Departure Lounge: Take a small-ship trip to Antarctica
AE Expeditions, an award-winning, Certified B Corp and 100% carbon neutral leader in small-ship adventure travel, has an excellent deal on Antarctica voyages, destined to tempt you to book that bucket list trip.
With savings of up to 40% on 14 select 2025/26 Antarctica voyages, this includes its 12-night Antarctic Explorer sailing from Punta Arenas in Chile and reduced to $12,597 from $20,995pps.
Expeditions offer expert-led lectures and excursions, Zodiac adventures, guided hikes, and optional activities such as kayaking, snorkelling, and alpine treks. It's the stuff of dreams. Offer valid on bookings made by August 15.
Culinary and coastal Canada
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Having travelled extensively around Nova Scotia, I have a strong hankering to return to the beautiful maritime Canadian province. My pre-career road trip was conducted on a budget, meaning I only randomly enjoyed the incredible local seafood.
Renowned for fresh lobster, sweet Digby scallops, oysters and shrimp, there's also great local farm produce and thriving wineries.
A 10-night self-drive Culinary and Coastal Nova Scotia fly-drive tour offers up Halifax, the Cabot Trail, wild nature, coastal communities, colourful villages and warm Nova Scotian hospitality that feels unmistakably familiar.
From €2,429pp based on two sharing a room, including flights, car rental, accommodation, and a Halifax food walking tour.
Ticks all the boxes
Sir Anthony resort, Tenerife
Seeking a last-minute luxury break to the Canaries? Sir Anthony, a five-star adults-only beachfront retreat on Tenerife ticks all the boxes.
A handy flight from Cork and Dublin, the sleek waterside location is in the vibrant Playa de las Américas.
Seven nights B&B at the luxurious Sir Anthony Hotel from €2,214 based on two people sharing a superior room with direct pool access on August 2. Flights extra.
A taste of Chicago
Chicago style pizza
Home of the original deep dish pizza, the clever folk at Choose Chicago, the city's tourist board, have just launched the Chicago Pizza Pass, a new partnership with 27 local pizza spots.
The new digital experience invites visitors and locals to taste their way around the city, with pass holders availing of special discounts and deals at participating restaurants across 16 city neighbourhoods.
For just $15, pizza enthusiasts can sign up today at chipizzapass.com and gain access to exclusive deals until the end of the year, and there's no app or downloads required. Deals vary by restaurant and range from complimentary slices to discounted pies to buy-one-get-one-free offers.
Deal of the week
The House, Galway
Planning a trip to Galway any time soon? The boutique House Hotel in the city's Latin Quarter has been recently renovated and offers chic four-star accommodation minutes from lively Quay Street and Shop Street.
There's a bar and restaurant, and the self-service breakfast includes a handy grab-and-go option if you're on the move.
Join their exclusive Member Rewards Club and you'll enjoy 15% off your stay, plus early access to offers and special seasonal packages year round.
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The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
The eerie ghost town on world's largest island, abandoned for 20 years & visitors have to arrive by dog sled or boat
ON the edge of the Earth lies a village frozen in time – quite literally. Itterajivit, is the hauntingly deserted Arctic outpost that's been abandoned for nearly 20 years. 7 The village, also known as Kap Hope, was first inhabited in 1925 Credit: Tripadvisor Once a bustling community in eastern The village, also known by its Danish name - Kap Hope - was first inhabited in 1925 as part of a trio of small communities surrounding Ittoqqortoormiit. By the 1960s, its population had peaked at around 112 people, complete with a school‑chapel, workshop, youth club, and recreational spaces. But life on the edge proved tough. read more on abandoned towns Isolation, limited job prospects, and government policies favouring larger hubs meant families gradually drifted away. By 2005, just nine residents remained – and then, none. A scattering of wooden houses still stands – some sagging, snow-filled, and forgotten. Others are clung to by local Inuit hunters, used as seasonal shelters when braving the region's punishing conditions. Most read in The Sun According to one traveller on BirdForum: 'Of the two dozen houses, only a couple are maintained. The rest are in decay, a broken window soon means a house full of snow.' Most visitors arrive the hard way – either by dog sled or boat – depending on the whims of Greenland's brutal weather. In winter, sea ice cuts off access altogether. And getting to nearby Ittoqqortoormiit requires flying to Reykjavik, chartering a plane to Constable Point, then boarding a So why go? Because what remains of Itterajivit is nothing short of breathtaking. Backed by jagged black hills and overlooking frozen shorelines, the village's stark beauty is pure The village featured in Canadian travel series Departures, and in Expedition with Greenland, officially the world's largest island that isn't a continent, is home to just 56,000 people – and this spot is one of its loneliest. Governed by its own local parliament but still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland sits so far north it experiences both Polar Night and Midnight Sun – meaning endless darkness in winter, and 24-hour daylight come summer. For those craving extreme isolation, ghost-town intrigue, and jaw-dropping scenery, Itterajivit delivers. 7 It is only accessible by dog sled or boat Credit: Tripadvisor 7 The village once had just over 100 inhabitants in the 1960s Credit: Alamy 7 The village is in one of the most remote places on earth Credit: Tripadvisor 7 The view from Itterajivit in February Credit: Alamy 7 Hunters still roam the land Credit: Alamy 7 Only a few of the houses are maintained, the rest have been left to ruin Credit: Tripadvisor
The Irish Sun
25-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
I went to the Canadian-style safari resort in Europe with American bison and new restaurants
