What an exhausting year it's been, and at the start of 2008, Hilary and I hadn't dreamed of being the owners of two Travel Agencies.

Having been in great Malvern for nearly 14 years, the opportunity of opening our second branch in Ledbury came along in May,and after sorting out the legalities,telephone lines, broadband etc and setting the branch up with all of the Tour operators, we are finally open, and the Harrison Family is in need of a well earned Holiday ourselves

We seem to have a love affair with Turkey and in particular the resort of Kalkan that won't go away.This year we are staying at The Kalkan Regency owned by Nuri and Masuda. We have met Nuri and Masuda a few times before , when we have visited the Hotel for a site visit, and have always been impressed by their kind hospitality, and so we are delighted that we shall be here for a week rather than just the odd hour or two.

We fly to Dalaman on Saturday with BMI from Manchester and are looking forward to meeting up with some friends we haven't seen for 4 years who are staying at the nearby Asfiya Hotel ( another Harrison favourite hotel!).Although on Holiday, we have arranged to go and see some Hotels and Villas and will have some Photos and hopefully some Video of The Kleo Cottages, Hotel Villa Mahal and The White collection of Villas and others on our return.

The Blog will return after our holiday on the 18th August,and below you will find some details of The Kalkan Regency with a short Video that we took a year or two ago.

THE KALKAN REGENCY HOTEL

The Kalkan Regency is a stylish, intimate and exclusive hotel with a well deserved reputation of being the best hotel in Kalkan, and one of the finest hotels along the entire coast of Turkey.

Voted ‘best of the best’ in the Sunday Times top ten Mediterranean Holiday Hotels, it has an atmosphere and attitude to service discreet, personal and tailored to your enjoyment that ensures a loyal following amongst those who have experienced its unique style.

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Family-owned and run by Nuri and Masuda together with their son Dolunay, the focus is on exceptionally high standards and attention to detail. The Kalkan Regency is an intimate and exclusive boutique hotel of only 38 rooms, all elegantly furnished and air-conditioned.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Regency is the magnificent panoramic view across the bay and harbour of Kalkan. Some variant of this wonderful sea view is apparent from virtually every aspect of the hotel.The focal point of the Regency is the huge swimming pool the largest in Kalkan with its fabulous pool bar. Sitting in or out of the pool, your only option is to relax.

The extensive facilities include a Sauna,Wellbeing Centre and Turkish bath,together with an air-conditioned gym.Every thought has been given to the comfort and satisfaction of guests, from the excellent food in the Seapoint Terrace restaurant through to the billiards, chess,backgammon, satellite television and DVDs available in the Club Room for perfect after-dinner relaxation.

FOOD & WINE AT THE REGENCY

Food is a great love of Nuri and Masuda and they insist ingredients are always freshly prepared, regardless of whether you order a pool-side snack or a gourmet meal. Almost all the produce is organic with as much as 90 percent of the vegetables and herbs, together with some fruit, milk,cheese, yoghurt and olive oil coming from the family’s organic farm in the mountains nearby. Indeed, each Friday guests are invited to visit the farm on an informal basis simply inform Dolunay of yourinterest.

The Seapoint Terrace has a well established and certainly deserved reputation for being amongst the very finest restaurants in Kalkan. Guests can appreciate the imaginative and beautifully presented fare based predominantly on Classic Ottoman Turkish Cuisine whilst enjoying the Kalkan nightscape from the terrace setting. Wine is held in equally high regard, with the Regency cellar being second to none in the region.

The special evenings held twice a week are an absolute ‘must’. Here, guests can relax in a wonderful setting enjoying anexcellent meal to the accompaniment of top class classical guitar, jazz or traditional musicians.Breakfast is another special feature at The Regency. It is always a relaxed affairand never more so than on a Sunday morning when a leisurely brunch is served throughout the entire morning to welcome newly arrived guests.

Once a week, normally on a Tuesday and without charge guests are invited into the Regency’s spotless kitchens to learn how to prepare some traditional dishes. This truly fascinating opportunity is a lovely touch and a great chance to discover more about one of the world’s finest cuisines. This is just one example of the many ideas that go to create the special atmosphere at the Regency.

THE REGENCY ROOMS

The 36 air-conditioned/heated bedrooms are elegantly furnished and equipped to a high standard with all the bathrooms recently refurbished.The two deluxe rooms Portakal and Limon, located by the citrus grove are truly stunning and an absolute must for those seeking further luxury. Entrance to these detached rooms is through a private terrace. This leads into a sitting area with a couple of steps rising to the bedroom which boasts a kingsize bed. The bathroom, complete with its ownjacuzzi bath, is the finishing touch to these tasteful and spacious rooms.

