25 September 2018

People often ask which island in New Zealand is the best? Which did you prefer, North or South? My answer? Both! South Island is stunningly beautiful with adventure sports, wildlife, glaciers lakes and mountains We headed here after touring around the North Island. SOUTH ISLAND Due to a large earthquake and various roads being closed on the South Island (now open again and back to normal), instead of our original plan of driving and getting the ferry from North to South Island we flew straight to Queenstown from Auckland. It’s a nice quick flight with breath-taking scenery, especially coming in to land at Queenstown which is a great little town surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges and beautiful lakes. You must book accommodation in advance as it sells out quickly. There are lots of luxury and budget options and again, a ton of stuff to do here and the surrounding area including off road adventures, adventure sports, boating and in the winter skiing and snowboarding. It goes without saying the food and wine are excellent, particularly seafood and the world-famous Ferg Burgers - gourmet burgers that claim to be the best burger in New Zealand. I don't doubt this for a second and tried it for myself – amazing. Amongst other things we took an off-road jeep adventure to see some of the Lord of the Rings film locations with a great guide. We explored the mountains and rivers and went gold panning and guess what? I actually found gold! Yes! One teeny tiny speck but I found it all the same! A great day out. A boat trip to see more stunning scenery and some cheese and wine tasting, watched the crazy people bungee jumping on the highest biggest bungee in the world and then we headed to Mount Cook. It was a good few hours’ drive and worth spending a night or two there to explore. The weather so far in March/April was fabulous – sunny, warm and bright. Soon to change, it was Autumn after all! WHALE WATCHING AND DETERMINATION After an overnight stop in Christchurch, despite a large recent earthquake closing roads and limiting access, a raised seabed limiting boat trips, lots of cancelled hotel bookings, a lot of hardship suffered by the people living there and the town only just opening up again, I was determined I was going to Kaikoura, a little town world famous for its unique sea life particularly whales and of course it's amazing seafood including lobsters. I wanted to help the tourist industry get back on their feet again. So after lots of re arranging and a long bumpy journey on damaged country roads with lots of road blocks and a sick daughter, we finally arrived in Kaikoura, a small little town which at first glance doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. However, this turned out to be the absolute highlight of our trip. Everything seemed to be against us including the earthquake, the weather which had turned as the tail end of an Australian cyclone hit causing torrential rain, my daughter was not well, and we had to cancel our plans for our first day. But, brave souls that we are, we decided to go ahead with our 6am whale watching trip. We were warned it was pretty rough and asked if we got seasick as we could cancel with full refund if we wanted. If the weather got worse this could be the only boat going out today. No - we are going we decided! It was rough, it was cold, it was wet and my daughter did get sea sick along with a lot of other people but after not very long at all the boat stopped and to our absolute joy we saw the whales - right next to the boat not caring about the weather- basking, blowing fountains of water high into the air and finally (just for us it seemed) flipping their tails in the air. “This is the best day ever" my daughter proclaimed, all thoughts of sickness disappearing at the utter joy of witnessing such a spectacular sight. It was emotional! Next a huge pod of dusky dolphins decided to accompany us back to shore leaping in the air all over each other and we felt so privileged and so glad we had made the effort to get here. There is a seal colony too. Due to the movement of the seabed it was at risk and in a different place to where it had been before, but I am happy to report it was full of seals and Kaikoura was back on track. Moving on to a year and a bit later and all roads are open, the railway has re-opened and thanks to the people of Kaikoura coming together and working hard everything is back to normal and business is thriving once more. The weather is usually gorgeous, the area is stunning and it just goes to show that as Nelson Mandela said, when people are determined they can achieve anything. Travel Counsellors have a 24-hour emergency duty office you can call if you are ever abroad and need urgent assistance we are there for you.

