07 July 2022

Have you ever attempted to drive 6 hours with 4 kids in the back of the car, excited, bored, tired? No? Well we have, and that is how our Disneyland trip began. So we decided to catch the Eurotunnel as there was so many of us, 5 adults and 10 kids, yes we are completely crazy. We decided to drive quite late at night and then wait for our early train, now as we live in somerset, this was a 3 hour trek, but once we arrived, the terminal at Eurotunnel was very clean and a great place to stretch our legs and get a well needed coffee and breakfast. Our train was quick, I was surprised, I wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but we just drove onto the train and away we went, once we arrived the other side, we went on the second 3 hour trek to Disneyland. As there was so many of us, we stayed at the Davy Crockett ranch in 3 Trapper Tribe Cabins. This site is exactly 6 minutes from the park (yes we timed it, I mean who doesn’t) and it really easy to get to and back from, pretty much one road. The cabins were basic but had everything we needed, 2 bedrooms, one with a double bed and bathroom and one with 3 single beds and a extra one should you need it, again with their own bathroom. Then there is a kitchen, lounge and a balcony with a BBQ. You also get your own parking right outside the cabin, so after a long day there isn’t miles to walk back to your room, this made such a difference. The site has its own indoor swimming pool which was really big with a slide and hot tubs etc, plenty to keep the kids busy, they also have a restaurant, bar (saloon) and an arcade. There is a mini golf course and a park (which my son decided to leave half his front teeth in after face planting the slide, yay) There is also a nice shop, one side sells Disney merch and the other side sells food and drink supplies you may need for your cabin. Now the parks, we haven’t been to Disneyland since 2019 and I was a bit nervous but we needn’t have been. We drove over and parked in the main car park, with staying at Davy crocket, and all the other Disney properties, you can get extra magic hours which gives you an extra hour in the morning, if you make use of this, you can park closer to the entrance, but be warned, its still quite a walk from the front of the car park to the entrance to the parks. There is security to get you through to the Disney village which is right before the entrance to both parks which is reassuring. We started our Disney trip with going into the Walt Disney Studios, no real reason at all, other than it was a Sunday and we thought it may be quieter. This is the park that houses the infamous Tower of Terror, of course we had to ride this one, im sure both my sister and sister in law will confirm this is the scariest ride, they have point blank refused to ever ride it again. We rode Ratatouille and a couple of the toy story rides, but we couldn’t get onto Crush Coaster, so random but this ride is ALWAYS so busy, and I mean over 2 hours wait, not a chance. You can buy a fast pass for it, but its 16euros per person, and honestly, I could buy a whole meal for that, no thank you. Now the main Disneyland park is the pinnacle of Disney trips, this is because this is where you will find the castle, the beautiful pink Sleeping beauty castle, its so pretty and I may even say its my favourite (don’t tell Disneyworld, I couldn’t cope with the disappointment). This park is MUCH bigger than the walt Disney studios, is has a few different lands, Discoveryland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Main Street. Each land is themed for that Specific design. Now the rides here are epic, especially Hyperspace Mountain, this was a firm favourite, and I can honestly say we could have just kept going round and round on this. Another favourite was Big thunder mountain, now if you’ve been to Disney world youd know they have a Big thunder mountain there too, but the one here in Disneyland paris is FAR superior, its so much quicker and honestly hilarious, especially when it catches you off guard. We rode as many rides as we could, including Buzz lightyear Laser Blast, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Tours, Indiana Jones, Phantom manor plus more. But the absolute bit that made us all a little weepy was the 30th anniversary parade, all the characters singing and dancing around, music, floats it was just so special, the kids faces made this so incredible. We never managed to see the main parade, but the 30th anniversary one, being a limited one we felt was worth waiting for. The pièce de resistance was the Fireworks, we got a place over near Discoveryland as its quieter and there is space to get away from the hustle and bustle which was important with the kids. This show is so beautiful, but it always throws me when they start singing the Disney songs in French, I wanted to be able to belt out the classics. We ate at a couple of places during our trip, we had Buffet in the restaurant at Davy Crockett on the first night, this was Crocketts Tavern, that was fab, we enjoyed it, although slightly bizarre, still nice. We also ate at the rainforest café in the Disney Village, this was ok, quite pricey and nothing special but did the job and we all ate there. Then we had snacks from multiple different pop up places, these weren’t too bad prices, the best snack id say was the Jalapeno poppers from a stall behind Hyperspace mountain, and also the sandwich from Earl Of Sandwich in the Disney Village. So overall it was a great trip, we took lots of snacks into the parks with us to help save money and bottles of water, which we just put into our own backpacks, they don’t allow cool boxes etc but they defiantly allow snacks and that saves a lot of money for the kids. My Top tips: Buy the photo pass (if you get it as part of your package before you travel it’s a little cheaper) Make the use of the extra magic hour, it will save you time on busy rides (don’t waste it on crush coaster though, this was 120 minutes DURING magic hour) this meant other rides were much lower, like TOT and Ratatouille which was great. Definitely take snacks with you, its expensive in Disney, a couple of treats here and there are ok but not all the time. Be careful with your bags, pickpockets are rife. Be prepared to stand your ground in queues, some of the French don’t like to queue so will openly queue jump. If your going In the summer, take hats and fans, it gets so hot in the queues, lots of them are outside. And lastly, HAVE FUN.

