09 April 2025

How lucky am I to return to NYC. Going back got me thinking about all the freebies to do in NYC so lets talk about... NEW YORK ON A BUDGET? Here’s my guide to exploring the Big Apple without spending a $. My Top Free Things to Do in New York City 1. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (especially at sunrise or sunset). This was our favourite freebie of the trip. Whether you start from Manhattan or Brooklyn, this iconic walk is full of photo-worthy views. There’s no better way to start your day in NYC than with a peaceful sunrise stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge. We decided to walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan and we went early for peace and so many great views. Check out my photos. Doing this on the first day worked well as naturally we woke up early due to the time difference so was no chore. 2. Explore Central Park This green oasis is packed with many free things to enjoy—Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, Strawberry Fields, hidden trails, and even free performances during summer months. We did opt for a Pedi cab tour and really enjoyed seeing the park this way if you did decide to splash out. 3. Grand Central Terminal Marvel at the stunning celestial ceiling, visit the whispering gallery, and soak in the hustle of one of the world’s most beautiful train stations—without needing a ticket. Or enjoy classic NYC people-watching. 4. Visit the New York Public Library (Main Branch) Step into a scene from the movies. The grand reading rooms, architecture, and exhibits inside this Fifth Avenue landmark are completely free. 5. Catch the Staten Island Ferry Get views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline—all for free. This ferry runs 24/7 and offers some of the best skyline photo ops in the city. 6. Browse Chelsea Market & Walk the High Line Window shop through the buzzing Chelsea Market, then take a scenic stroll along the High Line, a transformed elevated railway turned urban park with art, views, and nature. The High Line was another one of our favourite things to do. 7. Free Museum Days & Pay-What-You-Wish Hours Many of NYC’s top museums offer free or donation-based entry at certain times: • The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – free Friday evenings • The American Museum of Natural History – pay-what-you-wish (on-site) • The Brooklyn Museum – free first Saturdays of the month 8. Wander Through DUMBO & Pebble Beach Snap that iconic photo of the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street, then relax by the waterfront at Pebble Beach, where you can see the skyline from a new angle. 9. Window Shop on Fifth Avenue & at Rockefeller Center From luxury boutiques to flagship stores, the displays alone are a feast for the eyes—especially around the holidays. 10. Attend Free Events & Performances In warmer months, NYC hosts countless free events—concerts in Bryant Park, movies under the stars, and even free Shakespeare in the Park. There’s always something happening. For an unforgettable NYC Getaway, now I’ve mentioned how to save those big bucks, let’s talk about where you might want to spend some that you have saved. Views from the Top: At Summit One Vanderbilt, mirrors, art, and glass walls make the skyline feel like an immersive dream. I's great fun! Later, the legendary Empire State Building gave us classic NYC views that never get old—especially at night. Evenings in the City: Ice Hockey & Broadway New York comes alive after dark! We kicked off one evening with an action-packed ice hockey game at Madison Square Garden—so much energy, even for a first-time fan. 'Let's go Rangers'!!! The next night, it was Broadway time. Lights, music, and standing ovations. There’s truly nothing like it. Climbing the Crown, you need to book early to do this. We really enjoyed doing this in low season without the crowds. The stairway is narrow and difficult to climb with low roofs. Great to say we did this! Final Thought New York swept me off my feet with its energy, diversity, and wow-worthy views. If you’re dreaming of your own city escape, this vibrant destination ticks all the boxes. Inspired to Plan Your Own NYC Adventure? Let’s chat! Whether you’re chasing city lights, sunsets, or your next Broadway moment, I’d love to help you plan a tailor-made trip you’ll never forget. Plus I'm here if you want some help with the sightseeing planning. My top tip is to pin mark in google maps all of your must see's to easily pair them together and group them together and where possible do them on foot. - Helen, Travel Counsellor

12 January 2025

Disneyland Paris Hints and Tips After being invited to the Superstars Celebration trip to Disneyland Paris it was a pleasure to visit December 2024, I wanted to give you some advice on how to help enjoy a truly unforgettable trip to Disney. Where did I stay??? I stayed in the Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel hotel and you need to head to the Marvel hero photo station for some fabulous family photos. The hotel is incredible and wonderful comfy beds and easy walk to the parks. Ask me about staying in this hotel. Staying in a Disney hotel allows you to be close to the enchantment while also gaining extra magic time, which means you can visit the parks before they open. Theme park passes are included; sometimes, when staying offsite and adding travel tickets, it is more cost effective to stay on site since these are included. Before you travel, check the weather. It's usually a good idea to pack a small poncho so you can quickly retrieve it from your bag in the event of a shower. It's also much less expensive this way. For those, try Amazon. Bring comfortable clothing and shoes. There are many water stations around the parks, so it's wonderful to bring refillable bottles. Bring your own snacks, such as breadsticks, dried fruit, marshmallows or favourite crisps. To save down on expenses, have whatever your family's favourite snacks are. To allow the children to dress up in the room and spare you a little cash, get children's costumes and Disney ears in advance. Many Disney clothing options are available at Primark for a fraction of the price of the on-site stores. It's good buying glow sticks before you visit Disney because they're popular for the parades. Photo Pass is incredibly simple to use; all you have to do is scan the code in the Disneyland app or present your pass to view the enchanted images within the app. Use the app to reserve restaurants up to a year in advance of your trip, and make plans in advance to ensure that you are in the area where you want to eat. I can tell you more about plans and restaurant choices. Pre-book character experiences in advance to avoid disappointment. We were lucky enough to have breakfast with the princess, and I think having one-on-one time with princesses indoors is fantastic. The meal is a minor aspect of the event, but the princess encounter is incredible. Check parade times to ensure you don't miss out. If you wish to skip a parade, ride waits are typically shorter during parades. Disney Premier access is a paid service that allows you to enjoy select attractions using a dedicated fast lane. Ideal for a shorter Disney stay to ensure you get to do all of the attractions. It certainly makes you feel like a VIP, even 1 day is a wonderful experience. Don’t forget to get autograph books and a chunky pen for when the little ones meet the characters. Save shopping until the last day, you’ll no doubt return home with more than you arrived with but remember your luggage restrictions. When you book with me I’m here from the booking stage until you return home. I'm always here to ask any questions and any guests with any special requirements or disabilities, we can discuss your specific needs and I can offer advice on how to make the trip easier for you.

14 December 2024

I am passionate about travel and have worked in the industry for more than 20 years. Regardless of how busy you are, I provide a dedicated and flexible service that fits into your schedule. Get in touch to organise a free consultation either over the phone or book an appointment to meet me in my office, located in the beautiful cathedral city of Lichfield. Together we can navigate the often complex and overwhelming travel landscape and deliver an experience that is truly personal to you. You can come in for a casual conversation in my travel lounge while we go over the specifics of the trip, and then you can leave the rest to me. This is a great advantage of having a place where we can meet in person. Behind the scenes, I'll work on the holiday and get back to you with the finest possibilities. My goal is to make travel planning easier and less time-consuming for you. I'm available to assist with any planning, not just enquiries. I can offer advice on where to go, what to eat, and all the must-do activities. Nevertheless, we can stay in contact from the time of your enquiry until your return. I'm here to help with all of the planning, not just when you ask. I'll make sure you have all you need for a hassle-free trip and keep you informed of all the requirements. I'm available to provide advice on places to visit, eat, and all of the must-do activities. Which is the fun part! That being stated, we can stay in touch from the minute you book until the moment you return. I'm only ever a message or call away. I have clients all around the world, so it's okay if you're not from Lichfield; I can still take care of you. You prefer to speak on the phone, message on WhatsApp, text, or social media, or plan to visit me in Lichfield as often as you like, I'm here to assist you have the finest travel experience possible. This distinguishes me because I provide a personable service and am as invested in your holiday as I am in mine. If you like the sound of this then do get in touch on 01922 897 6230 and allow me to take you on your next adventure from the very first idea to the moment you touch back down on home soil.

09 April 2024

I received an invitation to go on a familiarisation trip to the Deep South. I had the pleasure of flying with Delta airlines in Premium Economy & the seats were incredibly comfortable with plenty of space. I’d highly recommend upgrading seats for extra comfort, the room was great and seat back TV size was superb. We spent time in Oxford, Vicksburg, and Clarksdale in Mississippi, as well as Homewood, Huntsville, and Tuscumbia in Alabama. What a beautiful combination of towns and cities made for the ideal trip filled with a plethora of amazing experiences. Not to mention loads of fun! These are a few reasons the Deep South has captured my heart. We had the greatest Southern hospitality from the time we arrived until we left. I will always be delighted to hear ‘’Yes, ma’am.’’ Everywhere we went, we received amazing service; it had become the norm. I was excited to try the Deep fried green tomatoes, which varied slightly in flavour from restaurant to restaurant but were always flawless and our groups favourite. Although I learned a lot from the trip, the most unexpected thing was how much there is to do and see in the Deep South. I feel compelled to share this with everyone. I can understand why it attracts a wide range of clientele, as it truly has something to offer everyone. We started off by flying to Atlanta and driving to Alabama, we stayed in the Homewood area of Birmingham and in the Valley Hotel Homewood Birmingham which was superb. The hotel has a wonderful atmosphere and has a brilliant restaurant and bar. Rooms were very spacious and more than comfortable I wouldn’t hesitate to return. While based in Homewood we were able to visit the Vulcan Park and Museum, where you see the worlds largest iron statue standing tall and overlooking the city of Birmingham. There is an open air observatory platform, as well as the museum and park for indoor and outdoor activities. Great to hear the history of iron origins. We also visited the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church & Civil rights institute which was about a 45 minute drive away. The tragedy of the bombing was a major turning point for civil rights and was very interesting & a I had a history lesson in the Civil rights movement. It’s a must visit to learn about the civil rights movements. Next we visited Sloss Furnace a national landmark in Birmingham. Later on we drove to the Barber vintage museum which has over 1200+ motorcycles & race cars with the adjacent road course. The collection is impressive. Our evening ended with a Southern table cooking class at Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook, great way to try southern food. After checking out we headed to the Unclaimed baggage, in Huntsville. This is where you find lost treasures and has weekly arrivals. We then headed to the U.S. Space and Rocket centre an hour away and this is a great place for adults and kids to visit and offers great summer camps. World’s largest space museum, contains Smithsonian’s largest artefact. We visited the Huntsville Botanical gardens which offers 118 acres and is open year round. Another visit to Lowe Art Mill and entertainment where we learnt to play the guitar box. Burritt on the mountain which lies atop Round Top Mountain which is a historic mansion with great views. Our next hotel was the Drury Inn & Suites Huntsville, my room had a great view of the rocket as the hotel is close to the U.S Rocket Centre. We had a great evening watching the 2024 CUSA Basketball Championships; I really enjoyed the noise level and had great fun cheering along to my first-ever live American sports event. After checking out we headed to Florence/Muscle Shoals area. We visited Rosenbaum House which was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and then drove 30 minutes to W.C Handy the father of the blues birthplace and museum & library. Muscle Shoals stood out and so many well-known singers had hit songs here I really enjoyed visiting the Fame recording studios, where we spoke to the late Rick Halls wife and grandson and really bought the magic that happened here to life, it really felt special to be here. Also we visited Muscle Shoals sound studios and have to say both tours are a must whist here. If you think about how many great artists recorded hit songs here is gives you goosebumps. Whilst on our musical journey we headed to Alabama Music hall of fame. Later we checked into the Cold Water Inn in Tuscumbia which is a lovely boutique hotel in the Shoals area. The evening ended with live music at Champys. It’s the spot for live blues music, delicious southern fried chicken and drinks. After checking out we visited the Birthplace and Home of Helen Keller which her personal triumph and overcoming her disabilities was fascinating. Next we visited Tupelo and visited Elvis birthplace a must see for all Elvis fans, we enjoyed lunch at Johny T’s and I even was lucky enough to sit in Elvis’s booth and the seat he sat in. Johny t’s is like stepping back in time I love how its authentic. We then enjoyed a tour of Tupelo and went into the Tupelo hardware store where you step on the x where Elvis’s mom Glady’s bought his first guitar. Then we headed to Oxford, wow what an incredible place. Oxfords Ole Miss university was shocking as it was huge. It has stunning buildings and large sporting venues. Oliver Hotel is just like stepping into heaven, the smell as you walk in is beautiful. Ideal for a very comfortable stay. Leaving Oxford to travel to Vicksburg and staying in Anchuca was a great experience to stay in a historic mansion, I enjoyed the Davis suite. Whilst in Vicksburg head to the coca cola museum and don’t forget to finish your day with sunset views at South Rooftop bar and grill. Next day we drove the national military park with guide were I heard about the American civil war the tour really bought it to life. American Civil War grounds, site of 1863 seige – monuments and memorials throughout rolling hills. BB kings museum & Memorial. Clarksdale the live blues at Morgan Freemans Ground Zero Blues bar was incredible such a memorable evening and its great live music throughout the town 7 days a week. If you drive its convenient to travel through both states at your own pace and its exciting to explore different towns because they’re all unique. Inspired and eager to plan a trip to Mississippi and Alabama then let me know!

