23 March 2015

Visiting India in late September is not the coolest time to go but I was not going to miss the chance to see this incredible country’s iconic sights despite soaring temperatures! We flew overnight and arrived in Delhi next morning and most London flights would be scheduled like this allowing you to maximise your time in this bustling city. We had stayed at the Taj Palace hotel, one of the Luxury Delhi hotels. The Imperial hotel was our dinner venue and we could see why it is one of the favourite haunts of most dignitaries, its elegance shone throughout. Next day we had a full day tour of Old Delhi, staring with a walking tour around streets of the Old Delhi. Our young guide who worked with a Street Children charity and use to be one of the street kids himself was very informative and great fun. We moved onto Jama Masjid mosque, ending on a pedal bike rickshaw ride though some of the incredible sights and sounds of the Old Delhi back alleys! Afternoon was spent around New Delhi and a visit to Qatab Minar, the tallest stone tower in India from 12th century. We had an early start next morning as we had to get to the 6am train that would take us to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal monument. It was a very relaxed way of getting from Delhi to Agra, allowing us to some more of the countryside and some of the local train stops along the way. On arrival at Agra train station we were greeted by many street children asking us to donate our lunch boxes (hotels prepare them for you before departure) if we have not eaten them, which we were all more than happy to do, given the stark contrast we have encountered so far. Trident Agra hotel is a great little hotel not too far away from the Taj, but feels like an oasis of calm and taste. Its cool pool and shaded gardens were very welcome after our long journey. Agra Fort is a one of the most famous and well known forts and arriving at is massive entrance gates it is easy to see why. Local Mughal Emperors knew how to builds their cities and forts to impress. Agra Fort is where we got our first glimpse of the famous Taj Mahal, as intended by its builder Shah Jahan, so he could gaze upon it from his palace at any time! Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum to his wife Mutmaz Mahal, and has become one of the most famous romantic gestures of ancient worlds, still capturing the imaginations of travellers that come to see it. Oberoi Amarvilas hotel, where we stopped for a high tea offered us another tantalising glimpse of the Taj, even closer. Each room and all of its public rooms have a Taj view, one of the reasons this is top choice for a luxury hotel in Agra. Our visit was planned for the sunset, giving it faint amber glow from the West and perfect light conditions for that iconic photo opportunity. Although there are many other visitors there, grounds are large enough and you can grab a moment to sit and enjoy the beauty of the setting and admire the proportions of this famous landmark. For even more peaceful visit it is worth getting up early and watch the sunrise over Taj Mahal! Next day we travelled to Jaipur and this time we were travelling on a road, stopping along the way in Fatehpur Sikri (deserted imperial city) and having a lunch in a local Haveli (like a BB) finally arriving in Jaipur at dusk. Oberoi Rajvilas hotel near Jaipur is the fairy-tale setting for one of the most opulent luxury hotels that Rajasthan has to offer. We stayed at the 4* ITC Rajputana who laid on a local Rajasthan dance show and biggest curry feast we had since our arrival. Food cannot be left out of this travel blog, being one of the stars of any visit to India. It is true that spicy food and curries are available for every meal, if you so choose to. Most hotels will have international cuisine options and most of us had this for breakfast. It is amazing how varied and aromatic the lunch and dinner dishes were. We have been taken to a culinary journey and loved every bite! Next day we headed to Amber Fort. Driving though Amber city (as Jaipur is also know) and stopping to admire Palace of the Winds we arrived at the foothill of this world famous fortress. Perched on a hill above the Jaipur we headed up on the elephant rides that are strictly controlled and can do only 6 climbs a day. The Amber Fort is another awe inspiring feat of architecture and beauty, one amazing room after another! I just wished we had more time to wander the streets as all too soon we were whisked off to see the City palace with its largest and oldest sun dial in the world. Evening was rounded off with a lesson on how to put on a sari and then we were taught to cook a simple curry dish on the rooftop terrace of Shapura House Hotel, with the dance show to round off the evening. Our last day was spent travelling back to Delhi to stay near the airport for our early flight to Kathmandu next day. If we did this again I would suggest catching a domestic flight back to save time, given the traffic delays we experienced. Week long trip allowed us only a glimpse of this magnificent country. Return visit is a must!

