C:\EDITPUBS\MAG\20100327\001\MAIN\PAGE018.QXD (Page 1)

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travelnews
National Express East Anglia (NXEA) revealed
its top five destinations for a day out by train in
the region to mark British Tourism Week.
Not surprisingly, London tops the list and with so
much to do in one of the most exciting capital
cities in the world and a range of ticket offers and
2 for 1 admission to many attractions, London
remains the place to head for.
In the East Anglia region itself there are many fine
and attractive towns and cities and train travellers
continue to be charmed by the delights and
hidden secrets of Cambridge and Norwich which
both also feature in the train travel top five.
Seaside resorts are also an important part of the
region’s heritage and among the traditional
coastal towns that attract thousands of visitors,
Southend and Yarmouth make up the National
Express top five.
With spring now having finally sprung, days out by
train to the National Express top five destinations
are a great way to get out and about and enjoy
the warmer weather, and there is so much to do
and explore whether its the capital, city or coast
that appeals:
Travelling by train is the best way to see London’s
attractions for less, and travelling with NXEA two
people can enjoy more than 100 great attractions,
theatres, restaurants and events for the price of
one. From museums and galleries to river cruises,
there really is something for everyone.
For more information ask at your local NXEA
station for a voucher book or log on to
www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com/offers/
london/london_2for1
Janice Kent, of East of England Tourism, said: “We
at East of England Tourism are proud to have
worked closely with NXEA to deliver many
thousands of memorable holiday experiences for
customers and help the region’s tourism sector to
flourish.”
Alan Bray, head of marketing for National Express
East Anglia, said: “East Anglia offers a wealth of
destinations for great days out. I hope British
Tourism Week will inspire more people to get out
and about around the region by train and explore
the wonderful attractions it has to offer. At
National Express East Anglia we offer a range of
leisure tickets and offers which will help make
your day out not only great fun, but also great
value too, including the Anglia Plus ticket and our
groupsave option where two pay and four travel.”
For more ideas for great days out and
further details of leisure tickets, special
offers and NXEA train services please visit
www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com
localoffers
Late holiday offers from Travel Norwich Airport with
flights from Norwich. Telephone Travel Norwich
Airport on 01603 428700, e-mail
enquiries@travelnorwichairport.co.uk to check
availability or log on to www.travelnorwich.com
These holidays fly from Norwich:
Turkey – April 9, four-star Blue Bays Deluxe
Hotel in Marmaris, 14 nights, all-inclusive, £349
per person.
Madeira – April 14 and 21, three-star hotel
allocated on arrival, seven nights, half-board,
£399 per person.
Corfu – May 7, Nireas Apartments in Acharavi,
seven nights, self-catering, £242 per person.
Sorrento – May 8, three-star named hotel,
seven nights, bed and breakfast, £499 per
person.
Bulgaria – August 30, three-star Pomorie
Beach Hotel in Sunny Beach, seven nights, allinclusive, £429 per person.
Crete – September 24, Minas Apartments in
the resort of Hersonissos, seven nights, selfcatering, £249 per person.
These holidays fly from Stansted:
Majorca April 17, three-star Talayot Hotel in
Cala Millor, seven nights, half-board, £293 per
person.
Rhodes – October 13, Popi Studios in Lindos,
seven nights, self-catering, £182 per person.
Prices correct at time of sending – all are subject
to continuing availability and based on maximum
occupancy.
18 EDP Saturday Magazine March 27, 2010
OUR MATES I
The people are friendly, most of them speak English and they drive on the left. What’s
WHEREVER I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO VISIT, I
try to think of the host country as some kind of
friend or relative. Malta was straightforward.
In just a weekend, it became my best mate.
Now I may be swayed by the fact that I stayed
at the fantastic Xara Palace Hotel, but I loved
Malta.
Trying to explain why is difficult. As you
would expect it was down to a mix of things.
The people were terrifically friendly. The food
was glorious, so much so that it was difficult to
fathom out why everyone wasn’t enormously
overweight, as the portions served in
restaurants were gigantic.
Indeed, on visiting a traditional Maltese
restaurant on the Saturday evening, I was
treated to so many different starters that the
table could hardly accommodate them all,
rabbit’s liver included. And yes, the rabbit’s
liver (they farm rabbits for food in Malta) was
delicious.
Affection for Malta undoubtedly comes more
easily to those interested in history. The fact
that Malta’s crime rate is only fractionally
above zero also helps. And, of course, English
is widely spoken and understood. The Maltese
even drive on the left.
Add a perfect Mediterranean climate in
which snow has never darkened, or should
that be whitened, Malta’s door and the
knowledge that it may reach only as low as
plus four degrees in mid winter and you start
to get the picture.
The island is so perfectly strategically placed
that everyone and his or her army has wanted
it as his or her country’s most valuable
possession over the centuries. But the Malta
needtoknow
The Xara Palace Relais and
Chateaux is 8km from the airport in
Mdina, the old capital of Malta. The
hotel is located on a hilltop in
Mdina.
The hotel has 17 guest rooms
and suites and is owned by the
Zammit Tabona family.
Each of the 17 rooms has been
individually designed and decorated
with genuine antique furniture.
Four of the suites have outdoor
Jacuzzis on their private terraces
which provide views overlooking the
stunning countryside.
Mdina was originally known as
Citta Notabile and for 200 years
was ruled by the Knights. The Xara
originally served as a residence for the noble
family Moscati Parisio and was used in the war by
the British. In 1996 it was bought by the Zammit
Tabona family.
Executive chef at the De Mondion restaurant is
Kevin Bonello, a multiple winner of an array of
prestigious culinary awards and who in December
won the Chef of the Year 2009 Malta Kulinarija
Competition.
The Xara Palace can be contacted at Misrah ilKunsill, Mdina, MDN, 1050 Malta or by telephone
on +356 21 450560 or by fax +356 21 452612
or by www.xarapalace.com.mt
Malta lies in the heart of the
Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of
Sicily and 288 km north of Africa.
The archipelago consists of six
islands with a total area of just 216
sq km.
Malta and Gozzo are the two
largest islands with a total of just
over 400,000 inhabitants. Comino is
small and sparsely populated.
Crossing Malta by car from north
to south is the longest possible
journey you can venture and takes
around one hour.
Malta gained independence in
1964 and joined the EU in 2004.
The currency is the euro although
some establishments take sterling
and US dollars.
The national language is Maltese, a language
of Semitic origin with a romantic influence. But
most people can speak good English, and Italian.
Malta has never had snow with temperatures
dipping to a low of around 4 degrees in midwinter.
There is little rainfall between May and September
with temperatures reaching the upper 80s in
midsummer.
Air Malta is the national airline of Malta and
flies from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and
Aberdeen and has at least 14 flights to Malta
every week. Contact www.airmalta.com