27 December 2019

So I’m sat here looking at the most bizarre, cutest little shiny metal aeroplanes sat on crisp, thick white linen; two dozen bodies lined up parallel and facing me; a dull hum and ethereal purple lighting adding to the sense that I’d been teleported to the funkiest (slightly aeronautically themed) funeral parlour in history… But how did I get here? It’s Sunday; but it’s not a ‘normal’ Sunday. Today I have to fly to the States. It’s 4.45am and I’m spinning around in the bedroom wondering how I’d convinced myself that not packing the night before was a good idea, given that I had a car picking me up at 5.15am. Random selection of half-used and slightly leaky toiletry miniatures stuffed into opaque plastic bag? Check. Bundle of cables lying on the floor that should, but probably won’t, contain an iPhone charger? Check. Make up, including everything except the only lipstick I actually like which of course has done a runner overnight? Excellent. I’m ready. The trip down to London is a good one; in my experience, the success of these sort of pick-ups is directly related to how quiet the drivers are during; this one had a good instinct for friendly and chatty when wanted and sufficiently silent when I needed to sort out someone’s US check in for them on my laptop. Terminal 3 sped into view; and I headed for the fast track. ‘Please seek assistance’ and a big red light. Hmmm… the barrier would not give. Even though I’d assumed I’d fly through with my phone boarding pass, I’d almost toppled over it. Checked the date and time (I did that once, I actually turned up on the wrong day) and everything appeared in order. Went to see the lady in charge of the barriers, she couldn’t find anything wrong. Uh oh… flight cancelled. Yes, British Airways had, only an hour before, decided to cancel the flight. Thanks guys. What followed was like some sort of British Airways pre-terminal 5 launch baggage role play (remember bag-gate? As a non-terminal 5 attendee at the time it had seemed amusing; I’m sure it wasn’t). BA desk sent me to American and a huge queue snaking out across the terminal from customer services. I could spend the rest of this blog being some sort of jolted Tripadvisor reviewer. Let’s just say, normally I love BA, I collect the Avios, I’ve flown all over the world with them. I know the good and bad of their economy, their business class etc, but like a reliable old friend I always came back in the end. You just kind of do. However, this was not their day. So. No flight. Airport chaos. I need travel help. Physician heal thy self. Of sorts. Laptop open, hmmm, it turns out everyone in the world wants to get from the UK to the eastern sea board today; and most of the little buggers have seats that surprisingly they’re not booking on the Sunday morning from a cold metallic bench inside Heathrow. I need to be in Philadelphia for a 9am meeting… I can’t get to Philadelphia. I can’t get to New York. I can maybe get to Miami? Oh, no I can’t. I try a multitude of options, even heading into central US to connect back to Philly. Nope nothing. My system is at least super fast and sophisticated, so the only thing playing to my advantage are the tools of the trade. Ah ha! I can get to Boston. Boston isn’t Philadelphia and the flight isn’t until tonight, but it’s the right side of the Atlantic and I’m able to pair it with an airport hotel then an early Delta flight down the coast to Philly. No wonder my business clients like me. Hurray for Beth. What is more, bundled up this actually somehow works out two thirds of the cost of my BA flight. I look up from my laptop and a nice Virgin lady approaches with a tub of ice cream. It’s now 8am and I commence what was to be the first of 3 little tubs of ice cream. It was that sort of a day. The vast Heathrow Virgin area was apparently launched by a Spice Girl ten years ago but it is still impressive in how it’s operated; loads of desks and automatic check in machines. Virgin don’t do a first class and so Upper Class is kind of their hybrid; aimed at providing more that BA’s Club World, plus a few of BA’s first class niceties as well. Despite being 8 hours early, a friendly Virgin lady ushered me through to their lift and into the dedicated security area for Upper Class travellers, away from the hustle and bustle of standard security, and then straight into their Clubhouse (top tip: if you’re ever with BA flying business try the Cathay Pacific noodle bar, yum!). Now the Virgin Clubhouse; I’d heard mythically of this but wow it’s a lounge and a half. They really have put the effort in, and frankly it makes your standard business class lounge wonder why it even turned up. Past the cloakroom you’ll find a vast expanse of high ceiling seating areas, and one of the longest bars I’ve ever seen. Sit behind coloured glass on a hanging chair looking out onto the runways? Why not. Fall asleep in front of a huge multimedia wall showing every sport under the sun? Done. Game of pool anyone? That’ll be the mezzanine pool table then. Shower? Loads of them, all with lovely fluffy towels and steam shower rooms. Haircut? Spa? Ok, I had 8 hours to kill but it took me ages to explore everything. And the service was exquisite; an extensive list of cocktails, properly cooked food of all descriptions, afternoon tea… Amazing! It’s just a fabulous place and a travel gem that needs to be tried at least once. The time flew by, and this was now really quite a good Sunday. WhatsApp reassured me that my husband and my son had not killed each other. Leaving the lounge and boarding the Virgin flight things are less cut and dry for Virgin. I personally didn’t like the ‘lying parallel’ seat configuration and lack of storage around your seat. The food was pretty good, and I loved, and stole, my mini salt and pepper planes (you’re allowed to), as well as my Virgin Upper Class pyjamas that I chose not to inflict on my fellow travellers (present for the husband). I’m sounding spoilt; it was a solid business class offering, but it didn’t knock it out of the park the way the Clubhouse did. I made it to Boston, and then to Philly, without trouble. Overall a bad experience turned good, and I will consider Virgin in the future; Upper Class is a great treat, and competitive with BA across the Atlantic; a perfect add on for that trip of a lifetime Orlando visit or the honeymoon to remember to the Caribbean. If you fancy giving it a spin get in touch!