20 June 2023

I had the opportunity to host a trip to Iceland. This was my first visit to Iceland, and I could not wait to visit the land of Fire and Ice. I had wanted to visit Iceland for years, its a country of extreme contrasts and dramatic landscapes. With some of the world’s most active volcanoes and is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe. Which is why I planned our itinerary to include as much as we could in the 4 days we were visiting. Saturday, we flew over to Iceland and had an afternoon leisure. I chose to stay in the Storm hotel Reykjavik; the hotel is located between Reykjavik's main business district and Laugavegur shopping street. Excellent for the excursion pick up as Bus Stop 12 was outside the hotel. Modern rooms, friendliest staff an ideal base for a few nights stay. Saturday evening, we enjoyed a Northern Lights Cruise. When you search for the Aurora Borealis you board the winter cruise boat to distance yourself from city lights and try to find the clear skies. Searching for the Northern Lights needs patience. We had a slight glimpse this evening, so had the opportunity to see the lights on another free cruise. As the northern lights are a natural phenomenon you cannot guarantee that we will see them, but we use professional aurora hunters with years of experience searching for the lights around Reykjavík. For a good aurora pursuit, you need three things: solar activity, clear skies, and darkness. I’d always recommend arranging this on your first night to allow a second opportunity if need be. It is often free, with most cruise companies. Sunday, we enjoyed a Free day. We walked from the hotel and soon came across some great attractions, there is always a photo opportunity in Reykjavik with so much street art. Stones Piles are built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean not far from our hotel. Solfar Sun Voyager is a little steel boat which resembles a Viking ship. Again, minutes from the Storm hotel. I had booked to see the Lava Show and Flyover Iceland as they are next door in advance. Flyover is the ultimate flying ride; we chose Iceland experience, and it offers an unforgettable experience over one of the most interesting countries you can visit for natural beauty. You hang with suspended feet dragging before a 20-meter screen whilst the film takes you over Iceland. This was one of the groups highlights. Lava show got me a safe distance to lava as I’d want. Really informative show and in a great area for more tourist attractions. Minutes from the Flyover/Lava show attractions on foot, you have the Hlemmur Matholl food hall, which is fabulous as so many wonderful food choices from fish and chips to Korean dishes you have it all to choose from. Monday Golden Circle Super Jeep and snow mobile on Langjokull – This was by far the best day of the whole trip. If you hear anyone talk about Iceland excursions, they will be more than likely to bring up the Golden Circle. It’s featured near the top of almost every list of things to do in the country. The Golden Circle consists of three equally stunning locations in southwest Iceland: Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. These sites are renowned across the world and are as spectacular as they are unique. None of them is further than a two-hour drive from Reykjavik, making it possible to visit all three within a day. Thingvellir National Park is an amazing site, steeped in history and folklore and surrounded by incredible geology. It has the honour of being the first of Iceland’s three national parks to be established. It is also the only one that has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Considered to be the first stop on the Golden Circle, the park is only a 45-minute drive away from Reykjavik. It is a place where dramatic geology meets a millennium of fascinating history. Here, visitors to Thingvellir can discover the roots of this island’s formation and how Medieval Icelanders created its democratic society. The Geysir Geothermal Area The second stop on the Golden Circle is the Geysir Geothermal Area, located within the Haukadalur Valley. It is approximately a fifty-minute drive from Thingvellir. En route, it is possible to see the earth’s volcanic activity grow more intense. Steaming vents and chimneys are visible along the way and notably concentrated in the village of Laugarvatn, located halfway between Thingvellir and Geysir. This settlement has a spa that is heated by hot water currents beneath the ground’s surface. Its steam rooms sit on top of bubbling hot pots, which reach a sweltering 60°C (140°F). The third and final stop on the Golden Circle route is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland: Gullfoss waterfall. Visitors can find the waterfall less than ten minutes down the road from Geysir. This powerful waterfall is in a plunging, ancient valley and tumbles down two drops, from an overall height of 32 meters (105 ft). During its heaviest flow in the summer, it pours an average of 140 cubic meters (4944 cubic feet) of water every second. Arriving at Bus Stop 12 our huge super jeep certainly got the tourists stopping in their tracks to look at our vehicle. So pleased we enjoyed the private superdeep to take up to the glacier hut, to gather appropriate equipment such as helmets, overalls, overshoes, gloves, and a hat. We had a fun-loving guide to instruct use how to use the snowmobiles and enjoy safely using them to ride off into the winter wonderland as part of our excursion. Then enjoy breathtaking scenery and a lot of fun. We shared a super jeep, and I was glad to sit at the back and shield myself from the wind, was beautiful but yes extremely cold. Tuesday Blue Lagoon and Departure. We walked up to Hallgrimskirkja Church which looks impressive from all angles. You just pay to see the church tower views, which is optional. The Blue lagoon is very close to Reykjavik airport, so it made sense to do this on the way back to the airport. As it did not feel like we were going home this day and had a leisurely afternoon in the worldly wonder Blue Lagoon which is in the heart of a volcanic landscape. The Blue Lagoon’s geothermal seawater is 70% ocean water and 30% freshwater, enriched with silica, algae, and minerals. We enjoyed the comfort entrance, which included silica mud mask from the in-water mask bar, towel and 1 drink from the in-water bar which includes smoothies, juices, soft drinks, beer, or wine.

20 June 2023

We opted for a night in Athens before our cruise, to enjoy a chilled evening with good food and just relaxing before our cruise the following day. I prefer to do this as I love to avoid any stress when traveling. We stayed in the Athens21 Hotel, it’s a good base. Clean and friendly hotel the acropolis of Athens and all the main archaeological sites Acropolis Museum the Ancient Agora are within walking distance. Plaka, Athens picturesque district & Psirri with its bustling atmosphere are steps from the hotel. Really was a great base, we decided to stay around Plaka and Syntagma area for the evening and had some gorgeous homemade Moussaka and Gyros. In this are you are spoiled for choice for good restaurants and bars, we were pleasantly surprised how cheap it was to eat out in Athens. 9 euros a meal with reasonable portion sizes, excellent value for 2023 and of course great Greek hospitality. The best part of it was no transport was needed, easy walk from our hotel to the nightlife. The following morning after checking out, we had a little wonder around the nearby archaeological sites on foot that were free to visit. Then headed to a couple of rooftop bars with stunning acropolis views. The MS Roof Garden is at the end of the street and has the acropolis views. It was easy to get a taxi to the port Piraeus as they are easy to stop in the street, Piraeus is under half an hour away and around 15 euros. Port Check-in to get on board Resilient Lady is super easy, so many staff. From arriving at the port to getting on the ship took no more than 10-15 minutes. So now was time to enjoy 5* Adult only cruising. The beauty of completing the checks on the app before arriving. Virgin Voyages noticeably has the most unique crew at sea, with the crew’s personality being able to shine. From the best uniform at sea (in my opinion), to the happiness that shines through each crew member. You can tell the crew love being on board and want you to have the best time, I have found the crew to be the most friendly and fun out of any cruise line I’ve ever been on. This instantly impacts your cruise in a good way. They also know how they can improve service and look after you, it was a pleasure to sail with the crew on board as they do an excellent job. We stayed in a Sea Terrace room; you get an iPad which is interactive. From the iPad you can open the curtains, turn on TV, pick movies, play music, change mood lighting. I get asked a lot about the shower, was it any good and yes, I can certainly approve. The room was modern with a hammock on our balcony, to add a splash of the Virgin Red to the cabin. Virgin Voyages have no preassigned seating for meals, and you have a choice of relaxed casual dining to menus curated by Michelin star chefs to choose from. When you eat is easy, as you have the app to book in advance to plan around what your plans are around the ship. You can easily make changes on the day. No buffets as they don’t like waste so if you want something casual you head to the Galley and use your QR code to tell the server what you want or can go to the counter while they take an order from you and a server will bring it over, from Tacos, burgers, all day breakfast, noodles, there is loads here for the casual diner with masses of choice, made freshly per order. If food is your thing the restaurant choices are outstanding, and all included. Our favourite is the Wake restaurant which is the Steak restaurant at the back of the ship with gorgeous views and food is very impressive. You also have Italian, Mexican and much more on a week’s cruise you can dine differently each evening easily. Food is a huge part of cruising and VV have got it right as the food did not disappoint. On the cruise you get Essential drinks, we opted to be naughty and have a bar tab and if you prepay you get an added bar tab. We even shook for Champagne from the app and had it bought to the cabin to enjoy on the balcony on a relaxing sea day. You can keep track of your tab in the app. No annoying announcements onboard Virgin Voyages make it quiet and no photographers trying to sell you things. Refreshing to see. WIFI included in the fare. TIPS, all included so nothing to pay. Pleasure to know it is included in your Virgin Voyage. What is there to do onboard. Plenty of shows and entertainment that is fun are available, you just check the daily planner in the app. Plenty of bar areas, entertainment from live music to shows, spa, board games, casino. Many quiet spots if you wish to grab a book or one of the many free board games available on board. There is even an arcade room. My favourite spot was deck 15 at the aft where you have the plush red comfy loungers and quiet. Pools are quite small on board, this had no negative impact for us but if you are used to having a larger pool at sea its worth knowing this in advance. Virgin Voyages APP – This has a huge impact on the cruise the more you use the app, the more memorable your cruise will be, as it has everything in there. From entertainment to food, bar tab, shore things, spa, tattoo parlour and much more. So, what about the land part, we got to cruise the most incredible spots in Croatia Montenegro and Greece. Each port was brilliant. Split, roman ruins medieval streets. Dubrovnik Old town and incredible views really reminded me of the Amalfi coast as had superb views from capri that seemed so familiar. Kotor gem of the balkas, museums, churches, and incredible views. Corfu emerald capped mountains, historical monuments, bustling streets and a 20km bike ride to enjoy the views. All in all, my 3rd sailing was excellent with Virgin Voyages and I look forward to returning again on Resilient Lady this September.

25 June 2022

I adore my job! What’s not to love, when I get the most incredible opportunity to experience a Regent Seven Seas sailing first hand & make incredible memories with my fellow Travel Counsellors. In March 2022, I was very lucky to be invited onboard Regent Seven Seas sailing from Italy to Corsica and back. As a keen cruiser I was over the moon to be invited to sail on a luxury official 6* cruise line. I have sampled many cruises but never Regent, I was keen to explore what luxury awaits onboard. After pinching myself and realising this was happening. I was so exited to get onboard Regent Seven Seas Voyager and check out my home for the following 3 nights. My home was the luxurious penthouse suite, number 783 at the aft of the ship. On entering my suite it oozed luxury and designed well to offer maximum space and have every amenity you could need during your stay on board. What made this suite an awesome was the bed, not just any bed but the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. Something that was a hot topic with my fellow Travel Counsellors. My suite was more than comfortable, with gorgeous robes and slippers, very huge fluffy towels. I had a sun lounger and table and chairs on my balcony and lovely sitting area inside my suite to enjoy the daily canapés. Room service is included and is 24 hours, I enjoyed al fresco breakfast on my balcony, check out my videos and pictures. My suite included a personal butler which was great to use to order drinks/snacks and order the daily canapés of choice. There was also a pillow menu and many other nice touches including the luxury toiletries L’Occitane and Guerlain and walk in wardrobe, the list goes on. It was an impressive suite. So what did stand out for me compared to other cruises, the staff to guest ratio is the best I have seen on board, staff were attentive and fun to be around, while attending to your every need. Nothing was too much trouble. The biggest point is this is a cruise that doesn’t have the masses, so offers a more relaxed special sailing experience. Dining was Devine on board, as a foodie I love a specialty meal. The food onboard did not disappoint and the dining experience was relaxed with excellent service and you have lots of wine pairings. Regent include such a lot in the fares, wifi, gratuities, luxury dining and I mean luxury (check out the Versace plates), shore excursions and more. I love champagne, which is also complimentary which usually isn’t with other cruise lines. Please ask me any questions or about booking a Regent cruise as I would love to share my experience with you.