Well we apologise for not updating the blog site for a while, as we have been extremely busy opening a second Select World Travel branch in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Owners of Select World Travel, Lee and Hilary Harrison decided that their assistant manager, Paul Knapper at Great Malvern, had been spending far too much time away on educational visits to far away places and so we have decided to appoint Paul as the new Manager of the Malvern Branch to keep him busy. In Ledbury Lee will take over the running of the new Branch with the well known local faces of Tina Welch and Kerry Smith at the branch which is to be found at 22 The High Street, Ledbury.

SELECT WORLD TRAVEL'S NEW BRANCH AT 22 HIGH STREET, LEDBURY

NEW LEDBURY TELEPHONE NUMBER 01531 637301

NEW LEDBURY e-mail ledbury@selectworldtravel.co.uk

Ledbury is one of the finest Black and White towns in the Country. Full of beautiful shops and restaurants with staff eager to help and assist. An ideal place to visit and stay, Ledbury has so much charm and tradition to offer the visitor. Situated on a crossroads, this vibrant town has evolved to meet the demands of 2008 but still retains its beauty.To read more about Ledbury and the surrounding area PLEASE CLICK HERE

.

Select World Travel were extemely honoured on their opening day to be paid a visit by The Ledbury Town Crier Mr William Turberfield in all his regalia.Mr Turberfield is well known as a Ledbury Scribe. He is also is related to the family that inspired Thomas Hardy to write Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

The Town Mayor Mr Keith Frances also visited us and wished us well in our new venture.He Was impressed that we had made a few changes to the Shop,especially a relaxation area where clients could look at brochures at their leisure with a Glass of wine or soft drink from a well stocked small refrigerator close by and that clients could help themselves if our consultants were busy with other clients. As an Aito specialist our Ledbury branch carries a hugh range of different brochures and Ideas, just as we have been doing for the last 14 Years at our Malvern Head Office. As the only Travel Agency in Ledbury,we look forward to welcoming you to Select World Travel.

LEDBURY TOWN CRIER MR WILLIAM TURBERFIELD

Everything about the Yediburunlar Lighthouse ensures perfect relaxation from the moment you arrive. Set amongst the dramatic mountain peaks and looking down to the aquamarine waters below, this is a great place to trek along the Lycian Way, or to just stop and enjoy the sound of silence. The service is excellent, as is the vegetarian cuisine, offering a taste of authentic Turkey in a unique environment

TO DOWNLOAD MORE INFORMATION ON THE YEDINBURUNLAR LIGHTHOUSE CLICK ON THIS PDF LINK HERE

Yediburunlar Lighthouse is truly the ultimate escape. The staggering beauty of the location combined with the complete tranquility and pure, pure air, make this unique retreat the perfect place to release the stresses of modern-day life– in an instant. As far as the eye can see, mountain peaks plunge dramatically down to verdant bays and the aquamarine waters of the sea way below. The imaginative vegetarian cuisine is a fundamental part of any stay, you can also appreciate the stunning natural beauty of the region, trek along The Lycian Way and most of all appreciate the sound of absolute silence!

That overly used expression ‘off the beaten track’ most certainly applies here. You leave the Fethiye to Kalkan road half-way between the two places and head up into the mountains past the ancient Lycian site of Sydma. Here the road becomes a track that bumps along for six kilometres, passing through mountain villages and acre after acre of farmland before eventually arriving at your stunning destination.

Yediburunlar means ‘seven noses’ and is the Turkish description of the seven bays that make up arguably the country’s most stunning coastline. As far as the eye can see, mountain peaks plunge dramatically down to verdant bays and the aquamarine waters of the Mediterranean way below.

Yediburunlar Lighthouse is the passion of your delightful hosts – Semra, who is Turkish, and Leon, who is South African. They fell in love with the region and set about creating the perfect mountain retreat. Their aim is to provide guests with the opportunity to relax completely, far removed from the stresses of day-today life. But you can also appreciate the stunning natural beauty of the region, learn a little of the local way of life, trek along The Lycian Way, enjoy their exquisite cuisine and most of all appreciate the sound of absolute silence!

The reason most people choose to visit Yediburunlar is to explore and enjoy the remoteness of the region. The Lycian Way – one of the world’s most famous trekking paths – passes through the area on its most dramatic section. The closest village is perhaps a 20-minute walk and Leon and Semra can arrange for you to have a village lunch (chicken or vegetarian) and a beer at the village Headman’s house whenever you wish.

