Based in Hemel Hempstead

Linda Buckingham

It's Nice To Meet You

Thank you for taking the time to find out a bit more about me.

I worked for high street travel agencies for over 25 years and have always had a passion for travel. With the best technology and freedom of choice, I can give you the most professional, stress free, personal service to plan and book your travel arrangements. Let me shop around for you to find the most suitable solution for your holiday plans or celebration trip. Unlike many internet sites, everything I book for you is 100% financially protected - no ifs, no buts. From a no-frills flight to an around the world itinerary, you can have complete peace of mind knowing that your money is in safe hands. During the recent Covid crisis we were voted the best company for customer refunds not once, not twice, but three times, which is a very welcome accolade. It’s not what we wanted to be known for, but when things do go wrong, we have a great track record of customer care.

I am a certified Canadian Specialist & Aussie Specialist which have to be renewed each year. I have attained specialist status for most of the Caribbean Islands and numerous others for destinations and cruise lines. I have arranged weddings and honeymoons in many countries of the world including the islands of the Caribbean, the USA, Australia, the Far East, Indian Ocean and closer to home in the Med. I’m always up for a tailor-made challenge and recently I seem to be doing lots of itineraries featuring rail journeys and self-drive too.

I have been to a different country for every year of my life, have cruised many times and been on-board most of the UK's favourite cruise ships. In 2018, we did our first European river cruise from Budapest to Regensburg. We visited Canada, the USA and Alaska for an epic 6 week trip in 2019. I also attended the CLIA 2019 conference in Southampton especially to check out the brand new Celebrity Edge and finally have a peek at the £90 million remaster of Cunard's QM2. I've since added visits to P&O's Arvia, MSC's Virtuosa, Windstar's Legend, Azamara's Onward & Virgin's Valiant Lady.

Since Covid has come into our lives it has certainly clipped all of our wings, but it seems to have made most of my clients more determined than ever to make the time to get away. We started with a UK hotel break shortly after UK hotels were reopened. We followed that in June with a week in a delightful cottage in Wales. Our next trip was a 'Seacation' sailing around the UK on Celebrity Silhouette. The ship has just been 'revolutionised' and looks absolutely brand new with some contemporary upgrades. Everything was very efficient and there were enhanced health & safety protocols on board with fewer passengers.

In 2022 my first adventure was a tour to Jordan - which was great fun. I was invited on Celebrity Beyond for a trade promotional weekend not long after. Our first holiday in 2022 was an Azamara cruise around Croatia - a stunning destination and a chance to find out what happens now you can't dock ships over 25,000 tons in Venice! Our last major trip of 2022 was a last minute cruise around the Greek Islands on Windstar. We always wanted to take a trip on a masted ship and it was everything we hoped for and more. We also explored Athens for a few days before flying home which was easy to do and very interesting.

Last year saw us add Seville, Haarlem (Netherlands), the USA, Mexico, Cornwall, Devon & Cyprus. We have plenty of plans for this year too & for each personal & client booking I make I'm planting trees through Trees4Travel again to help offsets the carbon emissions generated by our travels. So far I've planted nearly 500 trees in Kenya & Haiti. It's not a lot in the bigger scheme of things, but it's a start to making people more aware of what they can do to help regeneration & support local communities in developing countries.

For an informal chat about your travel plans - at home or away - please call me and I look forward to speaking to you soon...

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I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

Cap St Georges Resort

06 March 2024

A new property opening is always exciting and this was no exception. A stunning new resort in Peyia, just a few minutes’ drive from the Coral Bay strip in Cyprus welcomed us in October into an oasis of calm and an uninterrupted view of the ocean. The reception lounge has a beautifully lit shoal of fish chandelier spanning the central ceiling, huge elegant silver grey sofas and displays of white orchids. Once our luggage was unloaded our car was whisked away into the underground car park by a valet. The Cap St George Resort has 202 rooms and suites that are all sea facing. The rooms all have 9ft high ceilings and the glass patio doors are almost as tall with a huge balcony. The bathrooms are beautiful & high tech with a privacy glass window beside the free standing soaking tub that has views across the bedroom out to the sunset. There's also a walk in shower, Lalique toiletries, double vanity and mood lighting that senses and activates when you walk in! The 55” TV was almost lost in the 58sqm room which also comes with a Nespresso machine. With so few rooms it’s hard to imagine that they have a 130-metre blue flag beach, three outdoor pools, a heated indoor pool, a playground, a fitness centre, 10 restaurants and bars, a nightclub and a chapel on site. Several of the restaurants are situated around the Agora square which gives you the indoor/outdoor village feel alongside their organic shop, jewellery store, gelato café, outdoor cinema and boutique. The property is built on the edge of the Akamas National Park and they also offer horse riding in the park from their stables. There are huge olive trees all around the property bedecked with fairy lights and one of them is reputedly the oldest on the island. Rather than move it, they have made a feature of it. Their ‘quiet’ beach is actually a secluded olive grove set above a small cove serviced by a cute Piaggio style van providing cold drinks, towel service and ice cream. There are so many olive trees on the property that they’re harvested for their local olive oil and most of the fresh produce is sourced from their farm (which you can visit by arrangement). As you walk along the coastal path to the quiet zone you pass by some of the residential villas and will smell the scent of rosemary from the hedges along the pathway. If you keep going past the quiet zone you will reach the white cliffs scenic outlook and the sea caves. Our favourite restaurant was Kohili overlooking the beach with a Cypriot/seafood menu. Sapori, the Italian and Bonsai the Teppanyaki were fully booked the evenings we were there and Sky7 is a fine dining restaurant that’s open for selected dining events with visiting Michelin star guest chefs. Breakfast is served daily in Yeronisos – buffet style but with cooking stations. You can eat inside or outside on their huge sea view terrace and everything is clearly labelled with food groups for anyone with dietary requirements. Another fairly unique offering on the island, Cap St George has their own private yacht that can be hired for half or full day snorkelling trips or secluded beach visits. The watersports centre offers non motorised watersports and a boat shuttle to a local beach where motorised watersports are available. In the height of the season, the nightclub has guest DJ’s and beach parties and for the younger guests a great kids club plus an amazing Gamer’s Lounge to keep the teens amused. A resort hotel of this quality wouldn’t be complete without a luxurious spa complete with 8 treatment rooms, mud chambers and an array of indoor pools, thermal saunas, steam rooms, and aromatherapy experience showers. We didn't venture to the tennis courts, the expansive gym or ever go looking for the football field, but we couldn't help noticing that there was a national football team in house who must have been there for a training camp. We didn't get to see any other rooms types than the one we were staying in, but in addition to the one and two bedroom suites (some with private pools) there is also a stunning 7 bedroom Presidential Suite/Villa that you can see from Sky7. It has a private 20m x 5m infinity-edge pool with a 6m x 4m incorporated jacuzzi and and extended sun terrace almost as big as the terrace at Yeronisos. It has private parking and sleeps up to 18 people, but the thing that surprised me is that the bathrooms in the top suite on property were exactly the same as ours!

Navigator of the Seas

29 November 2023

We sailed out of Los Angeles down to Mexico on Navigator of the Seas for a week, hot on the heels of hurricane Beatriz. Luckily she downgraded to a tropical storm and we were able to keep all our ports of call. The ship has had a refurbishment since we were on last so we tried out a 'virtual balcony' cabin which brings light and atmosphere into the cabin space. We had views of the dockside in port but no one could see us in our pj's! There are lovely cabanas that you can reserve on the pool deck now with a Caribbean vibe. The crazy golf has had a huge makeover and there are now brightly coloured water flumes on the sports deck. The Royal Parade still has a bar with live music and the Cafe Promenade which will be your pizza stop on the way out of the nightclub. Studio B offers a much upgraded ice show complete with a stunning drone sequence and we enjoyed all of the entertainment offered. Foodwise, the buffet seems to have a little less on offer than I would have expected, but on the flip side of that, there's so much less wasted food at the end of the meal service. Some of the Covid protocols have been kept so you have to have certain foods served to you - but it's up to you to say stop when you have enough and you can still go back as often as you like. This was our itinerary: 30 June Leave Los Angeles (Long Beach)/ day at sea / Cabo San Lucas port day / Mazatlan port day / Puerto Vallarta port day/2 days at sea / Arrive Los Angeles (Long Beach) Mazatlan was our favourite port of call. Our original trip into the mountain villages was cancelled because the clean up was still going on after the tropical storm. Our tour company quickly offered us the city tour and we covered so much more than we could have done on our own. The region is known for its seafood and the local market was full of it. We stopped to watch the cliff divers, saw loads of the iconic Pulmonia taxis (so iconic they have their own sculpture!) - we also had time to visit the Cathedral and had to do a double take when we spotted the Fab Four with their yellow submarine and a London Phone box in a side street!

Keukenhof & the Flower Parade

02 November 2023

Keukenhof Gardens are reputedly the world's largest permanent flower garden. Around seven million tulip bulbs are planted here each year along with crocuses, daffodils, orchids and other flowers to create beautiful display beds. I’ve sent hundreds of people to these gardens over the years, either as an excursion from Amsterdam, on a river cruise or with a coach tour. Very few take the trip and stay locally. We decided that we’d have the full experience and travel in April to see the annual Flower Parade as well as just the gardens. The Parade leaves from Noordwijk and travels just over 26 miles via Keukenhof to Haarlem. The parade is themed and has several viewing platforms erected along the route alongside areas set aside for some celebrations & entertainment. It’s the biggest flower parade in the world and approx. 1 million people will line the route to watch it. As you can imagine, it takes a long time to walk the route as a marching band or a dancer and we met the parade as it came into Haarlem around 9pm. The streets were lined with people cheering them on and it took almost an hour for the whole parade to pass. They were heading for an area of the town with broad streets where they parked up for the night. The next day was clear and bright and everyone was able to admire the floats in the sun and enjoy the street food and music. With everything made from fresh flowers, the scents are amazing, but don’t forget your antihistamine if you’re prone to hay fever! We flew early to Amsterdam and took the express bus directly to Haarlem. Once we checked our bags into our hotel we walked back to the bus station to head to Keukenhof. As it was the day before the parade it was busy and buying your tickets in advance is essential. On the parade day Keukenhof is still open but there are road closures and transport is severely disrupted. The Flower Parade first started in 1947 which was before Keukenhof opened and it’s still an amazing free event. Haarlem is set up for visitors with a funfair in the town square and many of the local eateries have outdoor dining with heaters and awnings to take the extra visitors and ward of any showers. The more modern area of the city is used for the display area so everyone has the chance to admire the floats at their own pace and it’s interspersed with market stands, entertainment and street food for a great day out. Most locals cycle or walk everywhere and a huge part of the old city is still quaint cobbled streets. Much like Amsterdam you can take a canal cruise around part of the city, it has a much smaller red light district, a beautiful church and cathedral with the addition of a windmill you can visit. The beautiful Müller Organ at St Bavo’s was played by G.F. Händel in 1740 and 1750, (who travelled to Haarlem especially for this purpose) and Mozart played it in 1766 when he was just 10 years old. It’s a beautiful church and they have occasional free organ recitals during the winter. From May to October they’re weekly and have a minimal charge. If we’d had more time we would have visited the beach at Zandvoort & the F1 track too. We had a great time and were so pleased we stayed in Haarlem rather than Amsterdam!

