Half-Off Dining With the Hi-Life Card

Dining out is often one of the most expensive parts of a vacation, and while I love getting a vacation rental or an apart-hotel, so I can make some of my own food, but I always want to get out and try some delicious local foods. Whether you’re dying to try haggis or just some crispy fish and chips, the Hi-Life card can allow you to do it for less. Get 2-for-1 meal at over 3,500 restaurants in the UK.

The best thing about the Hi-Life card is that it’s so easy. You only need the one card. You make your booking via telephone (at those restaurants where it’s required) and present your card when you dine. Use it for both lunch and dinner and enjoy an amazing food experience. Still not convinced? Your card is valid for a year from purchase and you can eat at restaurants owned and operated by celebrity chefs, such as Michael Caines.

New restaurants are being added all the time. Sign up for the newsletter to be kept updated on the ever-growing list or read the Hi-Life blog. You can even get discounts off things that aren’t food, like spa gift certificates, exclusive offerings just for Hi-Life card holders. Pretty cool, right? What about needing to find dining options on the go? Download the mobile app and find participating restaurants on your phone, using a customized radius, depending on how far you’re willing to go for your meal.

Get even more dining options when you sign up for the platinum membership. Either one you choose is pretty affordable and will save you a bundle on dining out all across the UK: Join for 12 months for £49.95 or get the platinum membership for £85.95.

The Beauty and History of the Cotswolds

This sponsored post comes to us from Amanda at Web Cottages. A great resource for all your UK vacation rental needs. They have competive rates and lovely properties.

The Cotswolds area is generally regarded to be the most quintessentially English area of the UK and the place to visit if you are looking to experience the England of yesteryear. Situated in the southwest region of England, the Cotswolds are the largest designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the country and is a popular holiday area for both English and international visitors. There is so much to see and do in the Cotswolds, from relaxing weekends spent wandering the ‘wolds’, or a week long cultural escape spent exploring the stately homes and museums of the area. Web Cottages have a great selection of Cotswold cottages in the region, as well as some great suggestions for where to visit when you are in the region.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace – Stratford-upon-Avon

The writings of William Shakespeare are famous the world over and there are few places in which to feel connected to English history than at his birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. This beautiful little village is home Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust and here you can visit the home of his birth, the family cottage of his wife, Anne Hathaway, and the homes of both his mother and daughter. The Trust runs a variety of Shakespeare themed events throughout the year that are sure to be interesting to both fans of ‘The Bard’ and those with just a general interest in the famous playwright. What better place could there be to introduce children to the classics of Shakespeare? They can even participate in a real archaeological dig!

Westonbirt Arboretum

Westonbirt Arboretum – Gloucestershire

There are few places that offer a more relaxing day out then a beautiful English country garden, and Westonbirt Arboretum is no exception. This National Arboretum set in the stunning south Cotswolds offers endless activities for visitors including nature trails, staff led tours, a shop and plant centre, and restaurant and cafe. From August 25-27 Westonbirt will host Treefest, a four day family festival with live music, local food, and creative workshops. One of the most unique draws to the festival will be Big Carving - three expert wood carvers use their skills to transform tree trunks into works of art that will be installed along Westonbirt’s new natural play trail in Silk Wood. That is sure to be something you won’t see every day! Tickets to the event are sure to sell out fast so make sure to start making your plans early!



Ragley Estate



Ragley Estate – Alcester, Warwickshire

If there is one thing that the English do exceptionally well it is a state home. Ragley Estate is today the family home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford but welcomes thousands of visitors a year to experience the grandeur of the Robert Hooke designed Palladian House. On a bright summers day you can spend hours exploring the 400 acres of parkland that was designed by the famous Capability Brown, and includes 10 hectares of formal gardens surrounding Palladian House. For the more adventurous in your group, there is an Adventure Playground with a 3D maze, trampoline, climbing frames and swings. Ragley Estate really does have something for everyone.

The Cotswolds region really is a wonderful place to experience all the best of England. You are sure to be enchanted by the beauty of this unique area, and you will quickly understand why so many people come to visit the area again and again. Visit http://www.webcottages.co.uk/ for a wonderful selection of Cotswold holiday cottages.

A Real (Affordable) Tropical Holiday

You live in the UK, where it can be sad and dreary the majority of the year. I know, I live in the American equivalent: Portland, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. It’s overcast and/or rainy a good portion of the year and if you go to the beach, you usually have to wear a jumper or take a brolly with you. Getting away somewhere warm is usually on most people’s minds, especially in the winter when it’s cold and raining and you hate life. Luckily, we can jump on a plane and go to Southern California, but having been there a million times, it’s not quite as exciting as it was the first hundred times you’ve been there.

I bet you feel the same in the UK. All your usual getaway destinations seem kind of boring and you’re looking for somewhere new, that’s affordable and is good for the whole family. It’s hard to find a place like that in the middle of winter. Jump on a budget flight to Germany any time of year and experience tropical weather, beautiful beaches, family-friendly water parks and even ride in a hot air balloon over a rainforest. What is this magical place? It’s Tropical Islands, the world’s largest indoor rainforest.

