them up the next day, two personal purple bridesmaid dresses made in a day! That evening we were sat at a long table and enjoyed pork, lettuce, cucumber and a whole spring roll all wrapped up in rice paper. Later we watched the canal, as people set a candle alight and placed their lantern in the water and watched it float down the water. The next day we took part in a cooking course where we learnt to make spring rolls and curry. This was a fantastic thing to do as we got to learn how to make authentic Vietnamese food and given the recipes to make it at home too!
Our final stop on the tour was Ho Chi Minh, from here we visited the Cu Chi tunnels. These are long tunnels dug underground, often by hand, during the war so soldiers could hide, set booby traps, transport supplies and execute surprise attacks then disappear to the safety underground. They are now a popular tourist attraction where you can actually crawl through shorter and safer sections of the tunnel. This was a really informative and interesting trip, finding out what it would have been like during the war there.
Our last visit was to part of the Mekong river, the seventh longest in Asia and the twelfth longest river in the world. We took a boat ride along the river, drank from coconuts, and tasted local fruits.
I would recommend a tour of Vietnam to anyone that wants to go a little outside of their comfort zone and experience new cultures and cuisine. Travelling with G Adventures meant I didn’t have to worry about us getting lost or misunderstanding anything, it also meant that I got to experience things that I may not have known about if I had done it all alone.
Book your Vietnam tour with Charitable Travel and donate 5% of your holiday price to charity at no extra cost! We can book G Adventures tours on your behalf at the same price as booking with them directly.
Fundraising Futures Community Interest Company, Contingent Works, Broadway Buildings,
Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent,
BR1 1LW. England
Putting our profit to work supporting the work of charitable causes
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