27 February 2020

We decided to book a last minute UK break and after lots of research and searching, I found this luxury lodge in East Sussex, we have never been to the south east of the UK before so a prime opportunity to explore. The site comprises of 24 luxury lodges, each with their own private hot tub, these are either overlooking the lake or not (we opted for a lake view). There is plenty of wildlife to see, we were visited frequently by the ducks and squirrels! The lodges are situated just behind a garden centre but once there you don’t notice it and it feels very private. The lodge itself is very spacious and the photos don’t do it justice as to how much room there is, there is plenty of storage in the bedrooms and the kitchen. I was shown around the lodge and was shown things like how to use the hot tub, where the thermostat and boiler were if I needed them. We all loved the hot tub and spending time in this whilst looking over the lake and seeing the wildlife, this was just perfect. The staff were very friendly and had put some fresh milk in the fridge, tea and coffee and a bottle of prosecco. We had 2 bathrobes and slippers for when outside in the hot tub, this was a relief as I forgot to pack mine! These are the kind of things that make it that extra bit special and luxurious. The location of the lodge was perfect, it is on the outskirts of Hailsham, a small town but has all of the essentials (supermarkets, shops, restaurants), this is roughly a 5 minute drive from the lodge. It is also close to Eastbourne and Brighton as well so lots to see and do. We loved everything about the lodge and will be returning!

27 February 2020

We spent half term (4 nights) at a luxury lodge in East Sussex, we have never been to this part of the UK before so decided to see as much as we could within a few days! The lodge is just outside of Hailsham and is 20 minutes from Eastbourne and 40 minutes from Brighton. Our first trip was to Eastbourne, for February the weather was gorgeous, sunny and cold (as on the coast very windy as well!) We parked in a multi-storey carpark Cineworld there. This was a short walk away from the Pier which had stunning views across the English Channel. It had arcades, sweet shops and fish & chips! There was even a Zoltar machine in the arcade for anyone who has watched the film Big! Our second trip was to Brighton, the weather was a bit grey and miserable but this didn’t stop us sight seeing and enjoying another new place to explore! Brighton was a lot bigger than I expected, we parked in a shopping centre car park in Churchill Square, this was fairly central for shops but also to walk to the famous pier! The Pier was huge and lots of entertainment including arcades and funfair rides, also lots of small shops/cafés. The have a sea life centre and lots of your normal chain shops but a lot of boutique type shops as well. There are several stunning hotels on the sea front and these have perfect views looking out at the English Channel. Our last trip was a lot closer to where we were staying, 5 minutes up the road to Hailsham. Surprisingly there is a lot to do in Hailsham, they have supermarkets (Tesco, Asda & Waitrose), restaurants, takeaways, shops and coffee shops! If you didn’t want to go far from the lodge then you can get everything you need from Hailsham! We can’t wait to return the area to explore it further!

