07 May 2023

This trip took me quite by surprise! Someone invited me to a running event, and I already wanted to be involved before I found out the location! Then they tell you it’s in the Caribbean! It didn’t take long to get excited about this. I can tell you. There is something very special about being able to leave the dark December nights and extremely chilly temperatures of the UK for a good promise o

06 May 2023

Norwegian Cruise lines - Prima I’ve been very fortunate to travel on a few cruises during my career and one I have been desperate to visit with my family is Norwegian cruise lines. I had the opportunity to do join fellow colleagues on the inaugural selling of Norwegian Prima in August 2022 sailing from Reykjavík in Iceland and visiting Cobh in Southern Ireland, Bruges, Le Havre and Amsterdam. Nor

06 May 2023

This was not my first trip to Italy, but it was my 1st to explore some places I had not been, and in more detail than in previous trips . Italy ticks so many boxes for me, the food, the cities, the scenery, the sunshine, the wine and its accessibility. Italy is not just about the pizza and pasta as we know it, in fact it stretches far beyond catering for a tourists palate. Don’t get me wrong, th

05 May 2023

I was very fortunate to be invited on a Regent Seven Seas pre re-launch of their ship Voyager back in March 2022. The first time she had taken to the seas post Covid, and with all the staff back on board and ready to roll we had three luxurious nights before the paying guests boarded for their holiday. A very simple flight through to Rome and coach transfer of just over one hour got us to Civitav

04 May 2023

Well, this was a place that was always on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. Okay, so I know everyone heads here to see the Northern Lights. Well it’s not quite as easy as that - with no guarantee that you will witness this natural phenomenon, what you have to do is make sure you enjoy the searching for them. The 'will we, won’t we' see the lights adds much excitement on its own, but let

04 May 2023

I was fortunate to be one of the lucky (if not a little brave) travellers of summer 2021, testing the new Covid fit to fly certificate and boy was it worth it! It was my first visit to Cyprus, and we flew to Paphos, and I was actually surprised at how close the array of Paphos seafront hotels are to the airport. Within 15 minutes of getting in the taxi, we were checked in and in the room and head

04 May 2023

I’m all for a holiday in the UK, it’s just always the weather that can be the key difference with travelling overseas, but it’s a beautiful island we live on and worth exploring from one end to the other. This was possibly the furthest I have been since I went to Cornwall as a child! Dorset was completely new to me and I had the promise of seaside towns and villages, stunning beaches and great fi

24 February 2020

I have to say, safari is possibly my favourite holiday pastime, perhaps somewhat because it's a treat, but also chances are few and far between, so when a chance came my way through work, it was too good an opportunity to resist. 8 nights, 5 locations, thousands of miles covered, all in a private jet. I appreciate these chances are limited, but if you have a safari trip on your bucket list, I'd

24 February 2020

This was a February half term break for me so with family in tow and only 4 nights to spare, it needed to be reached easily. And whilst I generally have a bit of a rule of '5 nights is a maximum for a city break', being by the coast adds a different dimension. There is so much to do in Barcelona, you could easily be entertained for a week. Access wise it's very straightforward to get around. We

24 September 2018

Following a few nights in Kotor, Montenegro, we opted to take the bus to Croatia for the second part of our holiday. You can read more about this in my Croatia blog. It was very reasonable at less than €15 a ticket, however is has to be said that with that, you do get the unpredictability of a border crossing. What was supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour journey became almost five. That said, the

24 September 2018

Still untouched by many despite cruise ship passengers arriving in their thousands, Montenegro still retains its charm and 'oldy worldy' approach to welcoming these numbers. In Kotor it is almost like stepping back in time, even outside of the Old Town walls - it is definitely not overly commercial (no fast food chains here) and copes incredibly well with the visitors. Inside the Old Town walls

06 June 2018

Our stay in Thailand was the ultimate in luxury adventure. Elephant sanctuaries are quite popular In Thailand, but I believe if you can ride the elephants, chances are, you need to look further afield for a more ethical and real experience. We opted for a 3-day, 2-night stay at Elephant Hills and have enjoyed an experience that will stay with us forever. In addition to bathing and feeding this

06 June 2018

Do you fancy a UK city break in the North but not York or Manchester? What about Leeds? Having not visited since 2005 I was really pleasantly surprised to see how smart a city it is, with endless shopping opportunities. As well as the usual high street stores, (and unlike many large towns these days I didn't see an empty shop space) there are also larger department stores - John Lewis, Debenha

30 November 2017

This was my first visit to Germany in years, and the first summer visit since a school exchange trip, but many memories came flooding back, as did my GCSE German when faced with ordering food, or asking for directions! Hamburg is a port, so quite industrial, but there are opportunities to ride the ferries out to some small beaches and see the city from the water are fun. Leaving from in front o

