13 January 2023

During a cold Nov in 2022, I received a call from the Barbados Tourism Board asking if I would be interested in going to Barbados to see what the country had to offer + to take part in a running festival called ‘Run Barbados’. After several questions to find out costs, logistics + dates, the checking of the diary + a mental check on how fit I was to run any distance having been on a bit of a break training wise, I thought, life is too short, I’ve never been to Barbados, I don’t know when I will get the chance to go again, let's do it. So, 3 weeks later a party of travel agents arrived at Heathrow excited to see what this trip was all about. An 8hr flight to Barbados + wow some actual warm air as we got off the plane, even at night. Just what I needed having been living through a cold snap with subzero temperatures back in the UK. Throughout the whole of the trip, everyone was very friendly + accommodating - you are guaranteed a Bajan welcome wherever you go! All the islands in the Caribbean are very different in terms of their own characteristics, landscapes + traditions + Barbados is renowned for its stunning beaches, turquoise waters + rum punch! Most of the luxury hotels + resorts are based on the West Coast which is nicknamed the ‘Platinum Coast’. Being the more sheltered side of the island, it’s good for swimming/snorkeling whilst the South offers a different experience + a great spot for family holidays or with groups of friends, due to the restaurants, bars + nightclubs of St Lawrence Gap + Oistins, with its famous Fish Friday (every Friday, hundreds of tourists + locals gather in the small fishing village of Oistins for a knees up +to enjoy a feast of freshly caught fish n chips). The ‘Barbados Run’ festival used to be held on the West coast but they have now moved it to the East Coast where it’s cooler with the Atlantic breeze coming in + less populated, to make it easier for the event organisers. If you are an experienced surfer, the East Coast is definitely a place to bring your surfboard whilst the North of the island has many secluded coves + a rugged coastline to explore. It takes approx. 1hr to travel one length of the island by car (it’s 21 miles long + 14 miles wild). As with most places, taxis are the easiest way to get around + cabbies are a great way to the see the island as they are packed with lots of knowledge of the island + its history. The beaches in Barbados are the many reasons why people flock back year after year + they are constantly voted the best in the Caribbean. Every beach in Barbados has public access so you never feel intimidated to enter a beach. There are plenty of water sports + activities available on the South + West Coast + if you are looking to conquer the Atlantic surf then Surfer’s point in Christchurch is the ideal place to start. There are also plenty of championship golf courses to practice your swing on. Or why not try a catamaran tour for a bit of sun, sea, wildlife + adventure which we did, to relax after the runs + what a blast it was. Just what we needed to take away any aches and pains. ‘Barbados Run’ is an event that has been going for almost 40 years with a variety of distances to choose from – starting at 3km through to a marathon. You don’t need to be an experienced runner + you don’t have to ‘race’ as such. There’s even a 3km walk you can enter. Yes, there are prizes for the winners of each race + age category (I won my age group in the 5km race + came in the top 10 in the half marathon), but it’s about bringing together friends + families, + having fun in a safe environment, experiencing the friendly local culture, with the sounds of steel pan, whilst enjoying a cool ocean breeze + the natural beauty of the East coast. And the medals that each competitor gets for taking part are awesome too! Barbados is a great destination for year-round sunshine + warm weather with temperatures between 23-30’C. Across the Caribbean there is a wet + dry season, with Dec to Mar/Apr being a good time to visit with the least chance of seeing rain and lots of sun (high season). May to Oct is when the rainy season hits the Caribbean with heightened humidity too. There is very low risk of hurricanes due to the easterly position of the island. And rather than non-stop rain, the wet season tends to involve short downpours or storms followed by hot and sunny weather which dries everything out quickly. Some people rate Mar to May as a great time to visit as it’s a shoulder season, crowds are lower, but it’s still lovely + warm. There are races at the ‘Barbados Run’ event across both days with the 3km + 5km on the Saturday afternoon + a 10km, half marathon + marathon on the Sunday. The races on the Saturday were in the late afternoon to allow the temperatures to fall + it’s an early start on the Sunday to get you out running before the heat sets in for the day. Barbados + rum go hand in hand + is on tap virtually everywhere. To get a better understanding of the drink, why not go on a rum tour. Or drink like the islanders in one of the many ‘rum shacks’ that are dotted around. Wherever there is a church there is a ‘rum shack’ nearby! After the races on the Saturday at the Run event, depending upon who is designated driver, there are plenty of opportunities to hang around for a rum punch or two + enjoy the sounds of the steel bands + properly experience a Caribbean night. We were all very sad when our trip came to an end + it was time to go home. Lots of friendships + connections had been made, another destination explored + 5 days of sunshine, topping up our tans ready to make our friends back in the UK very jealous. Everyone needs a bit of vitamin D during the winter months + we all struggle a bit with this, not getting out enough + generally not getting enough sun. So having a winter break away in warmer climates is the way to go + one I would highly recommend. Fly back home with a bit of a tan all ready for the Christmas party season! If you would like to know more about this running event and/or a holiday to Barbados, please get in touch + I can give you further details. Why not plan a family holiday, set yourself a goal + enter one of the races, or just come along as a supporter + soak up the atmosphere whilst enjoying the sun + the rum punches! Or get your local running club or a group of friends involved. Start planning now before it becomes another thing on your bucket list that you have yet to tick off!

