30 November 2016

I was lucky to be one of six UK Travel Counsellors who flew to Australia and attended the Travel Counsellors annual conference at Hamilton Island. The trip also included time in both Sydney and Singapore. After a long journey from London Heathrow with flight changing in Singapore and Brisbane we arrived at Hamilton Island and transferred by gold buggy to The Reef View Hotel. After unpacking we headed off down to the harbour to board our catamaran cruise around some of the islands. The next day we visited four lovely properties spread out on the island. Palm Bungalows, Beach Club, Qualia and Hamilton Island Yacht club villas. They were absolutely amazing. Although they vary in prices they don’t in quality. The Qualia property actually hosted Oprah Winfrey last year! After the tour we made our way over to the iconic Whitehaven Beach, which was a real treat. It was a wonderful sandy, pure white beach. Hamilton Island is a really pretty island and definitely worth adding to a long itinerary for some relaxation time to break up a hectic itinerary. The next day we left Hamilton Island and flew to Sydney. We arrived and were met by our transfer and taken to Park Royal Darling Harbour Hotel. The next day we set off on a bus tour of the city which included many famous sites such as Bondi and its famous beach. After the tour we headed to the rocks area and a hosted dinner at the lovely Wolfie’s restaurant. This was in a fabulous setting and the food and service was excellent. In the morning we checked out and were met by our host from Australia Eco Adventures for our Blue Mountains deluxe tour. This was a definite highlight of my trip. We headed out of the city and towards Featherdale Wildlife Park which was brilliant. I now know so much more about the Australia’s indigenous animals including the different breeds of kangaroo, snakes and spiders. The wildlife park is packed full of things to occupy a family and provides a good education on Australian wildlife. Next stop was the mountains with our brilliant driver and tour guide Jonny. We headed through northern section of the Blue Mountains National Park breaking for pie and tea at Bilpin. We then stopped at a number of different viewpoints to enjoy the breath-taking scenery. After lunch we moved up through the mountains to Scenic world which is home to the world’s steepest incline railway. We were then treated to a show by members of the Koomurri Aboriginal centre and views of the famous three sisters. On our way back to the city we passed the Olympic village which was great to see. It was a fantastic day that I would highly recommend. We also managed to fit in a lunch cruise in the Harbour, a tour of the opera house and a visit to the sea life centre whilst we were in Sydney. We left Sydney and headed to Singapore where we made our way to the fabulous Shangri-La hotel. Out of all the hotels I stayed in The Shangri-La had the best service. Nothing was too much trouble for all of the staff. I would recommend this hotel to all my business and leisure clients. The hotel serves wonderful food in its many restaurants and has some lovely outdoor space including a gorgeous pool area. All in all, the whole trip was an amazing experience.

24 November 2016

Wow! What an amazing experience. I have just returned from four nights in Swedish Lapland. Having worked previously in ski resorts I didn’t think I would be blown away as much as I was by the scenery. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful place I have ever been lucky enough to travel too. I travelled with four colleagues out to Luleå via Stockholm with SAS. On arrival in Luleå we were meet by own private driver Thomas who drove us to Pine Bay Lodge where we would be spending out first night. Pine Bay Lodge is a small hotel in the classic Swedish red cottage style. The guesthouse has a very homely feel and has eight rooms so would be ideal for a group of friends or family. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of the northern lights and then spent the rest of the evening by the large log fire in the cosy lounge. The next morning, we were all up early to get kitted out in out snow suits and boots, ready for a day of snowmobiling. Our guide was excellent and made sure we made the most of the experience, we even stopped for a camp fire lunch eaten in the snow half way through the day. We then travelled into the city of Lulea to spend our second night. It’s worth spending a couple of nights in Luleå, a vibrant university and industrial city which also houses the first Facebook server outside of America. In the winter Luleå river comes to life with people enjoying a walk, ice skating, riding bikes, kick-sledding, snowshoe walking, cross country skiing, generally getting exercise and fresh air on the massive area of frozen river very close to the centre of town. A 15 minute drive up the road is the world heritage church town of Gammelstad. With its collection of church cottages, a museum and the largest medieval church in Norrland built in the fifteenth century. We went to the Ice Music Concert in Luleå, which isn’t to be missed if you are in town on a Friday or Saturday evening in January, February or March and they are performing. A unique concert hall made from giant igloos with musicians performing on a stage made of ice and instruments made of ice! With an indoor temperature of -5 °C warm clothes are a must! The next day we travelled to meet Lars, a Sámi who lives in the forest wilderness and is from a long line of reindeer herders. It was great to meet his reindeer and find out all about his way of life with his reindeer. The Sámi have followed their reindeer to different seasonal grazing areas for thousands of years. After leaving the Sami village we travelled onwards by husky dog-sled across the beautiful snowy wilderness to arrive at the Aurora Safari Camp, a collection of Lavvu tents set around a central social tent with a roaring open fire outside. Each tent is kept warm with ‘in-tent’ stove fires which need to be kept stoked up throughout the night. It’s best to keep setting your alarm for every 1.5 hours, so you can keep the tent nice and cosy. The rest of our day was spent using the snow bikes, sledging and using the sauna before settling down for dinner around the large camp fire. The next day was spent Ice-fishing and viewing some of the other accommodation options that we can offer to clients. Finally, out last night was spent in the famous Tree Hotel, a collection of designer Tree Rooms perched in the forest. A new experience of living close to nature! I slept in the Blue Cone which offered amazing views. However, you could sleep in the Birds Nest, UFO, the Mirror Cube, the Cabin, the Dragonfly, it really depends on what takes your fancy! I can’t recommend Swedish Lapland enough, if you would like a non-commercialised winter experience that you won’t forget then this is the perfect destination.

