19 December 2022

In December 2022, I visited the beautiful island of Jamaica. I flew into Kingston and visited Ocho Rios, Negril and Montego Bay. Jamaica is such a diverse island with the lush mountains and rainforests contrasting with the pure sandy beaches. It is of course famed as the birthplace of reggae music and Kingston is home to the Bob Marley museum. As you would expect, reggae music features heavily all over the island. I started off in Ocho Rios and climbed the infamous Dunn’s River Falls. The guides here make this such a fun experience. We then moved onto Negril and the stunning seven mile beach. As the name suggests, it is an almost straight white sandy beach stretching upwards along the coast. It has been voted many times over as one of the best beaches in the world and it’s very easy to see why! Onto Rick’s Café for the evening where you can see the most perfect sunset. If you’re brave enough, you can also jump from the cliffs into the sea – I surprised myself by doing this! If you are staying in the Montego Bay area, a visit to Rose Hall Great House is worthwhile. The most famous house in Jamaica, it is an impressive mansion in Jamaican Georgian style and a huge and scary history! And don’t forget to stop at a roadside shack to sample the coconut jelly whilst you are en route! These are just a few things that you can do whilst you are in Jamaica. There are so many more options. Take a look at Visit Jamaica for full details https://www.visitjamaica.com/ Here are a list of hotels that I either stayed at or visited so please do get in touch if you need any further information: Couples Tower Isle, Couples Swept Away, Couple San Souci, Couples Negril, S Hotel, Rockhouse Hotel & Spa, Blue Skies Beach Resort, RIU Palace.

30 November 2022

I’d like to transport you to the beautiful Island of St Lucia. This is where I was for my family holiday last August and again this year on a work trip to gain further knowledge and expertise. When you first see St Lucia it’s easy to see why it’s regarded as one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. The iconic Pitons give a jaw-dropping backdrop to St Lucia’s mountains and beautiful bays. It is constantly voted one of the world’s most romantic destinations for honeymooners. While it’s tempting to simply relax and soak up the incredible views, St Lucia’s natural landscapes provide the perfect setting for adventure activities. Whilst there, we zip-lined through the rain forest: enjoyed a relaxing cruise on a catamaran with 2 beautiful snorkelling stops at Soufriere and Anse Chastenet followed by lunch at a mountain top restaurant with simply stunning views of the Pitons; went in the refreshing waterfalls at Toraille and dipped in the super hot sulphur springs at Soufriere! Other activities include hiking through the rainforest, drive in volcano,horse riding on the beach and making your own chocolate! Whilst I was there in June, I visited many hotels including East Winds, Windjammer, Cap Maison, Bay Gardens Beach, The Landings, Rendezvous, Body Holiday, Sandals Grande to name a few so I have first hand experience of these. Do get in touch for further information.

30 November 2022

Having been onboard the Adults Only Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady, I wanted to share my experiences. I must admit I was a little wary of Virgin Voyages as they have heavily advertised that they are focused on attracting those individuals who have not/do not want to cruise. I love cruising so was worried it would be a bit too “out there”. How wrong I was!! The vibe onboard is very laid back. During the day there are lots of activities ranging from acoustic sessions, board games to make up classes and lots of health and well being choices. Around the pool, the vibe was chilled with low level music being played. The shows I saw were brilliant. So different to anything I have seen before! I loved the 80s show complete with hula hoops and lots of neon clothing! We stayed in a Sea Terrace (balcony) cabin which was turned into a twin. It was spacious with a good size balcony that comes with a hammock. This ship is 100% one for foodies. With all speciality dining included we enjoyed experimental food with paired wines in the Test Kitchen, Korean BBQ food, stylish Mexican flavours in Pink Agave, fine fish & steak dining in The Wake, and a bottomless Prosecco brunch! This is on top of The Galley food market, low key pizza, hot dogs & tapas options and a truly fabulous ice cream parlour (to reiterate, this is all included, I do not think I have ever eaten as well on a cruise ship!). There was also lots more we didn’t get to experience as there was no way we could have got around all the eateries during our short stay, but we tried! As part of this amazing experience I got to swim with Pigs in the Bahamas, visit Virgin Voyages own beach club on the exclusive island of Bimini in the Bahamas and also see the alligators in the Everglades. Plus, we spent a wonderful evening on South beach Miami and visited the chilled Bayside area of Miami. I really did fall in love with Scarlet Lady and would go back on her tomorrow if I could! Scarlet Lady's sister ship, Valiant Lady is sailing around the Med in the Summer and has some amazing itineraries including overnight stays in Ibiza and Mykonos! Get in touch and let me tell you more about this great cruise line and the wonderful itineraries available!

30 November 2022

When I told people that I was going to Ras Al Khaimah, the first question everyone asked was “Where is that?”. Ras Al Khaimah (RAK for short) is the 4th largest of the 7 Emirates and is situated around 1 hour from Dubai. This Emirate is noted for its varied topography including the Hajar Mountains, rolling sand dunes and over 64km of natural coastline as well as its adventure tourism attractions! It is also known for its cultural and archaeological heritage and provides an entertaining visit for everyone – from history enthusiasts to nature lovers to people just looking for a relaxing getaway. The lifestyle here is relaxed and tranquil. Whilst Dubai is famed for its iconic skyline, holidays to RAK provide miles of stunning natural landscape and beaches. A lot of the hotels run a shuttle bus service to Dubai enabling you to experience the country as a day trip. One of the many activities that you can do here, as well as hiking & cycling in the mountains, is the world’s longest zipline in the Jebel Jais Mountains. It’s 3km long and you get up to speeds of 160kmph! I was extremely pleased with myself that I managed to do this – I was totally petrified though! I must also mention the AMAZING bottomless brunch we had at the Waldorf Astoria! Truly extravagant and delicious! I would highly recommend RAK as a fantastic alternative to the Canaries for some winter sunshine. It’s only a couple more hours flying time, it has lots of space, guaranteed sunshine, beautiful luxurious resorts but without the price tag of Dubai. To find out more about Ras Al Khaimah or if you have any other holiday enquiries, please do get in touch.