Advantages: Cheap flights
Disadvantages: Boring

...Lake Balaton, Hungary. "Where the b.hell's that?" you may enquire. Well look at a map of Hungary and the lake sticks out like a racing dog's ……well let's be polite - its very obvious on the map, It is the largest fresh water lake in Central Europe and is about 48 miles long east to west and between 3-9miles north to south. What on earth made me decide to write about this place I'm not quite sure, but one thing is sure, I passed it 18 yrs ago and I am presently working about 25 miles away and it has always filled me with curiosity - I knew that the Germans had taken over the lake as their own, even back in 1989 and my very recent visit has confirmed my suspicion that it is now almost a province of the fatherland . I decided to read previous Ciao reviews, the last I could find was 4 yrs ago, and definitely families enjoyed... Read review

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Advantages: Brilliant acting, great storylines and scripts
Disadvantages: Lack of extras on the DVD lets this set down

...As well as being one of the most beautiful areas of the UK, 'The Lakes' is a 14 part TV drama series, originally broadcasted in 1997 on BBC1. Series 1 consisted of four of these episodes, the first lasting 90 minutes, the next three 50 minutes. HOW DID I FIND THIS SERIES? As many of you may have guessed, I'm a huge fan of British actor, John Simm. I have found that anything with him in is worth the watch and definitely worth paying the money out for (especially if it is a Christmas prezzie from your parents!). This was arguably the programme that put Simm on the map too; up until that point, he'd had a few minor roles in established TV shows such as 'Heartbeat' and had been in cult like movies such as 'Boston Kickout' but never had he been in such an extensive BBC production. Away from the obvious attraction of John Simm, what I... Read review

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Advantages: Breathtaking scenery, Walker's paradise, Peace & Tranquility
Disadvantages: None

...Firstly, let me apologise for the terrible title, but I just couldn't resist. I had never visited the Lake District until Easter weekend when we decided to go away for a weekend camping. I have to say that I have been missing out. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the pleasure of visiting and the scenery is just breathtaking. We stayed at Ullswater in a quiet campsite called Cove. When I say quiet I mean it. There was no shop, no pub and to be honest it didn't matter at all. I probably had one of the best weekends ever and will definitely not take long in revisiting the Lakes. ULLSWATER Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District and even though it was early in the season it was a hive of activity. On the lake there are facilities for watersports such as sailing, sailboarding, fishing... Read review

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Advantages: Stunning scenery, glorious climate......... an almost perfect holiday
Disadvantages: Rather touristy in places

...I've long harboured a desire to visit Italy, and my dream finally came true this summer when we (my husband, 14 year old son and I) decided to spend our summer holiday in Limone on Lake Garda. Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake, is in northern Italy, not far from the city of Verona. It is divided between three Italian regions - Lombardy, Trentino and the Veneto. Due to its stunning natural beauty and warm climate, the area is a major tourist destination, with many towns and villages scattered around its shore. Limone, or Limone sul Garda, situated on Lake Garda's north-western shore, is centred around a village of narrow, winding streets, alleys and traditional stonewalled cottages. Although the name "Limone" is often presumed to be taken from the lemon groves which surround it, apparently the name is in fact derived from an old... Read review

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Advantages: Great mountains, great scenery...
Disadvantages: Rains quite a bit

...I have visited Scotland, Snowdonia, The Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales, but The Lake District remains my utmost favourite for spending a walking holiday. It has glimmering lakes and wind-swept tarns, valleys and ghylls, towering crags and narrow rakes all combining to form razor-sharp ridges and beautiful mountain tops with Scafell Pike rising (just) over the rest at 3,210ft. Now that's a prospect for a damn good holiday! It's mountains are modest compared to those in Scotland, but the Lake District has a subtlety of scale which surpasses no other mountainous region. Don't think that the Lake District mountains are easy either, for they can provide challenges which can equal those provided by the Scottish mountains. Take the Fairfield Horseshoe for example or Kirkfell from Wasdale. No, most of these beasties are tough and combined... Read review