21 October 2013

As a Travel Counsellor it is always a great privilege to be invited to visit one of the thousands of hotels that we offer to our customers. On this occasion a dozen of us flew out on an early morning flight to Thessaloniki, Greece to stay for a weekend at Sani Resort, Halkidiki so we could experience the resort first hand. Once we arrived at Sani resort, we were welcomed by the friendly hotel staff and shown to our rooms in Sani Beach Hotel. The resort is on a 1000 acre private estate and is made up of 4 hotels, Sani Beach Hotel, Sani Beach Club, Porto Sani Village and Sani Asterias suites. We then spent our first afternoon having lunch at one of the many restaurants followed by a massage at the Spa Suite at Porto Sani Village. If you go to Sani I would highly recommend visiting the Spa Suite, after a back, neck and shoulder massage and time relaxing in the foot spa area we had soon forgotten about the journey and the 3am start! During our weekend at Sani Resort we were hosted by the resorts UK sales executive who made sure we visited each of the properties and really experienced what Sani could offer our customers. Each of the four hotels at the resort has something different to offer. The Sani Beach hotel, which has recently been refurbished, has a beautiful bar, ‘Bousolas Beach Bar’ which is the ideal place to watch the sunset after a busy day relaxing. We spent our first evening experiencing one of the restaurants at the hotel and also ate breakfast at a different restaurant in the hotel on each morning. Each one of these were to a very high standard with a great selection of food and attentive service. The property that is maybe suited better for a younger family is the Sani Beach Club which is a low rise bungalow hotel. It is located on its own secluded bay with a separate children’s club from the other properties. This property can be reached by the shuttle bus which operates regularly around the resort. My favourite property was the Porto Sani Village, which is located around Sani Marina with its great choice of restaurants and shops. The hotel has a relaxed luxury feel to it, all of the rooms here are suites and have been furnished to a very high standard. This hotel also offers an adult’s only pool located outside of the spa. We had an exquisite meal at the Artemis restaurant in the hotel which would be the ideal place to celebrate a special occasion. The last property we visited were the Sani Asterias suites which are again located in the heart of the marina and everything it has to offer. This in an intimate boutique hotel with a private beach with impressive views. The property offers exceptional service and attention to detail in a private haven whilst you are still able to use the facilities of the rest of the resort. As a mother of 2 young children I know how important the small things are to make your holiday as relaxing as possible, so the “Babewatch” babysitting service, shallow sea, children’s clubs, teenager club, play areas, and everything else that Sani resort offers means your children will be kept busy and having fun. The resort also offers a boat cruise on the “Sunday Cruiser” which is a relaxing way to spend your morning looking at the views and swimming. There is so much to do at the resort you would struggle to fit it all in 2 weeks, including cycling, tennis, and football along with watersports, hiking trail and archery. The resort offers 17 restaurants making sure that there is something for everyone’s tastes. The food we experienced over the weekend, and there was a lot of it, was exceptional without exception. I returned back to my office after the weekend feeling that I would highly recommend Sani Resort and that I had a relaxing weekend and had been truly spoilt!

