Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, is launching a traditional Pearl Diving experience.

For hundreds of years, the world’s finest pearls were found in the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Starting March 2, guests of Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, visitors and residents of the United Arab Emirates will have a chance to learn about and experience the ancient pearling traditions that were once the main source of income for inhabitants of the region.

Dressed in traditional clothing, participants board an authentic dhow boat off the shores of Jebel Ali and use original pearl diving methods to collect oysters in the shallow waters of the Gulf. The Pavilion Dive Centre at Jumeirah Beach Hotel is running this exciting cultural activity in partnership with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG).

Participants meet at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and are transported by bus to Palm Jebel Ali where they are briefed and provided with traditional diving clothes to change into prior to boarding the dhow.

On board the dhow, guests will take part in activities such as singing and story-telling and will be served typical Emirati fish and rice dishes for lunch. They will dive to depths of around three to five metres and people who find pearls will be able to keep them as a souvenir.

The activity takes place from Tuesday to Saturday every week; participants leave Jumeirah Beach Hotel at 9.00am and return at around 3.00pm.

Source Breaking Travel News

Skiers from the UK are fast booking up rental cars in the most popular European ski destinations following heavy snow on the slopes, according to reports.

All the most popular ski destinations in the Alps and Pyrenees of France, Italy and Austria are seeing the usual high demand for rental cars says getcheapcarhire.com

This year though has seen a new trend, with Brits booking hire cars in Bulgaria too – reservations in Bulgarian ski resorts like Bansko are up by 50 per cent on one year ago.

“Bulgaria certainly seems to be the destination of choice for ski fans working to tighter budgets this year.

“The demand for rental cars in the usual ski resorts throughout France, Italy and Austria is there, but we’ve seen a real surge in bookings for Sofia Airport this year.”

I know, not quite a “travel” or “car hire” kind of stoty but I had to share this with you!
Science educator James Drake built this amazing timelapse video from the perspective of the International Space Station as it flew over North and South America. He created this video by downloading a series of 600 photographs that were available online at the Gateway to Astronomy Photograph of Earth, and then stitching them together into a complete video!

The arrival growth in July was driven primarily by the short-haul markets, especially Mainland China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Travel sentiments in these markets were encouraged not just by sustainable economic growth in the region, but were also heightened by the tactical promotions launched by the travel trade, which has been working closely with the HKTB to drive visits to Hong Kong during the peak summer travel season.

In July alone, visitor arrivals from Mainland China jumped by 33.1% over the same month last year to 2.67 million, the highest-ever single-month record for the market. Those who made their trips under the Individual Visit Scheme accounted for 66.7% of the overall Mainland arrivals or over 1.78 million, 37.1% more than July 2010.

Among the short-haul markets, South Korea performed best with growth of 17.9% to nearly 90,000 arrivals in July. This could be attributed to the economic stability in the country and the appreciation of the South Korean WON, both of which boosted the travel sentiments among the consumers.

In Southeast Asia, arrivals rose steadily by 8.4% to surpass 250,000. Within the market region, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia achieved double-digit growth at 16.3%, 15.4% and 12.8% respectively.

Satisfactory performance was also observed in the Taiwanese market. Notwithstanding the impact of cross-strait direct flights on same-day arrivals, the number of overnight visitors with greater spending rose by more than 10% to around 90,000 in July, and by 10.9% in the first seven months of the year. In July, overall arrivals from the market went up by 3.1% to over 210,000.

Meanwhile, in Japan, travel propensity gradually recovered as the impact of the March 11 earthquake and related incidents lessened. In July, Japanese arrivals added up to around 100,000, a mild decline of 3.4% in comparison with the same month last year.

In the long-haul market regions, arrivals remained at similar level as in last July, with Europe, Africa and the Middle East registering slight decline of 0.4% due to the European debt crisis and political unrest in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the emerging market of Russia was unscathed and showed double-digit growth of 52.5%.

Overnight Visitors Vs. Same-day In-town Visitors

In July, overnight visitor arrivals rose by 17.1% to exceed 2.14 million, accounting for 55.8% of all visitor arrivals to Hong Kong. Same-day visitor arrivals also went up by 29.8% to approximately 1.7 million.

Between January and July, overnight arrivals grew by 9.9% to more than 12.42 million or 53.6% of all arrivals to Hong Kong. Same-day arrivals amounted to more than 10.74 million, a 23.7%-rise year-on-year.

