8 of the best naturist hotels

By Laura Tait
Ever get so hot on holiday you wish you could take ALL your clothes off? Unfortunately, that sort of behavior tends to be frowned upon in most resorts. Unless of course you’re in a hotel targeted at those who prefer the freedom of going 'au naturel', where nudity is allowed and even encouraged. Want to know where you can find such hotels? Here are some.

Hotel Panorama
Zakynthos, Greece
The Hotel Panorama is a family friendly naturist hotel, with a swimming pool, snack bar, TV area and small children's playground all within its well-tended grounds. As its name suggests, there are panoramic views of the countryside and sea, with snorkelling, sailing, diving, water skiing, windsurfing, tennis, paragliding, biking (we’d definitely recommend sticking your shorts back on for this one) and fishing are all available in the vicinity. 
Caliente Caribe Resort and Spa
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
It’s a high-energy all-inclusive resort with a laid-back attitude about the wearing of clothes, where you’ll find glorious ocean views direct access to its own private (nude) beach. Activities are varied, and you can spend days doing anything from Spanish lessons to Water Volleyball and your evenings with anything from karaoke, to Dominican Dance Revue. They also have – somewhat ironically for a clothing-optional resort – dinner dress themes each night, including ‘Silk, Glam & Glitter’ and ‘Sexy black & white’. 

Hedonism II
Jamaica
As far detached from the family friendly naturist options as you can get – this is more of a non-stop, flat out party. In fact it’s only for singles and couples (aged 18+), with an ‘anything goes’ ethos. Sat on the tip of the legendary Negril Beach, it’s a luxurious, all-inclusive resort, and if you don’t want to make a holiday of it but fancy tipping a toe into hedonistic waters, you can book yourself into another hotel and get a day/night pass to the hotel. London Chauffeur services

Hidden Beach Resort
Cancun, Mexico
Another adults-only property, you can literally spend your entire holiday naked. The beachfront resort is totally secluded and private, prohibiting entrance and views to anyone but the resort guests and staff, and they even offer nude dining at the all-inclusive restaurant, nude bars as well as a nude disco. The swimming pool is connected by an artificial river accessible by all first floor swim-up suites and the central area of the pool contains a large swim-up bar.
Hotel Vera Playa Club
Almeria, Spain
A fun family oriented complex with a chilled out atmosphere but a strict policy about when you can and can’t wear clothes: never by the pool, optional around the rest of the hotel, always in communal areas after 8pm. Fun for all ages comes in the form of a sun terrace with palm trees and garden area, main pool and children’s pool, gym, play and game zone and adults-only Jacuzzi. It’s also right in front of a naturist beach, accessible from the outdoor pool area so you can easily flit between the two, without the inconvenience of having to put on clothes. Airport taxi in London
Ada Bojana Hotel
Ulcinj, Croatia
Not just a hotel, this is more of at this island of nakedness, deliberately isolated from the chaos of the city and completely engulfed in nature, surrounded by the river on three sides. It’s strictly nudes at this villa complex, which is arguably one of the most famous naturist compounds amongst those who love the freedom of no clothes, but it’s not all about lying around naked – activities include volleyball, windsurfing and tennis. Taxi to London Gatwick Airport

Hotel Vritomartis
Crete, Greece
Vritomartis broadly complies by guidelines laid down by the International Naturist Federation: none of the indoors areas of the hotel are naturist whilst all the outside areas are naturist from sunrise to sunset (except the road to the beach so as not to offend locals) and naturism is essential by the pool and on the beach. Some of the fun (naked or otherwise) to be had includes garden chess, tennis and volleyball, plus there is (clothed) traditional and international live music and dancing to keep you entertained in the evening. Heathrow taxi's
Desert Sun Resort
Palm Springs, California, USA
Clothing optional (most people opt out) and adult-only, this luxury complex is set in five acres of secluded paradise which incorporates lighted tennis courts, three heated pools, two hot tubs, a full spa, a fitness centre, bars, restaurants and a night club – and its non-judgmental attitude and dedication to privacy draws in a few celebrities who are partial to naturism. Their rules for first-time naturists include no staring, no photography and sitting on a towel wherever you go

Crony Trading Ltd

World travel hotspot list pits Patagonia, Alaska and Azores against Cardiff

23 June 2011
By John Bingham

National Geographic, the revered US periodical, has placed Cardiff in a list of “must-see” world travel destinations for summer 2011.