31 July 2019

So you’ve been planning it for three years, you’ve saved the money and finally told the kids...we’re going to Florida! Expectation levels are now dialled up to max...it’s like Michael J Fox and that Back to the Future guitar scene...THE NEXT TWO WEEKS MUST BE AMAZING! The cliché of the family holiday of a lifetime and the Disney dream exist because the experience truly is something special; there really is probably nowhere else in the world that can offer so much full on, adrenalin fuelled family entertainment. The Magic Kingdom on day 1, Animal Kingdom on day 2, Universal on day 3, daddy’s trip to NASA on day 4 and so it goes on.. The problem with full on though is exactly that; more than about a week and even the most organised, best disciplined family will flag under unsustainable pressure; the heat, the humidity, the crowds... the ‘I want, you want’ exhaustion that 24hr parenting and pleasing inevitably brings. Week one survived, Galaxy’s Edge enjoyed and Pandora land pervaded. What next? And here’s my family sanity saving idea. A car; rented from Orlando, a scoot down the Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike, a dock, and, wait… the worlds ultimate floating form of family relaxation and fun. Full on tempered with the breathing space that everyone needs to survive that second week. The family cruise. There’s a host of family centric cruise options out of Miami (don’t forget the quick drive down South Beach pretending you are The Fresh Prince and possie before you hit the port) only four or so hours drive away from Orlando. They offer the perfect foil to the well trodden paths and pains of Disney; everything is self contained, no traipsing round, everything at your finger tips, spaces for everyone to relax. Our recent trip on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the seas, included no less than four different kids areas catering for all ages; even a games room and exclusive bar (alcohol free clearly) for the teenagers. Mummy has the spa and daddy... daddy doesn’t need a sweaty torn guide map to steer everyone from place to place. The shear wealth of what’s on offer gives even landlocked Orlando a run for its money. Try water slides over the ocean, ice skating, multiple swimming pools, splash park, climbing wall, outdoor movies, escape rooms, laser tag... all available within two minutes walk of your cabin. Food and drink are no longer a source of lobbying and negotiation; there is constant food available from a range of restaurants; most included in the price, and with children safely chilling in their own clubs; the chance to cocktail crawl the range of bars onboard; all within a very reasonable all inclusive drinks package. With responsibilities lightened our cruise took us to the Bahamas over three nights; stopping at Nassau, and Royal Caribbean’s very own Coco Cay... the wealth of things to do on this cruise passengers only island warrants a blog to itself; but think every water sport imaginable, the Caribbean’s tallest water park, swim up bar, snorkelling, the list is endless... The message I suppose is this; we live for our holidays and we live for the precious time with our kids that seems to vaporise as they seem to grow up far too quickly; but full on doesn’t need to mean forlorn; and balancing everyone’s fun, feelings and favourites is paramount to success. To find out more about family cruising, destinations or to chat over any aspect of travel, drop me a line or give me a call and we can discuss!

