21 June 2013

Every year Travel Counsellors take an elite group of Gold Travel Counsellors away for a fabulous conference weekend overseas. In 2010 the destination was Las Vegas! I had been to Las Vegas several times before but it had been 7 years since my last visit so I was interested to see if things had changed. We stayed at the fabulous 5 star Encore Hotel which is wonderful. Located on the famous 'Strip' it has its own golf course, lots of swimming pools, and a fabulous selection of restaurants and designer shops. My favourite hotel in Las Vegas has always been the Bellagio and so we made sure we went there for a visit! The dancing water fountains outside are still one of my favourite things in Las Vegas. During the conference weekend we were lucky enough to see the Cirque du Soleil show 'Viva Las Vegas' at the Aria Resort and also the wonderful 'Le Reve' at the Wynn Hotel. We also had a flight on a small aircraft over to the Grand Canyon which was spectacular. On a previous visit to Las Vegas I also flew by helicopter to the Grand Canyon - both spectacular! On another previous trip I went on the 15 minute helicopter flight at night down the Strip over all the hotels as they are lit up and I would highly recommend this. Las Vegas is famous for its gambling and casinos but there really is so much more to the city than that. Most of the hotels have a theme so it is wonderful to spend time wandering around each resort. I love wandering around the Venetian and having an Italian ice cream before having a ride on a gondola along the canals. I also like wandering along the Champs Elysees at the Paris Hotel and enjoying afternoon tea overlooking the Bellagio water fountains. The New York New York Hotel offers a Big Apple experience with some fantastic bars and restaurant. You can also step back into ancient times as you wander around the Luxor Hotel. Las Vegas is a fantastic place to visit for a few days and can easily be included in any USA holiday itinerary. Viva Las Vegas!

20 June 2013

My husband, young son and I have recently returned from our first trip to Washington DC. We arrived on an Amtrak train from New York which was so much more convenient than flying. We were able to sit back and enjoy the three hour train journey and enjoy the scenery along the way. We stayed at the Hay Adams Hotel which is a wonderfully elegant and historical hotel right across the street from the White House so it’s in a fantastic location. As our time was limited in the city we wanted to make sure we saw as much of the sights as we could so we opted to take the open top bus tour around the city. It allows you to hop on and hop off at any of the numerous stops and I highly recommend it - we saw everything that we wanted to see including the Jefferson Memorial, US Capitol Building, FDR Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. We then crossed the Potamac River to the Pentagon and then went to the Arlington National Cemetery. This was one of the highlights of our stay in Washington as it was very beautiful and very moving. I would highly recommend a two or three day break in Washington as the city has so much to offer. It’s a really lovely city full of culture and history.

20 June 2013

New York New York - so good they named it twice! And I certainly agree with that statement! I have been lucky enough to have visited New York many times; in fact my most recent trip was my ninth time in the city, although I had not been since 1999 so I was keen to see if the city had changed since 9/11. The answer is no, it is still an amazing city! I decided that, as this was my husband’s first trip to New York and we also took our 3 year old son, the best way to ensure we saw as much of the city as possible was to do one of the open top bus tours, of which there are many on offer. This was the best decision I made as on this trip to New York I saw far more of the city than I have in the past. The open top bus allows you to hop on and hop off at almost 50 stops around the city. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt near Central Station which was a great choice as it is away from the hustle and bustle of Times Square yet only a few blocks away so is very convenient. My favourite thing to do in New York has always been to just to find a seat and watch the world go by in Central Park - a wonderful area that you just don't expect to see in such a busy vibrant city. We took a horse drawn carriage ride right into Central Park which is always great fun. Our 3 year old son loved his visit to the FAO Schwarz Toy Shop near Central Park! The last few times I have been to New York I have always been up to the top of the Twin Towers so it was very emotional to visit the Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial for the first time. It is a really beautiful tribute of remembrance. We then walked through Battery Park and took one of the many ferries that take you out into the harbour and around the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately since last year’s hurricane, the Statue of Liberty remains closed whilst they repair the damage but seeing it from the water always gives me goose bumps. It’s such an iconic sight and the city skyline with all its skyscrapers is also one of the highlights of a visit to the Big Apple. We made good use of the 48 hour open top bus tickets and saw famous sights such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, United Nations Building, Times Square and Broadway, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. We also managed to go over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and as this was at night-time the views back over the Brooklyn Bridge over to Manhattan were just fantastic. We also had time to visit the area north of Central Park which is Harlem – there are some beautiful churches there and a real vibrant community spirit. It was my ninth visit to New York and I loved it just as much as the first time - here's to my next visit!

20 June 2013

I had always dreamed of going to the Maldives and that dream finally came true in September 2008! At 11 hours flying time it is quite a long flight, but it is very much worth it when you finally arrive. The first impressions as you see the amazing aqua blue of the sea and the amazing white beaches is wow - it really is paradise! We stayed at the island of Olhuveli first and our accommodation was a beach villa which was fantastic as you open the patio doors and step straight out on to the beach - wonderful. It is rated as a 4 star but it is a very high standard for a 4 star. The meals were very good and it has an option for all-inclusive. The next stop was one of my favourite hotels and I have booked many clients of mine to this resort - the 5 star Taj Exotica. I stayed in a water bungalow with its own plunge pool which was just out of this world - definitely the wow factor here! The island has one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives and there is even a small sand bank that you can walk out to. The food at the Taj Exotica was exceptional. We then travelled on to the island of Baros and again this is one of my favourite islands and I have sent many clients here and they have all loved it. It has beautiful soft coral sand and the most clear aqua blue lagoon imaginable. There is a great bar at the hotel which is great to meet new friends. All in all a very romantic island and one which I would definitely love to go back to. On our last day in the Maldives we were given a real treat - a luxurious speedboat to the very stunning 5 star resort at Huvafenfushi. Such an amazing resort and it is home to the only underwater spa in the Maldives. We had an amazing lunch on the paradise beach. It really was a mesmerizing end to a wonderful week in the Maldives. I have travelled to many stunning places around the world but the Maldives is probably the closest thing to paradise I have experienced so far - the perfect honeymoon destination!