23 March 2015

Thailand, land of smiles! We had a week-long trip to a two of Thailand’s most iconic beach resort, Phuket and Phi Phi Island. As it was October, we were greeted with a proper tropical downpour, typical of this part of the Far East in early autumn. Luckily, it was still very warm and the rain lasted less than an hour. Blue skies did come back, mixed in with plenty of cloud cover for the rest of the trip. Somehow this made the precious sunrays even more enjoyable, strange how our brain can trick us….. We had booked a speedboat transfers to our Phi Phi Island hotel, Zeavola, but sadly the seas were too rough to use it so we took the local passenger ferry from main Phuket port to Phi Phi. In true Thai welcome we were collected from the ferry on a traditional longboat and had a really warm welcome at our hotel’s reception, just steps away from the most beautiful beach I’ve seen in a long time. The Zeavola hotel is small, eco-friendly resort with individual cottages (suites) dotted around the prime location on the northern tip of this famous island. This makes it a perfect getaway from the crowds, although there are couple of other hotels nearby, you are in a relaxed and easy going paradise. The garden suite had an outdoor living room with optional bamboo screens we could have down at night and a generous four posted bed in very private and cooled bedroom. This was the sort of barefoot, no news no shoes kind of place and we embraced the freedom it brings. Small selection of bars and couple of restaurants along the lantern lit sandy beach was all we needed to enjoy some great cocktails and most amazing Thai food ever. All too soon we were in our way to Phuket, again on the passenger ferry as the seas were still too choppy to brave the speedboat. Our Phuket resort, Kathathani, was at the quieter end of this party island, Kata beach. The hotel was larger and different in so many ways to the one we have just come from. It had much bigger grounds, rooms and public areas shining with marbled floors and modern fittings. A very clean and high end 4* hotel on a great beachfront location indeed. They had great beachfront bar and fab seafood restaurants, right on the edge of the beach which made the food and drink taste so much more enjoyable somehow! A small selection of local shops and bars was around a corner with much bigger and busier main resort only 5 minutes in Tuk Tuk. Shopping there was so much fun, we went back few times. Even though we had short time, we managed to do a half a day tour of main sights in Phuket, with a taxi driver being our guide which was very reasonable and very easy going. The big Buddha is a must and the temple complex of Wat Chalong was awe-inspiring. Our return was an exercise in how to make the shortest of airline connections, Bangkok style. The airlines have developed great transit procedures for any connecting flights that if you are delayed by an hour (like us) you are speeded through on your arrival in Bangkok and in the London bound departure lounge in no time at all.

22 August 2013

Having been on a few long and busy holidays with family lately, we decided to go for a beach flop and drop option this summer. Portugal’s Algarve seemed like an ideal destination. With local flights and a great choice of quality accommodation, it was easy to find somewhere. On our arrival in Faro, we had a taxi waiting to take us to Lagos, our resort for the next 10 days. Lots of travellers will hire a car from Faro airport and drive themselves and this is certainly an easy option, looking at good and well signposted road network. Our hotel was Cascade Wellness and lifestyle resort, the new 5* option in Western Algarve. It looked impressive, and the welcome was even better. We got to sit on a terrace overlooking the sea with couple of refreshing cocktails (fruit crush for kids) in hand; whilst our room was being prepared (we arrived early in the day). The resorts offers an option of hotel rooms in the main building or 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, with joint use of all the facilities. Our two bedroom apartment was huge! It had a massive wraparound terrace and another one on the roof, overlooking the grounds. All very nicely furnished and impeccably clean. It was a good choice! As we had an afternoon, the beach was the place to go! Nearest beach is Porto do Mos, a fantastic stretch of golden sand, with cliffs at both ends, but an easy street level access for all. This quickly become our favourite place for the rest of the trip, especially as the 2 beach restaurants had great food and snacks to choose from. Old Town of Lagos is some 20 minutes’ walk from Cascade hotel, but they do offer a free shuttle for their guests (which is a bit sporadic as it cannot be pre-booked and is done on availability basis) which we used a lot. Old Town is very quaint with its city walls and narrow cobbled streets teeming with little shops, bars and restaurants. We spent hour’s just wondering around, or sipping cocktails and people watching. Well, as long as we could given that our children did complain about being tired after a while. Most of the holiday was spent relaxing around the two pools in the hotel or beach, reading and swimming. True to our intentions this was a flop and drop break. We did manage to go on an afternoon tour of the local grottos which was great fun and visually impressive. Later the same week, we actually walked to the grottos from our hotel (the coastal footpath takes you all the way to Ponta da Piedade lighthouse, with hundreds of steps down to the water’s edge and grottos). Having a car for 3 days made it easy to go and visit Sagres (the most westerly point of continental Europe) and local water park (Slide and Splash).

