14 August 2023

Nestled in the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Sea, Barbados stands as a gem among the Caribbean islands. This paradise destination invites travellers with its pristine beaches, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality. From its colonial history to its modern-day allure, Barbados is a captivating blend of natural wonders and cultural richness that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who visits. A BRIEF OVERVIEW Barbados is the most eastern island in the Caribbean. Despite its modest size of 167 sqm (432 sqkm), it boasts abundant natural beauty, cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities. Bridgetown, the capital city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that blends modern conveniences with a history steeped in significance. NATURAL WONDERS, BEACHES, CORAL REEFS & MORE Barbados has a stunning array of beaches that cater to all types of travellers. The West coast is known for its calm, turquoise waters and soft sandy shores, while the rugged East coast offers dramatic cliffs and powerful surf. Carlisle Bay is a must-visit, offering a combination of soft sand and excellent snorkelling opportunities to explore vibrant coral reefs and marine life. Harrison's Cave, an awe-inspiring limestone cave system, is a geological wonder that visitors can explore via tram tours. The cave is home to stalactites, stalagmites, and underground streams, creating an otherworldly experience that showcases the island's geological diversity. CULTURAL HERITAGE & FESTIVALS Barbados has a vibrant cultural heritage shaped by its colonial history, African roots, and indigenous traditions. An iconic symbol of Barbadian culture is the chattel house, a colourful wooden dwelling that once housed plantation workers. These houses have evolved into charming residences and are integral to the island's architecture. Festivals play a significant role in Barbadian life, showcasing the island's rich cultural tapestry. The Crop Over Festival, initially a celebration of the sugar cane harvest, has evolved into a lively event featuring music, dance, food, and colourful parades. Another notable celebration is the Oistins Fish Festival, which pays homage to the island's fishing heritage and features traditional Bajan cuisine. CULINARY DELIGHTS Barbadian cuisine is a tantalising fusion of flavours, incorporating African, Indian, British, and West Indian influences. A visit to Barbados wouldn't be complete without indulging in some of its culinary delights. Flying fish is a staple of Bajan cuisine and is often enjoyed with the national dish, "cou cou," a cornmeal and okra-based side dish. Seafood enthusiasts will delight in the abundance of fresh catches, including mahi-mahi, tuna, and lobster. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try a slice of "Bajan black cake," a rich fruitcake soaked in rum, often served during festive occasions. Street food vendors offer mouth-watering treats such as "cutters," sandwiches filled with a variety of ingredients from flying fish to pork, and Bajan fish cakes - savoury deep-fried fish patties that make for a delightful snack. ADVENTURE & RECREATION For those seeking adventure and outdoor activities, Barbados offers a splendid range of options. The island's clear waters are perfect for snorkelling, scuba diving, and water sports such as kayaking and paddle boarding. The consistent Atlantic trade winds also make Barbados a popular destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Animal lovers can explore the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, where green monkeys roam freely in their natural habitat. Meanwhile, nature enthusiasts can hike through the scenic paths of Farley Hill National Park, enjoying breathtaking views of the coastline and lush vegetation. PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT As the world becomes increasingly aware of the importance of sustainable tourism, Barbados is taking great strides to protect its natural beauty and ecosystems. The island has established marine conservation areas and protected zones to safeguard its coral reefs and marine life. Efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote eco-friendly practices are gaining momentum, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the pristine beaches and vibrant marine environment. Ask me for more information about our Green Leaf hotels and resorts. WHERE TO STAY IN BARBADOS Whether you're looking for luxurious indulgence, a cosy and quaint getaway, or a budget-friendly stay, this Caribbean gem has something for everyone. For those seeking the ultimate indulgence, Barbados boasts a selection of world-class 5-star resorts and boutique hotels that cater to every whim. The west coast, often referred to as the "Platinum Coast," is renowned for its upscale offerings such as Sandy Lane and The Crane Resort & Private Residences, providing lavish accommodations, lush beaches, top-notch amenities, and exquisite dining experiences. Immerse yourself in luxury with spa treatments, championship golf courses, and personalised service that cater to your every desire. Travellers looking for more of a balance will find a treasure trove of mid-range accommodations on the island. Charming inns, beachfront villas, and comfortable hotels are scattered across Barbados, particularly along the south and west coasts. These options provide excellent value for money, often including amenities such as pools, on-site dining, and proximity to popular attractions. Places such as Coconut Court Beach Hotel and Bougainvillea Resort offer a delightful blend of comfort and convenience, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of Barbados without breaking the bank. For the budget-conscious, Barbados caters well to you too. Guesthouses, apartments, and budget hotels provide affordable lodging options without compromising on comfort. St. Lawrence Gap, known for its vibrant nightlife and affordability, is home to many budget-friendly accommodations. Places like Rostrevor Hotel and Time Out Hotel offer cosy rooms, proximity to the beach, and access to local amenities, making it easier for you to explore the island on a limited budget. No matter how much you want to spend, Barbados opens its arms to all travellers with a wide array of accommodation options. So, whether you're celebrating a special occasion, planning a family getaway, or embarking on a solo adventure, Barbados has the perfect place for you to call home during your stay. Get in touch to plan your Barbadian getaway today!

