29 October 2018

Book your holiday the green way. Are you concerned about your carbon footprint every time you go on holiday? Do you feel you can do more to ensure you leave a positive impact on the people and places you visit? I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to do more for our planet from both a personal perspective and my business. Climate change is everyone's business and I feel very passionate about helping you ensure you’ve done everything to make your holiday sustainable. Tourism is a growing and complex business and we will all continue to holiday. The world’s most treasured places are precious, and we have a responsibility to help make sure they stay that way. Our whole world is under threat, our natural environment, the way we live and holiday. The Maldives, The Caribbean will all be under threat if sea levels continue to rise. And the issue of the plastic in our oceans has only just begun to be addressed. Travel Counsellors are taking sustainability very seriously and I’m so pleased to have passed their newly developed Go Green Certificate. I’m also excited that they have partnered with The Travel Foundation. The Travel Foundation mission is to ensure that tourism brings maximum benefits for destinations. My goal is to continually keep up to date with best industry practice alongside making sure my business is run with sustainability in mind and working from home certainly makes this easier. Sustainable travel means more authentic travel experiences, visiting unspoilt places and immersing in local culture which also makes for an amazing holiday and the best memories. Plus, if managed correctly, this kind of travel can have a positive effect on the country, wildlife and the communities. We should always be mindful to ensure that we are sensitive to the local culture and customs of the people and places we visit. We should do our utmost to ensure that our travel ‘footprint’ is as light as possible. So, what do we do as an organisation? We ensure that all our suppliers from hotels to tours have sustainability policies in place which means you have the peace of mind knowing that the activities suggested meet acceptable animal welfare standards, that the impact on the environment is minimised and that local people benefit from their participation in tourism activities. See how the Travel Foundation supported a Rastafari Indigenous Village - https://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/casestudy/rastafari-indigenous-village/ In the meantime, here are some tips to bear in mind when planning your next holiday: Reduce your carbon footprint and participate in activities like biking or walking on marked trails Take public transport which is a great way to get to know the area and the locals Take reusable bottles for your water Take non-stop flights. Aviation is responsible for 12% of CO2 emissions globally, compared to 74% from road transport Buy local. From food and drink to souvenirs Try a stay on a working farm Take the train. London to the Alps – kids love it Rent hybrid cars

10 October 2017

Three weeks with family and friends really isn't long enough. Back in February I flew into Bangkok airport and once past the fabulous international airport you quickly get a feel for the busy, slightly chaotic environment of a city in the east. Traffic is slow to downtown Bangkok but once there you can experience the jaw dropping views and great cocktails at the Sky Bar in the Lebua Hotel, Silom area. Famous in the film Hangover Two. The remainder of the week was filled with shopping, Chatachuk market is world famous. Then a trip down the river to visit the 46 Metre gold reclining Buddah at Wat Poh. A visit to the Jim Thompson House museum is a well worth it to see Bangkok as it used to be. A short internal flight then took me to Koh Samui for a bit of beach relaxation. The island is full of fantastic beaches and restaurants especially at Bo Phut. The views from the hills inland are great and the Big Budda is an interesting climb up the steps. After my week on Samui I flew back to Bangkok and spent a few days inland at the bridge over the river Kwai, a short drive to Kanchanaburi just north west of Bangkok. I can thoroughly recommend the Aurora Resort on the quiet banks of the river a just south of the Hell Fire Pass which is a very moving walk through the trees on the bank of the Kwai. If you like to cook a half a day learning to cook a great Pad Thai is great fun and you get to eat the results of your hard work, courtesy of the Bai Pai Cookery school. A couple of hours drive east from the centre of Bangkok and you arrive at Rayong Port and you get the boat over to Koh Samet. Here I spent a couple of days relaxing by the pool and enjoying great food at the Ao Prao Resort and the local restaurants. I can't wait to go back again!