29 July 2019

Is this the perfect family holiday? Value for money? Amazing food – top quality and plenty of dining options? Top class entertainment & shows? Kids club & waterslides? Spacious Family suites? Explore some fantastic new destinations? Free ice cream? Quality time & plenty of relaxation for grown-ups? Are all your boxes ticked? I know mine are!! So which hotel is it? Well its not a hotel, it’s a cruise ship – one which has taken onboard (pun intended!) what families want and need to make sure that everyone gets the holiday they want/need! Whether that’s learning to surf on the flow rider or relax in the spa or making new friends in the kid’s club or trying out the waterpark – there is something for everyone – including the grown-ups! Royal Caribbean have some great itineraries. You can sail from Southampton and take as much luggage as you want, or you can fly and join a cruise in most parts of the world, so you can discover some Greek mythology in Athens or learn to snorkel with turtles in the Caribbean. They will look after you from start to finish and will make sure any special needs are taken care of – no need to worry about any dietary requirements/allergies, they will have it all in hand. Fussy eaters? There is so much variety onboard from healthy choices, family favourites and quick tasty snacks everyone will be satisfied! And no-one will be saying they are bored on this holiday – for the kids there is action available all day and evening with their award-winning ocean kids club. There’s dodgems, ice rinks, zip lines, laser tag, outdoor movies, sports courts & much more! PLUS there’s no need to get your wallet out every 5 mins either – there’s so much included in your cruise fare. Sound good? Get in touch and I can tell you more about the ships and itineraries to make sure you get the right one for your family Katie.collis@travelcounsellors.com

07 June 2019

You may have travelled extensively but have you stepped on all 7 continents? Would you like to walk where only a few others have been and watch the Penguins in Antarctica diving for their dinner? Or do you dream of searching for the mighty Polar bear in the Arctic? Maybe you want to visit the awe-inspiring islands of the Galapagos? Well expedition cruising takes you to the world’s hardest to reach places, only accessible by sea and is rapidly becoming more popular now than ever before. So, what do you need to know? 1. Expedition ships are designed specifically for the destination – take the Celebrity Flora for instance. This small ship (100 passengers) launched this year features an innovative outward facing design that makes the destination the centre of attention virtually erasing the boundaries, You can even ‘Glamp’ at sea! They have 2 luxurious cabanas on the top deck, so you can spend a night under the stars – and there is no better place to star gaze!! 2. Responsible tourism – Experts in expedition cruising, Hurtigruten are committed to reduce the impact of man in the Polar regions. They operate beach clean ups where passengers can partake in removing man-made rubbish that’s washes up on the shores of the Arctic and they are launching the first ever hybrid ships which use a new and environmentally sustainable technology – reducing fuel consumption by over 20%. They were the first cruise line to ban all single use plastics onboard their ships 3. Best time to travel – For the Arctic it’s between April-September. Going earlier in the season means you may still get the chance to see the northern lights plus there are bigger icebergs but later in the season for the best time to see the Polar bears. For Antarctica, it can only be reached between November and March, Dec & Jan being the best for Penguin hatching. Whereas the Galapagos can be visited all year round, with June-December being best for wildlife viewing. 4. Onboard entertainment – you won’t find glitzy west end productions onboard but you will find talks, lectures and photography workshops with experts making sure you get the most out of your expedition. 5. Onboard facilities – The main focus on expedition cruising is about the destination but you don’t have to give up your luxuries! Silversea offer small luxurious purpose-built expedition ships allowing you to discover off the beaten track destinations with their onboard experts but still staying in the most lavish of surroundings – including spacious ocean view suites with butler service. Expedition cruises need to be planned well in advance, they are available to book up to 2021 with many already showing limited availability. Get in touch for expert advice and let me guide you through all the options. Katie.collis@travelcounsellors or 01625 439 693