03 July 2023

Soon I'll be jetting off to California with my family and part of the trip will be 3 days at Disneyland. This means choosing my outfits carefully as, whenever I’m at Disney, I love to Disneybound! WHAT IS DISNEYBOUNDING? The term “disneybounding” was coined in 2011 by Leslie Kay, on her blog where she would share her Disney-inspired outfits. It has become a noun AND a verb!! The basic idea behind it is, as Disney Parks have very strict rules on adults wearing costumes (except at special events such as Halloween) that you wear outfits inspired by your favourite Disney character, and this has expanded over time to be outfits inspired by your favourite Disney film/attraction/park/song whatever you would like! If you can make an outfit out of it, then the world is your oyster! HOW DO YOU DO IT? Let colours be your guide. Use the base colours of the characters in your outfit, pop on some accessories and you’re off! Some people really love to DisneyBound their favourite characters, but this can be tricky for a bounding beginner. For example, mine is Donald Duck, but I generally don’t have much yellow or blue in my wardrobe, so rather than go straight out of the gate with a Donald Duck inspired outfit, I followed Leslie’s tip of looking in my wardrobe for what I already had that could match a character. My first ever bound was Darth Vader. All I wore was a plain black dress and black trainers, but I added some Death Star ears and a belt that I found which had his suit’s buttons printed on. I also had added a bag which looks like his helmet but I also already owned that. Another of my first bounds was Kevin (the giant bird from the Pixar movie Up.) I had a dark blue dress already, and I owned a rainbow necklace and rainbow Minnie ears. The only thing I added to my ensemble was a rainbow tutu which I purchased from Etsy, to look a little like her tail feathers! One of my most recent and most well received, was a “Make it Pink, Make it Blue” outfit, inspired by the fairies arguing over Aurora’s dress in Sleeping Beauty. In this case I built my outfit around a bag I had which was half pink and half blue. I found the perfect dress to complement and some ears, and I got a lot of compliments that day! READY SET BOUND! DisneyBounding is really great fun, a wonderful way to be creative and you will never feel daft doing it inside a Disney Park. A lot of people do it outside of the Parks too, because it is so subtle and others have entire Instagram accounts devoted to it! And if you bound as a character, and then you meet that character - the reaction you get is honestly the BEST!! Now that you have the basic ideas, have a go! Look in your wardrobe and see what you’ve got. It can super simple or as complex as you want to make it! Check https://disneybound.co and the #disneybound hashtag on Instagram for inspiration and give it a go for your next trip to a Disney Park!

