10 May 2020

Is it Wednesday yet? The highlight of the week has become our weekly Zoom quiz, it started off with 3 families but its gathered momentumn and we now have 12 different teams of all ages and some people attend that we have only met in the virtual world!! The quizmaster baton gets passed around weekly and here are some questions to help you out when it's your turn. I hope you find it useful Alex Buckle’s Travel Counsellors Lockdown Quiz ROUND 1 – Part 1 Quick fire Round – Give the year ( 20 POINTS ) 1.The Battle of Hastings (1066) 2. The Great Fire of London (1666) 3. The Storming of the Bastille (1789) 4. England won the World Cup (1966) 5. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth second (1953) 6. The death of Queen Victoria (1901) 7. Twin towers attack (2001) 8. Invention of Penny Black (1840) 9. The Battle of the Somme (1916) 10. D day landings (1944) ROUND 2 – Travel & Geography 1. Which American state has only one syabelle? – Maine 2. The Sahara desert extends into how many countries 5,10 or 13? - 10 3. What is the name of Richard Brandson’s private island resort in the Caribbean? – necker 4. The equator divides which Indian Ocean nation? – Maldives 5. Which state has the longest coastline in the USA? – Alaska 6. Which two countries are divided by the Iguazo Falls? – Brazil & Argentina 7. What is Uluru more commonly known as? – Ayers Rock 8. Which natural wonder can be seen from space – Grand Canyon ROUND 3 – Quick fire – all the answers are makes or models of cars 1. Spanish born artist. (Picasso) 2. A short skirt - 60s fashion item (Mini) 3. A ray of strong daylight (Sunbeam) 4. An island off the eastern coast of Italy. (Capri) 5. Game using small balls and irons. (Golf) 6. A collection of these might make beautiful music (note) 7. From the Greek word meaning star (Astra) 8. A piece of material used for cleaning (Duster) 9. A wanderer, traveller, globetrotter (Rover) 10. Large yellowish cat with spots (Jaguar) 11. Twin zodiac sign (Gemini) 12. Relating to citizen or municipal affairs ( civic) 13. French word meaning lively and vivacious (Esprit) 14. Number 1 was launched by NASA on September 5th 1977 ( Voyager) 15. Messenger for arc in Paris (Triumph Herald) 16. One of a European mountain range (Dolomite) 17. Insignificant (Minor) 18. A dice game resulting in drawing this insect (Beetle) 19. Spelling variation for jazz singer with velvety voice (Clio) 20. Succulent plant for dry places (cactus) ROUND 4 – Sports 1) What was the nickname of the French tennis star Rene Lacoste? – Crocodile 2) Which sportsman is known as the Golden Bear? – Jack Nicklaus 3) In Rugby Union, who are the Pumas? – Argentina 4) Which famous European football Club is known as the Old Lady – Juventus? 5) Which English Football League club has the highest ground? – West Brom 6) Who, aged 16 was the youngest winner of the Ladies Wimbledon Singles title in the 20th century? – Hingis 7) Ben Stokes incredible 2nd innings helped England secure a famous win at headlingley vs Australia. What score did he finish unbeaten on? – 115, 135 0r 155 8) Which golfer won his first major title at 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush? – Shane Lowry ROUND 5 – Food & Drink 1) I call it a bread roll, but what would our friends in Lancashire call it? – Barm Cake 2) The greggs vegan sausage roll was so popular when it launched in January that is sold out. What is the main component of its filling? – Quorn 3) In which country is the Marlborough wine region? – NZ 4) What colour are most of the wines from France’s Anjou region? Rose 5) Which red wine is drunk when young and is called ‘nouveau’? – Beaujoulais 6) Which name is given to a type of hard wheat semolina, originating from North Africa, which is soaked in water and served with spicy meat and vegetables? – couscous 7) What is the name given to smooth yogurt, which translated from French, literally means Fresh Cheese? – Fromage Frais 8) From which country did the dish Chilli Con Carne originate? – USA ROUND 6 – TV & Film- Famous Lines – name the movie 1) Frankly, my dear, I couldn’t give a damn – Gone with the Wind 2) My mama said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you gonna get – forest gump 3) Nobody puts baby in the corner – dirty dancing 4) You cant handle the truth – a few good men 5) You had me at hello – jerry maguire 6) If you let me daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you – Taken 7) Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads. – Back to the future 8) I see dead people – sixth sense ROUND 7 – Science & Nature 1) Which is the most common gas in the atmosphere? Nitrogen 2) What is the only wild monkey now living in Europe? – Barbary Ape 3) Border, Leicester & Corrie dale are all breeds of what? – Sheep 4) Rock Hopper, Jackass and Emperor are all types of what? – Penguin 5) Which living bird has the longest wingspan? – Albatross 6) What is the more common name for Nitrous Oxide? – Laughing Gas 7) What is the collective noun for a group of foxes? – skulk 8) It was thought that dogs descended from wolves, yet what is that wolves cannot do that dogs do? – bark ROUND 8 – Music – name the song and artist 1) Its got a groove, its got a meaning – Grease – Frankie Valli 2) And we’ll keep on fighting till the end – we are the champions – Queen 3) If you change your mind, I’m the first in line – Take a chance of me – Abba 4) Her name was lola, she was a show girl – Copacabana – Barry Manilow 5) If you want my body – do ya think im sexy – rod stewart 6) At first I was afraid I was petrified – Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 7) Straight up proovin, we can getcha grooving, this tracks boomin – PJ & Duncan – lets get ready to rumble 8) When I was six year old I broke my leg, I was running from my brother and his friends – castle on the hill – ed Sheeran

