A Gypsy Caravan Holiday

A Gypsy Caravan Holiday is an adventure!
It’s an escape from the busy every-day life: imagine living in a Gypsy caravan for a few days, handling a horse and driving through an unspoiled, idyllic countryside.
You can spend a holiday like this for example in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Hungary with different horse breeds and a vardos in variations.

How can I book, how does it work?

There are hire-companies and travel agencies that offer you a trip with a fully fitted and very practical Gypsy caravan for the holiday together with usually one horse, sometimes two.

Bow top wagons, made out of wood and stretched canvas are used preferably. These vehicles are about 5m long (without horse) and approx. 2m wide. They can weigh up to 750kg. In most places Irish Cobs or Gypsy draft horses are used, as they are very well tempered, calm and very good with children. In a lot of cases a collar harness is used.

What, if I haven’t got any experience with horses?

Everyone gets an initial thorough introduction into functionality of the vardo and handling and caring for the horse. It will be explained to you how to harness up and put the horse onto the caravan, how to feed and water it, how to groom and how to look after hooves and hoof shoes.

What do I need to bring with me?

Space is limited in a vardo, therefore you need to bring practical clothing and only gear you really need and dont forget the wet wear, as in some areas weather can be quiet unpredictable even during the summer: spells of rain can occur at any time. Most hire companies give you bedding, but ask you to bring your own towels. A good idea is also to bring your own sleeping bag. Take also a book or two and some games for the children. A mobile phone for emergencies is a good idea. Also, Bank facilities and ATM’s are usually not passed during the trip (the routes are quite well selected and you will travel on calm, more remote roads.)

You will drive along a fix route and check in at selected over night stops, where you will find grazing for the horse, electricity, shower and toilet facilities.

When is the best time to travel? How much does it cost approximately?

Gypsy caravan holiday operations are open from April to October, with a main season in the summer months July – August.

Prices in 2007 were around 500 (600 in high season) per week and caravan and they will usually ask for approx.10 – 15 % deposit. There will be surcharges for the compulsory over night stops, which might be between 15-20 per caravan. You can book short trips over 2 or 3 days or longer ones over 4 or 6 days. If you enjoy it very much, trips can be prolonged in most cases.

A Gypsy caravan holiday is certainly an adventurous vacation and you will experience life from a totally different point of view, in a slower pace. You might even want to take a longer break and organize your tour through different countries with your own vardo and horse/s.

The Norfolk Broads by Norfolk Holiday Guide

The Norfolk Broads is an area consisting of many rivers and lakes situated close to the East coast of the county. In conjunction with the neighbouring Suffolk Broads it is the largest protected wetland and third largest inland waterway in Britain. Its status is equivalent to that of a national park, although it has not been designated as oneyet. The Broads Authority, set up in 1989, is responsible for conservation, planning, recreation and waterways.

The Broads, as it is commonly referred to, has an area of 303 square kilometers (for those who, like me, are struggling to come to terms with metrication that is 117 square miles). In its entirety it is made up of seven rivers, namely the Ant, Thurne, Bure, Chet, Yare, Waveney and Wensum, together with sixty three broads. Of these broads only thirteen are for the most part navigable, with three more having only channels which can be navigated. The total navigable waterways amount to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and provide some spectacular night-time scenery.

Intensive peat digging during medieval times is believed to have culminated in the creation of the broads. The result is an area which has, quite fittingly, been described as Britains Magical Waterland. It is home to a diverse range of plants, insects, birds and animals, many of which are the rarest in the UK and some of which are unique to this area. Our most beautiful insect, the Swallowtail butterfly, has made its home here and the delightful British Otter is making a welcome comeback here thanks to the landscape and the water quality.

The Norfolk Broads can be explored along the numerous footpaths and cycle tracks running parallel to the rivers, with bicycle hire available around the county. However, the best way to take in the beautiful landscape and its wildlife is to rent a boat and cruise the waterways at your leisure or to take a guided boat tour. There are many businesses throughout the area offering tours or boats of all shapes and sizes for hire. You can live on board or there is plenty of accommodation available in close proximity to moorings if you want to hire boats by the day.

The Norfolk Holiday Guide is managed by Wentworth Leisure Ltd, a family run company with a love of travel. We are committed to promoting the tourist trade in Norfolk and are doing everything we can to encourage visitors to choose Norfolk as their holiday destination. We are totally independent and are not connected in any way with the Norfolk Tourist Board or any other organisation in Norfolk.

The website is a contemporary, easy to use online guide for holidays within the county of Norfolk. We hope you will find all the information you require for visiting this popular tourist destination. This online guide will help you to choose the Norfolk holiday accommodation that best suits your needs. We have specially designed the Norfolk Holiday Guide website to offer you a quick and easy way to search for your tourist destination or service, with no commission paid to ourselves, as all bookings take place directly with the service you are looking for.

Home Security Be Safe During The Holidays!

Dallas is one of the largest cities in the United States, which is why it is no surprise that the city’s huge population has fast growing crime rates. Plenty of home owners are considering home alarm systems to protect their valuable belongings and a lot more importantly their loved ones.

While doing Christmas shopping at the mall a few weeks ago, a lady in line told me that a couple of weeks earlier a man followed her home from the mall and threatened her in her driveway. She called the Dallas police and filed a police report, and thankfully nobody was hurt and nothing was stolen; but what truly troubled her is knowing that this individual was still out there.

It is really important to keep in mind that crime rate is on the rise as the holidays approach; don’t risk letting someone take your valuable belongings or put your family’s safety at risk by not properly securing your property.

Here are simply a few ways to show you how a home security system can help protect your family and home this holiday:

– Monitor your house while visiting friends and family out of town during the holiday seasons. This helps maintain peace of mind knowing that you’ll be notified immediately by the monitoring station if something goes wrong- excellent way to protect all the expensive Christmas presents.