Stunning Seville!

31 October 2023

Traditions of the bullfight and flamenco are very strong in Seville and few visitors can fail to admire the Royal Alcazar and Seville Cathedral with the Giralda Tower…. but we found so much more to enjoy in our short break! We travelled in April but still saw trees on the streets adorned with Seville oranges. Not for eating though – these are a speciality variety which is used predominantly for marmalade. With over 14,000 orange trees in the city it’s a hard task to harvest them all before they fall and get swept away. If you look up past the orange trees you’ll probably see beautiful blue and white tiles, mosaics and vases on some buildings. Also ornate ironwork balconies and Moorish latticework feature heavily in the Old Town. If you love gardens and intricate mosaics then you have to visit the Royal Alcazar which is stunning. The Alcazar’s walls themselves date from the 11th century and if you’re a Game of Thrones fan you will recognise some areas as the Water Gardens of Dorne. Our afternoon took us to the Plaza de Espana – somewhere we went to because it was close to the Alcazar and the Parque Maria Luisa. What an amazing place – it was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and is a huge horseshoe shaped pedestrianised plaza. The walls have alcoves that have beautiful mosaics of all the provinces and you can hire a boat to paddle along the moat! We were also treated to an impromptu Flamenco performance which was great fun. Another film moment – the plaza was used in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. It was Theed Palace on Naboo, the stunning home to Padmé, Amidala and her people. We were staying close to the Guadalquivir River and next to Isabel II Bridge we discovered Lonja del Barranco Market. It stands on the site of the old Seville market and has lots of different food counters and seating areas which is great for tapas and some evening music. Whilst wandering the city you can’t help but come across the 26 metre tall Setas de Sevilla – fondly nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’. You can walk along the raised walkway for a panoramic view of the city or take the lift down to the underground museum. Hidden inside there is also the Encarnación Market with 40 food stands. Before we came home we also visited the 5* EME Catedral Mercer hotel. The only hotel in the city that has a rooftop bar looking straight at the Catherdral and the Giralda Tower!

Amazing Athens

08 May 2023

Athens is the capital of Greece and also the largest city of Greece. Most people know it was named after the Greek goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, war, inspiration and civilization. The city has history going back 3,500 years and everyone has heard of the Acropolis which sits on a limestone plateau overlooking the city. Once you get up there, you will have walked past the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Parthenon and the city below you is littered with other sites that are being excavated. Restoration works started on the Parthenon in 1983 but will be ongoing for many years to come. You should plan your trip carefully as once you’re up there, there’s limited shade and there’s still a fair bit of walking with uneven ground. We walked all the way up, but there is a metro station Acropoli which will at least take you most of the way up if it’s hot. There are also local buses and taxis will drop you at the entrance. A new lift was installed in 2020 to accommodate wheelchair users. Like most of these sites, either an audio guide or a tour guide will enhance your visit. One of the other things that Athens is known for is the Olympics and the Panathenaic Stadium still stands. It’s the only stadium in the world to be made entirely of marble and it can hold around 80,000 people. Stages had been set up for a rock concert when we were there. The audio tour will allow you to climb the steep steps and walk the competitors tunnel into the Olympic Hall which holds replicas of the Olympic torches. Piraeus is the port where we joined our ship and it’s actually at the end of one of the four hop on hop off bus routes. One of the others will take you to the beach and can even be combined with a full day cruise to the Saronic Gulf islands. Athens was also city of street art, which I wasn’t expecting, it's definitely a city where you need to look all around you! During the evening there are bustling shops and market stalls, but when they're closed, many of the shop shutters have been painted.

Windstar

06 March 2023

Whenever we’d been away and had seen a masted sailing ship anchored nearby it reminded us that one day we’d try it. Well that one day finally came in September and we got the chance to sail on the Wind Surf out of Piraeus around the Greek Islands. She’s the largest sailing cruise ship in the world and is Windstar's flagship taking a maximum of 310 guests. She’s a five masted staysail schooner, but as she has a schedule to stick to, she also has engines to make sure that we can get to the ports on time. Under Windstar’s open bridge policy, passengers can visit ship bridges and chat with officers while the ship is sailing, which was a bonus. During tricky manoeuvers we were restricted, but there was always a good viewpoint elsewhere on the ship to watch the tugs working. As we left port each day and conditions allowed, the sails were unfurled to the Vangelis track 'Conquest of Paradise' and most passengers were out on deck having sundowners which gives a great atmosphere to start your evening . Despite being a small ship, there was still a small shop and a decent spa, but another bonus is the watersports platform. From there you could go stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkel, sail, swim or windsurf. They also put out the sea trampoline and would take you snorkelling out on the zodiaks in certain ports. As with any cruise line, there were a selection of excursions available in every port. Being fans of the Jason Bourne films, we decided to do our own thing in Mykonos in search of the iconic windmills. Everyone wants to take their pictures at sunset and the larger ships had all left port by then, but we were the last away, got our photos and got back on board in plenty of time for dinner and the evening entertainment. This was also the island made famous by the original Shirley Valentine film. We visited Syros, capital of the Cyclades with the main town split across two hills. We made it to the top of the first one, Ermoupoli, but the Agios Georgios Cathedral was closed and there wasn’t a bar to drink at to admire the view, and we hadn't packed a picnic, so we returned to the ship for lunch, wine tasting and an afternoon by the pool. This isn't a walk for the feint hearted though - apart from the distance, we climbed almost 1000 steps each way! Kusadasi was the only non-Greek port we visited. The waterfront has had a lot of work done since we were there last and the marina has space for 600 boats. It’s great for a wander along the seafront admiring the sculptures and you enter the town via the market. If you manage to resist the temptation to buy on the way out, you also go back to the ship the same way. The goods are good quality at a fair price (also negotiable) so most people were buying ‘genuine fake rolex’ or ‘designer’ bags to take home. They also had a lovely selection of kilim and flatweave rugs and carpets which can be shipped home. The colours are stunning in the shaded shop windows and the ship has got a list of certified suppliers if you decide that you want to buy one. Our reason for stopping here in the middle of a Greek itinerary was to have dinner under the stars after hours in Ephesus. It was a complimentary event with all passengers dining together with live music and was absolutely wonderful. Many people took excursions to Ephesus during the day and it was a treat to have it to ourselves with the lighting showing it off in the evening. Patmos, known as the sacred island and another UNESCO World Heritage site where St John wrote the Book of Revelation. Such a small island boasts a monastery dating back to 1088, 17th century battlements and 16th century houses as well as sleepy villages and a Northern coastline of sheer cliffs. Patmos is one of the northernmost Dodecanese islands and the last time anyone counted, had a population of just 2998. The island is a little over 13 square miles in size and if you do decide to visit the monastery, both knees and shoulders should be covered, so strictly no shorts allowed, ladies or gents. There are approximately 20 beaches to discover, some sand, some pebble and some only accessible by boat. One of my favourite ports was Rhodes Town. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still has amazing Medieval buildings and the wonderful Street of the Knights. It’s hard to believe that the area hasn’t been used as a major film set. The Old City is surrounded by 4km of strong walls with 7 gates and is one of the biggest and best-preserved Medieval settlements of Europe. Inside Rhodes Old Town walls you’ll find over 200 cobbled streets with bars and restaurants as well as souvenir shops and shops selling local produce. It's also largely pedestrianised so you can wander around exploring all the side streets without worrying about traffic when you're trying to get your perfect pictures. It's definitely worth getting a guide here as there are so many stories to bring the place alive as more than just the town as you see it. Aghios Nikolaos in Crete is surrounded by water on three sides. According to Greek mythology, the Voulismeni Lake is said to be where Athena & Artemis used to bathe. The lake is surrounded by bars and restaurants and is peaceful by day but more lively by night. New additions to the town are the 'Horn of Almathia' & 'Abduction of Europa' sculptures. The beautiful island of Santorini is on many peoples wish list to see and is often used as an iconic image of Greece. We were anchored close to shore and this is the one port where local tenders came out to the ships. It’s volcanic and some say the ruins of Atlantis remain hidden somewhere under the ocean here. This is the island of steep cliffs, blue domed churches, wineries and villages with narrow cobbled streets to get lost in. If you find a queue in Fira it’s probably the one leading to the cable car taking you back to the pier for the tenders! Our cruise began and ended in Piraeus and we arranged our taxi through the ship. I have to say, it’s the first time we’ve ever been directed to a trolley already loaded with our luggage and labelled with our name & our driver standing next to it – excellent service from start to finish!

