Holiday Parks in the UK

The UK Holiday Park has become one of the great national institutions. Generations of families, from the turn of the century onwards, have left the UK’s cities to head for their two weeks summer holidays on the British coastline.

The Holiday Park had a fairly humble beginning, essentially offering accommodation, entertainment and food all under one roof, more often than not on the edge of a large traditional seaside town like Blackpool, Skegness or Great Yarmouth.

These holiday parks were very popular with families looking for affordable holidays, at a time when overseas travel was expensive and unobtainable for a large percentage of the general public.

However as overseas travel became more affordable Britain saw the rise of the package holiday in the 70’s and 80’s, which meant that the UK holidays no longer offered the value that was such a unique selling point for many of the popular parks. With the new found competition from guaranteed sun, cheap accommodation, food and drink, UK holiday parks came under increasing pressure.

The challenging times that faced the industry were definitely compounded by a change in perception of the holiday park experience. When you mentioned holiday parks people began to think of the popular TV series Hi-de-Hi and never ending rounds of knobbly knees competitions, donkey rides and red coat style entertainment. Unfortunately combined with cold and windy chalets and indifferent food!

The holiday park has however come a long way since its humble beginnings and in the last ten years the industry has seen a massive revolution in the breadth, quality and style of holiday parks available in the UK.

Like many UK tourism business the independent and multiple holiday park owners began to see a decrease in the interest in their holiday offering. The park owners came up with a number of solutions to counter the perception and the improve the quality of the holiday park experience.

Firstly the accommodation was upgraded. Customers were no longer happy with basic facilities, so holiday parks spent millions on improving accommodation facilities, from upgrading the standard rooms to developing penthouse apartments with plasma TV’s, four poster beds and room service. This resulted in holiday parks giving a more upmarket feel to all their accommodation and provided customers with a much greater range of choice.

Secondly the entertainment offering changed enormously. Some UK parks began to specialise in just offering specific entertainment breaks. Top comedians, shows and musical acts have begun to top the bill and themed weekends specialising in entertainment like county western, 60’s revivals and dance and sport breaks. Parks have also become better at targeting key groups like adult weekends, family activity holidays or special nights for stag and hen groups.

Thirdly the traditional three meals a day offering of parks has probably seen the greatest change. To adapt to the change needs of holiday makers more and more parks have began to offer self catering options rather than providing full or half board and charging extra for meals. Some of the larger chain parks have gone even further and don’t offer any catering, just inviting the restaurants and fast food places to offer food on the Park. However, as the parks themselves have diversified, offering different things to different holiday markets, so has the catering, and some holiday parks now make a virtue of the fact that they offer three top quality meals all day.

One example of a company who stayed ahead of the game was Potters Leisure Resort (http://www.pottersholidays.com/). As the UK’s only Five Star Independent Park they had long been investing to top quality infrastructure, entertainment and catering and the initial costs of the project have been rewarded with a reputation for top quality holiday park experience.

But Potters aren’t the only company offering top quality park style holidays. More and more developments in the UK are building the lodge style accommodation away from the traditional holiday park centres of seaside towns. The inland lodge style developments have specifically moved away from the ‘park’ image and now offer champagne and hot tubs style breaks in a quiet and secluded rural environment.

Parks are springing up right across the UK on the coast and inland and more than ever before the UK holiday park experience offers something for everyone from traditional entertainment in Great Yarmouth, to five star luxury in the Cotswolds. With so much innovation in the industry holiday parks will continue to offer more of what the holidaymaker wants and needs – a top quality holiday experience.
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Apollo Bay: Paradise by the Sea

by Gavin Wyatt
Nestled in at the base of the Otway Ranges, separating the lush green rainforest from the deep azure blue of the Southern Ocean, lies the peaceful coastal hamlet of Apollo Bay. Referred to by locals, and remembered by visitors, as 'paradise by the sea', Apollo Bay is built on a perfect, bow shaped beach whose white sands and gentle waves help justify this label, as does the relaxed atmosphere of the town and the laid back, no worries attitude of its residents.

With a history of fishing that dates back over 100 years, fishing, together with farming and tourism is one of the chief incomes of the town. The huge fleet moored in the towns harbour has become something of an attraction to visitors, who like to wander through the wharves observing the different boats coming in with their catch for the day. Seafood doesn't come much fresher than this, and lobsters and various other fish and crustaceans can be bought directly from the fishermen. If you fancy a bit of fishing yourself then charters are available from which you can fish out at sea or along the coastline, or you can hire rods and try your luck in the surf of the beaches around Apollo Bay. These beaches are swimming safe, so a dip could provide the perfect respite from your endeavours with the rod.

On the landward side of Apollo Bay lie the spectacular Otway Ranges. Characterised by the thick, lush rainforest vegetation and breath taking mountain scenery, you will need at least a couple of days to explore the exciting and enthralling attractions throughout this mountain range. There are thirteen impressive waterfalls in these mountains, and it is well worth your while to visit at least a few of them as they are all easily reachable from Apollo Bay. The Erskine Falls are the most visited, where water cascades down a steep rocky face into a fern lined gully, kicking up a wall of spray that coats everything around in a fine layer of moisture. Triplet Falls are just as impressive, sharing the same damp rainforest characteristics.