26 November 2019

At the beginning of October I was lucky enough to get to visit the beautiful Italian island of Ischia. Now if you’ve never heard of this island, its just off the Gulf of Naples. I flew from Gatwick, but you can fly from lots of local airports to get there, as you fly into Naples. Once we arrived into Naples we took a taxi down to Naples Port where we got a hydrofoil across to the island of Ischia. Upon arrival I knew this island was going to blow me away, the port itself was just so beautiful, with lots of little bars and shops and just so many boats, ranging from fishing boats to luxury yachts. As I was visiting Ischia on an educational trip, I was lucky enough to get to visit 3 beautiful hotels. Our first hotel was the Beautiful Garden & Villas resort. This hotel is based on the north of the island, in the area of Lacco Ameno. This hotel has only 52 rooms and is set amongst 3 hectares of gardens. All herbs and vegetables are grown on the property, equalling the most incredibly fresh food i've ever tasted. The hotel has a newly refurbished spa which was incredible and so relaxing. As Ischia is built upon hot springs all the pools have an element of natural hot spring water in them. We were treated to an incredible 3 course lunch, I got to stay in a suite which had its own Jacuzzi on the veranda overlooking the mountains of Ischia, which was just breath taking. The hotel has so much character and the staff here have so much passion for their jobs, its evident in everything they do. In the evening we were again treated to an incredible 6 course meal, I quickly realised food is a big part of Italian culture, as well as the lovely wines on offer, which a lot of them are made on the island. This hotel would make a perfect wellness break, they have complimentary yoga 4 times a week out on the sports lawn and combined with the spa, which is complimentary, would make a relaxing break. Our second hotel was The Grand Excelsior Terme, on the east of the island in the area of Porto Ischia. This hotel is within walking distance of the Corto Vittoria Colonna, the heart of the island for shopping and elegance, and only 20 minutes from the main port of Ischia. Once again the hotel blew me away, this had a completely different feel to it, being it was more modern in style, but still keeping the old style Italian elegance. Here, the service blew me away. They have a private beach which is lovely to just take in the views, and again the spa at this hotel, with its natural Thermae was just amazing, so incredibly relaxing. We again had the most amazing meal, the chef at this hotel used to work at a Michelin star restaurant. She was head chef, so the Michelin star was for her really, and you could see why. The food was to die for, and the steak just melted in my mouth. Whilst we were staying near the port we got to go on a boat trip to the island of Procida. This island was something else, only 4km wide and long, and a predominantly a fishing island. All the houses here are different colours so that the fishermen were able to remember which house was theirs after a long day of fishing. This equally some incredible pictures. We got to go on an island tour and taste some homegrown Lemoncella. This is something I wouldn’t definitely recommend doing if you have a spare day on your trip, it took 20 minutes to get to this island from Ischia and its totally worth it. Our third and final hotel of the trip was the Il Moresco Hotel and Spa, which is exactly opposite The Grand Excelsior Terme hotel, so again location wise in a good place. This hotel has a lovely feel about it but much more relaxed than the Excelsior, but still nice, I would say probably more focused on older people. The spa here again was lovely, really relaxing, and they have an inside and outside pool, the inside one is in the spa. Personally I didn’t enjoy the food in this hotel as much as the other two hotels but overall i'd still send customers there if they asked for it. Overall my trip to ischia was extremely tiring as doing two island tours and a boat trip in 2 days was quite a lot but I did love everything I saw and did. My one negative was the mosquitoes, my legs were bitten to pieces, no matter what I used to deter them. This started to really affect the trip as I had never been bitten like it before, but I think may be the recent wet weather and the lack of pesticides used on the island, just increased them, so I would probably try and go late spring/summer time. Pros – The island itself was so pretty, The locals were so friendly and the food and wine were just to die for. Cons – The mosquitoes.

