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  • Father's Day Breaks - Fun Filled Gift Ideas

    Your Dad deserves more than a jar of sweets and pairs of socks this Father's Day. Why not buck the trend this year and celebrate Father's Day by whisking Dad away somewhere special? Treat him to a one of our handpicked best dad holidays and show him how much you really care. With a range of getaways for active dads, sporty dads and thrill-seeking dads, you can give your old man a fun filled break that he'll never forget. With access to world-class facilities from championship-sized golf courses to indoor and outdoor tennis courts, choose a break designed around his favourite pastimes. Our Father's Day gift ideas are the perfect way to say thanks to Dad.

  • Fathers Day Health and Fitness Revival

    Father's Day is just around the corner and you know what that means? It's time to show your dads how much you appreciate them and how you are genuinely concerned about their well-being. With life becoming increasingly complex with work, social and family demands, fathers are finding less time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They are stressed from trying to juggle work deadlines, raising children and finding time to connect with their wives. Stress is likely to be a major role in our dads' lives, not to mention the concerns of potential health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, which are ranked as the top three health issues plaguing men. It's important to take interest in these concerns and to help fathers in preventing them, which can be done through the right diet and exercise. What better than to book an active and healthy holiday for your dad!

  • From Golf to Goals – Top Sports Holidays for Corporate Teams

    From Golf to Goals – Top Sports Holidays for Corporate Teams

    The daily pressures of work can have a great impact on mood, motivation as well as overall performance in the workplace. In fact, wellness initiatives have been proven toincrease the productivity of individuals by around 12%. So, being able to provide employees with social, active escapes can be the perfect opportunity to bond with the people you work with every day, improve mental and physical well-being and most importantly, have fun together! Here we will go through some of the top sports holidays, perfect for competitive teams or afficionados of particular sporting pursuitsto embark on together as part of an invaluable bonding and team development experience. 

  • Healthy Aspirations

    Healthy Aspirations
    Health and Fitness Travel has launched and we believe that maintaining a healthy body by learning to incorporate a healthy lifestyle as part of our enjoyment away on holiday is essential. Swapping the 'fly and flop' traditional way of holidaying to one where you promote your health through learning an inspiring new activity or perhaps taking part in a recreational activity you really enjoy such as yoga is the healthy option. This can fill you with confidence and a sense of well-being, long after your holiday has ended. As many of you will know already the fantastic feeling you experience after exercise or a massage, we aspire our travellers to feel that great on holiday and even more healthy, fitter, inspired and energetic.
  • Hobby Holidays for Incompatibility Syndrome

    Choosing to go away as a couple can highlight more than ever a clash of interests between partners. Whilst women generally enjoy relaxing on the beach, yoga and Pilates, followed by pampering in the spa, men prefer to embrace and enjoy the sport and fitness facilities available, be it the 18 hole golf course, the PADI scuba centre or the chance to learn a new fitness skill in Kickboxing. A hobby holiday could be the perfect solution to this dilemma, offering a dose of something to keep everybody happy. With the real promise of saving your relationship, partners can both enjoy time away doing what they want as opposed to sacrificing their own preferences.

  • Holiday like an Olympian; One Year till 2012 Olympics

    One year today and only 366 days to go until the London Olympics 2012! Be inspired by the Olympic Games, a legacy that compels a majestic dive into a journey to transform into a quicker and healthier contender for any challenge. Escaping on a fitness holiday has never been so important for upcoming sporting champions, where fitness packages are tailored for enjoyment as well as supportive training. If you desire activities such as football, kayaking, cycling or even acrobatics, then choose one of the many energetic breaks to get you passionate about shaping up, just in time to be part of British competition history.

  • Learning Holidays for Families

    Not just for the classroom and certainly not just for the children, learning is a rewarding pursuit we can all benefit from throughout our lives. Our learning holidays are ideal for families looking to encourage an active lifestyle and enjoy cultural adventures together. Offering so much more than a stagnant family holiday of hours spent lying on the beach; use your valuable family holiday time to learn new skills as a family. From horse riding in coastal Croatia to yoga classes in tropical St Lucia, discover new passions or develop existing skills on our healthy family holidays.