24 October 2012

Having never been to Orlando before, I was very excited to be able to visit. After the flight from Gatwick, and short transfer, we checked into the Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel for our 5 night stay. The hotel is located near The Universal Parks and city walk so is in an ideal location. The first evening of our trip was spent having a delicious authentic Italian meal at the hotel’s “Mama Della” restaurant whilst being serenaded by the staff! The next morning we couldn’t wait to get going as our first attraction was Universal Islands of Adventure. Once we arrived, we headed straight to the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter”. We were able to get into the attraction an hour before the park opened as we were staying at an official Universal Orlando resort hotel; this was a massive benefit. Whilst in the resort we were able to walk through the Hogwarts castle gates and explore the shops of Hogsmeade, where you can sample Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. We had a tour around the park and braved some of the fantastic rides! Once it was time to leave we headed over to Wet ‘n Wild for a fun afternoon of waterslides and sunbathing. The second evening was spent having dinner in the world's largest Hard Rock Café followed by seeing the Blue Man Group show. This was like nothing I had ever seen before. The show includes music, comedy, and multimedia theatrics in a great atmosphere. We set out the next day to enjoy SeaWorld followed by Aquatica. We saw the Sahmu show, fed sting ray and sea lions, and rode Manta - the face down rollercoaster – it really feels like you’re flying! The afternoon at Aquatica was also great fun. We went on the dolphin plunge where you pass through the clear flume in the dolphin’s tank and can see the dolphins all around you. The lovely beach area is great for a well-earned rest. After leaving Aquatica we stopped at the Florida Mall for a bit of retail therapy, where you are literally spoilt for choice! The next morning we headed off on the bus for the journey to Busch gardens which took just under an hour. Busch Gardens really is the park to go to if you are a thrill seeker with its scary rides and 70 mph vertical drop coaster! There are also over 2000 exotic animals in the park and the opportunity to go on the Serengeti Safari tour where you can view hundreds of fascinating animals and hand feed the giraffes. Orlando really is perfect for a fun family holiday, while also providing a fabulous holiday for adults as well. There is so much available to entertain people of all ages and you will never feel like you’ve done everything that there is. This really is a fantastic place to take your family!

13 July 2012

I was lucky enough to accompany a large group that I had arranged to visit Riva Del Garda on Lake Garda. Having previously worked in Austria as a Lakes and mountain rep I expected Lake Garda to be beautiful but it exceeded my expectations. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The hotel we stayed in was a 15 minute walk from the beautiful town of Riva, which has cobbled streets, a lovely main square and a great selection of restaurants and shops. Whilst we were there we went to Venice for the day. This meant leaving at 8 am on a 2 1/2 hour long coach journey before then getting on the boat to St Marks Square. But this really didn't feel like a long journey as the scenery along the way was stunning. We had four hours in Venice which was plenty of time. We started off with a 90 minute guided tour and then enjoyed some free time to stroll around the city and have a relaxing lunch before the return journey. If you are planning to go to Lake Garda and haven't visited Venice before I would highly recommend it. The next day was spent by the pool, this is a great benefit of this destination as you can do as much or as little as you like. On our final day we took a boat over to Malcesine which is another beautiful lakeside town. There is also a cable car here which you can go up to the top of the mountain and experience a fantastic view of the lake. Lake Garda is a great destination for cycling, walking and water sports. There are a great deal of excursions you can do in the area to make the most of your time here. I can't wait to return to Lake Garda for either a relaxing short break or a two week more active family holiday with my children.

11 July 2011

In December we decided to do the most amazing day trip we had ever done. We had booked to visit the real Father Christmas in Lapland. Our flight was scheduled to leave Gatwick at 7am, so we had a very early start but for once we didn't mind getting up early. Ashley (my husband), Daniel (our 6 year old son) and Maggie (our 4 year old daughter) headed to the airport accompanied by my sister, who just couldn't resist joining us! Before breakfast we had taken off and the plane was full of excitement as we spent the next 3 1/2 hours doing colouring competitions, singing Christmas songs and looking out of the window for Father Christmas and his reindeers! By the time me landed in Enontekio (finland) everyone was wide awake and raring to go. Once we arrived we were taken by coach to be kitted out in snowsuit & boots. We then continued our journey through the snowy landscape before arriving at the small village where we would spend the day. Here we had the opportunity to have husky sled journeys, reindeer sleigh rides, snowmobile trips, go sledging and of course lots of snow ball fights! Lunch was included which we had in a log cabin with a roaring fire, there was also a cabin where you could get hot drinks and warm up when necessary. Finally the part of the day arrived that we had all been waiting for, our turn to see Father Christmas. The five of us were taken on a sledge pulled by a snowmobile deep into the dark forest. After a few minute we spotted the twinkling lights of Father Christmas's log cabin. When we pulled up his elf greeted Daniel & Maggie and told them Father Christmas had been expecting them. Once inside they sat next to Father Christmas and he asked them about school, Daniel's recent birthday and he told them he knew what they wanted for Christmas. He gave them a present and reminded them to keep on being good. As we left the elf whispered in Daniel's ear to give Tootsie (our dog) a stroke from them and to tell her they would look forward to seeing her on Christmas Eve. This was the first time I have ever seen my children speechless!!! We then headed back to the airport for our flight home. The return journey was a lot quieter than the outward one! This really was a once in a lifetime trip and something we will all remember forever.

