Health, Happiness and Holidays!

With the New Year almost upon us, it seems timely to write and wish you all Health, Happiness and Holidays for 2013 and beyond.
So I wonder what 2013 will bring? For some, there is a definite narrowing down of uncertainties with people booking apartments at Tazacorte and rural houses all over La Palma like crazy. And of course the apartments in Puerto Naos get a look in too!
I can only blame the cheap January flights currently being offered by Thomsons - I mean really, around £100 for a direct return flight to the La Palma. I'd snap it up myself if I wasn't already here! And of course a taste of that tantalizing winter sunshine that the Canaries is famous for.
So my one piece of advice for anyone who is wishing to take advantage of the cheap flights is get your accommodation booked as soon as possible.
Happy holidays and wising you all a ¡Feliz año nuevo!
Ann.
www.holiday-lapalma.com

Hiking with Travel Insurance

From cut-price flights to last-minute accommodation deals, most of us are keen to keep costs as low as is realistically possible. So if we can avoid not having to pay for what might be seen as 'optional extras' such as travel insurance, then it might be tempting to forgo this extra expense. However, travelling with fingers crossed can be just about as uncomfortable as it sounds!
So just what are we talking about here? Delayed flights, lost luggage or the possibility of a medical problem while on holiday in a foreign country. Yes, of course it's sensible to make sure you have insurance cover for all of these possibilities so that if nothing else, you have peace of mind.
However, there is another cover which you might not have considered - that of insurance cover for walking, hiking or trekking, particularly when it is in a remote location or at a substantial height above sea level.

The good news is that you can get special insurance cover for walking/hiking/trekking at heights above 2000m for as little as £17. Not too much to pay for that peace of mind!

You can get a quote directly from our Holiday Shop under 'Travel Insurance.' 

Early birds booking accommodation for Christmas and New Year

The early bird catches the worm so they say - and that is certainly true when it comes to booking accommodation for Christmas and New Year holidays on La Palma.After all, the Canary Islands are well-known as being the top spot in Europe for winter sun. 
So it is of course good sense to make those important reservations early but it's not always that easy. And with what the Spanish call 'La Crisis' it is hardly any wonder that booking accommodation months ahead is not always the first thing on people's mind.
However, I have been pleasantly surprised in one way that so many people have been booking up their Christmas and New Holidays while we are still in October. I say 'in one way' because the down side is that the popular holiday houses on La Palma and the apartments for rent at Tazacorte and Puerto Naos are getting very booked up and there are going to be some disappointed people.
So the moral in the story is as ever, if you have your eye on a particular worm, best get in there good and early before all the other birds!

Where to go on holiday?

I'd love to know what makes us decide where to go on holiday. Maybe it's a holiday destination that was on the television or perhaps a case of hearing from friends where they went on holiday and thinking, 'That sounds like my kind of place!'
These days, by the time I speak to people who are considering their next holiday, they have generally already decided where to go - La Palma! Which of course I'm thrilled about.

The next decision then is where to locate yourself on the island. This may not be quite as straight forward as east, west, north or south as La Palma is a pretty (pun intended) mountainous island and the altitude of accommodation plays an important part.Yep, it's time to get out your map on La Palma - and also seek some insider advice!

We often get asked, 'Where is the best place to stay?' It is a questions that is often asked on Trip Advisor too. First of all, it's important to identify what you are looking for in a holiday. Would you prefer a cottage in a village location where you can walk to the shops? Or perhaps your holiday to La Palma is all about catching some winter sun (or summer sun!) and you want an apartment close to the beach. Oh, and close to restaurants too.

Maybe you are looking for a villa with swimming pool so that you can relax with a degree of privacy? Somewhere quiet ... or not far from the airport. Or rural accommodation with walking routes straight from the door yet near a bus route?

There may be a small compromise involved but it's certainly worth identifying what you will and won't give way on! After all, it's your holiday and that's important.
We are always very happy to help with any questions on La Palma and you are more than welcome to contact us.
Happy planning!

Boxing clever

The thought of a holiday often makes us gaze wistfully into space while we imagine a palm tree gently swaying along with the sound of waves lapping softly onto the shore. Or perhaps it's the thought of pulling on those trusty walking boots, fresh mountain air and the delicious smell of pine forests.
Actually, to some extent, it doesn't matter what your ideal holiday is because it's not many moments before thoughts of practicalities kick in - one of those being how to get from A to B.  Yes, the dreaded job of finding flights.

 When it comes to a holiday on Isla de La Palma (I've recently started to call it 'Isla de ..' from time to time to avoid confusion with other places of a similar name), to some extent the job is easy because the only company that offer direct flights are Thomsons with a flight each week from both Manchester and Gatwick.
There are of course indirect flights but many people view those as a bit of a pain, especially when they involve Tenerife as there are two airports in Tenerife, one for international flights in the south and one in the north for inter-island flights.
But hang on a minute - what about thinking out of the box and considering a two centre holiday which will not only allow you to explore two islands but also to benefit from cheap flight options to a destination such as Tenerife. And of course with flights seven days a week, it also opens up the options for which day to travel.

