18 March 2019

I was recently extremely lucky to be able to visit Abu Dhabi for a long weekend, to experience the amazing city and stay at the elegant Emirates Palace Hotel. For a long weekend and some winter sun I can highly recommend the jewel of the UAE. We flew with Etihad direct out of Manchester. In economy, you can pick up flights very reasonably and get there in just over 6 hours! When you compare the prices and flight duration with the Canaries for some winter sun, it is well worth considering as an alternative. Abu Dhabi has the most beautiful beach, turquoise waters and lovely sunny days! The skyscrapers are some of the tallest and architecturally pleasing in the world. They make a stunning skyline. You can enjoy the Emirati cuisine, sightseeing, loads of adventure on Yas Island and amazing shopping malls! On the flight, out I was really impressed with the service, space and entertainment in the economy cabin. We were lucky enough to be in business class on the return flight. It was fantastic. It started with the check-in experience, then the Etihad Business Class Lounge and then the flight itself. The space was great with a seat that converts to a flat bed at the touch of a button. The service, drinks, food and entertainment were all fantastic! I had booked a private taxi transfer to pick us up at Abu Dhabi airport, through Holiday Taxis and they were easy to locate, and we were at the hotel in the city in just over 30 minutes! There is a very long line of airport taxis you can jump in easily enough if you don’t want to pre-book a transfer but, I prefer to know someone is there waiting, especially after a night flight. What can I say about the elegant Emirates Palace Hotel? It is a Kempinski hotel, 5-star Arabian luxury, located in the heart of the city. I would describe it as GRAND as its 1 km wide from one side of the hotel to the other. The private beach is beautiful, clean with white sand and they have their own private marina. The facilities in the hotel are second to none, pools for families or for adults, so many restaurant and bar options and a luxury spa. The rooms are huge, we stayed in a Diamond sea view room, the bed was the largest I have even seen and the view out of this world! The best part of the Emirates Palace though is the service and small touches that make the difference from other 5-star hotels. Where ever you stay in Abu Dhabi you can go and visit Emirates Palace and have a famous gold cappuccino. On our second day, we got a city taxi (which are easy and reasonably priced in Abu Dhabi) from the hotel to Yas Island, which costs around £20 one way. For families, the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a must. It is the world’s largest indoor theme park and has the fastest roller coaster in the world, which my husband went on without me! I don’t do roller coasters! Whilst you are on Yas Island the Yas Mall is worth a visit with over 400 stores - shopping heaven! In the evening, we went back to Abu Dhabi and went up the amazing Etihad Towers to have a cocktail in the famous Ray’s Bar on level 62 with the most stunning views of the city. Then we found a fabulous Indian restaurant in downtown Abu Dhabi. On our last full day, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is the largest Mosque in the UAE. The design is spectacular!! White marble and huge chandeliers in the vast prayer rooms. Things to note, its free to visit, free to park, women must follow a dress code, however whatever you put on you can get an Abaya dress to cover you for free once you get there. We then jumped in a taxi to go to Saadiyat Island for our last evening and had sundowner drinks at the cool Buddha Bar Beach Club watching the sunset and taking full advantage of happy hour drinks from 5pm-7pm. We then ate a fabulous Thai Meal at Sontaya restaurant. Both are part of the St Regis Hotel Saadiyat Island. I would recommend if you are looking for a pure beach holiday then staying on Saadiyat Island is the way to go. They have fantastic hotels, some all-inclusive and half board options which are worth considering, as eating out and drinks in hotel restaurants are expensive! Other things to do that we didn’t fit in: 1.Visit the Presidential Palace which literally opened for visitors for the first time on our last night. You can see an amazing moving light show on the building every evening. 2. If you like adventure you can do a desert safari, with an authentic Emirati dinner in the desert and even stay overnight if you choose to! 3. Visit Dubai for the day or the evening, only 1hr 40 minutes in a car Tip and hints: 1. Even though it is a warm 22-25 degrees in March you will need a jacket in the evening, as soon as the sun goes down it does get chilly. 2. Taxis are so easy and affordable, use city taxis rather than hotels own taxi services, however they do not take cards in the taxis as payment so have some cash with you. 3. Take advantage of the happy hours in most hotel restaurants and bars, from 4-6 or 5-7 as alcoholic drinks are expensive. £12 for a beer and wine can be even more! 4. Don’t be afraid to try a local restaurant in town. We ate an excellent Indian meal and it cost us £25 for two people. This was a non-licensed restaurant as most local restaurants are. The restaurants with licenses are mainly those attached to hotels. 5. I would recommend 3-5 nights as a perfect duration to be able to see and experience the best of Abu Dhabi. Give me a call or email for more advice and ideas of where to stay in Abu Dhabi, I could chat about it all day!