06 June 2019

The experts agree: your children can, and should, be explorers. I have travelled extensively from an early age, I love adventures and seeking out new places and want my children to be the same. They are very fortunate and have travelled to the Caribbean, Dubai, Thailand and Mauritius as well as France, Portugal and Spain. The holidays were planned so that they were easy, relaxing and fun for everyone. Now they are getting a bit older (5 & 7) I wanted to add in something different to our Easter trip, so we visited Elephant Hills for some jungle adventures and Bangkok for some city life (along with some down time on the beautiful beaches of Thailand). It was a huge success, they adapted to the long journeys, jetlag, local food and temperatures much better than we did. Watching their faces of amazement as we washed and fed the elephants, seeing George’s excitement as we did a jungle walk and he saw a real snake and the fun we had jumping into a lake from a floating tent and learning to Kayak whilst spotting monkeys – priceless memories that will stay with us forever. Their confidence grew through meeting new people, learning new skills as well as practising old ones, trying new foods and learning about a different culture. I’ve been to Thailand many times, but I learned so much on this trip, the kids asked so many questions, it forced us to get answers. We got a completely different view and perspective on things. They learned some Thai language, local etiquette and traditions - the world was their classroom. I would love to tell you more about Elephant Hills as it is the most amazing place but my 7-year-old daughter has written her own review and I couldn’t put it better myself so watch out for this blog coming soon! I love this quote “When your child learns to travel, they’ll grow up and travel to learn” Holidays will never be the same for us. We are planning our big trip for next Easter all together, they both now have a hunger for more adventure so there’s no holding back - let’s see where it takes us! If you want to add in some adventure to your next trip, visit somewhere new or are worried about travelling long-haul with your family then please get in touch, I can chat to you about my experiences, out your mind at rest and plan a perfect trip for your family. Katie xx

02 April 2019

What a privilege to be invited to one of the hottest ship launches of the year, to say I was excited would be an understatement! Along with some fellow Travel Counsellors, lots of travel industry representatives and a few celebs I boarded the MSC Bellissima in Southampton to check out this incredible ship #beautyatsea. As soon as I was welcomed on board, I could see why she had been named Bellissima, the sparkly Swarovski crystal staircase in the Atrium truly is beautiful. I headed straight for my room to drop my bags off so I could explore the ship but I’m not going to lie it took me a while to find my cabin! The ship is enormous and after walking the entire length twice I had to ask for help! After a quick refresh I went to explore the rest of the ship, first stop the champagne bar! The atmosphere was great, the layout and décor really are stunning and create a relaxing ambience. Next, we headed towards the heart of the ship, a fantastic 2 deck, 96-metre-long indoor promenade with a spectacular LED sky dome with everchanging patterns, very mesmerising! We got to try out the speciality restaurants which were all offering their signature plates. There was a teppanyaki and sushi bar, French bistro, Spanish tapas restaurant and my personal favourite - Butchers cut, a beautiful American style steak house serving specialty meats, the steak was delicious as was the strawberry cheesecake afterwards!! Now time to walk off all this amazing food! As a mum to 2 young kids I wanted to see how it could work for us as a family, so I went to check out some of the other cabins and the entertainment onboard. The kid’s area was jam packed with fun, there are 5 different kids club catering for all age groups and the ship works with Chicco and Lego offering the best facilities. I know my 2 would absolutely love it, especially the Lego area, it was like a mini LEGOLAND! As for the cabins, I was really impressed with the layouts and size. They have specific family cabins, very spacious with a full-size bathroom and separate bunk area for the kids. They also interconnect so you can accommodate up to 10 people comfortably. For the bigger kids how about driving a full-size replica F1 car (virtual driving of course) or try out the VR maze or 4D cinema. There’s also a bowling alley, sports bar and games arcade. Plus, there is an exciting waterpark featuring 4 twisty slides and an 82-metre-long high wire suspension bridge to test your balance - never a dull day at sea! In the evening there is something for everyone, a highlight must be the Cirque du Soleil shows. They offer 2 exclusive performances for MSC guests, both unique shows I can highly recommend. There’s also a live music venue, a disco, comedy club, several bars and a casino. The ship has so many innovative features and has really brought cruising into the modern era. It has the world’s first virtual assistant ZOE fitted in every room, an app for mobile check in, booking your activities and keeping up to date with the daily events plus there are easy to use touchscreens around the ship. My verdict – a fantastic ship that truly is beautiful and offers something for everyone. I think it is amazing for families and prices are great too (child prices start at £159) It really is great value for money and offers some fantastic itineraries. This is just a snippet from my time onboard - there is so much more to this ship, including the Yacht club, a luxury ship within a ship! I would love to tell you more so whether you are a first-time cruiser or want to try out the new class of ship please do get in touch and I can tell you all about my experience and MSC.

