Acqualina Resort & Spa

Acqualina Resort & Spa is more than just a place to stay, it’s a destination in and of itself. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or treating yourself to an unforgettable staycation, the opulent retreat offers a luxe beachside experience designed to meet your every desire.

Acqualina Resort & Spa

Nestled on 4.5 acres of stunning beachfront along the shores of Sunny Isles Beach, this award-winning property in Florida’s Rivera blends elegance, personalized service and relaxation in your own backyard. From the moment you arrive, the grand Mediterranean-style architecture and marble-clad lobby with bespoke finishes (and Fendi furniture) make it clear that you’re in for a luxurious stay. The resort’s 98 impeccably appointed guest rooms and suites showcase floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious balconies with panoramic views of the ocean or Intracoastal Waterway.

Oceanfront Suite

The property offers endless options to relax or stay active, showcasing a private beach with iconic red umbrellas and beach loungers—plus three oceanfront pools reserved exclusively for guests, including a kid’s pool and adults-only pool. You can play beach basketball or king-sized chess while attendants are on standby to cater to your every need, from food and drinks to sunscreen and towels. There’s no shortage of ways to indulge, from beachfront yoga and water sports to curated cultural experiences, private yacht cruises and shopping excursions at nearby Bal Harbour Shops. For families, the AcquaMarine Children’s Program is designed to educate and entertain young guests with marine-themed activities. There are also “Acqua Experiences” like mermaid lessons, scuba diving, painting classes, or family photo shoots.

AcquaMarine Kids Club

For those who want to just kick back and relax, the impressive two-story Aqualina Spa spans across 20,000 square-feet and is a sanctuary of wellness. The space features separate and co-ed relaxation lounges with Himalayan salt walls and amenities including dry heat saunas, crystal steam rooms and a pool terrace with heated jet pool and Roman waterfall spa. The skilled team of therapists creates tailored treatments to completely customize each experience with range of wellness and signature treatments, massages, and facials.

Acqualina Spa

The dining options on property are also next level, with gourmet options for every palate preference. Indulge in the finest Italian cuisine at Il Mulino New York, enjoy fresh Mediterranean dishes at Costa Grill, Japanese fusion at Ke-uH, fresh Greek dishes at Avra Estiatorio Miami,or hand-crafted cocktails at the resort’s stunning oceanfront bar.

Avra Estiatorio Miami

At Acqualina Resort & Spa, every moment feels like a personalized escape into luxury, offering the perfect backdrop for a relaxing and unforgettable staycation.

IT’S that time of year again, when we need to remember, remember, the fifth of November.

Britain’s annual Bonfire Night celebration goes back centuries. Here we have an essential guide to all the best fireworks displays for under £15.

5

Every year Brits like nothing more than standing round a warm bonfire and watching a spectacular fireworks display go off.

Steeped in history, Bonfire Night has been an annual occasion since the 1600s.

Big events are going on up and down the country, and many of them don’t break the bank to attend.

Some fireworks displays can cost no more than £15 a ticket, while others are completely free.

Battersea Park Fireworks, London

November 2 from 6pm and November 3 from 4.30pm

Running over two days, this incredible event is brought to you by the same people who do London‘s New Year Eve display.

This family outing is filled with entertainment, a bonfire and of course fireworks.

Wrap up warm for this event in South London, where there will also be plenty of food and drink on offer.

Cost: Adult £13.10, child £8.80, under 5s free

Fireworks Extravaganza, Mayfield Park, Manchester

November 1 to 3 from 5.30pm (each night)

If you live in the north why not bundle up and head out to Manchester‘s Mayfield Park for their Fireworks Extravaganza.

Happening over three nights, this display always gets rave reviews, and sees thousands of revellers attend.

Another perk is all children get a free sparkler to enjoy.

There will also be mulled wine for the adults to buy, as well as hot chocolate and candy floss.

Cost: Adult £10, child £6, under 3s free

5

Midsummer Common Bonfire Night, Cambridge

November 5 from 7pm

Brought to you by Cambridge City Council, this much-loved event has been running for years and is always a big hit.

It is known for being one of the largest free displays in the local area and takes place on Midsummer Common.

Around 20,000 people are predicted to attend, so expect it to be busy.

Cost: Donations of at least £3 per person are encouraged.

5

Low Noise Fireworks at Old Down Country Park, Bristol

November 4 from 5pm and November 5 from 5pm

This event is aimed at families, especially ones with young children.

The display uses special bang-free fireworks, hence the name.

There will also be fairground rides, food stalls and live music for the whole family to enjoy.

Cost: Adult £13, child £9, under 2s free

The Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary, Devon

November 5 from 7pm

This iconic event kicks off with a parade of flaming tar barrels carried through the streets of Ottery St Mary in Devon.

The barrels are lit outside local pubs and put onto the shoulders of the historical “barrel rollers”.

