27 December 2022

Getting hit with a wall of heat on arrival in St Maarten was most welcome after leaving a chilly UK and my first night’s stay was at the very well-located Holland House Beach Hotel on the Dutch side of the island. A super hotel right on the boardwalk and steps from the beach, slap bang in the middle of the pretty town centre, so absolutely everything was close at hand. For a different flavour, a

21 August 2022

With our three dogs bundled into the car along with all their paraphernalia we set of bright and early to Pembrokeshire. As it was going to be a long drive, mostly avoiding motorways (I was driving!), we planned stops at Broadway and Mallards Pike to stretch our legs and break for lunch. The dogs wore themselves out at Mallards Pike, ready for the final leg to The Last Barn near Stackpole. What

26 June 2021

After two summer holidays in sunny Suffolk we booked early to make sure we got what we needed, an enclosed garden for the mutts anywhere in the UK – and found a cracking place near Lydney in Gloucestershire. We took a leisurely drive down, no motorways or dual-carriageways, heading via the Cotswolds and after a drive through Chipping Campden parked up in Broadway to stretch our legs, enjoy a late

02 June 2019

Antigua: so much more than I imagined! I was lucky enough to sample Virgin Atlantic’s premium cabin on the flight over to Antigua. The service was impeccable and the seats very comfortable, happy to recommend. We arrived at the recently opened Hodges Bay to glorious sunshine and to find that my roomie, Sarah, and I were in a 2 bedroom/2-bathroom suite which was enormous, complete with kitchen/di

23 November 2018

After a very comfortable flight with Thai Airways we arrived early morning at Bangkok Airport and were soon at our hotel, Amari Atrium for 4 nights. The executive room was well worth the small upgrade cost and we were lucky to get an early check-in so grabbed a few hours’ sleep before heading out to explore the local area. In order to maximise our time there, we had booked a 3 hour trip for tha

26 October 2018

Morocco again! Flying from Gatwick with Air Arabia we soon arrived in Tangier and checked in at Movenpick Hotel. I had a great view over the beautiful pool and beach, but no time to linger, after a quick freshen up we had a sumptuous dinner in their tented restaurant – and not a tajine in sight! After breakfast we were whisked off past the royal palaces and villas, through the pine-covered head

23 September 2018

A long overdue return visit to Cyprus in April was a great antidote to long, snowy winter. As we drove up to The Elysium we knew we’d picked a great hotel for our week’s stay. Chris and I last visited Cyprus in 2001 when we got married in Limassol, but we decided on Paphos this time as we were showing Bobbi some of the island and wanted a base in Paphos. The Elysium is situated a good 30-minute

23 September 2018

Following my trip to Marrakech and Essaouira, I was thrilled to be invited by the Moroccan National Tourist Office for a return trip, this time to the fascinating city of Fes. Built with winding narrow alleyways, venturing into the Fes Medina is a walk back in time – a complicated labyrinth built to thwart invasions. Marrakech tourism is in a different league to Fes and the medina was a saner p

19 June 2018

A first visit to Mexico and a first flight in Premium with Thomas Cook Airlines. After a less than satisfactory flight with them several years ago I really wasn’t looking forward to the 10 hour flight from Manchester to Cancun! However, I’m delighted to report that the service, food and comfort was far better than Premium Cabins offered by other airlines. On arrival in hot and steamy Cancun we

10 September 2017

Our first Celebrity cruise, aboard Eclipse, took us to the delightful Norwegian Fjords for 8 nights of relaxation and jaw-dropping scenery. Sailing from Southampton meant we had a day at sea both ways so the outward journey gave us ample time to discover what Eclipse had to offer and we managed to get on a behind-the-scenes tour of the galley which gave us an insight to the massive operation of t

03 August 2017

After we had such a fabulously relaxing holiday in Parga last year, we just had to return and stay again at Irini Studios, which are about 15 minutes walk down to the town and beach – although a little longer on the way back up the hill! It is easy to see why the owners, Christos and Irini, welcome back so many returning guests, with some having been going for years and often more than once a yea

