19 October 2023

I’ve just returned from a small ship cruise around the islands of Croatia, and I must say what a wonderful trip it was. We went to the major ports in Croatia and some smaller hidden gems. Our adventure started in Dubrovnik and ended in Opatijia and was aboard the 4 star Princess Eleganza which sailed with 32 Guests and 8 crew. Our tour included the flight from London and transfer to and from the ship and all sightseeing tours, some meals where included. In Dubrovnik we had a welcome dinner on board, which gave us an opportunity to mingle with the other like-minded guests. It is difficult to say what the highlight of the trip was as every town had its own unique ambience. The old towns of Dubrovnik, Split, Korcula, Sibenik, Rab and Zadar all are enclosed within fabulous forts each with tiny, cobbled streets and meandering alleyways. Whilst within the towns and beyond the walls there are many restaurants and bars to enable a relaxing traveller to partake in a beautiful meal and a few drinks of their choice… Sailing in the Adriatic Sea was just glorious the sun reflected off the millpond like ocean and swimming stops enabled a refreshing dip in the crystal clear fish filled waters… one could just sit and marvel in the beauty of it all whilst soaking up a few rays of sun, and catching a glimpse of the playful dolphins. We visited Krka National Park, which is famed for its waterfalls, it is surely a place of spectacular beauty and not to be missed on any Croatian tour. The food on board, albeit a set menu, was absolutely delicious and the two ladies that did all the cooking refused to accompany me home for the winter! Alas it all came to an end far too soon, and I left the boat with a tear in my eye, vowing to return to this captivating country again soon… If you would like to travel to Croatia either on a small boat or a bespoke island-hopping escape, get in touch today …

23 February 2023

MSC World Europa – Feb 2023 – Emirates After a seamless embarkation I was eating breakfast in the buffet just 2 hours after landing at Doha. This was an excellent start to an amazing holiday. I was sailing from a week around the Arabian Sea, aboard the brand new MSC World Europa. I had booked and Ocean View Infinity Cabin with the Bella experience & Premium drinks package. I loved the ship from the moment I stepped on board, from the modern chic Italian design to the modern technology. Cabin – This was the largest ocean view cabin I had ever stayed in, from the huge double infinity window, that open from top to middle, to the large bathroom and comfortable bed with my own pillow menu. Dining – I was allocated a main restaurant for evening meals, and tried the main dining rooms for breakfast and lunch. The other options were the buffet and the speciality restaurants, which I tried. I recommend the Fish Restaurant, excellent service, and great food. The ship had six swimming pools, including an inside one, a main one and adults only pool, offering a choice for everyone. The bars – there are several bars lining the main promenade, including the Fizz bar where you can sit and enjoy a lovely glass of Champagne. Each had their own feel, from a DJ to Karaoke… The entertainment – From 35 minute theatre shows In either the World Theatre or the Panorama lounge, to the 5D theatre, bumper cars and VDR water slides, there is plenty of fun for all the family. I ventured on an extremely well organised Bike tour in Abu Dhabi. This was such fun with excellent guides and wonderful views of the Emirates Palace… I highly recommend this tour. The Spa – now who doesn’t like a good pampering? I had pre booked the Thermal Spa Pass, but also had a couple of massages while on board, and I have to say they were reasonable priced. To round up I was totally blown away with this cruise, the basic cruise package with the premium drinks was excellent value for money, The staff are extremely hard working and definitely did their best to look after you. Is this cruise for you? Call me and have a chat, I have cruised on numerous ships so definitely have the comparisons for you. 01767 360014.