22 November 2018

I have been in the industry for over 20 years and travelled extensively but have never felt the urge to board a huge ‘crowded’ ship and sail the oceans. Even after specialising in cruise holidays in a previous job, doing many ship visits and training courses, meeting with suppliers and getting excellent feedback from my clients, who all absolutely love it, it just never appealed - but something recently changed and suddenly I wanted to try it out. The industry changed, it has moved with the times, no longer do you have to dine with the same people at the same time every night (you still can if you want), no longer do you have to dress up in a ball gown (you still can if you want) and they are no longer just for ‘old people’! I had an opportunity to check it out with Celebrity and it completely busted all the myths and preconceptions that I had. I sailed on Celebrity Silhouette from Southampton to the Canaries in October and absolutely loved it although I must admit it took a day or two to get into the swing of things. It did seem very busy on embarkation day and I worried I was going to hate it but once everyone settled into the cabins, found their own space, it was never overcrowded. There are so many quiet spaces on board, so many dining options and large deck areas you would never have thought it was a full ship. Talking about dining, it was outstanding. Every meal I ate was exceptional, from the food in the main buffet restaurant to the specialty dining restaurants, we were spoilt! There is so much choice, from a slice of cake and a coffee in the afternoon to animation dining in Qsine (a unique concept I recommend to everyone, check out my video) and there are healthy options if you feel inclined. If you like a cocktail or 2 you will not be disappointed, the martini bar served up a fabulous espresso martini. The entertainment onboard was first class, they had modern shows, live bands and a silent disco that had the ship rocking! But the thing I enjoyed most of all was sailing in and out of port, I can’t explain the feeling you get sailing out of a beautiful port at sunset, glass of champagne in hand and feeling all excited about the explorations you have just had and where you will be the next day. I would sit on my balcony watching the land get smaller and smaller whilst looking out for dolphins, (I was lucky enough to see them swimming beside us) it was so relaxing. There are quite a few new ships for 2019 and depending on your preferences there is a perfect one for you. One to look out for is the Celebrity Edge – this will be modern luxury cruising at its best. This really will revolutionise modern day cruising, if you love contemporary hotels, outstanding food and amazing service (who doesn’t) Celebrity is for you, get in touch and I can tell you more about my experience and find the right cruise for you.

14 August 2018

Why should you book your next holiday with me? Because I care. This is genuinely true. I treat everyone’s holiday like it is my own, with love, care and attention. I offer a unique service whereby I match your personal needs and requirements to make arranging your well-earned trip hassle free. The service I offer does not stop once you have booked your trip - I want to make sure you have holidays that give you amazing lifelong happy memories. I’m not just a search engine, I can help with the planning but I’m also here any time prior, during and after your trip. Most holidays are trouble free but what would you do if the adventure of a lifetime that you had been planning for months was suddenly impacted by a natural disaster, such as the wildfires in Yosemite? Or your child waking up with chicken pox the day before you were due to travel on your dream holiday to Disney? This has unfortunately happened recently to two of my clients, however they were able to easily contact me, a real person, and I was there to get their holiday back on track. I know who to call to fix the problem, how to make it stress free, I will go above and beyond to get the best solution making sure you still get the best holiday you can. I will hold back up options, I will sit on hold and deal with the airlines and hotels no matter what time it is, so you can get on with your day to day life and what’s important to you. A high street agent or online bed bank cannot do this for you. I can save you money and I can deliver more value. With over 20 years in the travel industry, I know how to get you the room with the best view, I know which airline seats are the best to book, I know how to get those upgrades. I know hidden gems, travel tips and have a vast array of knowledge I have gained from my own personal travels and those of my clients. Don’t waste hours searching hundreds of websites looking for the perfect deal, I have access to exclusive offers you won’t find online and the prices I quote are true, no hidden fees added on at the end. Next time you are looking for a holiday please get in touch and experience a new way to book. Leave it to the me, I’m the expert.

