10 December 2023

Blog created by Lisa Snowdon - in her own words. Seems I’m a little late to the party when it comes to booking a holiday with a Travel Counsellor! Some of you are clearly smarter than me ??and have been using one for years! Well now I’m completely sold after connecting with my travel counsellor @alexb_travelguru! He booked the most incredible girls’ trip for my friend Zoe and me! Every little detail was taken care of, our flights to Miami, our transfers, our hotels and even our restaurants. We wanted to stay for a few nights in Miami as Zoe had never been. We then flew over to Antigua to stay at the incredible Blue Waters Hotel, before heading off on a 7-night cruise on @emeraldcruises.global Sakara. Initially when Alex suggested a cruise, I wasn’t sure. In my mind it’s thousands of people but as soon as I saw the yacht, I was so excited! A super yacht with only 100 people on board, a pool, a gorgeous gym, Spa, and infrared sauna plus lots of fun excursions too. Our cruise took us off around the eastern side of the Caribbean to countries we’d never been to before. Waking up in a new place each day, swaying to the rhythms of the ocean whilst drinking cocktails each night and taking the tender to explore the islands was truly magical. There are @travelcounsellors all over the country and even worldwide. Alex Buckle was the guy I used who was just the best at listening to what we wanted to do and was super flexible at every stage of the planning. You can trust a Travel Counsellor to help take care of your trip whatever that looks like, maybe with a friend for a weekend, a solo bucket list dream holiday or a family trip of a lifetime - no journey is too short nor destination too far. What’s best is there is no more waiting on the phone for hours trying to book or change flights, making mistakes online, all that stress is taken away. Hand it all over to your Travel Counsellor and they will take care of you every step of the way. #travel #adventure #girlstrip #prgifted #cruise #superyacht #emeraldsakara #caribbean

20 July 2023

Like many families who choose to travel to Asia on their holidays, we found ourselves flying into Bangkok as a gateway to Asia. But rather than fly straight onto our final destination, Koh Samui, we decided it was all part of the adventure to spend a few days exploring the city with our kids. I must admit, I was a little apprehensive, I have visited Bangkok many times over the years, but never with kids. I know a lot of people are not keen on Bangkok for various reasons, but personally I love it. It’s energetic, full of life, with lush green parks, fantastic shopping, roof top bars and the biggest and most spectacular temples in Asia including the Grand Palace. We weren’t sure what the kids would make of it though – at ages 6, 9 and 11 - it’s their first time in Asia and Bangkok is certainly a baptism of fire! I needn’t have worried, the kids absolutely loved their Bangkok experience. I would say, however, that their experience wasn’t an accident, it’s worth spending a bit of time considering your itinerary, hotel and restaurants choices when you have kids en towe and also adhering to a few little tips. Here’s my top 10 tips for visiting Bangkok with kids 1. TOUR OR NOT TO TOUR? Consider what type of child you have when deciding your itinerary. If they don’t mind culture, then by all means organise a guided tour around The Grand Palace, but if like mine, they get bored easily, consider doing your own self-guided visit round the main cultural sites so you can go round in your own time. 2. HOTEL WITH A POOL My kids loved the knowledge that after a morning of sightseeing, they had the afternoon to enjoy at the hotel cooling down in the pool. 3. RIDE IN A TUK TUK My kids loved nothing better than zooming around Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk. It was a totally unique experience for them. 4. AVOID KHO SAN ROAD, PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT We ventured there one evening (mainly to reminisce about our own backpacking days), but it's changed a lot over the years with every bar playing ear splittingly loud music and cannabis shops (cannabis has been legalised recently in Thailand) around every corner. It’s not a kid friendly place. 5. CHECK THE CHILD POLICY FOR ROOF TOP BARS/RESTAURANTS Bangkok is famous for its roof top bars so it would be a shame not to visit one when in Bangkok, especially at sunset. But check the child policy before you go as some have strict child policies. Family friendly roof top bars and restaurants include SEEN and YAO. 6. CONSIDER A RIVERSIDE HOTEL Bangkok can be intense so we enjoyed the location of our hotel, Shangri-La Bangkok, by the Chao Phraya river. It was easy to get everywhere as it was close to transport links, but slightly out of the centre of the city. 7. BOOK A TABLE TO SEE WAT ARUN AT SUNSET We didn’t get to do this as it was cloudy in Bangkok for most days during our stay, but I have heard that watching the vibrant colours change on Wat Arun at sunset is amazing. Book yourself a table for dinner or drinks on the opposite river bank at a restaurant like Supanniga Eating Room, The Deck or The Arun. 8. DON’T BE FOOLED Don’t be fooled by locals telling you the cultural sights like The Grand Place are closed for a religious ceremony. They aren’t, it’s a scam to get you to ride in their tuk tuk. 9. A FUSSY EATER? Bangkok has been on the tourist trail for a long time, plus it’s a big international city so there are many restaurants serving western fare. Most hotels have some western dishes on the menus so if you have fussy kids like mine you can usually find something on the menu to satisfy their tastes. My kids also enjoyed eating noodles and chicken satay. My suggestions for western restaurants are Roadhouse Barbecue or Happy Fish. 10. VISIT A FLOATING MARKET Although they are undoubtedly a bit commercial, my kids loved the experience of travelling in a long tail boat around the market. We gave them each the chance to purchase one item and try out their haggling skills. Ok, that concludes by TOP 10 TIPS to negotiating Bangkok with kids. I have been asked a lot about how we found visiting Bangkok with kids. It is definitely something people are nervous about doing and keen to have some tips. It seems there is still an appetite for adventure that does not diminish the moment you have kids and nor should it. It’s just about making some adjustments to your trip to accommodate your kids, after all we all know that happy kids = happy parents = happy holidays! If you are interested in having you own Thai Family Adventure, get in touch by DM, Whatsapp, e-mail at johanna.cumbers@travelcounsellors.com or by calling 01277 790 056 and I would love to discuss how I can help you have the most amazing family trip to Asia.

