Black Tomato Blog

twittermania

We are fond of our humble little blog. While you’re checking out our lovely trips and planning your next adventure, we like that you stop in here to see what we have to say. It’s a great outlet to keep you up to date with what we’re thinking and hopefully provide a little more travel inspiration when you need to escape the grind. Sometimes reflective, sometimes informative, if there’s one thing we like to do, it’s chat.

Which is why we are excited to have officially joined the world of Twitter. For the uninitiated, it’s a social networking site where you can post updates using up to 140 characters, which then goes to everyone in your network. It’s the perfect format to distill our musings and give you up to the minute deals and insider tips. We really like it (some of us are turning into serial tweeters – not mentioning any names Clemmie). More than just an immediate information portal, it feels equal and open, random and useful. Don’t worry, we’ll still be blogging, but if you want to “follow” us (sounds creepy, but that is the official term), then you can find our Twitter link here: 

http://twitter.com/Black_Tomato

holiday porning

Here at Black Tomato HQ we’re not averse to a bit of high fashion and celebrity gossip. So when we opened the new Grazia this morning we were excited to read that there seems to be a bit of mutual appreciation going on. Black Tomato are given a shout in their hotlist barometer, This Week’s Ups & Downs, in which they posed the question:

“Is anyone else addicted to travel site www.blacktomato.co.uk?”

We are feeling disproportionately thrilled by this little question – not least because we are up there next to Christina Hendricks. She’s the foxy female in Mad Men, which is one of our favourite TV dramas (and the second season starts this evening). So we’re pretty chirpy on all fronts.

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hurry... this one's sizzling hot

Two hot little tips for a sizzling hot city:

Firstly, one of the most incredible flight deals we’ve had in a long time. Book your return flight to Buenos Aires before February 9^th 2009 and it’ll cost you just £398 return including all taxes (normally prices are in the region of £800).

So, our logic is when you’ve bagged a great deal on your flight, why not treat yourself? Which brings us on to our second piece of news: the official opening of Francis Ford Copolla’s achingly hip property in Palermo Soho, one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. We can hire the residence out for you partially or exclusively and, trust us, this is the perfect urban hideaway for a dose of A-list privacy and service.

Boasting three levels of gardens, a solar-heated pool, an outdoor kitchen and parilla, and a beautiful terrace surrounded by plants of all kinds, it is the perfect hidden paradise to get a fresh perspective. In fact, Francis Ford Coppola stays here while he writes as he finds it an inspiring atmosphere in which to live and work (not to mention the fantastic library of wines which adds to the enchantment). And it is walking distance to this city's hip fashion and design boutiques, craft fairs and abundant street culture.

Add in the smattering of haute cuisine and phenomenal nightlife and you’ve got yourself one hell of a holiday. Traditional barbeque restaurants serve tender, succulent beef from cattle ranged on the vast grassy pampas; but you are just as likely to want to pick up the ubiquitous street snack, empanadas (sort of like a mini calzone stuffed with all sorts of delicious fillings). At night this area comes to life with countless bars and restaurants hidden down its quiet residential streets.

Errr….So what are you waiting for?

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kasbah in the sky

So, we’re bespoke. That means that whatever you’re looking for, we pride ourselves on finding you the perfect solution. It also means that even if you don’t find a particular trip on our website, we’ll still find it for you. Case in point – Bab Ourika. For those of you who didn’t see the Sunday Times travel section at the weekend, Susan d’Arcy wrote a winning review of our newest find – a glorious new Kasbah retreat called Bab Ourika located at the gateways to the Atlas Mountains. And it seems to have struck a cord as we have already had a several requests. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite; just drop us a line if you’d like to find out more.

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