25 September 2018

New Zealand. What can I say? It has to be the most stunningly beautiful country I have ever been to. So much to see and do here and never enough time! Here is my blog on just some of the great places to visit. North Island Travelling in March which is end of Summer/start of Autumn, we arrived in Auckland from a great flight courtesy of Air New Zealand who have to be the best airline I have ever flown on! Plenty of leg room, comfy seats, good food and wine, plenty of entertainment and great service. I am not a fan of flying and possibly for the first time ever I can say I actually enjoyed the flight! Air New Zealand also offer seamless connections to all other airports in New Zealand. Wine tasting and Tramping in Waiheke After a day of relaxing and recovering from the jetlag in Auckland we headed for the harbour and hopped on one of the many ferry trips to one of the various islands that depart daily. We chose Waiheke Island, only a 40-minute journey away, and wow - what a gorgeous place. It is wonderfully scenic and full of vineyards, olive groves, beautiful white sand beaches and award-winning wineries. There are hop on/off bus tours with commentary and you can spend all day exploring. We however were feeling adventurous and decided to take our own wine-tasting hike - known as "tramping" in New Zealand! We had a map showing where all the wineries were - what could go wrong? In short -nothing! The weather was perfect blue skies, sunny and warm. The hiking trails are easy, short and well signposted and the views and countryside are beautiful. The first winery stop offered several different tasting options including a $20 choice. It also had a lovely restaurant and stunning picnic area with comfy beanbags and rest areas with gourmet foods to accompany your wines overlooking the ocean to Auckland - the perfect place to watch the sunset, what could be more romantic? After exploring the cute village with its arty shops, we went beach hopping - perfect huge sandy bays and plenty of Instagram moments and no people! There are lots of other activities on offer here and accommodation gets booked out well in advance. After vowing to return and, when we win the lottery, buy a multimillion pound home here we headed back to Auckland for our next adventure. Coromandel Peninsula - must do's This is a fabulous area of rainforests, towns, beaches and hideaways, little more than an hour’s drive from Auckland. There is also a ferry from Auckland that takes two hours, or you could take a scenic flight. There is an abundance of things to see and do here including adventure sports, kayaking, fishing, diving, hot springs, farms, breweries, tramping, wineries, beaches - the list is endless! Driving is on the left, super easy, signposted and one of the best ways to explore. We however decided to lap up the scenery and take a shuttle bus from Auckland – cheap, direct, quick and stress free plus you can buy multi stop passes! There are plenty of places to stay. We chose Whitianga staying at Beachside Resort a small and friendly motel type place with great sea views and lovely modern apartments with everything you could wish for including a small pool and play area. Our bus dropped us off pretty much outside and then off we went to explore the town with its small harbour. Next, we took the ferry from one side of the river to the other and met our private driver guide who was going to take us to Hot Water Beach. The clue is in the name! Already prepared with borrowed shovels and buckets from our hotel we arrived at the stunning beach and Pacific Ocean and headed to the area signposted "DANGER VERY HOT WATER." We had checked the tides to make sure we were there at just the right time and after a bit of poking the sand we found the perfect spot to dig our own spa pool in the sand and relax in the hot bubbling natural springs - an absolutely unique Kiwi experience and an important historical and cultural site of the Ngati Hei people who have inhabited the area for a thousand years. As Cathedral Cove beach was only 5-10 minutes’ drive down the road we headed there next. This is only accessible by boat or by a reasonably strenuous "easy" 1.5-2 hour return hike. We chose the hike with incredible scenery along the way. Well worth it and you can also kayak there. Lunch in a local winery and fish and chips on the beach in Whitianga for dinner - perfect. Hobbiton - Lord of the Rings Being a huge Lord of the Rings fan, getting the chance to experience the real "Middle Earth" and visit "The Shire", the Hobbiton film set (now permanent) was one of the most exciting things for me! It is an easy drive from Auckland and Coromandel and we hopped on a shuttle bus from Coromandel arriving for the pre-booked early afternoon trip. It is stunning, with rolling hillsides and Hobbit houses with smoking chimneys, washing on the line and is just like it looks in the films with beautiful butterflies, birds, flowers and "The Green Dragon Inn." You are shown around by a guide who is full of movie secrets and insider information and get a chance to sample the specially brewed Middle Earth beverages! For a special treat next time I go I will be booking the Evening Banquet which is a guided tour at dusk with tables heaving with Hobbit fare - truly unique! Hot, smelly geysers! No not that type, Rotorua is a must stop on any North Island itinerary, not least because of the amazing volcanic underground activity. It is only a short ride/drive from the Hobbiton film set and you can take a tour or bus straight there. The smell of sulphur in the air is slightly overwhelming but the sights are like no other. There are several geothermal parks here and some free sights too. You will see bubbling mud pools, steam lakes and geysers as well as Maori culture, adventure activities, scenic flights, boating and more. An abundance of restaurants and experiences awaits including spas, cycling and rainforests. I can provide multiple activity passes for all these adventures. After some fascinating trips, being mesmerised by the geysers and sampling a traditional Maori Hangi feast with food cooked underground, we headed to Lake Taupo and took another hike to Huka Falls, a stunningly beautiful waterfall where you can go jet boating. We however "tramped" to the hot spring area with its hot waterfall and basked in the lovely warm natural pools. Next.. South Island!

