04 June 2020

Whenever I tell people that I’m a travel consultant with Travel Counsellors, there are several questions that I always get asked. “What does a travel consultant do?” “Why would I use a travel consultant when I can do it myself on the internet?” “Would using a travel consultant cost me money?” So I thought I would have a go at answering these questions for those on the fence about if having a travel consultant is worthwhile. What does a travel consultant do? Well, over the last three months I’ve spent countless hours bringing my customers home when, across the world, nearly all countries started to close their borders. I’ve rebooked flights, sometimes having to research alternative routes as the usual routes have been closed. I’ve amended accommodation, transfers, car hire and airport parking, often spending hours on hold when phone lines are busy. I’ve been several steps ahead on every future booking, advising customers on their options, payment dates and supplier policies. I’ve cancelled or amended my customers’ trips as painlessly as possible for them (though not for me – 5 hours on hold to Disneyland Paris listening to Disney songs was enough to fry my brain!). I’ve also been an expert to reach out to, even for those who aren’t my customers, offering advice to those struggling to get refunds or even to get through to their travel company. When the world turns normally, my role is to use my understanding of my customers to create a trip that's memorable and unique to them. I get to know my customers, so I can build a long-term relationship with them. This way I understand what they want and need from their trip. I then work with them to help them make the most out of their experience. So, if their passion is volunteering, if they want luxury travel or are seeking a one-of-a-kind adventure, I can help them plan a trip that offers wonderful memories and experiences of a lifetime. Why would I use a travel consultant when I can do it myself on the internet?” Online travel agencies (OTAs) provide a one-size-fits-all service, and don’t take into account the numerous variables that are in play. I tailor my services to my customers’ individual needs and if they have concerns, I can talk them through them. If they need a hotel that can cater to allergies or other specific requirements, I can speak directly to the hotel to make sure it’s taken care of. I can recommend various travel destinations, based on many things such as geography, weather, history, language and customs. I can book flights, hotel rooms, excursions, transfers, insurance, car hire, airport parking, lounges and more. I also advise my customers what entry requirements their destinations have and signpost them to health and vaccination information. It's my job to attend to every detail of their trip so that they don’t have to. I’m on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Should problems arise on a trip, even if it is the middle of the night here, we have a 24-hour duty office for all emergencies. If a flight is cancelled, for example, I, or the duty office, can rebook the flight so my customer doesn’t have to stand in a long queue of disgruntled passengers who need to make their own arrangements. As people around the world struggled to get out of certain countries ahead of the recent travel ban, or spent hours on the phone fighting to get their money back on trips they had to cancel, the pros of a human travel consultant versus an OTA have hopefully come into sharp focus. “Would using a travel consultant cost me money?” There are no extra fees for using my services. I’m paid on commission by the travel providers and, as a Travel Counsellor, I’m truly independent so will recommend the trip that is best for you, not the trip that will make me the most money! I’m competitive on prices with many other travel companies but I don’t compete with online travel agencies as the service I provide is vastly different to that offered by an OTA. I believe that, with what we have been through for the past three months, the future of travel will have an emphasis on a travel consultant. And when you are ready to book your next adventure, I look forward to hearing from you.