  • Learning Holidays: Learn Something New on a Healthy Break

    Learning Holidays: Learn Something New on a Healthy Break

    Get more out of your next holiday than a fly-and-flop week spent vegetating on the beach. Utilise that precious ‘me time’ by learning a new skill and achieving a life goal that will benefit you long after you get home on a healthy holiday to enhance your life. At Health and Fitness Travel we will whisk you away on an overseas adventure that combines learning together with improving your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

  • Olympic Fever Boosts Health and Fitness Holidays

    The success of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics has boosted sales of health and fitness holidays and is set to continue. Active and wellness holiday experts Health and Fitness Travel has seen a remarkable increase in enquiry levels for tennis, water sportsand active breaks, demonstrating the nation's growing appetite to combine fitness and well-being by participating in exciting sports.

  • Pat Cash; The Secrets of an Ex-Professional Tennis Star

    Pat Cash Buccament Bay

    Pat Cash

    Pat Cash came to the tennis world's attention in the 1980s when he turned professional and won his first senior title in Melbourne. Cash established a reputation on tour as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer, he became the youngest player to play in a Davis Cup final winning and claiming the cup for Australia. The crowning moment of Cash's career came when he won Wimbledon in 1987. He has now opened a fabulous tennis academy in the Caribbean at Buccament Bay and also works as a TV commentator primarily for the BBC and CNN.

     


     
    Interview with an ex-professional tennis player

    Tell us about your academy at Buccament Bay, how it started, and where you'd like to see it going in the future?

    We got the academy up and running in 2011 with the Phase One courts, and it's been going well. We are lucky to have one of the greatest locations to relax, play sport and recharge. As the sports facilities including the remainder of the courts and complex are completed, Buccament Bay will be one of the world's best places to visit and learn to play tennis, and other sports and activities as well.


    What are the most important attributes that a tennis player needs?

    Tennis is a tough sport because you need so many things to play at a top level. Firstly you need to perfect all the technical areas of each shot; then there's the physical attributes of speed, agility and endurance topped with balance and timing. You need mental strength too: there's no clock to run out, so every point is important and it becomes a great mental battle.


    What do you feel are the best exercises for tennis?

    For the beginner, I think general hand/eye coordination. James Droy (the resident coach) and I have fun games for the younger kids, and tougher movement and agility exercises for the older kids and adults, but in the end you need a bit of everything.

     

    Pat Cash at Buccament Bay

    Pat Cash playing at Buccament Bay


    What are the most common pitfalls of an average player's game?

    Usually technique issues hold players back as most people have been taught poorly. Sometimes it's better not to have had any coaching at all than poor coaching as some habits are hard to break. An understanding of body movement will help, which James and I are happy to explain.


    During your tennis career, who did you find as the most challenging player to play against, and what aspect of their game made it difficult for you?

    I was lucky and unlucky to be playing in such an amazing era of tennis. The mid-80's to mid-90's were very special with so many different styles and personalities to combat. Players like Becker and Lendl had power, control and variety; Wilander Connors and others never seemed to miss; and McEnroe, Noah and Edberg were precision attackers. All were great players and very different.


    What do you find are the health benefits of playing tennis?

    It's a total body workout and great for your fitness. It is one of the toughest sports in the world at the top level.


    What top tips do you have for somebody who wants to instantly raise their game?

    I think it's important to understand the best area to contact the ball. If the ball is too far away, you lose control and balance; if it's too close, you can't swing correctly. Getting the correct place to contact the ball will enable you to hit through the ball better.


    How do you choose a suitable racket for, say, an intermediate player?

    Rackets are very personal but the main thing is to get a decent set of strings with a decent tension - that will make a huge difference.


    How fit does someone need to be to play tennis, and are you ever too old to give up?

    I had a chat with an 83 year old the other day who plays three times a week with his buddies. They have a great time and get all the joints moving and muscles working. As long as you can shuffle around, you should find someone to play with.


    Which tennis tournament is your favourite and why?

    I think all of the Grand Slams are very special and very different in many ways, but sometimes the smaller events are more fun, like the ATP event in Baastad, Sweden, or Delray Beach in Florida. Also I'm fortunate to play in the legends events these days, which are really relaxed and fun so I enjoy every event.

    What aspect of combining travel and tennis do you enjoy the most?

    Being an Aussie I have had to travel my whole life to get around the world. I hear many ex pro players don't like to travel anymore and I understand that, after 15 years of hotels, airports and tennis courts, travelling becomes far less appealing to some, but I can't stand still for very long. When I first travelled, there were no iPods, mobile phones or internet, so these things make travelling and waiting at airports kinda fun.