18 May 2018

I love exploring new places, the excitement of experiencing new cultures, food and just not knowing what to expect. I want my children to grow up with a knowledge of the world and there is no better way to do that than experiencing it first-hand. Finding a destination that works for everyone can be tricky, but I truly believe Thailand is one of the best destinations that offers something for everybody in the family, especially for their first long-haul trip. I have two young children, aged 3 and 6 and they are fortunate enough to have travelled well over the last couple of years. I still worry about the flight length, the huge change in climate along with the time differences but I needn’t have worried, they settled into it all better than me! We flew with Emirates from Manchester via Dubai into Phuket airport. It was an early start for them from home, but they were brimming with excitement and leapt out of bed. If only it was that easy on a school morning! The first flight to Dubai was around 7 hours and being daytime, they were awake for it all, but they were more than happy to sit with their headphones on and make full use of the amazing entertainment system Emirates have on board. They have special channels for pre-schoolers and kids with all the favourites on there and it’s all ‘on demand’ and so easy to use that my 3-year-old was quite happy switching and changing between movies, tv and games which meant that I could sit back with a glass of wine and watch a movie myself, a rare occurrence! Food was a different matter, neither of them liked the kid’s meals provided even though I thought they were great! Luckily, I had pre-empted this and had packed a few snacks and drinks for them. A quick 2-hour layover in Dubai and we were on our way again for a 5-hour flight to Phuket, the kids slept a little on this one, maybe only 1-2 hours max but they were still happy to watch the seatback tv’s without my usual nagging of too much tv! The hotel we had chosen was in Khao Lak which is just over an hour drive from Phuket and this is where the kids started to flag a little. Due to the time difference it was now early morning in Thailand, but they hadn’t had much sleep and their body clock was telling them it was 1am. The journey to Khao Lak is easy and they did have a quick nap in the minivan but as soon as we arrived at the hotel they perked up again. We were able to get straight into our room and I have no idea where they got their energy from but as soon as they saw our swim up pool they wanted in. Five minutes later after retrieving the swim wear from the case and a quick coating of sun lotion they were jumping in and out and screaming with excitement. They say the best way to get over jet lag is to adjust to the local time straight away, so we stayed up for the morning, had some lunch but after food we were all feeling sleepy and retreated to our room for a quick nap. Feeling rejuvenated we carried on with the day and had dinner on the beach that evening, memories of the long cold and dark winter in Manchester fading rapidly! The hotel we stayed at was called Sands and is a great option for families and couples alike. It’s a larger resort but it really doesn’t feel busy at all with different areas for everyone. There’s the aqua wing which is for families offering water slides, lazy river and a great kids club. A swim up bar here offer cocktails and mocktails and is a great place to retreat to when the sun gets too much. There’s also the serenity wing offering an adult only pool and some peace if you want it and a beach wing offering a great beachfront pool with another swim up bar. There’s a great beachfront restaurant, a buffet restaurant and a more informal snack restaurant to choose from but the hotels location meant that we were not confined to dine in the hotel. Only a 5-minute walk and we were in the heart of Khao Lak with an abundance of restaurants to suit everyone or a 3-minute tuk tuk taxi ride away takes you to Biang Niang Khao Lak which has a market 3 times a week and lots more restaurants to choose from. The tuk tuk taxi was a highlight for the kids, they also really enjoyed the street food we had at the markets, especially the Thai pancakes. Khao Lak has a really great vibe and is super family friendly, it has a beautiful beach and there’s trips to even more exotic paradise islands to be had. A great trip from here is to the Khao Sok national park where you can experience jungle adventure and elephants which we were fortunate enough to do. This was the highlight of our trip and I would highly recommended doing this. We got to experience being a mahout for the day (an elephant keeper), learning about elephants, washing them, feeding them and learning about their day to day life and about the effect of tourism and our ethical responsibilities as tourists. I urge anyone visiting to make sure they only visit elephants where the park looks after their welfare, I personally recommend Elephant Hills or Phang Nga elephant park. The kids dealt with the weather so well, it never went under 30 degrees and the humidity was high but not a single moan about it been too hot, they just went in the pool if they needed to cool down! Their appetites did slow down (apart from when ice cream was on offer) but we kept their fluid intake high and they did try a few Thai dishes, chicken satay and rice being their favourite dish. They loved the attention they would get from the always friendly locals and learnt some basic Thai sayings which they were more than happy to use without prompting by the end of the trip. We were all sad to say our goodbyes to such an amazing place and will certainly return. Our trip to Thailand included culture, new foods, new language and adventure and relaxation for everyone and I would highly recommend it to families with kids of all ages. At certain times of the year a 2-week trip to Thailand will be cheaper than 2 weeks in Europe and is a great alternative, you soon get over the jet lag and we created some family memories. Please take a look at my video on my Facebook page for a taste of what’s on offer and get in touch if you want me to arrange a family trip you will all enjoy and treasure forever.

