The travel and tourism industry have been among the first victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. Holiday makers in the UK and across the world had to cancel their holidays.

All types of holidays have been affected from short trips with in the UK, holidays abroad, cruises, safaris and island hoping, the holiday industry has been on its knees since the appearance of the pandemic.

Having absorbed the initial shock the travel and tourism industry has been adopting rapidly to the evolving worldwide conditions and the travel restrictions that most countries have introduced.

We all remember the massive boom in the 80s and 90s of the tourism industries in Spain and Portugal with the introduction of the charter airlines and later on with the rise of the low cost airlines.

Similarly, the tailor made holidays will see a massive increase this year as more and more travelers will opt for more hands on approach, choosing and designing their own holidays.

What are tailor made holidays?

The tailor made holidays quite often are also referred as bespoke holidays, which means made to individual order or custom-designed according to traveler’s needs, specifications and requirements. It is exactly the opposite of the package holidays and the mass tourism of the 90s.

What are the benefits of tailor made holidays?

Tailor made holiday’s offer a unique experience, the traveler can choose not only where and when to go on holidays but a lot more.

Taking in consideration the health and safety requirements of the pandemic, holiday makers can build a travel itinerary to minimize the risk of Covid-19 during their travels.

Can choose the means of transportation, flights, ferries, trains, etc. Can also hand pick where to stay, hotels, villas, mountain cabins. Choose excursions and less crowded tours and activities. The pace of the holiday is dictated by the individual needs and requirements of the traveler.

Whether the traveler wants to see the northen lights, take a tea with a geisha, float above Cappadocia in a balloon or photograph the Himalayan wild Yak, it’s all possible on a tailor-made holiday.

Also these days travelers focus a lot more on sustainability. They think a lot more about the impact of their travel on the environment and move towards carbon neutrality when they plan their holidays.

Are tailor made holidays expensive?

As a rule of thumb, they are a bit more expensive than package holidays but tailor made holidays always offer great value as they are designed with a specific budget in mind.

Having access to specialized tour operators, travel guides and local experts can really make the difference between a holiday of a life time and a less memorable experience.

Examples of tailor made holidays in the UK and abroad

Coasteering Holidays in the UK

In the UK we are very fortunate to have a very beautiful country side with many well maintained historical sites, castles, abbeys and ancient halls.

From hiking the Scottish Highlands to whisky tasting on the isle of Jura and from discovering Pembrokeshire in Wales to the coastal villages of Devon & Cornwall.

The choices are endless, you can mix and much a number of different activities to suite even the most demanding travelers.

Due to the pandemic it is highly advisable to contact in advance any distilleries, farmers markets, local festivals or community events and celebrations before visiting, as itineraries might have change due to local Covid-19 restrictions.

Self Driving & Campervan Holidays

This year more and more UK holiday makers are also opting for a campervan hire. This segment of the holiday industry has seen a 200% increase with in the last six months.

Hiring a campervan in France, Spain or Italy offers the opportunity to explore the continental Europe and at the same time keep travelers in a protective environment.

Sailing Holidays

Sailing holidays is another segment of the holiday industry who is going to benefit a lot this year.

Hiring a four or eight berth sailing yacht around the Mediterranean is becoming very popular and very cost effective as quite often it works out cheaper per person than going down the traditional route to book accommodation and transportation separately.

Mountain Hiking & Trekking Holidays

Mountain hiking and trekking holidays are another type of tailor made holidays for those who want to be close to the nature. Due to Covid-19 more and more people take a step back to reevaluate their approach on life and seek to rediscover the outdoors.

Mountains, rivers and gorges are high on the list of the adventurous and soul-searching explores.

Whether a traveler books a package or a tailor made holiday this summer, should always follow that local health and safety regulations.

Booking a holiday through an ABTA or an AITO member company can make a big difference if things go wrong and have to reschedule, cancel, or even in need of repatriation back to the UK.

At Hotels Fairy we have actually booked a tailor made holiday for the summer. We are planning to go mountain hiking in the South of Greece and to cross three gorges on the island of Crete. The well known Samaria gorge as well as the less known Diktamos gorge and Imbros gorge.

Red, orange, yellow, gray striated layers of windswept sandstone spike and drop dramatically through Utah’s Zion National Park. Less famous than its near neighbour the Grand Canyon, but no less spectacular in its raw desert beauty, Zion National Park is a mere 2 ½ hour’s drive from the center of Las Vegas, Nevada.

