“What a selection!” or “I didn’t know that!”

You will certainly be pardoned for thinking on these lines, if you come across some very sane and simple holidays ideas 2012.

Here are a few resources for you to land a pleasant holiday deal.

How to get low-priced long-haul flights - Look no further for flying far, flying cheap.
UK places to stay: family - Read up on the best family-friendly places to stay in the UK.
Adventure holiday planner 2012 - Do something unusual and thrilling.
Short break ideas for 2012 – Make the most of brief spells away from work or school.
Summer family holiday deals
RHS’s Chelsea Flower Show
Writing Britain – An exhibition on Wastelands to Wonderlands; British Library.

Look up these useful listings of a variety of travel destination ideas, where your pet can happily accompany you.

Look up UK dog-friendly destinations, including

• 4 of the best dog-friendly beaches  - Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, Embleton Bay in Northumberland, Pobbles Bay in Gower and Durdle Door at Dorset
• 3 animal-friendly accommodation – The Swan Hotel in Southwold, Fieldhead Hotel in West Looe and Trigony House Hotel in Thornhill, Scotland
• 2 best dog-friendly parks – Hampshire New Forest and Lake District, Cumbria
• 1 great dog-friendly pub – The Horse And Jockey in Chorlton Meadows

If you are looking only for excellent pet-friendly accommodation, here is a usable  list, with places all over the UK -

• The Milestone Hotel, 1 Kensington Court, London
• Broadoaks Country House, Bridge Lane, Troutbeck, Windermere
• Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, Ashdown Park, Wych Cross, Forest Row
• The Bonham, 35 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh
• Linthwaite House Hotel, Crook Road, Bowness-on-Windermere
• The Headland Hotel, Fistral Beach, Newquay
• The Two Bridges Hotel, Two Bridges, Princetown, Dartmoor
• Rye Lodge, Hilders Cliff, Rye
• Collingwood Arms Hotel, Main Street, Cornhill-on-Tweed
• Captains Club Hotel, Wick Ferry, Wick Lane, Christchurch

Did you know that the third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English that was released on 19 August 2010 included  among the newly added words – “staycation”? Staycation is officially defined as “a holiday in which leisure activities are pursued while staying at one’s own home”. Add the word ‘country’ to that definition, and there you have it.

Why should we wait for economy downturns to enjoy the many features that our country offers? Do you have to wait for the news-worthies to tell you that the nation is headed towards hard times, and every one should tighten the respective belts? Of course not!

Neither need you watch out for volcanic ash or airline strikes, or visas, or better flight schedules, or a better Euro Zone to plan your staycation. What’s more, you have a variety of options that let you travel in the country with your beloved pet.

So here are some great staycation ideas. Enjoy your own country, at your will, in your time, and participate in contributing to the local tourism economy.

Look up 100 holiday ideas for staycations of previous years, and come up with your own for this year, such as -

• going by train to a historic place
• swapping your home briefly
• making use of family-friendly camping sites
• exploring and discovering fascinating things about your own home town
• having fun turning your home into a theme park

Staycations are so popular of late, and it seems to have caught the fancy of all kinds of people, ranging from those who love the countryside, to those who love the country.

One of the better ways to plan a staycation is to look up people who have ‘been there, done that’ and go through their reviews of places to see, things to do, gadgets to buy, food to taste, even irritants to avoid.

Here are some of the more prominent sites for you to refer in case you wish to travel within the country by air or by road, or simply go on a virtual tour in the comfort of your armchair.

UK Tourist & Leisure Attractions

101 Holidays

VisitBritain

Discover East of England

Did you know that VisitEngland, the country’s national tourist board has planned English Tourism Week 2012 (ETW12) from 10 to 18 March? The week-long event intends to celebrate the benefits enjoyed by everyone directly or indirectly due to the UK travel industry.

This could well become your favourite source of travel tips. The resources are aplenty, with a byline that reads – “Plan with the experts. Book with confidence”. You are bound to find  The Telegraph’s travel site extremely useful. The site includes the latest travel news, advice, hotel reviews, holiday guides and picture galleries.