31 December 2010

I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip to Cyprus with some fellow Travel Counsellors, to learn more about the Island. We spent the first few nights staying at the beautiful 5* Amathus Beach in Limasool. From here we did an excursion to the Troods Mountains were we visited the Omodos village (a traditional Cyprus village) and stopped for some wine tasting. It was great to experience and see the village and we were made to feel very welcome by all the locals who showed us how they make bread and allowed us to sample it along with the other traditional food they had on offer. The following day we visited the wine museum in Erimi village and then went on to Petra tou Romiou, which is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite. We also visited the Kourian archaeological site which is home to the stately villas with beautiful mosaic floors and a magnificent Roman theatre. After our 2 night stay in Limassol we moved along the coast to the Athena Beach in Paphos for a further 2 nights. From here we visited several inland hotels which all offered something different including fantastic golf course, spa facilities and food! We ate dinner at the Atlantida tavern where we had a fish meze which any fish lover would adore. We spent some time in Paphos visiting the Archaeological Park of Paphos and strolling round the vibrant harbour which has loads to offer including a brilliant variety of restaurants and shops. Cyprus amazed me by the amount in had to offer. It is ideal for a short spa break, cultural holiday, and family beach holiday and truly has some of the best hotels I have seen. Every meal we ate in Cyprus was fantastic and the service was brilliant

16 November 2009

I was lucky enough to visit Jamaica with a group of my fellow Travel Counsellors in October. We met at the airport before our flight with BA to Kingston. On arrival at Kingston we travelled for a further couple of hours to Sandal Dunn’s River resort and Spa where we stayed for 2 nights. During our stay in Ocho Rios we climbed Dunn’s River falls, this was great fun although a bit scary as I am not great with heights! We were then lucky enough to visit dolphin cove and swim with the dolphins. This is something I had never done before but had always wanted to. We opted for the dolphin experience where we swam with two dolphins and then they pulled us along and we did the foot push where they lifted us into the air. Dolphin cove is a great day out for any age as they also had sharks, sting rays, a nature walk and loads of other activities. After our two nights at the Sandals Dunn’s river resort & Spa we transferred over to Montego Bay where we checked in to the fabulous Half Moon for a further 3 nights. This is a great hotel with loads of facilities and is set in an amazing 400 acres. From this area of Jamaica we visited the Rosehall great house where we learnt about the story of Annie Palmer, who owned the house and sugar plantation. We spent the other time during our trip to Jamaica visiting a variety of hotels from 3 star family hotels to top end luxury 5 stars. In the evening we went into Montego Bay and experienced some of the local night life. We flew home from Montego Bay with BA and were lucky enough to travel back in Club World, so I managed to get a good night’s sleep after a very busy week! I had never been to Jamaica before and was really impressed with how much it had to offer. I think it is a great destination for families, couples and groups of friends as there really is so much to do. I can’t wait until my next visit!

01 April 2009

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity for a weekend in Dubai. My trip started off with a flight on the new Airbus A-380 with Emirates. The flight was great and I was really impressed by the A-380, the largest passenger aircraft. The A-380 is a great plane and even in economy there was loads of room as well as great entertainment, I was spoilt for choice about which film to watch! This proved to be a great start to a brilliant weekend. My first morning in Dubai was spent on a city tour, I would definitely recommend this as a good way to start your trip as Dubai is a big place with lots of different areas. We then followed this with lunch at Madinat Jumeriah which was stunning. After lunch it was off to Aquaventure for an afternoon of fun in the water park. The slides were great fun although a bit scary! This would be a great day out for a family visiting Dubai, I know my kids would love it here. On my second and final day in Dubai, I spent the morning in the Mall of Emirates. Not only was the Mall packed full of great shops but it is also home to Ski Dubai, an indoor ski slope where you can ski, snowboard or toboggan. It is a very strange feeling getting kitted out in ski jackets, hats & gloves when it is over 30 degrees outside! My last adventure in Dubai was a trip into the desert in a 4x4 for an exhilarating ride over the sand dunes. I really enjoyed the 4x4 although I wouldn't recommend it for the faint hearted! Overall I loved Dubai and would love to go back. It is a great place for a few days away as it is only a 7 hour flight. It would also be ideal for a longer beach holiday as the beaches and weather are great and there are lots of activities to do if you have had enough of sunbathing.

