Get Connected!

The Lake District and especially the Ambleside area has some of the nicest self catering cottages of the whole county.

The appeal of a self catering holiday is growing year on year. A self catering holiday can give a greater freedom and more space for families and allow multiple couples or friends to go away together, splitting costs and creating a good value holiday. Responsibletravel.com reported a 50% rise of self catering holidays compared with this time last year.
There are a number of plus points that make a self catering holiday attractive. Some examples are:

1.    Kitchen facilities, allowing cooking to be done by yourself allowing greater freedom and money saving.
2.    The ability to store bikes, walking gear or sailing equipment and as required on a regular basis in the Lake District, drying facilities!
3.    Lake District cottages are often found in stunning, tranquil locations, allowing a complete “get away from it all” holiday.
4.    More space for children to play.
5.    The ability to come and go when you please.

Recent years have seen a tremendous rise in the number of self catering properties to choose from. No longer is a self catering holiday spent within a dingy flat or pokey house. Lake District self catering cottages can be found for 2 persons right up to 16 and from the basic small house to luxury Lake District cottages complete with flat screen TV’s, wood burners and luxury interiors with all the modern conveniences such as washing machines, dryers and dish washers.

Ambleside is a very popular and picturesque town situated at the heart of the Lake District National Park, close to the shores of Lake Windermere, which is England’s largest lake.
Ambleside itself has become a major tourist resort and one of the most popular bases for exploring the Lake District with an array of excellent shops, restaurants, plus a great choice of Lake District self catering venues including camp sites, bed and breakfasts, hotels and Lake District cottages.
A short walk from the centre of the Ambleside leads up to Stock Ghyll Force, a highly picturesque waterfall, which can be reached through Stock Ghyll Woods. This spectacular seventy foot drop to a bowl shaped pool can be viewed safely from a hand railed vantage point.  The ghyll once powered twelve watermills. The scenery around Stock Ghyll is truly magnificent and for any visitors wishing to stay in a rural location, but with the convenience of a town close by there are some excellent Cumbrian cottages available for rent in the area.

The Lake District offers a huge range of lower level walks especially in the Ambleside area that do not compromise on scenery to look at. There are still some larger fells in that area for example, Fairfield and the Coniston Old Man but these are set amongst smaller fells such as Loughrigg and Todd Crag. The busy town of Ambleside is always full of walkers stopping off to re fuel before their next outing but is also a popular place for non walkers who just want to take in the views or a cruise on Lake Windermere. Grove Cottages are located in the beautiful Stock Valley near Ambleside and they provide luxury Lake District cottages and Cumbrian holiday cottage accommodation.

With the weak Euro against the pound, the tourism industry is hoping for a bumper year for UK holidays.
It is the family that many tourism operators are hoping will be returning to holiday in the UK. For the last 20 years, more and more families have been going abroad to Europe for their summer holiday and year on year the UK market has been decreasing. The UK seaside used to be thriving and although such places as Devon and Cornwall are still busy in the summer, on the whole, it is less popular. The UK has so many fantastic places like Scotland and Wales for walking, the Northumberland coast where there is 10 miles of coast with some of the cleanest and whitest sand in the country, down to Dorset and the Isle of White.

The UK of course does have a downside in the weather but what the UK lacks in sunshine, it makes up for in activities and good old fashioned fun. The Lake District is especially suited to families with its vast choice of activities. Firstly there are the fells. Walking and taking in the spectacular scenery in the Lake District is not only good exercise but it is free. Other activities in Cumbria and the Lake District are Muncaster Castle, the World Owl Trust, Ravenglass Steam Railway, Lake District Coast Aquarium, Puzzling Place and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, Beatrix Potter Museum and cycling tours at Grizedale Forest. A trip to the Lakes isn’t complete without a boat trip. Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater and Derwentwater are the main lakes for boat trips. It gives a different perspective on the fells from the water than on land.
An organized Lake District family holiday break takes away all the stress of having to think of what to do each day. An organized package takes care of all the booking of venues and has an itinerary each day. This kind of holiday helps families get the most out of their Lake District holiday and can include activities such as sailing, walking, museum trips, picnics and cycling. Many have been designed to enable families to spend time together but also making consideration for the parents by giving them a few hours of freedom with the children only activities.