05 August 2019

The right family trip to suit parents, kids and grandparents can sometimes be a challenge. A cruise holiday is no longer just one for the bucket list, it’s a strong contender for an alternative family holiday for multigenerational families. On board there really is something for everyone. With activities and entertainment going on throughout your cruise. Every day is action packed. From rock climbing walls to waterslides, ice skating, surf simulators, Broadway shows and bumping cars. Teens to tots are entertained on board in a safe environment. No one thinks of the kids better than cruise lines. They cater so well for all different children’s age groups. As young as 6 months old can be catered for in the nurseries and kid’s clubs. Royal Caribbean is one of many cruise lines I’d be confident sending my clients on. They cater well for all budgets from an affordable interior cabin to stunning family suites that offer a luxurious stay there is a cabin for every family. I can arrange connecting suites for the modern larger family and they can be next door to each other. To offer privacy and convenience. They’re also embracing Autism at sea which means I can have my clients looked after well with a friendly autism initiative making families at ease when they travel with children with special needs. Other things Royal do to help families include priority check in, dietary menu, kid’s films, sensory toys and much more. Staff benefit from further training to have a positive impact on families traveling with passengers with development disabilities. You may want to now consider a cruise for your next family trip. A lot of my clients like the ease of getting onboard in Southampton with no flights needed. There are many bonuses of cruises departing from the UK such as no flying, no airport lengthy waits, starting your holiday off much sooner, no luggage restrictions etc. This is just to name a few but already the picture you can create of your own family holiday starting off is a lot easier and stress free. I’ve cruised from the UK many times and from overseas so please contact me for any questions you may have. There are no silly questions. Cuisine on a cruise has so many influences from all over the globe and for any fussy passengers or anyone with food allergies this is a great way to ensure you do not go hungry. You have many food eateries available from simple to classic and extravagant to contemporary most ships cater for all tastes and budgets. You can get ships with kid’s menus. Cruise ships generally cater for all dietary requests at no extra charge. This is something I can tell the ship about your needs in advance. My tip is to buy loose clothing as you are never hungry. Another bonus on a cruise is they cater well for large groups offering flexibility when you eat and tables sizes to suit all. I touched briefly on activities on board some ships, each ship offers a variety of activities and entertainment. Please get in touch and I can help you choose the right cruise line and ship for your family.

03 June 2019

The entertainment capital of the world offers just about everything. It's hard to know what to do first as it really offers something for everyone. On the strip, many of the best things in Vegas are actually free. Walking round the hotels and casinos is free and you can window shop until your heart is content. The strip by night is how it is supposed to be seen, remember comfy shoes as you will do a lot of walking. The forum at Caesar’s combine shopping, entertainment and dining. Theme casinos TI (Treasure Island), New York, Luxor and so many more visiting the hotels is all part of the experience. Older hotels from the 50’s-70’s check out Ballys and Riviera in downtown Vegas, easily reached by the regular bus services from the strip to downtown. On Freemont street see Viva Vision, the world’s largest graphic display. Feeling daring? Check out Slotzilla - zip lining to bring out your inner superman. It's worth pre booking to save time queuing and helps budget for everything you'll want to do. I also really enjoyed the Mob museum and the neon boneyard you can easily spend a full day downtown. Impersonators from Elvis to Marilyn Monroe, keep your eyes open and look out for many celebrities who live in Vegas. The Venetian evokes accurate images of Venice and why not try a gondola ride. At Caesars Palace Cleopatra’s floating barge is a floating lounge. Bellagio very sophisticated, even in the casino. Book into Olives if you wish to dine and overlook the lake. The spa is a great way to relax on an afternoon and don’t forget to check out the fountain display which is also free. Luxor is one of the most distinctive hotels on the strip check out the giant sphinx. Casinos 1. Monte Carlo – Slot club is known to be superior to most. 2. Rio – upbeat theme and noticeable uniforms. 3. Harrah’s – offers value for money. 4. Aria – for a high tech gambling experience. 5. Golden nugget – ideal to take in the Freemont street experience. Buffet/Salad/Brunch Bellagio is famous for its buffet with over 60 dishes or TI BBQ, pizzas and a wide variety of sushi. If you want a healthier option check out sweet tomato salad bar custom made omelettes. Luxury dining check out Andres in the Monte Carlo old world charm with a modern twist. My customers rate the cosmopolitan as the best buffet I enjoyed the Paris hotels but if you want choice a buffet meal is the way to go. Note no need to eat the day before or after so arrive hungry Rides 1. New York – Big ride apple roller coaster 2. High Roller this can be pre booked 3. Big Shot Soar off into space as you're launched 160 feet in a mere 2.5 seconds at 45 mph, getting a taste of weightlessness as 4 Gs lift you literally off your seat. 4. Desperado Plummet 209-feet through a tunnel and 155 feet down a spiral, reaching speeds of close to 90 mph on one of the tallest coasters in the country. 5. Insanity Rising 68 feet over the edge of the 1,149-foot Stratosphere, Insanity spins passengers at up to 3 Gs, serving up views of the Strip as you rush down. Free attractions in Vegas: Ethel M chocolate factory Welcome to Las Vegas sign Bellagio Fountain display – Dancing waters World’s largest permanent circus at the circus circus Stroll the canals of venice at the venetian Gaming lessons every major hotel offers this What to know/tips/info 911 call for any emergencies Drink plenty of water. With the low humidity, heat and possibly extra alcohol intake it is easy to get dehydrated. Wi-Fi most hotels include for free in the lobby Travel insurance, do not leave home without it as medical costs are extremely high. Dollars make sure you have plenty of $1’s for tipping it is recommended to offer a tip you see fit when checking in as this normally results in a nice hotel upgrade. Shows and sightseeing many shows and attractions can be pre booked from the mob museum to the hop on hop off bus, ask me about what to purchase before you leave. Check out the following website for all current information on Las Vegas https://www.vegas.com/ After the Neon remember the Grand Canyon is on the doorstep, please get in touch to arrange any trips. Weddings/renewal of vows, please speak to me for more details.

02 May 2019

Top Direct Route from Manchester Airport to Oman. Muscat, Oman enjoy a direct flight with Oman Air. Enjoy a daily flight from Manchester to Muscat. Flight duration 7 hours 15 minutes My top reasons to visit... Enjoy the authentic Middle East. Absorb traditional Arabia and wander through the city of Muscat with all its markets and small shops. Your stay will be full of culture and heritage and the city is very clean so you can enjoy a luxury holiday. Stunning architecture is all around and friendly locals make it an enjoyable stay. Take in the Wahiba sands - just a 4 hour drive from Muscat takes you to this large desert area. The dunes pile up 100 metres against the ocean. Also try the North & Nakhl Tour with year round sunshine. Why not do something different and enjoy a desert night camp in luxury tented accommodation. Tents are luxurious with air conditioning to add even more authenticity to this middle eastern adventure. Swim with the turtles. For the more adventurous you can enjoy jaw dropping mountains and take on rock climbing, abseiling or hiking. Where to stay... Stay in a luxurious hotel. One of my top pick hotels is the Kempinski Muscat hotel which Travel Counsellors have a direct contract with, so I can ensure my customers are looked after well. I love this hotel as the pools are beautiful and great to unwind in the sunshine and the hotel offers my guests a short 15 minute airport transfer. For your tailor made quote please contact me today.

18 April 2019

This offer is extremely popular and although you cannot book before the 25th of April it is important to understand the offer so that when the FREE DISNEY DINING goes on sale you have the first choice on the availability. Having stayed in Disney numerous times and used the Disney dining plan I can make it simple for you. Once it goes on sale, I'll be on hand to help you book your dream trip to Disney Florida in 2020. So how does it work you may think? Book selected Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe hotels and receive a free Disney Dining Plan! Book between 19th April – 6th November 2018 for selected arrival dates between 1st January – 30th November 2019. Blackout dates apply 8th-25th April 2019 and minimum 5 night stay applies. There are 3 offers this year. Offer 1: Free Breakfast: when staying at a Walt Disney World Value property (excludes Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation resort) and here is what's included; Free Breakfast - per person (ages 3+) for each night of your stay: 1 Quick Service Breakfast meal (entrée or combo meal if available) with a beverage. My best tip on this offer is although it's plugged as free breakfast you will get one Quick Service meal per day that can be used for any meal so it's basically 1 free meal per day. Offer 2: Receive free Quick Service Dining Plan when staying at a Walt Disney World Moderate resort. Here's what's included; Disney Quick Service Dining Plan - per person (ages 3+) for each night of your stay: Disney Quick Service Dining Plan per person (ages 3+) for each night of your stay: 2 Self Service meals. 2 selected Snacks. 1 Refillable Resort Mug per stay. 1 alcoholic or soft drink per meal (including speciality refreshments). **Available to upgrade to full Disney Dining Plan at additional cost** Offer 3: Receive free Disney Dining Plan when staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort hotel and select Disney Deluxe Villa resort. Here's what's included; Disney Dining Plan - per person (ages 3+) for each night of your stay: 1 Self Service meal. 1 Waiter Service meal. 2 selected Snacks. 1 Refillable Resort Mug per stay. 1 alcoholic or soft drink per meal (including speciality refreshments). ** Available to upgrade to Deluxe Dining plan at additional cost** Book now, and I’ll make sure you don’t miss out on Disney’s four amazing theme parks and two splash-tastic water parks, with all those once-in-a-lifetime Disney character experiences. Along with the world-famous firework extravaganzas and grand parades, this free Disney Dine deal gives you even more cause for celebration! Have a magical day!

26 March 2019

Summer 2020 Holidays are now on sale. Do you prefer to be organised? Planning well ahead for your main Summer holiday has many benefits. You have the best choice of holiday destinations, hotels, plane seats, family rooms etc. So it's no surprise people like to book early. You can secure FREE child places by getting in first. It's also great to have the excitement of your forthcoming holiday to look forward to. With our FREE travel app you can enjoy access to your holiday countdown and easy way to make regular payments. Deposits for summer holidays start from just £60pp. Spread the cost for easy payments and every penny of your money is 100% financially protected booking through me. I have over 18 years of travel experience and will give you my best advice possible, please get in touch by calling me and I can take the stress out of booking.

22 March 2019

Travel Trends in 2019 #instagrammabletravel #cruisenorthernlights #cruiseantartica #bucketlist #travel #trip #holidayselfie One of the biggest travel trends for 2019 is Instagrammable travel locations. Everyone is looking for that all important holiday snap or 'selfie' in a stunning location. NYC is right up there for a sunset picture with the jaw dropping skyline. My top tip when going to New York is to visit the Top of the Rock when the sun sets to get a perfect snap of the Empire state building. Or on an evening, when the Empire state building is all lit up, is also pretty spectacular. Sticking with the USA theme the Golden gate bridge in San Francisco is so recognizable and makes the perfect trip photo! Santorini is an Instagrammers paradise. See my photo of this beautiful Greek island. The Leaning tower of Pisa in Italy is perfect for that funny photo. What the photos don't always show is all the other tourists trying to get the funniest picture to pop onto their social media feed. The Great Wall of China is not only beautiful but ancient. I've added some of my trip snaps to share to give you some inspiration.

19 March 2019

In September I was very lucky to be on holiday with my husband on a 10-night Celebrity fly-cruise. We flew from the UK and boarded the ship celebrity reflection in Civitavecchia (Rome). The Celebrity transfers from the airport were very well organised and after landing in Rome and collecting our cases, we were soon off on the coach and arrived at the port in under an hour. Civitavecchia port with Celebrity Cruises was an absolute breeze to embark (check in and board the ship). It’s so easy with plenty of refreshments and staff everywhere to help. Having aqua class, we got priority check in but it wasn't an issue as there were no queues as everything was so well organised. Our Itinerary was Rome, Sicily, Malta, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens and Naples. I chose the itinerary as I love Italy and Greece and it did not disappoint as all the ports were very worth visiting. We had two days at sea and I'd never look at an itinerary again and choose one without at least two days at sea as it’s nice to chill and get up when you’re ready etc. Port days are amazing, but some trips can be early starts if you want to see the most from the destination. Here are some insights on some ports and I'd be happy to chat in more depth to anyone about my ports on the itinerary. Malta - We docked in Valetta and you could simply walk from the ship and easily shop and wonder around. We opted for the hop on hop off bus with citysightseeing malta to see more of the island and headed to Mdina which is a fortified area and very medieval and such a lovely area to wander around at leisure and so pretty. We paid about 25 euros that was charged to our cruise cabin for this bus ticket. Mykonos - I fell in love with this traditional Greek island one of the highlights of the trip. You dock a mile from Mykonos town and the ferry was free of charge. The whitewashed cubic houses with blue wooden coloured doors, windows and balconies with narrow streets pretty churches just made it a delightful day to wonder around and lots of boutique shops here. Naples - Having been to this area before I decided to make the most of the day with a trip to include Positano and Capri which were also highlights of the cruise. For me Capri and especially Ana Capri is just heaven and we went to one of many I'm sure but a restaurant to enjoy the best pizza in Italy. Let me tell you about my experience with Celebrity Reflection... Such a stunning ship and as expected spotless. Staff were super friendly everything you expect from a luxury cruise line. Aqua cabin was in a lovely location close to the spa and you could smell all the beautiful spa smells close by a quiet area with a good-sized balcony. On arriving in the room there was ample space and slippers and robes at the ready handy for a spa lover to easily nip to the spa in the robe. You get a lounge area which was handy to have. Lovely products in the bathroom that were complimentary. Our cabin steward soon came by to introduce himself and was a pleasure to see each day. Having the balcony for this itinerary made the cruise as sailing in and out of ports was super relaxing. A perk having aqua class is the Blu complimentary restaurant, somewhere we took great advantage of as offered a calming restaurant to dine in with delicious food and the service was exceptional. We also paid to use the speciality restaurants 3 times and what an experience as a foodie the food was divine. In future I would go with celebrity again and use Tuscan grille the most as this was my favourite. We also dined in Murano which is ideal for a special occasion. Shopping on board was very good. The bars were really good with some great cocktails on offer. The ice bar was great after being in the sun to cool down. Entertainment was super varied with something for everyone from watching Marvel movies in the cinema to playing bingo or watching extremely talented singers it really had choice to please everyone. Having the balcony was a nice way to unwind before getting ready. We did enjoy the complimentary room service also. If you want something special, I would upgrade the cabin to Aqua/Concierge or a suite and include spa treatments and speciality dining at least a few times to have an amazing experience. In summary I had a fantastic holiday on board Celebrity Reflection and if you’re thinking of cruising with Celebrity I'd love to share my experience with you so please get in touch as I have much more to share!