This national park features hikes and walks for all ability levels and holds two of the most spectacular (potentially dangerous) hikes in all of the National Park system.

How to get Zion National Park

Located in the south of Utah, Zion is within driving distance of the majority of the Southwest. Only 7 hour’s drive from Los Angeles and 2 ½ hours from Las Vegas. The drive to the park features several tourist stops, including roadside natural history museums, the Valley of Fire state park, dinosaur tracks and the Native American Moapa Reservation.

Classic to the iconic American Road trip, these unexpected detours present limitless opportunities for exploration. Getting around the Park itself depends on the time of year of your visit. In the busy summer months, the park runs two free shuttle services.

One runs from the bottom of the town of Springdale to the park entrance with several stops at local hotels, campgrounds and restaurants, allowing visitors to park and ride to the main gate of Zion.

The second shuttle service runs through the center of the park with stops at the most popular trailheads. In the summer, vehicles are no longer allowed inside of this part of the park, so the shuttle is the best option of transport to the trailheads.

The shuttle operators offer guided tours on the ride up the valley, providing the passengers the history of the park as well as information on hikes, trail conditions and locations of restaurants, restrooms and water fill stations.

Accommodations and Dining at Zion National Park

As with most National Parks, there are a variety of options when it comes to accommodations. Hotels, motels and cabins abound in the neighbouring towns with Zion Lodge being the only hotel located inside of the park.

Zion has two campgrounds of its own, which offer car-style camping but no showers. Backcountry camping is also allowed, but permits must be obtained from the park rangers at the information station.

For those who wish to bring their pets, be warned that Zion National Park only allows dogs on one of its trails, and they are forbidden from the rest of the park. Because of this, many accommodations also do not allow pets. Make sure to check the current policies before you pack up your furry friend.

Located directly outside of the gate of Zion is an RV and tent camping site which offers free showers and is central to an in-town shuttle stop.

I highly recommend this location. My husband and I tent camped, and our site was private, near the river, came equipped with a picnic table, grill and fire pit and was conveniently located across the street from several fabulous restaurants (most notably the Spotted Dog) for the nights we decided to skip dinner over the fire.

For the nights we did decide to cook, the general store located at the entrance of the park contained easy grill food, a surprisingly abundant choice of gourmet cheeses and even replacement camping gear as our camp stove failed to make it into the car and our tent was missing a pole. We appreciated its convenient location and reasonable prices.

The most popular hikes at Zion National Park

While there are many great hikes off the beaten track at Zion, my husband and I focused on the most popular hikes of the park for our first visit. The following four hikes can be accessed via trailheads which are all stops along the free in-park shuttle.

Angel’s Landing

Consisting of a 5 mile round trip up 21 switchbacks, through a narrow canyon and topped with a .5 mile hand-over-hand boulder and chain crawl along a ridge which is at times 3 feet wide and 1,200 feet to the canyon floor, Angel’s Landing is Zion’s most popular hike as well as its most thrilling.

Not for the faint of heart or for those with a fear of heights, but for all others in search of a challenge and iconic view down the canyon, make it part of your must do list. It is listed as strenuous, and in the heat of summer, temperatures can reach to over 100 degrees, so remember to bring water. Rangers advise at least 2 liters per person per hike to combat the desert heat.

The Narrows

Debated as one of the best trails in all of the National Park System, the Narrows offers an unusual hike for nature enthusiasts. The term trail is misleading, as it is actually a walk up and down a canyon, in the river.

Depending on the time of year, hikers will spend 60-70% of the hike ankle, knee, waist or shoulder deep in water.

The canyon soars hundreds of feet above you and is at times 30 feet from wall to wall. There is a danger of flash floods and sections of the trail with no high ground, so it is best to be prepared and check with the rangers regarding weather conditions for the day.

There are two ways to hike the Narrows, either as an up and back day hike or a through hike. Up and back hikers can travel 6 miles up and back without obtaining a backcountry permit.

For those wishing to hike the entire 16 miles of the trail, obtain a permit from the information center, and consider making it a two day camping adventure.

The Zion Adventure Company offers rental equipment for this hike, including canyoneering shoes, neoprene socks, walking sticks, dry bags and dry suits for cooler weather. They also offer maps and tips for the hike.

Emerald Pools

Located near the middle of the park, the Emerald Pools is actually made up of three trails, the lower pool, middle pool and upper pool, with the lower pool being the easiest and the upper pool being the most challenging.