Heading slightly west from Apollo Bay you reach Cape Otway, a rugged peninsula that juts out into the ocean and marks the start of the treacherous Shipwreck Coast. The Cape Otway lighthouse towers over the coastline from the peninsula, built to guide ships into the Bass Strait. These days you are able to climb the lighthouse and enjoy the coastal views on either side from its top, taking in the broken cliffs and rocks that have proved so perilous to ships of the past. Behind the peninsula is the Otway National Park, which is a continuation of the rainforest that covers the mountains in the hinterland.

Back into town and you can spend some time browsing through the many art galleries and studios that have developed in the area. Apollo Bay has a strong tradition of arts and crafts, and many artists come here to find inspiration from its tranquil setting and picturesque surrounds. A lot of inspiration is taken from the sea, and in the foreshore of the centre of town there are twenty four sculptures that strongly represent this influence. Created by various artists from around the world, these sculptures are a large feature of the towns centre. On Saturday mornings a market opens on the foreshore, where local produce and arts and crafts is available for purchase, and many bargains can be found. In keeping with the strong cultural vibe of the town, the Apollo Bay Music Festival is held here each year in April. It attracts local and international artists and draws in people from all over the world.

If golf is your game then you will be delighted with the nine hole course in Apollo Bay. Hugging the coastline, each hole offers its own unique views of the ocean as well as its own challenges to the golfer. Its the perfect way to get some fresh air and take in some of the views the town offers. Talking about sports, the Great Ocean Road marathon is held in Apollo Bay annually and draws crowds from all over the region and contestants from all over the world. It takes place in May every year, so if you are sports mad then try and work your holiday around these dates.

Apollo Bay has a range of accommodation styles to suit all budgets and group sizes. If it seems a bit daunting trying to plan your stay and choose somewhere to stay, it shouldn't be. All you need to do is log onto www.accommodationinapollobay.com.au which is a simple and easy to use website that lists the details and information of all the accommodation options in the town. It also provides information on tourism operators in the region, and what sites and attractions you should see. The perfect means to planning your holiday!
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Top 10 Items To Buy In Singapore

by Gary Hendricks
Have you arrived in Singapore and are craving to go do some shopping? Well help and guidance is here!

In Singapore, shopping is upheld as a national pastime. You will find a lot of shopping malls, coupled with nice discounts, low taxes and tariffs, as well as a huge variety of goods.

Most stores in Singapore stay open 7 days a week and operate from 10 am to 9 pm. If you're planning to shop, keep in mind these opening times.

One nice event to look out for when you visit Singapore is definitely the Great Singapore Sale. What happens here you ask? Well, it is an event held during June and July of each year, where shopping centres go crazy with discounts to attract shoppers.

To help the avid shopper scouting Singapore for goods, I've come up with a list of ten items I think you can and should purchase from Singapore.

1. Antiques
Antiques are always a nice item to buy from SIngapore. Where can you find them? Where's the best place to get good value? Well, if you go to the 2nd floor of the Tanglin Shopping Centre, or perhaps the shops along South Bridge Road in Chinatown, you will find some rare gems.

2. Books
Who isn't looking for books? Many tourists come to Singapore and go away with tons of nice reading material. Definite good places to check out in clude Borders at Wheelock Place) and Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City. I love these two bookstores - my wife can't tear me away from them sometimes.

3. Cameras
Right - the next item has got to be cameras. Whether you're hunting for digital or analog cameras, one of the best places to get them would be Peninsula Plaza. It is situated near the City Hall MRT station.

4. Computers
If you're a computer buff, you definitely want to check out Sim Lim Square, which is situated near Little India. This place stocks all manner of computer hardware and software. Another place for good computer stuff is Funan the IT Mall.

5. Electronics
Ok, next item - electronics. Electronics sales are very high in Singapre. You can find great bargains in Funan the IT Mall or Mustafa at Little India. I suggest you avoid those touristy places like Lucky Plaza or shops along Orchard Road. Oh, and please remember that the voltage requirements in Singapore are 220V - we follow a British-style three-pin plug.

6. Ethnic Items
Singapore stocks many ethnic items worth purchasing. You can go to Chinatown to buy these. Some interesting item I've come across include Buddha statues and glow-in-the-dark Merlion soap dispensers. Strange, but yes, many tourists go out of their way to buy the odd curio or two from the island to take home.

7. Fashion
Those interested in fashion items, listen up. The best places to shop for high-street fashion is Takashimaya and Paragon on Orchard Road. You'll find many rich folk (particular Japanese and Indonesians) shopping in boutiques there. For the more youthful and street-oriented look, try Bugis Junction. Here, you can find hip and young clothing very easily.

8. Fabrics
Talking about fashion, we might as well touch on fabrics. Without a doubt, the best places to obtain fabrics in Singapore (particular fabrics for Indian saris) include Arab Street and Little India. You can also find some batik there (exotic Malay fabrics).

9. Food
Well, food is not really a 'shopping item'. But food is such a major part of Singaporean life that I had to mention it. One absolutely great place to shop for gourmet food is Jason's Marketplace in the basement of Raffles City. You can get there by MRT and stopping at the City Hall station. Another great place for food is definitely Takashimaya's basement.

10. Music
Ah, who can forget music. Music is very well rooted in Singaporean culture and the best place to buy music CDs has got to be the HMV store in the Heeren. Situated along Orchard Road, it is Singapore's largest music shop and certainly one of my favorite leisure haunts.
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