Treks lead into the mountains and provide stunning sea and mountain scenery. The sea – although all around – is not particularly easy to get to, though the deserted bays and azure waters provide considerable reward for your efforts when you do make it there! Local beaches can be reached on a marked trail. One hour 15 minutes down and a hard (but rewarding) two hours back

TO DOWNLOAD MORE INFORMATION ON THE YEDINBURUNLAR LIGHTHOUSE CLICK ON THIS PDF LINK HERE

To book Yediburunlar Lighthouse call Select World Travel on 01684 577007 or e-mail enquiries@selectworldtravel.co.uk

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE LATEST ADOBE ACROBAT READER TO DOWNLOAD A PDF, CLICK THIS FREE LINK HERE

---

Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
A Smarter Email.

My Apologies to All Chesea Supporters, but just Couldn't resist posting this after such a great game against Manchester United in Moscow last night.

Great Malvern is Buzzing as The Spring Garden show is being held over the next 4 days at the Three Counties Show Ground.

Local businesses are participating in a new initiative called " Blooming Hills" and there are more than 25 fantastic creative floral displays on show around the Town.We had the BBC here yesterday afternoon filming the Judging along with celebrity gardener JOE SWIFT. You can watch our results on BBC 2, Gardeners World tonight between 20.00 to 21.00, Hopefully Select World Travel will feature as we are one of the main sponsors with Classic Collection Holidays and are providing a 7 Night holiday to the fantastic Estalagem Jardins do Lago in Madeira to the winning entry of " Blooming Hills"

Great Malvern Association of Traders ( GMAT) in association with THE THREE COUNTIES SHOWGROUND and the Royal Horticultural Society launched " Blooming Hills" after a similar success with Sloane in Bloom at the Chelsea flower show.Select World Travel would like to make a special Thank-you to Nina Acton, Shows Development officer for The Three Counties showground who presented Mrs Hilary Harrison with an A-Z encyclopedia from the RHS, signed by the Celebrity Gardeners at the Malvern Spring Garden show 2008, to give to Mr Duarte da Silva at Jardins do Lago , where the Prizewinners of " Blooming Hills"will be staying.

The Winning entry of " Blooming Hills" was by Mike and Mel of Riding High based on Worcester Road and can be found as you travel towards Malvern Link. It really is a fantastic floral display as you can see from the photograph below.

We have put some details and Photographs of their prize to Madeira later on in this article.

Other Photograhs of some of the displays are shown below, apolgies to any shops we might not have had time to see your displays to photograph them.

TO VIEW FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS JUST CLICK ON THE PICASSA PHOTO ALBUM ABOVE

The Judges were extremely impressed by the Traders of Great Malvern and their creativity.You can view our design put together by Hilary Harrison, Owner of Select World Travel below.

TO VIEW FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS JUST CLICK ON THE PICASSA PHOTO ALBUM ABOVE

Here is a list of the shops that entered and links where applicable to their businesses. RIDING HIGH45 Worcester Road, Great Malvern, WR14 4RB.BRAYS31-37, Worcester Rd,Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 4RD.CENTER FOR WELL BEINGThe Garden Suite,24 Worcester Road,Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 4QW.BOOKS FOR AMNESTY3Edith Walk,Great Malvern Worcestershire WR14 4QH. WALLER AND WALLER OPTICIANS Lambert House, Edith Walk, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 4QH.MOUNT PLEASANT HOTELBelle Vue Terrace, Great Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 4PZ.FORGET ME NOT,Belle Vue Terrace,Great Malvern, Worcestershire.IAPETUS 32 Belle Vue Terrace, Gt Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 4PZ.SARAH JANE INTERIORS28-30 Belle Vue Terrace,Malvern,Worcs,WR14 4PZ.AIR HAIRDRESSERS,3 clarburgh house 32 church street great malvern worcestershire wr14 2az.MALVERN CURTAINS,Malvern Curtains 20 Belle Vue Ter,Malvern,WR14 4PZ. SIMPLY SEWING,12 Belle Vue Terrace Malvern,Worcestershire,WR13 6QB.PARRY'S JEWELLERS115 Church Street Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 2AJ.ROBSON WARDThe Old Malvern Bottling Works 10 Belle Vue Terrace,Great Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 4PZ.PEPPER AND OZ BRASSERIEThe Brasserie, 23 Abbey Road, Malvern.GREAT MALVERN DELI.Abbey Road, Malvern.MALVERN BOOKSHOP. 7 Abbey Road MALVERN Worcestershire WR14 3ES. LYTTLETON HOUSE GALLERYPriory Steps,3 Abbey Road,Great Malvern,Worcestershire WR14 3ES.BLUEBIRD TEA ROOMS9 Church Street,Great Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 2AA.MALVERN COUNTRY MEALS37 Church Street,Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 2AA.KNITTING PARLOUR4a Graham Road, Great Malvern,WR14 2HN.BAHOO,6-8, Graham Rd, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 2HN.HOLLANDS OPTICIANS 16 Graham Road,Malvern,Worcestershire,WR14 2HL