Also look up Telegraph Travel Shop.

Simply stated, a responsible traveller is one who looks for travel options that benefit conservation, communities and sustainable travel. Here is “Travel Green Guide 2010-2011″, a free resource for tourists who believe that right travel choices make a difference.

This is what the TIES Director of Membership and Operations says of the guide -

“From wildlife safari in Africa to diving in the tropical waters of the South Pacific, from the highest peaks of the Himalayas to the deepest corners of the Amazon, TIES members around the world represent a wide range of experiences and stories.

Every day, these members – travel professionals, responsible companies, industry associations, sustainability advocates and travel enthusiasts – are making important contributions to a greener future of travel and tourism.

As you browse trough this year’s Travel Green Guide, the latest “who’s who” in ecotourism and sustainable travel, I hope you will find many inspirations for your next responsible vacation, as well as opportunities to make a positive difference – one trip at a time.”

Go ahead and download or share the Travel Green Guide 2010-2011.

Here is yet another resource for green travellers. Green Travel Choice is a GPS-based App for responsible travellers, that empowers the user to make the right travel choice to reduce the user’s carbon footprint.

When you visit London, remember to look up these attractions – listed here. They invariably figure in visitors’ assessments of the top tourist attractions in the capital city of the UK.

• British Museum
• Tate Modern
• National Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• The London Eye
• Science Museum
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Madame Tussauds
• National Maritime Museum
• The Tower of London with its colourful ‘Beefeaters’

You will certainly not like to miss these unique events and places that are so British!

• The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and on Horse Guards Parade, where you can see displays of colourful Royal pageantry
• Buckingham Palace, open to visitors in August and September
• The Houses of Parliament
• The clock tower that houses Big Ben
• The London Bridge
• Princess Diana’s memorial
• Hamstead Health and Kew Garden for some peace amidst chaos.

Blessed with a vibrant and rich history, the UK has always been among the top tourist destinations in the world. Whether you are planning a vacation in the UK or you are stuck for ideas while residing within the country, look up a few of the best UK attractions that are must-see places in the country.

• Stonehenge – magical place that could have been a Sun worship temple, or a healing centre, or a huge calendar
• York Minster – where you can see human imagination inspired by faith
• The Tower of London – fortress, palace and prison
• Stratford-upon-Avon – the legendary bard’s birthplace
• The Roman Baths – walk where the Romans walked
• EDF London Eye – the millennium wheel
• Hampton Court Palace –  Tudor and baroque palaces
• Portmeirion – a rather unique and aesthetic village
• Edinburgh Castle – fortress in Edinburgh
• Warwick Castle – one of the greatest vestiges of Medieval England

Here’s a listing of a few as yet unexploited beaches elsewhere in Europe and abroad. Plan a visit soon – before the ‘secret’ reaches the whole world!

• Akamas Bay in Cyprus
• Punta Molentis in Sardenia
• Trabg in Thailand
• Almeria in Spain
• Porto Santo in Madeira
• Tobago Cays in St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Roccapina in Corsica
• Murrays’ Beach in Australia
• Ramla Bay in Malta
• Pasikuda Bay in Sri Lanka

Some more exclusive beaches -

• Palombaggia Beach in Corsica
• Island of Sal in Cape Verde
• Oludeniz in Turkey

If you are eager to know more about these beaches, look up “Shh! Don’t tell anyone! …“

If you wish to get exclusive offers on travel destinations to make your holiday that much more special, look up Voyage Privé. This is an online travel club for members only, with membership being free.

As a member, you become eligible to get a weekly email newsletter containing updated selections of special offers. These include hotels, holidays, city breaks, cruises, short breaks, long stays and more.

The website puts up offers that let members avail exclusive discounts. They also offer ‘flash sales’, that is, offers with a limited duration of about 5 days. However you need to be quick to choose and grab offers, though the site does let you plan ahead and save.

Browse the exclusive membership privileges at Voyage Privé.

Note : This is only a review, not a recommendation.