Please be aware, this event has a bonfire but no fireworks display.

Cost: Free

5

Advertisement

Lewes Bonfire Night, Lewes, East Sussex

November 5 from 5pm

This fireworks event has been running for over 300 years, and attracts around 80,000 spectators every year.

This traditional bonfire night includes all the trimmings and has a whole host of activities to keep the family entertained.

There are also food and drink stalls, to help make the night even better.

Cost: Adults £10

Fireworks displays for over £15

Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival, London

November 2 from 4pm and November 3 from 6pm

If you’re willing to splash out a bit more on Bonfire Night, head to Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival.

This North London event has everything to keep the family entertained.

Not only will there be fireworks, but there is also ice skating and fairground rides on offer.

There is a beer festival going on plus live music from The Cuban Brothers (Friday) and Artful Dodger (Saturday)

Cost: Adult £18, child 11-15 £12, child under 11 £6.50

5

Advertisement

Chatsworth House Firework Display, Derbyshire

November 1 to 2 from 6pm (each night)

Taking place over two nights, this family friendly event is promising a huge bonfire as well as an impressive fireworks display.

There will also be food stalls which includes a delicious hog roast.

There is also the option of an adult-only two-course dinner before the firework display, which is served in the Cavendish Restaurant.

Cost: £22 for adults; £15 for children (aged 4-16).

Leeds Castle Fireworks Spectacular, Kent

November 9 and 10 from 2pm (each day)

Leeds Castle in Kent is the perfect backdrop for a fireworks display.

Set in the moat of the famous landmark, revellers will be treated to live music and a fairground.

Anyone arriving early can also enjoy the castle’s maze, as well as its play areas and adventure golf.

Cost: Adult £27, child £18, under 3s free

A MAJOR airline has upgraded its cabins which includes better seats in economy.

American airline Delta operates a number of flights from the UK including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Edinburgh.

5

5

Advertisement

These flights operate to US destinations such as New York, Boston and LA.

And the airline has revealed its brand new cabin interiors being rolled out this autumn.

The new designs are to celebrate Delta’s centennial anniversary.

Mauricio Parise, Vice President of Customer Experience Design said: “Delta has a 100-year history of creating a customer experience that feels welcoming and thoughtful with intentional design elements woven into every aspect of a customer’s travel.”

New materials have been used on the seats, with better lighting and upgraded bathrooms onboard.

Economy seats are more monochrome with blue and grey colours – a colour often used by airlines as studies have found it to be calming.

Memory foam cushions are also being added to all of the seats.

The mood lighting will help passengers adjust to the time zone they are landing in.

Parise explained they had added “sunset lighting” when sleeping as well as “calming” lights during meals.

The upgrades include the economy cabins, as well as Premium and business class.

Business seats will change from leather covers to wool-nylon blends which are “better at regulating body temperature”.

The new designs will be introduced on the narrowbody Boeing 757 aircraft that has both domestic and short haul international routes.

It will then be rolled out on longer international flights on the widebody Airbus A350 next year.

The revamp comes after British Airways’ mega £7billion makeover of the entire airline.

5

5

Advertisement

This includes new seat and cabin designs, made from Scottish leather with adjustable headrests.

The short-haul business Club Europe will get a leather tray between the seats, as well as USB charger ports.

New overhead lockers will also allow more luggage storage, with suitcase packed on their side rather than lying flat.

And a new First Suite is being rolled out on UK-US routes.

Of the £7billion, £3.5billion is being spent on new aircraft orders.

We try the new United Airlines business cabins

The Scottish Sun’s Travel Editor Heather Lowrie tries it out:

“Flying Polaris business you get all the VIP perks. Fast track security. Tick. Lovely lounge with free food and drink. Tick. Priority boarding. Tick.

“That sets you up nicely for a fabulous onboard experience, with attentive staff and a stunning new limited edition day blanket designed by Claude Kameni in collaboration with Saks, which, along with the duvet, is made from recycled plastic bottles.

Advertisement

“There’s also a new amenity kit with offerings from wellness technology company Therabody, including an amazing eye serum which has taken pride of place on my makeup shelf. It all comes in a recycled, and very handy, bum bag.

“A welcome drink and hot nuts were followed by a very tasty red Thai prawn curry, all served on real porcelain and cutlery.

“And dessert comes from a trolley packed with sweet things, including ice-cream sundaes where you get to choose your topping. Yummy.”

Brussels Airlines has revealed it’s huge expansion plans, which includes a €100million (£85million) revamp of its cabins.

And airlines are even launching cheaper “business class lite” fares which are thousands of pounds cheaper.

5

WITH half term on the horizon, my family and I will be heading to a free parkland, packed with rides and attractions which lots its visitors reckon is better than some of the top theme parks. 