05 March 2018

It has been seven years since I strapped myself into my boots and felt the adrenaline rush of descending the mountain side. As a special treat for my 40th, my sister and I decided it was about time I took to the mountain again after taking the long break whilst I had started my family. I have been lucky enough to have skied in both Europe and North America many times and love the skiing as much as the après ski! For this trip we wanted somewhere not too far from home, (it was only a three-night break), a short transfer to make the most of our time and somewhere I can ease my ski legs back in gently! After seeing such amazing snowfall at the start of the season in the Alps and regular low-cost flights to Geneva, we chose Morzine, a new destination for both of us - it ticked all the boxes. After dusting off my ski boots that had been stored in the loft for so long and packing all my thermals (the forecast was for -20) off we went for our very early 5am check in. I was both nervous (I have not left the kids for this long before) and excited for some quality me time too. Champagne had been pre-ordered for me on the plane by my sister which was a lovely surprise and started the holiday as it was to continue. A slight delay at Geneva security and a quick one-hour transfer via skiidy Gonzales and we were in beautiful Morzine by lunchtime. We dropped the bags at the Chalet and headed into the village for some lunch at a restaurant recommended to us by the Chalet owners, it didn’t disappoint. Serving typical Savoie food we couldn’t resist the Fondue and a bottle of wine. It was amazing, and we finished the whole lot, needless to say we didn’t have dessert. Time to head back to the chalet and settle in. We were staying at Chalet Vorlaz which is one of three White Valley company managed chalets. It’s fully catered and sleeps 10-12 and is normally sold on an exclusive basis for seven nights but fortunately for us this particular week they were taking short stays. We were shown around, and first impressions were that we were in for a treat, it was stunning. Its laid out over three floors, open plan living on the top floor, and two floors below with five bedrooms and a playroom with Xbox and bunks. It’s a very luxurious and contemporary alpine chalet with every amenity you can think of. I was shown to my room which they had decorated with birthday balloons and banners for me, a really nice touch. The chalet hosts had left a bottle of fizz by the hot tub with glasses for us, so it seemed rude not to indulge although the short 30 second walk from my room to the tub was like doing an endurance test in the sub-zero temperatures wearing only a swimsuit and dressing gown! The view from the hot tub was phenomenal and once in, we relaxed into our surroundings. We met the other guests for canapes and drinks before dinner. There were eight of us staying there and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer group of people to stay with. After an amazing four course dinner and copious amounts of wine the tiredness kicked in and it was time for some sleep. The next morning, I opened the curtains to a beautiful view of the mountain and couldn’t wait to get out there. Even though I was full from dinner the night before I still managed some breakfast, it looked too good to miss. A huge choice of crispy bacon, perfectly poached eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, berries, croissants and the tastiest frittata I have ever had – it all tasted as good as it looked. Lift passes and ski hire had all been arranged by the chalet prior to arrival and so we were ready to go straight to the slope, no need to waste time arranging this. The chalet is a short 5-minute drive from the main lifts and the chalet host was on hand to take us whenever we were ready. The nerves had started to kick in, what if I couldn’t ski anymore, my boots were hurting already, and I hadn’t even skied anywhere! We got straight