Azamara Onward

06 June 2022

Azamara is a sister line to Celebrity Cruises and she has just had a fourth ship join the fleet – Azamara Onward. Azamara ships are all around 30,000 tons in size which provides around 350 cabins and sails with a maximum of approximately 670 passengers when fully sold. Our sailing was her second voyage and due to Covid had been capped at 80% which was 533 guests of 18 nationalities. The largest number of passengers were from the US with the UK following closely behind. When I booked the trip, we were due to sail from Venice, but as has widely been publicised, Venice has banned most ships from the city. I had hoped that we would just squeeze into the new limit, but it has been set at 25,000 tons or 530 feet in length, so our departure was moved South to Ravenna. What this meant was a two and a half hour coach journey through the countryside and lots of people wishing they had flown into Bologna instead! Once we arrived at the cruise terminal our paperwork was checked. Whilst there was no requirement for us to be Covid tested to enter Italy, Azamara were still asking everyone to present a negative PCR test before being allowed on board. All of the crew were vaccinated and boosted and they also have facilities on board for testing should your cruise port destination require it. We chose an intensive voyage to Croatia which visited Zadar, Split, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Hvar and Sibenik. Being a smaller cruise ship, most of the ports allowed us to dock directly alongside the quay and walk on and off the ship as we pleased, but Dubrovnik & Hvar were tender ports. Ravenna, our Italian starting and finishing port, was also worth a visit as they have a lovely mosaic trail and the ship provided complimentary shuttles into the city. On this cruise we had a good variety of options for shore excursions ranging from a strenuous Zadar by bicycle to the more leisurely visit to the vineyards and salt plains by coach. In Zadar you could even try a Tuk Tuk tour! In most cities we did the walking tours but from Sibenik we visited Krka National Park which was stunning. If you don’t want to go ashore there are also things you can do on board during the day. Some have a nominal charge such as a food & wine pairing experience, but others, such as the smartphone photography class, are complimentary. We also had enrichment opportunities with Professor Robert Aalberts who taught world regional, political and economic geography at the University of New Orleans before joining the cruising world as a destination lecturer over 10 years ago. Azamara ships offer open dining so you can choose what time to arrive at the main restaurant and who you dine with. There are two speciality restaurants on Onward which have $30 cover charges (unless you’re booked into suite category cabins). Aqualina is all things Italian whilst Prime C offers Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand, Ribeye and T-Bone steak alongside local dishes that vary by the ports visited. If you don’t want to go for a full-service lunch or dinner there is also the Windows Café which offers a daily changing themed buffet menu. Entertainment is offered every day. Most evenings it’s a show performed by the very talented entertainment team, but we also enjoyed the acclaimed visiting cellist Ana Rucher on deck in Dubrovnik and equally acclaimed flautist Jonathan Johnston in the cabaret lounge. There isn’t a formal gala dinner night, but we had a ‘white night’ party instead. This was an evening where the pool deck was dressed for a gala night of open-air dining and entertainment fun. Overall, I think there were still some signs that this is a refurbished ship rather than being a brand new build, but everything is comfortable, everything works and the crew are a delight to spend time with. The carpets are all brand new and the public areas are gleaming. The bedside reading lamps in the cabins now have USB sockets although the storage options are a bit odd. New to the Onward is the Atlas Bar for up market cocktails and there’s no casino. There’s a small spa and fitness centre and the obligatory jogging track that overlooks the pool deck. In theory you can take children on board, but there’s no kids club, no special areas for them to use and no baby sitting offered, so there are plenty of better options available with other cruise lines to entertain your young family. Earning ‘Best Small Ship Cruise Line for LGBTQ Passengers’ by LGBTQ cruisers for the last seven consecutive years, Azamara is a great choice for the rainbow community. You could travel on Onward if you’re a wheelchair user as there are adapted cabins on board, but the lifts are quite small. Having said that, as the ship isn’t huge, it’s easy to get around as everything is quite compact. We chose this cruise because I’ve not sailed with Azamara before, Onward is their new ship and Croatia is one of the most popular destinations for bookings at the moment. Would we sail with them again? If the itinerary is right – absolutely!

Celebrity Beyond

29 June 2022

So how long does it take to build a cruise ship from scratch? In the case of Celebrity Beyond, roughly two years from the start of production in January 2020 to the end of the sea trials in February this year with a price tag of $1.3 billion. That amount of money buys you a lot of ship and state of the art facilities. She’s still an Edge class ship but boasts an extra deck and is 20 metres longer than her two sister ships. Following on from Edge and Apex she shares the most popular innovations such as the Infinite Veranda cabins, but areas like the ‘Retreat’ are now two storey and the much loved Rooftop Garden seating and dining area is 40% bigger boasting two clear sided float pools suspended over the ocean with a new seating area. The Magic Carpet is still orange and moves up and down 13 of the 17 decks of the ship alternating between being a trendy bar with live entertainment, to being a romantic extension to Raw on 5 seafood restaurant and a tender platform or port days. The Cabanas on the pool deck are facing the pool again rather than out to sea, but there are still plenty of cosy corners if you just want to read a book in the shade with a cuppa or a cocktail. If you choose an Aqua grade cabin you have complimentary access to the eight zone thermal spa suite and the healthy eating ‘Blu’ is your exclusive restaurant. The suite guests still get exclusive access to the ‘Retreat’ sundeck and their exclusive restaurant is Luminae. For everyone else you’re still split between the four complimentary main restaurants Cyprus, Tuscan, Normandie & Cosmopolitan. In general, they share around half of their menus but the other half is still given their French, Mediterranean, Italian or global twist. If their menus still don’t appeal, there are a further eight speciality restaurants with a nominal cover charge. New to Beyond is ‘Le Voyage’ which is by Michelin Star chef Daniel Boulud. It’s a well-kept secret on deck 4 and we didn’t find it until our last day! If you want to take the opportunity to try the food of a triple Michelin Star chef, the $75 cover charge is a bargain as his usual menu is around the $200 mark on land without the dessert! Like most of the smaller speciality restaurants, it’s close to the Grand Plaza which is the heart of the ship and has a great atmosphere when the bartenders are showing off their cocktail making skills. The entertainment on this ship will rival the best London West End and Broadway shows. If they wanted to replicate any of them, I’m sure they could, but they have chosen to innovate with their entertainment which was amazing and varied. Eden, which spans three decks, features ‘a sinful fusion of performance art, culinary exploration and nightlife’ in a tropical setting with a living wall. The theatre is at the other end of the ship and boasts a 20 foot 4K LED screen which curves 110 feet around the stage and integrates with new floor projection technology to give everyone great visibility and involvement with the performers. The other person who has got involved with her adoring fans is ‘Captain Kate’ – the first American female captain of a large cruise ship since 2015 who travels with Bug Naked, a hairless sphinx cat who spends his days with her on the bridge. Captain Kate looks a bit like Sandra Bullock, has nearly 3 million social media followers and was previously the captain on Celebrity Edge. In the short time we were on board, she spoke several times over the PA system and was on stage for a meet the captain interview. We also saw her chatting to passengers around the ship. In a final push to bring younger cruisers on board, the extraordinary gymnast Simone Biles has been named godmother to the Celebrity Beyond and will officially name her at the inaugural ceremony in Fort Lauderdale in November.

Travelsphere trip to Jordan

14 April 2022

I recently had the opportunity to travel as a member of the public with Travelsphere on a tour to Jordan. We were also accompanied by a broadcaster, a travel journalist and a photographer. We flew on Royal Jordanian on an afternoon flight so we arrived late but we were up and out the next day to make the most of our time. Day 2 Amman & Jerash were full of surprises. - especially the bagpipes being played in the amphitheatre. Our first dinner out was a mezze at a local restaurant - some things familiar - some things not so much, but all very tasty! Day 3 was the day of M’s, Madaba, mosaics & Mount Nebo Memorial of Moses. The mosaic map of Madaba is the oldest known floor mosaic in the world and dates back to biblical times. St George’s Church in Madaba is a beautiful church and after the hustle & bustle of Amman, Madaba was such a contrast - a friendly town where we were sat in the street afterwards drinking pomegranate juice, coffee & ate baklava’s chatting to the shopkeepers in a traffic free street. The sculpture is at the Moses memorial centre and there are views behind that stretch as far as the Dead Sea. Day 4 Petra - the place that was on my bucket list didn’t disappoint! You walk through the siq between the mountains and the colours and shapes are beautiful.Then, after 2kms you catch your first glimpse of the treasury and beyond the gorge it’s almost a bustling marketplace! You can buy drinks and snacks and there are camels and pony traps along with the odd golf cart trying to manoeuvre out to the next 2kms of the classic trail. There are eight marked trails off the main one to explore more of the tombs and caves and they’re graded by their difficulty. The monastery is a 900 step trail at the end of the classic pathway but I chose to do the less challenging royal tombs trail. All the way through the route there are traditional market stalls and bartering is king. Most of the journey is a slow downhill meander but it’s more of a challenge to get back. In some sections you can hire a horse, a camel or a donkey to make life easier and the route to the treasury has been surfaced for the less mobile to use the golf carts. Everything was spotless and you need a guide for sure to make the most of it. After visiting Petra, the next day we went to visit ‘Little Petra’. it’s nowhere near as spectacular as the main site, but it was interesting none the less and we practically had the place to ourselves. It can also be hired out for events and would look stunning lit by lanterns and candles around the rocks. And - who knew that some of the nearby mountains contain ancient carved water tanks which the Bedouins still use today? Day 5 - Wadi Rum! With lunch waiting for us . The Martian was filmed close by and I had a yurt style Martian Pod for the night with a couple of hours to relax before we set off into the sand dunes to watch the sun go down.... Wadi Rum …. Who thought a tent in the desert could be so comfy! Air conditioning, running water, flushing loo, walk in shower and even a jacuzzi on the deck! Dinner was cooked underground in a fire pit and there was such a good choice considering we were so far away from where anything grows. A trip was offered to to Rum Sky for stargazing. No pictures from that as we had to keep light to a minimum, but a very informative evening by an entertaining astronomer with a fun desert drive there & back in open backed 4x4’s Day 6 - I’ve never been a fan of camels until now. Arabian camels in Jordan are gentle creatures and they don’t spit. We shared their desert sunrise and it was a wonderful way to start our day! After breakfast we began our journey back up country for our last two nights at the Dead Sea. Day 7 - You can’t go to Jordan without visiting the River Jordan which has so much religious significance to so many people around the world. The river is much narrower now than it was centuries ago and the site where Jesus was baptised is no longer alongside the banks as it used to be - but the remnants of the church that was built on the site remains. The Greek Orthodox Church close by is a recent addition and the site has been sympathetically preserved on the Jordanian side of the river. The River Jordan is the border between Jordan and Israel and the Israeli side is much more commercialised. Whilst we were there several people were baptised across the river with much song & celebration At over 400metres below sea level the Dead Sea is the lowest land-based place on Earth! The water has so much salt in it that there are no fish and the water almost takes your feet out from under you so you sit floating around effortlessly. Getting out is another scenario entirely - but it has to be done! There are huge pots of mineral mud on the beach so you can give yourself an all over mud pack for free and give your skin a boost. The beach is stony so beach shoes are a good idea too. Being on a tour is all about experiencing new things and we ate as a group virtually everywhere we went. Two evenings we ate in restaurants, one evening we cooked our own meal as a cooking experience in Petra, our desert night was a show cooking style meal cooked in underground pits and in our beach hotel it was a buffet so we had lots of variety. We had a great guide and a great group of people, Most were repeat customers to Travelsphere and it was easy to see why!

