MAY 2001
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Page 15
ENDLESS VARIETY OF HOLIDAYS IN THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SCHOLARS
By RAY MITCHELL
FOR MANY visitors to Ireland a guided and packaged tour is the best way to see the country and learn about its history, culture, music and people. But for some vacationers the idea of independent travel is more appealing.
These vacationers cite freedom from the regimentation often found with guided tours. They like the ability to go when and wherever the}' like, generally without pre-planning.
For these visitors, accommodation becomes an important element of their vacation arrangements and the overall enjoyment of their visit. And in Ireland there is an absolute wealth of choice accommodation.
Accommodations in Ireland can be as varied, rewarding and exciting as budgets and inclinations allow. As well as a large variety of hotels there is a wide range of bed and breakfast opportunities in private homes, cottages and working farms available from one end of the Emerald Isle to the other.
Luxurious accommodation in elegant Manor Houses is available and attractive to many. Some visitors even opt for a memorable stay in a prestigious castle of which there are many in this varied land.
Certainly a great talking point back home when recounting vacation adventures. "What was that noise? Is the castle really haunted?"
Because of the absence of a standard, published rating system, such as that available for hotels, travel agents generally can't guarantee quality or standards of B&B's.
The Irish Tourist Boards have wonderful bed and breakfast programs that cover both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Margaret Healey of the Irish Tourist Board claims, "There are about 1800 listings in our Town and Country Homes program and they're regularly inspected to ensure a high and uniform standard is maintained."
She says, "Our B&B program is definitely the most popular program we have and is much sought after." She observes, "Everyone has a B&B story and many lasting friendships are formed with the families involved."
As well as providing traditional Irish breakfasts some B&B's offer dinners or light meals. At some establishments, arrangements can even be made for nearby tours, horse-back riding, or fishing.
In some instances, proprietors can even help with ancestral tracing for those with Irish backgrounds. Costs for B&B's listed in the Irish Tourist Board's Bed and Breakfast guide are fairly Standard at about IR£ 18-20 per person per night.
As an example of a listing on the Aran Islands, one B&B establishment advertises, "Spectacular sea panorama from house. Set in unspoilt location. Historic monuments easily accessible. Qualified cook/London and City Guilds." The price is IR£20 per person, and dinner can be available for IRS15.
Some adventurous vacationers like to mix and match regular B&B's, farm houses, castles, and manor houses for a really varied vacation experience, certainly
providing interesting memories and discussion points when back home.
For anyone thinking of a self-directed tour or vacation, the Irish Tourist Boards are more than willing to provide a great deal of information and assistance.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board in Toronto can be reached at 1-800-576-8174 or by e-mail at: infocanada@nitb.com. For the Republic of Ireland, call 1-800-223-6470, or e-mail: irelandtravel @sympatico.ca.
For those who may prefer a guided tour, covering the entire island, Call Goliger's TravelPlus at (604) 278-8286 or 1-800-457-3363 about our escorted 14-night tour next September.
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Ray Mitchell claims Irish ancestry. He is the President of Goliger's TravelPlus in Vancouver, a graduate of the Irish Tourist Board's "Shamrock Club" Program, and escorts an annual 14-day tour of Ireland. He can be reached at (604) 278-8286.
Festival Time at Outdoor Museum of Emigration
The finest storytellers from Ireland, Britain and North America will gather in the atmospheric surroundings of the Ulster American Folk Park's original Old and New World exhibits from August 4 to 5 to entertain visitors with stories and yarns.
Located in Omagh, County Tyrone the Ulster American Folk Park is an outdoor museum of emigration to North America which tells the story of the many people who left Northern Ireland during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.
The museum will also host tlie tenth Annual Appalachian & Blucgrass Music Festival from September 7-9, where the finest exponents of Bluegrass and Old Time Music from all over Europe and North America will converge to take part in the largest festival of its kind in Ireland.
Visitors come to hear their idols in the unique setting of the outdoor museum. Whether it be the "Bluegrass in the Park" afternoon sessions or the evening concerts in the festival marquee, there's a great opportunity to get up close to the stars who excite and delight with their "foot-stomping" music.
For more information, visit the Northern Ireland Tourist Board website at: www.discover-ireland.com, or call 1-800-576-8174.
14 night First Class
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