19 November 2024

Day 1 - Collected from Colombo airport for a night in the city to allow some rest after the flight. Dinner at the award winning Gallery Café – an award winning restaurant with local and international well-priced dishes and amazing cocktails! Day 2- Early start for a 4.5 hour drive into the cultural triangle and the capital of Sri Lanka’s North Central Province to Anuradhapura – an amazing city on the banks of the Malvathu River, recognised by UNESCO. A city which was developed around the third century “tree of enlightenment”, Sri Maha Bohi – said to be the oldest tree on earth. 2 nights at the beautiful Uga Ulagalla Resort. 150 year old mansion at its centre with 20 ecologically built “chalets” across 58 acres of land and is one of the small hotels of the world. It has its own solar far generating half of its own energy requirements, this is a really unique boutique hotel, with stunning suites with their own plunge pools – fabulous in the heat of the day! Day 3 – On route to visit to Dambulla Cave Temple – A World Heritage Site. In the Central Part of the country it is the best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka, containing statues and paintings related to Lord Buddha and his life. The murals cover over an area of 2,100 square metres. Not for the faint hearted as there are 364 steps to climb to get to the temple. On the way we see our first wild Elephant at the roadside. In the afternoon we visited Kala Diya Pokuna Forest Monastery where we spent time with a Hermit Monk and were blessed to have meditated with him in his favourite place. Authentic Kamatha meal – a rice paddy dining pavilion serving royal recipes from a Kingdom long forgotten. Think fragrant spices and utensils still in use after 2000 years and food in hand made clay pots and open wood fires. Really tasty. A very spiritual and emotional day for many different reasons. Day 4 – Sunrise Nacchaduwa drive in rural countryside. Off the beaten to see many bird species, buffalo and other wildlife with a scenic breakfast alongside Nacchaduwa Lake – a vast reservoir set amongst hills and forest. 2 nights at Santani Wellness - in the hills near Kandy. A purpose built wellness resort designed with sustainability and Eco-standards in mind. Relaxation and Rejuvenation here. See clouds rolling in and out. Rooms open to the elements so you can hear the birds and nature beyond. Cocktails by the bonfire followed by an astounding 7 course dining experience. Day 5 – 7am yoga session where I relaxed so much I went back to sleep at the end! After breakfast we took a guided walk along the Hulu River which ended with a beautiful swim in the clear waters followed by a spa treatment to really understand what this resort has to offer. Food is sublime here and the attention to detail like nothing else. Day 6 – Off to Gal Oya National Park. We stayed the night at Gal Oya Lodge. A unique location where you can take walks with local tribespeople – and dine with them as we did. The rooms here are luxurious with unique outdoor bathrooms. Day 7 – An early rise for a Jungle Drive and walk through the park with in house naturalists and breakfast by the river. After lunch departure to Yala National Park. In the Southeast corner of Sri Lanka. Stunning landscapes, wildlife and cultural attractions. A must visit destination for nature lovers with a leopard density reportedly higher than anywhere else in the world. The journey here did not disappoint either as we encountered 2 huge elephants at the roadside. Thank goodness for our amazing drivers who know exactly what to do when you are face to face with them! Another emotional site. Checked into Uga Chena Huts. This place is just WOW. Elephants are free to roam the hotel grounds which is beachfront with crashing waves. You can’t swim here and if an elephant is present you will be informed that you will need escorting from your room. Day 8 – Up super early for a morning game drive (block 5) which is not so popular amongst tourists as a little further away, which made it really peaceful. The scenery was spectacular on a clear sunny morning. It wasn’t long until our ranger pointed out a leopard hiding amongst the bushes and leaves – without them there is no way we would have seen it. Bird life, monkeys, deer and so much more to be seen. We only saw 3 other trucks in this less popular part of the park. A little further on, another Leopard on a rock! A sight to behold. Well worth the early rise to have breakfast amongst the leopards! Lunch and a nice bit of relaxation around the resort and the private pools we each had, to really get the feeling of this unique place. In the afternoon we took another game drive – this time to block 1 – so many more vehicles here. And the opportunity to see another young leopard in close up. This time too we saw elephants – including a mummy and her baby! Returning to the hotel beach for sundowners and another delicious dinner in the glass fronted restaurant – just in case the elephants wanted to pop along!! They didn’t sadly. Day 9 – We reluctantly departed Uga Chena Huts to head towards Galle. Visiting some lovely villas on the way, we arrived at The Six – Six villas fully serviced villas – we had 3 of them, all along the sea front where we saw turtles swimming in the sea, and an evening with bonfire and relaxed dinner. Day 10 – On the way to our last stay in Galle Fort. Galle Fort is a walled city built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, A World Heritage Site with grand colonial houses and boutique shops as well as some beautiful beaches along the edges too. Rated by cricket fans too with the Galle International Stadium said to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. We experienced a walk around Galle with a resident expert too – encouraging supporting locals and their businesses and improving sustainable business practices within the Fort Community. We checked in to the Galle Fort Hotel – luxurious surroundings and accommodation with a beautiful on site restaurant. We had an arrack experience – a taste of the locally brewed tipple. Similar to Whisky. Not my ideal, but we gave it a good go! Day 11 – an early departure for the 1.5 hour journey to the airport for and the last goodbyes. In brief, a county of smiles, simplicity and contentedness, which is refreshing in the busy world in which we live. I would return in a heartbeat to this diverse country – all budgets can be matched too.

