© svonogIf you're thinking that you can't afford a Summer holiday, Travelodge may change your mind with their Saver room rate of only £19 a night for rooms at selected UK Travelodges between the 27 June to 31 August 2008. This rate is non refundable and non transferable. What a bargain but you'd better book soon as I have a feeling this is going to be a very popular offer and you must book by the 29th June. Their family rooms sleep 2 adults and 2 kids. I doubt if you can find a cheaper room anywhere else in the UK, especially with a private bathroom. Travelodge is my favourite UK budget hotel chain.

Sodwana Shootout

You will be forgiven for thinking that the Shootout at Sodwana Bay is yet another cowboy style cash-in-transit heist gone wrong in this country with its voracious appetite for exotic crime. In fact it is nothing of the sort. The Shootout is an annual gathering of national and international SCUBA diver photographers and videographers at one of Southern Africa’s finest coral reef sites, Sodwana Bay in the Maputaland region. This beautiful, sweeping bay on the northern borders of the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Area, itself a World Heritage Site, is home to one of the most exquisite stretches of coastal waters north of the country’s shipping capital of Durban.

How to Get There

A leisurely two hour drive from KwaZulu-Natal province’s first city along the fantastic north coast highway takes your through undulating hillsides of endless of sugar cane plantations and into the southern tip of one of the world’s largest man made plantations of Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) trees. When you reach the small trading town of Hluhluwe you are just a stone’s throw away from Africa’s oldest state game reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, one of only a few serious Big 5 reserves in the country. Here the landscape gives way to dry thornveld savannah with umbrella acacias of the Safari picture postcard variety. But we are here to shoot sea-life images so instead you turn seawards rather than landwards from Hluhluwe town and a further hour’s drive along a splendid road bypassing several small African hamlets gets you to the trading town of Umbazwana, from which a rickety road takes you the last few miles to your diving paradise of Sodwana Bay.

About the Shootout

The Sodwana Underwater Film and Video competition has, since 2000, morphed into the largest competition of its kind for amateur photographers in all of southern Africa. With over 125 entrants this year the Sodwana bay area might have resembled Dunkirk as one boat after the other motored off the soft silvery sands and into the warm Indian Ocean waters to ferry divers to the brilliant array of reefs off the bay area, best visited during the summer months of November to May.

The Famous Sodwana Reefs

The reefs are named mostly after their distance from land starting with 2 mile and ending at 9 mile, and over 1200 species of fish have already been identified off these reefs. With Anton’s Reef, Chain and Pinnacles all at two mile and lying in water depths of 10-15 meters, every qualified diver irrespective of experience has the chance to view some brilliant fish species, from dense shoals of big-eyes, goatfish and snappers, to scorpion fish, small moray eels, big potato bass, marbled rays and triggerfish. The coral too is dense and extremely varied. Photographic and video opportunities are exhilarating and the rewards wonderful.

Further out at five mile and seven mile, where depths are at around 18-21 meters, divers can take in brilliant views of fine coral, drop offs and sponge reefs as well as turtles, rays and reasonably often the gentle whale shark. Fortunately, during the three day’s of filming, the weather was again superb and visibility at times beyond 30 meters. Surges were minimal and the film footage entered into the competition superb.

Accommodation

If you ever head that way, accommodation is sufficient and varies from reasonably basic to pretty luxurious cabins while the dive operators are numerous. I teamed up with a local gang called Afdive and its mercurial owner Ron Jackson, also a dive instructor, skipper and an award winning videographer. Ron’s enthusiasm and helpful attitude were a great comfort for the beginner divers. Furthermore, there was no compromise on either safety or quality of equipment, and many fine dives were undertaken during the event from Ron’s boat Torrent.

For the SCUBA enthusiast with an eye for a good picture or a penchant for film making, this is a wonderful event, held every May, to showcase your skills. Prizes were substantial and the event was a smoothly run. And for SCUBA divers generally, a combined diving and Big 5 safari holiday to this beautiful east coast area of South Africa is a wonderful experience.