Not so boring: Airports

Delayed in picking up your car hire Frankfurt, got time to kill while waiting in Dubai Airport? It turns out that airports aren’t the worse places to be left hanging around. In fact, you might be a little surprised by some of the ways you can fill those extra hours…

Get a Caffeine Hit

For one, you could do a lot worse than grab a coffee at Frankfurt Airport’s Perfect Day café. The coffee and Sandwich specialist was recently honoured at the inaugural Airport Food and Beverage awards for having the best coffee and snacks in any airport.

Zone Out in a Spa

Relaxation spas are now part and parcel of airports around the world. Examples include Virgin’s Cowshed spas in the UK and the Timeless spas at Dubai International Airport.

Get Hitched

 A number of airports permit travellers to get married within the terminal building Leading the way is Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, which has become one of the most popular airport wedding destinations.

Shop ‘til You Drop

According to Skytrax, Heathrow Airport is home to the world’s best shopping. These days there are over 80 stores including high-end options such as Harrods, Prada and Gucci. If you need a last-minute gift, Heathrow is a great place to be stuck, but is not the only airport with fabulous shopping opportunities.They say one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure and anyone waiting around for Miami Airport car hire shouldn’t miss out on the chance to bag a bargain at the lost and found auction in Miami International Airport. Lots that regularly go under the hammer include phones, suitcases, DVD players and even jewellery.

Catch a Matinee

Hong Kong International Airport is home to a 4D Extreme Screen, which is alleged to be the biggest screen in Asia. The cinema can be found on Level 6 of Terminal 2, close to two other play zones – the I-Sport sport simulator and the Playstation Gateway.

Get a Hollywood Smile

Passengers making their way through the UK’s Birmingham Airport can improve their holiday looks with a 20-minute teeth whitening session courtesy of the Smile company.

Fore!

Golfers can have fun playing a round in the Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course, located in Terminal 2 in Hong Kong International Airport. You needn’t worry if you haven’t brought your clubs, the course provides equipment rental, baggage storage as well as a pro shop.

Feel like trying your luck?

In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport plays host to over 1200 slot machines in its terminals.

In hilarious and rather implausible scenes this afternoon, Barack Obama’s Cadillac-badged limousine beached itself on a speed bump as it tried to leave the American Embassy in Dublin.

It’s not known if Obama was actually inside ‘Cadillac One’ – a GMC Topkick-based armored car that’s fitted with highly classified defence tech – but it was grounded for several minutes while the secret service heaved it off the bump.

Barack and the First Lady left security officials hiding the beefed-up ‘Lac, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, from view and found a different exit.

As this stunning time-lapse video illustrates, a real adventure  awaits you if you’ve booked Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote car rental this summer.

Don’t worry if you haven’t booked yet though.  Watch the video and enjoy a 4-minute armchair getaway as photographer Daniel Lopez leads us on an amazing tour of the Canary Islands.  Highlights include Teide National Park and Mount Teide, a huge volcano located on the Canary Islands’ largest island, Tenerife. Keep your eyes peeled for the footage that occurs at the 1:20 mark. Here you’ll see the Teide Sombrero phenomenon, the ever-present cloud formation that caps the mountain top

Lanzarote is the most northeastern island of the Canary Islands and is home to a large commercial fishing fleet that is the largest of all the islands.

Arrecife is the island’s capital and is the first port of call for most visitors arriving by air or sea. Those who enjoy adventure and pretty landscapes are sure to be impressed by the island’s many attractions.

If you enjoy adventure and natural scenery, Lanzarote car rental is definitely a great option for you. The island’s coastline is both scenic and fascinating as it still shows signs of its volcanic past.

Frozen lava rivers and volcanic rock creates strange landscapes on the beaches, giving a surreal feel, quite unlike any other sun holiday destination.

With scenery like this, it is easy to see why Lanzarote is known as Islas Afortunados or the ‘Fortunate Island’.  The island enjoys warm, sunny weather all year round.

Watersports enthusiasts love Lanzarote too because of the excellent surfing conditions that have been created by the deep ocean current swells as they meet the shallow volcanic reef

Port of Barcelona building

Over Gaudi? Don’t fret. The following are five great places to visit with Barcelona car rental…

Montserrat Mountain

Montserrat mountain is famous for being one of Barcelona’s most tried and tested day trip destinations.  It is one of the best places to experience Catalonia’s great landscapes first hand.  Montserrat’s scenery is truly mesmerising.  From pointy, zig-zag mountains to jagged rock pillars,  there is hardly a piece of land that isn’t worth photographing in these parts.  Montserrat is a favourite with hikers and climbers who delight in its challenging landscapes. There’s more to Montserrat than just rugged good looks however. The mountain is also home to the Santuari de La mar de Déu, the “Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat”, whose history goes back over 1000 years.

