26 April 2025

Sun, Sea, and Snorkelling Bliss: A Dream Holiday to Cyprus When you think of the perfect escape, what comes to mind? Beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels, incredible food, and the kind of experiences that make memories for a lifetime? That’s exactly what my wonderful clients found on their recent holiday to Cyprus — and their glowing feedback has us already dreaming of booking the next trip! From the moment they arrived at the stunning Sunrise Jade Hotel, it was clear this was going to be something special. Greeted by warm, welcoming staff, they were treated to little touches of luxury at every turn — including their very own sunbeds for the whole week, complete with plush 2-inch padded mattresses for ultimate relaxation. And if that wasn’t enough, a sweet box of chocolates appeared each evening in their room — a little indulgence to end each day on a high note! Of course, location is everything, and the Sunrise Jade delivered in spades. Set beside a beautiful beach with a sparkling, clear coastline, it offered the perfect playground for snorkelling adventures. Whether it was lounging on the soft sand or diving into the crystal-clear waters, the setting couldn’t have been more perfect. Inside the hotel, the luxury continued. From the spotless, adults-only atmosphere to the stylish bathrooms with his and hers sinks and clever anti-steam mirrors (ideal for getting ready for an evening out!), every detail had been carefully thought through. Dining was a dream too, with high-quality food and flexible dine-around options that allowed them to swap dinner for lunch whenever they fancied venturing out in the evening. Speaking of exploring — Cyprus made it easy! A handy bus stop right outside the hotel whisked them to Ayia Napa in just 15 minutes, where they found buzzing streets full of restaurants, vibrant clubs like Coco Bongo’s, and that lively Mediterranean atmosphere that’s simply infectious. The adventures didn’t stop there. Her husband, a keen geocacher, snorkelled out to a nearby island to log a special find — an unforgettable highlight! And while April waters were still a touch too chilly for her, they loved relaxing in the early spring sunshine, wandering through nearby towns, and soaking up the laid-back Cypriot vibes. In fact, despite usually sticking to a ‘never-go-back’ rule, they’ve already decided to return next September — just so they can both dive into the (slightly warmer!) waters and enjoy even more snorkelling! One of the best parts for them? Having me as their personal travel expert took away all the stress of planning. “I didn’t have to spend hours researching — you found the perfect hotel for us!” she shared. “My husband was so happy, and we couldn’t have asked for better.” Hearing how much smoother and more relaxing it made their trip is exactly why I love doing what I do. When I asked if they’d recommend booking through me, they didn’t hesitate: “Definitely! Get you on the case!” And with dreams of a Norwegian Fjords Cruise next on their horizon, I can’t wait to help them create even more incredible memories. Thanks so much Leigh Atkinson for using my service for booking your holiday, and for agreeing to a post holiday interview!

16 April 2025

River Cruising - A multi-City break on the water I went along to the CLIA River View Conference in Budapest in March this year knowing very little about river cruising. It is something I previously thought would not be very exciting, or luxury and would be more geared towards people of retirement age. I was wrong! River cruising it turns out is an experience which can be thoroughly enjoyed by all ages (although some river cruises are adults only)it is a luxury experience with fine dining, beautiful surroundings and fantastic service but the key thing is that unlike most travel, river cruising is all about the journey, and journeying right through the heart of many beautiful towns and cities. If you are someone who enjoys a city break, you would likely LOVE a river cruise. You get on board a beautiful ship and unpack just once, but get to explore and experience multiple cities in one holiday! Many of the ships offer all inclusive packages with food drinks and excursions. They offer different types of excursions to suit different peoples interests, or there is always the option to take free time and explore by yourself! Most of the ships offer bicycles or sometimes e-bikes which you can borrow to go and explore. There are different River Cruise ships to suit different people, but I have been lucky enough to have stayed on board 4 and have had tours or lunch on board another 3, so I now have a great deal of first hand knowledge to help you work out which River Cruise company is for you! :) I have stayed on Board: Riviera Travel – William Wordsworth Tui Skyla Riverside Mozart Uni World - De Joie De I was lucky to have a full tour and food in the 5 restaurants on board: Viva Two And I had fantastic tours and free time of board: Ama Waterways- Amasonata Scenic – Scenic Opal. They are all very different but fantastic in their own ways. They are a great way to travel as a couple, a group of friends or family or even as a solo traveller! There are now many solo travellers on board most of the ships, and many of the cruise lines offer some great deals for Solo Travellers with low, or in a few cases, no solo supplements! I am now fully inspired by river cruising and excited to plan and book for my clients, I have full price parity (which means you will not pay a penny more to book with me rather than direct) but you will have my support to make sure you have a smooth trip ?? There are many destinations you can visit, some of my favourites are the Nile – where you can float on board a luxury ship and get to explore all the ancient ruins of Egypt. Christmas Markets across Europe on the Danube or the Rhine- River cruise is a great way to see Christmas Markets, as you can visit so many in one trip! A newer river cruise location is Cambodia along the Mekong – this is an amazing experience where you will get immersed in local culture as you travel from Saigon and visit local villages and beautiful locations on route to final destination where you see the Temples of Angkor. Enjoy getting right into the local culture by day but get to return to your luxury ship each evening. So why not get in touch and find out more about the river cruise for you?!