28 October 2019

What a stunning building from the outside, it’s very grand as soon as you approach the entrance. I was greeted before I’d even got to the rotating doors by a very smartly dressed gentleman who took my suitcase for me and this then made its way to my room ready for when I arrived there. I went to the main reception area and was then advised that as I had Club Level access that I could go to the Club Lounge on the 3rd floor to check in there. I was taken up to this area by the Guest Manager Selina who also gave me a very brief tour of the restaurants and bars on the ground level before heading up. I was then greeted in the Club Lounge by the ever so helpful Ani who arranged my check in and showed me the private lounge area and went through the perks of Club Level and things that I could do in there (mainly lots of eating and drinking!) I was shown to my room by Cindy who was incredible and really helped make my stay, she was just so attentive and friendly. Cindy had got a map of London for me, marked where the Langham was, gave me a theatre guide as well and took a real interest in the things that I had planned for my few days. The room itself was incredible, this was a Deluxe room so I can only imagine what the other rooms are like! The hotel are very much for supporting local businesses as in my room were 2 fresh apples from Brogdale Farm in Kent, I loved to see this! After 10 minutes of being in my room I was greeted with a phone call to make sure that I had settled and if I needed anything then to let them know! All of the staff that I met were amazing and friendly it didn’t feel forced or just part of their job, they new my name and showed a real interest in me. Nothing was too much trouble and the service provided was faultless. The Club Level is worth upgrading to or this does come as part of some room packages automatically! The service is 5* in the Club Lounge, it is either table service or you are free to help yourself to food or drinks. It is a very relaxed and quiet area, it is open until 10pm and I did quite a lot of my work from here whilst sipping on a soya latte! In this area breakfast was served, there were samples of the afternoon tea between 2:30 – 5pm and then between 5:30 – 8pm canapes were served. The food was just stunning, there was a huge selection with the breakfast, there was a menu for fresh foods or there were enough selections laid out for you to choose. With the sample of afternoon tea, it was like having an actual afternoon tea, it was a scrummy selection of mini cakes, you could actually request some finger sandwiches separately which I did and didn’t regret it (my waist line did though!) The canapes in the evening were more like a small selection buffet of yummy foods, they had a tasty soup and a mouthwatering mushroom quiche, along with freshly made humous and a meat and cheese selection, whats not to enjoy! I can imagine if you want to go to London but not fussed on the sightseeing side of it then you could quite happily stay at the Langham and not need to leave as everything you need is actually there under the one roof. I did experience the swimming pool, it is where the old vaults used to be (an old bank), it is amazing in there, could have spent all day there and there is a steam room actually in the men's changing rooms! The pictures are a good example of what I ate and they don’t do the food enough justice really, the food is 1st class! I was truly spoilt rotten in the club lounge. I love my afternoon teas and never had one on this scale/level before, I didn’t want to come home! You don’t need to stay there to experience the afternoon tea though as you can book in just for this if you are ever in London or want to give this as a gift to someone. Had a cheeky mojito, glass of champagne and G&T whilst in there as well! The biggest surprise in my eyes was how much of a family hotel it is, kids happily playing in the swimming pool and children also allowed in the club lounge. The kids were treated with as much respect by the staff as the parents and the staff new the kids on a first name basis so a very personal service for the whole family! Even though the hotel is huge, once inside you forget how big it is, it is very quiet and relaxing. I have never experienced service like I have at the Langham, I wish it went higher than 5* as they deserve more, needless to say, I shall return!

04 September 2019

Part 2 – The Dordogne We stayed and have done for the past 3 years in a small town called Pomport which is roughly 13km from Bergerac. It is perfect for us as it is in the middle of nowhere, the only thing there is the campsite and a vineyard just up the road. The nearest shop/restaurant is 3km up the road in a town called Sigoules, small supermarket, Pharmacy and a restaurant are here and good for the essentials! We absolutely love Bergerac, there is so much to see and do, the Cathedral (Eglise Notre Dame) is breath-taking and stunning (the pictures don’t do it justice). The majority of the small shops in Bergerac are closed on a Sunday and a Monday so be aware if you are visiting on these days. We are a family that love their coffees and Bergerac has the perfect coffee shop in the centre called French Coffee Company. We are a fairly fussy family when it comes to milk, they do amazing dairy alternative drinks (see the pictures). There are outdoor markets throughout the week in different parts of Bergerac but tend to be in the car parks. With the car parks, there are 2 main ones, one is by the Cathedral and one is at the top of the main shopping street opposite a cinema! If you are visiting Bergerac then you must go on Le Petit Train, this little land train takes you all around Bergerac and is the perfect way to see the town (takes roughly 30 mins). It is 8 Euros for adults and 5 Euros for children under 10. There is the pickup and drop off at the same place just opposite the river. Our second favourite place in this region is the stunning Chateau De Monbazillac and oh my how incredible it is and the grounds that go with it! It is roughly a 15-minute drive from Pomport, there is a large car park and a shop on site which sells not only the sweet Monbazillac wine but also other local alcoholic delights (and souvenirs like magnets and wine glasses). As you walk past the shop at the front of the entrance you have a long path and either side are vineyards, this then leads to the Chateau. Walking around the Chateau you have the stunning views all around and look out across the Dordogne valley towards Bergerac. On the way back to Pomport from Monbazillac there is another shop on the main road called Cave De Monbazillac, this sells mainly the same as the one up by the Chateau but is slightly easier to reach! If you are ever in this region then a visit is a must if the weather is dry/sunny! The Chateau and shop is open until 7:30pm in the months of July & August.