21 June 2023

Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris opened in 2022 and I was lucky enough to go to an Annual Passholder preview day! It was a scorching hot day, but lots of fun to be had! If you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you will definitely enjoy making your way around this area of Walt Disney Studios Park, and even if you're not, this is a great addition to your day at Disneyland Paris. ATTRACTIONS There are two attractions in Avengers Campus, both of which are available with Disney Premier Access (which is Disneyland Paris' fast pass) and both have single rider lines, although this may not always be available. First up, we have Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure, a fun family adventure with no height requirement, where you will meet Peter Parker who has had a bit of an... incident with his Spider-Bots and needs your help to round them up! This is a lot of fun, especially for Spidey fans, because you actually get to *thwip* webs!! But I will say it is quite tiring on the arms for those of us not used to webslinging!! My arms were aching after! SO much fun though! You have your own score and then you also have a team score. And secondly, there is Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. You will team up with Iron Man and Captain Marvel on this roller coaster to save the world from an intergalactic threat! This ride goes upside down and twists and turns and is a great for thrill seekers. It has PhotoPass available too. The height requirement for this ride is 1.20m. CHARACTER ENCOUNTERS Unlike in other areas of Disneyland Paris, the character encounters here are, with few exceptions, quite different. You can line up to say hello to Ant Man or the Wasp at the meet & greet area near the entrance to the Quantum Realm (careful!). Other than that you are more likely to run into Thor and Loki just wandering through the campus having a brotherly "discussion" or you can have a dance off with Star Lord and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Spidey, Black Panther and Black Widow might be engaged in a rooftop battle, before Spider-Man comes out to show off some more of his aerobatics and pose for pics for you. The Dora Milaje (the female Wakandan Warriors) come out and show a warrior battle dance and you can get involved too! There are regular ride-bys on top of the Avengers Deployment Vehicle with one Avenger or another and many of them will come out and patrol in front of the Quinjet for you to grab photos and say hello. For an actual up close and personal meet and greet with any of them, head to the Disneyland Paris app as soon as you enter the park and grab a slot. You will be placed into a queue. When it's your turn, you head to the Hero Training Centre to meet your character. You can choose from either Spider-Man or the Captain Marvel/other avenger. You will get a good 5 minutes with your hero as they teach you some moves, and then take some pictures for you. A cast member is on hand if you want some photos on your mobile and the other ones will be available on PhotoPass. I didn't choose an encounter on my passholder day, but I did go back with my best friend on another day, and we had an encounter with Captain America which was great! He taught us some exercises to keep a hero in tip top shape and some fighting poses!! Other characters appear occasionally too! Some that have been spotted include Hulk, Wakanda Forever's Black Panther and Groot! DINING There are three main eateries in Avengers Campus, one sit down that I highly recommend booking, and one quick service, plus a couple of food trucks too. PYM Kitchen, is a buffet restaurant with whimsical giant and tiny foods that of course have been affected by PYM particles!! Your drinks come in science beakers and the condiments are in test tubes! It's a really well themed restaurant, right down to the art on the walls, and well worth a visit. I've included a picture of the giant burger - I watched them cook this giant patty and it took them two chefs to flip it on the grill, plus 16 slices of cheese!! PYM Kitchen needs a reservation and this can be made in the Disneyland Paris app. Next up is Stark Factory, which is the main quick service dining. It is Italian style so it serves pizzas, pastas and salads, as well as select desserts. As you enter you will be greeted by a life-size Hulkbuster and if you walk to the right as you have your food you can sit at Peggy Carter's office with lots of Agent Carter memorabilia. If you fancy a traditional New York style sandwich like a Reuben, head to the Super Diner. This is not a huge venue, and the menu is not immense, but you can grab a sandwich here. Disneyland Paris Dining plans are accepted at all three of these venues. For some cold Asian noodles the WEB food truck has you covered. You can get these plain, with chicken or smoked Tofu. And finally there's the FAN-tastic Food Truck which is worth a visit just to have a look at all the cool stickers that are slapped all over the truck! Here you can get yourself a hotdog. The Incredible Hot-Dog is absolutely delicious!!! SHOPPING If you want to grab a souvenir from Avengers Campus, from a pin, to a t-shirt to your very own Spider-Bot, there is a little booth near the main entrance of Avengers Campus, or make your way to Mission Equipment to find everything you need! This is the only shop here and W.E.B. Adventure kicks out into this shop too so it can get crowded. Overall, Avengers Campus won't take you all day to get around, but I definitely recommend heading there first thing if you are spending your day in Walt Disney Studios. It's worth taking advantage of the early hours of park opening to get the shorter queues. Do your arm strengthening exercises ready for web slinging and, if you are someone who loves a bit of Disneybounding, the characters here will love that! And as an extra MARVEL-lous tip, if you're not already staying there, I highly recommend heading the Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel for a meal, a drink in the Skyline bar or just to have a look around. With the amount of art they have there, it's actually classed as a gallery so there is fantastic art to see on every floor! Enjoy your visit to Disneyland Paris Avengers' Campus! Photography by Emma Gibson. All photos © Disney. All rights reserved.