     

    For more information about the Pat Cash tennis academy, visit Buccament Bay

  • Paul’s Review of Penha Longa Resort in Sintra, Portugal

    My wellness break at Penha Longa; a secluded retreat in the countryside outside Lisbon made me feel like royalty. A sophisticated and large golf and spa resort with 194 rooms, set among the spectacular Sintra Mountains and in the beautiful grounds of a 14th-century monastery and, later a 19th century palace. Penha Longa resembles nature, history and luxury with world-class service, spreading over 220 hectares of pine forest in fairy-tale hills, just 15 minutes north of Cascais town and beach.

  • Play Tennis with Annabel Croft in Cyprus

    Enjoy an exclusive week of tennis coaching with the former British No.1 and TV Sports Presenter including the official launch of the Annabel Croft Tennis Academy at Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus. 

  • Rebecca’s Review of Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus

    Review of Aphrodite Hills

    Tell us about the resort – what makes Aphrodite Hills special?  

    Just a 15-minute drive from Paphos located on a plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is the luxury 5-star Aphrodite Hills.  A golf course surrounds the resort which provides unspoilt sea views and creates a real feeling of open space which I found immediately calming and relaxing. 

  • Single Holidays for Single Travellers

    Our Top 5 Solo Friendly Healthy Holidays

    There is often a stigma attached to travelling solo. People are afraid of appearing lonely and feeling unsafe and the issue of the single supplement can be off putting. But an estimated 15 million singles now live in Britain and many more people are choosing to bite the bullet and travel by themselves. Solo holidays are fast becoming a popular option because they allow for the exact type of experience desired. In 2009, as many as 5 million Brits took to the skies alone so they could enjoy holidays catering to their personal tastes and needs.

  • Sporty Father’s Day Escapes for Active Dads

    Up the ante from the predictable pair of socks this Father’s Day and treat the world’s greatest Dad to a sporty escape. With a range of active holiday getaways, from tennis in Greece, to surfing in Morocco and adventure sports in Oman, choose a tailor-made activity holiday designed around his favourite past times to give your old man a fun filled break that he'll never forget.

  • Swing and Serve: The Best Golf and Tennis Holidays

    Swing and Serve: The Best Golf and Tennis Holidays

     

    Whether you’re looking for some leisurely fun or are keen to improve your skills,golfbreaksandtennis holidays are available for all abilities. Practice your swing or ace your serve on a luxury golf or tennis holiday, or perhaps try your hand at both. Tennis and golf are great sports for singles, couples and even families! Receive expert coaching to really give your game an edge and share tips with like-minded sporting enthusiasts from across the globe. With professional tennis courts and champion golf courses in ample destinations worldwide, whether you want to hit balls by the beach or under the mountains there is a resort for everyone.Here are our bestgolf andtennis retreats forthe perfect active holiday:

  • Tennis in Cyprus

    As a tennis enthusiast, I was delighted when I went on the Tennis Academy holiday at Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus. I really managed to develop and improve my technique with the help of professional coaching every day.

  • Tennis Tips and Trips to Get You Wimbledon Ready

    With Wimbledon fever underway, those inspired to dig out their dusty tennis rackets can now rediscover the racket-wielding sport, as we share our top tennis tips direct from the pros, helping you to unleash your inner-champ. Practice your new-found skills and gain the advantage on a specialist tennis holiday, whether training in Thailand at a dedicated sports retreat frequented by sporting stars, or acing your game whilst soaking up the Mediterranean sun. After working up a sweat, ward off tennis elbow through rejuvenating spa treatments, leaving your body ready to hit the courts again tomorrow. Game, set, match.

  • Tennis: Serve your way to a healthy lifestyle

    It is never too late to take up an exhilarating new hobby, so why not start with tennis? It's a beautiful game that the whole family can enjoy in all seasons and has numerous health benefits such as lowering the risk of heart disease. It also has rehabilitative qualities which give you the opportunity to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. And who knows, once you have mastered the techniques and developed your own strategy, you can pass this knowledge onto your family. You may set in motion and be responsible for training the future Andy Murray or Laura Robson!

  • The 10 Best Health and Fitness Retreats

    The 10 Best Health and Fitness Retreats

     

    From yoga retreats in Thailand to adventure fitness holidays in Oman, we present our 10 best health and fitness retreats around the world to help rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Enhance your well-being in just 7 days on one of our worldwide healthy holidays and return home with benefits that will long outlast your tan.

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