Although Spain is still the most popular destination for Brits, if you are looking for a last-minute bargain we recommend we recommend you to look at flights to Egypt and Tunisia, where prices have dropped after the events in the past few months.

Easter, plus the extra bank holiday of the Royal Wedding give us a fantastic opportunity to go abroad and enjoy the early sun of April. Temperatures around 25-30 degrees Celsius and some UNESCO places to visit are one of the many reasons to visit.

If, with the extra days off, your idea is to go a little bit further away, check out some very affordable flights to Dubai, a luxury destination of great interest with its buildings, its artificial islands, its hotels and architecture making this a paradise in the middle of the desert.

(Information by Travel Assotiation Afta)

Holidays always make you hungry; as a tourist, you need to see a lot of different places in just a few days. Join us for a gastronomic journey in which we will visit some of the best restaurants in the world, according to the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world published by the Restaurant Magazine.

First stop: Denmark. Noma won the 1^st prize yesterday night. It is the second year in a row so Hotelopia has decided it deserves a chance, for the most sophisticated ones we recommend Copenhagen as a destination and Noma as the star of the evening.

Spain, a must:  Spain has 3 restaurants in the Top 10 of the list: El Celler de Can Roca in the 2^nd position, Mugartiz, number 3 and Arzak, who has gone up 1 since last year to the 8^th position.

So if your holidays are not only about visiting Cathedrals, Museums and Parks but also about enjoying the food don’t forget to check the list, there are restaurants all around the world that are worth going to!

Have you ever wandered the origin of Easter eggs?  We have all searched for easter eggs when we were kids, or bought some colourful handpainted eggs in a market, but where does this symbol came from?

The egg is widely used as a symbol of the start of new life, just as new life emerges from an egg when the chick hatches out.  It is a pagan symbol of the rebirth of the Earth in celebrations of spring.  The early Christians adopted it as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, its “rebirth”.

Easter eggs are traditionally hidden in England and Easter Europe and searched for after by children. In the origins, they were painted chicken hard-boiled eggs, but nowadays it is either chocolate or plastic.

Go and search for your Easter eggs during the holidays!

In Costa de la Luz you’ll find a little bit of everything, making it the ideal location for all types of holidays: with friends, with your partner, family or as you wish.

The beaches in this area are characterised as being extensive with very fine, white sand. The majority of them dispose of all the services that you could need: toilets, showers or the classic beach shack bar.

If you want to take a break from the beach, you can do the Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos (Route of the White Villages) or visit El Estrecho Natural Park.

The nightlife is superb, above all on long weekends and during holiday periods. There is a wide variety of places to go and areas with different atmospheres, so you can choose the one you like best. All in all, without a doubt you can spend a very complete holiday here and forget about your daily routine back home

Book your hotel in Costa de la Luz.

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Two videos in which we can see all the different English accents from around the world. Funny and Interesting at least, enjoy!

Easter is here, only a few more days to go. We are sure some of you are still deciding where to go.  Do you want to join us to one of the tradional markets in central Europe? Come along!

Vienna: Multi-coloured markets fill the Austrian capital during Easter. You will be able to see Europe’s biggest mountain of Easter eggs or enjoy some amazing marzipan, chocolate or praline creations. If you are not into the sweet universe, other stalls Hill offer you decorative objets and tradional craft works. If you need more information visit wien.info.

Prague: The Czech Republic is also famous for its Easter Markets. The old town has scattered stalls in which you will find the traditional Easter eggs, hand-painted as well as other crafts.

Both cities offer a wide range of touristic opportunities, markets are just one of hundreds, so if you liked the idea make your reservation to Vienna or Prague in Hotelopia and enjoy European traditions.

Croatia is becoming a popular destination for holiday makers who are bored of the usual suspects Europe has to offer. Hotelopia agrees that this Adriatic country is definately worth a week or two of your time. With over 1,000 islands, its many spectacular national parks, mountains and vast natural lakes you really have no excuse and, if we’re honest, you’re a little spoilt for choice.

If you’re not too familiar with this beautiful part of Europe then let Hotelopia highly recommend beginning with the island chains that lie off the west coast. The beautiful island of Hvar is a perfect place to start.

With several ferries, catamarans and trimarans leaving the cities of Split, Dubrovnik and others on a regular basis you can soon find yourself hoping from plane to boat and on to the shores of Hvar.

