27 April 2023

Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers. This month I sat down with Bianca Austin and her Husband Charlie to discuss their favourite and not so favourite holiday locations this week with some brilliant answers from them that will hopefully give you a few ideas of where you'd like to visit one day Thankyou so much both for taking part What has been your most amazing travel experience? Charlie -I loved New York at Christmas, my favourite movie is home alone so I’ve always wanted to go at Christmas. I took Bianca for her birthday present and we went to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree where Kevin goes so that was my favourite. We also visited central park zoo and ground zero and did a helicopter tour over the city. We was only there for four days but we had the best time Bianca- I loved New York too but Iceland was my favourite experience, seeing the northern lights. Where is your favourite city in the world, home or abroad and why? Charlie- New York city, its just class Bianca- yes, mine is New York too! Have you ever cruised, if not, would you? Charlie- I've always fancied a cruise but Bianca is totally against it Bianca- Yeah cruises are not my cup of tea,I think a holiday is about enjoying the country and the culture. Being stuck on a cruise just defeats the object of a holiday for me personally. Favourite beach resort? Charlie Sandy lane Barbados Bianca- Jumeriah beach hotel, Dubai Where was your Last holiday? Both- excluding Australia ?? (Charlie recently played for Brisbane Roar)we did a month last summer split between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We did a week at Park Hyatt , a week at St Regis and a week at Zaya Nurai island in Abu Dhabi then the last week at atlantis in dubai. Where is your Next holiday? Both-We are off to Dubai this summer Dream holiday location? Both - We really want to go to Africa and do a safari but we want the kids to be a bit older before we go. We have also always wanted to do bora bora. Maldives was on our list but we went for our honeymoon and got 7 days of rain?? Do you have a favourite meal or restaurant anywhere abroad Charlie- rock shrimp from rockfish in al Naseem in Dubai Bianca -Zheng he's in the mariner a'salam in dubai do the best duck pancakes in the world! Do you have a favourite holiday photo, where abouts are you in it, is there a reason it's your favourite. Charlie- A picture of me Bianca and the kids in vale de lobo. We are about to go to dinner. Its been my background picture on my phone for about 5 years Bianca- A photo of us all at Charlies agents wedding at the sand pearl in clearwater. Mallayla hates photos so is usually the photographer but agreed to be in that photo. Its about the only picture i have of all 5 of us actually smiling and its so natural and not posed. Any top travel tips. I always take an extension lead Charlie- don’t have ice or salad in Egypt unless you want to be sick for your whole holiday??. Bianca- read trip advisor reviews, they are a god send!?? Finally.... Do you fold or roll your luggage Bianca- roll! All day! No creases when you roll and you fit way more in

10 April 2023

Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers who are either famous or not. I start with Martin this month... He is not ?? Dean around the world with Martin Peters Do you remember your first holiday either home or abroad? My first holiday was to Disneyland Paris with my sister and parents. I would have been maybe 5yrs old so the memories are a bit sketchy but I know I had a great time! Where was your first holiday abroad ? Apart from Disneyland, my first big holiday abroad was to Florida in 2000. My grandparents took me, my parents and sister. We have a villa and a van which we used to go to all the Disney and universal parks. Some of my best memories are from that trip! Your favourite city in the world, home or abroad and why? It's such a tough question to answer, I have so many but if I have to choose I'm going with Buenos Aires. It's absolutely beautiful, they're football mad, the food is unbelievable and I really like the local people there! Have you ever cruised, if not, would you? I have done one cruise. It was a few years ago starting in Vancouver, going through Alaska before ending in Seattle. Absolutely loved it! All you can eat is what my life is about! So relaxing! Favorite beach resort? Tough one, I'd say Santa Teresa in Costa Rica. The most beautiful sunset I've ever seen and I ended up becoming friends with a Costa Rican called Mariel. She accidentally got in a picture I took of the sunset, she asked me to send it to her, we kept in touch and I went to visit her in San Jose last year when I was back in Costa Rica, so it has a lot of sentimental value as well as being a beautiful place. Last holiday? My last holiday was unique one! I started in Romania, in Bucharest. Took a trip from there to Transylvania and also northern Bulgaria. After that I finished my trip in Belgrade as I hadn't been to Serbia before! Next holiday? I'm on one now so I guess technically marmaris as thats where I go next? I haven't got anything booked after this but plans are in motion. Probably a weekend away in somewhere like Monaco whilst I plan a bigger one! Dream holiday location? Antarctica! I absolutely love the cold and Antarctica fascinates me! Easter Island is up there too! Do you have a favourite meal or restaurant anywhere abroad Ah Dean, what a question! I'm such a foodie how do I narrow that down! I'm going to go with this meal I had in Cusco, Peru. I was told to go veggie for a couple of days to help adjust to the altitude. It was so colourful and potato based with different sauces. Brings tears to my eyes thinking about it right now! Any Top travel tip? Don't sweat the small stuff. Not every trip will go as perfectly as you hope. Main things, passport, bank cards (ideally a top up travel one), phone charger and adapter. But honestly be as open minded as you can and try not to stress if something goes wrong. There's always a solution! Where are You in your photo? I'm in Buenos Aires at la bombonera watching Boca Juniors. It had been a dream to watch them and to be there under the lights watching them was a massive moment for me. The atmosphere was unlike anything I've experienced and I almost cried with happiness a couple of times that I was there!