04 July 2019

You know the routine, you’re knackered, you’ve got a big piece of work that is finally hopefully going to be over by Friday and your wonderful parents have taken pity on your crazy, disorganised life and agreed to take the kids for the weekend. Relief. So, what will you do with that precious slice of free time? You could tidy the house, nahh that can wait. You could ask me to find you a nearby hotel or last-minute city break. Or you could try something different. And this is how I discovered the mini cruise. What is a mini cruise I hear you say? And honestly, until very recently, I didn’t get the concept. But not only is it a thing, it turns out to be a very good thing - practical, trouble free and incredible value versus that last-minute airfare. And so it came to pass that we found ourselves crammed into a rush hour train carriage one Friday morning, all bound for Southampton. A few myths to debunk before I go further; the idea of cruising as some sort of club for the over tanned, over privileged, and over aged really seems to have disappeared in the last few years and I’ve been shocked by the sheer range of things that fly under the cruise banner. You want to cruise with the Royal Ballet? Or with Belle and Sebastián? You want waterslides or a go kart track? It’s pretty much all there to be found. The first thing of note is how different a cruise departure is from an airport - no queues, no fuss, and everyone there to help; we were literally on board the towering Queen Mary 2 within 30 minutes; our bags arriving at our door only minutes behind us. Time to explore; so, the great thing about our trip was that nearly all food was included; and there was food everywhere; all the time! While the vast, almost 24hr rolling buffet perhaps lacked the charm of the Art Deco inspired ship overall, it was balanced by numerous little bars and restaurants offering afternoon teas, cocktails, pub food, oriental dining. Why fly to Europe when you can eat your way there, says I? We set sail late Friday afternoon, sun improbably streaming onto the pool deck; in scenes that weren’t a million miles from some sort of Miami Beach party (or the nearest you’ll ever find in Hampshire), cocktails flowing, hot tubs and swimming pool in action. We were officially cruising! As our steel palace weaved through the Solent we headed indoors and started to plan. A plan seems to be important; if you think a 24hr at sea sailing could be boring you’d be wrong; there were a wealth of activities, entertainment (shock, not all of it naff!) and things to see all laid out within the ship’s daily newspaper. The rest of our day included blagging free Prosecco from the art gallery whilst pretending we know something about art; witnessing an initially awful, but ultimately hilarious Armenian comedian/pianist and ending up on our seventh/eleventh(?) cocktail at 1am in the ship’s nightclub (a nightclub?!) Saturday saw us charging through the shipping lanes of the North Sea, somewhat hung over, still eating, and appreciating the ample sun loungers and fresh sea air. One thing that surprised was how friendly and unpretentious it all was, a cocktail making class was filled with down to earth people no different to ourselves and the Saturday evening big event; the Gala Dinner proved surprisingly normal; everyone we met friendly and unassuming. What’s more, and perhaps what I least expected was how uncrowded and relaxed our full sailing was; no bar, or room, or restaurant was ever full, there was never a sense that we were part of a crowd or couldn’t find space to ourselves to relax and explore (The Commodore Club my favourite); and there was always a member of Cunard staff on hand to help. Before we realised it, the sun was setting, and Cunard silently transported us through the night into Hamburg port, the long weekend had been amazing, and was only just beginning. For more information on mini-cruises or to make a reservation, get in touch and I can give you the low down!

