Each time they head off on their travels, our globetrotting bloggers share one photo that sums up their trip. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words…
Today… a stork stands proud on its nest at the Badii Palace in Marrakech.
In case you hadn’t heard, the fabulous Alesha Dixon is our Summer of Music headliner for 2015. And, in a UK first, she’s letting you create the music video for her summer single, The Way We Are…
Our Summer Of Music campaign is all about that perfect holiday soundtrack. We’ve already teamed up with Spotify to make a summer playlist generator, and now we want you to help create Alesha Dixon’s music video for her new single, The Way We Are.
The video has been filmed across our First Choice resorts in Paphos, Cyprus. Three different endings have been shot and now it’s down to you to decide which one makes the final cut. If you’ve ever fancied yourself as the next Tarantino, this is your moment. Using your keen eye and impeccable taste, you can browse our 3 video edits and then pick your fave.
And that’s not all…to say thanks for voting, every entrant will automatically be put into a prize draw to win a holiday to Cyprus, where the video was filmed. You’ll be able to recreate the video for yourself at our First Choice Holiday Village resort.
How does that sound? Keep an eye on our Summer Of Music site for the video clips.
Over the last year we’ve sent 5 brilliant bloggers to some of our finest destinations. They visited the likes of Mexico, Mauritius and Cape Verde, and blogged about what they got up to. Here’s our round up of Alison Chino’s blogs…
In October last year we ran a competition to find a handful of expert bloggers who could road-test our holidays and bring you the lowdown on the destinations, excursions and activities. Alison Chino was hand-picked to be part of our Out Of Office blogging team, impressing us with her entry about her adventures in Ireland. We sent her to Cape Verde and Malta to blog about her experiences. Here’s a selection of her holiday highlights…
“The public beach at Santa Maria is the first stop on our 4×4 tour of Sal, and sets the vibe for the whole day – think relaxed and easy. Over drinks at an open-air seaside restaurant, our guide gave us a little overview of what was coming up. He explained that Sal translates as ‘salt’ in Portuguese – and we found out why at Pedra de Lume, an old volcano. It’s now a crater lake that fills with salt water because it’s 7 kilometres lower than sea level. You can float in the lake – just like in the Dead Sea – and the salt is still mined and used on all the islands of Cape Verde.”
“During the tour, I rode up front and asked lots of questions. I learnt lots but there’s one fact the guide told me when I first hopped in the vehicle in the morning that I will remember for years to come…The island of Sal averages 350 days of sunshine a year. That’s really all I need to know to make me want to return.”
“Malta is a great location for sampling what the sea has to offer. Eating al fresco in bays full of bright fishing boats reminds me that the seafood on the menus was caught that very morning.”
“As we take our seats in a restaurant for lunch, a waitress brings fresh fish from the market out on a platter so we can choose the ones we want. Then we discuss how we would like it prepared. Simply seared with local herbs and olive oil? Yes, please. In the meantime, we snack on bruschetta and an antipasti platter, served with Maltese white wine, soft and fruity. I love the white butter bean dish – called fażola bit-tewm.”
“The fish comes out with a gorgeous platter of prawns, octopus and mussels. Twice in Malta when I was at a table with a group who all ordered seafood, the server suggested sharing platters of house specialties. It was a great idea and I loved getting to try different dishes. The whole experience is the kind of slow, wonderful meal I wish I could eat every day. And while I’m in Malta, that is exactly what I do. Pass the olive oil, please.”
“If I had to describe Mauritius in one word, it would be colourful. Maybe it’s because I spend most of the year in a town that is pretty grey. But the whole time I was on holiday on this gorgeous island, I was captivated by all the colour. From rainbow parasails to blue seas and green landscapes…”
GLORIOUS GREENS
[Clockwise from top left: Our tour of the island was called “Colourful South,” and it was aptly named. // Our lunchtime view on our tour was all mountain greens. // We had so much fun finding these little friends among all the shades of green. // A green lawn outside the beach bar, which played host to an outdoor barbeque. // Centre: Drinks by the pool – a minty mojito and a passion fruit cocktail.]