27 October 2008

It was like a military operation trying to get four adults and six children organised for our family villa holiday with friends to Menorca but worth ever second of the planning & packing as we all had a great time. I could see the look of fear on the other passengers faces as we boarded our flight to Menorca, as four of the children were under the age of five and everyone was dreading us sitting next to them! After a unsurprisingly relaxing flight, helped by a portable DVD player and lots of snacks, we arrived in Menorca where we boarded our private minibus to our villa in Cala Blanca. I am not sure who was more excited once we arrived at the villa and started to explore our home for the next two weeks! Cala Blanca was a very friendly resort with lots to do for the kids. We had a great couple of weeks with lots of swimming, barbecues and trips to the beach, a visit to the waterpark and about a ton of ice-cream!. This was probably the most relaxing holiday possible with young children as they were happy swimming all day and by the time seven o'clock came they were ready for bed. Once they were asleep it meant we could enjoy a great evening with friends. My children are already asking when we are going again!!

27 October 2008

Off I set for New York with my sister and parents for their first trip outside of Europe. I couldn't wait for them to experience New York, I was lucky enough to have been 8 years previously. After a good flight, we jumped in a taxi from the airport to take us to our hotel. The trip into Manhattan was fantastic - firstly we experienced the amazing New York skyline and before we knew it we were in the centre of Manhattan surrounded by sky scrapers, yellow cabs and the most buzzing city I have ever been to. We started our first evening with a trip up the Empire State Building so we could get our bearings of the city; I would definitely recommend doing this at dusk as the views were amazing. The next morning we were awake by 5am, full of excitement and wishing Macy's was open! There was a lot of rain on our first full day so we decided we would spend the day shopping. We headed to Century 21, a must for the bargain hunter, we also visited ground zero to pay our respects. I found this a really emotional part of the trip as I had stood up the top of the twin towers on my previous visit to New York. We then headed up to Times Square where we were overwhelmed by the lights and energy. We had reserved a table at the View restaurant that evening for dinner; this is a revolving restaurant in the Marriott Marquis hotel on Times Square. We had the most amazing evening overlooking Manhattan & probably one of the best meals I have ever had! Luckily the following morning the sun was shining so we headed down to lower Manhattan, where we walked through Little Italy, China town & the financial district. It is great to see how each district is so different form the last. We also had a look in Tiffany's and enjoyed a boat tour to Liberty Island. We finished our afternoon by heading back up to Central Park and taking a horse drawn carriage ride. This was a great thing to do on a Sunny Sunday afternoon as it was full of New Yorkers roller blading, cycling, playing chess and volleyball. For our last day we headed to Grand Central station, the Chrysler building followed by a tour of Madison Square Gardens and lastly we found a great restaurant to have a slice of New York cheesecake! Perfect!

28 July 2008

This year for my husband’s 40th birthday we deiced to go to Vegas, this is somewhere we have both always wanted to visit. We were travelling in a group of 15 and had booked our trip 8 months before we travelled, so by the time it finally arrived I couldn't’t sleep with excitement the night before! My parents had very kindly offered to look after our children, so off they went to Nanny’s & Granddads to be spoilt rotten, this was the first time they had been left for more than a night so I felt ill at the thought of leaving them but I also couldn't wait for our child free time in Vegas. The flight was great; I took full advantage on catching up with friends, watching films & reading. When we arrived in Vegas we collected our luggage and then jumped in taxis to take us to the Planet Hollywood resort & casino. The hotel was brilliant; it was in a fantastic location right in the middle of the strip and was not too big that we would never find each other again. On our first night we had all gone to bed by 10pm (this was 6am in London!) but were then wide awake by 5am, so we decided to explore the strip. Vegas really is like no where else in the world I have ever been to, where else can you get a Chinese at 6am!!! We spent the mornings of our trip exploring Vegas, the afternoons sitting by the pool watching the Bellagio fountains in the background and the evenings in restaurants, bars and trying our luck at Roulette. On our 3rd morning we had arranged to take a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon, this was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. We flew over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam before landing in the Canyon for Champagne and breakfast. Whilst we were in Vegas we went up the Eiffel tower, went on a Gondola, went on a roller coaster around New York and where amazed by the Bellagio fountains, not bad for a 4 night holiday! After our whirl wind trip to Las Vegas we were sat at the airport waiting for our flights home. We all wished we could stay a few days longer but were in desperate need of some sleep after a lot of late nights/ early mornings!!!