07 May 2020

When thinking, “where shall I take my family on holiday?” it is easy to discount places that aren’t seen as traditional family destinations. But if you do, you and your family could miss out on some unforgettable experiences. As a travel consultant in Welwyn Garden City, I can use my knowledge and expertise to help you put together your perfect trip. Here is our experience of the majesty of Jordan. At the end of last year, I was looking for somewhere for myself, my husband and our two boys aged 12 and 7 to go in February half term. As much as a week relaxing in the sun would have been lovely, it was not what I was looking for. I spotted some good value flights to Jordan if you fly via Malta (I will talk about Malta in a separate blog) and as I have always wanted to experience Petra, a UNESCO World heritage Site and one of the New7Wonders of the World, we decided to go for it. Day one We arrived into Amman Airport mid-morning and easily picked up our hire car. We were soon on our way to experience the Dead Sea, about an hour’s drive from the airport. Originally we had planned to just use the free access to the Dead Sea but changed our minds and headed for the Amman public beach. The facility is pricey at approx. £70 for the four of us and you must pay for lockers, towels and mud but I’m glad we had the changing rooms, running water to wash all the salt and mud off and somewhere to buy snacks and drinks. Despite the February weather in Amman being chilly, the Dead Sea area was warm and sunny, the water temperature was pleasant and the children and I loved floating in it, although the salt stung. Do take a bottle of water down to the beach with you as if the salt gets in your eyes it hurts a lot! We couldn’t leave without covering ourselves in Dead Sea mud (which you also have to pay for!) but it takes a lot of washing to get it off once it is dry. Once we were salt-free and dressed, we headed straight to Aqaba along the Jordan Valley Highway. It is one long road and as you drive along the length of the Dead Sea you get to see the amazing colours and patterns the salt makes. It took us about three hours, arriving at 6pm. We checked into the InterContinental, a luxury 5-star resort right on the Red Sea with its own private beach. Our family room was large, with a separate sleeping area for the children, the beds were comfortable, and the hotel was wonderful. We went for a walk and found a welcoming restaurant called the Neptune, with a lovely view of the water at the Royal Yacht Club Marina and after a quick bite to eat headed back to the hotel. Day two After a good night’s sleep, we had been looking forward to chilling by the pool and snorkelling in the sea, but it was overcast and a bit chilly. However, it was a lovely surprise to find the family pool was heated and could still be enjoyed despite the weather. We started the day with a swim then headed to Raghadan Street for a traditional Jordanian brunch. This included hummus, falafel, labneh and pitta bread and was delicious and very filling although my husband couldn’t drink the Turkish coffee as it was too bitter. We wandered along the beach to Aqaba Castle where the boys enjoyed running around it and I worried about its complete lack of anything regarding health and safety! The boys still really wanted to snorkel as I had told them how amazing it was supposed to be, so we drove 20 mins to South Beach anyway. There is a diving club on the beach, and I had a chat with them about where to find the fish. They assured me there was a reef very close to shore and easily accessible, even to my 7-year-old, so although it was raining and there was hardly anyone was in the water, in we went. We hired wetsuits for the boys, but I swam in just my swimsuit. It was chilly but manageable. We snorkelled for about an hour. It was incredible! I could not believe the reefs that were teeming with brightly coloured fish were so close to the shore. We saw clown fish in sea anemones, butterfly fish, angel fish and parrot fish and my son spotted a moray eel and a sea urchin, both of which we moved away from quickly! We were all buzzing about the snorkelling but the boys still weren’t done with swimming. They spent several hours in the pool at the hotel and only got out when it closed at sunset. We settled down at the beach bar with a drink and the boys had fun playing on the sand. It was peaceful and relaxing and we wished we could have stayed longer. The boys wanted something familiar for dinner and we had spotted a chicken wings restaurant on our walk the night before so we headed there. The food was plentiful, tasty and well-priced and once we were finished we headed back to the hotel via a liquor shop to buy some beer for our desert stay See part two for the rest of our amazing holiday.