30 March 2017

Well it’s a big WOW to Morocco! I was very fortunate to join a group of my colleagues on a familiarisation visit to Marrakech, the Ourigane valley and Essaouira. Marrakech is truly an assault on the senses, coming at you from every angle! Home for the first three nights was the Movenpick Hotel Mansour Eddhabi, a large hotel away from the frenetic medina with spacious rooms and beautiful garden

28 October 2016

Arriving at Male Airport just after breakfast-time we were met and taken directly to the cool Anantara check-in lounge to complete the formalities before the swift 35 minutes speedboat transfer to Anantara Dhigu Resort at Dhigufinolhu within South Male Atoll. By 11.30am we had unpacked and were swimming in the turquoise sea! Our Sunrise Beach Bungalow had direct beach access and its own private

14 October 2016

Dubai – big, brash, bold and brassy! I’ve come away from Dubai with the same opinion that I went with, that it’s completely over the top in every sense and now I get why so many love it and keep going back – it really was worth going just to see what all the fuss is about. Arriving in the early hours I was amazed at how much traffic there was, even at 3am. Oh and the heat, even in the middle o

19 June 2016

A long-awaited return to Greece and a first visit to Parga was the order of the day for a bit of relaxation coupled with some exploration. Our home for the week was the delightful Irini Studios and we were made to feel very welcome by our hosts Christos and Irini, within minutes of arriving we were chilled! So as to not waste any of our precious week we headed straight down the gentle hill into

03 May 2016

What to get a thrill-loving girl for her 13th birthday? An easy decision really, a trip to Orlando! Thankfully, Bobbi has never been into Disney but she loves roller-coasters, as does Chris, the higher and faster the better. My days of vomit-inducing and head-spinning inversions are well behind me but I went along for the ride anyway – although kept my feet on terra firma! Seaworld, on our fir

19 July 2015

Our mini-exploration of southern Croatia started with the pretty town of Cavtat, a mere hop, skip and jump from Dubrovnik airport. Of course, this meant frequent aircraft noise but it didn’t bother us one bit. Hotel Croatia was our base for the first three nights with a wealth of facilities and dining options, situated at the top of a steep hill and only 10 minutes’ walk to the pebbly beach and

24 June 2015

As with Johannesburg, I had no burning desire to visit Mauritius although remained open-minded as I have sent lots of honeymooners, couples and families there over the years. With less than four hours flight time from Johannesburg, Mauritius makes for a logical post-South Africa beach holiday and with what must be one of the shortest transfers ever, I found myself gazing from my terrace over go

16 June 2015

After the long flight to Johannesburg it was wonderful to hop onto our private light aircraft direct to the Madikwe Game Reserve on the Botswana border, just a 50 minute flight, instead of the four and a half hours by road! Within minutes of landing on the Madikwe Eastern Airstrip we were rewarded with sightings of giraffe, elephant and kudu - a rich start to what was to be a thrilling three nigh

21 April 2015

Arriving at the Eurostar Terminal Paris Gare du Nord on Easter Saturday the place was heaving! We decided to walk to our hotel, the lovely Marais Home, in an attempt to get our bearings - not one of our better ideas! But we got there in the end and after checking in headed straight out to the Montparnasse Tower in the South of the city. The views from the 56th floor were excellent and even though

19 January 2014

Nine years to the day after the catastrophic Boxing Day tsunami we arrived in the positively tropical heat of the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. Our driver, Romal, took us on a guided tour of the different districts of the city, through poorer areas and more modern, regardless of where though, the traffic was frenetic! Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel was our hotel for the night and we chilled out for a

09 June 2013

Arriving early evening at The Fairmont Royal York we immediately headed out to Toronto’s harbour front to get our bearings and a bite to eat before giving in to our tiredness and having an early night, all set for our action-packed week ahead. The CN Tower, at over a staggering 550 metres tall, is a must-do on anyone’s Toronto visit. We were blessed with fairly clear skies and a sunny day which a

24 June 2012

After enjoying a short trip to Kalkan last year, I was really keen to return with Chris and Ruby to show them what all the fuss was about. My much needed hamman and massage on our first morning was followed by spending the first couple of days chilling out by the beautiful pool at the Asfiya, wandering down to the harbour and town, mooching around the shops and sampling some of the excellent re