25 September 2018

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? Well, OK that may be but here are some of my top tips to make the most of your trip. **TIP** If you are going to gamble – sign up for Totalrewards (All Caesars properties) and MLife rewards (all MGM properties) You can do this really quickly and easily at the desk in your hotel/casino. You will probably get some joining discounts/bonuses such as money off shows/attractions/buffets etc. It is better to do this in resort than online before you go as they will give you your loyalty cards and all the offers there and then. Then every time you buy anything/drink anything/eat anything/gamble, show your reward cards or put in the machine and you can build up points to redeem against everything. **TIP** Don't forget to tip! Keep lots of $1 notes to tip the waiter/waitress when you are in the casinos - if you are gambling the drinks are free and they will come up to you, but you must tip-you will also need to tip cab drivers/waiters/hotel staff pretty much everyone in fact... **TIP** you know this already, but it is sooooo true! Wear comfy shoes and drink plenty of water – just walking out of a hotel to another one even if it is next door involves a lot of walking! **TIP** If you are a novice but want to learn, some hotels (try Excalibur/Circus Circus) offer free beginners gaming lessons in the mornings when it is quieter - ask your concierge for latest info. **TIP** If you are a novice try the lower limit casinos/cheaper hotels first. Professional gamblers are everywhere but especially at high limit tables and places such as Caesars Palace . **TIP** There are designer outlets just off strip. Both ends are really worth going to and I will usually include with your booking some discount vouchers. Plus, you can get more if you sign up for all loyalty schemes offered - you will save a fortune. Go to the information desk in any of the malls or ask your concierge. **TIP** Try a buffet - there are bottomless mimosa buffets, seafood buffets, limitless Bloody Mary breakfast buffets and great value buffet passes. Desserts are to die for but make sure you wear something loose fitting! I can highly recommend Bellagio Buffet but get there early or be prepared to queue. **TIP** Harrahs Hotel and the surrounding area is a really lively cheap place to visit, always full of noisy people, cheap cocktails and they have live music most days including Elvis, soul bands, duelling pianos and more. Check out what’s on when you are there with one of the various apps you can get or with your concierge - you will find more live music venues and affordable friendly restaurants (portions are BIG) as well as the High Roller by the Linq hotel with incredible views. **TIP** For a more elegant experience head to the Chandelier bar of the Cosmopolitan and try one of their incredible cocktails or for a great view head to The Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay. **TIP** There are plenty of high end Michelin style restaurant choices in Las Vegas and reservations are absolutely essential. Ask me to book your table with a view for you - all part of the service. **TIP ** There is a monorail to take you from one end of the strip to the other and various other methods of transport. I can provide you with passes if needed. **TIP** Casinos are big and usually really smoky, and you have to walk through them to get anywhere the less smoky ones are the newer hotels such as Vdara and Aria. **TIP** You don't actually have to spend money to have a good time! One of the most interesting things to do in Vegas is people watching! Plus, there are lots of free attractions such as free circus acts at Circus Circus, living statues and opera singers at Venetian - Bellagio Fountains and more. **TIP** For the real Vegas head downtown (preferably in a cab) to Fremont Experience full of cheaper end hotels casinos and informal nightlife plus free lightshows. You can go zip lining here, take local art/mob tours and if you get a chance to see the light show at the Neon Museum. I can highly recommend it for a bit of insight into the history of Vegas. Pre booking is essential and I can provide reduced price tickets for this as well as combo tickets with the Mob Museum included. **TIP** If you are longing for the glamour of Old Vegas go see a show - I can provide recommendations and reduced-price show tickets for shows with beautiful showgirls, feathers and fantastic Rat Pack impersonators. Plus, Cirque De Soleil have loads to choose all of them spectacular. **TIP** There is absolutely tons of things to see and do in and around Vegas including museums, exhibitions, gun ranges, ranches, adventure sports, hiking or horse riding at Red Rock Canyon. Rafting at the Grand Canyon, ghost town tours, Hoover Dam - ask me for details and special offer combo tickets. **TIP** Want to get married? It couldn't be easier. Whether you want a drive in quick no fuss affair, a luxury helicopter, elegant classical style, Elvis, Cher or a Star Wars themed wedding leave it to me and I will arrange it for you. Remember when you book with me I am YOUR Personal Travel Counsellor available before during and after your holiday to answer any questions you may have, suggest and book places to visit and provide recommendations.