03 April 2019

My husband and I managed a rare child-free trip to Amsterdam in March 2019. The weather was kind to us and we fitted lots of things in to 3 days and walked miles. We arrived at Schiphol airport around 5.30pm where baggage came off the carousel in record speed then we bought tickets for the train into Centraal Station before we left the baggage area and to avoid queues at the machines in the arrivals hall. Trains are very frequent and easily accessible, clean and reasonable in cost. We were in Amsterdam Centraal Station just after 6pm and had approx. 20 mins walk to our hotel which was in the Centrum area. A speedy check in to the Radisson Blu and out again for dinner at a lovely restaurant recommendation called Janz at the Pulitzer Hotel - the food was stunning, tasty and fresh. The next day we woke early for a hearty breakfast and packed in a must-visit to Anne Frank House. This HAS to be booked in advance and is bookable 2 months before your visit. Really well organised and very humbling. We went on to do a canal cruise which was great value for money. Departing from just outside Centraal Station for an hour. You see some lovely scenery that you wouldn't see from the street. We ended the afternoon at the Ice Bar. A fun end - though very cold as you would imagine. Its a little "manufactured" and more of an attraction than a bar stop. You get two drinks included in cold bar and another in the warm bar. In the evening we went to Rembrandt Square. Probably one of my favourite parts of Amsterdam. Some lovely bars and restaurants and a nice laid back appeal, though I can imagine in high season it would be very busy. The following day we used the Tram and metro service with a daily ticket and went to the Heineken Museum. It was a very interesting few hours and one I will definitely recommend to my customers. It does end in a few beers (included in the entry cost) and you even get to pull your own drink and have a competition - which I won incidentally! We walked around the Pijp area where they have lovely shops and cafes as well as a market - where we witnessed 2 herons waiting for the fish at the end of the day. We then returned to Rembrandt Square for a lovely Italian meal and ended with a tuk tuk ride back to our hotel which was such fun! The last day we had a leisurely stroll around the Jewish Quarter and a coffee in Dam Square before setting off back to the airport. All in all, a fabulous few days in a historic city which can be as busy or as quiet as you would like it and appeals to all people.

