19 June 2022

After cruising on-board Fred Olsen Balmoral a few years ago, I was looking forward to stepping aboard to see what changes if any had been made. I was lucky enough to be selected to join a one day visit onboard whilst she was docked at Newcastle Port of Tyne. Alongside my colleagues from Travel Counsellors and other selected agents, we met at Port of Tyne, and were asked to take a lateral flow test, which are provided free of charge to all passengers prior to embarkation, once the required test was taken and the wait to see the results (thankfully negative) it was time to make our way through security and onboard. From initial boarding nothing too much had changed apart from the repainting and refreshing of the exterior and interior aspects of the ship. One transformation I did like was the new Oriental inspired tea room, with soft comfortable lounges and chairs, an ideal area to sit back relax whilst enjoying some refreshing hot and cold teas and drinks, plus they now have their own dedicated rib boats for an even greater more personal exploration. Everything else, the great food, comfortable cabins and of course the friendly always smiling crew hasn't changed. I really would have liked to stay on board and enjoy even more time on board, but unfortunately our visit had come to an end. If you would like to know more about Fred Olsen Balmoral or any of their fantastic cruises, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

06 January 2022

My Mum and I decided to escape the British weather, and find some sun for Christmas. As we had previously spent Christmas on the Costa Del Sol, we thought that we would travel here again. We had originally booked to go to Nerja, however we we're informed the month prior to travel, that the hotel would be closed, and we were offered another hotel in Torremolinos. Having never been to this part, we agreed, and counted down the days until our departure. The hotel we stayed at was the 4* Hotel Son Don Pablo in Torremolinos, which is situated on the main promenade of Torremolinos with a great beachfront location, and has the use of the facilities of its sister hotels the Don Pedro and Don Marco . We found the location excellent being only 50m from the beach,, 100m from the nearest shops, bars and restaurants and 800m from Torremolinos resort centre, and reasonably flat. During our stay we enjoyed the All Inclusive option with various (although some times repetitive at lunch and dinner) choice of cold and hot food available, and spent the evenings after our walk in the hotel bar talking to new found friends. Christmas Day after a visit from Santa, where the children received presents, it was a fairly low key atmosphere, until the evening Christmas Day gala dinner (which was included). Pre-dinner cocktails and canapes were served in the hotels reception room, before being called for dinner, which was buffet style with free-flowing wine, champagne and soft drinks available. We enjoyed our Christmas visit to Torremolinos and to the Hotel Son Don Pablo, unfortunately the weather wasn't too kind to us this time, apart from our arrival day and departure day all the other days were cool and cloudy with 2 days of rain. However, saying that this would not deter me from visiting the Costa Del Sol at this time of year again.

14 December 2021

Many of us have visited the Costa Del Sol, due to its accessibility from most UK airports and for it being a great choice for the weather in Summer or Winter. Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Benalmadena tend to be the favourite resorts, however, I’d like to introduce you to a lesser known resort that I fell in love with a few years ago, and that is the resort of Nerja. Situated on the Northern coast of the Costa Del Sol, approximately 45 minutes drive away from Malaga airport, the resort of Nerja is more laid back and has a less touristy feel than other resorts on the Costa Del Sol. A wide range of accommodation is on offer from Self-catering apartments and villas, Boutique hotels to the 4 & 5* hotels such as the RIU Monica, the Parador Hotel and the Hotel Balcon de Europa. Having stayed at many of these over the years, my favourite has to be the Hotel Balcon de Europa, due to it being central to all that Nerja has to offer. Daytimes can be spent on the many beaches that Nerja has to offer, including Burriana with its great range of watersports, beach bars and restaurants, or walking the many cobbled streets shopping or visiting the many bars and restaurants. Night-times tend to be a more leisurely feel, visiting the many tapas restaurants and bars, some which feature live music. If you fancy a change of scenery, my recommendation is a visit to the pretty little village town of Frigiliana, approx. 15 minutes by bus away, known for its Moorish old quarter and narrow streets. If Nerja is somewhere you’ve dreamed of visiting, or inspired to do so, please get in touch.