Flying from Isla de la Palma to Tenerife North

When it comes to getting over to La Palma, then the choices are flying or ferry with two flight operators (Binter and Islas Airways) and two ferry operators (Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas). Here are the web links to get you started.
www.binternet.com
www.islasairways.com
www.fredolsen.es
www.navieraarmas.com/
Other possibilities well worth considering apart from the direct flights are flying via Madrid, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Gran Canaria who all have direct flights to La Palma.
A great website to search those is www.skyscanner.net

Daily ferries between Isla de la Palma and Tenerife

Happy travels and don't forget, you can always consult our website for accommodation or contact us for advice or information.

Newsletter

As you know, this blog is all about great deals on both accommodation and flights to La Palma along with tips for once you get here and general travel hints.  I hope you are finding it useful! You might also have found that we Tweet these snippets of information too and you may even be one of our 700 (and hopefully increasing) followers.

However, in the quest to get the message out to you as quickly and efficiently as possible - and so that you don't miss it - we have started up a newsletter which can be sent directly to you.  First of all though, you do need to let us know if you would like to receive this newsletter.

Apart from last minute deals, holiday accommodation on La Palma, etc., there will be a few short articles about the latest news on La Palma and closer to home, what we are getting up to on the finca.

It's light-hearted and informative - intended for you to dip into at your own leisure and hopefully get something out of it!

So how do you sign up?  Just click the link here http://www.holiday-lapalma.com/newslettersignup.html and don't worry, you can unsubscribe at any time you wish without giving any reason.

And that's it - looking forward to keeping you up to date with our news!

Great deals offered to you from our Holiday Shop

In my quest for holiday-type bargains, whether that be flights to La Palma, ferries or accommodation on the island, I am pleased to be able to bring you a whole range of other goodies.  These include getting your holiday photos printed, holiday and walking clothing, camping gear and travel accessories such as suitcases, rucksacks, etc. 
The best way to check the current deals are either to have a look at our very own Holiday Shop - click here - or keep an eye on our Tweets - click here - for announcements.
For example, through Photobox we can offer you 60 free photo prints (offer only open until midnight tomorrow). Go to our Holiday Shop and scroll down to 'Photobox' and click the link.
Photobox is a pain-free way for getting your holiday photos developed over the internet so now there is no excuse for leaving them on the computer! And they make excellent gift products too such as A4 photo books, canvas prints, mugs, t-shirts and jigsaws. 
At Blacks, go to our Holiday Shop, click the Blacks link and you can enjoy 20% off camping gear - offer valid until midnight 6th June. Blacks is one of the high street's best-known names, offering quality products and friendly, knowledgeable advice on a selection of outdoor kit in over 104 stores nationwide. From Berghaus and The North Face to Merrell and Technicals, Blacks has both the understanding and the capability to meet our customers' high standards.  Free Delivery on Orders over £70. So now you can get your tents, rucksacks, water bottles all at a bargain price.  
You can also go to John Lewis directly from our Holiday Shop. John Lewis supply walking clothing (Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Ronhill, The North Face, Speedo, etc.) and fitness equipment, holiday clothing, mobile electronic devices (iPad, netbooks, tablet, laptops, etc.), cameras, holiday and travel accessories and a whole lot more.
And because life doesn't end after holidays you can also browse through their on-line home and garden section.  As well as special offers, John Lewis is 'never knowingly undersold' and offers a price match. John Lewis International now ships to abroad to 33 countries. 
We can even offer you £15 off your first on-line order of £80 or more on groceries at Sainsbury's. Again, go to our Holiday Shop, click on the Sainsbury's link and once there, enter the Code: MVDD-FN6V-7Q9Q. Offer until 10th June. Sainsbury's also supply sports and leisure wear, luggage, rucksacks, computing, cameras, camcorders and more.And, as before, you can get all your maps of La Palma, Spanish phrase books, guide books and walking books from Amazon, directly from our site and travel insurance too.
So what are you waiting for - have fun! 

Last minute flight deals and accommodation

It's a tough time for many people at the moment and a holiday abroad might be the furthest thing from the mind.  On the other hand, there was never a better time to be savvy and make the most of any travel deals going.  And this is where we come in!
We like to keep an eye on flight deals for you to make sure that you don't miss out on some last minute cheap flights.
Happily, we are also in the position to find you the right accommodation on La Palma to suit your budget.
So how about this for starters?
Flights from Manchester or Gatwick to La Palma (flight code SPC) 18 to 25th May, £99 return including taxes. Flights are with Thomsons and you can check it out on www.thomsonfly.com
And if you are looking for a truly excellent deal on accommodation, then it is possible to stay right in the heart of the capital of Santa Cruz de La Palma for only 15€ per person per night. For a beach holiday or walking holiday on La Palma, you might pay a little more for self-catering accommodation but the good news is that there are many bargains about!
You can also find us over on Twitter where we'll be tweeting even more deals for holidays on La Palma.
Do join us!

