Island Holidays Blog

Shetland

Have you been watching Simon King's Shetland Diaries on BBC2 (Thursdays, 8 pm).  It's fabulous!   As someone who has spent a lot of time on the islands it's been a real trip down memory lane.  Before Island Holidays existed I was a PR consultant and Shetland Tourist Organisation (as VisitShetland was then known)  was one of my biggest clients.   In fact, it was because of that that I met Bobby Tulloch and we set up Island Holidays together back in 1987/88. 

Every time I go back to Shetland a bit of me wishes that I had taken the plunge and gone there to live. At the time I decided I'd rather be a welcome visitor than a "white settler" (which is probably frighteningly incorrect politically!).  I guess we all wonder "what if?" of various major decisions in our lives.

Anyway, if you're watching Simon King's series and are tempted by the sheer beauty of these wonderful islands which have Britain's most northerly everything, you'll be pleased to know that we've made getting there and seeing the very best of it possible with two of our holidays.   Both go in June to coincide with the peak of the seabird breeding season.  The first is linked with a visit to Orkney and is very much a  birding holiday with stays at the famous North Ronaldsay and Fair Isle Observatories in Orkney and Shetland respectively, as well as a stay visits to Unst and Fetlar (tick those Red-necked Phalarope!). 

The second tour is stand-alone Shetland offering the opportunity for a more in-depth look at these wonderful islands including their built as well as natural heritage.  We visit the famous archaeological site of Jarlshof and the nearby seabird colony, take a boat trip round the National Nature Reserve island of Noss with its dramatic cliffs and vast Gannet colony (Bobby used to describe Noss and Hermaness as "Sea Bird Cities").  We'll go out to the fabulous broch on Mousa as the short darkness falls to see the Storm Petrels changing nesting duties.  All in all, you'll get a really good feel of what these most beautiful and fascinating islands have to offer.

With all the publicity from Simon King's programmes we're expecting these tours to fill quickly so, if you want to sign up, get in touch with us as soon as you can.

Back home

What a month it's been.  As I told you from St Helena, internet access has been intermittent at best and non-existent most of the time.  I have to say, it's been extremely pleasurable.  You don't realise just how much pressure this constant communication requirement puts on you until you can't do it and the stress rolls away.  I haven't heard any news (except for the tragedy in Haiti, God bless them) for a month and don't feel in the least deprived.  I'll bet you nothing has changed. 

Ascension, St Helena and the Royal Mail Ship were terrific as always.  Being so familiar with the islands and the ship makes everything so easy and it's almost beginning to feel like going home.  This time we finished up in Namibia instead of South Africa and that was a novelty.  Some of the group joined me and Patrick Cardwell from Avian Leisure (based in Cape Town) for a few nights up the Skeleton Coast.  The desert was mind bogglingly beautiful and we discovered that there's life there in spite of it looking so hostile.  Everything adapts incredibly well - for instance a beetle which basically stands on its head so that the moisture in the nightly fog rolls down its back and into its mouth.  Amazing.  There's a lizard which is transluscent and lives deep in the sand during the day - it would die within minutes if exposed to the sun.  All that and much more - the most fascinating environment.

 All the clients really loved the experience and I've got a feeling might be signing up for our Namibia tour in September (which I need to get up on the website soonish - watch this space!).

I'll tell you more in a couple of days - I'm writing this at Heathrow and my flight's about to be called.

Cheerio for now.

Libby

Back on St Helena

Sorry there's been such a long silence.  For a kick off we were delayed by 48 hours because of the snow and blogging was the last thing on my mind as I tried to make all sorts of scenarios to be prepared for any eventualities.   We were eventually bussed from Brize Norton to Birmingham where the incoming flight had landed - driving through glorious snow-bedecked Cotswold villages - and landed in Ascension Island two days late.   There was no internet access there for various reasons and there never is any on the Royal Mail Ship.  Now I'm on St Helena and the tour has gone really well, but with internet access costing £6 per hour, forgive me if this is simply a touch base.

Sailing tomorrow for Namibia and goodness knows when I'll get a chance to bring you up to date on what has been another brilliant trip.  There's something very special about the South Atlantic.

Talk to you again soon.

Libby

White Christmas

We were very lucky up here in Perthshire - enough snow for a white Christmas but not so much as to make it difficult to get around.  That was until during the night on Boxing Day (Saturday night) when it dumped about 4 inches (I still can't get my head round centimetres!) on top of ice.  And it's freezing again.  Very beautiful with the sun shining, but the roads are awful.  It's probably OK when you get to the main road but that's the challenge - especially the very pretty hump back bridge which you cross to get there.  We once had a party for that bridge to celebrate its 200th anniversary.  Great fun.  Now that's going back a few years ......