15 April 2025

Hotel 12 Rabot Hotel – Otherwise known as Hotel Chocolat! Set in the rainforest near the little town of Soufriere in southern St Lucia in the middle of a cocoa plantation is the Rabot Hotel! An Adults only boutique hotel. This the home of Hotel Chocolat and they offer chocolate making tours, sunrise and sunset yoga, a chocolate spa, a shuttle bus to sugar beach and beautiful accommodation with views of the pitons and chocolate inspired creole dining and drinks in the bar. We stayed here in December and were lucky enough to be upgraded to one of their 8 Luxury rooms which are higher up and slightly larger and offer open fronted amazing views on the pitons! All of the rooms have a velvetiser and some sachets of hotel chocolat hot chocolate to be enjoyed in the room. We had a huge open air shower, 4 poster bed with an over bed fan – there is no air conditioning as these rooms are made to attract a breeze. A slide shut wall or leave it totally open and lay on a lounger enjoying the stunning views and all the sounds of the rainforest creatures! Just beware their welcome cocktail of rum punch ! – Its lethal! One drink and I was more than a bit tipsy!! Our room was beautiful, and we enjoyed relaxing by the pool and after our included chocolate tour where we got to learn about the growing and making of chocolat, taste the pulp from a cocoa pod and plant and name our own cocoa tree :) This is an amazing place to stay – I would recommend a night here at the start or end of any trip to saint Lucia to have this experience, and the upgrade is worth it if you want the best views and breeze. Amazing offer at the moment: up to 35% off your rainforest escape until the 20th April – contact me to book your Saint Lucian Paradise Holiday: candy.brown@travelcounsellors.com 07796305536

15 January 2025

Saint Lucia day 1: After landing we hired a car and navigated the steep windy roads, (narrowly avoiding avoiding tons of potholes) through a stunning green island that appears similar to The Jurassic Park rainforest. We made it to the 1st stop about an hour and 20 mins from the airport. Ti Kaye Resort and Spa (means Tiny House) A beautiful Adult's only boutique resort, just 30 plantation style wooden cottages all with great sea views, 4 poster beds, outside showers and big balconies with rocking chairs and a hammock for ultimate relaxation whilst gazing over the bay. Air conditioning and an overbed fan kept it lovely and cool. And a mosquito net over the bed help keep the bitey mosquitos away. All presented to a very high standard whilst having a totally traditional feel. Adults only, options for bed and breakfast or all inclusive. I recommend the all-inclusive as the resort is in a quiet location, no other places to eat unless you drive or taxi at least 20/30 minutes. Also, the food and service were some of the best on the island! I loved that they surrounded us with citronella candles in their open air restaurant as I didn’t get any bites whilst at this hotel! There is also an amazing sea front spa if you are looking for extra relaxation - massages in a cool ocean facing room. Not a white sand beach, the sand is granite and coral so silvery to look at, and very natural/rustic looking. The sand is still soft, the sea is crystal clear, calm and one of the best snorkelling spots on the island, this made it a fantastic beach for me! Many boat trips attend this area as it is so good for snorkelling - I saw an octopus, loads of rainbow parrot fish, angel fish and trumpet fish to name a few. It was really magical! Lots of coral still live and beautiful which was great to see. The resort is on the cliff, but they have a great funicular (cable car) to take people down to the beach and back up if you don't fancy taking the stairs! This was really fun to use! I loved this resort, only spent two nights there, but would recommend 3 nights or even a week if you are wanting to relax there. A good point to explore the south or the north of the island from as it is at a midway point on the Caribbean west coast of the island 45 mins to Soufriere or 45 mins north to Rodney Bay. The service was amazing, everything was clean comfortable, and beautiful – it felt very luxury whilst being in keeping with the island. A total tropical paradise! Thanks for having us Ti Kaye!!