15 June 2023

It’s been a while since we have attempted a long haul trip further than Dubai. Years ago, my husband and I would think nothing about jumping on a 12 hour flight to far flung lands for a holiday, but since having our children the thought of looking after tired toddlers on long haul flights and dragging them on cultural tours in which they have no interest, was not overly appealing. The intervening years has meant I have built up a great deal of knowledge of European and UAE family resorts, especially those with accommodations for families of 5 (which those persons who belong to a family of 5 will know, can sometimes be a challenge). Thankfully, many hotels have noticed the demand for two bedroom accommodations and are now adding more and more rooms to cater for this market. We decided 2023 was the year, we were going to take the plunge and take our first cautious steps back into our long haul travelling roots to a country we have been to many times before, but never with kids -Thailand. With our kids now 11, 9 and 6, we felt that Thailand offers a lot for kids of our children’s ages. It’s provides exposure to another, very different culture, but a little softer round the edges than some of the other countries in Asia. Most hotels offer many of the creatures comforts that they are used to and English is widely spoken in most resorts. But there is still enough to do to have the Asian Adventure we were all after. First stop, Bangkok. We stayed at the Shangri-La Bangkok. A fabulous choice for a family being located on the Chao Phraya riverside, but with great connections to most of Bangkok’s attractions by rivertaxi or Skytrain. We also had interconnecting rooms and there was a great pool which the kids enjoyed cooling off in after a morning of sightseeing. For more recommendations, tips and advice on negotiating Bangkok with kids look out for my blog ‘3 nights in Bangkok with 3 kids’. After Bangkok, we flew down south to Koh Samui for 8 nights. We chose to stay at the Melia Koh Samui mainly because I had heard that it offers a great mix of luxurious touches, a gorgeous location on Choeng Mon beach (not far from Fishermans Village and Chaweng Beach) and caters well for families. Many hotels in Koh Samui are aimed at the couples market or are adults only so it’s important to do your research well. I also have friends with kids staying in Koh Samui at the same time and they are staying at and enjoying The Anantara Bophut and SantaBuri on Mae Nam beach. We stayed in a one bedroom Family Suite which was very spacious even with a double bed and single bed set up in the lounge area. It also had a huge balcony overlooking the gorgeous garden and pool which snakes around the resort. Look out for more reels showcasing both the Shangri La Bangkok and Melia Koh Samui. We decided to do two day trips in Koh Samui with my boys. First, we took a speedboat trip to some of the surrounding islands including Five Islands for some sightseeing and Pig Island to see the pigs that roam the island. Finally, we stopped for some snorkelling time amongst the coral. The kids enjoyed bumping up and down in the speedboat the most, I will never forget their squeals of delight every time we crashed over a wave. Pig Island itself was pretty commercialised, but all the same it was nice to venture outside the resort and go on an adventure. We also went to one of the several Elephant Sanctuaries on the island. The kids enjoyed feeding and washing the elephants. Some of the sanctuaries offer better experiences than others so again it’s important to do your research. We went to Samui Elephant Home Sanctuary and I would recommend this. We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis which I would recommend doing, mainly because there are so many delicious restaurant options within easy reach. We divided our evenings between 3 locations; 1. Fisherman’s Village in Bophut - 15 mins west of the Melia in a taxi. It offers plenty of eating options on the beach. Our personal favourite’s were @Happy Elephant and @Coco Tams. The kids particularly liked the light show at CocoTams. Twice a week, there is also a huge night market with all sorts of weird and wonderful things to buy including some culinary treats like grilled locusts and scorpions. 2. Chaweng Beach - 15 mins east in a taxi from the Melia. Chaweng is not the most glamorous area and certainly there were a lot more bars (and unfortunately Cannabis outlets due to recent de-regulation) than I remember. We brushed past them with the kids and nobody asked us about them thankfully. But there were some nice restaurant options which offered a mixture of western and Thai dishes. Our favourites were @Dayandnight and @Spargo. 3. Beachfront restaurants in Chong Mon beach. The Melia hotel itself had a lovely beachfront restaurant called Breeza which we eat in most lunchtimes and would thoroughly recommend. But there were lots of other beautiful beachside restaurants along Chong Mon beach and a couple also did light shows which entertained the kids. We also tried out Kirati restaurant and the beachfront restaurant at SALA hotel and enjoyed both meals. On the last day, we flew home, taking a connecting flight to Bangkok and then onto London Heathrow with EVA Air. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about the long flight before travelling to Thailand, but with the boys being a little bit more grown up now, they have taken it in their stride and especially enjoyed the onboard films and games. In summary, it’s safe to say, our Thailand Family Adventure has been a big success! We have all had a fabulous time - the boys have learnt lots and have thoroughly enjoyed the ‘soft’ exposure we have given them to a completely different culture. Whilst, myself and my husband have relished revisiting our long haul roots once again. We are already thinking about what long haul countries we want to visit in 2024 with the kids. And with prices continuing to be fairly steep in Europe, Asia is not only an appealing family holiday option, but also could prove to be a fairly cost effective choice too. What’s not to love?! If this has tempted you into having your own family long haul adventure, contact me by DM, email on johanna.cumbers@travelcounsellors.com or call on 01277 790 056 to discuss all the possibilities.

