Abroad Magazine - Issue #10, August - October 2004
- What is Five-Star? The recent controversy that saw top Dublin hotels temporarily loose their five-star status has thrown light on the rating system for Irish hotels. What is a five-star hotel, and who designates the rating?
- Flight delays – your rights The skies are clogging up and flights are being delayed. Helen Moderate explains your rights when you find a large portion of your holiday spent in an airport.
- Out from the Duvet Jetlag has been the sting in the tail of many a voyage. Marian Keyes suggests some unconventional remedies.
- In defence of East Cork Tom Doorley is often asked to explain why when he left Dublin for scenic Munster, he chose the eastern part of Cork rather than the more fashionable western part.
- Where Gladiator meets Troy Malta, dubbed the ‘Mediterranean’s mini-Hollywood’, has proven a popular destination for filmmakers. Sean Carroll looks at its catalogue of silver screen appearances.
- Europe’s best nude beaches Ever wanted to lie in the sun wearing nothing but your birthday suit? To swim naked in a warm sea? To get a tan on your bum? Nick Mayhew is the author of //Bare Beaches: the world guide to bathing naked//. Here, he profiles his favourite nude beaches in Europe, which are mostly in Spain. And no, there is no Irish section in the book.
- Finding Lafcadio Hearn in the ruins of Saint-Pierre One hundred years ago this year 30,000 people perished when a volcano erupted on the Caribbean island of Martinique. The same year, the Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn, who had lived in and written about the island, also died. John Moran marks the double centenary by visiting Martinique, and retracing the footsteps of “the Magnificent Traveller”.
- Pearl of the Atlantic The sub-tropical island of Madeira has become the hottest winter sun ticket for the discerning traveller. Ita O’Kelly reports.
- Six great Irish walks There are few better places to be than on an Irish hillside on a warm summer day. Michael Fewer is an expert hiker and author of several hiking books. Here, he outlines his favourites.
- Royal winks and fairytales As Denmark prepares to celebrate the 200th birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, Turtle Bunbury visits Copenhagen to find the source of his favourite childhood tales.
- Succour for the single traveller Hotels often charge travellers a double rate even though there’s just one person in the room. Sean Carroll meets some single travellers who are tired of this practise, and a tour operator who has set up a club to tackle it.
- A secluded sanctuary Lorna Cronnelly finds an idyllic haven on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and discovers how eco-tourism and luxury can go hand in hand.
- Skiing, Italian style Michael Collins follows in the ski tracks of Michael Schumacher in Madonna di Campiglio, and samples the delights in the duty-free haven of Livigno.
- Ski season begins It’s almost time to put away the light summer clothes and pull out the ski gear. As we prepare for the winter season Sean Carroll profiles the new slopes that are on offer to Irish snow lovers this year.
- Northern Cape clear Pól Ó Conghaile discovered a more serene and primitive way of discovering South African wildlife in the Northern Cape province.
- Old country, new nation From the streets of Soweto to a safari near Kruger National Park, South Africa reminds visitors of its history at every turn. Gerry Mullins reports.
- Lodge on the River Khwai Conor Brophy travelled to Botswana and found an emerging nation that offers high-quality tourism that has a low-impact on the environment.
- Captivating Capri It’s one of the world’s most beautiful and popular places, yet Yvette Dolan still finds something new in the Bay of Naples.
- India on the menu To discover the real taste of India, food writer Wendy Sweetser donned her apron and enrolled at a cooking school in Goa.
- So long Hong Kong Dynamic, well-organised, beautifully maintained city, with a great transport system? Yvette Dolan didn’t find the Hong Kong she expected.
- Algarve without the golf There’s a lot more to the Algarve than golf and sunbathing. Ita O’Kelly visits ‘the interior’.
- The Florida vote of confidence Tom Lawrence witnessed some of the best of African nature in southern USA.
- In search of alligators and Indians Away from all the theme parks and beaches Florida has much to offer the adventurous tourist. Still, the dollar is king, and Stephen Murphy finds white folk selling wildlife tours, and Indians selling gambling.
- Jersey: an island of cows and potatoes Turtle Bunbury explores the Channel Island that is rich in history, scenery, sunshine, and spuds.
- Take 5: New routes from Ireland They just keep opening more routes from Ireland to our European neighbours. Here, we profile five of them.
- 50-Plus: Holidays for mature travellers Singles seek supplement-less vacations, by Hugh Oram.
- Historic England An old castle destroyed by Oliver Cromwell, sound familiar? Pippa Woolnough found it and other interesting sites in Winchester, Salisbury and Chichester, and even got to visit Stonehenge.
- Slow boat through the Lowlands What better way to see Holland and Belgium than by boat along their networks of canals and rivers. Maurice Mullins took a week-long cruise through the famous tulip fields, past the Zuider Zee, the tragic WWII city of Arnhem, and Rubens’ house in Antwerp before returning to Europe’s most decadent city Amsterdam.
- The beautiful homeland of Croatia It’s recent tragic history means that Croatia is still underpopulated by tourists, which is good news of course. Muriel Dolan reports.
- Hebridean voyage Muriel Bolger investigates Scotland’s western lakes and offshore islands in style.
- Land of the midnight sun Few countries can boast as famous a coastline as Norway’s, and there is no better way to view it than by boat. Gerry Mullins joined Norwegian Coastal Voyage on a two-night journey from Bergen to Trondheim.
- The ‘Costa Del’ buying property? Kerri O’Connell outlines the advantages and potential difficulties of buying property in Spain.
- Travel books Edited by Sean Carroll
- Me‘n’my hols Actress Maureen O’Hara left Dublin as a teenager and arrived in Hollywood where she starred in sixty films including Miracle on 34th Street, How Green was my Valley, and The Quiet Man.