13 September 2018

This year as a family we decided to do a twin centre holiday where we could have a few days of action then flop on the sunbed and relax by a pool for a week. We picked New York and Mexico as the perfect combination! We flew with Virgin (economy classic, so got to choose our seats when we booked) to New York and stayed in the Park South Hotel, a lovely boutique hotel, which is in the trendy NOMAD (North of Madison Square gardens) neighbourhood and a great midtown Manhattan location to see everything from. The hotel room was great for a family of four, with two decent sized double beds and a large bathroom. The best points about this hotel were the coffee at their coffee shop called Covina in the morning on your way out, the restaurant downstairs also Covina (amazing meal, pricey but worth it on our last night) and the rooftop bar (called ROOF) with amazing cocktails, food and views! Only open in summer months of course. What we did in New York and my highlights: • Ferry to Staten island is completely free and you do not need to book. You see the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan and have a lovely ferry ride which helped us get the scale of it all • 911 memorial/museum and ground Zero. It’s incredible what they have done in the time and what the city went through, a very emotional morning! • Top of the Rock (Rockefeller building). We booked a ticket on a New York Explorer pass before we left the UK. Amazing views of the city and you can see Empire State Building from there • Central Park on bikes (it’s easy to hire them just outside the park). It is 7 miles round the whole park so doing it on bikes means you can see more, a great Sunday morning activity! • The RIDE, an unusual bus trip going around the city. Get on at Times Square. It’s very American and a little cheesy, but we loved it! We booked it on the Explorer pass in the UK • Shopping, my boys loved Nike in Soho and Adidas and Macys! • Street Basketball at the CAGE on West Fourth St courts. My son loves basketball, and this was an authentic New York way to see real Basketball, completely free to go and watch and they have games most days. After an exhausting but brilliant four days we flew with Delta to Cancun (only 3.5-hour flight, great service from Delta) and as we had been in New York we were already in the time zone so once we were in Mexico we were used to it. We stayed on the Riviera Maya at Now Sapphire near Puerto Morelos, all-inclusive in a Preferred Club Junior Suite Tropical view. The room was huge and the bathroom was massive. With a family of four it worked brilliantly, a lovely balcony and brilliant air-con! The preferred club gave us the better mini bar, access to the preferred club lounge anytime for food and drinks and computers etc. and access to the Preferred club pool (which is adults only, so be aware of that). The resort is fairly small compared to a lot of others in that area, just right for us, with plenty of choice of restaurants – six a la carte plus a buffet and a 24-hour coffee shop. What I liked is you do not need reservations for any restaurant except the Teppanyaki tables! We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table! The main pool is huge, with a swim up-bar, this does get loud in an afternoon with music and the entertainment team but not all day and it’s loads of fun for the kids. The activities were there all day if you wanted them, archery, beach volleyball, football, tennis, salsa making lessons, shows - the list goes on. Whilst in Mexico we also got the opportunity to visit the Grand at Moon Palace and I did a full tour of the resort and spend the full day there and GRAND is the word. With amazing restaurants, bars, activities and pools, I can honestly say I have never been to such a huge and amazing resort. I have had many customers go there this year and they have all loved it. I could tell you so much about it, please contact me to talk about it in more detail! We also did a day trip to Cenotes Zapote Eco Park, where we did zip wires through the jungle, then swam in the amazing natural sink holes. The sink holes have crystal clear water (a little cold though) where you can jump in or dive from low of high platforms, and zip line into the water. A great trip for kids! I could go on and on about this holiday but hopefully this has wetted your appetite a little, so please give me a call to talk about either of the destinations.