29 May 2018

On Friday 25th May 2018 I had the pleasure of experiencing a luxury adventure with Belmond on board the British Pullman. The Golden age of travel journey is 170 miles and takes 5 1/2 hours. My trip started in London Victoria where I was welcomed and looked after instantly before stepping back in time on board my luxury train. The décor was really beautiful and well looked after. The route itself went through towns and villages and we even passed a stunning deer farm. Very picturesque. I have never felt more relaxed than I did on Friday. There's a calming feeling as you go through the ever-changing English countryside, the carriages are fabulous and the staff on board are super friendly and really look after you to make it a day to remember. You settle in seconds after boarding. 5 courses later (fine dining, silver service). I'm feeling very satisfied as the food was simply divine. We decided to pay a further £21pp to upgrade to a bottle of champagne and had a fantastic day. You do get red/white 1/2 bottle of wine included each should you choose not to upgrade. For more information and photos please get in touch. I'd recommend this adventure to anyone wanting to tick this off their bucket list or a special occasion it is a must do as you'd struggle to beat it! I’m already getting ready to book this for a very special birthday for a family member who I know will love this.

27 February 2018

II'm just back from a week's skiing holiday in Sauze d'oulx. This is my second time visiting this resort and it feels like my home from home now. I'm very tempted to go again in 2019 as I love the people, gorgeous Italian food and the atmosphere in this resort is simply fantastic. I enjoyed the intermediate runs and took on a black run and more off piste skiing this year which was fun, as well as the nice pretty blue and red runs which I'm comfortable with to Sestriere and San Sicario. Take a look at my pictures for some very nice views. The snow conditions were fantastic. I'm glad we got back as it hit as low as -19 the day after we flew home. Me, my husband and friends enjoyed another great week in Italy. I have to admit I'm missing my morning break with hot chocolate and whipped cream with the stunning mountain views. I stayed in the pension Derby which was basic but spotless and the host Amanda knew everything we asked her. The bus stop is opposite the hotel and takesfive5 minutes to the main chairlift to Sportina. I enjoyed some private lessons for €39 per hour. The instructors are great here and the more people that have lessons makes private lessons great value. We went into Jouvenceaux for a meal which is a traditional village and we had proper homemade meals from a family restaurant which was a great experience. We even tried the sugar cubes (not for the faint hearted as they include pure alcohol) which are given at the end of a meal to take away the fullness. I have to say they did work but were very strong. I have lots of restaurant and bar recommendations and it’s safe to say we had no bad meals while we were away. Italy you've been fantastic as always. If you’re planning a ski holiday please get in touch as it will be a pleasure to help you. I've now skied in Italy twice and Andorra, Austria, and Bulgaria once!

20 January 2018

If you haven’t yet used a Travel Counsellor yet - tut tut (only kidding). You might want to continue reading. Some things you might want to know about Travel Counsellors (and of course myself and how I run my business), before you consider picking up the phone to speak to me. Firstly, who are Travel Counsellors? We are an international award-winning company, one of the largest in the UK. Our global network has over 1500 personal Travel Counsellors. We were founded back in 1994 and offer 24/7 support when you book your holiday through us. What makes us different? As I mentioned, we are an independent company so the holiday I provide is 100% the right holiday for you and not for me. We only use approved suppliers and have a full ATOL licence. Whatever you book with me will be financially protected with our Travel Counsellors Financial Trust, which allows me to offer you total financial protection. Our in-house booking system has a full team of highly skilled developers working on it around the clock to ensure Travel Counsellors have access to the latest deals and best possible prices. Our connections with airlines, tourist boards, cruise lines and destination management companies around the world allows us to stay well connected, in the know and always bringing out the latest and greatest rates for our customers. Having those relationships gives you extra perks on holiday and can often lead to an upgrade or a special enhancement on your holiday. What about me? I have been a Travel Counsellors franchise owner since October 2013. Before becoming a Travel Counsellor, I had a long background in the travel industry, starting as a trainee travel advisor in August 2000 and working my way up in big high street store locations for companies such as Going Places/Thomas Cook and Virgin in my final role as a Retail Store Manager. What would make me leave a full-time job and salary to be self-employed? I have always been a big believer in delivering the best customer experience and delivering excellent service which has not changed since I started. I’m very proud of the awards I have won along the years to showcase this. Working on the high street really didn’t allow me to deliver the customer experience my clients deserved. I wanted to be able to offer the right holiday for my clients, not the name above the door. Allowing as much time as needed to help make sure every holiday is perfect. How do I offer better service than the high street or internet? I believe it’s because I genuinely care about your own holiday as if it was my own. I have over 17 years’ experience to draw from and, as you can see from my other blogs, I’m passionate about traveling so I can make personal recommendations for you. Using those recommendations, I can save you time and hassle searching for a holiday and stopping any confusion. I am around to talk and meet with you to go through everything. My job doesn’t finish when you book your holiday, it continues until you return home. Many of my clients contact me when it suits them and if I am free they will often get a reply instantly which amazes them that I even reply on an evening or weekend. I work around my clients and when its best for them to talk. I can be available at evenings or weekends if that suits you best. I find a lot of clients like to put a face to the name and ask me to meet up for a drink and chat before I research the holiday and also to finalise everything which I am more than happy to accommodate. Working from home gives me full flexibility to be able to make this happen. Things I do for my clients I can tailor make your perfect trip. I take care of luggage labels and filling them in as I know this is a pet hate for many people. I deal with online check-in, API, visa help and speaking to the hotel with any special requests. Did you know I also help with excursions, restaurant recommendations and much more? I often get called by my clients a travel guru or travel concierge. Every holiday is tailored to your needs, from choosing the best flight times and room type to various transport options and seats on the plane etc. My travel business is based on customer service scores, feedback and sales. All my business comes from word of mouth from my current customers. I have over 600 regular customers and this is growing daily! I aim to deliver exceptional service and take care of everything for you. To my clients, I am their own personal travel agent and they love it. If you want to benefit from a friendly, bespoke service it would be my pleasure to help you. Don’t forget. With us its personal!

01 November 2017

I flew from Manchester with Turkish airlines in economy via Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur for a two night stay. Turkish airlines exceeded my expectations as the seats were comfortable and had excellent in-flight entertainment, you could see it was a very modern airline. The food seemed better than other airlines I have flown with in economy. Istanbul is one of the best airports I have visited, so many shops etc to make a few hours go fast! I would certainly fly via Istanbul with Turkish airlines in future. I stayed in the 4* Traders hotel for one night, then the Shangri La for one night and visited the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The Traders hotel is in a great location in the heart of KL and the biggest attraction was the rooftop pool bar which had awesome views and a lovely atmosphere. My room had a very impressive view of the petronas towers. I would recommend this hotel for a short stay in the city as the value for money and standard is superb. Good restaurant facilities if you don’t want to go out for food. The next night I stayed in the 5* Shangri-La hotel. When you walk into the lobby it has the famous Shangri-La smell. It’s in a busy populated area with excellent facilities and is what you would expect from a 5* hotel. Restaurant standards in this hotel are amazing and we sampled the evening buffet which was delicious - a common theme throughout my time in Malaysia. We visited the Majestic hotel for food, it’s a stunning hotel and was my favourite out of the hotels I saw due to the colonial feel; it was built in 1932 and is full of character. Service and food was outstanding. The pool was by a busier road so you can hear some city noise from the pool as would be expected. While in the city we did a half day walking tour which gave us the opportunity to see the locals during daily life and sample local street food. You could see many cultural differences in the city and we visited the little China/India area and had a stop at the Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad mosque which you will see in my photo. I was provided the robes during the mosque visit. Next stop - Borneo flying with Air Asia into Kota Kinabalu, comfortable flight on time. Our first stay was in the Shangri-La Rasa Ria which is a 5* hotel situated on a very large wide stretch of sandy beach. I stayed in the Ocean Wing, my room was a generous size and had every amenity you could possibly require and was spotless. I was very surprised to find the double Jacuzzi bath on the balcony, just what you need after a hike in the rainforest. Rasa Ria was a superb atmosphere and guests in the ocean wing have lots of added extras which I can talk to you about. We got to sample the Mari Mari cultural village and see how local tribes live in a traditional environment. We even got to see demonstrations of local dishes being cooked in front of us and to sample them. At the end of the visit we got to sit down and see dancing and musical instruments being played to give a real cultural experience and one I felt privileged to see. I was very impressed with Mount Kinabalu National Park and walked round the botanical gardens, took a hike through the jungle and later walked the bridge canopy walk. We took a speedboat to the Gaya island resort for a daytrip and got to see the eco resort which is 5 stars. Due to the weather being unpredictable I could not truly appreciate why the resort was so special. A couple of nights here would be enough to offer something different to your holiday for the right person looking for a room in the rainforest. I also stayed om the Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort which is a city hotel the good thing about the hotel is lots of days out to the four islands by speedboat from the hotel to Zip line hike see the monkeys and you can also walk to the restaurants outside the hotel for a city/beach stay. The kids facilities are superb with an onsite waterpark and kids activities it has some newly designed family rooms which are great for younger children. I loved Malaysia and the people and food made it a trip to remember. I must return one day to see the orangutans and wildlife who I did not get to meet due to the itinerary not permitting this.

07 September 2017

I have just returned from a fantastic family cottage breaks with our 2 dogs. We stayed in the stunning Old roundhouse in Hartland Devon. The cottage was very spacious with 5 bedrooms and bathrooms and comfortably sleeps 10 people with 2 pets. It's a gorgeous barn conversion in a beautiful area surrounded by fields and on the edge of the owners farm our dogs enjoyed our own very large garden. Perfect for anyone looking for peace and tranquility. We choose the cottage to be able to relax and have privacy to enable us to enjoy days out in the school holidays but also escape the crowds when we wanted to have family time. We also had enough space to not get on top of each other. 2 bedrooms were downstairs and 2 upstairs and 1 bedroom in a separate entrance to the cottage all with your own en suite which made it perfect for everyone. The cottage had everything you needed for a home from home if not more. You can get local food delivered for your arrival to make life easy and the local put serves excellent food and dogs can go in. We enjoyed many days out our main venture was to Bude where we returned a few times as it's just 30 minutes drive away. Other days out to Clovelly and Saunton did not disappoint. So much in the area to do I have brought back lots of information. If you are looking to have a luxury cottage to sleep 10 please get in touch and I can help you book your next break and share lots of tips what to do in the area. The games room kept everyone entertained and we also had gorgeous weather so played cricket and football in the garden and took advantage of the bbq and lovely garden with table and chairs and also a very good sized hot tub. The living room had sky tv and the owner arranged for us to watch a boxing match while we were there. All in all a fantastic break and we look forward to returning to the cottage in the future.

