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2012-01-10T02:20:00.001-08:00

2009-07-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

An airline has lost a legal bid to overturn a 35-year-old ban on flights from the UK to Turkish-held Northern Cyprus.

Cyprus Turkish Airlines (CTA) failed to secure a judicial review at Birmingham Civil Justice Centre.
The government argues lifting the ban would contravene the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Currently, flights to Northern Cyprus must land in Turkey first.

'Unlawful, unjust'
CTA, which flies about 100,000 visitors from the UK to Northern Cyprus each year, says this increases flight times, fares and fuel emissions.
But Mr Justice Wyn Williams dismissed the airline's call for a review.
CTA's lawyers had argued the government's continuing refusal to lift the ban was "unlawful and unjust".
Permitting direct flights between UK airports and Northern Cyprus would have "huge, symbolic importance" for a divided island with a painful modern history, they said.
CTA argued the ban had "absolutely no operational justification".
It added the government had misunderstood the Chicago Convention and there was also no justification under international law for banning direct flights.

Also, it said the ban unfairly restricted Turkish Cypriots and their companies wishing to travel and conduct business with the EU and the rest of the world.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government.
The island was effectively partitioned with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots.

Source: BBC Web Site.
Published: Tuesday, 28 July 2009 12:11 UK

Things to do & see in San Francisco.

2009-07-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Visiting San Francisco? San Francisco is a diverse destination, encompassing nature, history, the Arts, science and some of the most beautiful scenery along the West Coast of the United States. It is not only hip, but pop-culture and old traditions are neatly packed into this one fabulous city.

Golden Gate Bridge.
The Golden Gate Bridge is acclaimed one of the world’s most beautiful bridges. Its bright orange towers and sweeping main cables glow in the sunshine or are engulfed in the fog that frequents this area. No matter if you drive, walk or bicycle across this engineering marvel, the views are spectacular.
Internet: http://www.goldengatebridge.org/

San Francisco Cable Cars
No visit would be complete without a ride on a cable car. These cable-powered streetcars have been transporting people up and down the fabulous hills of San Francisco since 1873. A highlight of the ride is actually at the end (or beginning) at the turnaround. Watch while drivers push the cable car on a rotating platform 180 degrees for the trip back up the hill.
Internet: http://www.sfmuni.com/

Fisherman’s Wharf
A long strip along the waterfront is home to the Cannery, Ghirardelli Square and Pier 39. A working waterfront, also called Fish Alley, sells tons of sole, shrimp, salmon, and squid every year. Crab season (Mid November - June) is the time for seafood lovers. There is shopping, entertainment, restaurants and vendors who sell Dungeness Crab ready to eat.
Internet: http://www.fishermanswharf.org/

Golden Gate Park
The Golden Gate Park encompasses one thousand acres on the western edge of San Francisco, including lush gardens, tranquil lakes, the Japanese Tea Garden, museums, Conservatory of Flowers, Botanical Gardens, stables and sports fields of all types. It is estimated that 75,000 people visit the park on an average weekend.
Internet: www.nps.gov/goga

Alcatraz
Once a federal prison housing dangerous and notorious criminals, Alcatraz (The Rock) now welcomes tourists into the cellblocks once occupied by the likes of Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelley, and the Birdman of Alcatraz. Self-guided audiocassette tours have dramatic narratives of Alcatraz’s grim history, including realistic sound effects one would hear in prison.
Phone: +1 415-705-5555
Internet: http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz
www.alcatrazcruises.com

Chinatown
Walking through the dragon-adorned Pagoda Gates leads visitors in the colourful and exciting area of San Francisco know as Chinatown. It is tightly packed with exotic shops, ethnic food markets, and excellent restaurants. The Chinese New Year in February each year is celebrated here with parades and dancing dragons. Grant Avenue & Bush Street
Internet: http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/

