20 June 2019

I recently returned from a 50th birthday surprise at the Atmosphere Kanufushi in the Maldives. It was my first time in experiencing the Maldives, and what can I say, true paradise! It is only a 30-minute sea plane transfer from Male, and this is an experience. Barefoot pilots, you can see directly into the cockpit, and amazing views as you fly over the Atolls. As soon as we arrived, we were told to take our shoes off, and that we wouldn’t need them for another week. We were barefoot the whole time. Atmosphere Kanufushi is an all-inclusive resort, with stand-alone beach villas spread along the 2-kilometre-long turquoise lagoon. We stayed in a Sunset Beach Villa, which is ideal for honeymoon couples. You have your own private access to the beach, with a large open-air veranda. The rooms are very spacious, with the most amazing bathrooms, Jacuzzi bath outside, and the most amazing rain shower. Also, your Butler comes in daily to restock your fridge, run a bath or attend to anything else you may require. The restaurants in this resort are all a high standard. Just Veg was my favourite (even though I’m not vegetarian) and it’s the only one in the Maldives. It serves delightful gourmet vegetarian cuisine from the Mediterranean, Arabic and Indian regions. There is a Teppanyaki Grill, The Spice offering exotic world cuisine and themed nights. The Sunset, with sandy floors, and open for lunch, to name but a few. The resort doesn’t have its own reef but snorkelling and diving trips are arranged in resort. There is also fish feeding every evening by the pontoon, and you can see the hugest rays. Kanufushi have their own spa, offering luxurious health and beauty treatments. I had a rehydrating facial which was so relaxing. All in all, it must be one of my favourite destinations I have had the privilege to visit. If you want to purely switch off and listen to the ocean in the most spectacular surroundings, then this is the place for you! Please get in touch, if I can help plan your next holiday to the Maldives.

23 April 2013

For a weekend break away with friends we decided on Madrid. With a daily flight operating from Bristol with Easyjet, and taking only 2 hours 20 minutes, we thought this would be the ideal weekend away. After checking in at the Hotel Vincci Via 66, in the early evening, we found the hotel to be in an excellent location, right on the Gran Via. It has a very contemporary design but quite quirky, the rooms were a good size, with a good size bathroom. Considering the location, and hustle and bustle of the Gran Via we found the hotel to be very quiet with no outside noise being heard. There was a great lounge on the first floor where you could have early evening drinks, or there was a roof top bar where you could sit and watch the magnificent sunsets over Madrid. On our first evening we had dinner at Lamucca Restaurant, which was full of locals and the food was excellent. They serve great steaks and the drinks were so reasonable! On our first day we took the Metro to Atocha Renfe station, and caught the train to Toledo which took 30 minutes. What a beautiful city, with little cobbled streets and pavement cafes where you could watch the world pass by. There are plenty of sights also to see from here such as Sephardic Museum, El Greco Museum, Cathedral Treasure Musem, to name but a few. We had dinner here al fresco and then took the late train back to Madrid. A return ticket costs EUR20.00. On our second day we took the hop on hop off bus tour of Madrid. You can either purchase a one day ticket or two day ticket; we decided on the first option and this cost EUR21.00, but what a great way to see the city and all of its best sights such as the Royal Palace, Bernabeu Stadium and the Paseo del Arte famous for its unique museums. On our third day we thought we would have a relaxing day. So we took the cable car and then walked to Retiro Park. What a beautiful park, we even hired a rowing boat and had 45 minutes just relaxing in the sunshine. There are so many things to do in Madrid, but three days was the perfect break with great friends. If you are looking for that perfect weekend break away I can definitely recommend Madrid! I will definitely be revisiting...