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Win! One of six family tickets to Blenheim Palace

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Easter is just around the corner and to celebrate this exciting time of year for families, we're giving away six family tickets to Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens in Oxfordshire, worth £55 each.

The tickets include entrance for two adults and two children or one adult and three children into the magnificent country house and its surrounding park. As well as enjoying the fun Easter activities, the tickets are valid until 13th December, so you can return with the children each season to see the wonderful changes in the park and gardens.

This Easter there's a whole host of family fun to be had at Blenheim Palace, with A Knights Trail Easter Challenge from 29th to 30th March including family activities and knights' shields hidden around the Pleasure Gardens and a chocolate prize to be claimed.

On 31st March and 1st April families can meet loveable furry characters Sid and Scrat from the animated film series Ice Age, plus popular children's television characters Mike the Knight and Little Princess.



There will also be a bouncy castle, 'Pottering About' and traditional fairground rides (small additional charges apply).

In addition, you can enjoy the estate's permanent attractions including the giant Marlborough hedge Maze, The Butterfly House and the Adventure Play Area.

After the Easter hunters have explored the Pleasure Gardens, families can catch the miniature train up to the Palace to see the beautiful Easter display on the grand saloon table and meet the fascinating inhabitants of the Palace's past in Blenheim Palace: The Untold Story.

Blenheim Palace is set in 2,100 acres of spectacular parkland in the heart of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and is only eight miles from Oxford. For more information visit blenheimpalace.com

 


Video of the day: a sunny day in Venice

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What does the city of Venice conjure up for you?

Is it gondalas slipping down the sleepy waterways or the butter-yellow facades of churches and crumbling museums?

Is it tourist ferries taxying visitors from island to island over the golden, sun-soaked lagoon at sunset? Or is it the hidden glimpses of daily life: waiters in tuxedos balancing glasses of Prosecco on a terrace; pink pansies growing in window boxes and the white linen drying in the breeze against rainbow-painted houses; a gondola gliding by?

Whatever it is, this colourful Vimeo video, entitled 'Around Venezia', should transport you right there.

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Could you handle a holiday in the World's most extreme places?

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From the end of the world to the top of it and from the hottest place on earth to a land where the thermometre can drop to -71.2C, the world has never been more accessible to those brave enough to travel to its extremes.

Could you handle a holiday in the rainiest place on the planet? Or a balloon ride over 90 degrees north? Check out our collection of the craziest and most adventurous holidays out there.

 

Win! A family break at Cadbury World this Easter

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We've teamed up with Cadbury World to offer two lucky users the chance to win a chocolate-filled family break this Easter.

Each winner will receive a family ticket to Cadbury World and an overnight stay at the newly-refurbished Jurys Inn Birmingham.

Cadbury World will be hosting an 'egg-cellent' schedule of activity over Easter, running from Good Friday to Easter Monday (29 March to 1 April). Families will enjoy an Easter Egg Trail, have the chance to win Cadbury World prizes in an Easter bonnet competition and can purchase handmade chocolate Easter eggs from The World's Biggest Cadbury Shop.

From 29 March to 14 April, family entertainers will also be in the marquee for visitors to enjoy.



To complete your visit, the prize also includes an overnight stay at Birmingham's Jurys Inn on Broad Street. Having recently had a complete makeover, Jurys Inn is ready to show off! Enjoy one of the hotel's new stylish bedrooms, the sumptuous new look bar and The Grill on Broad Street restaurant.

Cadbury World's family ticket allows two adults and two children to visit the attraction. The Jurys Inn overnight stay accommodates up to two adults and two children at Jurys Inn Birmingham for one night of their choice (subject to availability).

For more information visit cadburyworld.co.uk and jurysinn.com

For your chance to win this fabulous prize, visit our Facebook page and enter your details before 13 March 2013

 

20 places to travel to this spring

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20 reasons to travel this springSri Lanka. Western & Oriental

Spring is the perfect time to travel. The weather in Europe is mild, you can embrace the great outdoors in America and enjoy a spot of late-season skiing in the Middle East.

This season, Orlando welcomes new and exciting rides to its theme parks, an epic train journey comes to Wales and cheap flights to Moscow put Russia firmly on the budget traveller's map.

Discover more top destinations for a holiday this spring...



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Secret stowaway: Pet cat survives six-hour plane journey in suitcase

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Newsteam


A pet cat who curled up and went to sleep in her owner's suitcase has made a 3,400 mile plane journey from Egypt to England completely undetected. Scroll down for video.