Aquarium Of The Bay
In addition to the expected displays of sea life, this unusual aquarium invites visitors into the hidden world of life under San Francisco Bay. A moving walkway takes you through two crystal clear tunnels, 300 feet in length, surrounded by 700,000 gallons of filtered Bay water and more than 23,000 aquatic animals.
Address: Pier 39Phone: +1 415 623-5300
Internet: http://www.aquariumofthebay.com/

Lombard Street
This steep and winding street is the most photographed street in San Francisco. Tourists come to Russian Hill to see, drive or walk down the "crookedest street in the world", with eight hairpin turns. The Hyde Street Cable Car makes a stop at the top of Lombard Street. Along with the dramatic view of Lombard Street, there are awesome views of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Bay.
Address: Lombard at Hyde Street

Lesson Two

2009-04-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Direct Traveller second lesson is the ability to interact with the local cypriots, with key words such as please and thank you, this will come in useful when ordering your beer and kebab.

11	Pardon me	Affedersiniz, pardon	af-feh-DEHR-see-neez, pahr-DOHN
12	Yes/no	Evet/hayır	eh-VEHT/HAH-yuhr
13	Please.	Lütfen.	LEWT-fehn
14	Help yourself.	Buyurun(uz).	BOOY-roon-(ooz)
15	Thanks.	Teşekkürler. Sağ ol. Mersi.	teh-sheh-kewr-LEHR. SOWL. mehr-SEE.
16	You're welcome.	Bir şey değil.	beer SHEHY deh-YEEL
17	Friend	Arkadaş	Ar-kah-DAHSH
18	What?	Ne?	NEH
19	How?	Nasil?	NAH-suhl
20	Who?	Kim?	KEEM

2009-04-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

Visiting Northern Cyprus or Turkey? Although everyone speaks English in Northern Cyprus and Turkey why not learn some key words to impress the new friends you meet along your travels, these are the simplest Turkish lessons ever, quicker—and cheaper—than a Turkish language course in Istanbul.

Visit our blog daily and within a week you'll know more than 100 Turkish words and short phrases.

Hello - Merhaba - MEHR-hah-bah
Good morning, good day - Günaydın - gew-nahy-DUHN
Good evening - İyi akşamlar - EE ahk-shahm-LAHR
Good night - İyi geceler - EE geh-jeh-LEHR
Goodbye - Allaha ısmarladık - ah-LAHS-mahr-lah-duhk
Bon voyage - Güle güle - gew-LEH gew-LEH
What is your name? - Adınız ne? - AH-duh-NUHZ neh
My name is Direct Traveller World - Adım Direct Traveller World - Ah-DUHM…
How are you? - Nasılsınız? - NAHS-suhl-suh-nuhz
I'm fine, thank you. - İyiyim, teşekkür ederim. - ee-YEE-yihm, tesh-ek-KEWR eh-dehr-eem

You'll be surprised how useful they'll be every day during your travels. Why not try your Turkish on one of our consultants by calling 0845 1235383.

See America, the Obama way

2009-01-20T05:03:00.000-08:00

Today is the reddest of red letter days. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president has already heightened interest in a country that is never far from the thoughts of UK tourists, and his inauguration will keep things at fever pitch.

Certainly, 2009 is set to be a great year to take a holiday in the United States. But where to go? Chris Leadbeater picks a handful of locations that have played a part in the 44th President's road to the White House - but which also offer a lot to overseas visitors.

WASHINGTON DC
The US capital is a fascinating city. The key attraction is the National Mall, with its famous landmarks such as the Washington Monument (the obelisk dedicated to the first president) and the Lincoln Memorial (where a 20ft statue of Abraham Lincoln watches the steps where Martin Luther King gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech).
But there is also diversion in the museums of the Smithsonian Institution (such as the National Air And Space Museum). And there's always the chance to go to the White House and wave through the window at its latest resident.