09 November 2017

This was just a two night city break with my girlfriends, and we stayed in an apartment just off the main shopping and entertainment street, Gran Via. Whilst I would always look at staying central to make the most of everything being close to hand, the metro system was clean, cheap and very useful, the efficiency of European underground transport never ceasing to amaze me! It's quite a large ci

03 November 2017

This is how you do a whistle stop tour of Orlando, and don't even step into Disney or Universal, but spend a week exploring all the alternative attractions on offer within an hour or so of Disney. I visited on a work educational tour, with family trips at the forefront of my mind. Day 1 - The first is a bucket list item for many. It involved being up and ready at 5am to head to Orlando Balloon

20 September 2017

When you're in my role, it is difficult to bypass a city you aren't too bowled over by, particularly when your flight is passing through. I didn't backpack in my youth so the Far East was new territory for me. But this time I had a family to consider, so I chose carefully to stay close to the River, away from the real hustle and bustle and I cannot express how much fun we had in Bangkok. Bangk

20 September 2017

Pace yourself. If this is your first trip with your children, aim for a slightly slower paced break than usual. Go with the flow and don’t pack in too much. Avoiding stress is the name of the game, so build in rest days and be realistic about what you might see and do. Travel is great for broadening the mind, even if you’re a five-year-old. Start getting your little ones prepared for their holi

24 August 2016

On one of the beautiful sun kissed islands of the Caribbean, you can do as little or as much as you like. There is always time to do nothing, but relax on a gorgeous sandy beach and lose yourself in your favourite novel. On the other hand, you can stay at one of the more active resorts where I stayed – BodyHoliday, or leave the resort to explore, and in this case, the list of what you can do is

23 November 2014

Well the one thing I can never be sure to guarantee when I arrange your holiday is sunshine. But I knew the chances of blue skies were pretty high when I jetted off to the United Arab Emirates in February. Just over a seven hour flight from the UK takes you to Dubai, and a swift taxi transfer to Abu Dhabi found us in our hotel, and more importantly glorious temperatures, less than 10 hours late

23 November 2014

Gorgeous white sandy beaches, rocky coastline and fun for all the family...on the Algarve. The Algarve stretches most of the southern coast of Portugal and provides something for everyone. Hot days and warm evenings and welcoming temperatures from Easter through to November. I would highly recommend a car for this holiday, it’s the best way to get around and discover so many places, neighbou

10 August 2014

I thought I would write and tell you about a recent weekend trip to Vienna. Less than 20 minutes from the airport to the city centre and with cheap transport options Vienna is very accessible and a well-kept secret! With few tour operators selling city breaks to this destination, it’s a great option for a tailor made break using low cost flights and accommodation (although remember, we offer fu

20 November 2012

Three days might seem like a long way to go to South Africa for, and it is. But if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity to experience a safari in this wonderful country, it's absolutely worth it. There is only a two hour time difference so jet lag is not an issue. The majority of people don't go to South Africa just for a safari, but what they easily do is incorporate two or three night’

13 September 2012

I have been waiting for the right time to do this trip – my children are 4 & 6 and I think I got it just about right. We travelled by Eurostar from London St Pancras and chose a train with a 90 minute break in the journey, at Lille. This allowed us to stop and sample a French patisserie, but there is a direct train to and from St Pancras daily and the journey time is around 2 and a half hour

09 July 2012

This is my second experience of Turkey, but my first for some 15 years and I was pleasantly surprised. This was a family holiday and we stayed in Icmeler, but at the end of the resort, some 2kms from the town, promenade and beach. This was a fabulous choice. Getting to most places in Turkey is fairly easy. Their local bus services - dolmus, are cheap and efficient. Ours left within 50m of the

26 April 2012

Vejer de la Frontera, Costa de la Luz, Spain Vejer de la Frontera is a picturesque hilltop village in South Western Spain, approximately 2 – 2 ½ hours drive South of Seville. Vejer itself is typically Spanish, there are not many people speaking English and menus are more often than not in Spanish only, but that’s all part of the enjoyment and the locals are very friendly and welcoming. Ve

23 April 2012

Canada & Alaska Vancouver is the city that has it all – bright lights, shopping, parks, wildlife, skiing, sports and beautiful beaches, all set against a backdrop of dramatic mountains! There are unlimited options to what you can do, in and around this city, but too numerous to mention so here are my highlights: Grouse Mountain – Here you can take the sky ride to the top, which is 1242 metre

23 April 2012

Having been bitten by the cruising bug, and tempted by the opportunity to visit 7 destinations from one floating hotel - I booked my 2nd Celebrity cruise with the added bonus of departing from the UK – which also meant I had an unrestricted baggage allowance. This time we travelled in May unsure of what those chilly Baltic countries may bring so early into Spring and made sure an extra layer wa

17 June 2011

My Jewel in the Californian Sun (and even snow)! I have such fond memories of this part of America as it is where I got married. Lake Tahoe holds that special place in my heart, not just for that but because it is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking views and scenery I have ever experienced. I have been to Lake Tahoe three times and whilst all my visits have been in what we call the