About 101 Holidays
Why 101 Holidays?
The web is a great place to research and book holidays, but sometimes the sheer volume of choice can be overwhelming and confusing. There is too much information out there, and not enough hard-earned wisdom.
That’s why we created 101 Holidays, to provide a unique selection of the world’s greatest travel experiences. Each of the holidays on this website has been carefully researched, and individually chosen by two of Britain’s leading travel writers, David Wickers and Mark Hodson. Each of the travel companies we recommend appears by invitation only.
Launched in January 2009, 101 Holidays was named by The Times as one of the year’s 10 Hot Websites. We’ve already been shortlisted for two prestigious industry awards, and picked up a Travel Pioneers award from Travolution magazine for “outstanding innovation”. We’ve been featured in newspapers and magazines including The Observer, The Guardian, Times Online, The Daily Express, The Sun, Red and Woman’s Weekly. See a selection of our press coverage.
How we made our choices
Between them, David and Mark have spent more than 40 years writing about travel for national newspapers and travel magazines. They have visited more than 120 countries. They know their stuff.
They also know the industry inside out. They know which travel companies and tour operators can be trusted to deliver first-rate holidays for their clients.
Putting together all that priceless knowledge, David and Mark have selected 101 of their all-time favourite travel experiences. Although the travel companies are charged a fee to appear on the site, each has been individually selected for its expertise and excellence.
We’re growing
As a result of the huge success of 101 Holidays, we launched a second website, 101 short breaks, in October 2009. It’s packed with great travel ideas in the UK and overseas, with city breaks, country hotels, outdoor activities, beaches and culture. We launched 101 honeymoon ideas in May 2010, a unique collection of 101 great honeymoons around the world, each personally selected by Jane Anderson, one of the UK’s most experienced and respected experts on honeymoons.
David Wickers, Editor
David wrote children’s books and comedy scripts for TV before becoming a travel writer. According to The Sunday Times, where he was Chief Travel Correspondent for 17 years, he is “the most respected and knowledgeable travel writer in the UK”. On three occasions he was voted Travel Writer of the Year, and in 2009 he received the Award for Outstanding Contribution at the Travel Press Awards in London. David’s passion for travel has spilled into magazines, guide books and tour operating. As well as writing extensively, he is co-founder of the long-haul specialist, Bridge & Wickers, and Travel Editor of Good Housekeeping. His favourite destinations include Italy, Greece, the Seychelles, Kenya, New York, Canada, New England and Australasia. Married with three children, he enjoys yachting, walking, cycling and swimming.
Mark Hodson, Editor
Mark quit his office job in the early 1990s to spend three years backpacking around Asia and Latin America. Unwilling to return to a 9-to-5, he switched careers to become a full-time travel journalist, writing for a number of newspapers and magazines including The Sunday Times. Now married with two children and based in South London, he continues to travel regularly and counts among his favourite countries Italy, Croatia, India, Spain, South Africa, large parts of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Mark’s most recent family holidays have been to Wales, Cornwall and Athens. He is a keen skier, cyclist and tennis player.
Catherine Leech, Director
Catherine has been addicted to travel since she flew alone at the age of six to stay in her grandparents’ caravan in Portugal. In the 1990s she left a successful career in travel PR to become managing director of the luxury Caribbean tour operator, Caribtours. After the tsunami in 2005, she relocated to Sri Lanka and spent two years working, initially as a volunteer, for Sarvodaya, a local development agency. Catherine is also a presenter at TravelGuru.tv. Her favourite quote comes from St Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
See archived holidays or return to the homepage for great holiday ideas.