17 June 2019

As we all know, skiing can be an expensive holiday, especially when travelling with 4 children. When they are young, you must consider not only the travel, accommodation and lift passes, but their lessons and of course their equipment. Now Emma is the skier in our family and her parents started taking her and her siblings from a very young age. I on the other hand started about 6 years ago and to be honest found it really difficult and still do. Confidence is my issue and like a lot of sports or activities, so much of it happens in your head. For the past few years to save money we have driven and taken the Eurotunnel. On average it takes between 7 and 10 hours to get from Calais to the Alps, depending on which resort you travel to. We tend to leave on the Friday night and take turns travelling through the night to arrive for lunchtime. We have driven to Kaprun in Austria (that's a long way - we stayed overnight in Stuttgart en route), La Tzoumaz in Switzerland (satellite resort of Verbier), Les Arcs in France and then last year we travelled to Mottaret in the Three Vallees (France). Our accommodation in Mottaret was basic but adequate and we were blessed with ski in/out, which is a godsend when travelling with young children as carrying your own skies is often bad enough. Emma is a genius when it comes to catering for our rabble and she always packs our trusted slow cooker, along with a variety of spices and ingredients as eating on the mountain daily can cost a lot. We tend to take breakfast in the apartment before hitting the slopes, cheeky pizza and frites on the slopes (we always carry a bag of snacks for the kids) and then either a curry, chilli or pasta for dinner (I bet our neighbours love us). It's important to invest in lessons from the outset and to encourage the children to attend. With ours now 5 years through, we only have the odd lesson. If you have any queries or wish to discuss some skiing ideas, please feel free to contact me on 01487 898330

11 June 2019

"Where do you want to go on your next holiday kids?" "Dubai, Dad!" Do you know what, I am always a little embarrassed to say how much I actually enjoyed our holiday to Dubai, I love culture, visiting new and exciting destinations and meeting new people especially the locals. Dubai doesn't offer as much culture as Sri Lanka, you can't mix with the locals like in Thailand, you can't eat from a street vendor like you can in Vietnam....however, man alive can you indulge, party, experience thrills and enjoy the benefits of a city on a glorious beach in one of the best climates in the world. It's not to everyone tastes, but it's catching up with Orlando on becoming the number one choice for UK families to visit for a fun filled holiday. Here's why: the flight is less than 7 hours and Emirates now fly from a lot of regional airports including Birmingham, Stansted, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and of course the London airports. The Atlantis waterpark is in my opinion the best in the world, Motiongate and LEGOLAND parks in Dubai parks and resorts are amazing and such great value compared to Orlando. You can visit the world's tallest building, cruise, off road in the desert and ride a camel - all this whilst every other day chill on a beach and sip a refreshing cocktail. Feel free to take a look at our photos on my Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pg/AlexBuckleTravelGuru/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1842409289188631