Valiant Lady

22 March 2022

Whilst Covid has been wreaking havoc on the travel industry I have been helping all my existing clients through all the changes and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally the time has come that we can start travelling again and seeing what our industry pals have been doing behind the scenes. It’s true that a new ship takes time to design and build and construction began on Valiant Lady with the steel-cutting ceremony held in July 2018. The keel-laying ceremony was held in February 2019 & she was due to start service in 2021 but we all know why she arrived later than planned! I was invited to meet Valiant Lady in Tilbury and arrived on a chartered Uber Boat. From the water you can see that she’s light grey rather than white and looks very stylish with her trademark Virgin mermaid and red & black detailing. It’s fair to say that the style of the ship is contemporary through and through with some very unique features. She will home port in Barcelona in the Summer and Miami in the Winter so opportunities to see new ships in the UK are not to be missed. We were able to book one of the 20+ eateries to have lunch in and chose ‘Razzle Dazzle’. With a nod to maritime history the décor is bold zebra stripes. The staff were young and enthusiastic and looked after us well. The theme is vegetarian but there are meat cheats available as well. This is also the home of the ‘Drag Brunch’ for a couple of days each week where you can be entertained in style whilst you eat. Each restaurant has its own bar and signature cocktail so we had to give it a try whilst we waited for our food, which was excellent and freshly prepared. No ship visit is complete without a tour and we set off to see the cabins, suites and other facilities in the couple of hours we had before showtime. Every cabin with a balcony has a hand-made hammock in Virgin’s signature red. The massive suite has an amazing deck space including a table you can officially dance on and a cinema room complete with guitars. The mini bars are not ‘mini’ and the cabins have very subtle energy saving features. Virgin Voyages are adult only and will definitely appeal to the free spirited. We couldn’t get the full feel for a voyage in just a few hours but I think we all left wanting to try one!

Celebrity Silhouette Revolutionised

25 August 2021

And so Covid has brought us another new word – seacation. A cruise of the British Isles that may or may not be allowed to let us off the ship to explore our own country! We were lucky that by the time we were due to set sail, we were being offered excursions in Invergordon and Liverpool and considered ourselves privileged. Our ship, Celebrity Silhouette, recently underwent a multimillion dollar facelift. In line with government limits, there were 1098 people on a ship designed for almost 3000 and the odd 98 were children. However we hardly saw them and in general, people were lazing around on deck,off in the spa, gym or listening to speakers, doing workshops, watching entertainment, eating, drinking or taking part in the sports activities during our sea days. There are plenty of lounges to sit with a coffee & a book if you don’t want to be outside and we never had a problem getting a sunbed or a seat in a bar or lounge. There's even an indoor solarium pool if it's bright but too chilly to be outdoors. We had a great atmosphere over dinner and during the evening entertainment when we all got together although it was a bit odd at first. The ship is looking fresh and modern with some new seating areas and new carpets throughout. The wine bar is now the Craft Social Bar and has an area that shows live sports. Whilst we were on board the Olympics were taking place and it was a popular place to be to cheer our athletes on. There's a new deck area called ‘the Retreat’ for guests in the suites. Michael's Lounge has become the Retreat Lounge and Luminae is now the assigned restaurant for those guests. Lots of people have asked about the shore excursions and ports of call. There were just two ports, Invergordon & Liverpool on this 6 night cruise. As the whole ship was double vaccinated adults and PCR tested children sailing with a double vaccinated crew, we were one huge bubble. This meant that to preserve the safety of the ship, only official ship excursions were allowed. We’ve done Liverpool and pretty much all of the popular excursions there ourselves in the past, so we went for Invergordon. This is a working port just outside Inverness which meant lots of people went in search of Nessie. We chose Cawdor Castle & Gardens. This is still a charming home outside of the summer season when it’s open to visitors. Our guide was super excited to be back doing the job she loved again and taking us on a tour. She was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable and one of the ship’s crew was also with us to make sure we didn’t stray off and start chatting up the locals. It’s a shame we couldn’t do our own thing, but we knew that we would have to forego our trip to the gift/coffee shop when we booked the trip. Looking at the coaches on the dock and seeing the listings on the TV, I’d say that with the range of excursions offered, around 60% of passengers ventured out for the day in port. We were serenaded into the dock by a band of pipers which was a nice surprise. Two days later Liverpool was beautiful as we sailed in at dawn and we were docked right next to the Royal Liver building, almost at eye level with the famous Liverbirds. Everyone that went ashore said they had a great time and there was a good selection of tours to choose from. Liverpool did us proud as we sailed out late afternoon to the sounds of Rod Stewart’s ‘I am Sailing’ serenading us from the dock and people waved us away. I haven’t ever associated Liverpool with beaches, but we sailed the whole 4km length of Crosby Beach and an army of iron statues looked back at us. The Antony Gormley ‘Another Place’ Sculpture has been refurbished recently and it was an unexpected bonus to see it from the ship. Our cruise director Lewis greeted us on the first evening and told us that it was exactly one year, four months and 22 days since he had been on stage in front of an audience. Like many he had taken jobs to bring in some money during the cruise suspensions, but nothing can replace to joy of entertaining for those that have the talent to do it well. Throughout the ship there are places and time slots for live music and we saw all of the acts bar one. The spa was operational and there were activities going on all day around the ship if you wanted to be entertained. In the main theatre there are still seats blocked for social distancing and a few rows in front of the stage are kept empty. All crew members were still wearing masks around the ship when they weren’t actively on stage. We also had to wear masks indoors until we were seated to eat or drink or in the theatre, but everyone took the policy in good spirit. There were even sequinned masks worn on the 'evening chic' night. One huge expectation on a cruise is the quality and choice of the dining. The choice was a bit more limited due to the lower numbers of guests, but that was to be anticipated and what we did have was still excellent. The international buffet was still operational but it’s no longer self-service. You choose your food station and ask for what you want, it will be served to you and then you’re free to wander and ask for other items from the other counters if you want to mix and match. The cutlery is also kept behind the counter and is given to you with your meal. The drinks station isn’t freely accessible but your drinks are served to you by a cheerful crew member. There are still social distancing protocols to leave empty tables or space between tables in the restaurants but there was never a problem getting seats for any of our meals. If you’re tech savvy you can see the daily activities and menus on the Celebrity app but a paper versions are still available. We booked at the beginning of June to travel at the end of July and we were so pleased we did. Captain Georgious and his crew worked tirelessly to keep us safe whilst letting us enjoy some much anticipated time to relax and have fun. Even the weather was on our side!

Wales - Capel Curig

08 August 2021

As the UK was slowly allowing us to venture out again, it was time to explore and we headed out to Wales! I’m sure that the aerial shots of Conwy on Salvage Hunters had something to do with it and we chose a converted chapel in Capel Curig in the heart of Snowdonia for our week of self-contained adventure. The Chapel had two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a bit of a funky layout, but I’m sure there were lots of planning restrictions dictating what you could and couldn’t do when it was being designed. The best thing it gave us was a king sized four poster bed on the mezzanine level with a two sofas and six skylights for stargazing. The kitchen was adequate and the whole place was light and airy. The closest town to us was Betws-y-Coed which is the gateway to the snowy peaks and beautiful lakes of Snowdonia National Park. Everyone you see off the road is in hiking boots or riding a bike and there are hiking and biking trails at every turn. We did our fair share of walking and were thankful for the combination of a walking app and a map as the local signage leaves a lot to be desired once you’re on sheep tracks. Conwy Castle and Conwy are worth a day out. The castle is huge and you can walk the ruins which gives spectacular views over the bay and the town. It’s also home to the Smallest House in Great Britain and a nice mix of independent shops. Whilst you’re admiring the expansive beaches it’s also worth visiting the Victorian seaside town of Llandudno. Llandudno still has a traditional pier with arcade games and some fairground rides. It’s the longest pier in Wales and the beach it sits on is huge with areas of both pebble and sand. It also has a long flat promenade if you just want a leisurely stroll with your ice cream or candy floss. Whilst we were walking, we came across a sculpture of Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter. On closer inspection we found out that Llandudno was a huge influence for Lewis Carrol’s books and there’s an official Alice in Wonderland trail. If I’d known about it, I would love to have spent the day there to explore it, but it’s well spread out and can’t be done in full on impulse. As an alternative we drove the Great Orme Country Park and Nature Reserve before heading back. Another day, another adventure – off to Blaenau Ffestiniog to the Zipworld slate caverns. It wasn’t the best weather for it, but it was great fun to do the Titan double zipline and it’s also the home of ‘Bounce Below’. With 6 trampoline-style nets built into an area twice the size of St. Paul’s Cathedral deep in the caves, there’s plenty of fun to be had in this subterranean wonderland. I would have loved to go and see this spooky neon lit place for myself, but it was still closed due to covid restrictions. For those with a good memory, we couldn’t be in the area without visiting Portmeirion. It’s an odd but charming village which is often used as a film set. There are also walking trails and wild gardens here, but don’t be tempted unless you’ve got sturdy shoes/boots as they’re not paved or flat and once away from the housing the signs disappear. I’m sure you wouldn’t actually get lost up there, but I’m not so sure they’d notice if you didn’t leave! Another day – another castle – this time Caernarfon. Due to Covid protocols we had to be out of our cottage by 9am and it seemed a shame to head home so early. This castle is also on the water and we weren’t able to book to visit, but we had a lovely Welsh breakfast at one of the oldest Inns in Wales. The Inn dates back to 1522 and used to be in the red-light district in Four and Six Street. The mural on the wall tells you more about that and I’m sure their rates are very different now! During our week there were still Covid protocols in place regarding masks and social distancing. You had to book for attractions and they were operating at reduced capacity. Many of the shops were still only allowing 4/6/8 people in at a time and public seating was restricted. We saw huge queues for dining in Betws-y-Coed for the few venues where you could just walk in as most other places were fully booked in advance. On the couple of occasions midweek when we wanted to eat out, we were able to just walk into our local pub in Capel Curig. Thank you Wales for a lovely week – we have returned home and miss the sheep bleating across the road!