05 February 2018

We’ve just got home from our sixth Azamara Cruise - and Vicky has booked our next two with them. Azamara is a small cruise line which currently has two ships - Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, with a third, the Azamara Pursuit due to start cruising in August 2018. Why do we love Azamara so much? It’s a mixture of factors. They are small ships - 690 passengers. That means no queuing to get on and off at ports and no fighting to get on a tender to go ashore when the ship’s anchored. The service onboard is terrific, as you would expect with 390 crew members, but over and above that it’s always service with a smile. Bartenders and waiters get to know our choices very quickly. Food onboard is first class whether eating in Windows buffet or the main dining room, Discoveries. All drinks and tips are included too, which means we don’t have to worry about our spending on the ship. We’ve been to some wonderful destinations with Azamara - Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Central America. Azamara specialises in what they call ‘destination immersion’. That means that they may stay for two days in a port, or stay docked until late in the evening, giving us time to do longer tours. For example, on a recent cruise from Athens to Dubai the ship docked at Safaga in Egypt for two days, which meant we were able to fulfil a lifetime ambition by taking a two-day tour to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.” Written by one of my 'Azamara super-fan customers'

13 September 2017

You may be thinking of taking a cruise for the first time or indeed be an experienced cruiser that is thinking about trying another line, hopefully the below guide will give you a small insight as to what each cruise line has got to offer and of course you can always call me for more advice. P&O Cruises P&O cruises have 7 ships in their fleet: the newest being their flagship Britannia. They are known for offering guests Strictly Come Dancing at Sea and for their celebrity chef Food Heroes on-board ships. They offer the most cruises out of Southampton, including lots of mini cruises and world cruises that depart in January You would like P&O if: • You like home comforts such as tea and coffee making facilities in your cabin and a “British” feel. • You wanted an adult only cruise - 2 ships are for adults only - Arcadia and Oriana • You want to take the family then try Aurora, Oceana, Ventura and Britannia Royal Caribbean Cruises Royal Caribbean have 25 Ships in their fleet and they range from small to super-size!! Their largest ship Harmony of the Seas can take up to 5,400 passengers but don’t let this put you off, the ships may be big but there is plenty of space on board and with things like Sky Diving, Bumper Cars, Surfing, Rock Climbing, Ice Skating and a full-size carousel on board some of their ships there is plenty to do. Independence of The Seas is about to have a multimillion pound makeover that will include the first Trampoline Park at Sea! You would like Royal Caribbean if: • You are a family (the kids and teens clubs are amazing) • You want a more relaxed atmosphere on board • You like West End Show Productions and great entertainment • You are a first-time cruiser as there are lots of different ships, you will find one that suits you Cunard Cruises Cunard are very much a traditional cruise line, I would say more liners than cruise ships, kind of along the lines of Titanic. There are 3 ships, one being the Queen Mary which was built specifically to do a Transatlantic Sailing (Southampton to New York) This particular ship is the only one I am aware of that also has its own deck for dogs, with kennels, a full time “doggy” butler. As well as the Transatlantic Cunard also operate world cruises in January, mini cruises and sailings from Southampton throughout the year You would like Cunard Cruises if: • You like formality and tradition • You like exceptional service • You like to dress up of an evening • You can’t bear to be parted from your furry friend whilst on holiday MSC Cruises MSC Cruises have 16 ships in their fleet, they sail mostly in the Med, The Caribbean, Dubai, Northern Europe and South America. Like Royal Caribbean the majority of these ships are big ones but with lots to do on board including water slides and a bowling alley. MSC are a little different, being Mediterranean you will find that the food, entertainment etc reflects that, however they do have a ship called Magnifica which is sailing from Southampton next year to Northern Europe and this ship will have a more British feel, with Tea & Coffee making facilities in the cabins, British Comedians and more British inspired food. You would like MSC Cruises if: • You have a family with children (kid’s prices are normally very good with MSC) • You want to mix with lots of different nationalities • You want to visit lots of ports • You are price conscious (MSC are very competitively priced) • You drink – MSC have one of the best priced drinks packages at sea! Norwegian Cruise Line NCL have 11 ships in their fleet and sail almost world-wide, Australia, Hawaii, South America, Alaska, Canada, Caribbean, Asia and of course in Europe. On NCL there are no set dinner times, no dress codes you do as you wish when you wish. Great entertainment on board including shows, comedy clubs, Ice bars, bowling alleys, water slides, kid’s clubs. Prices include all drinks and Tips, NCL were also the first cruise line to build cabins specifically designed for solo travellers, cruise lines are notorious for charging high single supplements but on a few of the NCL ships they have Studio Cabins that are very affordable. You would like NCL if: • You are a solo cruiser • You are a couple or travelling with a group • You prefer a relaxed informal style of cruise • You are a family (lots for everyone to do) • You like to budget all your costs prior to your holiday (tips/drinks already included) Celebrity Cruise Line Celebrity are what I would put as a 4* type of a Cruise ship, a bit classier than Royal Caribbean but not as formal or traditional as Cunard, they have speciality restaurants on board, Martini bars, Wine bars, even on some ships a lawn club with real grass where you can have a picnic. In my opinion although they do cater for families and have kids/teen clubs there are no so many things on board for kids to do but for couples or groups of friends they are brilliant and have some amazing itineraries. As well as Europe Celebrity cruise to lots of different places including Antarctica, The Galapagos, India, South Pacific, Hawaii, Australia & New Zealand, Caribbean Asia, Alaska to name but a few. You may have seen in the news about their newest ship which will sail from 2018 called The Edge, the design is like nothing you have seen before and will be a real game changer for cruising. You would like Celebrity if: • You are a couple or travelling with a group of friends • You like to eat out in different restaurants • You want to cruise to different destinations Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Fred Olsen are a family run cruise line that have 4 ships, these ships are much smaller than other cruise lines and generally appeal to the older market. They are well known for their friendliness and levels of service. They sail from lots of ports in the UK including, Dover, Harwich, Tilbury, Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton and Edinburgh and sail all over the world including Europe, The Amazon, Indian Ocean, South Africa, Norwegian Fjords, The British Isles and many more. Each evening on most cruises there are hosted dance events, so great if you are into Ballroom Dancing etc, there is entertainment and lots of guest speakers and lectures throughout the cruise, because the ships are smaller you do feel like you are getting a more personal service, however if you are looking for lots of activities or to party all night then this wouldn’t be the cruise line for you. You would like Fred Olsen if: • You are of an older generation • You like good service and a very friendly ship • You like to visit smaller ports of call (because the ships are smaller they can access places that the big ships can’t)

