Holidays

If your idea of heaven is miles of glorious sandy beach sprinkled with tiny pink clam shells, then look no further than Studland Beach in Dorset. The beach stretches for three miles from South Haven Point to the chalk cliffs of Handfast Point and Old Harry Rocks outside Swanage. It includes the sheltered Shell Bay, ideal for families, and a well-separated, designated naturist area.

DFDS Seaways, the leading cruise ferry operator, can accommodate pets on the Newcastle to Amsterdam daily route where they spend the crossings in the onboard spacious kennels with its PETS Travel Scheme. It is not just cats and dogs that can travel. DFDS Seaways also allows pet owners to travel with rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, mice, rats and tortoises.

With a myriad of islands, each with its own heritage, culture and personality, the Caribbean remains a popular destination for holidaymakers. Whilst the high season runs from December to May, there’s plenty to do and see during the summer months too, from carnivals and cricket to turtles and trekking through rainforests.

Treat the family to a spot of crystal-clear air high in the Alps this summer, courtesy of the Switzerland Travel Centre. The company is highlighting seven-night holidays in the alpine village of Bettmeralp at the special twin share rate of £439 per adult, with one child under 12 years of age (sharing with two adults), paying just £142.

Culture vultures who want to save hundreds of pounds on the cost of an arts and entertainment-packed short break should head for Warsaw.

As Euro 2008 football fever starts to sweep the country, kids can look forward to summer holidays perfecting their pitch skills with Eurocamp's new on-parc Soccer Stations. Budding Wayne Rooneys should pack their football boots when they head to any of the three Eurocamp parcs offering the fun footie sessions.

Spirit of Adventure will invite passengers to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth on a spectacular voyage around the natural wonders of central and southern America next year. The 352-passenger ship will visit the rich habitats once trodden by Britain’s greatest naturalist – born in 1809 - throughout the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and the Amazon Rainforest during its 2009 cruise schedule.

Red Funnel Holidays, the Isle of Wight specialist, has announced the launch of its new camping and touring breaks programme for 2008. The new Red Funnel camping and touring packages all include return ferry travel for up to four people together with a vehicle, regardless of whether the vehicle is the size of a mini or a motor home, or has a caravan or a trailer attached.

Specialist operator, Headwater Holidays has launched a new cycling holiday for summer 2008 that leads cyclists through spectacular scenery of three European countries in an independent 10 night ride around Lake Constance.

Spain is the perfect location for a camping holiday that kids will love, with sun, sea and the laid back Spanish lifestyle making it a great destination for parents too. Spanish holidays with Keycamp are a particularly good option for families who want to experience all the culture and charm, without breaking the bank.

Parents planning to jet off abroad for the half term break will be hit with premiums of up to 80 per cent according to a study conducted by Abbey Credit Cards. And although those parents choosing to stay in the UK will pay less, they will also face highly inflated costs, the research found.

June 6th sees the UK release of Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan, a film based on the early life of the Mongol Emperor. The Oscar-nominated film is directed by Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov and based on the writings of historian Lev Gumilyov. Mongol focuses on the early life of the fearsome leader, who went on to become ruler of the largest overland empire the world had ever seen, covering 22% of the Earth’s total land area.

Sail away with DFDS Seaways to Stavanger - the European Capital of Culture 2008 - a great city for a group trip with lots of events and activities to enjoy together.

With all the doom and gloom in the news at the moment, with endless talk of the credit crunch and falling house prices, the nice people at Anatolian Sky Holidays thought it was about time you had some good news.

If your kids can’t swim (or need to improve) – take them on a Haven Holiday and book them into the Learn2Swim programme. Last year a staggering 40,000 children took part in Haven’s Learn2Swim lessons, boosting their water confidence and getting them from splashing to swimming in a fun environment.

Prestige Holidays, specialists in quality holidays for individuals, is offering a selection of competitively priced packages to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Cyprus for October half term.

Worldwide adventure tour operator Tucan Travel has teamed up with international conservation charity World Land Trust to provide a carbon offsetting service to travellers. Holidaymakers can calculate the carbon emissions of their international flights and compensate for them by making a voluntary contribution direct to World Land Trust’s Carbon Balanced programme. The scheme funds a range of projects which help to mitigate the environmental damage caused by carbon emissions.

Holiday-Rentals.co.uk provides more choice and security for travellers than ever before, as it hits a landmark 50,000 listings. As well as offering over double the number of properties as the nearest competitor, it is now the only website of its kind in the UK to feature guest reviews and offer a guarantee against fraud.

Instead of lying on a beach this year, why not do something different and give your senses a treat? Whether you want to tickle your taste buds with a wine tasting trip to La Rioja in Spain, awaken your sense of smell among the tulip fields of Amsterdam, or excite your sense of touch with a traditional Moroccan Hammam bath, Flight Centre has a variety of sensual holidays to suit everyone.

Sex in the City is back, but this time the girls are on the big screen. Inspired by Candace Bushnell’s column in the New York Observer, the movie continues to follow the trials and tribulations of successful author and fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw and her friends. Four years on and they’re still struggling to balance work with relationships, marriage and motherhood, whilst still searching for the perfect Jimmy Choo’s.

As Indiana Jones prepares to launch himself back onto our screens after 19 years, Bales Worldwide has the ultimate low-down on holidays that will take you in his intrepid footsteps. From the jungles of South America and the mountains of Nepal, to the ancient cities of India and the archaeological sites of Jordan, these journeys will have you reaching for your Fedora and heading off on an adventure.

With the Beijing Summer Olympics fast approaching there is still time to plan a trip to the Far East with a visit to 'Seoul' a former Olympic city. Four UK based tour operators have created products to allow you to enjoy the region during this historic period.

The stunning and diverse region of Lazio is situated in central Italy, on the western coast. It is best known for the capital city of Rome, which is one of its most popular tourist attractions. However, there is much more to visit in this beautiful area than the famous Coliseum and the Vatican.

Get in touch with the Arctic adventurer within you, just 3 hours direct flight from London. Fashionable Tromsø, Norway’s secret Artic pearl, offers the unique combination of out of this world skiing, trekking and scenery with excellent cuisine and more bars per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Next week, BBC2 launch their new six-part documentary series Wild China, co-produced by the BBC Natural History Unit and China Central Television (CCTV), the first time that CCTV has collaborated with a foreign company. The production team were granted unprecedented access to remote parts of China, enabling them to film and document the country's diverse wildlife and wild landscapes more comprehensively than ever before.

Journey into a remote and seldom travelled part of the Canadian Rockies, following sections of the 420km Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail, a historical overland trade route between the Pacific Ocean and Bella Coola in British Columbia, blazed in the late 1700s.

Undiscovered Destinations’ 15-day Darien Explorer Trek is a rare opportunity to journey deep into the rainforests of Panama’s infamous Darien Gap, the missing link in the Pan-American Highway. There are still places available on the 13th July departure from London.

With the gardening event of the year about to burst into bloom, Naturetrek offers a Chelsea ‘chaser’ - an 8-day botanical tour to a little-visited corner of Bulgaria that hosts one of Europe’s richest floras, including many endemic species you won’t see, even in Chelsea, departing London 21st June 2008.

Saddle up and head out into an ancient land of forest, meadows and valleys, following trails through spectacular countryside during a centre-based holiday in the Dordogne. Alternatively, ride through the vineyards of Bordeaux, sampling the finest regional wines and savouring local gourmet meals en route. Equine Adventure’s offers two unique French riding holidays combining a love of wine and all things equine in equal measure.