The Good Life in Hvar!

Allow us to introduce you to The Villa at Sviracina Bay, our current favourite accommodation on the beautiful Croatian island of Hvar. Transun have put our decades of experience in travel to Croatia to good use, unearthing this unique, exclusive gem which is only accessible to those in the know.

The Villa at Sviracina Bay

The location is almost too good to be true, surrounded by shady woods in a secluded bay and looking straight out to the sea. As spring blooms and summer approaches, the sound of crickets and aroma of wild herbs begins to fill the air, creating a magical backdrop to this stylish slice of healthy living. Scenic strolls to Hvar Town take roughly 40 minutes, while there are endless options to take to the warm waters and rejuvenate. The delicious remoteness of The Villa makes a hire car advisable if guests are keen to explore, but for those who really want to get away from it all there is no more enticing postcode on Hvar.

Sleeping up to 12 people, The Villa is ideal for families and large groups, and there are some great bargains to be had in the spring and late summer. May, June, September and October are among the best months to visit Hvar, avoiding the full impact of the Southern European summer and offering perfect conditions for walks, picnics and sundowners in the picturesque surrounds.

To discuss a stay at The Villa, or perhaps a chic hotel in Hvar Town, just call our team on 01865 265200.

Once-in-a-Lifetime Cruises to Franz Josef Land

Our new Polar Cruising offerings are already proving popular with clients, and we’ve had particular interest in the two August cruises to the Franz Josef Islands. This remote archipelago, close to the North Pole and a key outpost in polar exploration, is a truly once-in-a-lifetime destination. It is only accessible for a very short time each year due to sea ice conditions, and a special permit is required to visit.

Furthermore, due to logistical difficulties it is not even certain whether any expeditions will operate to Franz Josef Land in 2013, so now is definitely the time to seize the day! There are two cruises this year, a 12 night voyage departing Kirkenes, in Norway, on August 9^th, and an 11 night itinerary leaving on August 21^st.

The beauty of Franz Josef Land

If you have always dreamed of visiting places few other have ever trodden; of following in the wake of true pioneers; and of seeing polar bears, seals, whales and walruses, then this is undoubtedly a unique opportunity. And to make it more attractive than ever, we are currently offering 10% off all cruises to the Franz Josef Islands!

For more information on Franz Josef, or to view our online polar cruising e-brochure, simply follow the links below.

http://www.transun.co.uk/polar_cruises/franz_josef_cruises

http://www.transun.co.uk/brochures

Hooked on Lapland

As winter draws slowly towards a close in Lapland, the days get longer and temperatures finally start to increase. Our Northern Lights trips have been sensational this year, with more sightings than ever and 2012 certainly living up to the enthusiastic forecasts that heralded it a bumper year for Northern Lights enthusiasts.

From mid-April onwards, our attentions turn to the exciting range of sights and activities that Finnish Lapland has to offer in the spring and summer. This is a superb area for hiking, cycling and canoeing, but perhaps best of all is the truly world class fishing on offer in the many scenic rivers and lakes. Teeming with various specimens during the summer months in particular, this area is world renowned for salmon, trout and grayling, while pike, whitefish and perch are also present in large numbers.

Superb Fishing in Lapland

Lapland boasts a high proportion of Finland’s 187,888 lakes and 647 rivers, and from your base at the Davvi Arctic Lodge in Karesuando you can take full advantage of this unspoiled wilderness to fish at a number of different locations. Some are merely a short drive from the lodge, while others can only be accessed via exciting off-road adventures which really get you out into the wild! Transun can offer fishing trips to the region perfectly tailored to suit your level of experience and expertise.

Our fishing itineraries start at £699 per person for two nights, including flights, transfers, half board accommodation and one day’s fishing with guide, equipment and transfers required. For further details, bookings, and to order our brand new Hooked on Lapland brochure, call our office on 01865 265200.

Thailand’s Unique Jungle, Lakes & Islands

Some of our staff have spent a significant portion of the last month in Thailand researching our latest new product offering, and we are delighted to announce that Thailand with Transun is now on sale.

Many would assume that all of Thailand’s highlights have long since been discovered and commercialised, but our time there proved that some sensational areas are still very much off the beaten track. Khao Sok National Park in the south is one such place, a stunning destination of verdant jungle, rugged limestone karsts, crystal clear lakes, gushing waterfalls and exceptional flora and fauna. It is a little known fact that Khao Sok is the world’s oldest rainforest at roughly 160 million years of age, and we firmly believe that it is one of the best places to visit in Thailand.