Mervat Ciuti, who lives in Egypt, thought she had left her beloved Persian cat Bisou with relatives in Cairo while she visited her sister in Nottingham.

When it became clear that seven-year-old Bisou was missing, her relatives and rang her as she was driving up the M1 in a taxi to Nottingham, reports the Daily Mirror.

The driver stopped the car and offered to search the case.

Monica explained: "He said 'don't look' as he opened the bag. But Bisou was alive. We just couldn't believe it," she told the newspaper.

The cat had spent the journey in the hold of the packed plane to Heathrow along with hundreds of other bags.

She is being kept in quarantine at kennels in Chesterfield until she can be shipped back to Egypt in the summer.

Speaking in the Mirror, kennels boss Mike Binks said it was a "miracle" the animal had survived the six-hour flight.

He added: "She would have been well insulated with all the bags around her and she's very furry."

Mark Hughes, of Notts county council which arranged the quarantine, said: "We've had cats coming into the UK in cargo ship containers - but never in a suitcase."

Bisou isn't the first cat to survive a plane journey undetected.

In September 2012, US citizen Ethel Maze kitten Bob-Bob took a flight from Ohio to Disney World Florida in her luggage.



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World Book Day: what novel transports you?

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Today is World Book Day and, to mark the day of this literary event, we're asking if a book has ever inspired you to travel and which of your favourite books has the ability to take you far, far away from home.

Does reading The Life of Pi sweep you away to Pondicherry's world of spices, tigers and lotus flowers in India or does The Poisonwood Bible take you to the depths of the sweltering Congo or does delving into Wuthering Heights leave you lost on the wild, windswept Yorkshire Moors.

Did reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo encourage you to book a trip to Sweden or The Beach send you packing to Thailand's shoreline?

Tell us below where books have inspired you to venture.


 

In pictures: Beautiful gardens around the world

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In pictures: Beautiful gardens around the worldGary Rogers


The winners of the latest International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPY) have been announced, and the results are beautiful.

Dennis Frates gained top prize in the "wildflower landscapes" category with this "astounding" image, called Penstemon Sunrise, taken in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

"Penstemon only grows in a very few isolated spots around Crater Lake," says Dennis. " Of course every year is different, but with some scouting you can find small patches like this one. Often they don't always fit into a good composition, but this location had the flowers, lake and sunrise visible together.... I was excited to find an image that showed three aspects altogether."

Philip Smith, IGPY director, said the image was technically superb. "The composition is wonderfully balanced... The light on the rock is what creates the magic. The photographer has waited for exactly the right moment on the right day and he has made a huge effort to be in the right place... This image is a fantastic example of the sheer tenacity and adaptability of plant life."

Click on the image below to see more winning entries.



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The purr-fect coffee shop? London cafe will have cats for you to pet

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Love cats and coffee? New London cafe will let you pay by the hour to pet catsCat cafe in Chongqing, China. Rex



Japan's popular cat cafe concept, where customers pay by the hour to pet cats and enjoy a cup of coffee, is coming to London.

ABC News reports that Australian entrepreneur Lauren Pears says a cat cafe is 'just like a regular cafe. It sells coffee, tea, cakes and snacks. The only difference is that it is full of cats.'

Pears is looking for a suitable site to open Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, which she hopes to bring to Londoners by May.

According to the Daily Mail, the 30-year-old's dream was made possible when she raised £100,000 through crowd-funding website Inidegogo.

Cat cafes took off in Tokyo in the noughties and Pears says she sees it becoming a craze in London due to the congested living conditions, people's time constraints and landlords that don't take kindly to tenants with pets.

Love cats and coffee? New London cafe will let you pay by the hour to pet catsCat cafe in Chongqing, China. Rex



The entrepreneur is looking for potential sites in Old Street and says she has already found 15 felines to start with - all of which come from the Mayhew Animal Home in Kensal Green.

'Many cats will soon be adopted and spend their lives in the lap of luxury,' she wrote on her blog.

'And many Londoners and visitors will soon be relaxing with a mug of hot beverage of choice and a bundle of purring joy.'

The cat cafe concept seems to spreading. One opened in Chongqing, China last year, as well as in Vienna, Austria. There is also one in St Petersburg.

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Win! A spa break for two at Selsdon Park Hotel & Golf Club

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Swap the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a relaxing spa getaway in the countryside. We're giving away a two-night break for two at Selsdon Park Hotel & Golf Club.