15 August 2019

I travelled to the Gambia in April for my second visit, and this time fancied trying the new hotel, The African Princess, which we'd only heard good things about. After some deliberation, we decided to book a swim-up pool room with afternoon sun (you can choose between a morning or afternoon sun-facing room). The 6-hour flight from London Gatwick was seamless with the amazing Titan Airways. This was the second time I'd flown with them; the first time I'd upgraded to Star Class which offers a bit more room, complimentary drinks and an upgraded meal, but this time I tried economy. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the leg room and the meal. The service was also excellent, and the staff so friendly! Upon arrival, we were transferred to the African Princess Beach Hotel and the reception staff were quick and efficient in showing us to our room. I have to say it exceeded my expectations. New and modern, it even had USB plugs - so no need to bring a converter to charge your phone! The room was cleaned regularly by the lovely maid, and fresh towels and toiletries were provided as required. There were also tea and coffee-making facilities in the room - a big bonus for us Brits! A fridge was also provided, so you could stock up with drinks of your choice from the local supermarket. The swim-up pool was the star attraction! Running the length of the block of rooms, it had limited access - which added to the privacy - and was cleaned every day. It also joined onto the main swimming pool, which overlooks the gorgeous beach. The hotel has its own section of the sandy beach where you can sunbathe, and umbrellas and beds are set up for you by the staff. There's also security on the beach to stop any unwanted sellers bothering you. However, I must say they are very respectful and some of the homemade arts and crafts are definitely worth a look! Further down the beach there were some juice booths. Don’t be afraid to approach these to sample some unique Gambian flavours. I recommend booth number 5 with Kawsu; he made some gorgeous juices for me during my stay. Breakfast is included at African Princess each day, offering a basic spread of cereal, breads, fruits, yogurt and jams with tea and coffee. There's also a hot selection including the best bacon I have tasted in The Gambia, and an omelette station that makes the most delicious omelettes. Occasionally they also made pancakes which went down a storm! There's also an on-site spa, which I went to every day, where you can get massages, nail treatments and more. Overall this hotel is an excellent base for any Gambian holiday - I arrived as a guest and left as family. I've already booked to return in March 2020 - only the second time that I've gone to the same hotel more than once!"

09 August 2019

Never flown Business Class before? If you’re paying top dollar to travel you want to be sure your flight’s going to be extra-special. I put two top airlines – Emirates and Virgin Atlantic – through their paces to see how they compared. Emirates Business Class - Return from London Heathrow to Dubai Great start to my trip with home-to-airport chauffeur service, dedicated check-in at the terminal, priority through security and lounge access – which all come as standard when you fly Emirates Business Class. The lounge offered champagne, a self-service restaurant with a good selection of hot and cold food plus a shower area. The best bit? Boarding straight from the lounge. Once on board, I was impressed by the spacious seat, with its own soft drinks bar. I settled in and was quickly served a welcome glass of rose champagne along with a Bvlgari goodie bag containing toiletries, comb and compact mirror. It was all going well until the food arrived. My chicken was dull, dry and tasteless – certainly not the gourmet cuisine I’d expect from Business Class. While I was eating, I watched a movie. There’s an impressive choice – Emirates boasts over 4,500 channels of award-winning entertainment on their Business Class flights – but I struggled to get the headset in the connector and had to pull away from my seat to do it. I was flying on one of Emirates’ Airbus fleet, which has a separate bar area, so I happily whiled away a couple of hours there with an expertly made espresso martini. And then to bed to sleep – or so I hoped. When I reclined the seat, my head was between the seat bar and the arm rest and because the width didn’t allow for much movement, I felt really claustrophobic. It was handy being able to help myself to soft drinks whenever I wanted from the dedicated bar by my seat. But the snack menu was a let-down – the hot beef pie I tried was so dry I couldn’t eat it. As for my return flight – the service was terrible. It seemed like the cabin crew had all gone off for a sleep, leaving passengers to fend for themselves. With nobody around to serve me a drink, I had to walk to the bar, where the hostess was pretty hopeless at mixing cocktails. Did Emirates Business Class live up to expectations? The good... * great choice of on-board entertainment * fully flat beds (though I personally felt too hemmed in to sleep) The bad... * disappointing food (tip: eat in the lounge before you fly) * only four toilets between 148 passengers * no goodie bag or sleep suit on night flights * inconsistent service on outbound and return flight My view... Emirates claim to give Business Class passengers ‘more comfort, delicious cuisine and award-winning entertainment’ but with prices at the top end I think they’re offering poor value for money. Virgin Atlantic Business Class - Return from London Heathrow to Atlanta The business class ticket I booked included a chauffeur-driven service to and from the airport. On arrival, my husband and I were dropped off at the dedicated check-in and we then moved seamlessly through the priority security channel into the lounge – all within the space of 20 minutes. The lounge has an area for bar service and a separate section for table service dining, where I tucked into a delicious cooked English breakfast with champagne. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love the games area. I headed to the spa for my complimentary 15-minute hydrating facial, which was perfect before a transatlantic flight. I then tried some of the Virgin non-alcoholic cocktails. Unlike Emirates, where we could board from the lounge, we had a 10-minute walk to the gate. There was a bit of a mix-up with the seats, as due to the seating configuration my husband and I were actually facing away from each other. The crew did offer to move a few people, but we decided not to make a fuss, and we appreciated the cabin manager coming over to apologise. Once settled, I was served a welcome glass of champagne and handed a menu and goodie bag, which contained essentials such as lip balm, flight socks, eye mask and face cream. The entertainment was great – I loved that when I was watching a movie the screen was totally movable and the headset was soft on the ears. The food service was equally impressive, served on the laid table in front of you. I had a mouth-watering salmon dish with a great wine selection (yes, I did try all six of them!). As this was another Airbus with separate bar, I popped there later for a gin and tonic and friendly chat with some of the other passengers. Throughout the flight I was really impressed with my seat. I could put my legs up without making the flat bed and was then able to recline it fully, leaving me with a very comfortable bed to sleep on. The return flight was just as good. Did Virgin Business Class live up to expectations? The good... * excellent food * great customer service * goodie bags both ways * sleep suit on night flight * extremely comfortable seat The bad... * seating configuration means you may not be next to your companion (tip: double check before you book) My view... All things considered, I think Virgin offered the best and most consistent service. I’d happily fly with them again.