While other companies may offer you a night in Khao Sok, or even a day trip from Phuket, we think you should spend at least five nights there, first getting to grips with the elephant back rides, bamboo rafting, hikes and tubing on offer in the park itself, before moving to the beautiful Cheow Lan Lake, one of the world’s premier destinations for swimming, rest and relaxation.

Cheow Lan Lake is perfect for swimming

Thailand’s island are undoubtedly well trodden, but we have unearthed some gems in the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Tao is reasonably well known amongst backpackers and avid divers, but this gorgeous, small island with so much to offer is still in its infancy as a luxury destination. There is a laid back vibe on Koh Tao, reminiscent of Samui and Krabi 15 years ago, and this has created an environment where character accommodation and rustic luxury are the norm. While “Turtle Island” is an ideal place to relax, there are also a range of activities to enjoy including quad biking, fishing and some of the world’s finest diving and snorkelling.

In addition to these gloriously unaffected destinations, we have found some superb accommodation in Bophut, Koh Samui’s most fascinating historic village, which is so different from the crowded beaches elsewhere on the island. We can offer perfect beach stays on Koh Pha Ngan at Thong Nai Pan Noi, one of the most beautiful beaches in South East Asia. And we have found some intriguing, little known excursions and top class character accommodation in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. All of our Thailand itineraries are completely tailor made and we are sure that we can offer you something a little different to the norm.

The beautiful bays of Koh Tao

To discuss an itinerary to Thailand, call our specialists on 01865 265 210.

New For 2012 – Visit the Edges of the Earth With Transun!

Transun are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest new product – Polar cruising! We’ve been trawling the extreme edges of the planet to discover the best possible voyages for wildlife, scenery, comfort and adventure.

Our portfolio will include expeditions to the Arctic Circle, and the vast frozen continent, Antarctica. In the Arctic, we can offer you cruises around Svalbard, a hot bed for Polar bears and other unique wildlife. We will also take in Greenland, the world’s largest island made up mainly of an enormous ice sheet, but surrounded by stunning glacial scenery and home to some fascinating indigenous communities. Then there are two truly remote destinations: Franz Josef Land, an isolated archipelago north of Russia, with no native inhabitants but an array of mammals and birdlife; and the North Pole itself, a once in a lifetime destination and probably the most special destination you are ever likely to visit.

A scenic landing in the Arctic

Cruising in the Antarctic

Antarctica is a mythical land of legends and heroes, pioneers whose footsteps you can tread in relative comfort. The Southern Ocean can become choppy, but this is all part of the thrill, and our cruises are broken up by visits to islands such as South Georgia and the South Orkneys. On the vast landmass itself, there will be the chance to see emperor penguins and stop at Polar expedition basecamps, perfectly preserved in the freezing conditions to tell the story of this area’s relatively young human history.

At either end of some of these cruises, there will also be time to discover frontier towns like Longyearbyen, Ushuaia, Murmansk, and Kirkenes, as well as possible stop-offs in major cities like Buenos Aires and Helsinki. Each itinerary will be planned on a tailor made basis, with scheduled cruise dates forming the centrepiece.

For further details and bookings, please call 01865 2652210 and ask for Matt or James.

On Sale Now – Iceland!

Transun are delighted to announce the launch of our Iceland programme for 2012! We have been researching and regularly visiting this majestic country over the last 18 months to ensure that our offerings reflect the ethereal beauty and otherwordliness of Iceland. We have also strived to make sure that our trips are a little different to anything else that is on the market.
We have three suggested itineraries travelling in the summer, an intriguing time to travel and take in the midnight sun that illuminates Iceland for a few months each summer. The evening sun is a great time to enjoy whale watching, when the waters are more peaceful than during the afternoon and the whales take advantage of the relative tranquility to offer some fantastic sightings. We have found the finest local operators and are confident that we can provide the best whale watching tours in Iceland.

Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland

Iceland’s unique, geothermal landscapes are rightly famous, and another of our most popular tours is the Golden Circle experience. This takes you to some of Iceland’s most celebrated natural phenomena, including the Gullfoss Waterfall and the Tringvelir National Park, where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet and you can genuinely claim to be straddling two continents. There are a diverse range of additional excursions that we can arrange for you, including jeep treks, caving, snorkelling, bird watching tours and horse riding. And we can offer you completely tailor made itineraries, travelling at any time of the year and focusing on programmes that suit your personal preferences.

For further details and bookings, please call James on 01865265200 or visit our website.

http://www.transun.co.uk/iceland_holidays

Valentine’s Day Magic in the Arctic Circle

If you are looking to truly sweep your loved one off their feet on Valentine’s Day, why not reveal your inner romantic with a holiday deep in the Arctic Circle?
Imagine spending the most romantic day of the year surrounded by enchanting scenes of wintry snowscapes, majestic forests and frozen lakes under the clear, crisp skies of True Lapland.