Toronto to Niagara

13 July 2020

I admit, I didn’t know much about Toronto apart from the fact that it’s home to the CN Tower, has one of the largest shopping malls in Canada and is a popular place to stay to visit Niagara Falls. As with our other cities, we took a Hop On Hop Off Tour to get our bearings. The iconic CN Tower is hard to miss as it stands 550 metres above the city and the waterfront. We felt we had to add this to our viewing list and ride the highest glass floor panelled lift in the world which took us to the viewing floor at 342 metres in less than a minute! If you don’t get the chance to shuffle around and look down to the ground whilst you’re riding up, the LookOut observation deck has its own glass panelled floor section too. The world’s highest hands free external walk on a building is CN Tower’s EdgeWalk and the first of its kind in North America. If you’re brave enough you can walk the whole way around the Tower’s main pod on a 1.5 m (5 ft) wide ledge without any handrails. It looks very much like lots of orange puppets dangling from their harnesses above when they lean out over the edge, but there weren’t any daring people up there the day we went as it was deemed to be a bit too windy. For an extra $12 you can go up even higher to the smaller SkyPod sitting at 447 metres tall, but as we had an amazing view anyway we didn’t see any benefit. We did venture out onto the Sky Terrace, but as its covered in mesh the views aren't so good and I can definitely vouch for the wind! The CN Tower was the tallest free-standing structure in the world for 34 years, so if you’re in Toronto it’s worth a visit . Even since it lost the crown to the like of the Burj El Arab it still enjoys around 1.5million visitors a year so you might want to book the revolving restaurant in advance. The Hop On Hop Off takes in all the popular venues as you would expect with 20 stops on just the one circuit. The whole route takes you out as far as Casa Loma which is a gothic style castle and down past the Royal Ontario building and the Scotia Bank Theatre down to the waterfront. These buildings don’t sound very interesting, but one looks like it has a Rubix Cube through the roof and the other is built of steel and glass pyramids which look like they’re growing out of the original brick building. The one we didn’t see was the huge dalmatian spotted box on coloured stilts sitting above the OCAD University as we were downstairs at that point. We also stopped off to have a look at the murals in Chinatown. The area we enjoyed the most was the Old Town. This includes the Distillery District and the St Lawrence Market. The market has been there for over 200 years and is where to find the original ‘Peameal Bacon on a Bun’ signature dish. There are around 120 stalls and it was named the best food market in the world by National Geographic in 2012, but it’s closed on a Sunday and Monday. So, if you get caught out and visit on those days, pop down the road to The Distillery District which is an architectural treasure and a top destination for arts, culture, food, craft beer, entertainment and is the home of the Toronto Christmas Market. They still have two working distilleries - one making sake . What began as the Gooderham and Worts Distillery is now a National Historic Site of Canada and full of independent stores and eateries and definitely worth a wander. In the same area we found the original Gooderham Building, also known as the Flatiron Building due to its triangular footprint. The front is much photographed against the backdrop of the shiny skyscrapers behind and for the equally photographed full size tromp l’oeil mural by Derek Besant on the back which sits next to the Berczy Park dog fountain. The fountain features 27 cast iron dogs, one scared-looking cat, a lone bone, and it's fittingly located in the park area frequented by dog walkers, tourists taking selfies and office workers on their lunch breaks. If the weather’s good, you can also take advantage of the Scenic Harbour & Islands tour from the waterfront which comes as part of the bus tour ticket. This also gives you great views of the city and the CN Tower from the water but If the weather’s bad, it’s time to shop! The Eaton Centre is right in the heart of the city and the main entrance doesn’t look anything special, but it hides 230 stores spread over 3 levels and makes it one of the largest malls in Canada. Our hotel had a discreet PATH sign close to the car park and this takes you into a labyrinth of a mostly underground pedestrian walking network. This covers 30kms of the city and connects more than 70 buildings and as PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world it explains why the city doesn’t have much of a shopping presence in the streets above. For a system that’s been in operation for so long and allows you access to over 1200 shops, it’s not very well signposted. More than 200,000 people work in the area connected by the PATH each day, there are six hotels and five subway stations directly connected to it, so expect to get lost – as we did several times! Last, but definitely not least, we took a tour to Niagara Falls for the day. It takes roughly an hour and a half to get there and we were dropped off close to the falls to start taking photos before making our way to the funicular railway which takes you down to the boats. As we are on the Canadian side of the falls, our boats are operated by Hornblower. You’re provided with a poncho because whether you’re inside or out, you’re guaranteed to get wet! So, make sure you have something waterproof for your electronics. One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the wind that the falls create. This is a must do exhilarating experience if you’re in the area and worth every penny. We had lunch downtown which is like a mini Las Vegas before being collected for the second part of the tour. Niagara on the Lake is a beautiful town with quaint houses, lovely shops and restaurants and is a complete contrast to where we’d come from. You can take a leisurely pony and trap ride to admire the beautiful gardens and planters which were everywhere you looked. Our last stop was at a vineyard not far from here owned by Dan Aykroyd to sample some ice wine . If you’re a wine drinker this is an interesting visit to find out how they make it and taste several varieties. Because it’s so difficult to make, icewine tends to be fairly rare and expensive in the UK, so this is your opportunity to try before you buy.

Boston & New England in the Fall

11 May 2020

By the time you read this, my epic trip North America trip was almost at an end, but I know Boston and New England are on many people’s wish list so here goes.... Boston is known for being a bit rebellious and if you’re interested in history, most people walk the two and a half miles of the Freedom Trails, visit the Boston Tea Party ships and museum and maybe visit the JFK library and museum as this city is where the 35th US president was born and raised. Faneuil Marketplace consists of four historic buildings dating back to the 1800s, including Quincy Market and is easily found along the Freedom Trail. It's Boston's answer to Covent Garden and offers lots of outdoor stree entertainment in the summer months. Out of the 50 or so places to eat and drink in Faneuil Marketplace, nearly 40 can be found in Quincy Market's Colonnade, the largest Food Hall in New England and it's an excellent place for a lobster roll! Faneuil Hall is also where the Boston Tea Party rebellion against British Taxation began. The Marketplace is in the heart of the city and the historic Haymarket (Boston's famous open air market open Fridays and Saturdays), the new Boston Public Market, the haunting Boston Holocaust Memorial are also nearby. Boston is also the setting for many films such as Good Will Hunting, The Departed, Mystic River and The Boondock Saints. It also hosted the long running comedy series ‘Cheers’ and the bar set can still be visited for a beer or two. We loved Boston Common which is the oldest public park in the US dating back to 1634 and the nearby public botanical gardens, as well as the more eclectic Beacon Hill area full of interesting shops and eateries and their famous 'brownstone' houses. If you’re sports fans this is also the home of the Red Sox, the Bruins & the Patriots among others and virtually every bar will be showing a selection of games most nights. New England is an area covering Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. It has cities, mountains, rolling hills and the beaches and seaside towns of the Atlantic coastline. North Conway is also the home of a great selection of steam locomotives and is a charming place to stay and take a peek at the autumn foliage without driving. If you want to see the fall at its best, you need to move around and book in advance as most of the hotels and Inns proudly displayed their ‘no vacancies’ signs at the roadside. We also chose to search out some of the covered bridges, lighthouses and the ‘pumpkin people’ of Jackson as we felt we needed a purpose for driving other than just looking at the spectacular foliage. This self-guided tour of more than 80 different listed locations hosting official Pumpkin People displays didn't disappoint. It's been running now for over 30 years and the public get to vote for their favourites. The festival lasts for the month of October so we tried our best in the short time we were there and probably found around 25. We did the drive up Mount Washington when we saw the weather was going to be good. The view was spectacular and the wind ice was a surprise as it was still -2’ at the summit! Luckily the wind was only gusting around 10mph and nowhere near the 231mph wind speed record it’s known for! When we got back down there was an 8 mile queue to make the drive as the weather was perfect and one of the last weekends before the road was due to close for the winter.

Surprising Seattle

23 May 2020

I have to say that Seattle surprised me. As a city they don’t do that much marketing and it’s not often that I meet suppliers that operate there, so we had added it to our itinerary because of a particular attraction and then found so much more of interest! We decided that the best way to experience the great Pacific Northwest would be on the Amtrak Cascades. It’s an early start and a four and a half hour journey from Vancouver, but it passes Mount Everett, Mount Washington State Forest and travels much of the journey hugging the coast, so it promised to be less hassle and a more interesting journey than a flight from the heart of one city to another. It was also a reasonable cost, more legroom for the journey and it allowed us to take more luggage! The ‘attraction’ we went for was the Boeing factory. It’s situated 25 miles North of Seattle and you can only visit on an organised tour, so we booked a trip that would pick us up from our hotel. This place has the worlds largest building (by volume), the factory including their runways covers nearly 100 acres and employs around 30,000 people. Boeing is so big that it even has its own postcode! With this in mind, when you book the tour, you need to know that you will be walking/standing for roughly 90 minutes and you also need to be able to handle this along with stairs, lifts, tunnels and noise without needing a comfort break. This is a working assembly plant and you can never guarantee exactly what you will see on any given day. The plant produces 747, 767, 777, 787 and Dreamliner aircraft and you may recognise the liveries of different airlines if their airplane is due for completion. One you won’t see is the new Airforce 1 which has been commissioned but is still ‘top secret’. Keeping to the theme of top secret, no personal items are allowed on the tour and that includes cameras and phones. Part of our tour was the ‘Future of Flight Exhibit’, but as we were time limited, we had to choose between the that or the shop. We chose the shop as there were queues for the Exhibit and we didn’t want to risk missing our allocated tour slot. The Exhibit features a flight simulator and a Dreamliner interior as well as some great interactive stuff for kids. I admit that this Boeing tour was my husband’s choice, but as aviation is a huge part of my industry, I was equally fascinated when we did it as the guide was as entertaining as he was informed. We had just 3 nights in Seattle, so when time is limited, we always pick up a ‘hop on hop off’ ticket to get our bearings. Seattle has three circuits and we could either walk down towards Pike Place Market or up towards the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens & Glass to a pick up point. As the sun was shining and the sky was blue, the Space Needle won. The iconic Space Needle stands at 605’ tall and is one of the most photographed structures in the world, but as it was built in 1962, it’s had a pretty good head start! Over the years it has been renovated and now features multi-level, floor-to-ceiling glass viewing experiences including an upper level outdoor observation deck with open-air glass walls and Skyriser glass benches. It also boasts the world's first revolving glass floor called ‘The Loupe’. If you’re not good with heights, you might want to give this one a miss because when you reach the top it’s all about the views from every angle – complete with selfie stations! Part of your ticket price includes free digital photos so don’t forget to download their app to view them. As with all popular attractions you need to queue as the space in the viewing areas is limited, but they’ve got a great exhibition story to read along the way to the lifts. Once you’ve seen Seattle from above, make time for a visit to Chihuly Gardens which is literally just next door. We fell in love with Chihuly glass at Kew, but the installations here are stunning. Unfortunately, we were so engrossed here that we ran out of time to visit MoPop (Museum of Pop Culture), which is a few minutes away. One thing you might notice in Seattle is the number of a certain green and white logo coffee shops. Starbucks was born here and the original one is still open opposite Pike Place Market. Don’t worry if this one has queues that are too long though – there are around 160 in Seattle, so walk for a few minutes and you’ll soon find another one! The famous Pike Place Market is worth a visit whether you want to buy anything or not. The Market opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the US. The fresh produce is amazing and there are plenty of places to eat or try some local craft beer. Walk to the corner of Pike Place and Pike Street and meet Rachel, a 550-pound piggy bank. She raises money for the Pike Place Market Foundation so if you take her photo, don’t forget to donate. If you don’t get tempted to eat or drink whilst you’re here, a short walk will take you to the waterfront and the piers where there is street entertainment and more eateries close to the Seattle Great Wheel. Depending on which way you go, you might come across the ‘Chewing Gum Wall’ in Post Alley. You might think that the gum wall is just a small strip of wall next to a theatre entrance, but gum is stuck to the walls along the alley for more than 50 feet. We found it by accident, but there were several people adding to it whilst we walked through. Also in view when we were there was the last section of the elevated ‘Alaskan Way’. This was a huge ugly raised concrete viaduct style highway running along the waterfront which has now been demolished to make way for a huge renovation project. The new waterfront will include an expansion of the Seattle Aquarium, complete with a 350,000-gallon shark tank that will be visible to people walking through the plaza below. Along the length of the seafront will be a protected bike lane, a landscaped pedestrian promenade and public spaces hosting year-round events, from ice skating in winter to the return of live music in the summer. I would love to go back to see it all in action!