All three trails are connected and it is easy to incorporate them all into one long hike if you wish, the entirety which should only take a couple of hours. Those hikers interested in only the challenging trails should not skip the lower pools however, as they offer a walk behind a 100 foot waterfall.

Watchman’s Trail

Not advertised on the shuttle service (as its trailhead is located behind the visitor’s center) this little jewel was recommended to me by a regular Zion hiker. Barely used, this trail is a contrast to the highly popular Angel’s Landing, Narrows and Emerald Pools, and walkers get to feel that they are discovering Zion as its first visitors.

This hike is moderately difficult in its climb (450 foot gain), and can be hot, so remember to bring water. Because of its light usage, we encountered much more wildlife on this trail, and were often tripping victims of scurrying lizards.

The top of the trail opens up on a plateau with a circular hike allowing views of different parts of the valley with every turn a photographic opportunity.

Other Activities

Hiking is not for everyone, and Zion National Park offers trails which are wheelchair accessible and lookout points which are only a hundred feet from the shuttle stops. The park also offers trail rides from their stables located at the trailhead for the Emerald Pools, and an air conditioned IMAX theater.

The Zion Adventure Company rents tubes and coordinates rides for the adventurer who would rather float than climb.

Happy traveling!

If your mate has successfully popped the question and is about the tie the knot, you are going to want to celebrate in style and organize the best buck’s party ever for him.

Don’t just automatically go for the sleazy strip club option, and instead make it the kind of party that celebrates both his pending marriage as well as the lasting friendship and support of his mates.

If you are stuck for ideas, consider the following for ways to properly celebrate with your best mate. Click here to read more »

Posh UK camping trips for grandparents are a great way for families to connect and will produce memorable experiences children will treasure for a lifetime. The only problem you may encounter is planning an appropriate destination and choosing accommodations.

Older people may not be able to handle more adventurous excursions. But if they are in better shape than other family members, then any itinerary will be suitable. If not, you should plan a camping holiday that offers some modern conveniences to make the trip enjoyable for the entire family. Click here to read more »

There are hundreds of fun and exciting places to go travelling around the world, and there are a lot of different routes and methods of transport you can take to get to your dream destination.

Once you have booked your around the world flights, you’ll know exactly where you will be travelling to and for how long. Now it’s time to think about some of the accommodation that you will be staying in throughout your travelling experience.

There are many advantages to booking your accommodation before you go. First, it will save you time and you won’t be searching around for a hotel or somewhere to stay for the night.

You will also be able to go and freshen up after a long journey, or rest for a few hours before you head out to see attractions. It also gives you a base so you won’t have to carry all your clothes at one time. Getting a good accommodation can also give you a better travelling experience in the long run. Click here to read more »

The great outdoors, fresh air, communing with nature, it sounds like a perfect weekend. Sadly, some they do not even consider camping as a vacation option. Camping can provide an intimate relationship with nature that a hotel could never compare.

Nature can be quite a relaxing time with bird singing and watching the sunrise and sunsets.

Since the economy tanked and people are looking at more ways to save money, camping has become popular once again. A luxury weekend in a hotel can cost hundreds, or a weekend in the woods can be almost free. Still, some are not hooked, but they just do not know what they are missing.

Here’s how you can make your camping trip a time to remember: Click here to read more »

Well, the schools are closing up for the summer and this means kids with a lot of free time on their hands. Just planning who is going to be watching them when you’re not doing it yourself is going to be a significant task for you.

But keeping them entertained can seem a struggle. Thankfully, there are plenty of businesses and organizations set up to help you: after all the ‘problem’ of children out of school is something that happens to every parent annually!

The following tips should help you on your way to a summer with fewer tantrums and more smiling faces.

Leave them to their own devices

What do you mean this isn’t an answer! Organizing things for your kids to do will help keep their summer varied and will keep them from forming bad habits or simply getting bored.

But you shouldn’t force an activity on them every day from the start to the end of the summer holiday! Children shouldn’t have to look to their parents to organize fun, and many most certainly do not.

It’s fine to break a child’s chosen routine two or three times a week, but they’ll only resent your efforts if you constantly impose activities on them.

In fact, it may help to start the summer holiday off by letting them get bored. When you then start introducing outings and the like, they’ll probably leap at the chance to get out of the house. Click here to read more »