01 April 2022

In March 2022 I attended the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) River Cruise Conference in Budapest. It is an event for travel agents to get an insight into River Cruising, learn what it’s all about, and spend some time aboard some stunning ships. I was very lucky, along with a few of my colleagues to get a place aboard a ship after the conference, which set sail down the River Danube from Budapest to Vienna over a few days. This was a great way to experience river cruising first hand and to see some amazing cities along the way. In terms of the ships/cruiselines that were on show at the event:- • AmaWaterways • CroisiEurope • Avalon Waterways • Uniworld Boutique River Cruises • APT Travelmarvel • Amadeus River Cruises • A-ROSA • TUI River Cruises • Scenic • Emerald Cruises And out of these ships I spent the night aboard Crosi/Europe Vivaldi, Uniworld’s S.S. Beatrice & Scenic – Amber, and had lunches on Ama Verde and TUI Skylark. This meant that I was able to get a real feel for the different types of ships, their facilities and what sort of people they would suit. So what is river cruising, and what is so great about it? A River Cruise is a voyage along inland waterways, often stopping off at multiple ports along the way. River Cruising allows passengers to experience multiple, and memorable destinations in a short amount of time all whilst travelling along the world’s most famous, and historic rivers. 1. You get to stop off at a new city/port almost everyday. 2. Most ships these days are all inclusive (Food and beverages) and sometimes excursions and tours are often included as well so this means once you’ve paid for the trip you won’t need to worry about the pennies whilst you are away. 3. Because the ships are a lot smaller than the ocean cruise liners it means that you get access to some places that you might not have been able to experience previously. You go to bed sailing down the river and wake up docked up next to the gateway to a city, and no immigration queues to worry about. Just hop off and explore. 4. You won’t get sea sick, there are certainly no open waters and waves to worry about. The vesssels are designed with flat-bottoms which ensures a pleasant journey along the rivers. 5. River Cruising offers an exclusive, luxurious option for travellers with different styles of trips and itineraries to suit all. Because the ships are smaller it means you get a more intimate setting with staff focusing on the guests more. They are less crowed than ocean cruise liners with most accommodating 150-200 passengers. 6. And because there are fewer guests on board the service feels more personal. You will become familiar with the staff on board and they will tend to learn your names. 7. The majority of river cruise companies cater for the solo travellers and don’t have single supplement surcharges. There are so many itineraries to choose from in Europe and further field – the River Danube, the Douro, the Elbe River, and the Rhine. Themed cruises including Tulips and Windmills, Wine Tasting or Castles. Or how about sailing down the Nile or the Mekong and seeing the sights of Egypt and the Far East. So now I’ve told you a bit about river cruising, what do you think? If you want to find out more, please get in touch.

24 November 2020

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a bit of a fitness freak and I compete in triathlons. Every year I tend to go away with my friends on a training camp or a cycling holiday, somewhere warm, escaping the cold and damp English weather. Last year was no different, faced with another bleak winter I needed something to look forward to, so Mallorca was booked. We have been to Mallorca a number of times before to train so know the areas quite well, certainly the areas along the North East coast which is where we generally tend to stay. Alcudia is one of the largest tourist hot spots on that coast which we tend to avoid and favour instead the northern town of Puerto Pollenca to use as our base. From there we can cycle up into the mountains to the North, and if we are feeling brave we might head over to Sa Colobra (a category 1 climb, 9.4km in length, with a stunning set of beaches at the bottom tucked in amongst steep rocky cliffs that makes the climb back up, all the bit more worthwhile). We also regularly cycle from Puerto Pollenca down the coast and across to the stunning town of Porto Cristo where you can sit on the beach and dream of winning the lottery one day and owning one the yachts that are moored up! Pollenca is a lovely small town with an oyster-shaped bay, with the Serra de Tramuntana mountains rising behind it. It's got two pretty beaches both reaching 1-2km in length, one ending up by the marina – a popular hotspot for eateries. There’s a large square in Pollenca called the Plaza Miguel Capllonch and this is lined on three sides with various restaurants and bars so you are never stuck for somewhere to eat or drink. For this particular trip we stayed in a hotel a few streets back from the beach so we weren’t right amongst the hustle but still close enough to get in an early morning swim, or grab some dinner and drinks and not have too far to walk back to the hotel. The hotel we stayed at on this trip was called the Puerto Azul Suite Hotel. A lovely 4-star hotel booked on a half board basis. This meant we fuelled up with a large breakfast which kept us going for the first part of the day, then had a late lunch when our energy was sapping, before heading back to Pollenca for dinner. During these training camps we don’t tend to do any organised activities as we’re training a lot of the time, and when not training we’re topping up our tans by the pool and recharging the bodies ready for the next session. But we do have our favourite spots that we like to ride to because they serve the best coffee in the area or they make great cakes, and when you’ve cycled there you’ve burned off lots of calories so can have more cake!!. One of our ‘must visit’ places is Cap De Formentor, a rugged peninsula with huge cliffs that dip sharply into the sea giving some of Mallorca’s most dramatic views. Apparently it’s also home to the Formentor Hotel, a 5-star hotel with its own private beach – and this is where Agatha Christie wrote ‘Problem at Pollensa Bay’. We’ve never made it to the hotel but I’m sure it’s worth a visit. Another favourite spot of ours is a place called the ‘Coves de Campanet’ in English meaning ‘Caves of Campanet’ but we call it ‘Cats in the Caves’ as there is a small colony of cats who live there. We have never actually been into the caves, we generally just stop for a drink and enjoy the views on the terrace and have a play and a cuddle with the cats! So in a nutshell, although this post is mainly about cycling I hope it also gives you an insight into the island itself, well certainly the North Eastern side which has miles of beaches to choose from, and plenty of places to explore. The weather is generally pretty warm from the end of March onwards with only the odd shower that quickly passes. It’s a relatively cheap destination for a holiday and it’s pretty easy to get around. When can I book my next trip back to the island???