One of the disappointments caused by the snow was that the "steam up" on the Comrie Railroad which, for those of you new to this blog, runs past my back door through the woods had to be cancelled 'cos nobody could get here.  Not quite true:  some folk made it from Oban but it wasn't the big event it usually is.  Thank goodness I'd decided against having a party this year - what I'd have done with lunch for 100 people doesn't bear thinking about.

So today it's back to work in a desultory way.  Karon's got another week off - she'll be back a week tomorrow and then I go off to St Helena the next day.  Talk about ships that pass in the night!  I just hope this snow has gone by then.

Are you ready?

Have you noticed how people are beginning to ask if you're ready for Christmas at the beginning of December?   I reckon some folk get ready in the January sales!  Certainly the whole point of Advent is preparation - waiting and watching.  We've kind of lost sight of that, haven't we?   Not much time for watching in the run up to what should be a really wonderful and joyful day.

Not to worry - I'm going to be avoiding Perth like the plague over the next week.  I thought I'd be smart a couple of weeks ago and put in an on-line order for a Tesco delivery but there wasn't a slot to be had.  So I'll just live without Tesco.  Anyway, it's good to do a bit of the shopping locally.

Now I have to do my proud auntie bit (again).  My nephew Marcus has got this band called Mumford & Sons and it would seem they're hitting the big time.   They were featured in Vogue this month - photo by David Bailey would you believe?   They're currently touring in India and then they're topping the bill at the HMV Forum in London on New Year's Eve.  Then it's off to Australia and the US before returning for a UK tour.  My sister said "I'm pink with pride while my blood runs cold"!  Know what she means.

Anyway, there's nothing worse than people going on about the achievements of the younger generation of the family so I'll leave it at that.  For now!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, things are relatively quiet as usual at this time of year.  There's always plenty to be done but the motivation isn't really there at the moment so I'm taking it relatively easy.  Having said that, I leave on 6 January for St Helena and so will need to get my act together.  There's always lots to be done in terms of preparation for a tour.  Fergus has rebuilt my laptop so that's working better.  I can also now connect with this computer in the office from anywhere in the world which is rather exciting.   I know - it's been possible for ages but you must remember I'm always a bit slow on the uptake.

Anyway, if I don't get round to doing another blog in the next 10 days take this as a warm greeting for a peaceful Christmas.

One day at a time

Someone has sent me a postcard.  It says on the front "I try to take one day at a time but sometimes several days attack me at once."  Know the feeling?  I know I do.  But right now it's relatively quiet in the office - a good opportunity to catch up and get everything in order before leaving for St Helena again on 6 January.  

We had our first snow of the year yesterday but it's now raining and the white stuff is getting washed away. Can't say I'm sorry.  When you live on the top of a very steep hill snow is nothing except a nuisance.  I got the car to the bottom before the snow fell, but there's still the challenge of tottering down without going head first!   What I need is a stenna lift!!!!

It's really dark this morning and my light box is in action.  I really do think it helps quite a bit - I just have it on for an hour on days like this which are so gloomy.  It certainly brightens the place up.  Does any one else use one?  

The first calendars and Christmas cards have started to come in and soon it will be time to look out the decorations which I'm sure only got put away last week!  I've decided against doing a party on 27 December for the trains (newcomers won't know that a 7 1/4 inch steam railway runs past my back door).  With leaving on 6 January for 4 weeks there's enough to be done without feeding about 100 people!  Too exhausting even though it is fun.

That's about it for now.  The post is just about due to arrive and a whole load of emails need to be seen to so I'd better stop waffling and get on with it.

Scottish Islands

Now I don't usually use this blog to tell you about stuff I'm selling but this one I can't resist.  Do you remember that last June I chartered a Russian ship and took 40 people around the Scottish Islands to celebrate our 21st anniversary?   It was one of the best weeks I've ever had and I still sort of glow when I think about it.   Here's a photo of me and the captain taken on Fair Isle - our ship was the blue and white one hiding round the corner.

Well, I got an email yesterday to say that a similar trip at the end of May/beginning of June is on special offer and so we can offer a 10% discount.  It's the first time ever that Island Holidays has discounted anything - and we're not really, just passing on what's been given to us.   I rather suspect there'll be a big rush for this bargain so hurry hurry hurry!