06 June 2018

We have over 1500 Travel Counsellors across the globe. Every year we are set a goal and target to become a Gold Travel Counsellor. Out of our 11 years in business I think we have only missed out a couple of times. We have been lucky enough to visit Barbados, Hong Kong, Tenerife, Mauritius and this year we were truly spoilt. In May 2018 we travelled to the Middle East to have three nights at the 5-star luxury Waldorf Astoria Resort in Ras Al Khaimah - RAK for short. RAK is a 45-minute transfer from Dubai airport and it's an up and coming beach resort in the UAE. During the weekend we visited several hotels, dined in some amazing settings including a Bedouin tent in the middle of the dessert. The highlight of the trip was our zip lining experience. We travelled over an hour to Jebel Jais, the highest point in the UAE. The experience itself lasts about 30 minutes, there are two zip lines, the first is the longest in the world and you travel at speeds up to 90 mph. The second is 900 metres from a suspended platform. Wow! We were so relieved when it was over but so pleased we did it. What an amazing experience and something you should try and do. RAK is a brilliant destination for some winter sunshine, five nights or a week. The rates are brilliant, which means it's a value for money destination, especially now that Emirates are flying from so many regional airports. It's such an easy place to get to as well. So please do get in touch if you need help or ideas and want some first-hand knowledge of the destination.

05 June 2018

This spring I was lucky enough to be chosen to visit Southern California. Our trip included flights with American Airlines, stays at Huntington Beach, San Diego and Palm Springs. Here's a few thoughts on them all. American Airlines provided great inflight entertainment. The economy seats were a bit tight, but no different from flying BA or Virgin. Service was a little lacking and the food wasn't brilliant. But hey, we left on time and arrived on time. On arrival in California we drove to Huntington Beach aka Surf City USA. Traffic around LA is horrendous. 40 miles took over two hours. Surf City - brilliant, loved it. Great beach, proper American seaside, really clean, lots of restaurants, cafes, brilliant pier. Cycling and jogging on the beach was a highlight. We stayed at the Hilton Waterfront, a brilliant resort style hotel with great facilities and just a short stroll to Pacific City. After two nights we headed to San Diego and visited SeaWorld. It's not for me but I was their guest and wanted to see it for myself. San Diego is much more than Sea World or the Zoo. It’s a brilliant city, in fact now my favourite US city. I loved the atmosphere and the people are so friendly. I would highly recommend a stay at the Del Coronado, what an amazing property. A trip to the USS Midway is a must too and if you can grab a game at the San Diego Padres, their stadium is awesome. Whether you like baseball or not, the experience is fantastic. On to Palm Springs - I loved this area, so much to see and do and not at all what I expected. The Tramway is worth a visit to the highest peak in the Valley, the view and the air up there is amazing. I'd also recommend breakfast at the Ace Hotel Diner - wow! The highlight of the trip for me though was the walk through the Indian canyons in Palm Springs, what an amazing experience but the beware of Rattlesnakes! Get in touch with me if you're planning to see this area - alex.buckle@travelcounsellors.com

24 January 2018

I've never been one for theme parks, especially roller coasters and white-knuckle rides. I was always happy to stand and look after the coats and bags with my mum whilst my dad and younger sister were thrown upside down on a metal wagon! That was until I visited Universal some 10 years ago for the first time. Being a big film fan, I loved all the references to iconic movies, such as E.T., Back to the Future and Blues Brothers. Fast forward to June 2017 and I was fortunate to win a place on a VIP Educational trip to visit Universal again, experience the wizarding world of Harry Potter and to see the brand-new waterpark, Volcano Bay. We spent five days as a guest of Universal staying at the brilliant Sapphire Falls. There’s a lovely pool area, great facilities (especially a great gym - perfect for the first two jet lagged days) and it’s just a short water taxi ride away from the entrance to the parks and city walk (Universal's entertainment hub). Rather than bore you with lots of boring details about the colour of carpets in hotel rooms and the number of restaurants at each hotel with the world of Universal, here are my top tips and ideas you may feel useful. Of course, if you do have questions about the type of carpets in the hotels, do get in touch as I have loads of photos and information to share. So here we go: 1) Stay onsite and benefit from the early opening hours, especially to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 2) If you want to be 'cool' parents, treat your kids to a stay at The Hard Rock Hotel, with live music, staff that look like rock stars and the closest hotel to the entrance 3) Make sure you look out for the Blues Brother show in Universal Studios, try and get there five minutes early to get a good spot 4) Take motion sickness tablets, if you suffer with that kind of thing, as a lot of the rides are simulators. 5) Eat at the Gruesome Toothsome factory. I highly recommend the milkshakes 6) Stay at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino and benefit from the fast passes - well worth it! 7) Families blessed with more than two children like me, check out the Tower Suites at Cabana Bay 8) If you're there without kids and looking for a place to go out in the evening, check out the Irish bar and the duelling pianos. 9) Volcano Bay - really understand the map and the rides to maximize your time 10) For shopping visit the premium outlets, especially for Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secrets and loads of sports shops. I have been selling holidays to Florida for over 20 years. I have been to Orlando four times, Clearwater, Miami and the Florida Keys. Please do bear me in mind when you're planning a holiday to the U S of A!