Unusual in the Adriatic for its fertile land, Hvar is covered in natural springs, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit orchards.  Its hillsides are sheltered in pine forests and vast lavender fields, the smell of which on a late spring evening is enough to make you want to stay forever.

The island and its natural beauty are also steeped in history stretching back to 3,500BC. After becoming part of the Greek then Slavic civilisations, the Republic of Venice brought industry in the medieval periods seeing wine and oil production boom. The island also has the Venetians to thank for some of its most spectacular architecture still covering the island, especially in the capital Hvar Town and Stari Grad further to the north.

The capital Hvar town is littered with churches, homes and streets dating from the medieval period and after brisk a walk up to the castle perched high above the town, you deserve to take seat in one of Hvar’s fantastic sea food restaurants and sample the catch of the day.

A great way to see what the rest of the island has to offer, is by scooter. Enabling you to take your time as you work your way over the hills of lavender fields to the north and east of the island, stopping off at secluded beaches and old towns dotted along the coast. Beware however this island has the power to make you stay for longer than you planned and don’t forget the rest of Croatia is still waiting…

With the days getting warmer, especially in the Mediterranean, the waters are soon to follow, so hold your breath as Hotelopia takes you diving off the coast of beautiful Cyprus.

In our opinion Cyprus is a forgotten gem of the med and with a number of budget airlines flying to the island getting there is rather easy. Although the far-east coast is famous with revellers and clubbers; the south and west sides boast some fantastic coastlines with an abundance of water sports and activities on offer. Whether power boating, windsurfing, waterskiing or diving is your thing, you will find you are more than catered for.

Cyprus is still slightly behind the rest of the Mediterranean on prices, SCUBA courses and RYA courses are slightly cheaper than the more publicised resort.  However with a large tourist promotion campaign for the island being pushed by the government this might not last forever…

As for the diving; when the Zenobia sank off the coast in the 80’s, the ferry has been a firm contender in the world’s top 10 wreck diving sites of the world. The wreck is able to offer more simple dives around its structure as well as more difficult explorations in to the car decks and accommodation areas. Cyprus is also home to a growing Green & Loggerhead Turtle population which when observed in their natural, turquoise water surroundings, is incredible.

With several other wrecks, an abundance of marine life and several dive companies to choose from you shouldn’t take our word for it, but take a dive for yourself in Cyprus.

With the world’s best football players taking centre stage in the Champions League Quarter Finals, Hotelopia thought it would look ahead to the Final. Whichever two teams make it to Wembley on the 28^th May, one thing is guaranteed, London will be the place to be…

With the Olympics in 2012, the royal wedding later this month as well as other world-class events, sights, museums and architecture there is really no excuse not to visit this multicultural metropolis in the next few months.

If sport is not your thing then don’t be detoured, London hosts some of the world’s best museums and galleries, many within walking distance. The British Museum in Bloomsbury houses over 7 million artefacts from all corners of the earth so you’re guaranteed to find an area of interest within its walls.

If art is more your cup of very English tea, then the National Gallery situated in Trafalgar Square is currently displaying Jan Gossaert’s startling and stunning works from the Renaissance, a tribute not seen for over 40 years. Masterpieces such as Monet’s ‘Bathers at La Grenouillère’, Seurat’s ‘Bathers at Asnières’ and van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ are also well worth the afternoon.

Looking for some retail therapy? Then you’ll be pleased to know Oxford Street is Europe’s busiest shopping area, stretching almost 1 mile, its residence include Selfridges, Diesel, La Senza and Zara; not forgetting Harrods just down the road…

In short, with something for everyone and a special something for you sports fans over the next 12 months, the world’s eye will be well and truly focused on London, why not be part of the action and experience for yourself what this city has to offer? Let Hotelopia help you take that first step.



For us travellers, its not always easy to remember every place we have been to. We’ve discovered a good idea not to forget one of the destinations we have visited; it is easy, fun and the perfect way to have it all in one.

Materials:  A World Map and a box of coloured pins. It is very simple, all you need to do is pin one in every city or place you have already seen. You can use your own code of colours. For example: different colours depending on how much you liked a place, or depending on when you went (every year a colour). Another option is to mark those places that you want to visit, even if you have not been there yet.

You can also creat a digital version painting a white map in colours or with the web page TargetMap that we talked about last week.

You will never forget the trip again!