07 May 2020

Day 3 I was excited for our day at Wadi Rum. It was an easy 90-minute drive and as we drew closer, the desert landscape started to resemble what I remembered from the film The Martian with Matt Damon. When we arrived at the visitor centre, we showed our Jordan Passes which we had bought in the UK (this combines the tourist visa with entrance to many of the attractions and can save you a lot of money) and drove on to the village which is like something out of the wild west. We had booked the Desert Colored Camp, but we could have just turned up as there was plenty of availability in February. Our guide, Sultan, arrived in a well-worn jeep and we set off sitting on the back of the jeep. We only took what we needed for the night, as well as our valuables, and left everything else in the car. It was really windy, and we were glad we had our layers on. We made a quick stop for a packed lunch Jordanian style, which was comprised of a tin of tuna, a cheese triangle, a flat bread, some fruit and a chocolate bar. It was washed down with our first taste of Bedouin tea, spiced with cinnamon and other spices, which was sweet and delicious. After lunch, we had our camel ride, which was surreal but great fun. Then Sultan drove us to all the main sites, including the sand dunes, Lawrence House and the rock bridge. It was all magnificent and fascinating and a little bit dangerous at times. We ended the afternoon watching the sunset before making our way to our camp to spend the night in the desert. I wasn't sure about doing this in February but wanted the full experience. It was freezing but it was great fun. We all enjoyed the traditional Bedouin food cooked under the sand and the baklava served afterwards and we drank loads of Bedouin tea. The hospitality was faultless. Because of the lack of light pollution in the desert, as soon as it was dark, we had the most spectacular view of the stars we had ever seen. We were warm enough under loads of thick blankets and we all slept well. Day 4 Breakfast was at 7am and again it was delicious. By 8am we had said our goodbyes. Our next stop was Petra. The drive to Petra was along steep, narrow and potholed roads and we were glad to arrive at 10.30am. We only had four hours there as we didn't want to drive in the dark later on, so the plan was just to do the Siq, the Treasury and a few more sites. But the satnav took us to the wrong entrance where we met a man who told us we could see the Monastery as well if we went in the back way. I had heard about this during my research, but we told him we only had four hours. He said it was plenty of time and that he would take us to where the Monastery was an easy 45-minute walk which would avoid all the steps. By the time we got our tickets and were dropped at the back gate it was 11.30am. I can't really describe the walk. The scenery was spectacular as we hiked through the mountain but at times we thought we were lost. The children were more relieved than awed when we finally saw a glimpse of the Monastery 2 hours later! The monastery is magnificent and well worth the journey. After a stop at the cafe, we walked on. Walking down 850 steps was hard so we were glad we hadn’t walked up. I would recommend you wear walking boots or similar as it’s very slippery. We didn't take any detours to see anything off the main path but had to stop several times for a drink and a rest as it was warm. We were all very thankful to see the Treasury but didn’t realise it would take another 30 minutes to walk the length of the Siq and come out at the visitors’ centre. The whole of Petra is fascinating, and I would have loved to explore it in more depth. But in hindsight we should have stuck to our original plan as it was too much for our youngest who had to be carried by the end. We were two hours later than planned leaving Petra for Ma'in and my husband was not looking forward to driving in the dark. The drive up and over the mountain to get back onto the highway which was amazing as we passed groups of people having parties watching the sunset. At one point we passed a pack of about a hundred wild dogs. By the time we turned off the highway it was dark and we had to drive up a winding, unlit mountain road. My husband was incredibly stressed by the time we arrived at the Ma’in Hot Springs Hotel. The journey was worth it though as this hotel is beautiful. We had a 2-bedroom suite, and the buffet dinner and breakfast were delicious. The hot springs pool was so hot it was like swimming in a hot bath and the boys loved it. We weren't there long enough unfortunately. Day 5 We swam, had breakfast, packed up and drove back to the airport. Trying to get to a petrol station was fun! And we went through the airport checkpoint twice and round the roundabout looking for car rental returns several times! But we made it eventually. What can I say about driving in Jordan? There appear to be no rules! There are few road markings and people overtake, undertake (often at the same time) double overtake into oncoming traffic, drive on the hard shoulder (sometimes the wrong way), down the middle of lanes and have full beams on at night. And there are speedbumps everywhere. They are rarely signposted and just appear on 100km/hour roads! We shared the road with people, dogs, goats, sheep, donkeys and camels! Oh and people park their cars wherever they like - on roundabouts, junctions, 2 abreast on dual carriageways etc. You really need your wits about you but we managed it without getting into any accidents. The many checkpoints were a bit scary but as soon as they saw we were foreigners they mainly waved us on saying “welcome to Jordan”. So, is Jordan suitable for children? Most definitely! There is so much to see and do and my boys loved it all, although I would perhaps hire a donkey or a horse drawn carriage to save little legs when exploring Petra. The boys’ holiday favourites Riley aged 12 “My favourite part of the holiday was scrambling up rocks and climbing over the big rock bridge in Wadi Rum. I also loved swimming in the hot pool at the Ma’in Hot Springs hotel. My favourite food was the all you can eat buffet at the Ma'in Hot Springs Hotel.” Oscar aged 7 “My favourite part of the holiday was the camel ride. I thought it was funny that mummy had a naughty camel that didn’t do as it was told. My favourite food was the pancakes for breakfast at the Ma’in Hot Springs Hotel.”