27 September 2022

I was lucky enough to sail on the Norwegian Prima last week and I think I have a new favourite. The Norwegian Cruise Line’s 18th cruise ship set sail from Reykjavik, Iceland in August and I watched on as Katie Perry set sail on her and to say I was jealous is a understatement so to be invited a month later was an absolute honour. . Prima is the first ship in an entirely new class for Norwegian, a class designed to elevate every expectation and boy did it deliver. Prima is all about unique experiences of every kind — unrivaled dining, entertainment, activities and relaxation can be found all over the ship. It is truly like nothing I have been on before Have a look below I have created this easy "where to" that highlights some of the most distinct and best highlights about this beautiful ship With so many dining options, I didn’t know where to start. Most people who travel on a cruise want many of their meals to be complimentary, so they added a host of additional options that allow you to eat in style. Often, cruisers head directly to the buffet on board — Prima's is at Surfside Café, and they have added an outdoor Surfside Grill for a quick bite like hot dogs, burgers, and more. But the best for me was Norwegian's first-ever food hall, Indulge Food Hall, where diners can choose from 11 stations around the globe. Indian, Italian, Chinese, BBQ, rotisserie, tapas, desserts and more are all complimentary! Then sit inside, outside, or even grab-and-go for a 'picnic' at one of the many lounging areas around the ship. It's so delicious, you'll want to try it right away. You will never, ever run out of things to do on Prima. In between sunbathing and swimming, dining around the world, and being entertained from dusk till dawn, there are, of course, an endless amount of show-stopping activities. The new The Rush and The Drop will get your heart racing — they are the dry slides. There is Ocean Boulevard — a one-third-mile boardwalk with restaurants, bars, lounge areas, and Oceanwalk, NCL's first glass walkway at sea. Here, you'll also find The Concourse — a breathtaking, curated, outdoor sculpture garden unlike anything you've ever seen on a cruise ship. If you're into social media, there's some amazing photo opportunities here The Prima Theater and Club. This venue is the first in the world that converts from a three-story theater to a spectacular Vegas-style nightclub… Right in front of your eyes . Inside, you can be part of The Price Is Right Live during the day, see shows like Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and party with live DJs, the Donna Summer Musical was fantastic and the 3 lead singers were really something special.It really was amazing Of course if it’s relaxing you are more interested in then that’s also more than available as you can head to the brand-new Mandara Spa & Salon, which showcases a two-story waterfall, salt pools, the first charcoal sauna at sea, and over 50 specialty treatments Overall I absolutely loved this ship,the food the staff the cabins were perfect. NCL really have got something special here and if the others continue in the same vein then we have so much to look forward to at sea with NCL

