21 November 2011

I was lucky to travel to Boston with Jerry (my husband) and the finest group of ladies from Travel Counsellors you could ever wish to meet. We were on a Business Travel educational, sampling the delights of Virgin Atlantic & Taj hotels. On arrival at Heathrow, we were shown how the limo service for Business and First class passengers works and what a very efficient service it is. It cuts out all the queuing and is a civilised way to start your trip. As is the lounge! It has all you could need to while away the couple of hours before your flight, from a well stocked deli for a snack to a full blown dining experience. We sampled the Virgin signature cocktail, RedHead, and can say it certainly packs a punch! The Upper class is split into 2 sections, the larger having the bar at the back of it and the quieter being only nine seats in three rows. The seats of course turn into beds and there was ample food and drink, films to watch and the service from Lynne and Michael, our cabin crew, was perfection. All too soon the flight was over and we arrived in Boston to a downpour that would make Yorkshire proud! 10 minutes later, through rush hour traffic and we were at our city centre hotel, The Taj. This hotel used to be the Ritz Carlton and still retains a lot of the old grandeur of that era. The sales manager, Greg, was courteous and showed us around the hotel the next morning. They have a rooftop terrace (perfect for weddings) that has the most amazing views over the park and we were incredibly lucky to see all the colours of fall. Room wise the hotel has a range of room types but most have 2 queen size beds, flat screen TV, Molton Brown toiletries and all the usual mod cons. We had breakfast in the hotel and a meal on the first night - I would recommend dining there. They also do a very good value Club deal; 5 small meals a day including canapés and drinks for only 100USD per room per day. Excellent value. The next day the sun was shining and we set off on the Duck Tour. This is a tour in an amphibious vehicle so not only did we drive around Boston but we went onto the Charles River as well! This was informative and fun at the same time. This allowed us all to get our bearings and so that afternoon after we had lunch we all split up and went to visit different things. I hasten to add at this point most of the girls hit the shops! That evening we went to a trendy bar/restaurant called 28 degrees, and had a great night. As we were in Boston it had to end in the Cheers Bar! The barman eventually (but politely) asked us to leave as it was past closing time! The next morning, Saturday, the sun was shining. Jerry and I decided to walk along the esplanade & over the river. Boston must be one of the healthiest cities in Maerica as it seemed like everyone was out jogging! All too soon it was time to return home, we experienced the lovely Premium Economy seats. These seats are in a bigger cabin, but still have that little bit more room than economy and are well worth the extra, especially on the return overnight journeys. I admit it, I watched the last instalment of Harry Potter! So, in conclusion I have to say Boston is perfect as either a gateway to New England for an extended fly drive holiday or as a mini city break, CHEERS!

28 October 2010

On the 15th Oct I was one of a few Travel Counsellors lucky enough to enjoy a trip to Dubai, with Etihad Airways & Dubai Tourism . The theme of the trip was shopping and after being taken to the World's largest mall, The Dubai Mall, we could have stayed for a week & never left! There are over 1200 stores, not counting the food outlets , the cinemas, the Gold Souk, the Ice rink! and the Aquarium!! For all you ladies out there picturing dragging the kids around whilst you shop, don't worry, naturally Dubai has thought it through & for a small fee the kids can stay in KidZania , an 80,000 square foot mini city, just for children where they can act out over 70 real life professions including pilot, doctor , racing car driver , chef, DJ , TV cameraman and many more. For older kids they have SEGA Republic, 76,000 square feet of instant adrenaline & adventure, and yes, adults can join in on this one!This is basically a indoor theme park, spread over 5 zones & 2 floors with 9 action packed rides & over 200 games to play. So , as you can see, the little one's & the dad's will be kept busy whilst you enjoy the shopping.After a delicious meal (and there are so many places to choose from) you could all go ice skating, as there is a Olympic size rink. If after all the walking around the 1200 shops makes you want to do something a little calmer, then why not visit the Aquarium. This has the largest acrylic viewing panel in the world, wher you can see over 33,000 aquatic animals in a 48 metre long tunnel, 11meters below surface.For the adventerous , you can go cage snorkelling & have Shark dives, for others, you may prefer the glass bottom boat ride.In the evening the Dubai Fountains dance to music, at the side of the Mall & the Burj Khalifa -the tallest tower in the world.Think Vegas but much higher!! We stayed at the Pullman hotel attached to the Mall of Emirates, a smaller mall, but just as enjoyable.This is a brand new hotel, and is very designer led. The rooms are of a good size with lots of space and all the amenities that you would need.The buffet breakfast is lovely and plentiful and we ate outside so that we had a view of the Burj & Jumeirah Beach hotels.The staff cannot do enough to make your stay a pleasant one and we enjoyed a lovely dinner in the Soda Box restaurant. There are so many wonderful hotels and excursions that I caould mention , but I think most have been documented in brochures before, so this is why I have written about the Pullman Hotel & the Dubai Mall, just to give you a differnt flavour of Dubai.As we flew with Etihad, we landed at Abu Dhabi Airport, and the transfer was only around 50 minutes, so very easy to do as Abu Dhabi can at times be much better value than Dubai.If you are lucky enough to travel Business Class with Etihad , you get a free chauffer limo up to 100 miles radius from the airport to your home & to the hotel you are staying in, so it covers a wide area.The lounge facilities in Abu Dhabi are very good, and I can recommend the back massage! We only had 4 days in Dubai, but as a shopping trip it was just enough. There is so much more than just a beach , so try something different next time you go!