17 October 2019

If you are looking for some winter holiday inspiration, whether you have children or not, Lapland should be on your travel bucket list. Having two young children meant I wanted to make this a Santa trip and go before they got too old although I knew that my oldest son, at 10, was already possibly too old to believe in Father Christmas (not that he would admit it yet!) But even without children, Lapland is a magical place with plenty to do. Day 1 - We flew on Christmas Eve morning from Gatwick to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in Northern Finland. We hadn't booked our holiday as a Santa package, so some people commented that not having elves meet us at the airport wouldn’t be festive enough for them. But it didn’t matter to us. Arriving in Rovaniemi, we walked out of the airport to plenty of snow. Our holiday included car hire which I was very nervous about, but the weather was typical for the season and the car had snow tyres which coped admirably with the conditions. We stopped at a supermarket to stock up on essentials and got on the road. Once outside of the city, they are straight and wide with the snow compacted enough that you don’t actually realise you are driving on it. It was an easy, two hour-drive to Levi, where we were staying, but felt very strange to be driving in twilight in the middle of the day. It doesn’t get any sunlight in December but wasn’t completely dark all day. Daylight came at around 10am then it was like a very gloomy day back in the UK until 2pm when darkness fell. We drove into Levi at around 2pm and were immediately captivated. Lapland celebrates Christmas on 24 December and there were hundreds of people enjoying the festivities at the bottom of the ski slope that were just finishing. We had decided on a chalet as we like to have lots of flexibility and there are plenty to choose from in Levi, as well as numerous hotels. After unpacking, we put on our full snow gear and headed out to explore. There are plastic sledges everywhere and you can help yourself to them if they haven’t been personalised. The kids jumped on and we had an amazing time pulling them through the resort and sledging at the bottom of the ski run that was now closed for Christmas Eve. Once we’d had enough, we had dinner in the Colorado Bar and Grill, where everyone stripped off their outside gear and walked around in their socks! This became a familiar sight as the snow gear was too hot to wear indoors. Once we had eaten, we headed off to bed to await Father Christmas! Day 2 - We had told the children we were visiting Father Christmas on Christmas Day after he had delivered all the presents so, after breakfast, we headed down to the meeting point. We were with two other families and a minibus took us to a secluded setting where we were met by elves. First, we went on a reindeer ride, then the children were taught how to be elves. Once they had graduated from Elf School, we met Mrs Claus and went in to see Santa. My children were amazed when he pulled out a present for them that he said he had kept for them (I had handed it to an elf earlier) but no other family did that and one of the other eagle-eyed children asked their parents why! My children loved the whole experience and it was such a picturesque setting with so much snow they could dive into it. Following our Santa visit we went for a traditional Lappish meal in an underground restaurant called Saamen Kammi. The food was beautifully cooked. We ate reindeer cooked in several different ways and salmon cooked on an open fire while being entertained the Lappish way. It was one of those rare days where every member of the family enjoyed themselves and we were so glad we had come. Day 3 – We had started learning to ski at our local ski slope, so we did a half day skiing on the Levi family slopes, called Kidsland, which are free for everyone to use. We all had fun. In the afternoon, a 5km husky safari was on the agenda. It was noisy, smelly and extremely exhilarating. If I had known how amazing driving a husky sled was going to be, I would have booked a longer ride. Children can’t drive the sled, but they sit in it covered in reindeer hide to keep themselves warm. When the ride is over, you get chance to interact with the huskies and feed the reindeer, then grill sausages on the fire and drink hot berry juice. Day 4 – My eldest son and I have been bitten by the ski bug and we wanted to ski some more. We went to Levi’s south slopes, which are more suitable for beginners, for another half day of skiing. Once we were skied out, we took the gondola up the main mountain and found the secret café in the woods. The scenery on the walk to the cafe is quite simply stunning. We were wandering on our own through the forest and I had never experienced anything like it. We followed that with a family snowmobile safari in the dark. First the children rode small snowmobiles round a short track, then we rode the big snowmobiles with the children as passengers on a track through the woods. I found riding the snowmobiles quite scary as they go so fast, but my husband and children loved it. We ended the day at the Wanha Hullo Poro restaurant eating buckets of buffalo wings, before we returned to our chalet and packed up ready for our departure the next day. Day 5 – It was another easy drive back to Rovaniemi airport and soon we were flying home, with loads of amazing memories to take back with us. We are yet to see the Northern Lights as it was cloudy for our entire stay (that did mean the temperature was -10 instead of -25!) And as it was such an amazing experience we all said we would go again. In fact, we are booked to go again in February 2022 and we already can't wait.