Bagging a bargain

Are you the kind of person who organises a holiday with great precision? Or the exact opposite - a last-minute holiday decided on the spur of the moment and completely impetuous?  There are doubtless arguments for both ways to book a holiday and we have probably all had a turn at both!
Personally, I'm not the sort of person who likes to plan too far ahead but unfortunately there are times when it is completely necessary especially when it comes to holidays which include flights and booking accommodation.
Flights may or may not come down in price the nearer the flight date gets but it's always a gamble.  So that is why it is always better to get searching for flights early and hopefully grab that good deal while you can.

The same really does go for accommodation except that it isn't the price that changes the nearer you get to the holiday date - it's the availability! So if you are looking for a specific type of accommodation such as an apartment near the beach but with two bedrooms and a swimming pool … or a house in the country but near a restaurant and walking routes, for best choice of exactly what you want - book early. (And of course, ask us and you too could be staying in a beautiful holiday house like this!)

 And if you are looking for direct flights from the UK to La Palma - then best keep your eye on www.thomsonfly.com.
Good deals of the moment, I hear you ask?
Flights to La Palma: -
£109 return flight Manchester or London Gatwick to La Palma, 13th to 20th April or 20th to 27th April. Whoa - what a brilliant price. (And there’s more …)
Holiday accommodation La Palma:-
2 bedroomed house with swimming pool plus car – 548€ per week, various dates or
1 bedroomed apartment at Tazacorte – one week 260€ per week, various dates.
Bargain bundle – flights, apartment and car all included and priced from 330€ per person, per week, based on two sharing.
 So if you are going to book a holiday to La Palma, it looks like it’s time to be impetuous folks!

Cut Price Accommodation

With some good flight deals to be had, especially if flying to La Palma via Tenerife, why not take up the challenge and make it a really cheap holiday with cut price accommodation?  After all, it could make the difference between having to sit and suffer the current freezing temperures in northern Europe and getting out and about in some warming winter sun. 

Cheap or budget accommodation is not always easy to find on La Palma though, unless you know where to look.  But it does exist in the form of pensiónes or hostals and with prices starting at 14€ per person, that has got to be one of the best bargains around. 

If you are however looking for something a little different, something  more adventurous, the call of the wild even, then how about a bit of camping? 

OK, so campsites on La Palma are definitely not in abundance but the few that exist are well worth seeking out.  And happily - since bringing a tent with you is not always possible or practical - there are campsites where you can hire a cabin for the night.
Prices per person are just 12€ per person per night (or10€ if you bring your own sleeping bag) in bunk room accommodation.  For an extra 10€ per booking, the cabin is exclusilvely yours. Not only do you get to enjoy communing with nature, so to speak, but a bargain price holiday too!

Walking guidebooks - buy before you fly?

Holidays are a wonderful change of tempo - a time to relax and explore and often a reward for all those hours spent at work. A time to save money is not what generally springs to mind.
However, there are few of us who don't try and be that little bit careful with money and make small savings where we can. But of course some savings we have to realise, are false savings.
When it comes to holidays, we obviously cannot get by without a flight and accommodation but one of the things that many people do try and get by without is a map of their destination, the place where they will spend the next week or two. Sometimes, it can work out and a map can be bought on La Palma although not always easily I have to say!
I wrote a blog post in August entitled 'Putting the Canary Islands on the Map' so I won't re-iterate that a good map is a good idea.
But what about the trusty walking guide book on La Palma?  These are probably easier to find on La Palma than maps and there are various ones to be had which include:
Rother Walking Guide of La Palma,
Landscapes of La Palma and El Hierro, Car Tours and Walks, by Noel Rochford,
Walk! La Palma by Charles Davis and
Walking on La Palma: The World's Steepest Island, by Paddy Dillon.

If you decide to buy before you fly to La Palma, then all of the above can be ordered on line from our Holiday Shop on the website. The link takes you straight to Amazon, it doesn't cost you any more and saves you searching.
However, if you are happy to check out what La Palma has to offer when you get here, then I don't think you will be too disappointed with the selection.
I should probably also add that if you are booking one of our walking holidays, such as the luggage transported walking holiday, the two-centre holiday or GR130 walking holiday, then all route notes are supplied for the walks, written by our own fair hands from our own experience! But if you would like to see some lovely colour photos and route descriptions of the most well-known walks on La Palma, then why not go that extra kilometre and buy one of the walking guidebooks mentioned!
Whatever you choose - enjoy the walking!