Celebrity Eclipse – Alaska

02 July 2020

The time had come - our cruise to Alaska! We joined the ship in Vancouver and I have to say, it was very efficiently done. What we didn’t see as a tourist walking around Canada Place the day before was all the scurrying activity that takes place below. We were whisked inside and down into the underground drop off bays in our taxi where we were greeted and directed towards the check in area. As our luggage was already tagged with our cabin numbers our paperwork was briefly checked over and our cases were taken from us before we made our way back upstairs. It wasn’t a speedy process, but it was thorough and the staff kept us moving gently between waiting areas until we’d had our SeaPass issued, our hand luggage scanned and we found ourselves on board. After a quick freshen up, we decided to go for a bite to eat in the Oceanview Café before making our way down to find our muster station for the safety briefing. We searched out a secret access on deck 7 as we’d been invited to a very special ‘sailaway’ reception on the helipad. We had champagne in hand as we ducked under the Lions Gate Bridge with just a couple of metres to spare. It was a bit of a grey afternoon but more importantly it was a beautiful calm sea, so we retired to the Sky Observation Lounge on deck 14 to watch the sun go down with a sundowner or two. The first day of a cruise is spent finding your way around and being tempted by all the special offers for the speciality dining, the spa and drinks packages. Sure enough we were able to get a table at Le Petit Chef with a reduced cover charge which was too good to miss. This is an interactive meal prepared by a projected mini chef at your table which is very entertaining. It adds to the event if you choose to eat what the cartoon mini-chef prepared in front of you, but they do have other menu options as well. What do you do on a sea day when you work in the travel industry? You sign up for a behind the scenes ship tour! We had a fairly early start and spent the morning in a small group visiting the rarely seen areas of the ship. We were there for a briefing in the kitchen by the executive chef, wandered around the food and alcohol stores, the bakery, the theatre, the launderette and some other crew only areas. At each stop a crew member told us how things work and let us ask a multitude of questions. We had an interesting visit to the engineer and the 2nd officer showed us round the bridge. All in all, a great way to spend a morning, but don’t get this confused with the complimentary ship tour which is more of an introduction to cruising and how to find your way around the public areas of the ship. The next day we were at Icy Strait Point. There’s a huge selection of excursions ranging from heli bike & hike trips, whale watching, ziplining, ATV trips and fishing, but we decided to take a nature hike hoping to see some brown bears. The Spasski River Valley was lush and we did succeed in finding our bear, but she was far in the distance. Most of the time we were fascinated watching the salmon leaping unaware up stream! Day four is the day we were due to reach the Hubbard Glacier and Captain Leo didn’t disappoint. We had calm waters and great visibility. Hubbard Glacier is the longest tidewater glacier in the world. Dramatically massive at about 7-miles wide, 76-miles long and as tall as a 30-story building above the waterline, it’s the largest river of ice in North America. The sound of thunder can be heard on the ship as the glacier was calving. I can’t imagine how loud it was for the smaller excursion boats that were much closer than us! Day five is Juneau. The City of Juneau is the capital city of Alaska. It's the second largest city in the United States by area, but you certainly wouldn’t know you were in a capital city! There are only two ways to get there, by air and by sea. From here you can take helicopter trips out over the glacier, some will even take you walkabout. There are catamaran trips, whale watching, sea kayaking and even a trip to the Alaskan sled dogs and musher’s camp. Many of the trips involve salmon in one way or another, either trying to catch them or eat them. We opted for a seaplane trip which gave us glacier views, the possibility of spotting black bears, followed by a wonderful salmon lunch at a picturesque glacier lodge and were desperately disappointed when it was cancelled due to poor visibility. We were then considering the Mount Roberts Tramway, but as we watched it disappear up into the low clouds we decided that we would make this a shopping day. Juneau is full of jewellery stores but also has some great carvings, glasswork, fabrics and art plus the inevitable t-shirts and general tourist souvenirs. Day six is Ketchikan, known for its many Native American totem poles. As you would expect, there are all sorts of boat trips available here, but also several variations of lumberjack shows. I thought it was a bit odd to see a snorkelling trip on offer alongside the fishing trips, but they did provide the wetsuit with hood, boots and gloves. I normally love snorkelling, but I’m definitely a warm water girl! So we opted for another hike, this time to the Tongass Rainforest, ever hopeful of spotting a bear at closer quarters. Sadly we were disappointed on that front but it was enjoyable anyway and we needed the exercise. Day seven is a day cruising the Inside Passage. Humpbacks and Orcas are often seen in the area and we did see some distant water spouts, but not close enough for me to claim to have actually seen the whale that made them. I haven’t really mentioned much about the Eclipse but she is a wonderful ship. The Eclipse is also the name of the large west end style theatre and there’s a smaller one where they show feature films and give talks on the ports we were due to visit. We enjoyed the food, the staff everywhere were efficient and friendly and we were never bored. The evening entertainment was varied and the select dining system allowed us to change our meal times to suit our plans. We could have easily chosen to book more speciality restaurants, but didn’t feel the need. I was tempted to try the spa, but in the end, I didn’t get around to it. There’s varied shopping on board if you want to top up your wardrobe or buy something to remember your cruise by and of course the photographers will snap you in your finery for a keepsake photo. Apart from the elusive bears, the trip was everything we hoped it would be!

Visiting Vancouver

23 June 2020

As a Canadian Specialist, I have been lucky enough to visit Canada before, but this was a different trip as it was part of a longer holiday. We were in Vancouver to join an Alaska cruise, but knew that there was so much to do here that we stayed on post cruise for a few nights more. The first thing we do when we’re in a city for any length of time is to pick up a Hop on Hop off bus. Unlike the many red varieties, this one was operated by Gray Line – Westcoast Sightseeing. There are two routes, the blue and the green and as we needed to find out a bit more about joining our cruise, we made our way down to Canada Place to check out the visitor centre and pick up our tickets. We would be all set to start exploring further afield on our return from Alaska and Canada Place is an interesting area to visit anyway as it’s home to Fly Over Canada, the Olympic Cauldron, the Seaplane terminal and the Digital Orca as well as being the perfect place to check out the cruise ships. Vancouver isn’t a flat city, so it’s good to check out the transport options. We walked around Gastown to visit the Steam Clock as it seemed to be quite quiet at the time. This famous landmark is one of the world’s oldest steam-powered clocks, located on the corner of Cambie and Water Street. The clock was originally built to cover a steam grate that was part of Vancouver’s steam-heating system as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather. I doubt that people would have slept much anyway as it lets off steam and whistles every 15 minutes! The Hop on Hop off bus is a great way to explore Stanley Park as it takes you around Coal Harbour to the popular totem poles and the Vancouver Aquarium. It then follows the seawall to Lions Gate Bridge and then takes a long sweep back to English Bay and the A-maze-ing Laughter sculpture and the huge Inukshuk. If it’s summer and there’s lots to do, you could easily hire a bike or a scooter and spend the whole day there. The gardens are beautiful and there are all sorts of events and exhibitions to look out for, but for us, it was enough to just take the ride around. If you want something at a slower pace, there are also narrated horse-drawn tours or you could walk one of the 27kms of marked forest trails or even plan a picnic on one of the beaches. We ventured over Burrard Bridge on the bus, through Kitsilano and decided that Granville Island would be our lunch stop. This is an all-weather foodie heaven with an indoor market featuring a fascinating assortment of colourful food and handcrafted food product stores and small streets full of unique gifts. If you go walkabout, you will also see the colourful ‘Giants’. Six silos, each 70 feet tall, were once all boring grey, but now feature a colourful crew of giant people. Half of them face the boats on False Creek, and the other three look inward, towards the Ocean Concrete plant and are among the most photographed things in Vancouver. Our ticket also included use of the False Creek Ferry which meant we could explore a bit more of the waterside parks on both side of the creek in the afternoon before making our way back to base. Both of the routes pass through Chinatown, so we had a look at the Millenium Gate and the Dr Sun Chinese Garden the next day, but we also had other plans! The Capilano Suspension Bridge is an absolute must do if you have the time. You can’t miss the green and blue buses around the city adorned with views to tempt you away from the shops. There are four pick-up points around the city and it’s a free shuttle bus that takes you to the door. So – is this just a bridge that you look at? No - the bridge itself is 450 feet long, 230 feet above the canyon floor and has been gently swaying in the breeze since 1889! Obviously the wonders of engineering weren’t around back then, so the bridge evolved to it’s present design in 1956. We were given a ‘passport’ on arrival and this is a great thing for kids and adults to do along your way around the park. There are complimentary tours on the cliffwalk side and nature tours on the rainforest side every hour. Kia’Palano was interesting to see the history of how and why the original bridge was made and also features totem poles where the historical connection between First Nations’ culture and the natural world is highlighted. On the Nature’s Edge boardwalk you can see the remains of a 46 ton tree that fell onto the bridge in 2006 during a severe winter storm. The tree snapped in half, but the bridge held firm. If you have any doubts about taking the walk for your must have selfie, the new cables are reputed to be able to hold 97 fully grown elephants or one fully loaded jumbo jet. Completed in 2011, the Capilano Cliffwalk is notable for the unique circular shaped section that curves out from the canyon wall and is supported by several cable stays that are connected to one anchor. It doesn’t have as much movement as the main bridge, but as it’s much narrower (you can hold on to both sides at the same time) and has clear glass viewing platforms, it’s definitely worth the extra walk. Now, one thing to mention, this is an area of beautiful rainforest, so don’t be surprised if it rains! Free ponchos are available and you definitely need sensible walking shoes. Last, but definitely not least, we went whale watching from Granville Island with Prince of Whales Adventures. They operate zodiacs, cruisers and catamarans for half or full day trips and we chose the 74-person semi-covered, custom-built express cruiser. It was very comfortable and there’s a certified marine naturalist aboard each trip they offer. They also guarantee whale sightings, so if you see everything but a whale, you can go again for free another day. We saw water spouts often at a distance and we knew from the radio that there were whales on the move fairly close to us. What we didn’t expect was a lone female to breach beside us - and the rules are that if we’re already that close, we have to stay put. So, we stopped dead in the water and the whale was showing off to us almost close enough to touch on one side of the boat and then swimming under us to surface again on the other side. The whole time the crew were taking photos and the whale was finally identified as a female called Windy. Whale tails are like fingerprints with no two the same and she hadn’t been sighted this close to shore for a couple of years. A wonderful end to our Canadian adventure!