22 August 2013

South Pacific, it doesn’t get much more exotic that this! We flew out on Air New Zealand (I got the use of their new Skycouch, 3 economy seats that convert into a small bed), via LA and Fiji Air onwards. It was a long way to go, a 24 hours flight, but we knew it was worth a wait. Fiji didn’t disappoint! Tour of Nadi followed. The local market was a riot of colours and activity. Fruit, veg, fish, meat, herbs and spices (many of these used by Fijians as medicine) and of course Cava. Cava is the traditional Fijian drink. Made form Cava roots, and drunk everywhere, it is certainly an acquired taste. It looks like muddy water and tastes a bit peppery! Fiji has a big population of Asian citizens, mostly from Indian’s subcontinent. This is one of the reasons why Nadi has the biggest Hindu Temple in South Pacific. We wandered through the highly ornate buildings in awe. After a long day, we were ready for sleep. Next day we headed off to the Denerau Marina to board a Tall sail boat (Captain Cook Cruises) for a day trip to Tivua Island (Robinson Crusoe look) for some snorkelling and beach picnic. After 45 minutes sailing, we were on the finest, powder beach I have ever seen, and that’s no exaggeration! Small enough to walk around in 15 minutes, we had the island to ourselves. Beach loungers and hammocks were scattered around for us to use, and everyone got to use snorkelling equipment to go and explore the waters. We all got a local guide to take us in and show us the most amazing coloured fish all around us. Hundreds of them, quite incredible! BBQ lunch was laid on for everyone and we stayed here till 4pm, enjoying our very own private island (well us and 30 other guests!) Malolo Island was our next stop. It is easily reached on local ferry service (Malolo Cat) in 45 minutes. This Island is home to 3 hotels, Plantation Island, Musket Cove and Lomani, all very different and all with a fantastic beachfront location. We really enjoyed our food at Lomani restaurant that night, under the stars, with few fairy lights scattered through the gardens, making is even more magical. Next day we had a speedboat transfer to Tokoriki Island. On our way we passed Fiji’s only resorts with Overwater Villas, Likuliku, which is also one of the few all inclusive options in Fiji. Tokoriki Island is home to two resorts, Amanauca and Tokoriki Resort. Tokoriki resort is one of the most popular honeymoon options and I could see why. The entire resort is built very cleverly so that you get the views, but also privacy! All too soon we had to leave this lovely paradise island and go back to Viti Levu (main island), to visit Coral Coast. This was Fijian original beach destination. On the south of Viti Levu island and half way between Suva (the capital) and Nadi (the international airport), it was perfectly placed for the early travellers. These days it has a plethora of high end hotels (we stayed at the Warwick) and more basic accommodation (Uprising Beach Resort) ensuring everyone is able to find a suitable place to stay. The Pacific harbour is home to Fijian Arts Village, a must on everyone’s itinerary. We got to board the traditional boat and tour around the heritage island with thatched huts dotted around, re-enactments taking place to show of the richness of the Fijian culture and history. It was a really great way to learn more about this beautiful country. Our last evening was spent feasting on the most delicious sea food, in an even more spectacular setting, - the Warwick hotel flagship Walu seafood restaurant. Next day was our trip home, and although a long one, all of us agreed that we’d do it again if we had a chance, just to re visit this fabulous place!

