Falklands Fever

Falklands Fever - Hot packages to the Falkland Islands for 2012 - A Royal visit, the 30th anniversary and popular BBC series Frozen Planet will put the Falklands firmly on many intrepid travellers’ wish lists for 2012. Here are four diverse and inspiring packages to help you plan your perfect Falklands adventure: 30th Anniversary package Commemorate the 30th anniversary since the ‘82 British Argentine conflict with a 12 day trip to the Falkland Islands. Discover the battlefields in Port Howard, Pebble Island, Stanley, San Carlos, Goose Green and Darwin. Highlights include: attending the ceremony for Liberation Day, capturing sightings of aircraft wreckage, visiting museums and paying tribute to veterans at the British & Argentine War cemeteries. The package also comprises international flights with LAN via Santiago, accommodation in Santiago and the Falklands on a bed and breakfast basis, five evening meals, four lunches and transfers. Prices start from £3199 per person. Join one of the two 2012 departures on the 7th June or the 22nd November. www.leger.co.uk or call: 0844 504 6251. A remote island hopping extravaganza Enjoy a week long island hopping adventure in the Falkland Islands, starting off with a night in Darwin before venturing off to explore four of the archipelago’s outer islands: Sea Lion, Bleaker, and Carcass plus a boat trip to West Point Island to see the black-browed albatross. Two nights have been allocated to Sea Lion Island as it boasts a wealth of wildlife from sea lions and pods of whales to magnificent bird life. The itinerary concludes with two nights in the capital Stanley. Enjoy a day trip to Volunteer Point home to the most accessible king penguin colony in the world. The seven day tour with Last Frontiers starts from £1,709 per person including domestic flights (international flights excluded), transfers, tours, B&B accommodation and some meals. www.lastfrontiers.com; 01296 653 000. A twin centre adventure Combine your trip to the Falkland Islands with a visit to Patagonia. This 20 day adventure unites awe inspiring glaciers and icebergs in Chile and Argentina with a seven night wildlife encounter in the Falklands. Discover the Falklands unique and charming outer islands with two nights on Pebble and Sea Lion Islands. While Pebble Island boasts miles of untouched beaches, Sea Lion Island has a wealth of incredible wildlife. The trip concludes with two nights in the capital, Stanley. Prices start from £4,086 per person based on two adults sharing and excludes international flights. www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk; 020 3582 8751. Go cruising crazy Don’t miss the boat! Enjoy one of the world’s greatest 19 day voyages to Antarctica and South Georgia including two days in the Falkland Islands aboard the Akademik Sergey Vavilov. Explore the destination’s capital, Stanley, and two of the archipelago’s outer islands – Carcass and New Island. Carcass Island boasts astounding wildlife from gentoo and Magellanic penguins to gulls, geese and elephant seals. Free of cats and mice, small bird species such as the Cobb’s Wren can flourish. While New Island is home to rockhopper penguin rookeries, black –browed albatross and blue -eyed Shags. The cruise also stops in South Georgia and Antarctica, terminating back in Ushuaia The 19 day voyage with Steppes Travel is priced at £8,175 per person including all meals, zodiac cruises and landings. Drinks, tips and international flights are excluded. The voyage departs from Ushuaia on the 20th November and the 28th December 2012 with an additional voyage on the 31st January 2013. www.steppestravel.co.uk ; 01285 880 981. -Ends- For further information on the Falklands Islands please visit www.falklandislands.com. Media enquiries should be directed to Lara Jacobs or Suzanne Holiday at Keene on 020 7839 2140 or falklandstourism@keenepa.co.uk. Become a Falklands fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/naturesbestkeptsecret. For further information on the Falklands Islands, please visit www.falklandislands.com. Media enquiries should be directed to Suzanne Holiday or Lara Jacobs on 020 7839 2140 or falklandstourism@keenepa.co.uk. Notes for Editors: • The Falkland Islands have a raw, unspoilt quality that entices locals and tourists back time and again. Visitors to the Islands are spoilt for choice with more than 200 species of identified birds (including several of the world’s largest endangered breeding colonies) and 750,000 penguins, as well as whales, dolphins, elephant seals, sea lions, delicate flora and rugged geographical formations. • The best time to visit the Islands and experience the local culture and wildlife is October to April. Summer temperatures (December to March) can reach 20º Celsius plus, and the Falklands has more sunshine hours and less rainfall than the UK. • There are over 40 international tour operators offering tailor-made packages and escorted tours to the Falkland Islands. See www.falklandislands.com for the latest list. • Visitors can reach the Falklands on the weekly LAN Airways flight via Chile or the charter flight operated from RAF Brize Norton in the UK by the Ministry of Defence.