It's rather nice to look at this photo today and remember the brilliant weather we had for the week (apart from one night with a force 8 which was a bit bumpy).  It's 9.15 a.m. and it hasn't got light yet - don't think it will.  The rain is tipping down again and it's all pretty unpleasant.  Not as bad as for those of you in Cumbria.   A friend and I had planned to drive down to Gretna today to see the starling roost but we reckoned it's an area best avoided right now.  Another time.

It's hard to keep motivated on a day like this which invites a log fire and a good book.  Instead, there's the inevitable work which never goes away.  Nor does the domesticity - last night's washing up remains to be done I'm ashamed to say!  Tons of ironing as well - I don't know how those of you with families cope.   Then, of course, there are Christmas letters and I stubbornly continue to write each one individually by hand.  Probably a bit of a waste of effort as my hand writing these days is even more appalling than it used to be and it's unlikely anyone will be able to read my scrivening.  Anyway, with all these possibilities I suppose I'd better sign off for now.  Talk again soon.

It's definitely November

After 4 weeks of sunshine, there's no doubt that I've come back to November in the UK.  But the sheer pleasure of the past month is sustaining my bouncy mood.  It really was a fabulous trip.  After the clients left I stayed overnight with Jannie from Signature Tours.  He and his wife made me hugely welcome and we were joined by Ince (who had been our guide and is a partner in the business) and her husband as well as Susan who had at one time been the ship's doctor on the Royal Mail Ship and had introduced me to Jannie and Ince.  We had an indoor braai (Afrikans for BBQ)and the entertainment of the evening was enhanced by an 8-week-old puppy!

The next day it was off to Durban where I was met by Adam and Matthew from Rockjumper Birding Tours. It was an hour's drive north to Pietermaritzburg where they are based and where I would be staying at Adam's beautiful home for the next three nights.  We had a hugely enjoyable and also productive time.  On the first day I worked in the office and it was great to be in the midst of a vibrant, buzzing environment - so many young people bursting with enthusiasm and energy.  I remember those

days - JUST.  Then it was play time - Adam took me out birding and what a wonderful day it was.  Nearly everything I saw was new and we even found two of the critically endangered Wattled Cranes - and they had a chick. Seeing this rare bird wasn't pure luck - it was because I was with someone who knew where to look.  I added more than 80 new species to my South Africa list!   As an aside, there was a real coincidence.  We had just finished having lunch when someone approached the table - it was Lloyd, one of the passengers who had been on the Royal Mail Ship!  Now what were the chances of that happening? 

All too soon it was time to leave and return to Cape Town where Marie-Louise from Avian Leisure was waiting to meet me and whisk me to their beautiful home in Simonstown.  Patrick was waiting and, being a Keeper of the Quaich, he was soon dishing out a rather excellent malt whisky.  It was fairly late but there was plenty of time to chat and we were also entertained by a porcupine which had come to feed off the fruit left out for it in the "garden".   By the way - you too can have this experience as Patrick and Marie-Louise not only guide birding and wildlife tours (they are organising our Namibia trip at the end of the next St Helena voyage) but also run their home as self-catering apartments - and they are to die for.  

Over the week there was much chat and discussion about business which, after all, was the whole point of staying on.  I'm now looking at enhancing the service offered by Island Holidays to incorporate offering tours run by local operators worldwide, providing I know the people involved and that they are of like mind in terms of ethics and service.  The advantage to my clients will be that they will be financially protected by our ATOL licence (which isn't the case if you book direct with an overseas company) and also that their contract will be with a British company.  We're not giving up our own tours - this will simply be an additional service.  Much work needs to be done on it - and talking of work, it's about time I stopped wittering on and did some!   I'm off to Perth shortly to get my spex mended (I've lost count of the number of times I've managed to break them on overnight flights!) and pick up the newsletter which will be posted out over today and tomorrow.  You can beat the game and check it out on our website (unless you read this in the next couple of hours - I don't have the electronic version from the printer yet and so can't post it on the website. That will happen later today.

Cheers!