05 November 2015

I was lucky enough to travel to Las Vegas for a friends’ birthday in October. The weather was perfect – nice and warm at all times. Just a 15 min ride from the airport and we were at our home for the next 4 nights. We stayed just off the strip at the Elara Aparthotel – gorgeous apartment style rooms and very quiet. I am told it’s the only hotel not to have its own casino so its nice and quiet in the evenings. Just a 10 min stroll through the Miracle Mile shopping centre brings you to the middle of the strip where all of the action is. Las Vegas is so bustling and bright with many food outlets and fab restaurants and bars. We did some great shopping – with the dollar being so good against the pound we got some great bargains. Of course, we didn’t NEED any of it but our wants were much greater and one day just wasn’t enough on our tight schedule. We did the Premium outlet at the North as we were told that is better than that in the South of the strip. Sunset drinks at the Skyfall Bar in the Delano hotel (next to Mandalay Bay) were great as we watched the sun fade and the lights be turned on and Vegas come alive at night. We had an amazing meal at Olives restaurant in the Bellagio hotel – even managed to get a table on the terrace overlooking the famous dancing fountains. A beautiful location for anyone with a special celebration, proposal or anniversary. The highlight for me was a truly amazing helicopter flight over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Grand Canyon where we touched down for half an hour for pictures and a champagne picnic lunch. On the last night we had a meal out followed by entertainment in the Paris hotel at the Duelling Pianos in Napoleons – a great laugh where you make song requests with a bid and the 2 guys battle it out with their sing along tunes, where you are free to dance away too. So, if you want some time in the sunshine to recharge your batteries with great shopping and fab experiences then let me know!

28 May 2015

I first travelled to Dubai in 2000, where I saw lots of plans for the expansion of the destination - staying in Deira – the old part of Dubai and seeing the now famous landmark Burj Al Arab Hotel, which at the time felt tall. In May 2015, I was lucky enough to win a place on a trip that took me to see how Dubai had changed and what it had to offer now as a tourist destination. WOW it had changed! During this trip I did the following trips and tours: Caught the lift to level 124 of the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa. Everything seems very small from up there and you can now go up to the 148th floor too. Bookings are essential for this as it's a popular place to visit. You can also dine and have drinks up here too. I took part in a city tour, taking in a crossing of the creek on an Abra boat to visit the spice market and gold souk. Desert Safari and sunset barbecue - a roller coaster ride over the dunes in a 4WD and then on to a Bedouin camp for barbecue and some dancing. We took helicopters from the Atlantis helipad - seeing the Palm from the sky as well as seeing how the seeing how the coastline has changed and came level with Burj Khalifa! Aquaventure waterpark and Lost Chambers aquarium at Atlantis was great fun for the afternoon. We concluded our stay with an amazing evening on Dubai Creek on Bateaux Dubai - a fabulous four course gourmet meal, freshly prepared on board (unlike any other of the boats on the creek). This really was a highlight of the trip as we watched sunset over the creek. In March 2023 I returned again - as a tourist this time, for some well-earned Winter Sunshine. It really didn’t disappoint. I stayed in the city, and on the beach this time. We visited the gold souk for a little purchase and had a wander through the spice souk again to the river. This area remains untouched apart from the huge expansion of hotels and amazing shopping centres. I visited Dubai Mall which is next to Burj Khalifa and ate in the Time Out Market which is communal dining with lots of different food choices and a great bar area. Visiting the Madinat was nice and relaxing – again lots of food choices and great views too. Seeing Dubai Marina area was fabulous - with drinks in rooftop bars, wonderful food and entertainment and staying at the edge of the Palm for a relaxing beach stay too. We also popped over to the new Bluewaters “island” where another fabulous shopping centre greeted us as well as waterfront dining looking back over to the Jumeirah Beach area. There is so much to see and do now in Dubai and its certainly evolved since my first visit there – a great stopover destination, or a main holiday, with some amazing resort style hotels too. Let me know how I can help with your adventure...

