Antarctica's penguin colony also a must-see London - Arabstoday The awe-inspiring polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic are amongst the most beautiful and captivating in the world. Irrespective of which region you choose, visiting one of the world’s ultimate travel frontiers should prove to be a truly unforgettable and enriching experience. Personalised travel experts, Audley, have launched a stand-alone Polar Expedition Cruising brochure giving travellers the widest choice of boats and destinations available on the UK market with an excellent range of suggested itineraries covering many countries. Audley’s polar specialists have all travelled to one or both of the polar regions so have extensive knowledge and experience and are able to give clients detailed first hand information of both the destinations and the boats. They are also totally honest on the pros and cons of polar cruising - for example giving an honest account of crossing Drake Passage and tips on how to endure it if you suffer from sea-sickness. As well as cruises within the Arctic Circle or Arctic Ocean and cruises within the continent of Antarctica, Audley have also included South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and Macquarie Island as well as Iceland and parts of Baffin Island in Canada as these places are all visited by boats that sail on to the polar regions. The brochure includes seven pages dedicated to the different boats available, giving full details on each including their maximum speed, ice class and dimensions. Audley only work with the smaller vessels as they offer a more intimate experience and include daily excursions which larger boats are unable to offer. The largest boat they recommend has a capacity of just 189 passengers with most taking around 120 passengers. There is also a section in the brochure that gives a typical polar day experience, so that clients know what to expect, as well as a section on the unexpected! Examples include everyone jumping up from dinner to rush to the deck to see a pod of orcas or stopping in pack ice to watch a lone male polar bear approach the boat. The wonderful natural environment can mean all sorts of extra surprises. Suggested itineraries on offer range from a nine day North Spitsbergen cruise to a 37 day Ultimate Antarctica cruise that takes in a semi-circumnavigation voyage of Antarctica sailing to both the Antarctic Peninsula and the Ross Sea in East Antarctica as well as the sub-Antarctic island of Macquarie. Another great expedition cruise is around Svalbard in the Arctic and promises incredible scenery and surprisingly abundant wildlife. The majority of cruises encounter at least one polar bear. Ringed, bearded and hooded seals are also commonly seen, either splashing around in the icy waters, resting on an iceberg or being devoured by a polar bear. Many species of whale can also be sighted, including minke, humpback and orca. A visit to a penguin colony in Antarctica is a fascinating and entertaining experience. There are seven species that are considered Antarctic penguins, including emperor, king and gentoo and they are irresistibly endearing and comical to watch. goda.com, Asia’s leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced great deals on Indian hotels in the leadup to the annual Holi Festival, India’s famously raucous and cheerful celebration of color. As with many festivals in Asia, the Holi celebration is a mix of astrological rituals, religious traditions, and unique cultural characteristics. In this case, Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the story of Hiranyakashipu and his son, Prahlada. After being blessed with near-immortality by the god Brahma, Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant and demanded that people worship him. Prahlada, however, was a devotee of the god Vishnu, which angered his father, who tried to kill him. However, after surviving several attempts on his life, Prahlada submitted to fate and allowed himself to be set on fire with his aunt Holika, an immortal demon. He prayed to Vishnu for protection and to everyone’s surprise, Prahlada survived while Holika was consumed by flame. This year Holi will be celebrated on March 27, as usually goes for a few days afterward. It’s celebrated in different ways in different locations around India, but there are several common themes throughout. The most obvious one is the dancing, music, food and general merrymaking that grips everyone from young children to teenagers, parents and seniors. Large bonfires, called holika, are also set around town in memory of Prahlada’s miraculous escape. In some villages, rival groups of men will try and steal wood used in each other’s holika in a friendly competition, while contests might be held where the goal is for young boys to make a human pyramid to reach and break a pot of buttermilk suspended high above the street. And don’t be startled by women beating men with rolled-up saris or sticks – it’s just a part of the custom. But the most visual and beautiful part of the celebration is when participants throw great handfuls of colored powder at each other in a boisterous celebration of the festivities. Deep purple, vibrant orange, fiery red, shimmering blue and a thousand colors in between are flung into the air and over crowds resulting in an intense rainbow of colors covering every inch of the celebrating masses. It makes for some great photos – but make sure the camera is Holi-proofed! Like many things in India, Holi truly has to be seen to be believed. It’s a celebration of life and culture where everyone plays a part, and visitors are warmly welcomed. If a visit to India is on the calendar in late March, the Agoda.com hotels below will ensure a spot right in the middle of the action. - See more at: http://www.travpr.com/pr-22031-agodacom-announces-colorful.html#sthash.gxhMwr6J.dpuf