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Advantages: Great Fishing, Not a true Carp Pool,
Disadvantages: Not really a mixed fishery

...Located only a 15 minute drive inland from the holiday resort of Scarborough the budding angler should have no problem finding some rod bending action at this location. Open from March to October the site actually contains a number of lakes of different shapes and sizes, five of which seem to be available for fishing. Facilities on site include a small lodge where you can grab a hot drink or nip to the toilet. The first lake, and the one I know most about, is the Nature Reserve Pool. Opened in 1996 this Lake is well stocked with Mirror and Common Carp along with other coarse fish. Don’t expect your typical Carp pool however. The pond is well landscaped and is misshapen thus providing a few small inlets around the Lake. There is also an island to one side of the pond. Despite containing many different coarse fish it is in fact... Read review

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Advantages: tranquil and picturesque.
Disadvantages: Erratic bus service

...Torri de Beneco We booked this as the second resort in a dual centre holiday from Inghams Lakes and Mountains. Wading through the brochures there are many resorts around Lake Garda and very little information to help one choose between them so we were a little unsure what to expect when we arrived in Torri de Benaco on a brilliant hot sunny afternoon in July 2006. We were immediately impressed as we wandered around the cobbled streets and strolled on the promenade of this pretty harbour town. After the hustle and bustle of Venice the tranquillity was welcome, I was on holiday, it was time to unwind. Situation Torri de Benaco is situated half way along the Eastern shores of Lake Garda. Like all the resorts around Garda it is reached by the main road that runs North / South along the lake. From the road there is little to see... Read review

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Advantages: Scenery, activities
Disadvantages: rain

...The Lake District, for those with no sense of geography, is in the far North-West of England. It is home to the highest mountain in England, Scafell, several thousand lakes, a further 3 mountains over 3,000 feet, several high passes, and several million sheep (though this number is declining somewhat). It is a National Park, and there are several National Trust properties and areas within the park. What To Do Amazingly, the most common pastime in the Lake District is walking. There must be several million miles of footpaths around the Lakes, and are serviced by a good selection of car parks (for circular routes) and public transport in the form of boats and buses, or taxis,(for non-circular routes). These are inexpensive. I recommend routes around Derwentwater in Borrowdale, as access is good, and there is Keswick to look around... Read review

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Advantages: unusual and dramatic scenery, great wildlife, variety of activities
Disadvantages: getting there - mostly by light aircraft only !

...Lake Kariba is a man-made lake created following the completion of the Kariba Dam which was built between 1955 and 1959 to harness the waters of the Zambezi River and provide hydro-electric power to both Zimbabwe and Zambia. Before the waters rose, some 51,000 people of the tonga tribe had to be resettled on higher ground. Almost 5,000 animals were also rescued in "Operation Noah" co-ordinated by the game ranger Rupert Fothergill. The Zambezi Valey which incorporates Lake Kariba is today one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in Africa. In recent years, high levels of rain have caused the waters of Lake Kariba to rise much higher than was ever expected. Whilst the rain is generally good for wildlife around Zimbabwe, for the area of Matusadona and Lake Kariba this has meant that the fertile grass shores are now under water... Read review

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Advantages: beautiful scenery, nice ice cream
Disadvantages: pricey

...I visted Lake Garda a couple of summers ago and must say it was one of the most people places I have ever visited. Lots of people do seem to complain about it being overly touristy but with scenery like this I can certainly see why. Although it is an extremely popular holiday destination and there are a few touristy gift shops about I still would not say that Lake Garda was too touristy. When I visited I stayed in the largest resort of Riva del Garda a wonderful little town at the north of the lake. Lake Garda has plenty to do with lots of little cafes and restaurants. It is also in walking distance of the next resort. Riva was a beautiful town with a pictureque square which was home to many forms of entertainment in the evening. Towards the end of the summer months the town is also home to a themed festival which was based upon... Read review

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