Image courtesy of Flickr user Keith Williamson.

One of the best things about visiting a new area during a holiday, or even returning to one you’re already familiar with, is getting yourself involved in the local culture and festivities. You can get a real feel for wherever you’re visiting and it will make your holiday all the more memorable, and the place you visited will be all the more special for it. So, with all of that in mind, we’re going to alert you to Yorkshire Day, a celebration that takes place throughout Yorkshire on August 1^st and celebrates all things Yorkshirian, if that’s even a word.

Regardless of where you’re staying during the celebration, whether it’s a Whitby hotel or a Scarborough hotel, you’ll be able to find some events near you which will give you the chance to experience the county at its best. You’ll find black pudding, whippets and flat caps galore, but you’ll also be able to delve past the stereotypes and discover Yorkshire’s War of the Roses, the importance of one of the county’s MPs in the abolishing of slavery in theBritish Empire and plenty of opportunities to raise money for charity.

The day began in relative obscurity, but it has quickly grown to a much more popular celebration of Yorkshire’s unique identity within the UK. The date itself is significant, as the Battle of Minden (in which the Yorkshire Light Infantry fought and have since been included in the “Minden Regiments”) and the emancipation of slaves in the British Empireboth occurred on August 1^st. It’s also likely to be sunny, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

If you want to get out of the seaside resort and enjoy somewhere a bit more rural though, then you’ll be glad to know that just fifteen minutes away is Robin Hood’s Bay. Lying just five miles south ofWhitby, this picturesque bay holds a small fishing village and exists between two steep cliffs. The landscape around the area is remarkable, and something which many people are impressed by when they first set eyes upon it. Travelling down through the village, between the cliffs and onto the beach of the bay itself simply reinforces this, allowing people to really feel the scope of the cliffs on either side.

The history of Robin Hood’s Bay is also fascinating, including the story behind how it got its name. Supposedly, French pirates pillaged the village there, but Robin Hood rode in, defeated them, took their plunder and returned it to the villagers. In his honour, the bay received its name.

So, next time you’re enjoying Whitby accommodation  consider taking a trip here and discover the remarkable landscape.

Picture courtesy of Flickr user l.bailey_beverly (Gone to Disney!!).

Bude beach, because of its location, gets plenty of people visiting it from both Cornwall and Devon, not that this really makes any difference should you decide to visit, it’s just an interesting fact. Of course, there must be some reason that so many people to get drawn in, and that’s because it’s a beautifully sandy, gradually sloping beach perfect for those wanting to splash in the sea, play in the sand or surf. The minor gradient means waves can carry somebody on a surf or body board for ages, and the abundance of sand should have obvious uses.

Bude itself is also part of the attraction. Many people staying in holiday cottages in Cornwall have discovered that a day spent on the beach is perfectly rounded out by stopping at one of Bude’s many excellent fish and chip shops for supper, or by eating in one of the restaurants that the town boasts, many serving fresh sea food.

Regardless of where you’re coming from, you’ll find that spending a day in Bude is a great way to treat the whole family during your holiday.

You have the standard things to do, of course, like visit the local cinema or attend some of the local festivals that occur each year. You can also, if you’re looking for something more active and exciting, visit the nearby lazertag combat site, Covert Combat.

As for enjoying the town itself, guided walks around some of the ancient routes and monuments are available from Western Discover, and you’ll find out all about the local history and folklore. There’s also the town’s open air art deco themed swimming pool. It’s great during the warm summer months and let’s you really appreciate the climate of Cornwall.

Finally, if you want to take in some fine art a branch of the Tate Gallery has opened up at The Exchange. There are plenty of installations at the gallery, and it’s sure to be an interesting day out.

As you can see, there’s plenty to do in Penzance regardless of where your interests lie, and whoever you bring along on the trip is sure to find something they want to do.

Majorca (Mallorca) is a fabulous holiday destination to visit anytime of the year. With its perfect beaches and stunning scenery, it is one of the most popular places to take a holiday in the world.

Each year the island attracts more and more visitors with many of them being celebrities who just can’t resist the charms of this wonderful Balearic Island.

After experiencing a holiday in Majorca many celebrities decide to invest in their own holiday home and enjoy Mallorca whenever they choose at their own convenience. Just some of the celebrities that have chosen to buy their own property are starlet couple Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas who have a holiday residence in the North of the Island. Other famous people that have bought holiday homes in Majorca are Annie Lennox, Anni-Frid Lyngstad (of Abba fame) and Claudia Schiffer.

Majorca also has its own growing list of famous residents that range from celebrated historic artists right through to current sports megastars. Majorca has had a strong link with artists and those involved in creativity throughout the ages. The English poet Robert Graves moved to the island back in 1926 and wrote many of his works in Majorca. Much like many people do right up to this day, the poet and wordsmith visited the island first on holiday then returned to make it his home.

The tennis ace Rafael Nadal was born in Majorca in the district of Manacor. Nadal is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and at present is the world’s no. 1 ranked tennis player.

If you would like to find out just why so many celebrities choose one of the many Villas in Majorca available then why not try out a Villa Holiday for yourself.

Kefalonia may not be one of the most heard of locations in the world, but it really is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for those seeking everything you could expect from a holiday in the sun.