The other places chosen boast dramatic glacial landscapes, whales, bears or volcanic springs to lure visitors, but Cardiff made it in to sixth place.
The Welsh capital is described as a “modern sports-entertainment destination” combining a rich industrial heritage with the biggest waterfront development in Europe.

[See also: 10 European cities you must see]

[London Taxi's from or to Heathrow Airport ]

As well as singling out traditional draws such as Cardiff Castle – which the magazine describes as “iconic” – it portrays the city as a haven for enthusiasts of sports such as white water rafting, power boating and windsurfing.
It earns a place just behind the dramatic Andean landscape of Patagonia in Argentina and Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and ahead of the Azores and the island of Roatan in Honduras.
The top ranking goes to Muskoka Cottage Country in Ontario, Canada, which is singled out as an “unplugged place” to escape from the demands of modern life while still within reach of cities such as Toronto.
Cardiff, the magazine says, was historically a “city of castles and coal” which has transformed itself into a mecca for shoppers and sports fans alike.
Hywel Thomas, of Cardiff & Co which promotes the city, said being featured in the National Geographic would be regarded almost with “reverence” by many.
“It is quite an accolade and the feature reflects the city's remarkable journey from a bustling coal port to a pulsating, attractive city,” he said.

[Useful: London Airport Taxi]

But Cllr Chris Holley, leader of Swansea City and County Council – said that the choice of Cardiff would be viewed with “amusement” elsewhere in Wales.
“It seems to be the joker in the pack here,” he said.
National Geographic 10 Best Trips of Summer 2011:
1. Muskoka Cottage Country, Ontario, Canada
2. Patagonia, Argentina
3. San Juan Islands, Washington, USA
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
5. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA
6. Cardiff, Wales
7. Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
8. Azores, Portugal
9. Roatan, Honduras
10. Istria, Croatia