20 April 2020

That’s me! Those that know me will tell you that during my life I have made a few wrong decisions and at the time of writing this I have no doubt a few of you are thinking he’s done it again but it’s strange that during these crazy times that I am strangely optimistic. Am I worried? Too right I am but the reason I took the plunge and decided to do this was that I simply love travel and so do most people which is why I firmly believe that when this is over we will see a holiday boom. I as much as anyone can’t wait until we can all meet up and go to the events we love, I am missing the football like mad and have realized just how much we take the simplest things for granted, travel is one of those. I have in the last 5 weeks gone from business owner to being a Maths teacher although Rachel Riley really does not have to worry. I have a newfound respect for teachers and also have come to notice just how busy my wife is although I am not sure building a walk-in wardrobe on her week off will be the highlight of her 2020 lockdown. The nice new cosy office has been dismantled and my wife has taken this area to now work from home. It has been the most challenging time I can remember in a very long time yet in a perverse way I am still enjoying it although the walk-in wardrobe is now likely to be the main place of work I think. I have found that I am using this time to learn firsthand more about other destinations and read about people's experiences and basically just keep learning. As someone who has yet to really build up a customer base, I think it is hugely important that I demonstrate that I know what I am talking about so I have decided to learn, learn and learn more. I have recently qualified to become an Aussie specialist so I am on my way! I have been using this time to learn more about these incredible suppliers (to name a few): Disney Seabourn Tourism Australia Haven Hoseasons James Villa Holidays Golf Escapes Sykes Holiday Cottages Elegant Resorts Sandals Travel may seem like a long distant dream for some but it will become a key part of our lives again and this is why I have been keeping busy. You will have noticed I have been posting destination ideas as opposed to offers. I am conscious that I do not want to become the Jim Bowen of the holiday industry and post lots of look at what you could have had offers but I still think we all want to see where and where we can go after, don’t we? As the travel industry will no doubt be fighting to recover I honestly believe travel agents will be so important for travellers, we need to be calm and need to be making sure travellers have the right information, as we are seeing so many horror stories on how customers should not be treated at times and there are a lot of people who will be having trust issues around the holiday industry but it’s down to me to show exactly why being a personal travel agent is so important and also showing that while the holiday a person has booked elsewhere for £20 cheaper may have been a great idea at the time, the reality is that in these situations a Travel Agent is key. So in the meantime, I will keep plugging away and creating itineraries for when we can get away and keep learning more about destinations. If you have anything you would like to see me write about in the future please let me know.