21 August 2013

I have always wanted to visit California; it is one of the iconic destinations that has to be on most people’s list! We decided to try and do and see as much as possible but allow enough time in each place so that we could have time to enjoy it as well. Tall order! Our first stop was Las Vegas- “Vegas baby!” (My kids forbade me shouting this out within hours of arriving!). Wynn hotel didn’t disappoint, it has one of the most amazing lobby’s we have entered. Rooms are spacious and have floor to ceiling picture windows! As it was so hot the pools were very welcomed. Given it was 40 degrees we literally spent whole afternoons in the pool. In the evening we did the Strip walk, from our hotel all the way down to Bellagio fountains. Entertainment all along the way didn’t disappoint. We did book a show in advance (The Blue Man group) which was fun and family friendly! On our first night we had a dinner at the Stratosphere restaurant with fab views of the Strip at night, great food if a bit pricey. Our highlight whilst in Vegas has to be the Grand Canyon helicopter flight. Truly awesome! Next stop was Death Valley, what a place! Hottest inhabited place on earth truly lived up to its reputation. Very eerie and unique and well worth an overnight stop. Then onto Mammoth Mountain resort, some 3 hours’ drive north of Death Valley and only 1.5-2 hours south of Yosemite East gate. This was real unexpected little gem, the resort is small and Alpine in look, you could easily be in Switzerland. The added bonus was the chance to do some serious mountain biking from the top of the Mammoth Mountain. Not as scary as it sounds as you can choose the track you come down on, thankfully. Yosemite was our most back to basic stop, we booked 2 cabins in the Valley (Curry Village) and camped for 2 nights. This allowed us to do a whole day trek up to the Nevada Falls, the only ones with any water left in the height of summer. San Francisco was next, all I can say if you are driving in like we did, remember, it’s very hilly. We nearly rolled back a few times, as oncoming trams scared us witless. Still laugh about our arrival that evening. Thankfully Fairmont hotel made it all worthwhile. Fantastic location on top of Nob Hill (I know, kids kept giggling about the name) with the iconic tram stop just outside. We had to use it, of course. San Francisco is such a lovely place, small enough to explore in the 4 days we had, and diverse enough to find something different. We did the classic sights; Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Pier 39. Despite the hordes, was well worth it. We waved goodbye to San Francisco (and promised to come back again) and drove south to Carmel. This little place is famous for having had Clint Eastwood for its mayor back in the 90ies, but also for having the quaintest coastal resort on Californian coastline! There are so many restaurants and art galleries in such a small place and all very individual and worth exploring. Our most anticipated day of driving came after the Carmel, the iconic Highway 1 (Pacific Coast road), down to Los Angeles. As is often the case, summer in Northern California can be a bit foggy, especially the mornings! We got to see some of the views shrouded in mist but thankfully sunshine came out soon enough for us to enjoy the famous drive down to our next stop, Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is very chic, with many lovely restaurants to choose from and the famous beach, of course. Our last night was in Santa Monica, Loews hotel, overlooking the Pier! Fab location close to the beach and 3rd St Promenade with its shops and restaurants. Amazingly, we managed to visit Universal Studios and do the Hollywood tour in a space of 24 hours! All too soon our California adventure was over, we cannot wait to go back!