07 January 2018

You all know I am a Travel Counsellor but do you know exactly what a Travel Counsellor is? I'm part of a global network of travel professionals established in 1994. With independent access to thousands of trusted travel suppliers around the world, when booking with me - it is travel and customer service like you've never experienced before. If you’re still a little unsure why you should book through me here are just a few reasons: - I have 25 years’ experience in the travel industry - I would NEVER sell a holiday I didn't think was right for you - Full ATOL protection, so your money is safe - 24-hour Duty Office, for support wherever and whenever you need us! No stranded clients with me! - You can contact me via my office landline, mobile, website, Skype, Facebook, email, no on hold music or a call centre somewhere else in the world! - Travel Counsellors have real and unbiased reviews from our own clients who have been on their own real holidays! All I ask is you give me a call before you press that 'confirm' button on a website. If your internet website can do more for you than me, I really won't be offended! If Travel Counsellors is not for you, you may know someone who would love to experience my expert advice and service for booking their own holiday, so please pass on my details. So what are waiting for? Get in touch with me and experience the difference for yourself - it's time for you to sit back, relax and get your 2018 holiday booked.

19 April 2017

Emma and I are blessed with 4 great children, Archie is 6, George is 9, Alice is 11 and Maisie is 14. Now I'm a terrible skier (Bambi on Ice springs to mind!) however, Emma has been skiing since she was a little girl and loves it and I am desperate for the children to learn whilst they are fearless and flexible! Skiing can be expensive, so we do have to cut a few corners to make it work, firstly we load up the 'Buckle Bus ' (our car) and drive to the mountains. Secondly we normally take a few prepared meals for the chalet and plenty of homemade cakes to keep the kids stocked up after a hard day on the slopes! This Easter we decided to head to La Tzoumaz in Switzerland, this is a small resort within Les 4 Vallées (Four Valleys) and neighboring the more famous Verbier. Why? Because we managed to get a great price on a chalet plus the slopes of La Tzoumaz are north facing and hold the snow later in the season. So here are some facts - journey time from Calais = 8.5 hrs, from our home in Cambridgeshire it took 13 hours door-to-door including the Tunnel. I booked our chalet through one of my suppliers, we have used them many times before for our clients and always received great feedback. I must say their directions, welcome pack and key collection was a doddle and hassle-free. The local office had also organized our lift passes and also a nice discount from the ski rental shop before we had arrived, so it was all nice and easy. Our chalet was a 5-minute drive up through the village and on arrival we were all blown away by the view, you would never get tired of that. It was stunning, all you wanted was for Heidi and her grandfather to come strolling round the corner! The chalet was equipped with all you need for a family, dishwasher, plenty of space, hot tub and WiFi. We organized our ski lessons through Tzoumaz Evasion, Maisie and George were allocated to Lukas and Alice and Archie to Adam. Both instructors were superb and Alice was so nervous but Adam worked wonders with her and I would highly recommend them both. During the week the snow in la Tzoumaz started to melt and the best time of day was 9.30 til midday, however in this resort you are just two cables and a short bus ride from Verbier. So on a couple of occasions during the week we headed up to 2700m plus and found great snow conditions and beautiful blue skies. Now a word of warning, skiing isn't cheap, the average glass of beer on the mountain is £5-£7, a plate of fries is circa £7 and a small cup of coffee is £4 to £5. However, you can't beat a beer in the mountains with all that fresh air and sun beating down on your face. So just enjoy and take it all in, just sip rather than gulp! We are already planning our trip for next season. So if you fancy a ski trip, whether it's a first or you're experienced and looking for a new resort or some fresh ideas. Please do get in touch as we would love to help. Here is a video of Archie and Emma on the slops - https://www.facebook.com/AlexBuckleTravelGuru/videos/1259133100849589/