03 September 2019

Our journey to the Dordogne started with a ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Caen. We boarded the Brittany Ferry named Mont St Michel and set sail at 8:15am for our 6 hour crossing. Luckily we had pre-booked a cabin so we had somewhere to put our things whilst we went and explored the ship excitedly! The cabin itself was perfect for what we needed, it had 2 twin beds and 2 beds that came down from the ceiling (we didn’t use these), a toilet and shower cubicle. The ship had 2 cinemas, one which showed family films and one which showed films more suitable for 12 years +. We had wanted to see Toy Story 4 since it was released but before holiday didn’t get a chance to see it, thankfully it was showing on board, so we quickly booked a family ticket for 4 for £20 and were even more excited now! The film was showing at 9am so it was nice to break the journey up with this and the cinema didn’t hold many people so we didn’t feel crowded. There was a lot of choice for places to sit and eat on board, the ship itself didn’t feel busy at all which was strange as peak summer time but really nice as we didn’t feel crammed in and on top of others. The shop was a decent size and had plenty of choice of duty free drinks/tobacco/the standard chocolates as well. Before we knew it we were reaching Caen and it didn’t feel like 6 hours at all! This was the best ferry crossing that we have done/experienced in the last 4 years of going to France. Once we had got off the ship it was then an onward journey to our stop over night in Le Mans (as per previous year). We had also booked to stay here on our way back up to come home. The hotel is the Novotel Le Mans and is on the outskirts of Le Mans. There is plenty of room in the car park at the front or back of the hotel. The hotel doesn’t look much from the outside but they have recently had a refurb inside so it looked very modern and not what you would expect it to look like. The room itself was a good size, this is the only hotel I have ever stayed in where there is a 55” TV in the bedroom! Shame my French isn’t wonderful and I couldn’t understand much of what was going on! There was 1 double bed and 2 fold up beds in the room so plenty of room for the 4 of us to stay in, a decent sized shower and a separate toilet, we also had complimentary bottles of water in the fridge as well were a nice touch. There is a nice bar area within the hotel and seating outside to have a cheeky drink. There is a swimming pool just over from the outside area and they do provide towels for the pool as well. We had booked bed and breakfast, the breakfast was yum, good choice of pastries, pancakes, meats/cheeses, juices, cereals, they even had Soya milk as well so the kids enjoyed some cereal. This hotel is perfect for us as a stop over as you get a good night sleep then feel all refreshed in the morning to set off to the Dordogne!

04 April 2019

This is my first ever blog . . . For the last two years we have been to the Dordogne in August on our family holiday, this has been camping just outside Bergerac. The four of us enjoy being on a small campsite and being surrounded by nature (and vineyards!) We sailed from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, this is roughly 3 hours, from Cherbourg we then drove down to a lovely hotel in Le Mans which is a Novotel. This is roughly a 2-3 hour journey, it is nice to stop and spend a relaxing evening at the hotel before waking up to a big breakfast and setting off to our campsite which is between 4-5 hours (depending on how often we stop). As this was our second visit to the same campsite and the area, we were familiar with the supermarkets and places that we wanted to visit again this time around.We were staying in the campsite for 13 nights so plenty of time to unwind and totally relax! The places that we enjoyed visiting and spending time were Bergerac which has a lot of history and a stunning church, it also has a modern feel to it. We love going to coffee shops over in the UK and like to try and do this when we are away as well, myself and my wife drink Soy milk in coffees and found a lovely coffee shop which caters for this called The French Coffee Shop, they also do amazing cakes! We do like to visit the local Vineyards as well just to have a cheeky sample or 4! This way we know what wine we like to bring home with us! Our 2 favourite wines/vineyards are Moulin-Pouzy which was roughly a 10 minute drive from our campsite and was a lovely little vineyard with a tiny shop full of wine. The second vineyard is Monbazillac, the Chateau there is just stunning and the grounds and views go on for miles, this is mainly a sweet/dessert wine, the shop is a lot bigger and you can pick up a variety of wines and merchandise. Going home we stopped back at the same hotel in Le mans then sailed back to Portsmouth from Cherbourg. For anyone who has never been to the Dordogne before I would highly recommend it, if you didn't want to go by ferry and drive down then there are direct flights from the UK to Bergerac and then you can hire a car if you'd like. Thank you for reading and hopefully you have enjoyed it.