05 August 2019

As many of you will know, I’ve just returned from Rhodes this week, so while it is fresh in my memory, I thought I would write about our trip. It was just myself and Chris (my husband) on our first adults-only proper holiday since before we had kids. We were very much looking forward to having a break away just the two of us. We stayed at the Mitsis Alila Resort, which is based between Faliraki and Kallithea. It is placed perfectly, you can walk to Faliraki, which is about 4km away. The hotel itself is a very luxurious 5* hotel with its own section of beach. We were in an amazing Junior Suite with our own Jacuzzi on the balcony with an incredible sea view. There is a bus stop just up the road from the hotel where you can get a bus direct into Rhodes Town. This is a must do! The bus cost us €2.40 each and is about 20 minutes into Rhodes town. It drops you off right by the old town. We walked over 20 thousand steps just exploring this beautiful place. We went into the palace which was €6 each. You can pay €10 each which gives you entry into the palace, and two other monuments in the area. The palace was so pretty and it was a welcome break from the heat. Also, right outside the entrance to the palace is the entrance to the wall, which you can walk around which is €2 per person. This was great and just over 3km long and the views were spectacular. I would recommend doing it yourself other than a tour as it’s just so easy to do. We hired a car and spent two whole days exploring the entire island. We went to Lindos and climbed the acropolis, which was €12 per person (entry to the acropolis) and the rest of the area is free to walk around. The beach there is very pretty and picturesque. Being at the top of the hills you can get some incredible pictures of the white buildings and some beautiful sea views. We also drove to the very bottom of the island and visited a beautiful beach called Prasonisi. It has the sea coming in from both sides with quite high winds, so this place was a windsurfer haven. The beach was so golden it was beautiful. Another incredible trip we went on was to the Valley of the Butterflies, this place is breath taking. A disclaimer, if you don’t like bugs or butterflies, avoid it like the plague as they are everywhere! If you don’t mind, it is so worth it. It has over 17 floors worth of steps going up to a monastery right at the top. The views from up there were just breath-taking. I felt like I was going to die on the ascent, but it was totally worth it. Coming back down was so much easier, and you saw quite a lot more as it wasn’t physically draining. There were lots of little streams and waterfalls which were just so pretty. There are a lot of incredible boat trips, one in particular that we did we visited three bays; Anthony Quinn Bay, Ladiko Bay and Kallithea Springs. The water in these bays was so clear it looked like a giant swimming pool. Of course, we had to jump in, it was so warm. Our trip to Rhodes was just so incredible and we explored so much of the island. The locals were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us, and the food was just to die for. All in all, I would recommend Rhodes to everyone.