13 September 2017

We went as a party of 9 to Corfu this summer, two families with children ranging from 7 to 14. This was our 5th time to the Greek Islands, having previously visited many islands including, Rhodes, Crete, and Corfu. Corfu is the second largest of the Ionian Islands and you can fly from the UK from most airports including regional ones. The flight is only just over 3 hours and the airport in Corfu is fairly small and easy to navigate, it only took us 15 minutes to collect luggage and be in our taxi on the way to our apartment. We stayed on the east coast, between Gouvia and Kontokali Bay and only around 20kms from Corfu town. The journey from the airport is so easy, takes around 15 minutes and you are at your apartment and in the pool, perfect for families! Gouvia has an upmarket marina and restaurants and very traditional Greek tavernas. The beach is typical of Corfu, shingle and pebble beach which shelves gently into the sea, with plenty of water sports including banana boats and jet-skis. We have always stayed in a lovely place called Spiti Prifti, owned by the Prifti family and ran by Eleni who can’t do enough for you, they are great apartments with a brilliant pool and bar/restaurant for families and couples. There are also some fantastic hotels in Gouvia and Kontokali Bay to consider. From Gouvia you can jump on the bus and take a short 15-minute ride to Corfu Town for a night out or afternoon site seeing. I really have had some of the best meals I have ever eaten in Corfu Town, can highly recommend visiting. Corfu Town is the capital and the main port, the best viewpoint is from the Old Fortress, from there you can see the whole city and the coast and mountains and mainland Greece. Along with doing water sports at Dassia and ‘Total Wipeout’ at Ipsos, we also splashed out this year on a private day trip with ‘Corfu Speed Boats’ (Gerekos Speed Boats) which is worth the money. They can take you anywhere that you can get to in one day, we went to some amazing caves and great spots for snorkeling and diving and then had a lovely lunch at Agni Bay on the North-East Coast at Toula’s Seafood restaurant Simply gorgeous food in a gorgeous spot!

