16 October 2013

We arrived at the fantastic Dinarobin hotel, on the south west of the island, after a 1hr 20 minute transfer from the airport. Waiting was a very warm welcome, the service is impeccable and a huge pool faces you saying ‘come and try me!’ All rooms are ocean facing, beautifully furnished, large and with an even bigger bathroom, big enough to party in - but, we didn't! Dinarobin is mainly sold on a half board basis, but, you can upgrade to the 'club' facility and take advantage of snacks and drinks until 8pm each evening which we found most useful in a special relaxing lounge! We loved our stay here and could not fault a thing, it’s next door to hotel Paradis and you can interchange dining giving you such a wider choice. If you don't fancy the short walk you can take a golf buggy ride - good fun! Mauritius and the Dinarobin is the perfect choice for a wedding, honeymoon or renewal of vows - well, Laurence Llewellyn Bowen can't be wrong, can he? It’s very easy to get around in Mauritius, so go on and hire a car - they drive on the left! Visit the spice and silk market, go on safari at the Casela Nature and Leisure park or visit the Pamplemousse gardens. Whether you decide to explore or just relax you will not be disappointed.

16 October 2013

We flew from Heathrow to Johannesburg and then on an internal flight to Port Elizabeth (known locally as PE!). On arrival into Port Elizabeth we were driven to our game reserve at Shamwari, which is a small, luxurious malaria free game reserve. The rangers will take you out whenever you ask, but, the best time is very early morning before it gets hot. We saw all the big five and more, he showed us their tracks and knew exactly how to trace and find them! Late night game drives were equally as good with the most fantastic sunsets, sat watching the sun setting with a glass of champagne in hand in the open wilds is a memory to treasure. We ate the most fantastic food and at times had I known what is was, I probably wouldn't i.e. Springbok and Wildebeest!! The drive along the garden route takes a good 4-5 days, but, it is well worth it. There are a number of amazing things to see and do staying overnight in Hermanus for whale watching - they come in really close, so close you sit on the beach and watch and can almost touch them. Then there's Mossel Bay for oysters and champagne - has to be done!! Finally, after sampling the fantastic wines in Stellenbosch, we arrived in Cape Town. Cape Town is vibrant, cosmopolitan and the shopping is fabulous, especially the Victoria & Albert waterfront. Table Mountain and the cable car with such great views is a must - be careful when the mist comes down!! I had such an amazing time in South Africa - I want to go back already!!

04 October 2013

Blue Waters is the most amazing hotel. From the moment you arrive you are made to feel very special, greeted by the manager with ice cold towels and rum or fruit punch handed to you whilst you check in. The lobby is light and airy and very spacious. The rooms are large and most have fantastic views of the ocean. There are two pools, a family pool and an adult only pool. Whilst not large, the adult pool is ideally situated and has the obligatory bar for those cool drinks and snacks! The sea is down a few steepish steps and the sand is wonderfully deep! There is a lady called Caroline who brings fresh fruit, ice cream and drinks to you so no need to move from your sunbed if you don't want to! The food is to die for in all three restaurants and afternoon tea, which is served on the patio, is very nice. After dinner there is regular entertainment by way of a band and everyone joins in to dance (if you want to – it’s not compulsory!) This is a very friendly hotel, both clients and staff, and is one of my favourites!

16 October 2013

We set off for Gatwick with baggage including four baby/child car seats and all the family, 10 in total, in the middle of the night for the 6am flight to Malaga. Never having flown Aer Lingus before l have to say that everything went seamlessly from the chauffeur parking (which I find invaluable) to check-in and boarding the flight. We had paid for seat reservations as we knew there could be a problem with four little ones if we should be split up. The service, seats and leg room could not be faltered. On arrival into Malaga we hired a car as where we were staying is about 30-40 minutes away. Also I feel a car is a very useful advantage as there is a lot to see and do! Be careful on leaving Malaga - make sure you stay on the right road as you could soon find yourself in Gibraltar if you’re not careful! The majority of the holiday was intended to be spent relaxing around the pool. Around the Marbella area, there are a variety of activities including a water park in Fuengirola that’s not too far away and also the cable cars where you have a fantastic view of the whole of the coast. The beaches are some of the best in Spain and for any golfers there are some of the best courses in Europe. If you are looking for a more traditional Spanish holiday then Torremolinos, Benalmadena & Fuengirola would not be for you. However, there are a lot of other areas to choose from. Along the whole of the coast there is a variety of accommodation to choose from. Ranging from apartments, 3* hotels to 5* hotels and villas with their own private pools. There are a number of restaurants and something to suit everyone from authentic Spanish Paella in a beach restaurant washed down with a jug of Sangria or much more up market international style restaurants. A visit to Mijas is not to be missed or indeed very typical white villages such as Casares or Coin. Although we didn’t visit Granada or Ronda this time, they are within very easy reach and well worth the trip! Also Gibraltar isn’t that far away (probably about an hour/hour & a half) for a few duty free items and a visit to the rock to see the baboons and the caves. The kids love this! If you fancy a bit of people watching, you won’t be disappointed at Puerto Banus – my word there are some fantastic yachts and cars to see and be seen there. Beware of the prices though as they are hiked up for the privilege. The holiday was almost coming to an end and all the children had either learnt to swim without armbands or underwater and the two babies just loved every minute of it. It was hard work – we don’t get any younger, but wouldn’t have missed it for the world! Malaga airport has had a lot of refurbishment work done including an extra terminal, but, once again the check in etc was faultless and our car was ready and waiting for us on return!