04 June 2020

I believe in Belize! Are you looking for a destination slight off the beaten track? Bored of your drop and flop holidays? Want to fit in as much experiences as possible? Then I can truly recommend Belize for its diversity. I went to Belize in June because I wanted to swim with the whale sharks, and it was my 50th birthday so I wanted to conquer my fear and do a zip-lining experience. What I experienced was a whole lot more… First stop was 3 nights in a lodge near the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. Picked up from the airport we were taken to the river and finished our journey via an air boat on the river! The guide was wonderful and that trip, complete with an ice-cold beer, was the start of our experience. This lodge offers full board inclusive of 2 excursions per day, such as, medicine trail walk, day and night jungle walks to name but a few… My favourites were the air boat night safari… where we where guided along the riverbank looking out for toads, spiders, birds. We were also treated to an explanation of the night sky and a wonderful display of fireflies! The early morning Kayak was an experience I shall never forget... on the water before the sun had risen, the only noise being the gentle sound of the paddle and the call of the animals… I have never seen water lilies open in front of me… I have never experienced such calm and wonder… The food was delicious, and the cabin was facing the river and air conditioned with its own fridge. After a sad farewell we were transferred to our next destination for the adrenaline activities. Here the activities were not included in the price, but the food was. The accommodation was of a more modern standard and there was a plunge pool here overlooking the river... Here I experience the Zip-lining…. And yes, I was scared! But I had to do it. It had 12 platforms and 7 runs totalling 2745 feet! It was a great experience and I felt safe and secure at all times. On the final zip, we had to shout… I BELIEVE IN BELIZE! And by that time, it had secured a place in my heart. The other trips on offer where horseback riding, birding, caving and various on-site activities, e.g. a rope swing into the river! Yes at 50 I actually did this! The final leg of the journey was too the beach… I wanted an apartment right on the beach and that is what I received… Unfortunately, I was unable to swim with the whale sharks as I sliced my big toe in a freak accident. However, I managed to get around with the hotels help and explored Placentia as much as possible, enjoying the lobster during the festival! How did I get back to the international airport? I flew in a twin prop aircraft, and that was an amazing experience… For any more information please don’t hesitate to contact me, you could be there enjoying so much more that the average holiday.