The four-star country mansion is located in the heart of the Surrey countryside, just a 15-minute train journey from central London, offering the ultimate destination for a relaxing rural retreat.

You and your guest will be treated to a decadent meal in the hotel's stylish Tempus bar and restaurant where you can choose from delicious dishes, such as roast fillet of salmon with spaghetti of vegetables and lobster cream sauce, butternut squash with chickpea and lentil massala, naan bread, coriander rice and onion bhajis or slow braised feather blade of beef with champ mash, sautéed seasonal greens and peppercorn cream sauce.

If that wasn't enough to whet your appetite, you'll also be able to choose between an hour-long treatment in the hotel's luxury spa or a round of golf on the 18-hole championship golf course.



At the hotel you can while the hours away relaxing by the pool, perfect your swing on the golf course, explore the beautifully manicured grounds and enjoy the leisure facilities including the sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.

Relaxing treatments available in the spa include the full body aromatic massage, the Mediterranean delights massage and diamond noir facial.

Selsdon Park Hotel and Golf Club, part of the award-winning PH Hotels group, is also close to Chessington Zoo, Thorpe Park, Ascot Racecourse and Chessington World of Adventures if you fancy exploring further afield during your break.

The prize includes: two nights bed and breakfast for two people with a three-course dinner and bottle of house wine on one night, and a one-hour spa treatment or a round of golf each. The prize is valid for six months and is subject to availability.


 

Amazing Abu Dhabi: Ten things to do in the up-and-coming emirate

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Amazing Abu Dhabi: Ten things to do in the underrated emirateVisit Abu Dhabi


We're always on the lookout for up-and-coming holiday destinations and think Abu Dhabi has the credentials for a sunshine city break without the crowds.

The emirate boasts beautiful untouched beaches, striking skyscrapers and state-of-the-art attractions. It's glamorous and luxurious - but not in a showy way like its neighbour Dubai.

Abu Dhabi is turning itself into a centre for arts and culture with the likes of the Guggenheim and Louvre in construction. But what we love most is that there's something for everyone.

Adventurers can go kayaking in the mangroves, shopaholics will love the unique markets and foodies won't want to miss Friday brunch.

Relaxed and cool while exuberant and wild, the Middle Eastern city is where you can watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, reach 150mph on the world's fastest rollercoaster at Ferrari World and sip high tea 300 metres above at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

Whether you'd like to splash out on a no-expense-spared getaway or enjoy an affordable escape in the sun, we've selected a few of the best things to see and do in Abu Dhabi...



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Video: Teenager dangles from speeding train

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A teenage boy who climbed out of a speeding train window and clung to the carriage as part of a stunt has been told he is lucky to be alive.

Fellow passengers looked on in disbelief as he climbed out of the window, at one point holding on with one hand and giving his friends the thumbs up.

The train was packed with youths who were travelling back from a music festival for under-18s in Melbourne, Australia.

Psychologist Sandy Rae told Australian news station Ninemsn: "This young teenager is very lucky to be alive."

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Join the party! Disneyland Paris extends its 20th anniversary celebrations

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Join the party! Disneyland Paris extend their 20th anniversary celebrationsDisneyland(R)

Disneyland Paris is extending its 20th Anniversary celebrations, giving you even more reasons than ever before to make the most of this extraordinary event.

Until September 30th 2013, the park will be pulling out all the stops, with a host of new shows and parades, including an amazing illuminations spectacular at the Sleeping Beauty Castle, as well as the chance to meet Mickey Mouse backstage.

Join the party! Disneyland Paris extend their 20th anniversary celebrationsDisneyland(R)


More sparkling lights and fairy dust than ever before will be showered across the park, and new costumes, colours, features and surprises will make this an explosion of a party you simply can't miss.

Need more reasons to go to the party of the year? Don't worry, we've got 20...

1 Be wowed by the night time show
Disney Dreams is the unmissable night time spectacular show, which will take place at the majestic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Follow Peter Pan's adventure as he weaves his way between timeless Disney stories, dashing through incredible lasers and fantastic fountains. The show features castle projections, water screens, firework displays and laser effects and will also use 30-foot high water screens in the moats in front of the castle that will serve as giant canvases for Disney animated scenes set to music.

Join the party! Disneyland Paris extends its 20th anniversary celebrationsDisneyland(R)


2 Discover the Disney Magic on the Parade Carnival
Disney Magic on Parade casts Disney Characters in a fantastic carnival especially for the 20th anniversary. Flying out from their unforgettable stories trailing light, colour, music and magic, they glide through the park's party atmosphere, before Mickey and friends shine in a spectacular finale. There will be new costumes, floats, music and choreography together with a theme of light and colour for the anniversary celebration.