– Protect your Christmas presents. You might have just bought a TV or an iPad as a holiday gift for somebody. Be sure not to put these big presents under the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. Most importantly arm your alarm system when you are away.

– Arm and disarm your alarm system remotely from work, the mall, or anywhere you have your cell phone. Making it convenient to disarm the alarm for your house cleaner or sitter while you’re out.

– Get notifications when your family arrives home from school or work to know that they’re safe and sound. Monitoring the house until you’re home is a smart way to keep an eye on your little ones. Assign a specific user code for each person who uses the system. That way you know when they arrive at the house and when they leave the house.

– Create reminders to arm or disarm your system in case you forget. This is a very useful tool when you’re rushing out the door to all holiday celebrations and family gatherings.

Home owners of Dallas find it easier to be proactive in securing their homes rather than paying the consequences later when things go wrong. All it takes is one frightening situation to ruin the holidays. And that is why Dallas home security is our top priority.

Alternative recovery holiday ideas

What exactly are holistic therapeutic holidays?

Holistic healing holidays focus on the overall well-being of people. Mind, entire body and spirit are given the chance to be rejuvenated, renewed and healed in beautiful natural surroundings.

Leading holistic restoration journey operators look after every detail of the trip, allowing guests to completely relax and unwind in the knowledge they are in the hands of professionals.

Popular holistic holiday options consist of hot springs, luxury spas and spiritual retreats to South Africa’s sacred spaces – the Drakensberg, the Hogsback, the Richtersveld and the Karoo.

Alternative healing in the Karoo

Professional holistic healing tour operators offer travel to intriguing desert destinations in the Karoo. Regional education, lots of rest and relaxation and guided appointments to the area’s points of interest all form the main schedule.

Situated in the warm interior of the country and composed of 35% of South Africa’s land mass, the Karoo is a vast semi-arid desert.

The dry, climate carrying the pungent aroma of healing herbs is a famous natural remedy for respiratory ailments. Wide open spaces, starry nights, silence and isolation all mix to create a potent elixir for the tired mind, body and soul.

Karoo attractions

The Karoo is an area of haunting beauty, with the horizons stretching for as far as the eye can see. Although it is a harsh land, it sustains a remarkable amount of wildlife, as well as the wealthiest collection of desert flora on the planet.

The wilderness is occasionally interrupted by enchanting Karoo towns that have largely remained authentic and untouched over the years. Original Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture abounds and museums and national monuments provide an historical account of early colonial life.

Bushmen rock art

As the traditional domain of the Bushmen, the Karoo is a substantial ancient rock art site. Images in ochre remain on the rock faces of numerous of the caverns and overhangs in the area. Resident experts are on hand to help you through one of the world’s largest al fresco art displays!

Finding a holistic healing holiday to the Karoo

By browsing online, you’ll find specialist travel operators offering holistic healing holidays to the Karoo. Don’t start the new year exhausted and in a negative frame of mind. Book a refreshing, healthy Karoo holistic healing holiday online today!

Ideal Bras for Holiday Party Dresses

With trick-or-treating in the bag, people are starting to gear up for the busy holiday season that’s just around the corner. Buying gifts, attending holiday parties and finding that perfect holiday dress are all on the agenda. And while this time of year can be stressful, attending holiday parties and feeling fantastic in your dressy clothes shouldn’t be.

To ensure that you look your absolute best in your holiday party dress, it’s imperative to choose the perfect bra to wear underneath. Unsightly bra straps, exposed bras that aren’t pretty enough to be shown, strapless bras that fall down, or worst of all – going without any bra at all — are a few of the pitfalls to avoid when choosing lingerie to pair with your dress.

Knowing what lingerie to wear underneath a party dress is a perplexing complication in the shopping process for many women. In fact, some women turn down an otherwise fabulous dress simply because they don’t know what bra to wear with it. But rest assured, finding a great bra doesn’t have to be difficult. The following guidelines will lead you in the right direction toward finding the ideal bra this holiday season.

Straps

If you have a strapless dress, the most obvious and safe choice is a strapless bra. Many convertible bras have removable straps, so you may have one in your lingerie collection already that will work.

Bras that have decorative straps with embroidery or lace can look very pretty showing underneath a strapless dress or under the straps of a dress. The important thing here is to stay with the same color family of your dress. In other words, a black lace bra strap showing underneath a black cocktail dress looks sophisticated – a fuchsia bra strap does not. Likewise, consider the style you are conveying with your ensemble as well as the event you’re attending. If the event is an office party and your overall look is classic and sophisticated, revealing your bra straps may not be the best choice.

Padding

The amount of padding to choose is mainly a question of personal preference. Some women like to feel more natural and opt for a lightly padded bra such as a bralette or other bra with minimal padding. If you are a woman with a petite bust, there are many options available in the Petite Lingerie market that will enhance what you have and make fitting into a holiday dress easier. For point of reference, Petite Lingerie is made specifically for women with AA bra cup sizes, A bra cup sizes or B bra cup sizes.

If you have a petite bra cup size and prefer a bra with more padding for your holiday dress, look for a push-up bra that has padded inserts or “bumps” that push breast tissue up and in, therefore creating maximum cleavage. No matter how padded your push-up bra is, make sure it is comfortable and fits you properly in the cups and band.

Color

When choosing a bra for your holiday dress, it is important to coordinate the bra color with that of your dress. For example, a black bra is likely to show through a lighter color dress. Contrary to popular belief, a nude bra is the best option to wear under anything white, rather than a white bra. The closer the shade of nude is to your skin, the more the bra will disappear under your clothing.