09 July 2018

I have just returned from the most amazing group trip to South Africa hosted by South Africa Tourism in June. I was very excited and had no idea where I would be going as it was to be a mystery until I arrived at Heathrow airport! Here is my blog on the first part of my action-packed adventure. Surprise No 1 – Arrival After meeting all the other agents on the trip, we were informed that we would be flying to Cape Town and would be going straight from the airport for a guided tour of Khayelitsha which is the largest Township in Cape Town. I admit I was not sure about this but upon arrival my doubts were blown away by the welcoming friendly happy people that greeted us. It is full of inspiring people making a difference to society, colourful vibrant and full of art and gardens. We had an amazing meal at a restaurant run by an ex contestant of South African Masterchef who gives back to the community by employing and training local people. Abigail and her staff entertained us with stories of growing up in Khayelitsha, served exquisite, beautifully presented food and another surprise - we got to keep our beautiful African dish which was made by a local artist and painted with an inspiring message left by previous diners. Before we left we each wrote an inspiring message to be painted on a dish for the next hungry visitor - inspiring indeed. Next, we visited a local children's nursery and next surprise - our guide was also local artist Juma Mwela and we were going to help him paint a mural on a soon to be new business next to the nursery! This was great fun and a great way to get involved and give something back. The mural we painted was a South African endangered rhino. The nursery staff thanked us for our donation by bursting into song which was wonderful. We visited the Village House, met the children and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Tours like these with local people as your guides can be tailored to suit the individual or group whether the interest is food, art, music, photography or something else. Highly recommended. After the long flight, followed by painting, walking and exploring, the next stop was a lesson in drumming! So still on day one we checked into our hotel, admired the fantastic Table Mountain views then within 30 minutes we were out again for a fantastic evening of African drumming, dancing, puppetry and gorgeous African food. I can recommend and book restaurants for you free of charge - all part of the service. Day 2 – Adventure, views, shopping and cuisine Up early and off for a helicopter ride over Cape Town - wow! Cape Town really is beautiful and the views from the air are stunning. This would be an ideal place for a romantic proposal, you will have a glass of champagne on landing and the staff are incredibly friendly. It is winter in South Africa in June but not as we know it! It is a fantastic time to visit, slightly cheaper, not as busy, not too hot but still warm and sunny with picture perfect blue skies, great for exploring, ideal for game viewing and just right for a group cycle ride along the Bay which was full of families and couples strolling along eating ice cream admiring the great views. Not forgetting the iconic Table Mountain, this is definitely worth a visit. There are hop on/off bus tours I can book for you that take you to all the main attractions including here and you can visit the Gardens, take the Cable Car to the top (which we did) go hiking/ziplining or just admire more incredible views out to Robben Island. Word of warning - it is very windy at the top and much cooler than on the ground so take a jacket or jumper! Bo Kaap is another great area to visit, close to all the main attractions, full of colourful painted houses, spice markets and I can book cooking lessons for you there too. A short walk from here and you will find lots of shops and a market full of African Arts and Crafts from jewellery to carvings, clothes and furniture a great place to shop but barter hard! Next off to Camps Bay, a beautiful very upmarket area with stunning sandy beaches, beautiful hotels and excellent seafood restaurants. I recommend watching the sunset, order the King Klip with a glass of South African wine produced in the Winelands less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Day 3 – History, penguins, seals and Nelson Mandela Robben Island is an island opposite Cape Town used as a prison for political prisoners, notorious as the prison home of Nelson Mandela. This is an absolute must if you have any interest in the history of this country. The boat departs several times a day from the Waterfront and pre-booking is essential. We were met by our guide who was also a political prisoner and served time with Nelson Mandela. He showed us around, told us stories of what life was like back then, talking with Mandela in the prison yard, food rationing and Mandela's cell. Some of it was shocking but fascinating and yes that word again – inspiring. The country has changed so much and this man who was himself incarcerated here now lives and works here to make sure the story is told. As we were with South Africa Tourism we were also extremely fortunate to be taken to a secret house next to the prison that not even the prisoners knew about where another prisoner was kept under house arrest for many years. We saw the quarry where Nelson Mandela and others were forced to work in boiling temperatures digging and breaking rocks with only a small hole in the rock for shelter. We were taken to the small village and saw some penguins who live here as well as more breath-taking views of Cape Town. This was a real privilege and can only be seen by special arrangement on specially booked tours which I can arrange for you. After the short and very relaxing journey back to Cape Town by boat we arrived at the Waterfront and watched the wild seals swimming around the harbour and sunbathing on the rocks. This is the place to be, full of bars, shops, museum, restaurants, great views and live entertainment. You could spend hours here. Next stop – Winelands. Look out for my next instalment coming soon!