13 June 2019

When I was growing up Mauritius was the sort of name that was thrown around as the ultimate luxury destination, to which all of us could one day aspire to visit. The world may have moved on and opened up somewhat since then (although I’m obviously still very young), but the island is still a fantastic destination, marrying beautiful beaches, with lush tropical, mountainous scenery, all set within a warm, sunny, almost rum-tinted climate. I returned there recently having visited many years prior, and before I became a mum, and was keen to see what the island has to offer through a family lens. The tourism industry in Mauritius continues to thrive and there’s a remarkable choice of resorts suiting families, couples, honeymooners, golfers, really any visitor, no matter how adventurous, or whatever the budget; often making comparable European destinations look expensive and pedestrian by contrast. Here’s just a few of the adventures you can experience as a family: Cruise the lagoon Just off the eastern coast, a huge natural lagoon lends itself to exploration, huge amounts of marine life, and a lazy day of cruising, be it by casual catamaran, or suped-up speedboat. Families can snorkel together amongst vast shoals of multicoloured fish, spot dolphins darting past, while you sneak a glass of cold rum cocktail (you’re supporting the local economy after all!) Beach barbeque bliss Many tours offer a full beach dining experience, freshly caught fish grilled to perfection, more rum, live music and more, as the kids play in the crystal-clear lapping waters only feet away. Hold back the river You can explore by tour boat, canoe or kayak along the rivers near Mahebourg, meeting monkeys, local fishing boats and cascading waterfalls along the way. Wonderous water sports Whether you want to jump on board a banana boat, be flung around on a donut or fly high into the sky, Ile aux Cerfs is the stop off for those seeking adrenalin action! With restaurants, an 18-hole golf course and untouched tranquil beaches, there’s also space for those seeking relaxation. Zip, quad, jeep Moving further into the island; the south west of Mauritius offers serene to scary entertainment as best you wish. Vallee des Couleurs offers a full bloodied day of thrills, the older kids can try everything from crazed quad bike tours to the 23 (count them) coloured sands, to long zip wires that fling you for over 1.5km above the tropical canopy. Every tear is a waterfall What Mauritius doesn’t lack is a view. Vast valley vistas about, and plummeting waterfalls make the perfect place to take a break and enjoy the posh picnic your resort has provided. Mauritian menagerie The one thing Mauritius has in spades is animal life, from the lions and crocodiles of the Casela wildlife park (take a stroll with the lions if you dare!) through to giant turtle rides, and cuddles for baby crocodiles at La Vanille Nature Park. Wildlife parks are a day out in of themselves. Rum tasting tours An island adventure in Mauritius wouldn’t be complete without a quick visit to sample the local rum. Stop off at St Aubin House to see an artisan agricultural distillery in action and try as many of their rums as you wish. Just make sure you take a taxi! Overall, Mauritius is still that far flung sun-soaked paradise of childhood dreams, but it’s one where you can mix beach life and resort relaxation with once in a lifetime family experiences. And it’s one that’s no longer out of reach. Get in touch to find out more!