More information:
http://www.washington.org/
http://www.si.edu/
http://www.%20whitehouse.gov/

CHICAGO
Obama cut his political teeth in Chicago from 1997 onwards, the last three years as an Illinois senator - an enviable situation, because the Windy City is a first-rate metropolis.
Michelle Obama recently revealed that the couple had their first date at two of its finest attractions, the Art Institute Of Chicago (home to works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Warhol) and the panoramic bar at the top of the 1,127ft John Hancock Center skyscraper.
Both should be included on any itinerary - as should two sights that lurk nearby. North Michigan Avenue is a shopping street of endless temptations, while Grant Park, where Obama celebrated his election win, is a lovely green lung on the banks of Lake Michigan.
More information:
http://www.gochicago.com/
http://www.artic.edu/
http://www.%20signatureroom.com/

HONOLULU
Obama was born in Honolulu in 1961, and was back at Christmas, enjoying a pause-for-breath holiday at Kailua, just north of the city. It isn't hard to understand his decision.
The capital of Hawaii is a popular place in the sun, thanks partly to Waikiki Beach, and the bars and eateries that run alongside it. It would be easy to spend an entire stay on the sand, although that would be to miss a good deal else.

The USS Arizona Memorial, built atop the wreck of the sunken battleship, pays sober tribute to the dead of Pearl Harbor, while Oahu island (on which Honolulu sits) is blessed with a nigh-on obscene amount of glorious scenery, including the towering Diamond Head volcano - and the views from it.
More information:
http://www.gohawaii.com/
www.nps.gov/usar

NEW YORK
The future 44th President spent four years in New York in the early Eighties, studying at Columbia University. The main campus of this Ivy League institution is at Morningside Heights, above the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
It's a grid reference that placed Obama in the midst of a city that offers thrills galore to locals and tourists alike - whether that means crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and gazing down the East River at the Statue Of Liberty, climbing to the top of the 1250ft Empire State Building, strolling in Central Park, dining in Greenwich Village or admiring the
Vermeer and Rembrandt paintings at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art. New York requires little introduction, but much exploration.
More information:
http://nycgo.com/
http://www.esbnyc.com/index2.cfm
http://www.metmuseum.org/

BOSTON
The late Eighties saw Obama finish his training at Harvard Law School, that icon of US education that sits on leafy streets in Cambridge, west of central Boston.
The state capital of Massachusetts has, of course, been a proving ground for American public figures since the Boston Tea Party, and still wears its 18th century heritage with pride.
Visitors are drawn to the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path through the city that links key historic sites, including the Old South Meeting Hall, where revolutionary anger spilled into action, and the Bunker Hill Monument, where a fiery battle with colonial Britain troops reached its endgame.
But don't forget your stomach. Boston has several enticing seafood restaurants.
More information:
www.bostonusa.com
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

FLORIDA
If anything is symbolic of the mood change in America that swept Obama to power, it is perhaps the fact that Florida voted Democrat. This is not a common occurrence. Obama's triumph was only the fourth time the Sunshine State has 'turned blue' in half a century (even the flamboyant JFK failed to take it).
Not that Florida really markets itself as a hotbed of political activism. Its blue-riband attractions are well known - the theme parks and family fun of Orlando, the Art Deco architecture and bars of Miami, the many-varied islands of the Keys.
But you can still find less-discovered pleasures, not least the lush swampland of the Everglades or the soft beaches around Sarasota, on the Gulf shoreline.
More information:
http://www.visitflorida.com/
http://www.orlandoinfo.com/

MEMPHIS
To fully trace the journey of the first black politician to America's top job, you need to start not in Honolulu but on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial - and in Memphis, where Martin Luther King was assassinated.
King was shot down in April 1968 at the Lorraine Motel. But what was a place of despair has been turned to a positive use. The motel is now the National Civil Rights Museum, where the struggle for African-American emancipation over four centuries is detailed in full.
Of course, this atmospheric Tennessee city is tied to another muchmourned figure. And while Elvis Presley's Graceland home is a rather more frivolous experience than the Lorraine Motel, in its own gaudy way it is just as unmissable.
More information:
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm
www.elvis.com/graceland

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Wintersun Holidays

2008-12-17T06:50:00.000-08:00

Want to take a winter break? Well you don't have to venture too far in order to find the sunshine you want.Winter sun dosent have to be a long haul trip it can be found only 4 hours away.