03 July 2017

I would 100% recommend a short stopover in LOS ANGELES on the way to Australia or New Zealand. I did this in March and had a fantastic time! Here are my top tips on what to do in a day or two in LA. DAY 1 After a good night's sleep don't be tempted to do too much on the first day! Get a car and head on down to Malibu for gorgeous beaches and gorgeous people watching. We relaxed on the sand watching the seals, dolphins and a photo shoot, then went for dinner overlooking the bay in a lovely restaurant with spectacular views and even more spectacular food. I can highly recommend the fried oysters. We drove back to Hollywood spotting all the super cars on the way and then down Sunset with all it's famous landmarks such as The Viper Room and Whisky a Go Go. DAY 2 - Morning We were staying in West Hollywood so a good place to start exploring is The Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. This area is full of shops, places to eat and street entertainers, lots of Hollywood Film History tours and the Walk of Fame is a MUST. We spent ages here taking pictures and comparing hand/shoe sizes to the stars! This is also the place to hop on a Homes of the Stars tour. We stopped for lunch at an All American Burger joint and were not disappointed! HUGE portions and super tasty. DAY 2 - Afternoon After lunch we hailed a cab and headed on down to Melrose for some shopping and people watching. There are a huge range of eclectic boutiques, all individual and it has a great mix of glam, grunge, vintage, upscale and affordable clothing. Next we walked to Paramount Studios, a real live working studio (not a theme park) and took a 2 hour tour. The guide was great, interesting, fun and full of knowledge and we saw lots of outfits and props from films such as Zoolander, Transformers, Bad Grandpa and Star Trek. We toured the back lots including a whole New York street and tv studios, learned a few insider secrets and history of the stars and studio and even sat on the bench from Forest Gump. We also learned about the iconic Paramount Arch with the Hollywood sign in the background. A great way to spend the afternoon without the hustle and bustle of the main theme parks.