08 April 2020

Hello It seems very strange to be writing a blog in these extraordinary times but for my own sanity, I thought, why not? So why not start with the one place our family call our happy place, Dubai As a family we have now visited Dubai numerous times, in fact, our first time was as a couple where my wife simply fell in love with the place and I wouldn’t be exaggerating by saying she fell in love with Dubai quicker than I managed to woo her ?? The moment we left the airport in fact and it only got better and better. What I want to do here is maybe alleviate some miscomprehensions people seem to have about Dubai and maybe just let you know the good the bad and the ugly about it. Weather Dubai is hot all year round, the ideal time to visit is between October and April when temperatures are lower. Most attractions are best to visit then and the beaches are busy but not too crowded. Hotel or Apartments? Now…… This is a tricky one and one that we disagree on at home. We have stayed in apartments and at The Atlantis when we have gone and I actually prefer staying in the apartments as the location is key for me. I love to get out and explore and although you can, of course, get the Monorail or taxi to explore a bit more of Dubai in the evening you know as well as me that sometimes it’s effort after a busy day with the kids. The Atlantis despite what I have just said is simply WOW. It has everything, bowling arcades so many 5 star restaurants and burger joints for quick and easy meals and the water park and dolphins are amazing. I spent one full day laying on a lilo and going around the lazy river, what a day that was, make sure you pile the sun cream on though, another time my wife was right. All that being said I prefer to stay near the marina it is amazing, you can walk to the Jumeirah walk or simply take a nice stroll around the marina. When we go back next year with first-time visitors this will be where we stay, I am sure Getting around Dubai We found Taxis are the best way of getting around the city if you’re only going to a few places. For a family of 4, the cost so cheap, A 25-mile journey was just under £10 they are all metered and you won’t need to haggle. During peak hours do try and avoid as the roads like all major cities do get very busy. What to do? Burj Khalifa. One of The tallest building in the world in downtown Dubai. Each night it has a water fountain display at the base of the Burj. One bit of advice I would give is to look round or eat just after as it gets busy and waiting for a taxi could take a while. Dubai Creek- Dubai Creek separates Dubai into two areas, Deira and Bur Dubai. You can take boats across the creek. A boat ride costs very little and is a nice thing to do when visiting the souks and Old Dubai. Dubai Beaches- The beaches are so clean. The water isn’t as warm as you’d think but it’s certainly warmer than Weston Super mare. The beaches have shops and restaurants close by but we found there isn’t a lot of shade like you find at your private resort beaches. Desert Safari – This was by far the best thing we did and the kids loved it. You will be picked up from the hotel and taken to the desert, stopping along the way for refreshments and to see the camels. Then you will spend the afternoon dune bashing in the jeeps and having the best photo opportunities in the desert. We then finished the night off with local cuisine and entertainment under the sunset. We have done this every time we go and it gets better every time Day trip to Abu Dhabi -Abu Dhabi is actually the capital of the United Arab Emirates and tours are available from Dubai. These are well worth doing for trips to see the amazing Mosque alone. A truly amazing piece of architecture These are just a few things to do. As many say you really need to visit a few times to see everything Dubai with Children Dubai is without doubt, one of the best in the world to take kids. There is so much fun to be had in Dubai. My children love the camel safari. Here are some of the attractions for kids below. • Kidzania Dubai Mall • Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis the Palm • Dolphin Bay at Atlantis the Palm • Dancing Fountains at the Burj Khalifa • The Ice Rink at Dubai Mall • Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo Dubai Mall • Desert Safaris as mentioned • Legoland Dubai • IMG World of Adventure Theme Park • Bounce Dubai • Wild Wadi Water Park near Jumeira Beach Now my favorite bit, FOOD The food is delicious! Dubai is known for multicultural cuisine and pretty much anything you are want to eat you will find here. Dubai is a Muslim region, do not expect to find pork in the restaurants. There is so much seafood, lamb, beef and chicken though so you will not be let down. Popular dishes include a kebab like dish called shawarma and it is out of this world hummus, curried dishes, basmati rice, and marinated whole fish Oh and please try some with Arabic coffee. If you decide to go for a meal I would suggest eating out rather than the hotel unless you are ion a half board option, prices to eat in the hotel can actually be double that of nearby restaurants There are of course so many American fast food places in Dubai! as you can imagine. Below is a rough guide to prices you can expect to pay Street Food: £1 - £10 Restaurant £15 - £40 Luxury Restaurant: £50 plus Also, I found that the supermarket prices were very comparable to the UK and in some cases cheaper Finally and the bit I know that many people ask me is the rules on drinking and public displays of affection in Dubai. Tourists are allowed to drink at licensed hotels, bars and restaurants in Dubai. You are not allowed to drink in public, including on the beach. Public drunkenness is also not allowed If you want to purchase alcohol in Dubai you would need a license in any stores (if they sell it) You may want to purchase alcohol at the duty-free shop at the airport though as this is fine. Public displays of affection with the opposite sex in Dubai can get you into trouble- so no kissing, canoodling, fondling in public whatsoever- whether it’s with your partner or not- it can still cause offense. A peck on the cheek or holding hands with your partner is fine! Despite what you may have heard Well, that went on, didn’t it? Thank you for reading and listening to me go on but honestly, it is a wonderful place to go Please get in touch if you would like me to help you book an amazing Dubai experience Thanks for reading