10 April 2023

I have a friend who spent a year in Italy as part of her degree course and she had always talked about Puglia so fondly, but if I am honest, I knew very little about this region of Italy before last year. It wasn’t until a night out over a few drinks that myself and four of my mummy friends plotted our summer family trip to Puglia. It was an ambitious plan as between our 5 families we make up a party of 10 adults and 11 kids, all aged between 5 and 10 years. Until that point most of our family holidays have consisted of European resort-based holidays, mainly with a kids club onsite. Exploring Puglia was a little outside our comfort zone. We opted to stay in a small complex of 5 renovated Trulli, traditional Apulian dry stone houses with cone-shaped roofs. Absolutely stunning and due to the thick walls also very cool inside during the summer. The complex was situated in a rural location (the nearest small shop was 15 mins walk), it had a pool, but certainly no kids club! HOW TO EXPLORE Each family hired a car from Bari airport, the journey from the airport to the Trulli, took around an hour and was fairly simple. We used the car throughout our stay to take day trips out to the little towns. We chose to base ourselves in one location, although it is perfectly possible to do a ‘road trip’ travelling from one town to another. I’d say you’d ideally need at least 7 -10 days to explore Puglia properly. WHERE TO VISIT Many of the prettiest towns lie around the Valle d’Itria, classic postcard Puglia: a lush, green valley carpeted with olive groves, vineyards, drystone walls and winding lanes. It’s famously scenic, and extremely popular with tourists, especially Italian tourists. In the few days we spent in Puglia, we visited the Unesco world heritage site, Alberobello - known for its zona dei trulli — 1,500 conical houses clustered across the hillsides. It’s fascinating and worth the visit, but probably best visited outside July and August when it’s very crowded. We also spent a happy half a day visiting the city of Ostuni which is known as the ‘White City’ thanks to the white painted old town which crowns the very top of the city as it rises out of the Adriatic Sea. Martina Franca is also worth a visit, a walled town filled with winding alleys, baroque palazzi and piazzas, as is the upmarket coastal town of Trani, 50km northwest of Bari, sometimes known as the “pearl of Puglia”. WHERE TO STAY Puglia has a wide range of accommodation from medieval palazzi to traditional cottages and swish coastal hotels. We opted to stay in Trullo because this meant each family had their own little space so it worked well for us, plus they are quite simply really beautiful places to stay. There are hundreds of renovated Trulli across Puglia. Perhaps one of the most characterful places to stay in Puglia is on a “masseria”, a manor farm (usually either an olive farm or a vineyard), similar to an agriturismo in other parts of Italy. Modelled on classical Roman villas, they vary widely in style: some are rustic and simple, others seriously upmarket. WHERE TO EAT Our complex was family-run and although there was no restaurant onsite, it offered the most amazing breakfasts with traditional cheeses, meats and pastries like the famous shortcrust filled pastry called Pasticciotto. Absolutely delicious. They also organised a catering company to come and do a wine tasting for us one evening and ordered us pizzas from the local pizzeria which were the best ‘takeaway pizzas’ I have ever eaten as well as being the cheapest. Nothing like Dominoes, totally authentic. A couple of nights we ordered taxis to take us into the local towns for dinner. One evening, we decided to visit to Locorotondo, a tiny picture perfect town perched on a hill amongst