April /May News Archive

Record number of walkers turn out for a good cause	15 May 06

More than 5,000 people participated in the Earl Mountbatten's Walk the Wight on 14 May 2006

The Southeast's biggest charity walk, the Walk the Wight, in aid of the Isle Wight's Earl Mountbatten's Hospice, has once again broken all records. 5,211 walkers from all over Great Britain took part in the walk, which spans the entire island, to raise money for the hospice and enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the way. As the country's biggest walking holidays company, we have, for the past 3 years, sponsored this great event and we are already looking forward to next year's walk.

Guests holidaying at Freshwater Bay house at the time also joined in. As a show of support for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, they raised over £120 at an impromptu collection.

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Come and join us at the UK's largest walking festival	02 May 06

From 6 - 21 May the Isle of Wight will again be hosting the UK's largest Walking Festival.

The Isle of Wight has over 500 miles of well-maintained and signposted footpaths, around 30 miles of Heritage Coastline, and with more than half of the island recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty this is a great place to walk.

This well-established event builds on the resounding success of the previous year's festival and is well worth a visit. Come and stay at our Country House accommodation based in Freshwater Bay and choose from over 200 walks to suit all ages and abilities whether seasoned ramblers, or leisurely walker. Select a holiday from the list below or book a Country House Escape to become part of the action.

Walk the Wight this way, and experience Heritage walks, ghost walks, pub walks, pram walks, twilight walks, tea party walks to name but a few, click here to get more details on the walks.

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European City Breaks are the top choice	26 April 06

It has been reported that city break holidays are one of the fastest growing areas of the tourism industry. One of the major influences is the development of regional airports and the increased accessibility for a short getaway. Popular destinations include Prague, Rome and Paris, all of which can be enjoyed with HF Holidays.

The fairy-tale city of Prague is without doubt one of Europe's most beautiful capitals. Known as the city of a hundred spires, its buildings tell the story of six hundred years of architecture undamaged by natural disaster or war. Enjoy a guided sightseeing and walking holiday exploring the medieval centre of the city, which is a web of cobbled alleyways and courtyards guarded by Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world. Prague's glory, its architecture and wealth, is not hidden away in museums, but is displayed throughout the city waiting to be discovered with one of our HF Holidays' Leaders. Book now online from £429 per person excluding flights.

The ideal way to discover the beautiful city of Rome is on foot. Once the heart of a mighty empire and still the centre of the Catholic world, Rome offers an unrivalled wealth of historical sights. Wandering through the old centre we can take in the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain. Crossing the River Tiber we explore the Vatican, at the heart of which stands the mighty basilica of St Peter. There is also time to visit the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican museums, which house some of the world's most important art collections. Book now online from £345 per person excluding flights.

Paris really does have something for everyone, making it a popular choice for a short break. Our guided walking and sightseeing holiday samples many of the famous attractions with an experienced HF Holidays' Leader. Stroll down broad tree-lined boulevards, visit fascinating museums and experience the vibrant atmosphere of one of the world's most elegant cities. We offer two itineraries: Classic Paris including all the famous sites or Hidden Paris discovering the hidden secrets of this wonderful city. Book now online from £295 per person excluding transport.

We can also arrange tailor made self guided walking breaks in Paris, from £213 for 4 nights, click here for more details.

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Abroad Leaders in training	10 April 06

At HF Holidays we have a strong commitment to ongoing training of all our walking Leaders. This year over 120 of our Abroad Leaders joined us at our weekend training events at Malhamdale and Freshwater Bay.

Most of the time our Abroad Leaders operate in small teams of two, or occasionally three, so our weekend conferences provide an ideal opportunity for them to meet up as a large group and share best practise. This year there were opportunities for the Leaders to find out more about our new resorts, meet with the Field Officers who plan our walking programmes, and learn more about how to handle the unexpected situations that they may occasionally be faced with. An outdoor activity was an enjoyable way of practising first aid skills in a realistic environment.

"Our Abroad Leaders operate holidays all around the world and are key representatives or HF Holidays" explains Europe Manager, Steve Backhouse. "Most of the time our holidays run extremely smoothly, however, this ongoing training is important in ensuring our guests can enjoy consistently high quality holidays and that any problems are resolved quickly."

For the 2006 season our Abroad Leaders have all been issued with stylish HF Holidays polo shirts, seen here modelled by our Leaders at the Malhamdale weekend.

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