12 June 2019

We’re at the airport. Well actually we’re not. We’re in a car park. A massive car park, and it’s raining. The ‘frequent’ shuttle bus is currently frequenting somewhere else and definitely isn’t here. Sheepy is soggy. Child is jumping on and off the kerb into a puddle, reason unknown. Husband is squinting through the downpour at his phone and ‘important’ work emails. The holiday has started. The bus arrives. Splosh. We get on, although not before a couple who look about twelve decided to jump the queue. He’s wearing lovely crystal white ‘Boss’ trainers. Just sayin’. Now the bus is on its ‘short journey’ to the actual airport, half its incumbents’ luggage successfully stowed on the racks, the other half gliding freely around the floor of the coach, indiscriminately biting at the shins of our happy fellow travellers, like the Aspidistra of The Adventure Game, but on roller skates (yes I am that old). ‘Mummy?’ ’Mummmmiiieeeee?’ ’MUMMY!’ ’Yes?’ ‘Is it a big plane?’ Yes, it’s a big plane…. it was a big plane when you asked fifteen minutes ago, it was massive when you asked five minutes before that and it will still be huge when you ask in… OUCH, my toe! Off the bus, luggage balanced Jenga-like on the trolley and it’s time to find the bag drop. Today we’re flying Singapore Airlines. I love Singapore Airlines - generally really good food for an airline, great movies and TV shows and cabin crew who actually seem to care. Only disadvantage? None really, except my husband can’t crow on and on about his beloved Executive Club Silver Status (nothing says mediocre, failing, middle management career like hitting Silver at 45). What a shame. Anyway, the purpose of the article (it’s a blog Beth, it’s supposed to help people… it’s not just an angsty rant in diary form) was to provide some travel tips. Like a travel magazine, but probably more direct and less tolerant. Conde Nasty. Right so some tips… THE CHECK IN; straight in at number five, the fairly obvious and obligatory check in; by now we all know it’s generally easier to do this before, rather than at the airport, especially with any hope of a seat change most likely just as check in opens. I’ll let you know how far before the flight the check in opens, and can do the check in for you, be it before you leave home, or perhaps more helpfully before your return when internet access and roaming charges may make it a particular pain. THE LOUNGE; dropping two places to number four I present for you the cauldron of variability and semi-privilege that is the lounge. Whole websites devote themselves to the various foibles of the many lounges out there which I won’t attempt to cover here; for starters the No 1 lounge group typically beat the Aspire brand, and a special mention goes out to the Number 1 clubroom lounges; a bit more money but definitely calmer and with proper waiter service. A good tip for business travellers (especially if you’re bored), is to try the range of OneWorld lounges at Heathrow T3; Cathay Pacific has its own noodle bar and the AA Admiral’s Lounge is pretty good too. I can book a lounge for you at the majority of airports worldwide… what are you waiting for? THE TRANSFER; in at three, the dreaded transfer; you’re tired, they’re tired, and now it’s time to cram yourselves onto a coach that inexplicably waits an extra 30 minutes for the one couple who’ve got themselves lost between customs and the huge massive yellow ‘Coach Transfers’ sign (probably wearing the shiny white Boss trainers). It may cost slightly more but there’s no substitute for private transfers… just get me there, I’ve had enough! Travel Counsellors have great relationships with transfer operators across the globe; meaning a seamless trip from plane to pool. THE GET UP AND GO RESORT ESCAPES; so you’ve sat by the pool for two days, you’ve finished reading ‘The Power’ and begrudgingly accepted that if wasn’t worth its share of the baggage allowance… what next? I’ll tell you what’s next, the lottery that is the excursion. A heady potpourri of the breath taking, mundane, adrenaline pumping, and historically tenuous awaits. Again, let me lighten the load; as we start to discuss the holiday of your dreams, we can begin to discuss your ideal holiday and the excursions you’d like, or love to avoid. Again, with our heavily vetted destination management companies we can build an itinerary that leaves plenty of time for lounging and lunching, supplemented with only the very best of the local experiences that surround you. And finally, straight in at number one, it’s the EXTRA SPECIAL, SPECIAL OCCASION EXTRAS! (see; worth the wait). You’re celebrating, yippee! You survived ten years of marriage, you just got married, you just got divorced, you, um, I don’t know, you just got a PPI pay-out… but I’m here to make those extras count. However monumental or tenuous your need for celebration, it’s time for me to phone the hotel and see if we can get you past the fruit bowl and into prosecco territory. In all seriousness, if you are celebrating and you want help working with the hotel to bring together everything that will make it unforgettable, then again, just leave it to me. So… that’s my top five; wasn’t that hard was it? The truth is my travel service can integrate and include as much or as little of the holiday experience as you want; you can talk to me (it’s always me, whenever you need me), WhatsApp me, email or whatever, and I’ll help you through every stage of planning, and be right with you through your stay (metaphorically, obvs…). Always wanted Bali but didn’t even know where to start…drop me an email now!