If you have time to explore, you might also like to check out the Monestir de Montserrat, one of Spain’s most famous monasteries. Those who want to extend their trip will find a small camp site located nearby called Area Esportiva I D’Acampada.

Montserrat distance from Barcelona: 60km

Sitges

Sitges is one of the prettiest resort on the Costa Dorada and is famous for its long white beaches where visitors enjoy leisurely strolls along the sea and admire the white-washed houses.  Other highlights of Sitges include the museums of Cau Ferrat and Maricel, as well as the old quarter.

Sitges distance from Barcelona: 27km

Figueres

Figueres is a quiet little  town with a population of around thirty thousand people.  Indeed it is sleepy enough to be overlooked in travel plans – if it wasn’t for the Museu Dali, Salvador Dali’s fantastically surreal, self-styled museum.

Thursday is a good day to visit the town if you plan on seeing more than the museum.  Every Thursday there is a large open air market offering a selection of local products and an impressive assortment of crafts.

Meanwhile, a walking tour of the town will lead you to Magre street and Placa de la Llana which is situated in one of the oldest parts of the city and was once a Jewish quarter.  The Jews are known to have arrived in Figueres in the late 13th century in answer to a re request by Crown Prince Peter.

Figueres distance from Barcelona: 140km

Tarragona

Tarragona has an enviable position to the south of Catalonia, on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is regarded as the capital of the Spanish province of the same name.

Tarragon is home to one of the most famous ports in Spain as well as a host of universities including the Universitat Rovira i Virgili.

Tarragona offers plenty of options for day-trippers.  Not only is it the home of the Tarraco archaeological site, it is also located close to the resort of Salou as well as the thrilling Universal Studios theme park called Port Aventura.

Tarragona distance from Barcelona: 95km

Girona

Many guidebooks refer to Girona as Barcelona’s calmer, quieter little sister and it’s easy to see why.  There’s no denying that the cities have a lot in common – both are home to beautiful medieval old towns, leafy avenues with beautiful Modernista architecture, fantastic shopping and ambient bars and restaurants. Girona, however is much smaller and compact than its neighbour, making it the ideal destination for a daytrip.

Girona distance from Barcelona: 84km

Menorca Cales Coves

This scenic 2-hour car hire Menorca drive takes you around Menorca’s only coastal route.

Beginning in Maó, start your journey from Placa de S’Esplanada along the Avenida Josep Anselm Clavé.  You’ll know you’re on the right track once you pass the football stadium.  From here, follow signs to Sant Lluís.  Drive through Sant Lluís and around the roundabout towards the coast.  After around 1km take a right turn to Punta Prima and following another 1km, when the satellite mast comes into view, take a left and climb the hill that leads down to the sea.  Once you enter Punta Prima, take a right turn at the first roundabout you see on the coast road.

Motor along here for 4km.  Along the way, you’ll see rocky coves, before reaching Binibéquer beach – a great place to stop for lunch.  After another 1km, you’ll reach Binibeca Vell.  Once you’ve explored the village, take a right, then a left, then left again when you come to the next roundabout to bypass Binibeca Vell and return to the sea.  Once the road tapers off, head back inland and take a left at the T junction and a wide left at the intersection to head back to the coast.

Soon the road will take you inland again and you will be able to appreciate the gentle countryside that characterises the route to Sant Climent.

Once you’ve turned left through the village and on to the Cala En Porter road, follow this route for 4km, just past the turn for Cales Coves.  Next take the country road to Alaior to your right.

Alaior is Menorca’s third largest town and is located 12km to the west of Maó.  The town was founded by Jaume II of Mallorca in 1304. Under his leadership he carved the island of Menorca up into seven regions, each of which became home to a central market town.  Although the town is not big on attractions, it makes for a pleasant place to stroll – the bright white-washed houses are certainly a pleasing sight for sore eyes.  There are also some friendly little artisan shops and cafés where you can sample the famous ice-cream and Mahón cheese. Splash out – you’re on your holidays and anyway, you’ll have made huge savings on your cheap car hire in Menorca.

Make sure you bring a camera along – otherwise you’ll miss out on great shots of the surrounding meadows and drystone walls as well as some prehistoric sites.

When you’ve seen all there is to see in Alaior, take a right turn and head back to Maó on the main road.

Total drive distance: 48km