Disneyland(R)


3 Sing along to the new 20th Anniversary Parade Anthem
Magic Everywhere is the theme tune for the Disney Magic on Parade, which was created to celebrate the park's 20th birthday. Making reference to "celebrating 20 years of joy and laughter", there's all the ingredients you need from a Disney tune, including references to storybooks, as well as twinkly 'pixie dust' sounds.

Join the party! Disneyland Paris extend their 20th anniversary celebrationsDisneyland(R)


4 Meet Mickey Mouse backstage
Everybody's favourite mouse is taking time out and welcomes you to meet him backstage in the rehearsal room of his theatre in Fantasyland. On your way to the stage door, enjoy a tour of the ornate music hall and laugh along with some classic short films featuring Mickey and his friends. Once backstage, you'll be invited to join Mickey for a special audience with the star himself who'll share some of his favourite props and costumes and pose for a special photo souvenir with you and your family.

5 Enjoy the party for longer
The 20th Anniversary Extended Hours mean more time to enjoy the magic, lights and colours for the 20th Anniversary at Disneyland Paris.

6 Take in the 20th anniversary costumesYour favourite characters, like Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, will be wearing their 20th birthday 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' outfits for you to marvel over.

7 See the park's magical makeover
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary, Disneyland Park will be showered with sparkling lights and fairy dust, making the experience more magical than ever.

8 Take part in the 20th Anniversary Daytime Hub Celebration
The whole family can enjoy a wonderful new show that takes place on the stage (the Hub) in front of the castle.

9 Let the Main Street USA celebrations dazzle you
Excitement is in the air, as one of the most famous streets in the world celebrates the 20th Anniversary, and welcomes you to this unique celebration of magic, lights and colours with even more twinkles and memorable glowings‐on than ever before.

10 Fall in love with old-fashioned romance
Paris is already known for its links with romance, but there's nothing like the childhood romance of celebrating the birthplace of fairytales.

11 Visit Paris' most popular attraction
Disneyland Paris is now officially the most popular tourist attraction in the Paris region, overtaking the iconic Eiffel Tower.

12 Be a kid again
It's the one place in the world where age is just a number - it doesn't matter whether you're 4 or 40, it will bring out the magic of childhood for anyone and everyone.

13 Make the most of birthday offers
Disneyland(R) Paris are promoting brilliant offers in conjunction with the park's 20th birthday, save up to 30% on your hotel and tickets and for a limited time, kids under 12 go for free. www.disneylandparis.com. *Offer available till March 28th 2013*

14 See the celebration train
Throughout the day, the festive Birthday Train will be pulling in to Disneyland Park's Central Plaza. It's bringing the all-time Disney favourites like Minnie, Chip and Dale, Donald, Daisy and Pluto to Sleeping Beauty Castle, where they'll take their places to meet with their fans and friends!

15 Get there in one morning
One minute you can be having breakfast at home, and the next? Lunch at Disneyland Paris! From London St Pancras it's just a 2 hour, 45 minute journey directly to Disneyland Paris Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station, which is literally at the gates of the Parks.

16 Shop at the brand new World of Disney store
World of Disney will be the flagship store of Disney Village and the whole resort when it opens in 2012. Sitting right at the heart of Disneyland Paris between the two parks, it will stock every Disney item you can dream of. Based on similar stores at the Downtown Disney areas in Florida and California, it will be only the third store under this exclusive brand and is expected to completely replace the existing Disney Store in Disney Village.

17 Disney Princesses: A Royal Invitation
The Disney Princesses will be welcoming guests in a brand-new location. Located next to the "it's a small world" attraction, this meet 'n' great opportunity is dedicated to Disney's great heroines and is simply brimming with magic. Every day, one of the Disney Princesses invites visitors to an enchanted rendezvous, so make sure you take them up on the opportunity to strike your own royal pose with them.

18 Snap up 20th Anniversary items
There are set to be some fabulous 'retro-vintage' 20th anniversary merchandise pieces going on sale, which will make wonderful keepsakes for any Disney fan.

19 Sip on 20th birthday drinks
As well as a range of birthday merchandise, there'll be a special Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary wine by Domaine Bertrand. It will be available in a commemorative bottle as red, white or rosé, perfect for displaying - or drinking.