The Euro is not the only reason UK family holidays are predicted to increase. The awareness of climate change and the impact of flying on the environment is something that is making families think twice about going abroad. A return flight from London to Barcelona for example produces half of tonne of carbon dioxide per person. That is an awful lot when compared with a return car journey from London to the Lake District which creates a 10th of a tonne of carbon dioxide. Once a family has realized what good they are doing for their children’s future, money saved and most importantly, how much fun can be had on a holiday in the UK, it is sure to make the UK tourism industry flourish once again.

So, to conclude, Who needs the hassle of travelling abroad, waiting around in depressing airports and arriving at disappointing destinations, when you can choose a place, where you and the children can arrive and leave, when it suits you when you stay at Lake District hotels, where the language is English and the hospitality is second to none.

Spas date back to Roman times where relaxation, rejuvenation and healing were sought through hot mineral spring water.

Still today, spas offer many of the same services offered at spas in Roman times and they still stand for the same, relaxation, rejuvenation and healing.

Combining a spa treatment with a holiday or weekend away is becoming more and more popular and thankfully now, you do not have to go abroad and spend a fortune in order to do so. With the stresses of work and family life, the ability for total relaxation and making the most out of a much deserved weekend break is a must and places such as Surrey have seen high quality spas hotels opening recently.

Spa’s located within hotels are the most convenient and give the most relaxation as the guest can simply come down from their room and within a matter of seconds be in having a spa treatment, no need to get in a car or walk for miles.

Spa treatments can be anything from a variety of massages to facials, tanning, waxing, manicures, pedicures, anti-ageing, eye treatments, facials and bridal treatments. With the popularity of having a civil ceremony in a hotel, a Surrey spa hotel offers ultimate pampering for the bride and her friends and family.
No destination hotel would be complete without a destination spa. A life spa environment within a hotel can reflect the perfect balance between cutting edge design and classical therapies, such as wet and dry treatment rooms, his & her steam rooms and saunas, outdoor hot tubs, a meditation room with gentle warming water beds and super-chic relaxation areas.
 
Even the treatments within spas are becoming more luxurious and being tailored to a guest’s specific needs and requirements. A number of highly quality hotels and spas now have exclusive signature treatment menus.

Some of the beauty industry’s most enchanting brands are now creating ranges and therapies for spas. Some of which can only be found of the cream of the world’s beauty salons, for example:

Facials by Lubatti - created by the celebrated and legendary facialist Tracey Malone, sister of Jo Malone and daughter of 1970s' London society skincare expert Eileen Malone.

Massages and body treatments created by Jane Scrivner - a contemporary treatment designer with more than 20 years experience, and the originator of hot and cold stone massages in this country.

Manicures and pedicures by Butter LONDON - the new face of the nail industry. With a colour range covering catwalk inspired shades, the sexy, the classic and everything in between, manicures and pedicures have never been so on-trend.

A spa really does cater for every pampering and rejuvenation requirement. For the more active spa guest, personal trainers in state of the art gyms can be arranged for those who require detailed instruction and motivation. Equally a spa can be for complete relaxation in the form of beauty treatments, also mind and body treatments such as hot stone treatments and meditation. Men are also now seeing the benefits of visiting a Surrey spa hotel in Weybridge with specialized male spa treatments and remedial procedures perfect for sportsmen for example.

Welcome to Travel-Oracle Communities & Blogs where you can share all your travel adventures with friends and family. Post photos, build your own profile, write your own blog, share tips and adventures and videos and stories and much more in your very own blog. Perhaps you don't travel much and want to share travel tips and secrets about the area where you live. It is all here for you to share with others all the wonders around the area where you live or Travel to. Explore the blogs and photos or write your own blog and upload your own photos. Have fun sharing with the world community.