16 September 2011

Visiting Mauritius was always something I wanted to do. This trip started with a real treat, an upgrade to Club Class seats from London to Dubai and then again from Dubai to London. What a way to travel. We had a 2 hour connection in Dubai airport which is really big. Now, with the new Terminal building one can easily spend hours there. If you have any difficulty walking it is worth booking the airport assistance to get you from one gate to another. As Mauritius is only 2 hours ahead of GMT, you don't get much jet lag. This is the county of now the extinct Dodo, and you see pictures and sculptures of them everywhere. French and English are widely spoken and Mauritians are very friendly. Although their Summer is in our Winter time, temperatures don't vary much throughout the year. One thing it may be worth considering is that in June - Sep the East coast will be windier and could feel cooler than the West or South West coast. We visited lots of hotels in our 10 day trip but the first one, Shanti Anada, is something special. It is a Spa Destination hotel, its sister hotel is at the foothills of Himalayas. Every aspect of the stay is carefully arranged to suit the clients. If they want a quiet, get-away-from-it-all, resting kind of holiday, they will get it here. If they are into lots of Yoga, Spa or any Ayurveda treatments, there are experts on hand to help. Food was heavenly. Beach small but almost deserted. Mauritius does not have private beaches, but this one is as close to private as it gets. We were really sorry to leave here. Over the next few days we visited: Le Telfair - nice, French colonial look, good food and great beach, good for families. Anahita - a very up market time share style complex attached to Four Seasons. Four Seasons- uber chick, but a little new and grounds need 1-2 years to make it special. Le Touessrok - great family and active resort, with extensive facilities and a private golf course. Rooms were of a very high standard and great location. Royal Palm - 5* hotel close to Grande Baia, with world class facilities, food and decor Oberoi - small (72 rooms) but perfectly formed. All the Pavillons have a nice view, but the pool ones are great for privacy. Beach here is one of the best on the island. Food was really good and the staff are so friendly. Great feel to the whole place. Prince Maurice- on the East coast with some fabulous overwater suites close to the lagoon. It was popular with British and mainly adult clientele. Belle Mare Plage - a perennial favourite with many first time visitors. The grounds are very extensive and the rooms are of a very high standard. Main buffet restaurant had a nice feel and good food and the beach is very long. One and Only Le Saint Geran - very, very upmarket and exclusive. Prince Edward was staying in their Villa during this stay (allegedly), and the whole resort just oozes elegance. There is Spoon restaurant by the famous Alain Ducasse here which is very popular. Their children's club was really good and catered for all ages. Residence - Very classy and high repeat clientele. Nice Junior Suites for 2 adults and 2 children. Beau Rivage - Great for all, good facilities and food. Taj Exotica - Small, boutique with all rooms having a private pool. Paradis - one of the best family hotels we visited. Location is spectacular and use of their sister hotel (Dinarobin) facilities make is a great choice. The one thing I got to know is that you can go out and about quite easily and do lots of other activities, horse riding, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, cruises, nature and a safari parks, etc... I was sad to leave, but happy to have had a chance to experience a really unique place.

16 September 2011

South Africa has always evoked many exotic images, so when an opportunity to visit it arose, I could not refuse. We arrived to Durban (via Johannesburg) mid-morning and headed straight to an area I have never heard of before, Midlands Meander. This was such a nice surprise as the countryside had gently rolling hills and place names like Nottingham, which made you feel like you were back in the UK! Granny Mouse Country House was our first stop and what a place to stay - a fabulous boutique property with excellent fine dining and wines to match! Moving further inland we arrived at the Drakensburg National Park and promptly went for a walk, before the sun set. The mountains rose high in the clear blue sky as the spectacular sunset sank below the horizon. As this was a whistle-stop tour of the province, we were on our way far too soon, headed to visit the Battlefields of the Zulu wars accompanied by the most interesting talk at the Rorkes Drift (the famous film Zulu was based on this battle). The Isandlwana Lodge was our rest for the night and the view from here is amazing, overlooking another important battlefield, the Rock of Isandlwana. Our travels continued further North now, taking us to a 5 star private game reserve called Thunda Lodge. On our arrival we did an evening game drive and within ten minutes spotted three lions no further than five metres away from our open top land rover. Then as the sun was setting two cheetahs graced us with their presence and appeared to pose for our photos - very laid back! The compulsory drinks (wine or hot chocolate) stop was very welcome and the star gazing the southern skies was a fab way to end the drive. Another game drive next morning (5:30 am) was worth getting up for as we saw the zebras, giraffes, buffalo, wilder beast and an enormous elephant bull, only metres away from us. All too soon, we left the fabulous Thunda Lodge heading for St Lucia Wetland Park (or iSimangaliso in Zulu) to join an afternoon boat ride in search of hippos, humming birds and crocodiles. We were not disappointed; hippos seem to wallow in the warm estuary unaffected by us endlessly clicking the cameras at them. Our final destination was Durban and an iconic hotel to stay in the Oyster Bay hotel, due north of the city, just fifteen minutes from the airport. The hotel has recently been re-opened and has already become the place to stay. It reminded me of The Raffles (Singapore) and other iconic hotels with sumptuous decor and unbeatable locations. We did a boat trip from Durban in hope of seeing whales, but ended up seeing loads of dolphins instead, who chased our boat and almost performed for us. It was a fantastic way to finish our all too short visit to this spectacular part of South Africa. I am definitely going back again!