28 March 2017

I have just returned from a short trip to Malaga with the tourist board. I flew with Vueling from Birmingham and for a short flight the seats were more than comfortable and both flights were on time. We stayed just outside the city in the TRYP Guardamar which was a pleasant hotel, ideal if you want to be outside the city perhaps for a longer stay and wanting a quiet hotel. It was 10 minutes transfer into the city. You can walk to Torremolinos in 45 minutes and it is 15 minutes by taxi. We started our first day with a walking tour around the historical centre. The passion from the guide was fantastic, this is something that continued throughout my visit in Malaga everyone seemed so happy. I was straight away impressed with the beautiful architecture and really felt I was experiencing a traditional Spanish city bursting with culture and history. We visited the La Alcazaba Moorish fortress & Roman Theatre which was very impressive, built mostly in the 11th century, was the palace-fortress of the city's governing Muslims. It was built on the summit of a hill, adapted to the relief. The Roman theatre is situated at the foot of the Alcazaba. The theatre was built in times of Augustus and was used until the 3rd century. Our next visit was to the Cathedral roof top. It was well worth climbing the 200 steps for a stunning landscape view. We then went to Picasso museum which featured the new collection. This museum is located in the Buenavista Palace, a 17th century Renaissance building and the most important example of stately home architecture of the period. We had lunch in a traditional restaurant the Bodegas El Trillo which was delicious, so many amazing restaurants to choose from. I would go back in a heartbeat to Malaga. After lunch we headed to the Automobile & Fashion museum of Malaga (vintage car and fashion dresses collection). This time we took transportation rather than walking. Malaga Car Museum combines the history of the motor car with the main artistic trends that characterised the 20th century. The Museum is located in one of Malaga's best-known buildings, the former tobacco factory originally built in 1923 and renovated last year by Malaga City Council. Luxury, sophistication and good taste are apparent throughout the Museum's ten theme-based exhibition rooms. Ideal if you want something to do to please a couple and the venue is perfect for an event conference to hire or even a wedding. After some free time we enjoyed a Spanish flamenco show in the city and you had a few to choose from and they are well worth visiting for an alternative evening of entertainment. On the second day we visited the Centre Pompidou Malaga.The world famous gallery Centre Pompidou is coming to Malaga. The museum is expected to open this summer of 2015, just before the touristic season takes off. The Pompidou Malaga collection will be housed in the large glass cube, built with a cultural purpose in mind and which is situated at the corner which joins Muelle Uno of Malaga’s newly renovated port. The Malaga collection, provisionally called ‘Centro Pompidou de Málaga’, is the first branch outside France and will add to the city’s already impressive range of art galleries. I really enjoyed the visit and if spending time down by the harbor it is ideal. Especially if you want to escape the sun to cool down for an hour. We then took a transfer to the botanical gardens if you book the tourist red bus, it also stops here and it is a great way to see the greener side of Malaga. The jewel of Malaga, the La Concepción Gardens constitute the most beautiful and important tropical garden in Spain and one of the best in Europe. A century and a half old - Marquis Jorge Loring Oyarzábal and Marchioness Amalia Heredia Livermore created them in 1850 - these gardens were declared a historic-artistic garden ensemble in 1943 and were recently acquired, restored and opened to the public by Malaga Town Hall. We had lunch at El Palmeral restaurant located in the harbor of Malaga. This restaurant is perfect if you want something special as it is gorgeous it had a Miami feel to it. We later went to the Hamman Al-Andalus Arab Baths of Malaga it is the perfect way to unwind I would highly recommend a visit you do need to pre book and say if you wish to have a massage. The last Moorish inspired the new Malaga Hamman Al Andalus, an enclosure for enjoy the ample space and revive splendour of the era. Located in the heart of Malaga, these baths breathe the atmosphere light and warm characteristic of the area, and recreate one of the social andalusí rituals to arouse interest today, all inside a set qualified architectural car could of monumental. Leaving the baths we saw a bride and groom newly wed and I was lucky enough to see the tradition of rice being thrown onto them rather than confetti. I ended my final last few hours in Malaga by going into the Room Mate Valeria hotel for a drink on the rooftop which offers stunning views of the harbor. The Marriott hotel also has a lovely rooftop pool and bar area, as the film festival was on a lot of the stars were leaving the hotel so it was not possible to try that one. If I went again I would go for a drink as I'm sure over sunset it would be amazing. For a few days city break in the sun I would recommend Malaga, if you have visited Madrid, Barcelona and looking for an alternative with a short flight and transfer it is perfect. I felt very safe and was impressed by the promenade as it really is easy to walk from the harbor to the city. I found we had a lovely Spanish welcome, food and restaurant choice is superb for foodies and wine lovers the tapas and wine tasting is widely available and will not disappoint.

18 March 2017

I've just returned from the best week skiing with my husband in Italy - it was lots of fun. We might have gone on holiday as a couple, but we made so many friends from around the globe. Skiing is as social as you really want it to be. A special thanks to our friends from Denmark who made our holiday extra special. We had a lovely short flight which was just two hours from Birmingham to Turin, and the coach transfer was relatively short. In under two hours we were safely arriving at our hotel - the 4 star Grand Beeson. The hotel gave us such a lovely welcome, and it was a team effort from all the staff to make sure every person welcomed you to the hotel. The hotel had a free minibus during peak times to the chairlift to help make it easy to get on and off the slopes, and took less than five minutes. It was enjoyable each morning to do the short transfer to the chairlift as the driver was lovely and always got everyone singing. I'm not sure what we were singing but was a good way to start the morning laughing and joking. The resort Sauze D Oulx was ideal for intermediates and advanced skiers/boarder as you have 400km of the milky way area and had the chance to ski to France. We really loved Sauze for skiing as it was our fourth ski holiday, but never got bored of the runs as there was plenty for us. Our best day we did a ski distance of 22.5 km over nine runs in just shy of seven hours. I enjoyed keeping up with our friends we had met in our hotel, and got a lot out of skiing with a group of friends. We were very lucky to have excellent ski conditions, as it snowed the first night and we even got some sunshine on our faces, so you could spot a few human raccoons on the flight home. English is spoken excellently all over the resort and in all the ski schools. The schools are worth attending if you want to brush up on some of your skills, and as they are in groups it's perfect to make new friends. I booked 3 days in ski school and also hired a private instructor for one on one coaching to build my confidence.This did wonders for me - I felt my skiing has improved a lot on this trip. Private ski lessons are roughly 39 euros for one and 49 euros for a two hour lesson and if you are going as a family are great value if you want that extra help. If you just want a brush up it's worth doing, as one on one lessons are very good. I'm planning to book a private ski lesson for an hour before I ski on my next time to freshen up & think it is worth considering even if you are a good skier. We enjoyed skiing to the bottom of the slopes into the village after we had finished a hard days skiing. It was nice to have plenty of choice for bars, restaurants and lots of hotels here in the village, if you prefer to go back to the hotel first. The food in Italy and Sauze was gorgeous, and we found all the bars and restaurants excellent. We did notice a few livelier bars and ones with music but I was happy with a cosy bar with good food and wine and a few hot chocolates with cream. We did enjoy staying chilling in our hotel of an evening as the drinks choice was excellent, and it had a relaxing vibe. From the hotel to the first restaurant in the village you are less than 2 minutes walk away. The views from the hotel are stunning. After a five year break I actually bought new skis and boots while in Sauze to ensure we go skiing next year, as I don't want to wait as long for the next one. Skiing clearly is lots of fun for families couples and groups of friends and families. Please contact me to learn more and let me help you plan your next ski or snowboarding trip.

27 January 2017

My Top 5 destinations that are best for family breaks, and why... USA The home of Mickey Mouse, families can experience lifelong memories when they holiday in Orlando, but the West coast of America also needs to be mentioned as California is a great family vacation and a perfect place to explore the outdoors. Spain Year-round sun makes Spain a popular choice for families. Tenerife is a high contender for the title with Siam Park/Loro Parque to offer some great days out for families. Not forgetting your fantastic family hotels with lots of entertainment for all ages. Check out the Rubicon Palace Playa Blanca Lanzarote. Cyprus Ideal for a first family holiday as you will not get a welcome like it anywhere else. Check out the Olympic Lagoon Paphos and Olympic Lagoon Nissi Bay, ideal for a family wedding! Dubai Adults and youngsters experience so much in Dubai, from waterparks to skiing inside the mall, and the Dubai aquarium is not to be missed! Dubai offers luxury holidays with everything you need for a first-class holiday. Atlantis is ideal for families or if you prefer something more laid back, the Zabeel Saray on the palm would suit perfectly. Mauritius If you're looking for a luxury escape in paradise with the kids, Mauritius is perfect as it has safe beaches with lots of facilities for children. After visiting Beachcomer hotels last year, I recommend that families look at the hotel Paradis, where I stayed. The children were in heaven in the pool!

23 January 2017

How many people can say they have their own personal travel consultant 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year that finds no request too big or too small and is able to be contacted any way that’s convenient to you? Welcome to Travel Counsellors you do not need to be someone famous to be treated like you are a VIP. Travel Counsellors Walsall can help you find your perfect getaway whether it’s a cruise, beach holiday or honeymoon or time with the family in the UK or abroad. I can help you find the perfect break you’ve been looking for. When it comes to booking your holiday (or mine), I believe the journey is just as important as the destination. Whether it be a transfer from your home to the airport, a comfortable pre-flight airport lounge, a stopover for shopping or some advice on day trips and excursions. I will do all of the research and take all of the hard work out of it for you. Every trip really is tailor made around you! I am far more than just a travel consultant, I am YOUR Travel Counsellor. I am here to provide expert advice, confirm all of your arrangements and to make sure that everything from the planning stages of your holiday right through to the time you return back home is entirely stress-free and exceed all of your expectations along the way. I am passionate about travel & committed to offering all of my customer's fantastic customer service and honest advice. I have a lot of experience in personally tailoring luxury holidays and I act as your single point of contact in order to ensure you get the stress free experience you’ve always dreamed of. I'm not tied to any one supplier, therefore I am genuinely impartial and you can be sure you’ll get a trip that is tailor-made to suit you. Travel Counsellors care about your holiday and your experience, which is why I can get you the best deals at competitive prices along with the security of knowing your money is 100% protected. Holidays and Services Travel Counsellors can make it happen, whether it’s sightseeing, weddings, honeymoons or just a relaxing weekend. I don’t stop working until you’re safely back home after an undoubtedly incredible experience. I can help you with: •Weddings & Honeymoons •Exotic destinations •Family holidays •Group holidays •Tailor-made holidays •Personal adjustments & so much more. Assistance I assist with all elements of your holiday and travel and help supply you with everything you require to simply do what you planned – enjoy the holiday. This includes: •ATOL protection •Visas •ESTA •Passport assistance The best financial protection in the industry is at your disposal - Every penny spent with Travel Counsellors is completely secure, so no more worrying about your money when you’re supposed to be enjoying your sightseeing holiday. Contact me to help with your next adventure on 0­1922 897620 or 07894053349

19 January 2017

Staying in Disney was really brilliant over Christmas and new year. We choose to stay in the Disney All star music hotel which is a value hotel, we didn't want to hire a car and ideally wanted to use the extra magic hours to minimize queue times. The hotel is undergoing a refurbishment which didn't affect us in any way the pool area for kids is superb and they really make a fuss of the kids. Most evenings families would be chilling and kids in the pool having a ball. As you would imagine you have music everywhere and always Christmas music I think we learned a few songs we had not heard before the visit. Lovely and festive. When you walk around the hotel grounds you have oversized icons on each hotel building keeping it very Disney. We felt the hotel was more for families than couples. We found the hotel a little dated inside the room with carpets needing changing but the rooms had been painted recently and all around the hotel it had been well kept and clean. If I was returning I would not stay in this hotel I would go for the art of animation as not much more in cost but much value for money being a lot more modern. Saying that we were in Disney so of course, the holiday was amazing. The buses from the hotel are very regular and that is what I loved the most about staying in a Disney hotel it was quick and easy to get around and we felt close to all the parks/waterpark. We went for the Disney dining plan which really felt like too much food as at times we often shared a counter service meal so some meals we used to upgrade the restaurants. The restaurants we booked that were incredible... Be our guest in magic kingdom which is the beasts enchanted castle and you had the chance to have photos with the beast after your meal. It felt like we were in a Disney movie eating here. Chefs de France in epcot serving delicious gourmet French food 50's prime time in Hollywood studios we went here for Christmas day. No Turkey which was different but the experience was really memorable. Our waitress called us kiddos and we were told off for using mobiles at the tables and arms on the table and a couple of diners walked past taking plates to the kitchen as they had not listened to the server and another lady had to go in the naughty corner for a few seconds so was a fun experience. Staying in Disney means you can book fast passes 60 days in advance I love this as really helps to plan you stay to make the most of the time in the parks and be able to then relax. Disney music was everywhere seeing snow around the parks was good and hot cookies were given out when we arrived in magic kingdom lots of nice touches I had not experienced before. Staying in Disney at Christmas is brilliant the decorations are better than ever. I thought crowds would be a problem but I was pleasantly surprised as we booked 9 nights and had a lot more free time than we imagined as it was a lot easier to do the rides than we thought. New Year we booked Narcosses in the grand Floridian hotel for food and singers and the food was incredible and they had a private platform for guests to watch the fireworks the main reason for choosing this restaurant which did not disappoint as I have never seen fireworks so amazing in my life truly incredible the best new years you can have. If you are planning a trip to Disney I have visited a lot of the hotels and can really help choose the right one for you. I really enjoyed the hotels around the boardwalk where we spent some time especially the Disney yacht and beach club this is an amazing hotel and an easy walk to Epcot where you have the world which comes to life at night.