17 June 2012

Many years ago, I visited Porto for the day, by train from Viano do Castelo, and had wonderful memories of this beautiful city so I was delighted to accept an invitation to return from TAP Portugal and Turismo de Portugal. Our expert host Teresa Ventura and driver Rui Viegas ensured we really got to experience a wonderful sample of Portugal during our all-too-brief visit. On arrival we were wh

02 February 2012

Lapland was a long awaited holiday as we had booked the previous January but it gave us time to let the excitement build throughout the year! Well above the Arctic Circle, we arrived at Saaga Spa Hotel in Yllas in the half light that was lunchtime; by the time we'd unpacked it was almost dark! The holiday was planned ostensibly to meet the big chap in the red coat, but as we were staying for ni

24 October 2011

Our first morning was spent enjoying a walking tour of Amman, trying local delicacies along the way, and visiting the magnificent King Hussein Mosque, the Nymphaeum and the bustling, colourful market before driving 35km to visit the Palace at Iraq Al-Amir. I spent the evening with a very dear Jordanian friend that I hadn't seen for almost 25 years - we did a lot of reminiscing and catching up!

24 October 2011

Having sent several friends to Kalkan in the past and always receiving great feedback, I was really looking forward to my brief visit with our Discerning Collection to see what all the fuss was about and why they keep going back! Arriving at Lykia Residence & Spa just in time for dinner, after a fairly swift eighty minute transfer from Dalaman Airport, I was warmly welcomed and taken straight t

14 March 2011

Tel Aviv - it still conjures up images of hostility for most people, and it did for me too! How surprised was I to find a vibrant city that seemingly never sleeps? With miles of sandy beaches, museums, sidewalk cafes, theatres, elegant restaurants, shopping malls and boutiques, Tel Aviv was made for strolling and browsing. From Jaffa at the southern end of Tel Aviv to the north of the city, it

28 December 2010

Knowing we'd be in need of a fly-and-flop holiday, we chose the highly acclaimed Makadi Palace near Hurghada in Egypt - our first All-Inclusive and our first trip to the Red Sea. Makadi Palace and Grand Makadi hotels are almost like a village, which is well planned - beautiful gardens and amazing pools - and as there appears to be no boundaries between the hotels they kind of merge into one. Th

28 June 2010

Having sailed with NCL aboard Norwegian Jewel, I though Epic would be just a bigger version of the same. It just goes to show how wrong you can be! Due to a technical problem there was a bit of a fiasco at embarkation on the first day but this was soon forgotten once I got onboard - time for a quick freshen-up, then dinner. And what a delight that turned out to be. There are so many choices

13 June 2010

We were so looking forward to our first Royal Caribbean cruise and prayed for good weather for our weekend away - it wasn't to be! Yet it really didn't matter in the end. Embarkation was the fastest I've known, from parking the car to sitting down for lunch took less than half an hour - I was already impressed. Our daughter Ruby, now aged 7, brought along her friend Anna, and between them they

14 November 2009

With our daughter safely packed off to Grandma and Grandad's for the weekend, Chris and I joined P&O's Arcadia at Southampton for a grown-up's weekend away. The weather forecast wasn't looking too promising but we knew there would be so much to do on board, we weren't too bothered! After a bite to eat we had a good walk around the ship to get our bearings before the compulsory lifeboat drill, t

09 November 2009

We set off on a crisp autumn day for the bright lights of London with a very excited 6 year old Ruby. It was Grandma's birthday weekend so we had arranged to meet up with her and Granddad at Kings Cross/St Pancras. With no firm plans for the afternoon, we dropped our bags at the hotel then headed over the road straight into Hyde Park where we chanced upon the Princess Diana Memorial Playgrou

20 January 2009

We've cruised several times before but never over Christmas, so it was with great excitement as we approached Southampton docks we caught sight of the beautiful Oriana. I've had the pleasure of sailing on her before, about ten years ago, but this was a first voyage on Oriana for my husband and 5 year old daughter. A couple of days at sea allowed us to get our bearings and sample many of the acti