This is a post by Sean Ross, travel writer and South African tourism professional

© Greenwich Photography Arequipa, founded in 1540, is known as the “White City” as it was constructed using the local white volcanic rock. It is surrounded by three volcanoes. Mount Chachni, Mount Misti and Mount Pichu Pichu. The city centre has many Spanish colonial style buildings and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Close to the city lie the Toro Muerto Rock Paintings, the Colca Valley and Canyon. Sounds well worth visiting, unfortunately Peru isn't a budget destination from the UK due to the cost of flight.

If you’re taking a trip this summer with friends or extended family, this promotion is worth considering. The cost for just one room, split among several travelers, makes for a very affordable per-person rate. Or, if you’re traveling with children, the extra room for no extra charge is a good value.

The “Buy One, Get One” package is available through September 30. For reservations, call 888-273-8096. Read more about the hotel on the Sanibel Harbour website. Other packages are also available.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

If you can extend your weekend, you’ll get a bargain with this package. Divided over the four nights, the total price works out to $612, or $153 per night—a savings of 25 percent.

This offer is available through September 27. For reservations, call 800-766-3782 or book on the Sonesta website using promo code “4NF.” The free night will be reflected at check-in. Other packages are also available.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

Sample per-night prices, reflecting the discount, are as follows:

From $71: Marriott Key BridgeFrom $99: Savoy Suites Georgetown HotelFrom $111: Hotel MaderaFrom $118: Renaissance Mayflower HotelFrom $159: The Madison

Some hotels may also include extra amenities such as complimentary breakfast.

If you’re heading to Washington and want to extend your weekend, this offer is worth considering. The per-night rates are affordable to start with, and include the added bonus of the entire-stay discount.

This offer is available through September 1. For reservations, call 800-422-8644 or book on the Destination D.C. website.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

I’ve tracked down several properties that offer a good value for your weekend getaway, each with reasonable prices and/or a little something extra to make your stay memorable.

Highland Manor Inn offers rooms ranging from $55 to $90 per night, including continental breakfast, for summer stays. Rooms have refrigerators, cable television, and private balconies or terraces. Some rooms have a whirlpool tub and/or a fireplace. The property has an outdoor swimming pool and a playground. The Bunkhouse Inn on the River has six guest rooms, each with hand-painted murals, microwaves, coffee makers, and refrigerators. Rates are $75 per night. The inn is situated right on the banks of the Little River and features campfire pits and grill areas.The Richmont Inn offers bed-and-breakfast accommodations ranging from $150 to $275 per night. In addition to breakfast, guests also receive dessert with coffee by candlelight in the evening. Rooms have bathrobes, coffee makers, and refrigerators. Add on a fondue dinner for $30 per person, or a picnic for $16 per person.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

I’ve tracked down several properties that offer a good value for your weekend getaway, each with reasonable prices and/or a little something extra to make your stay memorable.

The Quality Inn Boulder Creek has 40 guest rooms and six suites, with rates starting at $150 per night. Guests receive daily breakfast, as well as use of the hotel’s fitness center, pool, whirlpool, sauna, and business center. For those who prefer a bigger fitness center, guests receive a $10 per day rate at the nearby One Boulder Fitness.The Millennium Harvest House Boulder offers more than 260 guest rooms (some with mountain views). The property has a fitness center, 15 tennis courts, a restaurant, a cigar lounge, and a sports bar. High-speed Internet access is available in all guest rooms. In summer, there are free concerts in the hotel’s gardens. Rates start at $159 per night.The Bradley Boulder Inn offers all-inclusive-style lodging. Rates range from $225 to $245 per day and include daily breakfast, parking for one car, an evening wine and cheese hour, a pass to One Boulder Fitness, refreshments throughout your stay, and wireless Internet access. Some rooms have whirlpool tubs, a fireplace, or a balcony. Rooms have flat-screen TVs and DVD players; the inn also offers a DVD library.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

Aer Lingus’ sale prices may be competitive for travel on your route, but you should compare fares before booking to be certain you get the best deal.

Aer Lingus generally offers competitive prices for travel to Ireland. It’s still a good idea to shop around, however, to ensure you find the best prices and schedules for your route.