Rocky Mountaineer

03 October 2020

The Rocky Mountaineer is an iconic journey and one that’s on many people’s bucket list. Nowadays there are three main journeys you can do between Vancouver, Kamloops, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, Whistler and Quesnel with different variations. They are known as First Passage to the West, Journey Through the Clouds and Rainforest to Goldrush and can be done in either direction. This gives you the perfect opportunity to combine it with a cruise, a land tour or a self drive. We did our trip as part of a larger celebration itinerary, but I thought it deserved a blog of its own. Our chosen itinerary was First Passage to the West and we did it from Banff to Vancouver. We flew into Calgary and spent some time in the Rockies before joining the train. There is much popular opinion that says you should begin in Vancouver and climb into the mountains as this gives you increasingly spectacular views rather than starting at the top and descending to the plains, but this is what fitted best with our plans. There’s an Avis service at Banff station, so it was easy to drop off our car before our early check in. The station had plenty of staff to take care of our luggage and we were serenaded with gentle live music before we boarded the train. We were told where our carriage would be and were greeted on the platform by our stewards who were to look after us throughout the journey. Once we were settled in and on our way with a glass of perfectly chilled champagne, we were called down to breakfast. As this was a celebration treat for us we had opted for the Goldleaf service and dining is on the lower level of the dome car in the silver service restaurant. Breakfast was a leisurely gourmet affair and set the scene for the rest of the trip. We could return to our glass roofed dome carriage upstairs or go to the exclusive outdoor viewing platform at any time. We left the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies passing through the remarkable tunnels that form part of the rich rail history of the area. Highlights included Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven, the descent through Rogers Pass, Kicking Horse Canyon and, of course, the Spiral Tunnels. All of these areas have a fascinating history brought to life by our stewards whilst being served from the open bar. A wonderful lunch was served downstairs and as the afternoon progressed, we realised that we had shared our tracks with several goods trains. They can be very long and take a while to pass us so it makes the arrival time in Kamloops very fluid. So much so that on this occasion, it was decided that we would have an equally wonderful dinner on board instead of at leisure in Kamloops as we were going to arrive in so late. All of this was arranged with ease and the staff took it in their stride. It doesn’t happen very often, but with the open bar and a great crew, we didn’t hear one complaint. Our luggage was waiting for us in our room in Kamloops but there was little that we needed. After a freshen up and an early night we were collected again to join our train in the morning which had grown overnight to almost twice the length it was when we left it. Two journeys converge in Kamloops and the platform allows the coaches to line up alongside, so we walked directly from our coach to our carriage in a very slick process. Day two followed a similar itinerary of champagne, breakfast, storytelling with open bar, lunch, more storytelling all the way until our arrival into Vancouver. The translucent blue waters of the river became white water at Hell’s Gate in the Fraser Canyon. As we journeyed through winding river canyons, the rock sheds and pristine forests to the Coast and Cascade Mountains and the lush green fields of the Fraser Valley we were also on the lookout for wildlife. I know that bears are often sighted, but not seeing one was the only minor disappointment with our trip. To be fair, it’s the beginning of their hibernation season, so we had to be content with bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and eagles!

Calgary - Stampede City

25 September 2019

Everyone knows Calgary as ‘Stampede City’ as this is their most famous calendar event in July every year. Clad in western hats, boots and bandanas, 127,777 people stomped through the Stampede gates on its first full day this year breaking the previous record, but we’ve chosen to visit in September this time round. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and we spent the whole weekend in t-shirts. I was surprised at how pretty the city still was with abundant flower displays on lampposts and around some of the popular buildings. Our hotel was the Hyatt Regency which has an entrance out into Stephen Avenue. This part of the downtown area is a pedestrian haven of mainstream and boutique shops, bars, restaurants and street entertainment. It’s also home to ‘The Galleria Trees’ steel sculptures which are 25 metres tall. The Calgary Tower is a couple of minutes around the corner from us, but it’s currently closed for maintenance so we couldn’t go up. Having glimpsed what we now know as the ‘Wonderland’ sculpture by world-renowned Spanish artist Jaume Plensa on the way to the hotel from the airport, we decided to walk the city in the afternoon and find some of the others. ‘Conversation’ was easy as it was on the way to the trees. We walked past the ‘Iron Horse’ on the way to the tower but didn’t notice him until the next day! The Armengol ‘Tall Men’ are on 1st Street down towards the Bow River, which led us on to Prince’s Island Park that was clearing down the stages from their huge Pride event. The Island has a few sculptures of its own but we decided to enjoy walking along the river and through the park before taking the bridge back over at the other end. Whilst at that side of the city we found the Peace Bridge, but the whole area has a lovely boardwalk and lots of seating so it’s popular with people walking dogs, jogging and generally enjoying the outdoors and the river. When we stopped by the Olympic Plaza we found the ‘Women are Persons’ monument. This is a group of statues recognising the role played by Canadian women in the growth of the country.The Plaza itself was the place where medals were awarded after the 1988 Winter Olympics but the most obvious reason for going there now is the huge paddling pool in the middle. When we were there they were having a food festival and several of the walls were planted with flowers – and funky beaver figures! Throughout the city we saw old buildings sitting at the foot of sparkling new skyscrapers. It’s a real mix of creativity, includes several outdoor murals and has just opened the new Central Library which is almost an art installation in itself. Calgary certainly surprised me and we hardly scratched the surface so I’d love to go back and see it at Stampede when they really pull the stops out!

Celebrity Edge

25 May 2019

The cruise market is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry and there are ships built to suit all ages. I was excited to attend the CLIA conference in Southampton recently so that I could finally get to see Celebrity’s brand-new ship ‘Edge’ which stopped briefly in Southampton to host us en route from her maiden season in the Caribbean. She’s Celebrity’s first new ship for 10 years and the hype began over a year ago. The innovation starts with check in. For passengers who complete their check-in process in advance — which includes loading a photo and scanning a passport — the boarding process can be as smooth as walking into the terminal, past a few devices, and onto the ship. When all her extra berths are occupied, she can take 2918 passengers. The goal is to go “from the car to the bar in less than 10 minutes” and the feedback from those that used it was very good. Another one of her innovations is the ‘Infinite Balcony’ stateroom which can expand your cabin space by roughly 23% to include your balcony. Using your smartphone, you can now control your lighting, blinds and temperature without getting out of bed! Folding doors can still separate the balcony area from the rest of the room, and a blind can be mechanically lowered to block the light. The balcony is glass, like what you would find on a river cruiser, but the top section can also be raised and lowered to allow you to feel the sea breeze. To allow multi-generational families to holiday together, there are 174 interconnecting staterooms with various combinations which will create accommodation to sleep up to 10 guests. Kelly Hoppen MBE has designed the suite class accommodation and the Retreat facilities bringing in a stylish, sophisticated vibe using clean lines, neutral tones with warm accent colours. If you’ve heard of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, you will remember how ground-breaking the design was at the time – even for Dubai. Tom Wright was one of the key designers and he was brought into the Edge project to look after the ‘resort deck’. With giant 2-storey Martini glass hot tubs, huge art installations and some cabanas that face the sea for privacy he’s certainly brought a fresh contemporary look to the area. The Rooftop garden with its Garden Grill is beautiful. The Magic Carpet is the world’s first cantilevered floating platform on the side of a ship. It’s the size of a tennis court and services four decks. It can be an outdoor dining addition to the ‘Raw on 5’ seafood restaurant, a full white glove ‘Dinner on the Edge’ experience when on the highest deck, a funky bar alongside the pool deck and it’s also designed to be an easier platform to board the tenders from deck 2. We all wondered why on earth it was, tangerine in colour, but apparently the only reason is that the designers wanted the carpet to be visible from as far away as possible and to be recognisable. I think they succeeded on that score too! There are 29 drinking and dining options and the main dining here has been split into four contemporary restaurants. You will be assigned Cyprus, Normandie, Tuscan or Cosmopolitan and the idea is that you will have signature meal choices which rotate but are available in all and regional speciality dishes that will only be available exclusively in your assigned restaurant. These are themed restaurants, and each can seat approx. 350 guests. Michelin star chef Cornelius Gallagher has created many of the menus and the food was excellent. One of the funky restaurants is ‘Le Petit Chef’. Celebrity has teamed up with Tablenation to bring tabletops to life, created by the world-famous artists of skull mapping. This combines animation with 3D projection mapping technology to tell stories in new ways and mini cartoon chefs will create your meal in front of you before the actual dish being brought to your table. It does have a USD55 cover charge but it’s a truly unique dining experience and the reviews are great from adults and children alike. There are small innovations all over the ship but the final area for me was the ‘Garden of Eden’. This area spans three decks and is a very versatile space. During the day it’s filled with natural light and it’s easy to find a comfy spot to settle in with a coffee and a good book. During the evening it becomes a cover charge dining venue with sensory entertainment throughout the 7,000sq ft space. Some people love this kind of thing, some people don’t, but if you fancy it, use up some of your on-board credit to give it a go. It’s billed as a Chillful, Playful, Sinful culinary journey so definitely not one for the kids! All in all, Edge didn’t disappoint, and I’d love to spend more time on her to see everything working with more passengers on board. Maybe I’ll get a chance as she’s being closely followed by the Celebrity Apex sister ship due to be sailing from Southampton in April next year.