16 April 2017

A hassle-free skiing holiday does exist, it is true what they say after all!! Okay, so for the past couple of years we have been taking our children skiing on a relatively low budget (if such a thing exists on a skiing holiday). We have driven to Austria and Switzerland in the past two years and our four wonderful children have learned to ski. Normally we stay a short walk or drive from the main lift and Emma and I are normally tasked with carrying skis, boots, poles, snacks and water. I work with Mark Warner holidays a lot and they offer a wide variety of destinations and activities to suit all ages. Towards the end of March, I was extremely lucky to be offered a trip on a 3-day educational trip to the French resort of Mottaret, near Meribel. So, let me take you through the hassle-free experience... 1) Flight to Grenoble on their own chartered aircraft - on-time and superb check in service. 2) On arrival at Grenoble, collect luggage and on a transfer bus to resort in under 25 minutes. 3) Transfer on comfortable Mini-Coach, met at the bottom of mountain by two VW Caravelle's to take us to the Tarentaise hotel. Transfer time less than 2hrs. 4) Check in at Tarentaise and rooms ready. 5) Skis and boots collected from their basement, excellent service and honestly, the best boots I have ever worn! All this was before lunchtime! Now, the hotel is what I would call a 'grower,' why? My first impressions were that the décor and furnishings were a little dated. However, once in you feel at ease, relaxed and the staff are superb. The hotel is run by a wonderful manager and her team make you feel at home straight away. The rooms are clean and the beds extremely comfortable and I would highly recommend a room with a slope view as it doesn't get better than that! Food is excellent, a great choice for evening meals, breakfast consists of hot choices plus your continental options too. Afternoon tea is served from 4pm and I can highly recommend the Bakewell cake! On top of all this there is a Tea and Coffee drink station available all day free of charge. Location - going back to the hassle-free holiday - ski in/out couldn't be any better than this, especially as it joins to a green run, so you can immediately re-discover your ski legs if it's been a while. Now for the little ones, Mark Warner offer superb childrens facilities and its why my clients love them so much. The staff are second to none and their approach is so caring and you can tell they love what they do. For those ready for ski school, the nannies will escort and collect them from their lessons and provide them with lunch back at the hotel. The ski school companies used are hand picked and not the 'cram' them all in style approach that some of the larger companies use. In the evening the children can have their 'tea' before their parents and again there is always a great selection including some fresh vegetables too! There is also offer a baby listening service too. Finally, the resort. Mottaret which is linked to the Trois Vallees and above Meribel is wonderful. I would highly recommend it and I'm planning on taking my family there next year. A brilliant mix of runs to suit all abilities, lovely choice of bars and restaurants and Meribel is just a short ski or bus ride away. Rond Point is brilliant for Apres and I can recommend a late night drink at Doran's too in Meribel. If you are interested in a ski holiday for 2018 please feel free to get in touch. To see my video of the trip please click on the link https://www.facebook.com/AlexBuckleTravelGuru/videos/1239625406133692/

05 January 2017

It's not all palm trees and cocktails, I believe travel should take be adventurous and as my family found out… you don't have to board a plane to do this. So this year the Buckle Bus headed for the Isle of Bute to see in the New Year, an 8-hour journey saw us arrive at Wemyss bay, approximately 30 miles west of Glasgow. Here we boarded the Caledonian Macbride ferry to the Isle of Bute, our home for the next 3 days. The ferry crossing takes just over half an hour and the return cost for the 6 of us including the car was £43. We arrived at our cottage within 10 minutes of leaving the ferry, it was late and extremely dark and imagine my 14-year-old daughter's reaction when she found out there was no 3G/WiFi or phone signal! I think she developed a twitch within the hour... So the sun doesn't rise until 9ish and we were all blown away by the view once we opened the curtains and looked out across our garden, now we didn't have long to appreciate the scenery as it gets dark around 3.30pm too. So off we headed for a walk and ice cream at the famous Zavaroni's café. We saw New Year in with our little party on Craggy Island and the following day we were blessed with bright blue skies and fresh air, so off we went to Scalpsie bay, seal spotting. The children were not disappointed, it’s only a small colony on Bute but we managed to see 6 basking on the rocks and taking the odd dip. For lunch we headed to the lovely Kingarth Hotel, I would recommend the Scallops and Black Pudding as a starter. If you're thinking of a UK break, get in touch, we work with a variety of suppliers that offer everything from Spa retreats, Log Cabins, and country cottages. Happy New Year and let's make 2017 one to remember!!

