The Canaries

The Canary Islands are a top choice for year round sun-worshipping. Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are the most commonly visited islands and all offer dazzling coastlines and varying degrees of action and adventure. Each enjoys a warm and dry climate with well over 300 days of sunshine a year. Temperatures usually remain comfortably over 20°C so the concept of peak season has been slightly distorted here.

November to mid-December and April to June – avoiding Easter – are good times to enjoy fewer crowds and low prices, whether you’re seeking self catering apartments in Lanzarote or luxury hotels in Tenerife.

Egypt

For something completely different head to the Land of the Pharaohs, Egypt. The country is packed full of both desert and sea treats making a visit well worthwhile. Peak season runs between October and May so to avoid crowds choose June or September.

Maximum temperatures in Cairo average over 30°C during these months so be prepared to take it easy. Heading to the coast will help you to keep cool. Sharm el Sheikh on the Red Sea a popular choice. Go out of season and you will find plenty of Sharm el Sheikh hotels offering comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price.

Cyprus

Cyprus is a good early spring option thanks to its favourable Mediterranean climate. Peak season runs from June to September, so avoid these months to experience the slightly quieter side of the isle.

Visit in April and May and you can enjoy average maximum temperatures of 22°C and 26°C respectively while you laze on the beach, explore historic sites or indulge in some of the country’s delicious cuisine. Temperatures remain high into October and November, but heavier rainfall makes these months a less appealing choice so avoid them if you want to get the best mix of affordable Cyprus hotels and good weather.

Comedy and mystery are the themes that run through the shows presented at Sleuths. The website for the theatre lists 14 different shows, which are rotated with about five different shows being performed on different nights each week.

What are the shows all about? Without revealing "who did it," here are some of the plots of the shows. In "Iron Mansfield’s Fox Hunt Banquet" you and other nobles are invited by Lord Mansfield for a fox hunt banquet in his mansion. The butler brings you into a lavish banquet room and amidst the "feast" one of the characters meets a sad fate, and it is your job to solve the mystery.

In "Squires Inn" you are in a bus that has been touring in the north of England but your bus breaks down in a remote country village. You enter the Squires Inn for food and lodging and get involved in a mystery that involves an old pensioner who is hiding a treasure. It is done in a hilarious way and once again you have to use your skills of deduction to solve the crime. The other shows combine the same ingredients, a far away place, funny characters, mayhem and a mystery that must be solved. After you witness the "crime" you get to enjoy you dinner with unlimited drinks. While you are dining you can think about the evidence, analyze and then ask questions to the suspects and finally you can make your "accusation." If you successfully find the culprit you will be given a prize. It is a format that is a lot of fun and has proven popular with theatre goers for close to thirty years.

For your dinner you will be served hors d’oeuvres, green salad, dinner rolls and crackers with a special cheese spread. The menu choices include prime ribs, Cornish hen and cheese lasagna. There is also a vegetarian meal available, and all of the meals are served with unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks.

Dinner shows in general and Sleuths in particular are good places for group outings. Sleuths offers special group rates for parties of 15 or more. Sleuths also offers birthday parties for kids with a special show designed for children aged 6-12. The kids become the investigators in their own detective agency. The detective agency is named for the birthday child and they are all treated to a dinner of pizza, ice cream and unlimited drinks.
The restaurant is handicapped accessible. If you need to make a reservation you or find out about show times then call 407-363-1985 or 800-393-1985. Sleuths is located at 8267 International Drive right next to "Ripley’s Believe It or Not."

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Mark Whichard is a frequent writer on Orlando area tourism. He is the proprietor of Orlando’s Finest vacation homes (http://www.orlandosfinest.com) and you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Homes by visiting his website.