Member Login
Advertisement
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
ACED Info
| About Us |
| Advertise with Us |
| Contact Us |
| Privacy Policy |
| HP Fan Trips: Put Your Money Where Your Magic Is |
|
|
| Feature Articles - General Feature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Jenna Bensoussan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 31 December 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A vacation is a very important element within anyone's realm of "me" time. Whether you are escaping from work, school, or a boring day-to-day routine, a vacation should successfully combine chaos with happy tranquility. If you are someone that likes a themed getaway, HP Fan Trips is the perfect package.
 Beyond Boundaries Travel offers a variety of themed trips, including Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Da Vinci Code and of course, HP (Harry Potter). Whether you are a family hoping to entertain your children, or an adult hoping to relive the "HP" movie experience, people of all ages will enjoy these well thought-out trips. Of all the HP ensembles available, I chose the Oxford/Scotland trip for adults. The itinerary for this selection included nine days and eight nights of magical exploration through the cloistered, stained-glass wonder of scholared Oxford, to the dramatic, medieval poetics of a haunting Edinburgh.
One of the things one must note about this trip is the timing—timing is everything. Travelers will be up at the crack of dawn, loaded onto buses and then escorted to all of the designated locations. Normally I do not like tour guides, they take away from my opportunity to explore a place's atmosphere unimpeded, but the guide does allow for ample "alone time" in the city during the evening once the daily activities are complete. While in this modernized, ancient architectural walk-through-history I found myself constantly stopping just to take it all in (and this got me into a bit of trouble as I constantly fell behind the group). Make sure you take photos—time goes by quickly within the tour's pace—photos are essential when recapturing the day's events. Throughout our daily excursions we visited various film locations used in the Harry Potter films. Gloucester Cathedral, Lacock Abbey, Wookey Hole Caves, and Christ Church to name a few. Aside from their obvious relevance to the HP series, these locations are legendary for their beautiful construction and design. Some of these sites are not within Oxford, so a relatively lengthy bus ride may be required to reach a destination. I would advise bringing some entertainment—an MP3 player, a book, or perhaps a Sudoku puzzle or ten. Once the third day comes to an end you realize that you must pack that night for a plane ride over to Inverness, Scotland, the next morning (when I say morning... I mean you are up at 5 a.m.). Yes—the entire group boards the plane at the same time. Surprisingly, this wasn't as chaotic as I thought it would be. Everything went smoothly and we even landed a few minutes early.
That evening we arrived at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel and Leisure Club. This is where we would bunker down for the next two nights. I quite like this hotel, and not just because the cast and crew of the Harry Potter series roomed here. The view from the hotel window is absolutely breathtaking. I very much enjoyed my walks around the loch. Its enchanting serenity were extraordinarily relaxing—exactly what the doctor ordered. While I enjoyed a more laid-back stay at Glencoe, there was still much to be done during the day and night. I had the fortunate opportunity to go hiking at Steall Falls. This location is incredible. The hike itself is not terribly dangerous, but there are a few spots that might be difficult for little children. We also visited the Ben Nevis Distillery later that day. This I could have done without. I felt quite ill from the stench within the distillery. If you are sensitive to "smells" you might want to think twice before waltzing in nose first. Our last evening in Glencoe was spent at a complimentary dinner atop the Nevis Range, via Gondola, followed by a mass pajama party that overtook the entire Isles of Glencoe Hotel. Everything from story-time to rune readings were performed. I may have left my pajamas in my other pocket... but I didn't have a problem partaking in the festivities nonetheless. The next morning brought on our departure from Glencoe, and our arrival to Fort William, where we boarded the Olton Hall, Engine #5972. This is "the" train used in the Harry Potter movies. It is a ride no Harry Potter fan should miss!
Edinburgh is a city saturated with ghost stories, bedazzled by royal imprints and humming to the tune of architectural wonder and glory. It is by far my favorite place of all the locations visited. On the first morning in Edinburgh, travelers gear up for a trip to Alnwick Castle. This is an all-day event as there are many activities, including Quidditch, going on. The second day in this lustrous city is a "free" day in which you are allowed to go anywhere with an attraction pass. It's not difficult to figure out what to do on your own. Everything from touring the Holyrood Palace, checking out the art museums, or shopping on the bustling Princes Street will keep you occupied throughout the entire day. Because our hotel was situated on the Royal Mile, the group's location was in the center of everything. I even managed a trip to the famous cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first adventures of Harry Potter. Everything about this place was amazing. If you do ever venture to this little corner of the world, you must visit the underground city. The experience will definitely "inhabit" you for the better part of the afternoon.
I talked to many people that night about their experiences on the trip, but traveler Dr. LuAnn McCracken Fletcher summed it up best when she said "how much she appreciated the careful attention to detail—how they (Beyond Boundaries Travel) made sure everyone was well taken care of, and that everyone's wishes were fulfilled." I couldn't have said it better myself! Despite the long bus rides, which are necessary to get to all the locations, and the freezing cold in Scotland that I was unprepared for (make sure you bring a semi-heavy jacket), the trip was very enjoyable. The tour guides were fabulous, the staff was helpful and congenial and the experience is something you won't forget. Even if you are not a Harry Potter "fanatic", which I am not, the trip is well worth it. The locations hold their own, even without the Harry Potter elements. If you are a Harry Potter enthusiast, you don't want to miss this vacation ensemble as it surely puts its magic where your money goes. The tours will coincide with the release of the next HP movie in 2007. Seats have been reserved in a VIP seating section for HP trip guests so they can have dinner, drinks and snacks before and during the movie. This is planned for the tour in Edinburgh. To find out more information regarding all of the various themed trips available through Beyond Boundaries Travel, visit their Official website for schedules and program specifics.          
3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved." |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The first three days of this tour-guided package revolves around the "city of the dreaming spires", Oxford, England. It is historically famous for playing host to the oldest University in the English-speaking world—Oxford University; however, the city itself packs away a few other gems in and around the heart of the cosmopolitan.
Once off the plane we loaded onto the bus, embarking on a scenic journey through the Highlands of Scotland. This was the day I met Nessie. No visit to the Scottish Highlands is complete without detouring to the Loch Ness Visitor Centre and then to the Urquhart Castle for an up-close-and-personal introduction to the Loch Ness Monster. She really isn't a monster though—Nessie is quite a jolly ol' girl... and who wouldn't be when faced with a majestic view of the overlooking peaks, complete with a mysterious rolling fog.
The scenery on the train ride, throughout the Scottish countryside, is simply fantastic. I and one of the tour guides found ourselves doing a reenactment of Henry the Eighth's untimely death. We were later greeted with a trolley full of sweet goodies while we sat in the very car used for filming the HP films. Once our railway journey was complete the group boarded a bus for a very long ride over to Edinburgh, the last stop before going home. 
The grand finale of the trip occured at Edinburgh Castle. The entire castle was rented out for all of the vacationers, complete with a banquet and live entertainment Hogwarts style. Everyone had smiles on their faces, twinkles in their eyes and a kick in their step as the night came to a close. Once the realization of an inevitable end to the trip came to everyone's mind, a quick flash of disappointment flickered across their faces. | < Prev |
|---|