12 June 2019

I love Dubai, and if someone pulled me aside and said ‘Beth, why do you love Dubai?’ in that kind of rhetorical way that fairly unsubtly isn’t a question or ever likely to directly happen but is purely a mechanism to frame this blog... I’d say I’m not really sure. I love the heat; even the intense heat is a dry heat that you can enjoy in short bursts... the cosmopolitan feel of a big multi-cultural city that’s growing in confidence? The ambition to do everything on a grand scale and the blending of culture, history and modernity? It’s just a great place. You won’t find somewhere with more to do if you tried, and although it’s perhaps not the obvious place for a family holiday it is an obvious stop off, and while you’re there you may as well make the most of it. Number 1 - The Desert Safari I’ll admit I was cynical on this one and was in Dubai many times before giving it a try, but it’s fun. There are many combinations available, centred around a theme of a) being driven around sand dunes as if it’s a rollercoaster and some sort of top gear test of Toyota land cruiser warranty b) doing various ‘desert’ related Lawrence of Arabia type activities, such as quad biking (ok, I know Lawrence wasn’t great on a quad bike) camel riding, a meal in a desert tent, etc. My son loved this. We did the early sunrise tour and I think that’s a must. We set off from hotel at 4.30am and we’re mid-desert to watch the sunrise. Incredible. There followed lots of rolling down sand dunes (adults included) and general messing about. And all before it got too hot! Number 2 - The Water Park It’s hot, the children have too much energy... you’re spoilt for choice in terms of Dubai water park options. The grandfather of water parks (in Dubai terms this means about ten years old) is Wild Wadi, which still provides a great day out. There’s a new Legoland themed waterpark which opened this year and another opening on a ‘new’ leisure island in the JBR part of town, next to, you guessed it, the world’s largest Ferris wheel (not quite open yet). Our most recent visit took in Atlantis’ Aquaventure water park. Entry is free to Atlantis residents (and I have access to incredibly competitive rates, but that’s another matter) but well worth it for everyone else as well. Not only is it huge, tube rides all interconnect within a large lazy river, and there’s also a water slide that goes upwards, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but was actually really good fun. There must easily be 10-15 rides, making places like Splash Landings look pretty pedestrian. Oh and don’t forget The Lost Chambers aquarium where you can easily sit for hours watching the sharks, rays and fish swim endlessly whilst searching for Nemo and Dory. Number 3 - Dubai Mall, Fountains and Burj Kalifa In one of the cleanest, hugest shopping malls I’ve ever come across (and believe you me this is an area of intense research) the Dubai mall has everything; its own ice rink? Obviously... it’s own aquarium? Of course! A few tips for the Mall are the fantastic sweet shop where they’ll custom make huge lollies for you, the aquarium, which you can pay for, but offers views of sharks, rays etc for everyone in the mall... the cascading walls of water with diving men sticking out. I’m not sure how to explain these but they’re cool although sadly kids aren’t allowed to dive in. Nor use them as a urinal much to my seven-year olds chagrin. Directly outside the mall (via Five Guys of course!) are the fountains. These are free to watch and take place frequently in the evening as well as a couple of times during the day. At night they’re spectacular, especially set against a glistening Burj Khalifa pumped up with funky lighting like a Disney park light display. Small tour boats weave past the fountains and these, and a zoom up to floor hundred and whatever of the Burj can make a fantastic post-retail evening. Number - A half - the Friday brunch I’ll squeeze this one in; tenuously as a child activity. You must experience a Dubai Friday brunch. We most recently visited the Ritz-Carlton’s London Social but there are many more. Think every type of food you can imagine across dozens of food stations, unlimited cocktails, gin, Prosecco, you name it. Total indulgence but must be experienced once. The range of food means no problems for the kids, and our most recent visit included a full, unlimited pick and mix section, everyone leaving with brown paper bags of sweeties, as if we hadn’t already stuffed ourselves to the max! I hope I’ve started to persuade you here that Dubai isn’t merely an oil-fuelled sanitary desert anomaly, or even the gateway to the East, but a real destination that everyone in the family can enjoy.