08 December 2016

"Would you like to go to check out some hotels for your customers in St Lucia" they said. Not the most difficult decision I have had to make. So 26th November came round and I was boarding the Virgin Atlantic flight to the Caribbean in Premium Economy next to the gold medal Olympic champion, Colin Jackson, although I think unfortunately he is more famous for Strictly these days! But wait what's this, "excuse me Mr Buckle, we have one seat left in Upper Class, would you like it?" Well as quick as a cat on a hot tin roof or as quick as Colin Jackson in the 1996 Olympic Games I swiftly moved to my rightful place! The Upper Class experience is brilliant especially on the day flight as you can enjoy your Bloody Mary from a bar stool at the exclusive upper class bar. Anyway, I'm showing off. After a fantastic flight we arrived in St Lucia and stepped off the plane into the glorious Caribbean sunshine. There was a bit of commotion in the airport when we arrived as the one and only Prince Harry had left the island earlier that day, not to worry. Maybe next time Harry we can enjoy a Rum Punch together. I'm not going to go in to detail about all the hotels we visited but just share with you some of the highlights. Our first hotel was the Landings in the north of the island. This is about 90 minutes from the airport and I would recommend if you are travelling as a couple to get a private car. Travelling in a mini bus after a long flight isn't the most comfortable experience or if you're looking to make it a once in a lifetime experience I can organise a helicopter to transfer you to the north. The Landings is a great self-catering resort with four major supermarkets nearby. The beach here is great, small but adequate for a week’s stay. The spa and gym facilities are brill too. Whilst in the north of the island we were treated to dinner at Cap Maison, a beautiful property and perfect for those looking for an intimate experience with personal service. The views from the restaurant are breathtaking. We also dined at East Winds Resort. I loved the pool here which offers a self-service cocktail bar and guests take it in turns to become the bartender. The staff here are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet and their smiles are infectious. The Body Holiday was next and we bumped in to my good friend Colin again, he was there as an ambassador offering a beach boot camp every morning. British legend, Daley Thompson, was there earlier in the month. A great holiday option for those with itchy feet who need to be active, but don't worry they offer food for wellbeing but also food for the soul too (the lunchtime pizza was very popular). The Windjammer Landings resort is a brilliant choice for families. Finally, whilst we in the north we stayed at the Rendezvous, a couples resort perfect for those that like the beach as it's a stunning setting. After leaving the North we headed a little further south to Marigot Bay aka Hurricane Hole, the safest bay in the Caribbean. We stayed at the Capella resort along with the winners of this year’s ARC race from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. No beachfront here but a stunning setting. I would recommend a three night stay here as part of a twin centre with a beachfront property. Top Tip – take a trip across on the bay ferry to the Marigot Bay Beach Club and Doolittle’s, the bar is like stepping back into the 80’s. Towards the end of the week we headed down to the Pitons, stopping for the most delicious lunch at Ti Kaye resort. What an amazing setting, do not be put off by the mile-long windy road. It’s worth it, the rooms/cottages are stunning with beautiful views of the bay which you can enjoy from your hammock. Our driver Ian then rolled us out of Ti Kaye and we continued our journey to The Sugar Beach by Viceroy. OMG, what an unbelievable setting. The resort is nestled in between the Pitons, the white sandy beach is stunning and you are taken to each of the rooms by Tuk Tuks all the way from the Far East. We were greeted by our own personal butlers and we soon established that Sir or Mr Buckle wasn’t going to work for me, so Gary and I chatted football. Unfortunately Gary had been brainwashed as a child into supporting Manchester United, I didn’t hold this against him too long as he was brilliant at ironing my shirts! After a quick tour of the resort we met at the jetty and we were whisked away to Jade Mountain. Whilst I may have only been on that boat for five minutes, I have never felt more like James Bond in my life. This was topped off by the experience of Jade Mountain, the architecture is unique and it definitely looks fitting for a James Bond villain. The view of the Pitons is magical and especially as night falls when you can see Venus shining brightly over the top. I was disappointed to leave St Lucia and I will return as there is so much to see and experience on the island. I hope you have enjoyed the read and if you need any help on your next holiday, please do not hesitate in contacting me on 01487 898330.