generalnews the travel news that's turning heads Olympic vows to realise dreams


Olympic Holidays' new Weddings, Honeymoons and Renewal of Vows brochure features an expanded range of options in Cyprus, Greece and Malta. In Cyprus, where Olympic offers a choice of 34 hotels that can stage a wedding ceremony, couples can include extras like a horse and carriage or a stretch limo and have their wedding and reception on a luxury yacht. "We can arrange for musicians – a


string quartet or a bagpipe player, perhaps – or Cypriot dancers to perform...there is something to suit all tastes and budgets," said Fanoulla Spyrou, Olympic's weddings executive. A new wedding venue on Cyprus


for Olympic is Ayii Anargyri Spa Resort, in Miliou village near Paphos, where couples can have a simple civil ceremony. In the Greek islands Olympic can arrange weddings on nine islands, plus mainland Halkidiki, with new venues for the ceremony in Rhodes, Zante, Skiathos and Kos.


A 72ft Greek wooden sailing boat,


Planitis, is already proving popular for Skiathos ceremonies: the couple marry aboard and then set off with guests for a full-day cruise around the islands. In Malta, Olympic can arrange


weddings in several hotels plus the 19th-century Palazzo Parisio, a former palace, and the Villa Arrigo, a grand villa set in the Maltese countryside.


Bulgaria city breaks are the latest attraction


"Arranging a wedding abroad is easy and the costs are often less," said Spyrou. "Our dedicated brochure acts as a comprehensive wedding planner and is designed to help agents earn good commission from this flourishing market sector." 0844 499 0855


www.olympicholidays.com Viminacium a major find


Attraction World, the theme park and attraction specialist, has introduced new tours in Bulgaria that are commissionable to agents selling a Sofia city break. The Plodiv and Monastery tour,


featuring Bulgaria’s second-largest city, starts from £50pp. Visitors will see one of the oldest European towns: it has existed as a settlement for about 8,000 years and is well known for its fine


examples of Thrace, Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian culture and architecture. The Bachkovo Monastery is one of the most famous sites in Bulgaria. Rila Monastery is situated at 1,150


metres, in the heart of the Rila Mountains and is the most famous Bulgarian World Heritage site. A private tour – also priced at £50 – comes with an English-speaking guide. www.attractionworld.com.


Archaeologists in Serbia are currently excavating the ruins of the major Roman city and military camp of Moesia, dating back to the First century AD. Covering over 450 hectares Viminacium, located 90 miles south-east of Belgrade, already attracts in excess of 60,000 visitors a year. The site contains the remains of temples, streets, squares, amphitheatres, palaces, hippodromes, Roman baths and fourth-century frescoes – and just two per cent of it has been excavated. Next year, in conjunction with the Rome Opera House there will be a production of Aida, the first in a series of concerts planned for the Viminacium amphitheatre. Viminacium is open February to


November and English-speaking guided tours are available. +381 62669013; www.viminacium. org.rs


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news • advice • chat • information theround-up ESwiss carrier SkyWork Airlines adds


a third Q400 70-seat Bombardier aircraft to its fleet in September, to coincide with its London City-Bern service going double daily. From September 5, SkyWork bookings will be fully accessible on the GDS systems, Amadeus and Galileo. The airline provides guests with iPads for in-flight entertainment. Bern’s Belp Airport is just an hour from the nearest ski slopes in the Swiss Alps. www.flyskywork.com


EIsrael’s second international airport


is to be built at Timna, approximately 18km north of Eilat. Construction is already underway and should be completed by 2014, replacing the smaller airports in Eilat and Ovda. A light rail will also be built to connect the airport to Eilat city centre. www.goisrael.com


EMeliá Hotels International will take


control of its sixth hotel in Bulgaria next summer. The Sol Marina Palace is a four-star resort with 128 rooms located in Nessebar, a resort town on the Black Sea. The 128-room property features a main restaurant, four bars (one on the roof terrace with panoramic views) and a spa with a swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, massage booths, fitness area and solarium. The hotel, which opened in 2004, will begin operations under the Sol Hotels resort brand next June. www.solmelia.com


EThe Viceroy Hotel Group is to develop


the Viceroy Bodrum, a luxury resort and real estate property on the Bodrum Peninsula on the southwestern shores of Turkey . Located on 32 acres overlooking the beaches of Koyunbaba Bay, the luxury Viceroy Bodrum will feature 84 guest rooms, 166 residential units, a private beach club, a spa and several Turkish and international dining options. The property will open in 2014. Bodrum is a 50-minute flight from Istanbul. www.viceroyhotelgroup.com


04 September/October 2011 • www.sellinglonghaul.com


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