2009 is a special year for Marco Polo Travel as we have been in business for 20 years. Set up in 1989, our growth has been built on recommendation and reputation and we would like to thank all of you who have supported us over the years. We pride ourselves on our personal service and high level of professionalism and this has remained unchanged during the last 20 years. As travellers turned travel agents we have all travelled extensively and can help you design your ideal holiday based on our personal experience. Amongst our special areas of expertise are adventure and walking holidays, tailor-made itineraries, honeymoons, safaris, cultural tours and round-the-world flights. As an AITO Specialist Travel Agent we work closely with the best specialist tour operators offering an exclusive choice of holidays that you will not find anywhere else.
We were voted Travel Agent of the Year by the readers of The Mail on Sunday who were asked to nominate their favourite agent based on finding the holiday that is right for the client, friendly service and expert advice and offering a wide range of holidays – quite an achievement by an independent travel agent with only one office and five staff.
As an ABTA bonded agent your money is completely safe. Booking holidays through Marco Polo Travel costs you the same but you have the added advantage of the widest possible choice and impartial advice.

Cuba
A holiday to the Caribbean needn't break the bank. Cuba is a destination where you can discover the charming and vibrant capital city of Havana, famed for its architecture which is being painstakingly restored, and then spend a week in Varadero relaxing on white sandy beaches lapped by a translucent sea.

Costs start at £1045 per person for 10 night holiday combining 3 nights in a 4 star hotel in Havana on B&B and 7 nights in a 4 star all inclusive resort in Varadero, transfers, Cuban tourist card and direct flights from Gatwick. A 16-day small group journey visiting Havana, Pinar del Rio, Bay of Pigs, Santa Clara, Trinidad and Santiago costs from £1499 per person.

Croatia
Croatia has a wealth of beautiful islands to explore which can be combined with the historic cities of Dubrovnik or Split. It really is a diverse country with beautiful national parks, inland lakes and waterfalls and undeveloped beaches. We can offer private villas, apartments and hotels, with regional departures, as well as small group adventure tours. We can pass on our personal advice to ensure you choose the right holiday to suit you. Prices start from £299 per person staying in a 4* boutique aparthotel, including flights and transfers, or £799 for a small group tour visiting Dubrovnik and the Islands of the Adriatic.

Costa Rica - green and beautiful
A recent research trip took one of the Marco Polo team to Costa Rica. With dense rainforest, hundreds of colourful bird species and the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans lapping on its shores, tiny Costa Rica is a real tropical paradise. Offering the ideal opportunity to combine exploration and relaxation, you can visit the jungle waterways of Tortuguero, then head to the volcanic springs at Arenal for a spot of rejuvenation.

Alternatively just adopt the attitude of the sloth and lie back on a pristine palm-fringed sandy beach. There are a range of small group trips to this excellent wildlife destination from £560 for 15 days on a land only basis or, alternatively, we can design your own exclusive tailor-made itinerary in conjunction with our AITO tour operator partner, Distinctive Americas, starting at £1995 per person for 13 days including flights.

Call us to discuss your Costa Rica journey on 0117 929 4123.

Iceland
It is a better time to visit Iceland than ever before with a meal that would have cost £40 now costing half that. A 5-day holiday staying at the 4* Reykjavik Nordica Hotel on B&B with flights and airport transfers is £515 per person in July and August.

Using Reykjavik as a base there is a wide choice of excursions to choose from including whale watching, geysers and stunning waterfalls, glacier walking, a Northern Lights tour, riding, salmon fishing and jeep safaris.

Alternatively base your self at the peaceful and romantic Hotel Ranga, a 4* Countryside Retreat on the banks of the famous salmon river the Estri-Ranga in South Iceland, complete with wonderful views and Hot Tubs fed by natural spring water.

Five days here start at £640 per person. Please call us to book your Iceland holiday on 0117 929 4123.

Northern Australia
Most people head for Australia during our winter to take advantage of the good weather, but northern Australia is at its best during our summer as it is their dry season. Port Douglas in Queensland, a low-key resort on an idyllic beach, is a perfect base from which to head out to the Great Barrier Reef or to explore the rainforest on Cape Tribulation.

Discover the top end of Australia by spending time in cosmopolitan Darwin and spectacular Kakadu National Park where you can learn about the area's rich Aboriginal culture or head for the Northern part of Western Australia where you can swim with whale shark at Ningaloo Reef or explore the beautiful, remote Kimberley region where the recent big budget film "Australia" was filmed. We know the region well so can design an itinerary for you to these destinations or arrange it as part of a round-the-world trip. Give us a call on 0117 929 4123.

Value for money
With the value of Sterling as it is it makes sense to choose destinations with favourable exchange rates such as Croatia, Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Japan. All these places are currently very popular so please book well in advance. Call us on 0117 929 4123 for a quote on your holiday.

New holiday ideas...
The travel industry has changed beyond recognition since 1989. Many destinations which were truly adventurous and off the beaten track back then are now quite mainstream. However, for those looking for a holiday with a difference there are still many we can offer you.

New ideas for 2009 include walking holidays in the Falkland Islands or Taiwan, bear watching in Romania in a hide just 30 metres from the bears, a multi-activity holiday in Malawi that includes hiking, biking, safari and sea kayaking and Singles holidays where you stay in comfortable hotels with likeminded company.

For those who want to minimise their carbon footprint, we now offer a range of rail tours and UK holidays including multi-activity holidays in Scotland or Wales on either a small group or tailormade basis. Please call us for more information on 0117 929 4123.

Special occasions
If, like Marco Polo Travel, you are celebrating a special occasion this year, whether it is a birthday or wedding anniversary, let us help you start planning now.

We can arrange breaks where you can indulge yourself at a spa hotel, take your family and friends to France for a gourmet meal or have a weekend house party in Morocco in your own Riad. If it is more of an adventure you are after we can suggest destinations and activities that will give you a memorable trip, either in Europe or further afield.

Recommend a friend and receive a bottle of champagne
Our business has grown organically through referrals and recommendations from many of our existing clients. To celebrate our 20th anniversary we are offering a bottle of champagne for any friends that you recommend, who book a holiday with us. The booking has to be for a minimum of £500 per person and is valid for holidays booked in 2009. Just send us their name and Marco Polo booking reference and you will receive a bottle of champagne after they have travelled.

Why not give a Marco Polo Gift Voucher?
These are ideal gifts for birthdays, special anniversaries or honeymoons. The honeymoon vouchers are a marvellous way of giving the honeymoon couple a night in a special room, an excursion such as a hot air balloon ride or an upgrade on their flight and often means they can indulge in some luxuries that they otherwise may not be able to afford. Call us to buy your Gift Vouchers on 0117 929 4123.

Consultancy service
We are aware that many people prefer to travel independently and not have all holiday arrangements prebooked through a travel agent. For those, we offer a consultancy service, costing £40 per hour for up to four clients, where we give detailed advice on where to go, how to go and what to do in your chosen destination.

The Bristol Travellers Club
The Club is run by Marco Polo and any profit is donated to charity. It usually meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (with a break in July, August and December) and the entrance fee is £3.00. Look at the programme on-line.

READ OUR 2008 NEWSLETTER           READ OUR 2007 NEWSLETTER