Scientists in Canada have been probing the prairies in search of fragments from the giant 10 tonne meteor that was seen entering the earths atmosphere dramatically last week.

The largest meteor to enter our atmosphere in over a decade, it is thought that the meteor exploded with the equivalent force of 300 tonnes of dynamite and the remains, according to scientists Peter Brown and Alan Hildebrand, thought to be between Saskatchewan and Alberta provinces.

Scientists have looked into the possibility of using lasers from the forestry industry to locate meteor craters, important as craters help scientists to predict the frequency at which meteorites enter the earths atmosphere.

However, this technique will be of no use to the recent meteorite in Canada as no crater was created.

It is thought that there is likely to be hundreds of fragments of meteorite scattered in the area as the entry speed was far less than usual.

The search continues.

Webguysi writes for Canadian Sky who offer escorted tours, cruisesand wildlife holidays in Canada. To find out more, visit www.canadiansky.ie or call 068 568 68.

Jamaica is such a wonderful country, full of colour and charm. What better way to relax than to the sound of steel pans and reggae music whilst tasting some of the finest rum as the sun sets.

To help you make the most out of a holiday in Jamaica, we have put together a list of 5 things you shouldn’t miss out on.

Blue Mountains
No visit to Jamaica is complete without witnessing the majesty of the Blue Mountains. Shrouded in mists that give the peaks their blue colour, the region is famous for its much sought after Blue Mountain Coffee which is cultivated on the lower slopes of the mountains.

Dunn’s River Falls
One of Jamaica’s top tourist attractions, Dunn’s River Falls is a famous natural waterfall near the resort of Ochoc Rios and is one of few in the world that falls directly into the sea.

The staggered waterfalls mean that visitors can actually walk up the length of the falls and often do so by creating a long human chain.

Famous scenes from the James Bond film Dr No were filmed at Dunn’s river falls, including the iconic scene of Ursula Andress walking in the sea.

Strawberry Hill
A stay at Strawberry Hill, a beautiful property in the magnificent Blue Mountains is a fantastic treat which affords stunning views out across Jamaica.

Previously an 18th century coffee plantation, the boutique property now features stunning studios and cottages that offer visitors a completely new view of Jamaica.

Blue Lagoon
The location for several films, the Blue Lagoon is a 200ft deep blue hole that featured in the 1980 film of the same name starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins.

Appleton Rum Estate
Explore and discover the Appleton Rum estate on the Appleton Rum Tour and sample some of the finest rum Jamaica has to offer.

The tour includes transfers from your hotel, a talk on the history of the estate and demonstration of processes involved. A chance to visit the distillery and finally tasting of the liquor in the Appleton Lounge and a complementary bottle of rum to take away.

Couples Resorts offer adults only couples holidays. To find out more about Jamaica holidays with Coupleas, visit www.couplesresorts.co.uk.

One of the biggest drains on your holiday budget can be unforeseen expenses. One way to lessen the impact of these costs is to anticipate and make allowances.

You drive to the airport with your family and luggage and find that your airport parking space is costing you more than double what it cost the guy who is parking next to you. He had sensibly booked in advance and received savings of up to 60%.

You then go to the bureau-de-change to get some currency for your holiday and find that you get far fewer Pesos for the Pound than the guy who had found the best deal from a commission-free provider before coming to the airport.

You’ve sensibly made certain that you and your family are adequately protected with appropriate travel insurance but you find that, if you had booked your airport parking space in advance through gosimply.com, you would have been eligible for a discount of 10% on your insurance costs.

Then, you get to your destination and go to the car hire desk only to find that you need to pay full price for whatever vehicles they have left in stock. If you had booked in advance you could have specified the car that you wanted and received a discount for pre-booking.

All of these expenses could have been lessened if you had simply spent a little time planning your trip and anticipating your requirements and expenditure in advace.

Your financial planning doesn’t need to be overly detailed. Simply make a list of all anticipated expenses that you are likely to encounter and note where savings might be made by pre-booking or shopping around. Then spend a little time online taking advantage of various price comparison services. With very little effort you will make some great savings.

How about this for a life of luxury.
I was reading about this 89 year old lady who has the ultimate holiday experience. She actually lives on board the QE2 and has done so for the last 14years.

QE2 by gee

She pays £3500 per month for this priviledge and has seen the world and met a host of interesting people.
Unfortunately once the QE2 reaches Dubai where it is due for retirement shortly, Bea as she is known to the crew will be losing her home. Undeterred she is determined not to return to dry land but hopes to remain at sea!
What an amazing way to live, surely this has got to be the ultimate luxury holiday!

I wonder if the credit crunch will in fact make a difference to people taking their holidays abroad?

Years ago it was practically unheard of to be able to afford to holiday in foreign climes but now it is quite the opposite. In fact people are often surprised if you say well actually I will be spending our holiday in the UK.

Its true I’m sure that it can sometimes work out even cheaper to holiday abroad. There are so many deals around especially if you are prepared to wait for last minute ones, that it is possible to grab a bargain.

For the last few years our family holidays have been spent in the UK, mainly in the West Country.

It is true to say that there is so much to see and this beautiful part of the country does not disappoint.