19 January 2017

I stayed in the newest Universal hotel Sapphire Falls 20th December 2016 for 3 nights. What an amazing stay we had. This was my second time staying in a Universal Hotel as I had previously stayed in Cabana Bay hotel. Arriving at the hotel we got a lovely warm welcome and very speedy check in. I thought arriving peak dates just before Christmas I would have to expect a queue at check in but to our surprise we were checked in straight away, the hotel is gorgeous it was new last summer an ideal time to stay here. Everywhere has that new smell of carpets and it felt like the hotel doors had opened for us. There were no signs it had even opened to anyone as everything as you would imagine looked brand new. When entering the hotel the lobby is very grand with a gorgeous light display and very open and relaxing and at the back window, you see the largest Christmas tree. I don't think I have ever seen a bigger Christmas tree indoors, very impressive and festive. We arrived tea time so after check in we headed to the room which was equally impressive very clean and stunning décor very beach focused. Huge TV's we almost did not want to leave our room as we had an amazing suite which was ridiculously big I think I counted 19 chairs to sit at. We headed to the bar/restaurant area in the hotel to unwind and the staff offered us the same great service as from the check in and we decided to chill and ordered tapas which was delicious the food and drinks choice is excellent. Plenty of TV screens to watch all the sports in the bar area. The hotel also has a huge universal shop and the universal desk to collect any express passes paid for. The hotel doesn't provide express pass included in the price but we added them to enhance the holiday. We took use of the early park access but you only have a couple of rides open so the express ticket saved loads of time as we managed to do both parks in the same day. When I have been previously non-peak dates I don't think I have done 1 park in a day so really impressed as the extra time was spent in Citywalk. The main benefit for us on this holiday was the close distance to Citywalk/universal studios and islands of adventures. If you plan to visit universal and islands of adventure staying in a universal hotel is excellent value and a really memorable experience and I would recommend doing this. The water taxi's from the hotel was a lovely way to travel citywalk/universal studios and islands of adventures. They were also very regular this was a really good part of the trip. You could walk in about 20 minutes very leisurely but we enjoyed the free water taxi's to get around. So many highlights in Universal/Islands theme parks. Harry Potter is brilliant my favourite ride is the forbidden journey and in islands, I would have to say the new enhancements to Hulk is superb you do not need a map to find a way to the ride you can hear it a mile off. The Macy's parade in universal was really good. Lots of Christmas music everywhere it was a lot more Christmassy than I thought and this time of year is a superb time to visit. Weather was generally good the odd cooler day but an ideal time of year to visit out of hurricane season and nice temperatures for walking around. The cinematic spectacular for universals 100 years of movies was the best nighttime show we saw truly magical. If you are planning a stay please speak to me for advise on which universal hotel is the best one for you.

29 November 2016

I am just back from visiting New York for the very first time with United Airlines. I stayed from 24th to 26th of November on a two night break which was over Thanksgiving. My flight was with United from Birmingham on the direct service to Newark. Check-in was fast and easy and staff were very friendly. We headed to the No. 1 lounge before the flight which is a great relaxing base before the flight with the comforts of drinks/snacks. It’s much better than the normal airport lounge as you get on the flight feeling relaxed. On the outbound flight I was very lucky to fly business class and enjoyed the comfort and service. It really was a great service with plenty of room, enough to lie down and even get a good rest if needed. The staff were very attentive and had plenty of food and drinks on offer which made the flight seem a lot shorter with all the extra comforts. The ice-cream with fudge and caramel sauce was a very nice treat in the air while watching a very current movie. On arrival at Newark I was very impressed with how fast security checks were and also how quickly we got our cases and were out the airport. The flight landed at lunch time so we really were able to enjoy our first day with the flight times being so convenient. There are perfect times both ways on the United route and on a two night trip it worked very well to allow us to get plenty in on the first day. I would book this for my clients as I know it works. We checked into the Fitzpatrick Manhattan and were greeted with a warm Irish welcome from the manager Chris and his staff who were all very friendly and made us feel right at home. By the end of the three days we left as friends, something many hotels do not manage. The hotel beds are huge and very comfortable. There are lots of nice touches in the room such as robes/slippers to ensure you have your home comforts. On a hectic holiday it does make a difference if you are comfortable. In the bathroom you had luxury toiletries and all the important things are in the room such as hairdryer, iron, and coffee-making facilities. My phone charger was playing up but after speaking to Chris he offered to help straight away. I'm sure if you needed anything this hotel would help out without any hesitation. Now in New York we needed to start seeing all the sights. We were heading to the Top of the Rock and en route we saw the Rockefeller Centre and the iconic Christmas tree. The big lighting is not until the 30th but you could see how impressive it would be once in all its glory. For a Christmas fan I would say go after the tree has been lit as it will be spectacular. Under the tree you have the ice skating which was very busy but it had a magical feel as the Home Alone theme tune was playing which made it feel special. I would recommend other places less busy to ice skate but was great to see the tourists and locals having fun. Our first skyline view was at the Top of the Rock observation deck. The view was stunning as it was starting to go dark so you could see all the lights starting to take over the skyline and got a great view of the Empire State Building. After the view we headed to Times Square which was full of life and by then the lights were in full force - it looked brilliant. We had a reservation in Virgil's American diner BBQ which was great food, it’s very busy so it pays to pre book. Then we headed to the Empire State Building to get an evening view. We arrived about 9:30pm and did not get caught up in all the queues. In the day it took three hours but we must have been to the top in under half an hour and the evening view was amazing. I would recommend going late to save all the standing around – it’s worth staying up late to do this. We had walked everywhere from the hotel. I was amazed how straightforward it was to get around and I felt very safe and would even walk around New York on my own confidently. After a fantastic night’s sleep we headed to check out the Intercontinental Barclay for a hosted breakfast and site inspection. I fell in love with the ambience of the hotel and service was second to none. Rooms were spacious and clean with a calming décor. A great hotel to stay in for a special occasion or if you want some luxury. From the hotel we walked to Grand Central Station and I was amazed how clean it was, it's very impressive and worth a visit. We then took the tube which was cleaner than London tube in my eyes to head down to Staten Island. We took the free ferry to Staten Island. You can do cruises to get slightly closer but we got a great view and it was a good experience. If you want to go in the crown of the statue you need to pre-book months ahead. After the ferry back from Staten Island we walked to the 9/11 memorial and then went into the museum. I had very mixed emotions here as it was very moving. We had a couple of hours here but I would say allow for more time as you have so much to take in. I would love to return to be able to spend a little longer here. We then headed back to the hotel via cab, which you can pay for by card or cash, to freshen up and change for our evening on Broadway. The Broadway show we watched was Matilda. It did not disappoint - the young Broadway stars are so talented. The show was really fun and I enjoyed it so much, it really was a highlight for me. We then headed to the W which had little booths, great for groups for a few drinks before bed. The next day we had free time where the group decided to stick together to go to Intrepid which is the sea, space and air museum. You can also go on the BA Concorde plane at an extra cost. It was great to go as it was very interesting and something very different and really not that busy if you do not want a mass of tourists. We then got a taxi to Central Park and I could visualize some movies straight away in my head. Of course I got a hot dog in the park feeling like a local. I then had some free time so ventured to Bloomingdales for a quick shop before getting ready to fly home. I have so much more I can share, please get in touch if you want to hear more or are planning a trip as I would love to help.

16 November 2016

I was very lucky to get invited to spend five nights in Barbados with a group of Travel Counsellors recently. I flew from Gatwick with British Airways in economy the flight was nine hours on the outbound flight. For the first two nights we were staying in Turtle Beach which is an all-inclusive hotel situated on the South coast. Approaching the hotel it is clear to see you have a lot of places to venture outside the hotel. On entering the hotel it has a very relaxing vibe. Our first evening was a hosted meal in the hotel. The service and food standards were really good in the hotel and the Bajan music was an excellent way to unwind after a long flight. It was a great relaxing first evening and nice welcome to the island. The hotel is situated right on a sandy beach where the sea turtles go to lay their eggs. From our room you could clearly see the turquoise waters and hear the gentle sound of the ocean. After breakfast we were going on an excursion to Harrison's cave which is a cave home to crystallized limestone it is really breathtaking. The tour we did was a great way to explore the cave confidently inside a tram with an informative guide. A nice way to cool down and have a memorable experience. We then visited St Nicholas Abbey which is located in the parish of St Peter for a tour and lunch. It is a great trip and the mansion is very well preserved and has beautiful landscaped gardens - it really is very pretty. We were able to take in all the building features, furniture and admire the abbey before lunch and rum tasting. They still grind the sugar cane as they did 300 years ago and the rum is available to sample and purchase if you are looking for that extra special purchase. On the afternoon I did a site inspection of Turtle Beach then headed to Sea Breeze for a hosted dinner, for more excellent food. The following day we headed to Sandpiper which is one of the most exclusive small hotels in the West Indies. Walking into this hotel is incredible - the relaxed atmosphere is very tranquil and it instantly makes you feel you are in paradise. The beach is truly beautiful and the hotel offers lots of charm. This hotel was one of my personal favourites out of all the hotels we visited and if I was to return I would want to stay here. It is paradise and you can see the staff really go all out for every guest to make everyone have a memorable stay. The excellent sun loungers looked very inviting and rooms all looked lovely, it is safe to say I did not want to leave. We then headed to the Coral Reef for site inspections. It is safe to say this is also a true five star hotel with classic Caribbean charm. Spectacular gardens and very nice comfortable rooms. The afternoon tea is a hot topic here. We then travelled to the Fairmont for a site inspection and lunch. The first thing that wows you is the sea view as soon as you enter the hotel it is magnificent. Every room at this hotel has the ocean view. The fishcakes were to die for very tasty food. Later that day we checked in at our next hotel Waves which was our home for the next three nights. Waves has recently been refurbished and is all-inclusive. Our sea view room was stunning and the hotel is very trendy, modern and again has a relaxing feel on entering and you are greeted with a gorgeous ocean view. We were able to sample the spa and I opted for a massage which did not disappoint. The following day included a site inspection of Waves and Crystal Cove. Crystal Cove has the best pool bar and cave I have ever seen in a hotel. A lovely family atmosphere in this hotel. We then headed into Bridgetown for a catamaran cruise. We were able to relax while the catamaran sailed to a couple of spots to snorkel and have the chance to swim with the turtles. I cannot express how brilliant the catamaran cruise was, it really was great fun. The Bajan music and food really gave you a taste of Barbados the local Bajan's looking after us on the catamaran were so friendly and the catamaran was spotless super clean. Another day in paradise included the Atlantis submarine dive to see and explore the underwater world. We even saw another glimpse of the turtles. We later headed to Mount Gay for a tour and chance to sample the rum I opted for a rum punch which is more my drink and did not disappoint. We later visited Colony club for a site inspection a great retreat on the west coast. Sadly we did not get to sample the jazz and lobster evenings but I know they are a big hit with the guests. The location is superb very close to Holetown. Next was the Tamarind hotel for a site inspection. The atmosphere was more bustling than any other hotel we visited and had an all-round appeal for couples and families. We then visited The House where we had a hosted dinner. It was very chic and for adults only. This was another favourite of mine. The hotel was very elegant and the service was superb. With only 34 rooms it is perfect for a very special holiday. The last day is finally here so just a few hours to relax before heading to the airport. I decided to stay at the hotel and appreciate the ocean and beautiful beach and relax. From the trip I got to see first-hand why the island is so popular with everyone, it really does offer something for everyone. Lots of water sports are on offer and for food lovers it is excellent. If you want to explore the nightlife, St Lawrence Gap is the place to go but as it is a tiny island it is easy to get around no matter where you stay. Some of the Elegant hotels I visited offered a little boat transfer between the hotels on the west coast. Barbados is a luxury destination with many hotels to choose from. I hope from my photos you get a little taste of the island and if you have any questions or are planning a trip to Barbados please get in touch as I would love to help you. With Sandals as another option and big names such as beaches and Hyatt coming in 2018 this is a destination that is a safe choice to get that very special luxury holiday.