Wicksteed Park near Kettering is perfect for an awesome autumn day out as it’s got rides for all ages, 147 acres of green space and lots of spooky stuff as we head towards Halloween.

8

8

Advertisement

8

One of the best bits about a day trip here is that it’s free for all to access.

You just pay for parking and for rides, so families can have a day out together without everyone paying an entry fee.

It makes a nice change from needing a ticket per person, even if half your party has no intention of going on any rides.

If you just want to go on one or two attractions, you can buy individual ride tickets for £3.

If you want to try out everything the park has to offer, you can get a wristband that covers as many rides as you like, all day long.

There’s also a huge free playground full of Wicksteed wonders, including heritage equipment, as a nod back to the early days of play when Charles Wicksteed first created the parkland in 1921.

So if you bring a picnic and stick to the freebie fun, you can have a low-cost day out without spending much at all. Perfect for all pockets!

I’ve been visiting this Midlands must-do for four decades and it’s just as much fun as when I was a child, with lots of the old family favourites still on site and plenty of new attractions to boot.

It wouldn’t really be a proper trip to Wicksteed without a ride on the little train that takes you around the lake.

So many people have enjoyed the railway that the park recently celebrated its 20 millionth passenger, with the lucky rider being granted free turns around the track for the rest of her life. 

Also much-loved is the UK’s oldest water chute, still in operation after almost 100 years, although there is also a more modern log flume if water rides are your thing. 

One new attraction I’m really looking forward to this time around is the Halloween Haunt, which is only in operation this month.

This fright fest has been installed by Steve and Kat Richardson, known as Mr and Mrs Halloween, whose hoard of 2,000 collectibles, props, and animatronics, amassed over 10 years, is believed to be the largest in the UK.

After decorating their garden at Cemetery House in Rushden every year for charity, the increasing number of people attending meant they had to look for somewhere bigger.

8

Advertisement

8

They have spent four months building the 200ft long interactive experience from scratch, providing a junior walkthrough of Halloween inflatables with an I-spy game for those who don’t want to brave the full haunted house.

You have to book a time slot online to guarantee entry and the Halloween Haunt will only run up to October 31.

The spooky fun is included in the £15 ride wristband, as are the railway, carousel, Swayrider, the Garden Wheel, Wicky’s Farmyard, Meerkat Manor, crazy golf, Lighthouse, cups and saucers, roundabout, Clown Coaster, astroslide and the treetop walk.

One thing to be aware of is that this huge park doesn’t open all its zones in quieter months, so this time around, the splash and thrill areas are closed.

That means you can’t try out most of the rollercoasters and water rides at the moment.

But there’s still loads to do and see, including the popular annual fireworks on November 2 at 5pm.

Wicksteed is always one of our halfterm highlights and we can’t wait to take a trip.

With so much on offer, it’s no wonder that Wicksteed’s now known as the home of children’s play.

8

8

8

Advertisement

IF you’re heading abroad next year, your trip is likely to go up in price because of new border rules being introduced.

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) is to be rolled out across points across the UK including Dover, Folkestone and London St Pancras.

2

The new system will scrap the stamping of passports and replace it with biometric checks.

First proposed back in 2016, it has been constantly delayed, with the plans to start on November this year pushed back again.

An official date in 2025 to be confirmed.

Despite this, many of the ports across the UK have been introducing new systems in a bid to reduce the waiting times expected at the border.

This include the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, the Eurostar at London St Pancras and ferry services at Dover.

Eurotunnel’s John Keefe said they had already spent €80million (£67million) on the infrastructure needed, with as many as 200 new kisosks in Folkestone and France.

However, he has warned that the millions spent is likely to affect holiday costs.

He said, the i reports: “A cost like this inevitably is passed on to the consumer.

“This delay and the introduction of EES has cost in itself €80m, so whether it’s delayed or it’s live now, there is still a cost that is carried by the consumer.”

There are already fears of queues as long as 14 hours at the border, especially at Dover which will impact the wider area of Kent.

Tim Reardon, head of EU exit for the Dover Harbour Board previously warned last year: “There is no way of doing a biometric control without getting everyone out of the vehicle.

Tourists have even been advised to travel with “extra supplies” such as food, water and nappies in case of the huge queues.

But new concerns have arisen, with airlines warning that passengers could be stuck on planes if the airport is too congested while waiting to be processed.

EasyJet‘s Johan Lundgren said at an Abta conference this month: “In the worst case you actually can’t disembark, you hold people on the plane.

“We have to think about what can actually happen.”

Neil Swanson, who was appointed UK and Ireland managing director for tour operator Tui last month, predicted there “could be some hiccups” with EES.

The Department for Transport has already announced £10.5 million of funding for UK ports to deal with EES.

The new ETIAS system is also to be introduced, although this isn’t until next year.

ETIAS, a visa-waiver, will require all Brits to pay €7 when visiting Europe, and will last three years.

2