08 September 2024

I recently attended a Travel Counsellor event - the Middle East Take over day. It was a great event where I was able to meet many suppliers from various hotels and tourist boards from Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Qatar. Dubai is well known as a holiday destination, but I was surprised how exciting the prospect of travelling to Ras Al Khaimah came to be after the event. This is something I felt I had to share with my travel clients and followers, as it is something I knew nothing of at the start of last week. Dubai is one of the top destinations for UK holiday goers, particularly those wanting some winter sun without a really long flight. It is an amazing destination with so much to see and do for couples, solo travellers and families alike. Mix up relaxing beach/pool days with site seeing. Visit old Dubai to learn the history, eat in amazing restaurants, visit a Souk or go to the Marina Down Town or The Palm for more modern activities such as the water parks, aquariums, malls, the Sky Pool and the Burj Khalifa. There are amazing museums to visit such as The Museum Of The Future, or The Museum Of Illusions and The Miracle Gardens – all make for a great day out. There are many amazing big hotels to stay at such as the world famous Atlantis with its water park and aquarium (which is free to residential guests). There are also some small boutique hotels which are fantastic to stay at such as Nikki Beach which is in a fab location (15 mins taxi from the airport), set on a natural stunning beach with the Miami Beach club pool if you want an adults only pool party vibe. Dubai is a very safe place to visit so perfect for women as solo travellers. But what about areas a little further out from Dubai? If you have been to Dubai before or you are looking for more of a relaxed break instead of being in the city the whole time, a fantastic option is Ras Al Khaimah. Only 45 mins transfer from Dubai airport (it can take longer than this to many destinations on the palm!) There are amazing luxury hotels there, which are generally about 15% cheaper than staying right in Dubai - so you can afford to stay a little longer! There are endless beaches, 5 shopping malls, souks and everything you need for an amazing holiday right there. Many of the hotels such as the Hilton Double Tree offer a shuttle bus into Dubai, so you can get the best of both worlds. There are also two world class golf courses and hundreds of high quality dining options, so it is the perfect place to go if you are a foodie! The Sofitel Hotel sits between The Ritz Carlton and The Waldorf Astoria and offers a dine around option so you can select where you would like to eat out of the restaurants provided by all world class hotels via a voucher system. There is also The Anantara Hotel which offers over the water villa style rooms in the typical Maldives style. Ras Al Khaimah has the beauty of the mountains right behind it, alongside lush mangroves, terracotta deserts and stunning coastline. There are some amazing activities in the mountains such as Jais Flight - the longest zipline in the world. Measuring in at 2.83km long and gathering speeds of up to 150kmph. There is also tobogganing at Jais Sledder which is great fun for all ages. Dhayah Fort - the only hill fort remaining in the UAE and on the UNESECO World Heritage Tentative list. Built in the 19th century, you can climb the zig zag steps of the fortress to discover the amazing views of the gardens, sea and mountains. There are also yoga and wellness retreats in the mountains with superb views if you need some self-care and calm on your holiday. For animal lovers there is the Al Wadi Nature Reserve: free roaming wildlife such as falcons, Arabian horses, camels, oryx, sand gazelles, and desert foxes can be spotted in their natural environment. Suwaidi Pearls Farm- go out on a traditional pearl fishing boat for an amazing day on the water floating around the mangroves and hearing stories of the tradition which dates back over seven millennia. For a special event you can visit the highest restaurant in the UAE. 1484 by Puro in the Jebel Jais Mountains features cleverly designed cuisine from around the world. A truly unique dining experience. Alternatively, you could go up in a hot air balloon just before sunrise and take in all the beauty or the desert, mountains and coast line as the sun comes up, followed by a delicious champagne breakfast. So if you are considering a holiday to Dubai, but have maybe been before and want to try something different, why not try Ras Al Khaimah?! I know I am keen! Get in touch so I can plan your perfect trip!