20 Enter through golden arches
For the 20th Anniversary, the entire front façade of the station, the beautiful stone edifice which greets you as you take your first steps into Disneyland Park, will turn a dazzling gold. There's nothing like starting as you mean to go on...


 

Are these the ten best beaches in the UK?

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The ice creams have been sampled, the seas paddled and the sand tested for structural sandcastle integrity - and the results of the Traveller's Choice 2013 awards for the best beaches in the UK have been decided.

Voters in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice poll of the best 25 beaches across the UK have named the beautiful Rhossili Bay in Swansea as winner of the UK's best beach and, with its stretch of mellow, golden sand, pristine cobalt waters and rolling green hills, it's not hard to see why.

Although a Welsh beach has secured top spot in the list, beaches in Cornwall, Dorset and Tyne and Wear also featured in the top ten.

Check out our gallery of the top ten below, do you think the voters got it spot on or is your favourite beach missing from the list?

 

How many stars? Seven! The world's most luxurious hotels

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Seven of the world's seven-star hotelsBurj Al Arab


Ok, so we know that seven-star hotels aren't officially recognised (the international rating system only reaches five stars). But this hasn't stopped some hotels from going totally overboard on extravagance and and all-out-luxury and awarding themselves a couple of extra stars just to impress. See some of the world's seven-star hotels below...



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A beginner's guide to cruising: ten things you need to know

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A beginner's guide to cruising
P&O Cruises

First time on a cruise? Here's all you need to know. From tipping tips to what to wear, here's how to avoid making a faux pas at sea. Liz Jarvis, Editor of Cruise International magazine, gives her top tips on how to make sure your cruise is plain sailing...



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Floating hotels for dreamy escapes

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Floating hotels for dreamy escapesTaj Lake Palace, India

Treat yourself to the ultimate escape by checking in to a dreamy floating hotel. From India's white marble palace on a lake to a Swedish inn on the water with its own sauna boat, browse our selection of hotels that float for a relaxing holiday...



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Fabulous swim-up bars around the world

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Swimming around an infinity pool while soaking up the rays is thirsty holiday work, right? That's why all the best hotels have swim-up bars these days. From Iceland to St Lucia, we've scoured the globe to find the best swimming pools with the coolest swim-up bars. Why? We just want to make darn sure that on your next holiday, you won't have that awful inconvenience of getting out of the pool when in dire need of a Tequila Sunrise...



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Stars who are barred: Celebs behaving badly in hotels

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Honestly. What is it about celebrities and hotel rooms? Show them a swanky suite and they just can't resist doing something inexplicably and bizarrely naughty. So naughty, in fact that they've become rather adept at getting themselves barred from ever setting in foot some of the world's most famous establishments.

It all started back in the sixties when Keith Moon, the then drummer of the The Who, checked into a Holiday Inn in Michigan and embarked on a night of revelry during which he caused thousands of dollars worth of damage (he even drove a car into the hotel pool). Unsurprisingly, he was subsequently banned... and the rest is rock and roll history.

It seems the stars are still at it more than 40 years later. From "forgetting" to pay bills to trashing hotel rooms, appalling table manners to downright debauchery, modern celebs have done it all.

Have a look at our rogues' gallery of banned celebrities and their antics below.



Of couse, celebs don't just behave badly in hotels, either. Some are just as good at causing mayhem while travelling - particularly when they're 35,000ft in the air. Look at this lot:

 

Win! A Nikon COOLPIX AW110

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Love being adventurous with your camera on holiday? We've teamed up with Nikon to offer one lucky user the chance to win a waterproof, shockproof and freeze-proof Nikon COOLPIX AW110, worth £329.99.

Designed to capture and share all the action on land or in water, the COOLPIX AW110 is just as prepared for challenges and adventure as you are. Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof and freeze-proof, it is perfect for capturing outdoor pursuits - in winter, spring, summer or autumn.

Use the built-in WiFi to share your experiences as they happen, while built-in GPS, electronic compass and world map allow you to 'geotag' your images, orientate yourself and track your route when on the move.



The highly sensitive 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and dedicated low light modes combine to deliver stunning results in bright sunlight, at night or down to depths of 18 meters underwater.

The camera is shockproof from heights of up to two meters and its large, stunningly bright OLED screen offers clear visibility in any situation.

Nikon COOLPIX AW110 is available in camouflage, orange, black and blue.

For more information visit nikon.co.uk

The prize includes: A Nikon COOLPIX AW110 for one winner. Colour subject to availability.

For your chance to win a Nikon COOLPIX AW110, visit our Facebook page and enter your details before 26 March

 

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