09 May 2020

Costa Rica It’s been 9 months since I visited Costa Rica as part of a 9 week trip of Central and South America. Including where I went on this trip, I have been fortunate enough to visit 43 countries and have lived/worked in 4. Travelling has been a huge part of my life for about 7 years now and I really hope that this blog will make you consider adding Costa Rica to your bucket list. It’s a place of genuine beauty, ranging from nature to the personalities of the local people. Here is my story of 2-week experience of one of the world’s most breathtaking places. San Jose: I had heard a few stories on my travels from people that I met that Costa Rica is a great place to go to, but when I asked them to describe it, they mainly just described it as ‘very green’. To be honest I didn’t know how to take that. Green? Out of every word these people could have used to form a sentence to describe the country, they choose a colour……am I making a mistake going here? The answer hit me in the face about 2 minutes into the car ride out of San Jose airport. I had absolutely made the right decision! I ordered an Uber and as we left the airport grounds, I looked straight ahead through the windscreen, then out the side door windows, before diverting my eyes back to the road ahead of me. IT’S SO GREEN! The mountains, the forests, the roaming landscapes of trees and this was just the highway leaving the capital city airport! The Uber driver must have been wondering what type of passenger he was giving a ride to as I tried to pick my mouth up off the passenger seat floor. He didn’t speak much English and my Spanish is very broken, but as soon as I said ‘very green’ in the native language, his face lit up and he knew exactly what I was talking about. I had a lot of the country to see, but instantly I knew exactly what the other travellers I had met were talking about. The driver dropped me off at the Exe San Jose Center hotel. Walking in the reception area is quite small and I wasn’t sure if I was in the right place. My friend from my hometown of Swindon had just done a trip through some of Central America and had booked the hotel so I had no idea what the Exe Hotel was meant to look like. My friend collected me from reception and i went to drop my bag in the room before heading out to explore. The lift doors open and I was shocked at how big the hotel is. It’s very modern, peacefully quiet with very good-sized rooms that comfortably fitted 2 king sized beds in. I had just spent the previous week in the Amazon rainforest, so this level of comfort at a very attractive prize was very welcomed! The location is also fantastic. It is in the heart of San Jose and is in walkable distance of all the sights, museum’s and historical spots. The first night was mostly about food, talking travel stories with my friend and getting an early night, ready for a full day of seeing what San Jose has to offer. We started the next day with a free walking tour of the main city sights. The tour lasted 3 hours and all they ask is that if you enjoy the tour, you tip your guide. The meeting point was by the National Theatre of Costa Rica…..what a place! The beautiful architecture of the building set in a bustling square of locals carrying on with their day to day lives. The tour guide spoke perfect English and was full of energy. He showed us around the main square and then took us on foot around the city to see the Democracy Plaza, The National Park and China Town. We were also taken to a local coffee shop where we were able to try some coffee and buy some locally grown beans. Costa Rica is world famous for coffee and anyone needing their caffeine fix would be far from disappointed. The enthusiasm of the guide made it impossible to not fall in love with the country already! The next day was all about Sloths. Native to Costa Rica, seeing these cute little creatures is a must! We took an Uber to the Toucan Rescue Ranch which is about 30/40 minutes outside of the city. When we arrived, we had realised that we had made a mistake as to go there, you have to book in advance. A very kind worker saw us stood by the locked gates and came to talk to us. We explained that we made a mistake and didn’t realise that we were meant to book in advance. He had a full tour for that afternoon but very kindly said he would let us sneak in. Such a lovely thing for him to do! Everyone arrived and we gathered in the welcome area/shop to watch a short video and go through a few ground rules. The Toucan Rescue Ranch is purely about rescue, rehabilitation and release. Zoo’s are becoming evermore controversial for the welfare of animals, but this is far from a zoo. Some animals might be too injured to be released into the wild, but they remain well cared for and looked after for the rest of their lives. They are open and honest about their release programme and it can be viewed in full on their website too, just encase you wanted your mind put at rest before visiting. The ranch is full of the vast wildlife that Costa Rica has to offer. The group was split into half so that everyone had the perfect opportunity to learn about the animals. From Monkeys to Toucan’s, the knowledge we were gaining and stories of the animals were mesmerising. It was so refreshing to see animals being so well cared for, it was so far from anything that Netflix viewers would have seen on a certain Tiger show! The main lure of guests to the ranch are the sloths and the ones who are part of the release programme are kept in giant enclosures full of trees for them to live in and to avoid too much human interaction that might stop their release. As the tour went on, you are shown the sloths who unfortunately can’t be released, but you get a closer view of these incredible beings. There is also a nursery where 2 baby sloths were sleeping, the cuteness levels were off the charts! If anyone is hoping that they will be able to hold/cuddle a sloth, then I’m sorry to tell you that this isn’t allowed. It isn’t safe for the Sloth’s mental or physical wellbeing and if you see anywhere offering this, then they are not a legitimate rescue centre and you should avoid going! I only had 3 nights in San Jose and as I will explain, compared to the rest of Costa Rica, it is the place to spend the least amount of time in. Don’t take that as a negative though, as San Jose has plenty to offer and is a very picturesque city, quite far from what you would normally expect from a capital!