28 May 2010

Had a quick week away recently & stayed at a fabulous brand new hotel called ASIMINA SUITES in Paphos.This is a luxurious adult only hotel, with lots of emphasis on service.The hotel is made up of Junior suites through to executive one bedroom with private pool.All are beautifully decorated and have all the amenities you need including mini bar, 2 plasma tv's (well, you need one in the living area & one in the bedroom of course!), DVD, iron & board, tea & coffee making facilities that are replenished every day (including the espresso coffee) and free safety deposit box. The bathroom is blissful, you get a tub as well as a huge shower & of course 2 vanity units. If you can tear yourself away from the balcony , the pool area is spotlessly clean & the pool boys are quick to help with the sun loungers & parasols. The beach is not the greatest I have to admit but the pool & garden more than make up for it. Breakfast is a buffet that can be taken in the air conditioned restaurant or outside by the pool-the choice is yours. The staff are attentive but friendly.The evening meals are taken in the same restaurant or the ala carte restaurant next door. The food was of a high standard and the wines were reasonably priced for a 5star hotel. We had lunch out by the pool and again the service was excellent ( as were the calamari)! You can walk into the harbour area of Paphos in about 40 minutes , or better still get the bus, it is 1.50 euros and money well spent when it is hot. A taxi is a round 6-10 Euros depending on the time of day it seemed. We ate out at Gabors , a French restaurant about a 10 minute walk away and the food was delicious. A set menu price of only 17.95 Euros and again good value wines. We hired a car and went over to Ayia Napa for the day & stayed overnight at the Nissi Beach hotel. The rooms are not as plush as Asimina obviously but they have the wow factor in a different way- the sea view!! A fantastic bay , blue ocean & palm trees a plenty. Well worth upgrading to a sea view room as it was a joy to open the curtains in the morning . I can say that one of things that surprised me was the cost of living. I always thought Cyprus was an expensive destination, but am happy to say it was excellent value, and still very good quality. We will definitely be visiting Cyprus again.

12 October 2009

Are you one of those people that want a different wedding to the numerous beach weddings that are offered? Well, so were two of my clients - a lovely young couple that wanted a fairytale wedding and The Heitzman Hotel in Zell-am-See gave them just that. At this hotel the owners Rudi & Anita have helped over 1500 couples from all over the world, making sure that their wedding day ran smoothly and was truly unforgettable. From the minute you arrive, every detail is taken care of and nothing is too much trouble. The venue for my clients was Castle Rosenberg, just a few minutes away from the hotel. The bride and her father travelled by horse and carriage and the ceremony was in English. After the ceremony the bride and groom were then taken by horse drawn carriage to the other side of the beautiful lake for photos. The bridal party also travelled across the lake by private water taxi. Here the views are stunning and with the lake and resort as a backdrop, you can imagine how beautiful the photos are. I have added a couple for you to see but all the photos were stunning. Arranging a wedding in Austria is very easy and not too much red tape is involved. Summer or Winter weddings can be arranged, so for anyone who prefers ski holidays, this can easily be combined. So, if you want a fairytale wedding, why not try Austria?

