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Travel Agenda: Bmibaby; Isle of Wight Walking Festival; Sarkanniemi theme park; Qatar Airways; Wythe hotel; Holiday Autos
Where to go and what to know
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Your support makes all the difference.The shutdown
Bmibaby is being closed down by its new owner, IAG, the parent company of British Airways. The first tranche takes effect over the weekend of 9/10 June, with all routes from Belfast City and many from East Midlands ending. All remaining services, from Birmingham and East Midlands, will finish on or before 9 September. Booked passengers are being contacted and will get full refunds.
The event
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival begins tomorrow (until 20 May) with dozens of organised walks focusing on the island's remarkable terrain, wildlife and man-made curiosities. On Tuesday, for example, you can take a stroll in the footsteps of rock legends on Tennyson Down, overlooking the site of the 1970 pop festival starring Hendrix, The Doors and Leonard Cohen (isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk).
The attraction
Finland's Sarkanniemi theme park has opened for the summer season ... but this time with some irate avian friends. Those familiar with the game Angry Birds will already know the highs and lows of catapulting a multi-coloured menagerie of wingless birds from slingshots. But now the park, near Tampere, has launched a new attraction, themed around the game. Visitors can expect 12 rides, an adventure course, games and food stalls from 8 June (sarkanniemi.fi).
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The number of enticing new routes offered by Qatar Airways with one change in Doha from Heathrow or Manchester. Flights to Perth start on 3 July, Kilimanjaro (or at least its local airport, Arusha) on 25 July, Mombasa on 15 August and the Burmese city Yangon on 3 October. And there's one more. The danger zone of Baghdad, from 7 June (qatarairways.com).
The hotel
Brooklyn's boutique hotel scene is in bloom. The Wythe is the latest, in hipster-central Williamsburg, and has taken up residence in an old warehouse. Check in for exposed brick walls softened with decorative tiling and pine ceilings, high-spec fittings and Manhattan views. A restaurant, Reynards, will add wood-fired cooking imminently. Doubles, US$218/£145 (wythehotel.com).
The deal
Holiday Autos is celebrating its 25th birthday by giving a 25 per cent discount on car hire in 25 different destinations until, you guessed it, 25 May. So, those wanting to drive the Dalmatian coast of Croatia this summer, should visit this Monday (7 May) when pick-ups from Dubrovnik and Zagreb are discounted for a 24-hour period. Other destinations include the Balearic beauty of Mallorca (14 May), the South African cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town (18 May) and Florida (21 May). Valid for collections until 31 Oct (holidayautos.co.uk/sale).
The website
Do you lust after the fixtures and fittings in luxury, boutique and design hotels? A new website, Discover-Deliver.com sources the same items for individual purchase. A quick scan reveals the Shell beds from Soho House Berlin and reclining chairs from W Barcelona.
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