One place in particular we choose to stay in is Torquay. There is plenty of choice when it comes to Devon hotels, but we opt to go for self catering apartments which offer flexibility and freedom. This gives us the options to come and go as we please but still enjoy all the great leisure and entertainment that is on offer.

It will be interesting to see what the new year brings and if like us people do decide to explore this lovely country of ours instead of going abroad, then lets face it, this can only help us all long term by looking after our own, instead of lining the pockets of businesses abroad.

Those embarking on a long haul holiday to tropical climbs often do so in search of the ultimate idyllic location – in search of paradise, but so many locations promise so much but actually deliver so little. Sorting out which locations truly are hidden gems can often be a challenge.

Somerset Falls in Jamaica is an area of unspoilt scenery offering visitors the chance to visit the stunning natural water fall and spot colourful wild birds in their natural habitat – Robin Crusoe style.

I often think Flickr is one of the best places to go to find a locations true beauty. They say the camera never lies, but unfortunately it can bend the truth, and travel websites don’t always show the true picture. By searching Flickr I think you get a more balanced view of an area, and a search of Somerset Falls [http://flickr.com/search/?q=somerset+falls+jamaica&m=text] reveals this locations true identity.

Located on the north east of the island of Jamaica, Somerset Falls is best enjoyed on a day excursion to get the most out of the location.

Couples Resorts offer adults only all-inclusive holidays in Jamaica. To find out more visit www.couplesresorts.co.uk.

Travel insurance is an unavoidable expense so it’s good to find a way to save on the cost without losing any benefits.

The lovely people over at gosimply.com are currently offering 10% discount on a whole range of travel insurance policies including Worldwide Cover, Backpacker Insurance and Ski and Adventure insurance.

To be eligible for the discount all you have to do is take advantage of one of their travel services such as airport parking. So if you book your airport car parking space in advance through gosimply.com you will get 10% off your travel insurance.

Alternatively, you may take advantage of their airport hotels comparison and booking facility or maybe their airport lounges services. All will give you 10% off your travel insurance which can mean some serious savings.

Normally, if you wanted to escape the cold Winter weather and have a Caribbean holiday during Christmas, you would have to be rather wealthy and book atleast 6 months in advance, but all that is changing.

Due to the current financial crisis, even the regular Winter travellers are finding it difficult to commit to their usual Winter breaks, so the amount of bookings for these luxury Winter breaks is going down, and the amount of cancellations is on the increase. Because of all of this, the hotels are panicking, and because they are panicking, they are reducing prices and allowing people to stay shorter lengths of time.

So, what this means for everyone out there is that there are some great last minute deals to pick up, with some careful planning, you can get yourself a great holiday deal in some of the best hotels in the Caribbean.

Did you know that there are in fact three Lady Liberties! I learnt this the other day when watching a programme on France.?

I was always under the impression that the one and only statue of Liberty stood at the entrance to New York Harbour but this is not the case.  

Liberty Enlightening the World was in fact a friendship gift from France to the US commemorating the 100th anniversary of American independence. The statue also stands in Swan Ally Island on the River Seine and the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. 

So if you ever get the chance for a weekend break to New York then just remember there are two more of these ladies residing in France!

Recently we had friends over from Canada and were keen to show off some of the wonderful places to visit in the UK. 

They had been to this country before and had been to London and seen all the sights so we were asked to suggest a good location in which to stay in Sussex.

Our suggestion was Arundel it is absolutely steeped in history and there is plenty to do in and around that area. There are a good selection of sussex holiday cottages available all offering quaint original features whilst still offering the comfort of modern facilities.

First impressions of Arundel are memorable and I was sure that our visitors would not be disappointed. As you drive down the hill approaching Arundel and glance to the north the imposing sight of the castle appears on the skyline. It never fails to impress. I have driven down there many times and never fail to admire the view. 

 
Arundel Castle is in fact the second largest in England, built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery. The Dukes of Norfolk have lived there for over 700 years.

From the Wars of the Roses to the Tudor period and the Civil War the Howards were prominent in English history. The 3rd Duke of Norfolk was in fact the uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard both famous wives of Henry VIII.

The Tudor period was in fact a very dangerous time politically for the Dukes of Norfolk. The 3rd Duke only missed his execution because Henry VIII happened to die the night before his execution. The 4th Duke however was not so lucky. He was beheaded for plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots to Philip Howard. Who was the 13th Earl of Arundel and died in the Tower of London due to his catholic faith.

It is hard to see, but the castle has in fact undergone much restoration in its time. During the Civil War in 1643 it was badly damaged but restored to its former glory in the 18th and 19th centuries.

On arriving in the town there is plenty of interest. Arundel is renowned for its quaint shops many of which sell antiques. In fact it is an antique collectors paradise.

At the top of the hill stands the imposing Catholic Cathedral which was commissioned by Henry the 15th Duke of Norfolk in December 1868. Joseph Hansom was the architect of this building and another claim to fame was that he was also the inventor of the Hansom Cab!

Last but not least you cannot visit Arundel without making a trip to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. This was founded in 1946 by the artist and naturalist Sir Peter Scott and the sheer variety of wildlife is truly amazing.
So, I am hoping that they will not fail to enjoy this holiday and take back many happy memories of their time spent in Sussex.