08 June 2023

I’d like to share some of my travel essentials. A lot of these are good for ANY trip, but I’ve made this list after many trips to Disney, more specifically to Walt Disney World in Florida, from my own experiences and from watching many other bloggers! In no particular order, here we go! ADAPTERS! If you’re not travelling from the US, you'll most likely need some kind of plug adapter. Most rooms, even the Value resorts at Disney have lots of USB ports now which is great except that not all of your stuff will fit in a USB port, so adapters it is! I got some from Swiss Store and they came in a European and US set and have lasted really well so I highly recommend. SUN CREAM! If we're talking Orlando, no matter what time of year you go, it will sometimes be really rainy, sometimes cloudy, you might get a hurricane, but there's always hot sun. Below is the weather forecast for a week in February! Look at those temperatures! I’m fair-skinned so I like factor 50. I actually would recommend factor 50 no matter what your skin type. I also HATE applying sun cream but there’s no way I'd go without. So a reliable “once a day” is what I use. I have found that P20 factor 50 is the best for me and my family. It lasts up to 10 hours (including dips in a pool) from one application. Only 1 disadvantage: - You have to apply it at least 15 minutes before sun exposure and it can take a while to dry, so it might mean setting that alarm a little earlier. Shudder-inducing when you’re planning to rope drop Magic Kingdom! BUT it has high UVA/UVB protection and you can put it on once and go an entire day without stopping to worry about reapplying. My family used it for our 2 weeks in Florida last April and none of us even got a slight sunburn, just a nice tan. TIP: Be sure to get the CREAM and not the spray, as the spray can stain clothes. For the face, I recommend The Body Shop Skin Defence. Again, factor 50 (if you prefer lighter protection, the Vitamin E range has factor 30.) This is much lighter for your facial skin and better for under make-up. SHOES! People always ask what are the best shoes to wear to Walt Disney World. The correct answer to this is - "ones that YOU find comfortable and can wear for long periods." That might be a certain brand of trainers or flip flops or Crocs, but it is definitely a personal choice. No matter when you go to Disney, there will be hot and sometimes wet weather. You will walk MILES and your feet will have to bear your weight standing in lines for hours a day. My personal favourites are Nike Tanjun and Nike WearAllDay. I have two pairs, I wear them for bar shifts in a pub so I know they can take a lot of standing about. TIP: whatever you wear, make them comfortable and well worn in. Don’t go in brand new shoes. SOCKS! Almost as important as the shoes! I was recommended Rockay socks by a member of a Facebook group and I’ve tested them out on many Disney trips. Proper trainer socks that never slip under my feet. I love them! These are expensive socks, but honestly I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re worth every penny. CHUB RUB PREVENTION! This is a big one for me. This is for EVERYONE because I know women are not the only ones afflicted. Also I actually hate the name chub rub, because not everyone who gets the rub has the chub. So let’s call it what it is, it’s thigh chafing. And it hurts like hell. And when you’re thighs are sweaty from the humidity and your body is swelling in the heat and you’re walking a LOT it is somehow 1000 times worse. I know some people swear by putting deodorants or talc on their legs, or that special anti chafing gel, all of which I have tried but they all also seem to wear off and that doesn’t work for me. I am someone who doesn’t like to reapply and I want my prevention to really do it’s job, so I don’t take chances! For the ladies, I saw a recommendation for Jockey Skimmies, they are a cooling short, under dresses. I personally definitely recommend this type of thing over creams or gels or powders, purely for longevity and they work fine under loose trousers and shorts too. I also recommend Snag Tights Chub Rub shorts as these come in a variety of fab bright colours. Jockey – at least the UK site – don’t appear to make something like this for men, but go for something slightly longer in the leg and stay away from cotton right next to your skin! CHARGING! Everyone needs their phones on holiday. And if you’re off to Walt Disney World, you WILL need your phone. From trying to get on that ride, mobile ordering your food, checking Genie+ reservations and taking photos… you’ll be on your phone a LOT and your battery will go down fast. The same at other theme parks too! So it’s a very good idea to have something with you to charge your phone on the go. If you have your own mobile charger, ideally have it be at least 10,000MaH. These can be found for not very much on Amazon. You could even get two and have one always charging while the other is with you so you never run out. The other alternative is FuelRod. The advantage of them is, you buy the charger kit in the first instance ($30) – it comes with several adapters to fit whatever phone you have – and then when it runs out you simply take it to a FuelRod kiosk which are all over Walt Disney World (free) AND Universal (small charge) and swap it for a fresh, fully charged unit ready to go. The convenience of this is you never have to wait for your own charger to recharge or worry about forgetting it. The downside is that each fuel rod will only half charge your phone so depending on how many are in your party you may need to purchase more than one or have to swap quite often. BAGS! I know some people are lucky enough to be able to get around Disney without carrying anything. To them I tip my hat! I am 100% NOT that type of person! I have to carry all my stuff at all times! However, I also like my hands free so I prefer a backpack. I collect Loungefly bags and they do also make bumbags, and smaller cross-body bags which I think are great for travelling lighter! The Loungefly backpacks are quite sturdy and can also be used as packing cubes in your luggage too. The other type of bag I like (especially for Universal as the ride lockers there are very small) are the drawstring ones. They still hold a lot of stuff, but you can squash them down. Choose a bag that suits you or no bag at all! That’s a good place to stop for now! Come back for more later!