on the chairlift to the top of the blue run and I was feeling a bit wobbly about it all. My sister led the way, but it felt so alien, I couldn’t remember how to turn properly, and my feet hurt so much doing the snow plough. I can honestly say I wasn’t enjoying it at all, I felt dizzy, I was in so much pain from my feet and I just wasn’t confident, what had I done? I apologised to my sister and we sat in the restaurant at the bottom of the slope for a coffee. First to tackle the boot situation- I removed the extra pair of socks I had put on to keep warm, pulled out my thermal leggings from the boots and hey presto, they fit! After a good talking to from my sister we headed back up the mountain via the gondola to try again and I am so glad we did. The nerves disappeared, and I started to thoroughly enjoy the experience. It was like riding a bike, it soon came back to me and I was turning properly, gathering up some speed and taking in the beautiful scenery. The bitter cold temperatures got the better of us, so we stopped for a quick vin chaud to warm up and carried on, enjoying the quieter slopes whilst everyone else was having lunch until we too needed to refuel. We skied back down into Morzine and ate at L’Etale. An amazing wood fired Mexican pizza, some chips and a bottle of wine later we set off back for the slopes. Fitness levels not being what they used to be, my energy levels were running low, so we soon came back down to enjoy the après ski at the Tremblin where they have a live DJ at the bottom of the slopes. It had a great atmosphere but with temperatures so low (about -15) we didn’t stay for long and rang for our lift back to the chalet and enjoyed the quieter hot tub – more fizz and some quality relaxation time. I woke up the next morning raring to go again. We were heading for Avoriaz today but with a forecast of even lower temperatures than yesterday, we weren’t sure how long we could ski but we had to make the most of it! I am so glad we did, it was beautiful, clear blue skis and stunning views everywhere you looked. The slopes were quieter and wider, and we had a fantastic day exploring the area. My love for skiing fully rekindled, I was already planning in my head my next trip, hopefully with the kids next time. I kept seeing all the little ones looking so cute in their outfits whizzing down the mountain side with no fear, I know my two will love it and are now at the best age to learn. Back at the chalet, pretty exhausted from a great day skiing I was sad that it was already our last night. The chalet hosts had organised a champagne evening and I enjoyed sitting in front of the roaring fire chatting to the other guests. For dinner we had raclette, which is where you melt your own cheese under a hot plate and this was served with an array of tasty sides – my kind of food! And to my surprise, a beautiful chocolate birthday cake appeared with candles and a chorus of happy birthday! This was the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten, I really was finishing off the birthday celebrations in style. I can honestly say I had the best weekend, everything was perfect. The mountain air is good for the mind, body and soul and even though I missed the kids, I fully appreciated having time to myself which is very rare at home. The chalet is one of the best both either my sister or I have ever stayed in, the Chalet owner Andrew and the hosts Molly and Chris were amazing during our whole stay, nothing was too much trouble, the food was exceptional, the chalet was kept immaculate but most of all they were so welcoming and kept the atmosphere in the chalet really relaxed. I have returned feeling energised, motivated and eager to arrange my next family ski trip back to Morzine to discover more of the huge 600+km ski area. If you want to arrange a ski weekend, have never skied before but fancy giving it a go or are a seasoned skier looking for your next alpine adventure please get in touch.