GoLearnTo Travel Blog

Tripadvisor has surveyed more than 2,500 travelers and determined that 32 percent of travelers are planning to engage in educational activities while on holiday in 2008. This statistic is up 7 percent, from 25 percent last year.

According to TripAdvisor, of those who plan a “learning” holiday, 19 percent plan to attend art classes, 35 percent will take sports-oriented sessions, and 52 percent will learn how to cook. And 34 percent plan to take a wine-making or wine-tasting class.

So that’s more than half who have been bitten by the cooking bug and there’s arguably nothing better than taking a cooking holiday where you learn to cook in an authentic kitchen, using fresh local ingredients taught by a professional Italian, French, Spanish or Thai chef!

The trips are favored by women over men (57 percent to 43 percent) and the majority of participants said they want an educational holiday because it’s a new experience.

To take a look at what new skills you can learn on holiday, check out over 1000 learning holiday courses at  www.GoLearnTo.com now!

Be inspired - see what you can learn on your next holiday

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If you are a cosmetics junkie then why not indule your passion for creams, lotions and potions and go learn to make your own lipstick,  luxurious moisturiser and body cream on a unique personalised cosmetics course in Paris.

This unique course will take you to a professional kitchen in Paris where you’ll learn from a beauty expert with over 20 years experience how to ‘cook-up’ all natural cosmetics that are tailored to your skin type and colouring. 

This course starts with a full skin consultation before you unleash the creative within and start making your very own cosmetics.

The perfect choice for a pampering girl’s weekend in Paris, you and your best pals will receive a personal skin analysis that will enable you to choose ingredients with properties suited to your individual needs. All the ingredients used to create your products are based on natural extracts and organic ingredients such as organic vegetable and essential oils, shea, cacao and mango butters, natural shining and coloration substance such as argile, mica, spices and natural preservatives such as vitamin E.

At the end of the lesson you will take away the different recipes for your products so you can create your specially designed products at home.

With the trend increasingly for organic, natural cosmetics tailored to your very own skin type then who needs Channel or Clinique when you can make your own lipsticks, face and body creams to indulge and pamper yourself again and again.

Unleash the creative within and Go Learn To create your own cosmetics in Paris

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An article published on Travelmole today offers tips on how to enjoy your flight and still be cheap. All tips offered by CheapOair.com, all comments on the practicalities of being cheap are my own…

1. Act like a toddler. Bring a “blankie” and small, inflatable pillow and wake up rested at your destination.

Nice idea but how will you find space to fit ‘Blankie’ into your onboard luggage. Luggage that you have to carry on as you didn’t want to pay £12 to check your bags!

2. Be like a camel. Bring an empty water bottle through security and fill it up at a water fountain near your gate.

This one I like… saves you £2 for a tiny bottle of water in WHSmiths anyway 3. Make your seatmates jealous. Don’t pay £5 for stale bread and cheese. Pack a turkey wrap with fresh cheese, avocado and yummy sides. Fresh popcorn, pitas with hummus… or even your favorite chocolate bar.

Hmmm… not so sure about this one, sounds like a nice idea but I for one never have time to do a ‘pack up’ before rushing to the airport, I vote you just save your £5 for arrival when you can usually buy and enjoy a fantastic meal for the same price as a stale sandwich. I mean.. most short haul flights are less than 2 hours so do you really need to eat during that time?

4. You shouldn’t have to amuse yourself… but you kinda have to. Bring your own headphones to watch the in-board movie or listen to music.

In flight movie - aren’t those a thing of the past? Who wrote these tips? A good book is all you need.

5. Use your luggage as a workout. If you have to pay £12 to check your bag, get your money’s worth. Before checking the bag, use it for arm raises or use it to hold an impromptu step class. £12 is much cheaper than paying for a personal training session.

If I’m paying £12 to check my bags, I get my money’s worth by packing all the things I know I will probably not wear but at least I’ll have the choice. You can keep the workout, if I don’t have a bikini body by the time I’m at the airport then a few arm curls aren’t going to do it.

How far would you go to save money and fly cheap?  

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Most businesses need experienced people who understand other cultures, have a strong desire to learn, are highly motivated, speak another language and are independent.  You might be considering taking some time out to travel before looking for your next job but if you use your time out wisely you could be looking at a much stronger CV when it comes to competing for your next big job.

Everyone wants to have fun, meet new and interesting people, get off the tourist trail and discover more when they are travelling but with little effort, you could do all of those things and more and still have something to put on your CV that has more substance than just ‘travelling’ in the interests and hobbies section.

First things first, get rid of the dreaded hobbies and interest section altogether. Instead, have a heading that includes ‘Skills and Education’ for example and pop in your ‘travel experiences’ there. I’ve known people who scan CV’s using just the hobbies section and if they see something they don’t like, your CV is discarded immediately so get rid of it now before an employer who doesn’t share your love of pottery, swimming, reading fantasy novels or going to the gym…!

Now go back to the things that employers are looking for; desire to learn, speak a new language, independence and so on and see what you can do on your travels that not only fits this criteria but also allows you to have fun, meet new people, experience other cultures and get off that dreaded tourist trail.

Why not take a holiday language course? You don’t have to spend weeks in a classroom, just a couple of weeks dedicating your mornings to learning the language should be enough to give you the basics of communication plus you get afternoons off and weekends so it’s a great balance of lessons and leisure. If you stay with a host family whilst you are learning to speak a new language, you’ll have the added bonus of experiencing the culture, food and hospitality of the locals at the same time.

And if you are looking for a job in a particular industry, perhaps you are looking to get into something creative, something sporty, charity work or even catering then look for a holiday language course that combines learning a new language each morning with afternoons spent indulging your passion for creativity, food and drink or even try volunteering which all adds a great deal to that ’skills and education’ section.