14 August 2008

One of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic ocean approx 4 and 1/2 hours flying time from the UK. Having travelled to Lanzarote 6 times, I could happily say that this is one of my favourite destinations having returned again in 2018 I have travelled both with children and without to Lanzarote - staying in the resorts of Puerto Del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Lanzarote is a very barren island as it is volcanic, and is famous for being the place where Planet of the Apes was once filmed. Though bizarrely there are still many parts of the island that are green that were untouched from the eruption.. Puerto Del Carmen is the busiest resort on the island and has many bars, restaurants and night clubs to choose from, much more commercialised with a huge stretch of dark sand beach. Having stayed in both, Playa Blanca is my favourite as it has a coastal path which runs from one side of the resort to the other - stretching more than 5 miles along the coastline. This is simply stunning! The resort was once a tiny fishing village of which some older buildings and brightly coloured boats remain. In the tiny commercial centre, green-shuttered white buildings line the attractive waterfront walk, with its old-fashioned lamp posts and pavement bars. There is a large variety of accommodation here too from luxury hotels to small self catering apartments and villas. So we really were spoilt for chioce when choosing where to stay. There is an old village as well as the newer Rubicon Marina which has lovely yachts and restaurants lining the waterfront. Perfect for our evening meal with some fantastic views out to sea. Costa Teguise is another very popular resort and is host to annual windsurfing championships too - it has a fab beach area and again some lovely hotels and apartments to suit most tastes. I hope to stay in this resort in the future. There are other smaller, developing resorts too - such as Puerto Calero - an exclusive area with a marina and only 10 mins from Puerto Del Carmen. Lanzarote offers year round sunshine - although we find it to be a little windier than it's neighbours in the Canary Islands - as it is more exposed. A favourite place and one I can highly recommend you visit is Cesar Manrique's house - it is constructed from a lava bubble! Caesar was a very well known architect in and around the Canary islands and has many structures that he designed. The house is just one of them but it is breathtaking to see it - very 60's in it's decor but also has some very modern quirks! Another favourite of mine has got to be the Timanfaya National Park - the home of fire mountain where you get to go around the volcano rim on a bus tour - my kids thought this was fantastic and tell all of their friends that they have seen a volcano now! There is the Papagayo National Park too where you can see fabulous stretches of white sand beaches - reminds me of the Cornish coastline! If you would like to know more about Lanzarote just let me know as I will be happy to share my thoughts and views with you.

13 August 2008

Wow!! Having visited New York twice, it never ceases to amaze me! This has got to be one of the most amazing cities in the world. I first visited New York in 1995 and for the first two days I walked around looking up at the skyline, it was just like being in a film – after all so many of them come from New York! Of course in 1995 the Twin Towers were still standing so when I returned there on a work trip in August 2007, the skyline was very different for me. It still most definitely has the wow factor. I spent day one on the Red Bus tour as this gives you a great feel for the city and you can hop on and off as you wish, so you can see many of the sights along the way too. We got off at South Street Seaport – one of my favourite places in New York as it has a bustling atmosphere, good shops and lovely eateries that overlook the Brooklyn Bridge. From here you can also catch the semi-circle line boat tour which goes around the South of Manhattan Island, allowing you to see the skyline as well as view one of the main attractions of New York – The Statue of Liberty. This is an opportunity to take some lovely photos without the hustle and bustle of catching the ferry across. Of course, a visit to New York wouldn’t be complete without some great shopping – from discount outlets to the best and most famous shops in the world – there is something to suit all tastes and styles. And shop I did… I even had to take an empty bag with me to bring it all back! There are also some great places from which to view the New York skyline from a great height – the new viewing station at 'The Top of the Rock' and the Empire State building allow you to get high up in the stars. No visit to New York would be complete without a walk in the park - Central Park. This is a fab place to be - such a vast expanse of greenery with constant reminders of the past and present! We found that there are lots of trips to do in New York – helicopter tours, shopping trips, film & TV show trips and tours – you name it they think of most things in this city! Take a look at my photos for a sample of this exciting place – I can’t wait to go back again.