DETAILS OF THE PRIZE AT ESTALAGEM JARDINS DO LAGO

Quinta da Achada’s transformation into a Hotel (Now called Estalagem Jardins do Lago) is without doubt an excellent example of the successful integration of a traditional elegant property, rich in history and beauty. It meets the modern demands of comfort, convenience and well being required from the fast-growing market segment of tourists looking to experience the restfulness of a traditional Madeiran Quinta.

It offers a total of 40 rooms, including suites and junior suites all facing south to the gardens and the sea. Comfort, functionality and style, the design priorities, make the most of this exceptional setting.

Location This beautiful Quinta is situated on one of the hills surrounding the city of Funchal , close to its principal area of historical interest, with several museums and is just 1,5km from the centre of town.

Official category Five Star Hotel (Estalagem)

Transportation The Hotel (Estalagem) offers Courtesy Minibus four times daily on weekdays to the centre of town. Public bus stop available close to the Quinta.

Parking Private Parking facilities

Madeira International

Airport By car, the Santa Catarina Airport is only 20 minutes away from the Hotel.

Guest Rooms All Rooms, Junior Suites and Senior Suites, are up to the highest standard of comfort, charm and beauty.

Standard Garden View

Thirteen large charming rooms with spacious furnished indoor/outdoor balconies, with a sitting area direct to the lush gardens.

Superior Garden View

Eighteen large elegant rooms with a sitting area and with spacious furnished indoor/outdoor balconies, all facing south to the lush gardens and the sea.

Junior Suites

Four carefully refurbished large rooms transformed into junior suites with a sitting area, in the eighteenth century elegant manor house with spacious balconies.

Premier Suites

Five suites decorated to the highest standard. These large suites have the bedroom separated from the sitting room with enormous indoor/outdoor balconies.

All rooms are equipped with :

Balcony overlooking the gardens

Air-conditioning

Sitting area

Mini Bar

Television with Cable TV

Direct dial telephone

Safety deposit box (supplement fee)

Internet connection

· Private marble bathrooms with bath/shower, hairdryer, bathrobes and a separate W.C.

Free access to all facilities at the Estalagem.

Restaurant, Breakfast Room

and Bars Restaurant “The Beresford”

An elegant evening Restaurant with al fresco seating for the perfect evening, offers Madeiran and International first class cuisine served with high professional standards and welcoming Madeira traditions.

Breakfast Room “The Pink Room”

With view to the gardens and a varanda featuring a magnificent sixteenth century ceramic wall panel.

“O Visconde”

A cosy bar in the main lounge, which is ideal for cocktails and nightcaps while you enjoy the exotic ambience and music.

“ Colombo Bistro”

Nestled in the special tropical indoor-outdoor swimming pool offers refreshing drinks, snacks and quality food cooked simply with the freshest local ingredients in a truly relaxing area.

Sports and Leisure

In-house facilities Semi-covered heated freshwater swimming pool

(complimentary) Sun terraces with sun beds, umbrellas and towels

Well-equipped Gym

Sauna

Jacuzzi

Turkish Bath

Tennis Court

Other services, facilities and curiosities

 Library

 Game Room 

 Billiard Room 

 Laundry

Meeting Room with capacity for 25 persons

 Tent with an area of 300m² suitable for banquets and cocktails

Variety of pleasant and comfortable areas of relaxation.

 Unique 2,6 hectares ( 6,4 acres ) Botanical Gardens with wonderful examples of rare and very old trees, exotic flowers and charming lakes.

 “ Colombo ” the Quinta’s giant tortoise from Galapagos living for the last 45 years at these Gardens.

History tells that during the occupation of Madeira , at the time of the Napoleonic wars, this Quinta served as the residence of General Beresford, commander of the British forces. Today, his magnificent sideboard is still in evidence as a reminder of his stay.

 Small Hothouse with a variety of flowers used for the interior decoration of the Estalagem.