The Hidden Ireland is a unique collection of private houses offering visitors a chance to sample Irish country life at its very best, in a style not usually experienced by the ordinary visitor. Their houses are buildings of architectural merit and great character with unusual and interesting owners who enjoy sharing their homes with their guests.
This year they have also added self-catering properties. Many of the houses are heritage buildings in spectacular locations. The Hidden Ireland brochures are available from PO Box 5451, Dublin 2. Tel: (01) 662 7166. Fax: (01) 662 7144. Email: hidden.ireland@indigo.ie
Good news for art lovers and visitors to Italy: the Italian art minister, Walter Veltroni, has announced that 16 state-run museums would be kept open all year round from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. They include the Uffizi in Florence, Accademia in Venice, and Rome's Villa Borghese. This is the latest attempt to make the country's cultural treasures more accessible to both Italians and visitors.
Competition between the ferry companies has led to substantial price cuts on packages to the Continent. Scandinavian Seaways in particular are benefiting from the reduction in Stena fares. The Irish Sea crossing is already free - for customers travelling on to Scandinavia - and now the reductions of up to 35 per cent make the journey to the Scandinavian countries, Holland and Germany much cheaper.
The Scandinavian Seaways brochure can be obtained from your travel agent or Stena Line. An example of one week's holiday in Denmark is from £81 per person, including accommodation in a Danish country cottage.
Northern Ireland Tourist Board is coming up trumps again with its spring offer of two nights' bed and breakfast for £49. It has a selection of lovely hotels from Belfast to Carnlough, and from Newcastle to Portrush. Phone for their brochure, or to book, on callsave 1850 230 230, or call into their office at 16 Nassau Street, Dublin.
Carefree Journeys and Holidays in association with Bord Failte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board must be congratulated on producing a new holiday guide for disabled people. This 104-page guide provides a wide range of accommodation all over Ireland under three categories of accessibility, from wheelchair users travelling independently to those able to walk a maximum of three steps.
The guide also has sections on facilities at airports, ferry terminals, bus and rail stations, filling stations, car parks, banking, restaurants. There is a list of useful services too. The guide is available from tourist offices from April.
The Avenue of the Volcanoes is in Ecuador, and is the hiking trip of a lifetime, with the option of climbing the 20,561 foot high mountain, el Chimborazo. Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries and has incredible geographical, ethnic and cultural variety. It has the mountains, the Pacific coast and the nature paradise of the Galapagos Islands.
A & A is organising an escorted tour in July: from Ireland you can contact them at 338 Harold's Cross Road, Dublin 6W. Tel: (01) 492 3563).