Stunning South Africa

Sorry about the long silence since St Helena. First of all there was no internet access on the Royal Mail Ship. You can send emails which are collected by satellite 4 times a day but no chance to blog. That was five nights - and a wonderful journey with lots of interesting people. I do love these old-fashioned sea voyages: you can keep your cruises (unless they're of the expedition variety) but this is a sort of "cruise with a purpose", She's a working ship supplying all the transport and freight needs of the island - this time a JCB was disgorged amongst many other things! We arrived in South Africa late afternoon last Friday (over a week ago which is hard to believe) and had a wonderful stay in the Steenberg Hotel in the Constantia region of Cape Town. As we sailed in to the city Table Mountain set the scene, with the new football stadium a notable addition to the skyline. World Cup Fever is already apparent! There followed a busy couple of days with the group, visiting Table Mountain (the first time I've ever managed to get to the top - very exciting) and Kirstenbosch Gardens on the first day. Our local guide was a botanist as well as being well informed on many others aspects of Cape Town and South Africa. Her gift for conveying her knowledge in a user-friendly way meant that we stayed for well after an hour after the tour was supposed to finish, so much was everyone enjoying it. So it was a bit of a scrum to get ready to go out for dinner inn the neighbouring Constantia Uitsig. The next day we had an early-ish start and headed down the cost to Hermanus where we enjoyed some of the best whale watching I have every had - and all from the shore! The species in quesetion was the Southern Right Whale and there were lots of animals in the bay, some REALLY close to the shore. One mother with an albino calf was literally within a stone's throw. Another whale, a little further out, breached six times. Now I've done a lot of whale watching in my time but I've never seen anything like that.It was amazing. It wasn't just the whales - we met with a wonderful man called Frank Woodvine, an 80-year-old Englishman who has lived in South Africa most of his life and founded the nature reserve at Fernkloof. He led us up the mountain - and boy could he move! - showing us the unique flora of thiss beautiful place. Our final port of call was the African Penguin colony at Stony Point - far less commercialised that the one I'd previously been to at Boulder. Again we arrived back at the hotel much later than planned because we'd had such a good time. The last day (for the clients)found us heading down to the Waterfront for a look around before taking the ferry to Robben Island, famed for its role in the history of South Africa's road to freedom and, particuarly, for its prison which held Nelson Mandela for 16 of his 27 years' imprisonment. Even though I'd been there twice before, I still found it an incredibly moving experience. From here it was off to the airport to wave goodbye to the folk who had made the whole tour such an enjoyable experience for each other and for me.

Leaving St Helena

The RMS (Royal Mail Ship) arrived this morning at 0600 hours and we're shortly going to wander down to the wharf to go through immigration and then board the ship.  It's another beautiful day - a bit too hot in Jamestown, but with a cool breeze - and the sea looks flat calm and rich blue.  It's always a bit sad to leave the island - and for some folk seeing their relatives off it is very sad as they probably won't see each other again for several years.  I love this island, but I couldn't live here: it's just too remote and, like now, when the ship's been away for a long time, there isn't an onion to be had on the island.  Imagine if it ran out of onions AND whisky!!!!!

Don't know why this picture of the ship is quite so small, nor why I can't get the text to the top of it.  Not to worry - with WiFi costing £6 for an hour such niceties don't seem quite so important.  

Our journey to Cape Town will take 5 nights and we're scheduled to arrive at 1400 hours on Friday. Whether or not that happens depends entirely on sea and wind conditions.  The last two days before we get there will provide us with some superb birding - albatross being the stars of the show.  Otherwise, it's five days of pure relaxation (punctuated by a few hours' work on the computer here and there) and I always enjoy it.

So this was just a quickie to let you know that the trip is going well and everyone's enjoying themselves hugely.  It's lovely when a group of people get on so comfortably and it's nearly always the case with the St Helena trip as it tends to be a gathering of like-minded people all of whom have diverse interests and reasons for travelling.  I guess it has to be one of my favourite trips - although others come close.  On  the ship this week I'm going to work on our trip to Christmas Island in just over a year's time.  It didn't sell this time because of the lack of notice I think - a big one like that needs planning and preparation on the part of the traveller.   I had put it together to include a week's birding in Western Australia but have decided, instead, to route the tour via Malaysia and include a visit to Langkawi Island, one of the projects supported by our Island Holidays Conservation Fund.  I'm hoping to have full details shortly after I get back to the UK - say in the middle of November.

The other holiday which we have to book miles in advance is Lord Howe Island with Tasmania and New South Wales.  We had it booked for March 2010 but, at the end of August, I had to release unsold rooms on Lord Howe Island and books flights from Sydney to the island - non refundable.  In other words, as soon as the new dates are posted (soon after I get back to the UK) those of you wanting to go should jump in the direction of a booking form.   Here's a link to the 2010 programme - it will be the same holiday but with slightly different dates (February instead of March).

And now I must stop - the continuation of this amazing tour calls.