Malta, you can experience sunshine nearly all year – round and indulge in outdoor living at its best. Why not try a new sport, laze on an island cruise or tour the most important historic sites? The choice is entirely yours! Together with its other islands, beach life and nightlife, Malta is a wonderful island to visit this winter.
Search online with Direct Traveller World for offers a week from only £171 departing London Gatwick 20th Janauray 09. This includes flights and accommodation.

Another option is North Cyprus is bursting with intriguing antiquity and a rich cultural history. Northern Cyprus's coastline is astonishingly beautiful with its ancient harbours where you can dine al-fresco and beaches that stretch for miles, whilst the depths of the crystal-clear azure seas offers many of the region's best dive sites.
A labyrinth of craft shops, ancient sites and family-owned restaurants await exploration in North Cyprus' vibrant towns, whilst idyllic scenery and ancient rustic villages gently dot the countryside. Visit our dedicated site ww.directtraveller.com for more information on North Cyprus Holidays.

Or why not visit the pyramids of Egypt. Surrounded by a crystal-clear, deep-blue sea and a breathtaking desert landscape, Sharm El-Sheikh has developed into one of the most popular holiday destinations in Egypt.

All prices stated are subject to availability based on 2 sharing. For more information please visit our Destination Guides page.

Holiday and Travel Show In Manchester

2008-12-15T03:04:00.001-08:00

Direct Traveller will once again be attending all major travel shows in the U.K.

The Holiday & Travel Show Manchester Central ( 16th – 18th January 2009).
London Destinations Earls Court ( 5th– 8th February 2009).
Birmingham Destinations NEC ( 27th – 1st March 2009).

These destination shows are the largest travel events of the year, where hundreds of leading and independent travel companies attend. Direct Traveller will be there to provide inspiration, expert advice and exclusive offers.

You will find all the advice and inspiration you’ll need to plan and book your perfect trip for Northern Cyprus.

If you would like to come along to see us, call us now on 0845 123 5383 or visit http://www.destinationsshow.com/ or http://www.johnfishexhibitions.co.uk/ to order your own tickets.

British travellers flock to somewhere hot for Christmas.

2008-11-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

Following the wettest summer on record in the UK, hordes of British holidaymakers are flocking to sunshine destinations for their Christmas holidays.
Year on year, hotel room bookings for Christmas holidays are up 240 per cent and with the holiday still nine weeks away, hoteliers overseas can expect to see plenty of Brits over the festive season.

Holidays to the Canary Islands, in particular Tenerife, and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt are proving the most popular. Predictably, the old favourites of Benidorm, the Costa del Sol, the Algarve and Madeira are also doing well.
One surprisingly popular Christmas destination for sun-seeking Brits is Marrakech. The chance to completely escape Christmas festivities and enjoy scorching temperatures may explain this destination's appeal at this time of year.
Holiday prices at this time of year are also attractive.

A week's holiday in North Cyprus at Christmas, for example, can be picked up for as little as £325 including your christmas day gala - which should leave plenty in your pockets for a few extra Christmas gifts.

Are you off this Christmas?Let other travellers know where you are off too.

Can films increase British tourism?

2008-11-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Britain’s national tourism promotion agency Visit Britain believes that films are an important to the Uk tourism industry.

With this in mind they have become an official tourism ‘partner’ for the new Bond film Quantum of Solace.

Visit Britain estimates that 40 per cent of people that watch films are inspired to make their holiday choice by what they see on the TV and cinema screen.

People argue that the two major factors which promoted the huge growth in tourism from the UK to Australia in the 1980’s were the film Crocodile Dundee and the huge success of Aussie soap Neighbours.

But the obvious problem now is that rising oil prices have made long-haul air travel much more expensive and the credit crunch is making people slim down their travel plans.

What do you think can a film inspire you to travel to a destination? let Direct Traveller World know your thoughts