02 September 2009

In need of a little winter sunshine we headed off for the Caribbean island of Grenada. It is one of the most southerly of the islands and there are a number of airlines including BA/Virgin & Monarch who fly there. We chose Virgin and although the flight touches down in Tobago this wasn’t a problem. On arrival we were met by a stretch limo to whisk us to our hotel, La Source. Although the airport is only a 5–10 minute drive away you are not aware of the aircraft overhead the hotel, and in fact if you do see one it is quite good fun! At the hotel we were greeted with cold flannels and a most welcome rum punch before being taken to our room. Be aware that some of the rooms are located up a steep hill so would not be suitable for someone with walking difficulties. You would need one of the lower floors which would be fine. All rooms are of a similar standard in size and layout and have 4 poster beds – high off the ground! La Source is known as the ‘ultimate head rest’ and is located on Pink Gin Beach. It’s not a huge resort, has 100 guest rooms, is set in wonderful beautifully kept gardens and is surrounded by the sea. After being taken to our room we quickly changed for a long awaited dip. The water was so warm and you dry so quickly when you get out – ooh wish I was there now! There are 3 pools to choose from. Before going back to the room to change ready for dinner we managed another quick cocktail! There are four restaurants and three bars to choose from. Our favourite was the piano bar followed by dinner in Oscars, the restaurant on the beach. The view over to St Georges is quite something. The food in all of the restaurants was of a very high standard and the hotel caters for all dietary needs including a gluten free menu. Even if we didn’t need it, we took afternoon tea most days at the café deli, which was an array of sandwiches and scones with jam & cream - yummy. This is in the piazza right next to the gym and outdoor table tennis; perhaps they were trying to tell us something! Needless to say we never saw the inside of the gym although I believe it was very good and of course was totally air conditioned. Included in the cost of your holiday is a daily complimentary spa treatment in the Oasis Spa. These range from full body massages to feet and hand massages. This can be a welcome break from the sun, but beware, don’t underestimate the powerful sun - the salt scrub can be quite painful if you are a little bit burnt! We did go out and about to see some of the island. It is very inexpensive to hire a driver for the day and the people are some of the friendliest I have experienced in the Caribbean. It really is a lovely island. It has a varied history including being badly damaged by a hurricane in September 2004, however this has been put back right on track and apart from some of the older buildings still showing signs of damage, they have recovered remarkably well. The spice market in St Georges is a must, the different aromas are wonderful and it is so colourful. The most popular area in Grenada, for hiking and trekking, is in the rainforest around the Grand Etang Lake, in the central part of the island. The views are wonderful and there are several waterfalls, hot springs and plantations meandering through the hills. Grand Etang is a crater lake surrounded by a lush tropical forest and is part of the nature reserve. A series of trails has been marked, and hiking them is well worth the effort, although we didn’t! Needless to say after a day’s island tour, we headed back to the hotel for a nice cold beer before a shower followed by dinner! Unfortunately, we only had a week here and it was time to leave. If travelling with Virgin, La Source has the optional check in chill out service, which is fantastic and means you are not hanging around in the airport for hours on end and enables you to continue your holiday ‘till virtually the last minute!

02 September 2009

This was some educational and we were all to meet at Terminal 2 at Heathrow for our overnight Air Seychelles flight to Mahe. After finding Caroline, our group leader, and other Travel Agents lucky enough to be on this trip we headed for the bar for a little light refreshment (as you do!). The flight was on time and we boarded, I was pleasantly surprised at the leg room and the configuration was 2/4/2 which means if you are on an inside seat at least its only one person to try and clamber over! The flight was good and the service attentive, it takes approximately 12 hours to fly and because there is a small time difference of 3/4 hours you rarely suffer with jet lag. Seychelles has the perfect year round climate; it rarely drops below 24C or rises above 30C and is outside of the cyclone belt. We were there at the beginning of September and never saw one drop of rain, which is surprising when you consider how lush and green the islands are. Our home for the next week was the truly wonderful Sainte Anne resort and when we arrived into Mahe the hotel had sent its own boat to fetch us – what a way to arrive! Oh my word what a hotel, the rooms are enormous, beautifully decorated and have an outside shower as well as inside as standard. There are a number of room categories including full suites and some have a private pool. There is a nightly turn down service and gorgeous goodies left in your room daily, mmm! The service is exemplary and the food just out of this world. With a huge infinity pool and 5 restaurants to choose from, you wouldn’t want to move from this fantastic resort. However, we were there to experience the Seychelles and every day we did something different from treasure hunts around the resort to helicopter trips. We also travelled to Bird Island, where from May to October part of the island is home to millions of nesting sooty terns and with a year-round population of at least 20 other bird species, it is an ornithologist’s heaven. Bird Island is also an important nesting site for turtles and boasts the world’s largest land tortoise, Esmeralda. Esmeralda is very friendly and huge! On another day we travelled to Mahe and picked up cars for a rally around the island. It’s very easy to get around and they drive on the left as we do so that made it even easier. The capital, Victoria, is really quaint. This was a real fun thing to do and we met lots of local people who cut down fruits from their garden, which we had to collect en route, as well as other items and they invited us in for cooling drinks – how welcoming is that! Needless to say, the team I was in won! After our exhausting rally the day before, we were treated to a relaxing massage. The spa at Sainte Anne’s is set in a peaceful tropical garden and is a sanctuary of saunas and steam rooms offering soothing massages, indulgent therapies and beauty treatments. Many of the treatments they use are exclusive Clarins products. This was just heaven! This was an amazing educational and our flight back was as good as the outbound. Back into Heathrow and time to say goodbye to some lovely friends I had made but will never forget, and thank you to everyone who had made this trip possible!