05 June 2019

It normally starts about a week before we’re due to fly - ‘I’m packed!’ he (the husband) proclaims; the facial expression not dissimilar from the proud toddler who offers up his first ‘on target’ use of potty for examination. Here we go... right, I’m ‘in travel’ yeah? So, I must have cracked the smooth process of holiday preparation you’d imagine? We’re off to Mauritius tomorrow. Current status as follows: 1) Husband has tipped out a big suitcase containing all my summer clothes onto our bedroom floor and replaced it with three iPhone chargers, three pairs of well-worn pants and a frisbee. He has packed...clearly. 2) Child has filled a Paw Patrol rucksack containing roughly thirty Hot Wheels cars. A floppy, once-cream/dirty sheep soft toy is sticking out the top. Sheepy’s beady little eyes follow me around the room, daring me to add anything practical to this little slice of seven-year-old packing genius. So we’re ready then. Which is great. We’re ready in as much as we could recreate the entire plot of Cars 3 at Gatwick, dancing around with modesty protected only by three pairs of greying middle-aged man pants. I write a list of things to find in the chaos that is now my house. This in itself puzzles my husband who would much rather be completing essential packing work such as screwing all the Go Pro accessories together into some sort of weird go, go gadget arm thing that will be essential for, erm... sitting on the beach? I don’t know how you get ready, but I really am a list person. I lock everyone out of the house, and I deliver on the list. So, there’s 7 pairs of sunglasses packed. Don’t care, I’m Head of Packing and I’ll organise it like my travel business, as a military operation. 12 bikinis for 5 days. TICK. Extra hula hoops (love hula hoops). TICK. Anything I’ve missed, I’ll pick up in duty free. The irony of all this is that whilst I’m a Travel Counsellor, I don’t even benefit from the help they provide (for some reason this makes me think of Travel Counsellors existing as little Russian dolls one slightly teenier than the next which I know is rather weird. ’With me its personal’ booms daddy counsellor, ‘With meeeee it’s personal’, squeaks mummy travel person, ‘w-ivv meh its more personal-er’ stutters baby travel counsellor). Anyway, what this means in reality is that nobody has popped round with a guide book and travel goodies. Nobody has given me a call to talk me through the nuances of my itinerary or provided me with beautifully written out luggage labels. No-one has offered to check me in for my flight. There is no handy activity pack for the hyperactive child (he has found the Haribos). No-one, bluntly, gives a monkey’s, or even a sinister, inanimate, sheep toys. I do have the app though. The app is pretty cool. It contains all the various bits of paper I need, so everything from the airport parking (which I, er, definitely remembered to book *frantically logging onto the laptop) through to lounge details, the discounted excursions I’ve pre-booked and the car hire voucher for when I get there (‘I have to be independent when we’re away’ grunts Head of Iphone Chargers). It’s also where I send myself quotes for exciting new holidays, if I so felt the desire to spend the day sending myself quotes about imaginary holidays I really want to go on… (hey Jeremy Kyle’s cancelled what’s a girl to do?) So at least there’s less wrestling with the printer before we go. We’re ready to go now (down to twenty Hot Wheels, progress!), so I’ll leave it there. I’m probably supposed to end with some sagely advice on how to make holiday organisation easier but to be honest I don’t have any and if I did that would be patronising. Grin and bear it I guess or sneak away on your own when the family isn’t looking (bad wife). At the very least use a Travel Counsellor who can look after all of the bits that are look after-able; and that’s where I can help. I can’t help choose your husband’s pants; that would definitely be weird, and I can’t relieve you of a flotilla of beloved soft toys or Hot Wheels, but if you want a holiday where you know I’ve got your back and every detail is meticulously thought through then get in touch and I’ll even share my packing list with you!

11 May 2019

Why you should choose a Hurtigruten Cruise? It’s fair to say I’ve done some cruises in my time, it’s also fair to say that, maybe 15 years ago I suspended my belief that all who cruised were sailing towards the sunset of their life, and, fuelled by the thumping soundtrack of promotional videos by the big cruise operators, I now get it. Sometimes I want to eat all I can eat, to be entertained, to shop, to dance, to be whisked from bustling port to port. But sometimes I like to stop. And that’s where Hurtigruten comes in. Ok, it’s a journey zig zagging from port to port through the rugged breath-taking scenery of the Norwegian coast…but that’s not really what it is. In honesty I can’t quite describe what it is at all. Hurtigruten is serenity; as your ship glides effortlessly from clear, silent fjord to fjord. Hurtigruten is the awe you feel as you cast your gaze upwards at towering snow-topped mountains that you feel you can almost reach out and touch. This is NOT cruise. This is something with an authenticity you just can’t bottle or recreate in a glitzy onboard shopping mall. This is a beauty, but functional beauty, a working journey that, to this day, brings Norwegian communities together from port to port, a voyage taken by the type of people who want to envelop themselves in natural beauty, and a lifestyle that they won't find anywhere else, to breathe a Norwegian culture steeped in tradition and majesty, and to escape. It’s an expedition, an adventure, a trip of a lifetime. Hurtigruten, put simply in the words of Conde Nast, is the world’s most beautiful voyage. I’ll see you there.