Ryanair ramps up baggage charges

By John Fitzsimons If you want to take luggage onto your flight, it will now set you back an extra £5 each way. Budget airline Ryanair has ramped up the charges passengers face for carrying a piece of checked luggage onto the aircraft by £5 – but only for the summer. You’ll now be charged £20 each way for taking on luggage lighter than 15kg, up from £15, while bags weighing between 15kg and 20kg will set you back £30 each way, up from £25. In a brazen display of profiteering, the charges will only apply from June until September 21st – in other words, the peak travel times for summer holidays. The airline has justified this, saying that it will encourage passengers to travel without hold baggage, highlighting that three quarters of passengers do so already. That’s all well and good, but personally I don’t fancy my chances of getting enough clothing for a fortnight in Spain into my hand luggage. Let’s see how these charges compare to a few other airlines, EasyJet, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. British Airways All flights on British Airways have a free baggage allowance, though how much you can take on depends on which class of travel you book. There are then charges for any additional bags you take on board. Here are the allowances for all flights except those to Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria and connecting journeys between India and USA/Bermuda/Canada. Ticket type Number of bags Weight per bag 1st extra bag charge Further extra bags charge First Club World Three bags Up to 32kg £72 £72 Club Europe Two bags Up to 32kg £28 £28 World Traveller Plus Two bags 23kg £72 £72 World Traveller Y Class (full fare economy) Two bags 23kg £72 £72 World Traveller/ Euro Traveller / Domestic One bag 23kg £34 / £30 / £30 £77 / £30 / £30 *Bag charges based on paying in advance on ba.com. Charges will be higher if paying at the airport Virgin Atlantic As with British Airways, passengers with Virgin enjoy a free checked baggage allowance, and again this varies depending on the class of your ticket. There are only three adult categories of ticket to consider thankfully. Ticket type Number of bags Weight per bag Upper Class Three bags Up to 32kg Premium Economy Two bags 23kg Economy One bag 23kg There is also a flat charge for extra baggage, no matter what your class of ticket. The first additional bag will set you back £32, while subsequent bags will cost you £72. Again, this is based on paying in advance online – it will cost you more if you leave it until the day itself to settle these charges. EasyJet Ryanair’s budget airline rival EasyJet sadly does not have such a simple process when it comes to baggage. If you want to check luggage into the hold, you will have to pay a fee. However, this fee varies depending on where you are planning to fly to. What’s more, it’s only after you’ve gone through the rigmarole of finding a flight and begun the application process that you can find out what that charge will be. To give you an idea of the sort of charges you may face, I’ve put together the table below based on a range of return flights to various destinations from London. Destination Flight dates Baggage charge Agadir, Morocco Depart 14th June, return 21st June £28 Amsterdam, Holland Depart 14th June, return 21st June £18 Barcelona, Spain Depart 14th June, return 21st June £22 Edinburgh, Scotland Depart 14th June, return 21st June £18 Kos, Greece Depart 15th June, return 22nd June £28 Pisa, Italy Depart 14th June, return 21st June £22 Tel Aviv, Israel Depart 14th June, return 21st June £28 Paying for hold baggage entitles you to a luggage allowance of up to 20kg. This is not limited to a single bag either, so you can take a couple of bags without incurring any additional charges, so long as collectively they do not weigh more than 20kg. You can buy additional weight in advance via the EasyJet website at a rate of £10 per kg. The rising cost of flying Ryanair’s defence of this increase is that its fares are much cheaper than its main rivals, so even if you pay for the baggage, you’ll still be better off than if you had gone with one of the firms’ rivals. That’s all well and good, but Ryanair has also increased its fares! Alongside its increase in baggage charges, Ryanair also announced a 12% increase in fares. Budget rival EasyJet has also warned the public to expect higher fares in the coming months, while The International Air Transport Association has predicted that airfares will rise by around 8% on average It’s all down to the rising cost of fuel – it’s not just motorists who are suffering from the increase in the price of oil, but airlines too. And the fact that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has opted against increasing its production levels (which would have curbed the price rises) means that airlines have some tough choices to make. Clearly we are all going to have to get used to paying a bit more for our breaks in the sun. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Airport Taxi and London Chauffeur Traveling by taxi from Heathrow offers the flexible way of getting into London or beyond. At Heathrow Airport we endorse three distinct fully licensed Taxi and Chauffeur services. Computer and CCTv Security System

9 ways to relax during long flights

• By:Tamara HinsonThu 19 May, 2011 09:30 AM UTC   
  Whether you’re a nervous flyer or simply someone that struggles to sleep at the best of times, long flights can be tough on both the body and mind. To help you get to your destination feeling on top of the world, we’ve put together our top tips to help you relax once you’re airborne.
   
  
  