the beautiful countryside. We ate at a traditional Pizzeria with our table for 21 taking up the length of one of the cute little side streets. The kids adored the experience of dining amongst the traditional lanes with their friends and quite frankly, so did all the adults. The crisp Italian vino was free flowing and the whole experience felt quite special. To sum up, before travelling to Puglia, I have to admit that in addition to being excited, I was also somewhat apprehensive about venturing to a region I knew very little about and veering away from the usual family resort-based holiday we were used to. Not to mention doing this with 11 kids. How was it going to work, was it going to work? But actually, it did, and not just a little bit, it worked really well. The kids amused themselves much of the time, enjoying playing together in the pool or playing games, so the adults actually felt like for once we could kick back, relax, chat, eat, drink and soak up everything the region has to offer. The kids got a taste of culture too which they thoroughly enjoyed, but also made us feel good as parents. They especially enjoyed the evenings spent dining in the streets of the local towns with their friends. I have memories I shall treasure forever, made even more special by being in this beautiful and captivating region of Puglia. We weren’t in Puglia long, actually not nearly long enough, but in the time we were there, it very firmly captured my heart and now I can’t wait to go back to Italy. This summer, we are visiting Tuscany…look out for my next blog ‘Visiting Tuscany (with 10 adults and 11 kids!)’ In the meantime, if you would like to find out more about visiting Puglia and creating your own Italian Adventure, get in touch to have a chat on 01277 790 056.

15 December 2022

Mykonos is an island I have visited many times in the past few years both with girlfriends for girlie weekends away and with my husband for a more romantic break. Mykonos caters brilliantly for both. It’s a place that is full of stunning vistas, amazing hotels and beautiful beach clubs. But be warned, all this comes at a price so be prepared to spend £££, but as far as I am concerned it’s worth every penny. One of things you simply have to do when you holiday in Mykonos is to head to at least one of its famous beach clubs. There is certainly no shortage of them to choose from in Mykonos. Since the opening the legendary Nammos in 2003, the island is now dotted with beach clubs around every bay. I have been to a few, Scorpios – bohemian feel with a chilled vibe. Sant Anna has a sweeping pool in the centre with inflatable pillows to float around in and is popular with the footballer and beautiful crowd. Alemagou sits in a windier bay with a chilled feel and lovely restaurant. Solymar on Kalo Livado beach has a more authentic Greek feel playing chilled Greek house beats and has a delicious Mediterranean restaurant. But my firm favourite and the beach club I keep returning has to be Kalua on Paragu beach. There are 3 beach clubs on Paragu beach, Sant Anna, Scorpios and Kalua. Sant Anna and Kalua sit next to each other directly on the beach and Scorpios sits slightly round the headland. Kalua tends to attract perhaps a ‘slightly older’ clientele than the lively beach clubs on Paradise or Super Paradise Beach, but to me it strikes a great balance between chic and party. From 3ish every day, the volume is turned up and the dancing begins. And I am not alone in lovin’ this place, in fact, anyone I have ever taken there has had a great time too. The Mediterranean restaurant is worth a try as well. With so many beach clubs to choose from, there really is a beach club to suit everyone in Mykonos and it’s definitely a fun ride discovering which is your favourite!