Christmas is a distant memory, Easter is over for another year, and as we approach the mid of April there is only one thing on many people’s minds, and that is their annual summer holiday!

Despite the gloom and doom of everyday life such as the recession, high unemployment, and ever-rising fuel prices, it seems we are all happy to splash our cash on that well-deserved break, and why not, everybody needs a summer holiday!

So the question now is where should one go? Well, if you take a look at what the online tour operators have to offer it seems the world really is our oyster.  From staycations (yes, that really is a word!) to vacations in exotic locations, the prices are competitive, the choices are endless, and if 2012 is the year that you are going to take your “holiday of a lifetime”, you are in for a treat!

The Mediterranean remains popular for the Brits, and when you think that Spain, Italy, the Greek Islands and the Canary Islands are all less than a 4-hour flight, it is hardly surprising that these holiday destinations draw the crowds year after year.

Those looking for something a little more exotic might head towards Asia, and visit the increasingly popular countries of Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, where one can enjoy amazing scenery, great food, and friendly hospitality for far less than one would pay in Europe.

Long-haul destinations are definitely on the increase, and with tickets to Australia costing as little as £700, it is no wonder travellers are waving goodbye to the Costa del Sol in favour of Waltzing with Matilda down under!

Every traveller has a safari written somewhere on their bucket list, and if you find the prices of Botswana somewhat restrictive, then why not head on down to neighbouring South Africa!  During our summer months of July and August, the countries below the equator move into their “low season” so safaris are affordable, less crowded, and more enjoyable than any other time of the year.

If you dream of sailing off into the sunset, then cruising is a wonderful way to spend your 2012 summer holiday.  You can cruise the Med, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, or even cruise around the world if you have the time, and there is nothing more relaxing than sailing off into the deep blue sea with an ice-cold cocktail in your hand!

If you have been there, done that, and got all the t-shirts you could possibly wish for, why not give Virgin Galactic a call!  A mere $200,000 will take you to space and back (hopefully!), now that’s what I call a holiday of a lifetime!