30 October 2016

Our week in Vegas was incredible but now we are very much looking forward to visiting the beach and sunshine in Mexico with a week in Cancun. On 8th October 2016 we flew from Vegas with American Airlines to Cancun via Dallas. We decided to upgrade the flight seats to First Class to Dallas and Business Class from Dallas to Cancun as it wasn't too much more to do this and included luggage on the ticket so worth looking at the upgrades. Each flight was under three hours and with a little break in Dallas to stretch our legs and check out the Dallas Cowboys shop. It was actually a nice way to break up the flying time. Flight seats were very comfortable and oversized leather seats made the journey very comfortable and the staff service was superb with plenty of food including the warm cookies and also free drinks on both flight should you want them. Having visited Mexico previously we wanted to really just chill and decided to stay in Cancun to have a shorter transfer as we were not looking to do any excursions on this trip. Upon arriving at the Hard Rock Cancun the security check made you feel safe as not just any vehicle can drive to the hotel entrance before clearing the security check. You notice the guitar shaped water feature driving to the entrance which makes the hotel stand out from the other hotels close by. We were welcomed immediately with huge smiles and helped out of the car and luggage was taken instantly and we were taken to check in and asked what drink we wanted from the bar. When checking in, the staff were really good at making it a quick and easy process and we had drinks to take with us to the room which we were guided to. Entering the room we were greeted with some snacks and music playing on the TV, the hot tub looked gorgeous and we were shown where our minibar and drinks optics were and told if we ever run out of any soft/alcoholic drinks to call them and they would stock them for you instantly. We had a lagoon view room but if you can I would say have the ocean view rooms as the view is stunning. What makes the Hard Rock Cancun stand out from other hotels is the staff, they are a credit to this hotel. You are made to feel part of the family and everyone aims to please. If you are a foodie this the hotel for you, it has plenty of food choice and all restaurant standard. You have a buffet restaurant which I went to for breakfast but decided against for an evening as we enjoy the waiter service meals when we are on holiday. The Teppanyaki is the only meal you need to book, if you want to dine at a table for 10 with excellent show cooking while you try the dishes. We actually only booked to go to this restaurant late afternoon on the night we wanted to go. Gone are the days of having two cards to use each week, get into an a la carte restaurant and have to book three days before you want to dine to get in. The Brazilian restaurant is incredible - if you have been to Rodizio Rico in Birmingham it compares. The standard of food on the all-inclusive is really high. We visited the Italian restaurant and it was so good we went back the next night not something we would usually do. We didn't get round to the Mexican restaurant but heard it was equally as good. We tried to Asian restaurant and were equally impressed. One night we were going into Cancun to go to Coco Bongo's so decided to have room service. You are given a time when it will arrive then you would get a call after it arrives to make sure the meal is ok and you have everything you need. Drinks are premium branded but if you want to have wines from the menu rather than the house wine you can use the resort credit to upgrade. When we stopped at the bar you would rarely finish a drink before another is ready for you. What can I say about the beach, it is breathtaking. The service on the beach is also fantastic. We had the Rock Royalty which gives you a section with large comfy sunbeds and the service is incredible. You can get snacks and food on the beach and it also has a bar. We managed to see some of the baby turtles that had hatched and being looked after by the hotel. If you wanted to have more going on the main pool usually had something going on and for families and adults wanting a bit more life it was perfect. Live music was always very good by the pool. We saw a couple of foam parties by the pool which seemed to go down a treat with everyone. I never felt the hotel was too over the top it seemed to have got everything spot on as plenty of quiet areas, umbrellas if you needed shade. Plenty of space from other sun bathers if you wanted a bit of privacy. We took advantage of the Rock Royalty adult’s only area which was very relaxing and attentive should you need anything the staff are always seen and ready to get food/drinks for you. You have the Rock Royalty for families also. Wi-Fi is complimentary and has a really good connection if you need to work while away. I took advantage of the resort credit in the spa and went for three treatments the massage and facial was pure luxury and relaxation I would recommend to have a treatment as they were really good. All in all it was a fantastic week and I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel to my customers, in fact I have already booked someone to go next year and I am confident they will have an amazing time like we did. For families and couples on holiday or planning to get married or honeymoon I would always mention Mexico to you as it is worth considering as you are sure to have a fantastic time. If you are planning a trip, please get in touch.

29 October 2016

On the 1st October 2016, my husband and I went to Vegas on holiday. After many years of booking customers to the entertainment capital of the world, it was finally my turn to tick Las Vegas off my bucket list. We flew from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic in Premium Economy which does not disappoint. I had pre booked the row of twos with a window seat and found the seats were really comfortable for our 10 hour and 45 minute flight. There was a great choice of films, all really new releases and a food menu to choose which meal choice we wanted. What I enjoy about the premium economy experience is when you are at the gate getting ready to board you are called to be able to board before passengers flying in economy and enjoy a pre-flight drink. As the Premium section is much smaller than economy it seems much more relaxed. On arrival in Vegas I was shocked how quickly we went through the American security and within 30 minutes we had passed immigration collected our cases and heading to find our driver. I had pre-arranged a limo to pick us up and do a quick tour of the strip before taking us to the hotel to check in. As we arrived early afternoon I wanted to have some plans to help us stay awake as we have the seven hour time difference against us. When arriving in Vegas the strip looks as if it is in touching distance and having a quick tour of the strip was a great way to start an incredible holiday our first stop was the famous welcome to fabulous Vegas sign and time for a quick photo. I had booked to stay in the New York-New York hotel and casino which is located on the Las Vegas Boulevard south. I've sent many customers to this hotel and always get good feedback and reviews always seem higher than most other similar hotels. Entering the hotel the atmosphere is electric, the sound of the slot machines and all the attention to detail with the hotel theme is spot on. Before heading to Vegas I had an itinerary and pre booked a lot of attractions and some restaurant meals to help not get stuck where to start as time is precious in a city that has so much going on. We really enjoyed a day out to Fremont Street which was under $10 on the deuce bus and the bus is very easy to know where to get off. While in downtown Vegas we went to the neon boneyard where all the old Vegas signs go and some are restored, this was fantastic to see and hear about the sign's history. We enjoyed a zip line above the shoppers on Fremont Street on the upper line which is where you zip line like Superman. We also visited the mob museum which is definitely worth a visit. If we went again we would stay for an evening as you have good entertainment which is music that's free to listen to. Keeping with the Mob theme the same evening I had booked to go to Capo Speakeasy Italian American restaurant which was an amazing experience. The restaurant has no windows and mob theme restaurant with a password to get in. The singer was superb with old Frank Sinatra classics and food was delicious if you want to experience a night out of Vegas it is worth the cab ride. The service was faultless. See the picture to see my gorgeous meal. The biggest highlight was the helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon which is overwhelming - a once in a lifetime experience. I had booked to go on a luxury helicopter which had the VIP service from the moment we were picked up from the hotel to the second we returned. To witness the bird’s eye view of the Colorado River, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, West Rim, Vegas strip was a memory that will last a lifetime. Upon landing we were taken on a short minibus ride to the skywalk which is an engineering marvel and we got to walk 4000 feet above the Colorado River with a clear glass floored walk. The return flight to Vegas included a strip ride which finished the ride perfectly. The trip was around 4.5 hours in total. Other highlights... High roller which is like the London Eye with a good view of the strip. The Wynn Las Vegas hotel impressed me most - it's extravagant and The Encore is a fantastic luxurious addition where the high rollers of Vegas head. Another favourite of mine was the Paris hotel this was always a hotel that caught my eye when walking the strip. The hotel is something special, romantic, sexy and full of life. We enjoyed the Paris buffet which is excellent value and also went up to the top of the Eiffel tower to enjoy the viewpoint with more fantastic views before heading to watch Absinthe at Caesars palace which is excellent fun for adults I have never seen a show like it before. Bellagio fountains were so beautiful to watch with the combination of music and water and light a great free experience in Vegas. Mirage White tigers, leopards and of course the dolphins. Vegas Show which was really everything Vegas rolled into one. Stratosphere Top of the world was a fantastic restaurant with second to none service - great if you are celebrating. The revolving restaurant gives you incredible views of Las Vegas and the strip and you also see the sky jumpers while you dine. Top tips for Vegas... Comfy shoes Enjoy the free drinks when you gamble Tips - small denominations are ideal Taxis - you can pay by card I would advise letting me plan some things to do so you get to make the most of this special city and all it has to offer. Who would I send to Vegas? Without a doubt couples or groups of friends as it offers a holiday of a lifetime. Couples planning to tie the knot, I was surprised weddings were not in your face. I have seen many more weddings in Cyprus than Vegas and what a great way to be entertained and have fun and make loads of fantastic memories for such a milestone in your life. Families who want a few days if doing a multi-centre holiday. I never thought of Vegas being big for families but I was wrong and saw lots of families while I was in Vegas and a lot of the stuff we did families would be able to enjoy. I'm looking forward to using my experience to enhance my customers’ holiday to Las Vegas. I really would return to Vegas as we had so much fun and a week was the perfect amount of time for us. Read part II for my second week in Cancun.

31 May 2016

This was my very first visit to the Indian Ocean. I flew from Birmingham via Dubai with Emirates the journey was extremely comfortable and I had plenty of entertainment to choose from the business class service was one of the best I have experienced so far. My cases went straight through while I checked out the shops and made my way to the next gate. I have done connecting flights in the states and this is a world of difference as it was a really easy journey and very comfortable. The best part about going to Mauritius is the small time difference with it being just 3 hours ahead really meant I could avoid jet lag. My home for the week was the Beachcomber hotel Paradis situated in the South West part of the island on the Peninsula, as soon as you arrive at Paradis you are greeted with a warm smile and instantly puts you at ease and you can start to relax. My first day really gave me the full opportunity to check out my location and see just how gorgeous it really was. Paradis has a front row seat to the white sandy beach with turquoise seas in immediate views and looking back at the hotel you have the stunning rocky mountain backdrop it really did leave me speechless. Not to forget the large dreamy pool. The hotel and whole island in fact has this oasis of peace and tranquillity and I was able to unwind very quickly. We travelled to the sister hotel Dinarobin by golf buggy which is just next door and between the 2 hotels you have a huge selection of land and water sports activities and good restaurant choice and a fantastic spa. Both resorts are very elegant and I would not hesitate in recommending them to my clients as rest assured I know they would have a great time. Foodies will love the rich culinary choice from around the world, whether you experience a meal in a restaurant or dinner on the beach you will not be disappointed I loved the creole flavours and the seafood was excellent. I did not have one bad meal all the food was excellent. Paradis is a must for golfers, it offers a superb 18 hole course. You can stay in the hotel and be as active as you want with the complimentary land and water sports or you can quite easily relax as much as you should wish. You do not need to get up early to reserve a lounger as you have plenty by the pool and around the beach will plenty of shaded areas if you prefer to keep cool. The hotel offers generous sized rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi and complimentary tea/coffee facilities. I was very pleased with my room as it had everything I needed a complimentary safe, nice toiletries and plenty of space for clothes (Something many hotels get wrong). The resident band was excellent and was on each evening, the atmosphere was low key but had a nice vibe. We did sample the nightclub which is perfect for wedding parties to hire, it would really make any wedding day finish on a high. What I love about beachcomber is they only allow 1 wedding per day in fact we only saw one during the whole week so I am sure that made the bride feel more special. Soon after arriving it felt like I was visiting a close relative to the Caribbean. I can see why Mauritius has had a popularity increase in the last few years as it ticks all the boxes for a luxury holiday for families, couples, wedding/honeymooners as it really does offer everything you could possibly need for a dream break. For the more adventurous you are spoilt with a variety of activities we had a lovely trip to Port Louis and I enjoyed visiting the market for some souvenirs and if you are keen on haggling this is where you can brush up your skills. The souvenirs are a mix of Africa, India and even oriental influences. We also visited Casela Nature Park and I took part in the zip lining and it was incredible you really could see how tropical the island was. You had the option to quad bike and do a safari in Casela also. One evening I had the best time ever on a catamaran cruise my highlight was seeing all the beautiful stars it was simply breath taking. Other activities you could do… Diving, snorkelling, kite surfing, hiking, horse riding, glass bottom boat, Segway, kayaking, dolphin/whale trips and much more. Mauritius is perfect to do as a standalone destination or if you want to do more you can easily have a few nights in Dubai or add South Africa to the end as it is just a 4 hour flight from Mauritius.