15 July 2019

I know, I know, I probably don’t have to write anymore with a title like that, but I will, and you will see why. Me and my husband went on a mini cruise with Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas in April 2017 for our anniversary. Neither of us had ever cruised and we had a lot of misconceptions about it, but also we’d never been to the destinations on the cruise, which were Bruges and Rotterdam. Bruges was our first stop and honestly, if I could have stayed in this little slice of chocolatey heaven, I would have in a heartbeat. When we first arrived, we got a coach to the coach park from the cruise port, this took about 40 minutes, which was quite a nice journey. There is also a tram you can get if you walk to the main port gates. When we arrived into Bruges, we had a little walk into the main town which was so pretty, we passed lots of tulips and greenery which already made the place look so lovely. Once we arrived into the little town the smell of chocolate just hit us. We decided to take a little cruise around the riverways around Bruges, an escorted tour with a tour guide who could speak many languages, and translated everything he said in French, English, German and Spanish. I thought it was incredible. This little tour took around 30 minutes and we were shown all the landmarks of Bruges, from this little boat, which was lovely, and really peaceful. Once we had left the boat we walked into the main square where the area is just breath-taking. You can take a pit stop and sit in a little coffee shop and watch the world go by or go and explore some more, which is what we did. We did the entire day all by ourselves, but there are guided tour options if this is something you are wanting. We then needed (obviously a need not a want) to try some Belgian chocolate dipped strawberries. Wow, these were just incredible, I could have eaten 100s. I like chocolate a lot, so this was very much a necessity. Once we had devoured the chocolate strawberries, we went for a stroll around some of the quirky little shops and bars, they have the best beer, which my husband was more than happy to sample. He can confirm it was in fact the nicest beer he’s had in a long time. Time was passing now so we decided to head back to the ship but on our way, we went into a little Belgian chocolate shop, where the staff immediately started talking English the moment we came in. This meant so much, as it was clear they wanted to be hospitable and friendly, we purchased some chocolates for a gift (if they made it that long) and then headed on our way. We were still a bit early so stopped and got a Belgian chocolate waffle to share in the sunshine, watching the ducks and geese just chilling on the riverbed. All in all, we fell in love with Bruges, and will be back there again, hopefully next time for a couple of days. The people were so friendly, the food was to die for, and the prettiness just sold it to us.

18 June 2019

My reasons for loving Cyprus come from a couple of places. My first holiday abroad with my mum when I was 16 was in Cyprus which was amazing, we stayed in an apartment not far from the square in Ayia Napa, so of course we had to go and look around. That was an experience to say the least. But even though we were so close, we barely heard or saw much of it. The second reason it has such a special place for me is, it is where I got married. We chose Cyprus for a couple of reasons. All the wedding paperwork is done in English, so it doesn’t need to be translated, so many people speak English over there which makes understanding so much easier, and it’s just so beautiful. Almost guaranteed sun, beautiful blue skies, white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, what more could you ask for on your wedding day? We got married in the Nissi Beach area, and everything was done for us before we even travelled across to Cyprus. It was so much less stressful than a UK wedding in my opinion, which is probably why it’s such a popular wedding destination. My final reason why Cyprus is so close to my heart is last May, we went as a large family, myself Chris and our 3 boys, my brother and his 2 children, my sister, her partner and their little girl and my mum and stepdad. It was a very emotional holiday as we had just lost my grandad and we just all wanted to get away. Being there together made it so special for us, it helped us forget the upset and sadness and just enjoy the beauty that Cyprus had to offer. This time we stayed in Paphos, the complete other side of the island, which was bizarre as having not stayed this side before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was equally as beautiful. The sea at this side of the island was slightly rougher but still crystal clear. The harbour that we visited had a lovely little castle that you could go around and again, the locals were all so welcoming and friendly. This place has such a lovely friendly feel. With all that being said and done, just a couple of tips for anyone thinking of Cyprus: They all drive on the same side of the road to us so get a hire car, there is so much to see and do in Cyprus that without one, you may miss out. There are quite a lot of ex pats over there so a lot of people speak or at least understand English, which is great, especially when you’re out and about. Lastly, take it all in, the scenery, the beauty and the locals, if I could move to Cyprus tomorrow, I would be there in a flash. My Favourite Hotels: Atlantica Aeneas Spa – Nissi Beach Laura Beach Hotel – Paphos Olympic Lagoon – either Paphos or Ayia Napa All of these are great for families.