05 April 2017

Australian Adventure I spent an amazing 9 years living in Australia, and was lucky enough to live, work and holiday in various places including Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle (NSW), Cairns and the Whitsunday Islands. I have even been on a skiing holiday in Australia in ‘Bright’ ski fields, high up in the mountains in Victoria in the winter! So, you really can experience a diverse range of holidays in one country. If you are thinking of a trip ‘down under’ then there are some tips and things to consider especially when planning where to visit and essential things to do and see! Whether you are looking to spend 2-3 weeks or longer in Australia I would pick 2 or 3 cities to visit as a minimum with Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane the obvious ones if you want to stay on the east coast of the country. Or Perth, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock essential if you are doing the West and North. Internal flights are affordable and easy to get from one city and state to another. Sydney is a thriving, busy, modern city with so many amazing tourist sights to see including the Opera House, climbing the Harbour bridge and going to the fish markets near Pyrmont. I would definitely do the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk, stop at a coffee shop overlooking the beach for a flat white, then have a cocktail at the Bondi Icebergs bar at the end. A perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. If you are in Sydney over New Year then a good tip to be able to see the fireworks over the harbour bridge is by going to Balmain, it is a brilliant vantage point where everyone sets up from late afternoon with picnics, BBQ’s, cricket games, music and drink and at midnight the fireworks are outstanding, great atmosphere! Melbourne in contrast is much more laid back and has seasons (all 4 in one day sometimes, so be prepared!). You can spend a good day in the city shopping, then enjoy the bars and restaurants in St. Kilda and Port Melbourne in the evening, all easily accessible with Melbourne’s tram network! I also loved visiting the Far North Queensland for the great barrier reef trips and Whitsunday Islands, this is one of the most popular places Australians holiday! We have stayed at a couple of fantastic resorts for a relaxing holiday north of Cairns in Port Douglas that I can highly recommend. One of them is called Thala Beach Lodge, excellent accommodation and amazing food, also ’Treetops’ hotel is a good alternative. You will definately get to see plenty of Australian wildlife on your balcony in a morning. If you are thinking of a trip to Australia or Tasmania but you don’t know where to start then I would be happy to help and answer any questions, including recommending a suitable itinerary to fit with what you are looking to do, I have so many more things to tell you…..

08 March 2017

I have recently had a lovely child-free weekend with my husband in Venice. We picked an Italian city as we both love coffee, Italian food and wine! And it is so easy and quick to travel from Leeds Bradford airport in the North. When we arrived at Marco Polo airport it was only a short walk to the dock to meet our lovely Italian driver and our private water taxi. I would highly recommend this service as a transfer, you arrive in style, well worth paying for. We stayed at the Ai Mori D’Oriente Hotel which is in a great location, in the Cannaregio quarter. It is only a short walk to the busy areas including the Grand Canal and Rialto bridge however far enough away to be a little quieter and more chilled out in the evenings. The water taxi dropped us straight outside the hotel door and the staff came out immediately to get our luggage, brilliant service! The hotel is quite traditional with a hint of luxury and the service from the reception staff is brilliant, they are knowledgeable and helped with ideas for trips and restaurants including booking us on the Murano Glass Tour on Murano island (well worth doing)! We had an amazing three days seeing the sights including having a Bellini in the famous ‘Harry's Bar’, a Gondola ride round the smaller canals and visiting the Saturday morning ‘Rialto markets’. Venice is known for its amazing food and you can go from one small café/bar to another eating the famous ‘Cicchette’ (small plates of food) with a glass of Prosecco, Italians do this all day long! I could talk about it all day so please feel free to call me or email to chat further about it.