Located in western Greece Kefalonia is the largest of the group of Greek islands known as the Ionian Islands.  Kefalonia is packed full of exotic bays and coves and its beaches are amongst the top rated in the world.  Seeped in history the Island has many points of historical interest throughout it and derives its name from its first ruler King Kephalos whose reign dated back to the Palaeolithic times. Folklore has it that the king founded four towns on the island called Ami, Pronnoi, Pahli and Krani named after his sons. During those times the Island was know as Tetrapolis (The Four Towns), once you have visited Kefalonia you really can picture how it was all of those years ago.

Throughout the picturesque Island you will find lush countryside and mountainsides, for holiday makers looking for not only sand sea and surf, the island is a paradise to explore. Kefalonia is so stunning in fact that it has been a source of inspiration for many artists and novelists over the years and has even been the setting for many films.  The author Louis de Bernières wrote his novel ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ based on historical events that happened during the Italian and German occupation in World War 2.

The resort of Skala is one of the most popular destinations for those visiting the island for the first time, with its long sandy beaches and bays it is the ideal location to try out the many facilities it provides such as Scuba diving and sailing.  So, next time you think about where to take your next holiday, why not consider Villa holidays in one of the many wonderful Villas in Kefalonia.

South West Wales is made up of the beautiful moors, rolling hills, stunning beaches and cliff tops of Swansea Bay, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. It’s home to the UK’s only coastal national park and Wales’ longest national trail.

Wales Holiday Cottages are a great place to stay while experience all Wales has to offer for an intro into the scenery you can expect to see have a look at the video below.

The Island of Menorca has everything that you could wish for; wonderful sandy beaches, scenic ports, wildlife reserves and much more. Menorca is known for its cultural prominence of all of the Balearic Islands and its fiestas are something that everyone in the world should experience at some point.

With so many features and plus points it really is no surprise that the island is so popular with tourists all year around especially for those seeking Villa Holidays.

Cala Galdana is one of Menorca’s most popular villa holiday resorts and is located on the southern coast of the Island. Featuring an almost perfect shaped horseshoe bay and a plethora of sandy beaches the resort of Cala Galdana is a fabulous location and Villas in Menorca can provide the perfect base to the perfect holiday location.

The city of Ciudadella is often referred to as “Vella I Bella” which translates to the old and the beautiful. That certainly describes this wonderful Majorcan city which delights visitors throughout the year with its gothic cathedral and historic port and harbour.  Should you decide to visit and stay in the resort then you can take a ferry from the city to other Balearic Islands such as Majorca. Those seeking wonderful cuisine can be assured that they will find Ciudadella to have a wonderful variety of restaurants with most of them in idyllic locations overlooking the areas beautiful scenery.

You may well have heard about the town of Binibeca in Menorca too, this charming town is located on the southern coast of Menorca and is an unspoilt paradise. Fitting in with the regions non commercial and industrial look the town’s main type of accommodation is in the form of luxury villa properties.

Luxury holidays to Vietnam are actually a great opportunity for you to stretch your taste buds as food is very important in the culture and calendar of the country. Special dishes exist for almost every important holiday and event in a person’s life, all of them carefully prepared in the traditional fashions. Family life is also centred around the preparation and consumption of meals, so it’s no wonder that you’ll find plenty of excellent places to eat, be they road side vendors or specialist restaurants, throughout the country.

With as much coast as the country has it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that fish forms an important part of the diet there. Many foods, even if they don’t contain fish themselves, will have fish sauce added to boost the flavour.

You may also be able to sample a broth soup, normally made from chicken. It’s very different to the broth you’ll find in the UK as it’s focussed on being a spicy dish.

Vegetarians will also be happy as vegetarian food is very easy to find in the country, though you may have to specify that you don’t want any fish sauce added.

Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Majorca is the largest Spanish island by area size and second largest by population. Majorca is also known as Mallorca which is the Catalan and Spanish name for the island.

The capitol city of Majorca is called Palma and was founded on a Roman camp called Palmaria.  There are numerous wonderful sights and attractions for visitors to see in the city. Areas such as the cathedral area and the cities old town attract huge amounts of tourists each year who are interested in Palmas unique and historical architecture.

In the north western part of Majorca you will find 2 large mountainous areas that both stretch for around 70 kilometres and contain just some of the geographic wonders of the island. There are a large amount of naturally formed attractions such as underground caves with lakes and wonderful coves.

The two official languages of Majorca are Catalan and Spanish, Majorcan children are taught both languages and a basic amount of English.

According to statistics there are over 2500 places to dine on the island of Majorca, A large part of the Mallorca diet is based on what is traditionally grown on the island such as olives and various types of nut.

There are numerous festivals held on the island each year celebrating a range of different subjects ranging from Majorca’s history and heritage through to modern music and dance. One such festival is the ‘Majorca rocks’ festival; this year’s event will feature many musical artists from around the world such as Dizzee Rascal, Friendly Fires and Tinie Tempah.

Majorca is very popular with tourists due to its wonderful climate all year around; villas in Majorca are an extremely popular way to experience the island and in recent years villa holidays have grown from strength to strength.