20 July 2009

How many people do you know that would travel round the world in 9 days? Yes, that’s right, a travel counsellor. This February I travelled to Tokyo and Fiji and would like to share my experience with you. Firstly I flew Business Class with British Airways to Tokyo .This is an 11 hour flight, so the flat beds were very welcome. I only had 2 days in Tokyo, so hardly managed to scratch the surface of this bustling city. The experience has left me wanting to go back to explore more. Tokyo used to be a very expensive city but it is now very good value for food and drink. As an alternative stopover destination, Tokyo certainly fits the bill. My second part of the trip was Fiji and the islands. Here you will hear “Bula” spoken everywhere. It is a word that has many meanings from hello, how are you to goodbye. It is always accompanied by a beaming smile. We sailed to Castaway Island, and boy did it live up to its name. We were greeted on the beach by the staff singing a welcome song to us, and “checked in” sat on the verandah sipping a cold drink from a coconut shell! Pure bliss. This is very much a no shoes kind of island and they try to get you to mingle with all the other guests as it is only a small property. However if you want to have a romantic getaway then you will be left alone. The beach bungalows are all detached and it was so wonderful to sit on your own little patio before walking 20 paces or so to the waters edge. That was as much exercise as I got! We then took a speedboat transfer to the next island, Tokiriki and again had a wonderful welcome from the staff. Everyone seems to want you to enjoy your stay no matter how short. We were very lucky to see a young Australian couple get married here and what a perfect setting. That evening they had a table at the waters edge with candles and champagne. Very romantic. Liku Liku was the next port of call and this is quite a different from the previous islands. It is more upmarket and is the first Fijian island to have over water bungalows ( like the ones in the Maldives).The feel is very much more sophisticated, but still extremely friendly. The standard of accommodation was far superior to the other 2 islands, but this was reflected in the cost. Ideally, if you could, it would be ideal to visit more than one island to get the full flavour of Fiji. This is a lovely part of the world to visit and if you regularly visit Australia or New Zealand it would make a perfect stopover destination.

13 May 2008

South Africa! What a country to explore. In 2006 I went to just a small part of this vast country, the Mpumalanga region to sample a safari. South Africa is fortunate in having many National Parks, Kruger being one of the best known. Mpumalanga has amazing scenery including Blyde River Canyon (this is the 3rd largest in the world!).The area is also full of history and a visit to Pilgrims Rest (a replica of an early gold mining town) is a must. We flew into Johannesburg and then took a small plane to the private airstrip at Mala Mala Game reserve. The accommodation is in air conditioned rondavels (round detached bungalows) all with his and hers bathrooms and furnished in African style. A wonderful experience. The safari guides are all experienced rangers, most have been to University and have so much information to pass on, but do it in a way that is not like being back at school. We ventured out in 4x4 vehicles into the reserve, and if lucky, there is an opportunity see the Big 5. This includes elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard. You are so close to these wild animals that you find yourself holding your breath at times. It truly is an honour to see these majestic animals in their own habitat. Mala Mala is not a “pretend” game reserve, you really are out there with the wildlife. We saw a pride of lions stalk, chase & finally kill a buffalo. This is a rare sight to see. When back at the lodge, everyone seems to share a story about the safari, and the guide joined us for the evening meal, which is a lovely way of getting to know them as people and not just guides. They have a “boma” which is a open air reed enclosure where food is served to you from the barbecue whilst you sip wine whilst sitting under the stars. We then went on to see other areas of South Africa, but too many memories to pass on, so I will save it for a later journal. South Africa has lots more to offer including fine wines, good accommodation, fabulous sightseeing and wonderful friendly people. There is a 2 hour time difference between us, so no dreaded jet lag. I would say, give it a try, you will be amazed. Thank you for taking time to read my personal journal.