With prices from just £55 per week for 20 Spanish language lessons in South America and exciting options that include combining learning Italian with an Italian cooking course in Italy, Spanish with surf lessons in Costa Rica, Portuguese with Samba dancing in Brazil or Spanish with horse riding in Spain and much more, combining lessons with leisure and improving your CV has never been more enticing.

Learn a new skill on holiday, take part in a wide range of holiday actvities combining lessons with lesiure and really use your travel experience to differentiate yourself.

Have fun, be adventurous meet new people and see what you can learn. Go Learn To Speak Spanish, Surf, Cook, Samba Dance, Speak French, Kite Surf, Scuba Dive, Horse Ride, Speak Italian and more…

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Paris….  a fabulous city but if you’ve been there as many times as I have, you might be looking for a break from shopping and sightseeing.

Indulge yourself in the capital of style with these fashion, food and beauty holiday activities.  Oh, and bragging rights come with all learning experiences…

FASHION

Feed your fashion and culture cravings in one hit at the Fondation Yves Saint Laurent, a museum dedicated to the master of couture, who hung up his scissors two years ago. Clothes from the designer’s 5,000-piece archive are exhibited, as well as the Saint’s impressive personal art collection, including works by Goya, Picasso, Matisse and Andy Warhol.

Contact tel: +33 1 44 31 64 00

Cost adult ticket: £1 - £5 pp

FOOD

Only the French can make food taste this good. Why not go learn to cook French food for yourself so that you can bring back the taste of Paris to enjoy long after your holiday is over.

Roll up your sleeves and go learn to cook a typical French menu from appetiser to desert on this half-day cookery course that promises not just a culinary but also a cultural experience all for just £80.

Taught by a professional French chef, you’ll not only learn new skills but will also sit down with your fellow chefs to enjoy the lunch you’ve cooked.  That’s £80 for a delicious 3 course lunch with wine and some new cooking skills thrown in - a bargain by Parisian standards.

Learn to cook on a cooking course in Paris by clicking on this link 

BEAUTY

French women are renowned for their style and who better to take beauty tips from but a Parisian? On this unique course, you’ll learn to make your own cosmetics that are tailored to your very own beauty needs.

Starting with an analysis of your skin, you’ll learn what your skin needs and the colours that suit you before selecting your all natural and organic ingredients to start ‘cooking’ your very own cosmetics.

Go learn to ‘cook’ and create your very own lipstick, face and body cream on this unique beauty course that will arm you with the necessary skills to create more batches of your personalised cosmetics back home. Who knows… you might take your new found beauty skills to start your own cosmetics business!!

Beauty and Cosmetic Creation Courses in Paris

Paris fashion, food and beauty…

Get more from your next trip to Paris and Go Learn To create your own cosmetics, cook and more with www.GoLearnTo.com

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Flopping out on a beach for a week not for you?

Dreaming about taking up a new hobby, wishing you could cook, speak French or looking for some adventure as you learn to kite surf or wind surf or do you just want to unleash that creative within?

Then why not use your holiday time to combine leisure with lessons on one of these learning holidays with a difference………

Our pick of the top 5 holiday activties for August breaks are below:

1. Take kite surf lessons in Tarifa, Spain

Tarifa is quite possibly the windiest coast of Spain and the best place to learn to kite surf, with wide sandy beaches, a laid back atmosphere and near perfect kite surf conditions what better place to hit the beach this Summer.

There are over 40 kite surf schools in Tarifa but very few that are accredited by the International Kite Surf Organisation (IKO). IKO ensure all schools meet safety standards and offer quality tuition so make sure you book your kite boarding course with the experts.

2,3 and 5 day IKO kite surfing courses are on offer and all with availability in August.

Experience the adrenaline rush of this thrilling sport on your next holiday.

IKO Kite surf lessons, Tarifa, Spain

2. Gain your PADI on a Scuba Diving course in Spain

Take time out of your holiday in Majorca the Costa Del Sol or the Costa Brava to experience life at a different depth on a scuba diving course. Suitable for beginners to advanced divers, these PADI accredited courses at excellent scuba schools offer you the chance to explore the world underwater to get more from your Spanish holiday.

2, 3 or 5 day PAID accredited scuba diving courses on offer from £176.

Learning Holidays in Spain - Scuba diving courses

3. Sailing Lessons in Spain

Get off the beach and out into the water on a short sailing course in Spain. Learn to sail on a ‘Fillao’ boat that has been especially designed not to capsize so it’s perfect for beginners learning to sail for the first time.

4 and 5 day courses available that take place in the afternoons leaving you plenty of time to kick back and relax on these learning holidays with a difference.

Sailing lessons in the Costa Del Sol or the Costa Brava, Spain 

4. Learn Italian in Sorrento, Italy

Visit the stunning Amalfi coast and learn Italian in beautiful Sorrento. Wander around the delightful town centre overlooking the coast, sip a coffee or eat a gelato that you’ve ordered yourself in Italian.

With 4 Italian lessons each morning, you’ll have your afternoons free to relax on this Italian language holiday.

20 lessons per week from just £153 for 1 week

Learn Italian in Sorrento, Italy on a Italian language holiday

5. Learn to fight like a Roman Gladiator in Rome

Do something unique in Rome and take a 2 hour Roman gladiator combat course. Get kitted out and get ready to thrust your sword as you take Gladiator lessons from just £40 per person.

Gladiator Lessons in Rome, Italy

Be inspired - see what you can learn on your next holiday by clicking on the link below…

Holiday activities and learning holidays from GoLearnTo.com

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