04 December 2019

Florida has been somewhere I couldn’t wait to take my children having been there as a child myself. We took our children, aged 4 and 9. We flew indirect from Heathrow to Orlando via Atlanta with Virgin Atlantic and Delta. We chose Atlanta because of the vast number of flights going to Orlando every day, so we knew if there was a problem with our first flight, we wouldn’t have too much of an issue getting a connecting flight. We were glad we did as we missed our connecting flight due to the queues at immigration but were put on standby and got on the next flight only an hour later. We stayed for 7 nights at a Disney resort and booked during Disney’s free dining promotion. We decided to upgrade to the standard dining plan which gave us one table service and one quick service meal per day, which was definitely worth the extra money for us. We chose Port Orleans Riverside, a fantastic hotel with a lovely main pool and a series of smaller pools near to the rooms. It connects to all the Disney parks, as well as the entertainment and shopping area called Disney Springs, by a series of buses that are a fantastic perk of staying inside the Disney “bubble”. We had an amazing week at Walt Disney World, visiting all 4 parks as well as both waterparks. If I could give one recommendation for getting the most out of Disney it would be to get up early (at the start of the holiday, the time difference means you will probably be doing so anyway). If you get to the park first thing, you will beat the crowds and you can return to your accommodation for a rest and go back to the park for the evening. We didn’t need a hire car at the start as we had taken Disney’s complimentary Magical Express to the hotel from the airport but as we were moving hotels we had booked one from day 7. We were picked up and taken to the Disney Car Care Centre to pick up our spacious hire car to drive to our next hotel. This was the budget, but perfectly comfortable, Rosen Inn at Pointe on International Drive. For anyone who is wary of driving in the USA, don’t be! I loved driving out there as was very easy in an automatic car. Our room at the Rosen Inn had two very comfortable double beds, plenty of drawers and hanging space and a microwave, coffee machine and bathroom. From the Rosen Inn we visited Universal. We loved it and can’t wait to go back as we didn’t get to visit their new water park as it hadn’t opened when we went. We also visited SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Centre and the unmissable Discovery Cove. We ate at numerous wonderful restaurants including Bahama Breeze, Olive Garden, Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Company and the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. After 15 days of back-to-back activity we packed up and drove to the sublime and laid-back Anna Maria Island where we spent the last 4 days of our holiday relaxing on the beautiful white sandy beaches and enjoying the sunsets. We flew home via Atlanta from Tampa as it was easier than driving back to Orlando. It was a holiday we will all never forget and we will go back! My top tip – Book a 1-night stay at one of Universal’s top 3 hotels to take advantage of early entry and free express passes for the parks for the day of arrival and the day of departure. This is a fantastic time-saver as you get to skip the regular queues in the parks allowing you to experience so much more in a shorter time.