And if you are fortunate, the dazzling Northern Lights will dance overhead to add extra sparkle to your unforgettable holiday.

Searching for the fabled lights – which scientists predict will be at their most vibrant this year – is a romance-filled encounter all on its own.The hunt can take place on a Snowmobile Safari which would see you and your sweetheart venture out side-by-side, snugly wrapped up in the warmth of snowsuits, across the tundra under the night sky.

Your destination is a spectacular viewpoint which gives you the best chance of seeing nature’s greatest spectacle.

For those wanting something more traditional, you can swap the snowmobiles for a husky sleigh drive, while a trek through the nearby forest can also be enjoyed.

Your base for the trip is beautiful Finnish Lapland, where roaring log fires and snow clad silver birch trees just add to the romance! And as 2012 is a leap year, it may even provide the perfect opportunity for ladies to pop the question!

Northern Lights packages start from £749, including three nights’ full–board accommodation, activities, transfers, and flights.

If you would like to plan the perfect romantic getaway, just call Transun on 01865 265210.

Northern Lights in the UK!

The last two evenings have seen the rarely beheld spectacle of the aurora borealis visible over Britain. On Sunday night, the fabled Northern Lights were clearly visible in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, while last night they headed further south and were spotted in many areas of Northern England.
For many, this would have been the first time they witnessed nature’s greatest spectacle, but those of us who spend time in Lapland are regularly spoiled by its presence. This year has been heralded by meterologists as the best year to see the Northern Lights in half a century, and the number and nature of reported sightings we’ve received from Lapland this season makes this claim easy to believe. In fact, two of our staff and a plane full of guests were treated to the world’s greatest light show as their flight took off from Sweden on Sunday evening!
We still have packages available in Finnish Lapland for 3, 4 and 7 night departures throughout February and March, and into early April.

For further details and bookings, just call our office on 01865 265210.

Transun in the News!

You might have gathered that our Santa programme has kept us busy in the media, with high profile TV and radio teams joining us for exciting broadcasts at the Davvi Arctic Lodge in December.

We’ve also enjoyed welcoming a range of print journalists and photographers to Lapland this winter. They seem to have gone home with a host of happy memories and have written some very kind words about us, for which we are grateful and proud. It is lovely to see the efforts of our staff and partners in Finland recognised in such a way, and we will be rolling out the red carpet to further visitors from the media world during our Northern Lights programme, while hoping to introduce a select few to our exciting new range of destinations!

To read a selection of features written by our visitors this season, just click on the following links.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/travel/3902091/A-trip-to-Lapland-is-so-mush-fun.html

http://www.fabulousmag.co.uk/fabmag/_fabulous/nolfabulous_lifestyle/nolfablifestyle_travel/                                                            1369838/The-best-Christmas-travel-destinations.html

http://www.birminghammail.net/lifestyle/travel-news/holidays-abroad/2011/10/12/travel-a-trip-to-lapland-your-child-will-never-forget-97319-29581924/

New in 2012 – Iceland & Croatia!

We’ve got a range of exciting, unique new product ready for launch, taking in relatively well travelled countries but experiencing them in alternative ways.

Reykjavik's Blue Lagoon

Our Iceland programme for 2012 will focus on the summer months in this intriguing, utterly one-of-a-kind destination. Bubbling geothermal pools, erupting geysers and active volcanoes form most people’s images of Iceland, and Transun can take you to see these incredible natural phenomena. Unlike many other operators, we will be travelling during the breathtaking midnight sun period, where warmer temperatures and long hours of daylight make for perfect conditions for exploring the varied landscapes. We’ll be offering whale watching, with outstanding opportunities for spotting a range of Cetaceans around Reykjavik Bay., while our itineraries will also include time to explore the picturesque, hip capital city from a central base.

Also on sale from this month is Transun’s Croatia programme, focusing on the beautiful island of Hvar. While many tour operators pile into Dubrovnik, we’ve gone off the beaten track to explore this tranquil haven off the Dalmatian Coast, accessible via Split. Although unknown to many, Hvar has recently been visited by Jay Z and Beyonce, while Prince Harry also spent time there last year, so it is developing an underground following amongst savvy travellers. Transun have sent visitors to Croatia for decades and we are delighted to be returning to one of our spiritual homes.

To order a brochure for either Iceland or Croatia, or to speak to one of our advisors for further details, please call us on 01865 265200.