05 January 2009

We flew out on Air New Zealand flights via Los Angeles. The long flight was one thing I was dreading with children age 6 and 10. I shouldn't’t have worried. There was so much for them to do during the two 12 hour flights, it went by quicker than expected. The touch screen TV with over 40 films on demand and games was used by all of us for most of the flight. The food was of a good standard and even the dreaded US transit went smoothly. On arrival we stayed in Sky City Auckland hotel, part of the Sky City Tower Complex which dominates the Auckland skyline. The hotel is a 3*+ rating with its sister property Sky City Grand offering true luxury in a very central location. The spa was amazing. I actually fell asleep during my massage! As this was a whistle-stop tour we only spent 2 days in Auckland and drove down South towards Rotorua. Rotorua is a real must for anyone visiting North Island. In addition to the thermal springs and geysers, it also has a real Maori village with obligatory war Haka and dancing staged daily. The hotel, Duxton Okawa Bay was on a lake shore and couldn't have been more perfect. The drive to Wellington was broken up by a one night stop in Napier in Hawks Bay country (best wine region of the North Island). Wellington is a big (relatively) modern city with an amazing Te Papa Museum in its centre, well worth a visit, and free! We drove our car to the port of Wellington and took a ferry across Cook straights. This was really easy as you drop off your car on North Island and pick up another one on South; a very efficient and smooth operation. As you near the South Island the ferry goes through Fjordland (Queen Charlotte Sounds) and the scenery is breathtaking, with calm waters and blue sky! Our first stop on South Island was Kaikora, the whale watching centre of New Zealand. Even though we had to get up early, everyone was so exited about the whale watching trip. There is only one company doing these, and they are very good. We managed to see 4 sperm whales on our 3 hour trip, with some amazing close-ups. It can get very choppy so you’ll need your sea legs on this one! After such an exciting morning we decided to stop at Hanmer Springs on our way down to Christchurch. What a great place, 12 Thermal Springs, all different temperatures, and you can swim or just sit in all of them. There was even a children’s pool with slides, which was a great hit with my two. Christchurch is called Little England and I can see why. The architecture and the layout is very European, our favourite of all NZ cities. The hotel in Christchurch was the Heritage, right in the centre with amazing family suites. It was bigger than the whole of our downstairs back home, I think! As we left Christchurch the drive took us across Canterbury plains towards Southern Alps. We had stopped so much, as around every corner the scenery was just so beautiful, picture postcard type of scenes! Our last stop was in Queenstown, the adrenaline capital of the world and the place where a first commercial Bungee Jump happened. We decided to take the safer option of a Shotover Canyon jet boat ride! Hurtling through a tight river canyon at 80 mph, some 10 cm away from the cliffs, is considered safer option here. Let’s just say we were shaken and stirred! My 10 and 6 year old wanted another go, straight away. Our hotel in Queenstown was the Gran Mercure Hotel St Moritz. We had a great family room with lake views and the food was great. The hotel catered for children although not many were there when we stayed. Queenstown was a great place to finish our New Zealand adventure. We can’t wait to go back!