  1. Roll with it
  Invest in an aromatherapy based roll-on travel balm to rub onto your pulse points during the flight. Look for one containing lavender to help you relax, or try a balm with mood-boosting frankincense or stimulating rosemary to clear your mind.
  2. Breathe...
  Okay, an obvious one, but we’re talking about deep breathing exercises here. When we’re stressed, we tend to hold our breath or take short, shallow breaths which can increase feelings of anxiety. First, exhale completely through your mouth and then breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose. Imagine your body slowly filling up with air from the bottom upwards. Hold your breath for around five seconds and then slowly breathe out. Repeat this around ten times, making sure that exhalation takes a little longer than inhalation.
  3. … and stretch
  If you’re struggling to sleep, exercise might be the last thing on your mind, but a quick stretch might be just the thing to help you relax, whilst helping to avoid cramp or other potentially more serious health complications. Take a brisk walk up and down the aisle, or failing that, carry out a few stretches from the comfort of your seat. The majority of airlines will provide information relating to exercises that can be done sitting down.
  4. Silence is golden
  Nothing is worse than finding you’re sat next to an incessant chatterbox, especially when all you want to do is go to sleep. A pair of earplugs won’t just help shut out noise, but will hopefully send out a subtle hint to your chattering travel companion, too. Also, if you’re taking a portable music player, opt for noise cancelling headphones.
  5. Be a book worm
  If you’re a nervous flyer, a good book won’t just take your mind off your worries, but it will ease your passage to the Land of Nod, too. A long flight is the perfect environment to finally plough your way through that long book you’ve been tackling for the past few months. If you can’t decide what to read, opt for a book about the destination you’re heading to.
  6. Feel at home
  You might be thousands of miles away from your own bed, but a few home comforts can make all the difference. Pack your favourite cushion or pillow in your carry-on luggage, along with a throw or shawl to keep you warm and snug. Spritz it with your favourite perfume beforehand.
  7. Avoid alcohol
  Reaching for a gin and tonic might seem like the perfect fix for frayed nerves, but relying on the drinks trolley to relax you will only make matters worse – you’ll end up dehydrated and will find it harder to sleep too. Plus you’re hardly going to be the most popular travel companion if you’re clambering over your fellow passengers every five minutes to get to the toilet.
  8. Dress for comfort
  You may loathe the thought of being seen without your six-inch heels but when it comes to long flights, comfort wins over style every time. Opt for loose clothing – preferably man-made material – and go for comfortable shoes such as flip flops or ballet pumps. If you’ve got a favourite comfy tracksuit that’s looking a bit tired, simply pack it in your carry-on luggage and change once you’re on the aeroplane. Packing a spare pair of underwear will help you freshen up, too.
  9. Go over to the dark side
  If you’re the kind of person who struggles to sleep at home, sleeping on a plane is probably going to be twice as hard. Pack an eye mask to help block out the light – if possible, opt for one filled with lavender to soothe your nerves and help you sleep.
  

  ---

  Related Links

  Airport Taxi
  Heathrow and Garwick Airport Transfer ervices
  

6 Must-Have Items for Business Trips

By Rick Valence

There are many factors involved in a business trip planning; getting proper rest before you go, transporting and protecting your things, keeping in contact with your office, just to name a few. Getting prepared isn't always easy when you have all of that on your plate. On top of all that you have to make your business trip as productive and cost effective as possible. There are many items needed for business trips, but here are six that you must have to be able to do business properly.

1) Medication
Not just all of your personal prescription medications, which are obviously vital to pack, you will also need to compile a small first-aid kit and keep it with you at all times. They are a very common item and can be picked up at any drug store. This is especially true when visiting a foreign country where you do not speak the language. This way if you have a minor medical need, you will have everything to take care of it yourself.

2) Inflatable Travel Pillow
Let's face it, carrying around an actual pillow is cumbersome at best. Your best option for portability is using a lightweight travel pillow that inflates. Regardless of your mode of transportation, plane, train, or automobile, it will come in handy. Even if you are driving a car, you will be thankful you brought one. This is especially true if you need to pull over for a little catnap.

3) Plug Adapter
If your business trip is taking you to another country, you will have to have an electric plug adapter to be able to use any of your handy electronic gadgets. Without one you will look like a fool and probably not be able to even conduct much business due to the dependence most businesses have on technology.

4) Voltage Converter
You need a voltage converter for much of the same reasons you need a plug adapter. Voltage rates vary from country to country. So, having one device that lets you use electricity from them all will be very important. Currently there are many electronics, but not all, that allow for a range of voltages. Be very certain, otherwise you may permanently fry your devices.

5) Surge Protector
While we may have built in wiring in our homes to protect against power surges, this is not true everywhere. You need to be sure your electronics are protected from being damaged from an electrical surge.

6) Noise-canceling Headphones
These are an absolute must for those who need to rest or get work done in a noisy environment. Just be careful to reserve their use in relatively safe situations because they block all noise and you will not be able to hear if there is any danger.

Careful planning can ensure that your business trips go as smoothly as possible. With these six items that should not be a problem on your next business trip.

Heathrow Airport Taxi and Chauffeur Services

Travelling on business or leisure you can trust Heathrow Airport’s Taxi and chauffeur provider only official chauffeur service to give you the perfect arrival and departure from the any London airport.

London Airport Taxi & UK Technology Supplier 

UK transport & supplier, Distributor Company based in London, offering a complete passenger & goods services; Taxi, Chauffeur Driven Private Cars Hire to / from all major Airports Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton, Stansted Transfer Services, Removals & Delivery