Stay for the day or stay for a week. It’s open 24 hours a day 365 days per year. Make it a budget or a luxury holiday, because you can choose from camping to all-inclusive packages and everything in between. You can even camp in the dome, starting from € 24.50 per bed. Beds sleep two and each tent can sleep up to four. Just coming for the day?

Admission to Tropical World is € 29.50 for adults, € 24 for kids 14 and under and those under 4 are absolutely free! Admission to Sauna Landscape, which gets you admission to the Tropical Spa and Sauna complex as well as free parking space and shuttle service is the same, but you can save and get a Kombi ticket with admission to both landscapes. Entry to the whole of Tropical Islands is just € 37.50 for adults, € 24.00 for children 14 and under and free for children 3 and under. This saves adults €4.50, which is a heck of a deal.

It’s just like travelling to that tropical getaway you’ve been dreaming about, but closer and somewhat more affordable. You’ll never be bored at Tropical Islands, between shows, restaurants, the beach, the water park, miniature golf, shopping boulevards and a whole lot more. There’s even a kids club.

Don’t get shut out! Buy your tickets online and arrive by 11am to get guaranteed entry!

Have you visited Tropical Islands before? Did you love it and was it a great relaxing vacation for you and your travel partner or family?

Group Buying Power Saves You 50% or More

Anything that can help you travel more cheaply is a good thing in my opinion. An even better thing is something that can help, virtually, anyone save on trips. It’s rare that I find a website that works for just about everyone and also boasts a 50-90% savings on everything they offer, but I have found just that. It’s likely many of you have already found it, too, but didn’t realize how truly useful it is for traveling. I’m talking about Groupon. It’s seriously my favorite daily deal site and I’ve used it at home and away and saved gobs of money. Today is all about the goodness that is Groupon.

For those of you who don’t know what Groupon is, it’s a pretty simple concept: Each day there is a new deal put up from a local company. They can be a salon, tour company, restaurant, yoga studio, shop or any number of other things. They will offer one rockin’ deal for Groupon customers. The discount is always AT LEAST 50% off. They will have a minimum number that need to be purchased for the deal to be valid, which means if you “buy” and they don’t reach the number they need, then your card won’t be charged for your order. If they do reach their desired number of purchases, then everyone who buys that day will get the awesomely discounted whatever they are offering. Groupon means “group coupon”, so that explains why they need more than just one person to take the deal in order for it to help both you and company offering the deal. Companies get their name out to customers, customers try them out and everyone wins!

I can attest to the money-saving aspect of Groupon on vacation, because last year we went to Hawaii and we booked all of our entertainment and some dining by using Groupon Honolulu. We’ve purchased 2 tours (one full-day and one half-day) and a snorkeling trip that also features an on-deck BBQ. How much did we save on just those 3 things? Almost $250 (approximately £163). We did think about buying a Go Card for our trip, but we were only there for 7 days, so we knew we would be doing other activities that were either free or inexpensive on their own: the Dole Plantation, Honolulu Zoo (which would be ½ off if we had a current zoo membership), the beach and the International Marketplace. I love a GoCard, but if I can’t get the full benefit of it, then I would rather not spend the money on it. What did I do with the money I saved? Bought tickets for a luau, of course!

Not only did we save on activities, but when I received emails from Groupon that included restaurant discounts, I looked at where they are located in relation to my lodging and then purchased accordingly, since going out to eat in Hawaii can be relatively expensive. We purchased a few certificates for dinners at nearby restaurants and one for Wahoo Fish Tacos for lunch to mix in with our expected trip to both Chili’s and Hard Rock Café (we have neither in Portland, so we do look forward to eating at these when we travel), our lunch at the Dole Plantation and then whatever we chose to make ourselves in our included kitchen. Our trip turned out to be much more affordable than we first expected, with the help of Groupon, which allowed us to put more money aside for our return trip to London in the fall.

And now Groupon has teamed up with Expedia to bring you fantastic(er) deals on travel! With amazing discounts on luxury hotels and accommodations, you can’t afford NOT to travel well while still on a budget. The rates may not be slashed to 90% off, but they will be great and you’ll drool over their gorgeous photos and long to go everywhere all at once.

 

So, how do you sign up for Groupon? It’s easy and free! In fact, you can use your Facebook account to sign in if you want. Use either your home location or your next vacation destination as the one you wish to get deals for and then look for them in your email. You can click through to look at your local area as well, and your preferred destination anytime you want.

Use Groupon all over! Use it to save on date night at home, be a tourist in your own city, get pampered or save on everyday things. That’s right, you can purchase BOGO certificates for bowling, 50% off dinner, discounted massages or facials and even save on oil changes for your car. The possibilities are virtually endless.