15 May 2019

Coming from a Disney fan my answer would always be yes, but for this blog I will pretend I am my husband (this will be hard)! When I first booked our first trip to Florida, my husband was not impressed. He has never seen a Disney film, he isn’t a fan of crowds, and he wasn’t really enjoying the thought of a long haul flight with 3 young children, but I reassured him all would be worth it (I was praying at this point that this would in fact be correct). To make his trip (and the rest of ours) as fun as possible, I read up everything I could about Disney and America. Firstly, I did our ESTAs (anyone travelling to the states needs one of these or a VISA, please check if you are eligible for an ESTA before applying) then I downloaded the My Disney Experience App (MDE). On here I could arrange all my fast passes, arranged my dining reservations, and just generally find out as much as humanly possible to make our trip as easy as can be. With the dining you can arrange your reservations from 180 days before your day of travel and for fast passes, as we were staying onsite, we could arrange these at 60 days before travel (offsite is 30 days). Both make a huge difference to your trip. I am a planner, so I sat there and made sure everything was written down and easy for my husband to understand. So, to the trip, as you can imagine, we were nervous about the flight and when we got there what to expect. Do you know what, we shouldn’t have been. The flight was fine (as great as any long-haul flight is with kids). Once we arrived into Disney all my husband’s worries vanished. Yes I had planned everything down to the finest details but as we all know, these don’t always work. But we didn’t let that bother us. We went on all the rides we could, ate at the best restaurants, met the best characters, had the most amount of fun I think I’ve ever had on a holiday, ever. My husband pulled me aside during our trip and said, thank you for persuading me to do this, I’ve had the best time. Now for him to say this, made me well up, he’s not great at accepting when he’s wrong haha! There is so much to see and do in the parks, other than the rides and the characters, the little detail Disney put in is just out of this world, the food is just something else (Mickey shaped waffles, I mean who doesn’t love mouse shaped food). So, if you’ve been thinking about a trip, and not sure if it’s for you, give it a go, because believe me, I never believed I’d convert my husband. But he is 100% converted! We’ve been again since this trip and have another trip booked, and that in itself is some mean feat.

06 April 2019

My answer to this burning question is yes, it’s more than worth it. I've been lucky enough to get to take my children to lots of beautiful places, but one that made me the most nervous was when we flew to Florida. I’d heard all the horror stories of long haul flights with kids, and how everyone just tutted and rolled their eyes at parents and this just filled me with dread, but you know what, it was nothing like that and you know why? Because I didn’t let it feel like that. In the weeks leading up to our flight I made sure I had everything the children would need (as a mother to 3 boys, this can be a challenge even on the shortest of car journeys). I made sure they had adequate snacks, colouring books, small toys that they hadn’t had before and best of all, a fully charged iPad. I pre planned everything to make it as smooth a journey as possibly, from the night before hotel so no rushing in the morning, to having the outfits ready in a bag I could leave in the car, all this helped ease my stress hugely. At the airport and on the flight I made sure the boys were told everything about what was happening. That they would have to stay in their seats for the flight (unless bathroom breaks of course, I’m not that bad a mother) they were fine with this as I had lots for them to do. The flight was actually relatively easy, they napped (which they never do) they watched films, and they played on their iPad. If they needed to stretch, I let them walk to the bathroom and back. Being too restrictive and strict can go the other way so it’s about getting a happy medium when travelling with children. When we landed we explained that some countries have strict rules so no messing around and they would be able to enjoy their holiday asap, just a little bit longer and it will all be worth it, and you know what, it 100% was. They loved every single part; they couldn’t wait to go back on the plane for the return journey. Overall the experience for me was quite a pleasant one, even the flight back with my youngest being quite unwell didn’t put me off, it just made me realise how much easier life can be, if you just plan a little.