28 April 2016

Having never been on holiday to Tenerife I have to admit I think it is a great destination for all ages and can see why it was so popular with a huge mixture of tourists from small families to the elderly the coast offers a variety of good spots to visit for everyone. It is especially good to visit in the winter months as the climate is relatively stable to get some winter sunshine and enjoy being outdoors. The temperatures was around 23 degrees most days and although you had some clouds the weather was good enough to enjoy being outdoors all day and sunset was around 8pm which meant you did not really need a jacket/cardigan until late in the evening as it was relatively warm. Enough to return home with a nice glow and feeling healthy and reenergized. I stayed in the Sheraton La Caleta, on a Bed & Breakfast basis, the hotel has 284 rooms and 20 suites and keeps a very relaxing feel to it and the staff are extremely welcoming, you get that personal feel you would expect from a much smaller hotel. The hotel is one of the cleanest hotels I have stayed in it really was spotless. No areas were crowded you did not need to get up at 5am to wrestle for a sun lounger and staff were very attentive. I would recommend this hotel to my clients if they want a bit of luxury in a quiet spot but as soon as you step out the hotel you have sea views and fantastic walks in both directions along the promenade. Within minutes you have a gorgeous bar to sit and watch the sunset and plenty of restaurants. In the hotel grounds the hotel concierge is excellent, we spoke to them about bike hire and they arranged within 20 minutes for us to have bikes delivered which cost 9 euros for a day and we paid 2 euros for bike insurance (covering theft and if you got a puncture they would come out to fix it for you), so for 11 euros per bike you have the hire for 24 hours which is excellent value. We ventured along the promenade which is mainly flat just having the odd incline to Los Cristianos. What surprised me about going along the promenade was how many joggers, walkers and cyclists were enjoying the coastal route. Going on the bike ride I got to see many gorgeous beachfront restaurants, all the different beaches and lots of smaller resorts. We stopped for refreshments along the way. My husband enjoyed the local Spanish beer and at 1 euro a large beer I was surprised what good value the cost of living was as I had expected it to cost more. Some of my favorite resorts were Playa Del Duque I liked the boutique shops and little beach with wooden huts looked picture perfect and a great area to people watch. Puerto colon offered an array of boats to hire or go out on an excursion. This area was a little busier of a night time and offered cabaret entertainment we watched jersey boys the one night and as I have previously enjoyed the show in the west end was not sure how it would be but pleasantly surprised. Los Cristianos offered a large wide beach which did look very nice and we enjoyed a tapas dish while we stayed for a few hours. I did not feel tied to any resort and on one day we had walked 6 miles along the coastline stopped again for refreshments when we wanted. Before arriving in Tenerife I had pre booked my tickets to Siam Park and have to say I was so impressed I can see why it has won the award for #1 waterpark in the world. We were greeted by the 3 Sea Lions when entering and we must of stayed over half an hour watching them show off and swim around before heading to the rides. Siam park offers something for everyone the man made beach is gorgeous and for sun worshipers you could spend the day relaxing and if you fancy a bit of adventure the wave pool is great. For the little children the waterpark for the younger children is brilliant and super clean and very safe and could keep the kids cool and entertained for many hours. For the bigger kids the waterpark is great I enjoyed all the rides from single rider to couples and four people you can enjoy the donut rides. Singha has to be the best one for adrenalin that made my heart beat skip a few beats. I can pre book tickets for customers and you will save on the gate price and you just go straight to the main gate so will also save you time when you arrive to get in the park quicker. Restaurants La Tosca in Playa De Fanabe was superb Italian food with excellent service the lasagna was delicious. We also visited a little hidden gem called El Molino Blanco which I would recommend for any steak lovers who like to have entertainment as they dine as the live music was really authentic. We only stayed 4 nights but I think a week or longer is an ideal amount of time to spend on the island as we could of done a lot more if we had a few more days as you certainly could not get bored. For families you have the Junglepark, aqualand and Loro Parque. Other excursions to Mount Teide and Santa Cruz would be worth seeing, had we more time I would of visited. For more information and help on your next holiday to Tenerife please get in touch.

29 March 2016

Carnival is the world’s most popular cruise line, so when I recently got asked to go on board the Carnival Dream and sample a carnival cruise for myself the answer was a very easy yes. I have been on cruises previously with Royal Caribbean, P&O, Celebrity and Cunard but Carnival was totally new to me as this was the very first cruise I have been on with them. Before joining the cruise I had heard that Carnival are fun cruises. It really was true to this. To make it simple, Carnival is a luxury resort at sea, better than many 4* hotels I have stayed in and even some 5* hotels as the service is excellent. The staff on Carnival are a credit to the fleet, they work so hard and ensure you have an enjoyable cruise. If you want anything the turnaround is really fast. Fun with Carnival in my own words really means you never have a reason not to smile and just be happy on board which is what going on holiday is all about. The live music was superb. I especially enjoyed the singers in the atrium when inside and when outside on lido deck the singing was also great. You have other entertainment in the theatre/casino, not forgetting the kid’s facilities which are a massive area. Better than any kid’s entertainment I have seen in a resort and the ages are well suited to get kids of a same age together. I would say you could go on this cruise if you prefer adults only as it is not in your face with kid’s entertainment. So you have it right for everyone on board. I often I forgot I was on a cruise as the sailing was very smooth. It was not obvious you were actually cruising and having so much on board to do you really did forget you were going to another beautiful port. The daily newsletters had so much information about all the activities available to choose from day and night, it was almost difficult to choose what to do. By all means if you just want to relax you always had a quiet corner to go to. It had plenty of port information but it was a struggle to leave the ship as everyone I went with was having a great time. The value for money with Carnival is ridiculous as you have so much included in the Carnival cruise price - I think the prices should be higher! One of the highlights for me was going and relaxing in the serenity area which is an adult only area perfect for me time. Most cruises charge a premium for this but with Carnival it is included in the price which is amazing value and a huge benefit to the ship. Entertainment is brilliant with Carnival, you cannot get bored as you have everything you could possibly want and more. I love the huge TV screen on Lido deck which has movies in an evening with popcorn and you can relax on a sun lounger to watch your nightly movie. I caught a bit of Spectre before going for our evening meal. The main dining was great with our lovely waiters who could not do enough for us. One evening someone mentioned they liked someone else's meal choice before we knew it they had bought out samples for everyone. Around the day you had lots of food choices - you could go and have pasta, Indian, deli, fast food, buffet food and more and all the food was of a good standard. We had a vegetarian and also a gluten free person in our group and no one went hungry. We went to the Steak house a couple of times which has a cover charge of $35 US dollars and it was very impressive. I would tell my customers to do this at least once as the cover charge is so low for the food you get. I had an outside cabin which was more spacious than other cruises I have been on. In fact when I went on Britannia last year my balcony cabin was half the size. On board we had the chance to do the behind the scene's tour which I was lucky enough to do and I was shocked at how well everything was run behind the scenes and how clean the ship was in the areas you could not see. It was a military operation run so well and no one ever had a sad face. The staff are very happy which means everything as you always get fantastic service which enhanced the cruise experience. I paid for the drinks package and found it to be great value on board and offered many good options. If you like cocktails and the odd drink on a night I would recommend it to anyone and straight away you know what you are spending as you get up to 15 drinks and soft drinks are unlimited. You do have to have this for everyone in the cabin. I enjoyed it that much I am thinking about my next holiday with Carnival as they have so many good itineraries and work well if you like to do a stay and cruise especially in the Caribbean/USA. If you want to know more please contact me so I can get the right cruise for you.

01 October 2015

Dubai is great to soak up year round sunshine and with a direct flight with Emirates from Birmingham 3 times a day it is easy to travel to the Middle East without any hassle. Most people may look to visit Dubai on route to the Indian ocean, far east or Australasia. It is great for a short stop over but as Dubai offers so much I would highly recommend you visit Dubai for your main holiday as it does not disappoint. Families or couples will find paradise, you may find it very difficult knowing where and how to start planning your vacation, as each hotel offer's something unique and you have so many luxurious hotels to choose from with a variety of facilities. I would speak to my clients directly in order to offer the best accommodation for you. I stayed on the Palm in the Zabeel Saray hotel. This hotel is part of the Jumeirah group and with the Half Board you have a huge variety of restaurant choice which makes it very good value. I cannot rate the hotel highly enough service, facilities and food were excellent. With complimentary access to the wild wadi waterpark which is great for big kids as much as it is the little kids. You can shop until you drop in the air conditioned malls. You can even have a go at skiing!!! Some of my highlights included going up the highest building in the world the BURJ KHALIFA, watching the Dubai fountains show, afternoon tea in the BURJ AL ARAB the only 7* hotel in the world having a view of the world, beach and the city was amazing a top tip is to pre book and arrive early to try to get a window seat to take in the gorgeous view. As I went for a short break I made sure I had everything pre booked to save time I did find 4 nights was long enough to relax and take in some of the sightseeing, an ideal duration i think would be a week to 10 days. Everyone who books with me I would pre book all excursions and restaurants as required. What impressed me about Dubai was the standard of service, I found everyone to be extremely friendly. Food standard was excellent my favourite was the Rib Room in my hotel where the food was exquisite. It really was a clean destination. Top tips... Plan ahead it is a great destination it would be a shame not to make the most of it. Approaching Arab women, when greeting Arab women it is not customary to shake hands. Don't drink too much alcohol, it is fine to have it in moderation. I would say if you do like to drink grab something in the airport duty free as much better value. Don't import or take drugs unless you want to extend your holiday in jail. To have the human touch when booking your next holiday please give me a call as I would love to share my experiences with you.

17 December 2014

I recently got the chance to head over to Antigua/St Kitts & Nevis on a familiarization trip to the islands with each islands tourist board guide. The aim was to discover what each very different island could offer my customers and see the hotels for myself and enable me to match the right hotel to each of my customers. Each island has so much to offer so I was very exciting to get the chance to experience each island myself. My journey started with flights with British Airways from Gatwick to Antigua on a non-stop route in Business class which was an 8 hour flight. From the moment we arrived it had that laid back Caribbean charm that made you instantly relax. Everywhere had gorgeous colours, the sea was a mixtures of green and blues so pretty and so bright. So different to the dark nights at home. I really felt so relaxed the whole time I was in Antigua so for anyone with a busy life this is the place you need to visit to be able to truly unwind. I was so impressed with the food standards as I was always presented with a fantastic menu and exquisite flavours. Hotels I Stayed in... Nonsuch Bay-The property is a bliss, very well kept property. Everything you need for a luxury home from home break with large well equipped rooms. You can pre order your shopping prior to your arrival. I enjoyed a speed boat trip to a private island part of the hotel package. Lots of water sports activities. Bluewaters-Luxurious hotel great atmosphere. Loved the live entertainment very good singers. Small sandy beach. Rooms furnished to a high standard. Staff looked after me very well. Great for families and couples who want a luxury All Inclusive resort. Some top tips when you visit Antigua... It is a beautiful island so do not stay in the hotel the whole time, as you really would be missing out. You do not need to go All-Inclusive if you prefer B&B as the food in the restaurants is very good value and very tasty. Eating out is a must to sample the local food. My favourite is the lobster dishes. The islands have 365 beaches - yes that’s right one for every day of the year and they are truly stunning! A great way to get around the island is to hire a car. In Antigua they drive on the left hand side of the road so perfect for anyone who has not hired a car abroad before. The roads are really not busy so safe to drive abroad. The beaches are not all packed so you can easily find a quiet spot on the beach. Pass the exquisite Georgian buildings along Nelsons Dockyard perfect to spend an evening and very popular on Friday nights. Take a picture perfect postcard shot from Shirley Heights. See the beautiful yachts at English Harbor. Sample a Rum punch or two!!! Hotel site inspections... Curtain Bluff Galley Bay Verandah Resort St James Club Carlisle Bay I then took a short flight from Antigua to St Kitts which was 30 minutes with British Airways First Class. But you can fly from Heathrow to St Kitts (via Antigua). I Stayed in the Marriott St Kitts for 3 nights then headed over to Nevis for 1 night staying in the Nisbet Plantation. It is actually only 5 minutes on a speed boat transfer between the islands. Perfect for a twin centre or day trip. St Kitts is totally intoxicating with natural Caribbean beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and white sandy beaches combined to make St. Kitts one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. With the beautiful green and unspoilt Nevis being so close it is a perfect combination for a twin centre holiday to discover the West Indies for yourself the journey is well worth your time. Nevis- The Island is very easy to get around, hiring a car is a great way to see the natural beauty of St Kitts with driving on the left. St Kitts- An Island surrounded by new and untouched dive sites, marked by massive beds of coral, teeming with fish of every stripe and colour. St Kitts Railway is a must see. Hotel site inspections... St Kitts Ottley's Plantation Inn Timothy Beach Resort Oualie Beach Resort Montpelier Plantation Hermitage Nevis Four Seasons Nevis totally unspoilt very relaxing with long empty beaches for you to relax. Both islands are perfect for sports activities, well-being and excellent food and not over crowded so you really feel a slower pace of life with less people being around. All islands offer great experiences for families, couples, weddings, groups and clients looking for a luxury holiday where attention to detail is second to none. For expert advice please call me on 01922 897620 or email helen.davis@travelcounsellors.com as I would love to help you book a trip to Paradise.