IN my best David Attenborough voice, I whisper: 'The majestic bison, shaggy giants of the plains, thunder across the fields in their hundreds.' It's baking hot and I'm rumbling along dusty tracks in an old army truck, my eyes peeled for the large animals. Advertisement 4 Canoe down the Varenne River in the afternoons Credit: Thomas Le Floc'H 4 Visit Chateau de Dieppe, the town's 15th-century castle Credit: Thomas Le Floc'H So far, so safari. However, I'm not roaming the Great Plains of North America, where they normally reside, but a little closer to home in the Eawy Forest in Normandy, France. A half-hour drive from Dieppe through ancient villages lies Parc Canadien, home to the largest herd of American bison in Europe. It opened in 1994 when a herd of North American bison were successfully released into the wilds of Normandy. Advertisement Read more on safaris Over the last 20 years, the herd has grown to more than 200. They have now been joined by stags, fallow deer and several packs of wolves. While the jeep tours are only conducted in French — we are given a laminated sheet of information from the desk — English guides can be booked in advance. Before spotting the bison, we trundle through Wolf Temple, a fenced-off part of the park where the wolves reside. There's plenty to do for an afternoon — canoeing down the Varenne River and walking tours around the wolf enclosure and mini farm. Advertisement Most read in News Travel You can sample bison burgers, steaks and more at the Canadian-style bar and restaurant, with its log cabin walls and trophy skulls. New for 2025 is fast-food restaurant La Toundra, with sandwiches from £5.20 and full kids' meals with drinks, dessert and a present from £8.65. How to make your safari holiday more affordable - with quieter seasons and budget lodging You can even stock up on bison sausages and terrine from the farm's onsite butchery. Wildlife-spotting aside, a weekend in Dieppe has stacks of appeal. Advertisement The ferry from Newhaven lands in Dieppe, on Normandy's Alabaster Coast, at 10pm and it's a 15-minute drive to the charming Hotel Aguado, where most rooms overlook the sea. As most places have stopped serving food at this late hour we hit the jackpot at a hole-in-the-wall joint called Big Al And Little Joe. This serves Lebanese-style flatbreads filled with salads, meats and sauces, which we ate al fresco listening to live jazz from the wine bar next door. Saturday is the best day to visit Dieppe, largely because of its brilliant market. Advertisement Named the best market in France in 2020, the 200 or so stalls wind their way from Quai Henri IV through the town and sell everything from homemade wicker baskets and locally made Neufchatel cheese to fist-sized tomatoes and slabs of nougat. Shopping secured, do as the locals do and stop for a cold beer in Cafe des Tribunaux on Place du Puits-Salé, where Oscar Wilde used to drink. 4 Saturday is the best day to visit Dieppe, largely because of its brilliant market Credit: Supplied 4 Parc Canadien is home to the largest herd of American bison in Europe Credit: Supplied Advertisement Visit Chateau de Dieppe, the town's 15th-century castle overlooking the sea, which has a maritime museum with paintings by Boudin, Lebourg and Pissarro. Don't miss a peek at Les Tourelles gate, the only surviving gate from the medieval ramparts, which were used as a prison during the French Revolution. Dieppe was considered France's first seaside resort some 200 years ago, and while the Belle Epoque architecture has largely been bombed away, it still has the largest seafront lawns in Europe and a grey-pebbled beach packed with locals splashing in the shallows. While bison and beaches are an excellent reason to visit, the highlight for me is dinner at La Marmite Dieppoise, a gorgeous Normandy restaurant just off the main drag. Advertisement We feasted on oysters, fruits de mer and the house speciality, marmite Dieppoise — a creamy fish stew with turbot, monkfish and scallops pulled fresh from the sea that morning. When it comes to celebrating Anglo-French relations, a weekend in Dieppe is the way to go. GO: DIEPPE GETTING THERE: DFDS sails from Newhaven to Dieppe from £93 each way for a car and two passengers. See STAYING THERE: Hotel Aguado has double rooms from £135 per night, B&B. See OUT & ABOUT: Visit the wolves and bison at Parc Canadien from £20.45 per adult and £13.60 per child under ten. See MORE INFO: See
Irish Independent
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- Irish Independent
See photos of Kerry event attended by businessman Denis O'Brien and host of well-known speakers
The prestigious Lecture took place last Thursday and Friday at the historic cable station on the island. It focused on 'Ireland's Place in the World of 2040'. The event is held each year to commemorate the world's first transatlantic cable, which was laid between Valentia Island and Heart's Content in Newfoundland, Canada. The laying of the cable resulted in the first ever message to be transmitted across the ocean in 1858, from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom to President James Buchanan of the United States of America. This year's edition of the Lecture saw a number of keynote speakers provide a range of perspectives on history, the arts, media, politics, society, technology and business. The speakers included historian Professor Jane Ohlmeyer of Trinity College Dublin, journalist Mick Clifford, Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae, as well as Denis O'Brien. Each of the speakers' presentations were followed by a panel discussion with four of Ireland's 'future leaders', all aged in their 30s - the same age as Cyrus Field when he led the transatlantic cable project in the late 1800s. More than 30 of the future leaders, with expertise in business, politics, academia, media, government, arts and sport, participated in panels. The Irish Ambassador to Canada, John Concannon, also visited the Lecture alongside James Moloney, MP at the House of Commons in Canada. The Canadian Embassy in Dublin was represented at the event by the head of political and public affairs, Mr David Kyffin. A number of Dáil deputies from all over the country and prominent business executives were also in attendance at the event. Kerry Mayor Mike Foley welcomed the guests to Valentia at a gala dinner at the Royal Hotel and Ambassador Concanon delivered a special after-dinner address.