Prague Christmas Markets

27 April 2020

In recent years we’ve taken to visiting some Christmas Markets and this time it was Prague. We arrived on the eve of St Nicholas Day and had to have a quick turnaround at our hotel to be in time to see the traditional St. Nicholas (Mikuláš), the Angel (andel) who represents the Good, and the Devil (cert) mingling out on the streets. They each wear costumes, stopping children and asking them if they were good in the past year. It can be a bit scary for visiting families if they don’t know what to expect, but it’s a fun night and you’ll see them mainly in the Old Town Square and surrounding area. Set in the heart of the city, this is a historic Czech marketplace, where you’ll find the huge Christmas tree. The traders were selling traditional Czech blown glass tree baubles, hand-embroidered tablecloths, handmade gifts and wooden toys in dozens of wooden stalls. The other attraction is of course the mulled wine, Christmas ales and the many wonderful food stalls selling festive food. Nearby there was a stage where Christmas Carols were being sung, but as the evening progressed the entertainment changed to feature bands and dancers. Everything still had a festive feel and during the day there were events put on for the kids. The next day we set off to explore and the first area most people head for is the Vltava river. The river is the longest river within the Czech Republic and is crossed by 18 bridges. The most well known is the Charles Bridge which takes you across to Prague Castle. It was built in 1402 and features the statues of 30 saints. It is said that touching the statue of St. John of Nepomuk will make a wish come true. That’s why parts of the statue are polished and look shiny from countless hands that have given it a rub for luck. Starting in 1965, all of the statues were systematically replaced by replicas and the originals are exhibited in the National Museum. Having said that, most of them on the bridge are jet black at the moment and one by one they’re being encased in scaffolding to be given a spruce up. The bridge is very busy by night and day and there are usually several artists and musicians to entertain you along the way. It’s the only pedestrian bridge in the city and once you reach the other side, it’s quite a steep trek up to Prague Castle. The cobbled streets are lined with interesting shops and eateries so we took our time and stopped for lunch. True to form, the castle has armed sentries and the Saint Vitus Cathedral sits on a square inside the castle walls. We watched the changing of the guard and then the platoon of soldiers disappeared inside the gates. If we hadn’t been distracted, we would have had a look inside the Cathedral which is said to be stunning, but it seemed to be closed to visitors at the time. Whilst we were on the right side of the river, we decided to wander around a bit more and found ourselves at the Zizkov TV Tower. To be fair, it wasn’t too hard to find as it’s around 700ft tall, but the things we weren’t expecting were the huge ‘Crawling Babies’ sculptures by David Cerny. This artist is well known and well loved in the city and also has a gallery and music venue but we didn’t visit it on this trip. Our last day was dedicated to the final bits of our Christmas shopping which took us back to the markets in earnest. There are smaller markets dotted around various open spaces in the city and through the centre of the Wenceslas Square boulevard, but we tended to stick in and around the Old Town square. The Astronomical Clock sits just off the side of the main square on the Old Town Hall Tower and always has a crowd standing close. It was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still operating – it’s also not sky high and it’s easy to see how beautiful it is since it was fully restored recently. Even for people who weren’t looking for it, it would be hard to miss. If you happen to be close by, it strikes on the hour between 9am and 11pm and there’s a procession of the 12 Apostles which is interesting to watch. One thing that surprised us was the amazing café culture of the city. Chimney cakes in all sorts of colours and flavours were readily available, but there were also many cafes displaying a wonderful selection of pastries and cakes with an extensive coffee listing. I’m sure it would be a wonderful city to visit in the spring or summer so I hope to return!

Jade Mountain

09 March 2020

I’ve worked in the travel industry for a very long time…. and every time I’ve heard the words ‘Jade Mountain’ it’s made me smile. Usually it’s mentioned as a honeymoon or anniversary treat and then as time went on it also became a repeat visit for some of the same people. It’s one of those unique hotels that has charm and personality and is impossible to copy. Rising majestically above the 600 acre beach front resort of Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain Resort on St. Lucia’s south-western Caribbean coastline is surrounded by rainforest and the sound of birds. Our driver took a stone track off one of the local roads and I was a bit concerned that we wouldn’t make it up the incline and we’d gone wrong. There was no grand sign announcing that we were on the way to such a wonderful iconic property. Glimpses of the beautiful blue of the sea dropped further below us as we climbed higher and higher until we found ourselves in the clearing and then under the canopy outside the reception lounge. We were greeted with a glass of champagne and a cold towel and just sat relaxing and admiring the view of the Pitons whilst we waited for our butler to take us to our accommodation. Unbeknown to us, Allain was also waiting for our luggage to be delivered so it would be instantly available to us when we arrived for our in-suite check in. This stunning hotel is nestled into the rainforest and is set on several levels. The five lowest grade suites are on the lower level and the higher up you are, the closer you are to the bar and restaurant and the better your view will be. The accommodation grows from having a lovely air-conditioned suite on the ground floor to being an amazing ‘Sanctuary’ with its own infinity pool on the other four. We were amazed to find ourselves walking just along the outer walkway to a stone bridge leading to an enormous 10ft door to one of the three ‘Galaxy’ Sanctuaries. At this point I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat and my husband thought I had completely lost the plot! Reading that you’d think I didn’t know what I’d booked, but my husband still had no idea and as this was part of a prize, I just knew we had a couple of nights accommodation but that was it! Nick and Karolin did us proud and the resort was just as stunning as I'd hoped it would be. There are only 24 Sanctuaries and the Galaxy is the top category. These are 2000 square feet of open plan luxury and have just two walls - which gives you the most amazing uninterrupted views of the Pitons, the rainforest, the ocean and the yachts in the bay. A few steps away from your table and chairs is the beautiful 900 square foot infinity pool. The ceilings are around 15 feet high so you get an incredible feeling of freedom with the birds sitting just a few feet away, a warm breeze and the gentle lapping of the water. After being shown around, we were left to our own devices with a mobile phone hotline to Allain – our very own Major-Domo. The team are all graduates of the Guild of Professional English Butlers and although you can tell them that you’d rather not use their services, we soon got used to it! The whole resort is geared towards you chilling out and relaxing and if you’ve ever wondered – this is just a selection of what a butler can do for you… Unpack & pack your suitcases Organise you breakfast in bed Arrange you a local tour guide or off site activity such as zip lining Press your clothes Organise you a candlelit dinner by your pool Collect things from your Sanctuary if you’ve left something behind Organise your ‘Sundowner’ cocktail to be served by your pool Make reservations for the speciality restaurants or the spa Organise the golf carts to collect you and take you to the beach Organise the golf carts to collect you from the beach and take you to a restaurant or to your sanctuary Arrange to have a relaxing bath drawn for your arrival from a day out This is definitely the place to connect or reconnect with a loved one. Spoiler alert - there’s no TV in your Sanctuary and no door to your bathroom! There’s also no radio or direct dial phone but Wi-Fi is available if you’re desperate to start posting photos the minute you arrive – although you’re requested to switch your phones to silent and not take or make calls in the presence of other guests. There are two beaches and the pace of life by the sea is different. There’s live music at night and the three dive boats are coming and going throughout the day taking people to snorkel and dive. The beach is shared with the sister property Anse Chastanet but Jade Mountain guests are welcome to use all of their facilities including the restaurants. The two crystal-clear bays are part of a designated marine reserve full of colourful coral reefs teeming with fish. Behind the second beach guests will have the opportunity to see the 18th century French colonial ruins of a sugar mill, and old church and a 3 million gallon freshwater reservoir. This is natural rainforest where you can take guided walks to see wild orchids or mountain bike the 12 miles of jungle trails. There is also a good variety of birds to be found and the mango trees were laden with fruit as it was just coming up to ‘Mango Madness’ week. As we had such a short stay we took a couple of snorkelling trips, had a day out on a bird watching tour, did a fun rum mixology class and visited the Chocolate Lab for a lessonwith Peter in ‘bean to bar’ chocolate making. To be fair it was a challenge to drag ourselves away from the privacy of our sanctuary and wonderful service at Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, but we left feeling wonderfully relaxed and looking forward to our next stop.

Regent Seven Seas Explorer – The Most Luxurious Ship Ever Built ....

16 June 2018

Everyone’s definition of luxury is different, and most luxury items come at a price that’s just beyond your normal spend for that item. That’s what makes it a luxury and something people strive to attain. Officially welcomed to the Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fleet on July 13, 2016 in Monaco and christened by Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco, this ship is no exception. It’s all suite accommodation and there’s no such thing as an inside cabin. The ship itself exudes luxury the minute you step aboard to a champagne greeting. I’ve grown to love Murano glass and Swarovski Crystal in their many forms and there’s plenty of it on this ship. There’s also more than an acre of granite and over an acre of marble to be found on the floors, on the counter tops and in the cabins. If you appreciate art - search the ship for the two Picasso’s and the Chagall among the 2,500 artworks aboard. It all makes for a luxury setting that’s not ostentatious and dripping with gold. As the price includes a suite with balcony and ocean view it’s already moved you up the price scale, but unlike most cruises it also includes your unlimited choice of excursions, an open bar policy including premium brands, all service charges and gratuities, speciality dining and Wi-Fi. When you consider that a 24-hour Wi-Fi rate with some cruise lines is £25 and a drinks package is approx. £50 per person per day, the leap to the Regent price tag becomes more of a small jump. When the cruise isn’t sailing from the UK they even include the flights and if you’re flying to join the ship in Europe, they sometimes upgrade you to business class according to your cabin grade. The Explorer tends to pass through the UK when repositioning, so we don’t often get the chance to see her on a ship visit. With just 375 suites and a maximum of 750 passengers the ship is a perfect size to give you all the creature comforts you expect at sea. The entry level suite is the only grade without a walk-in wardrobe and you only have to go up to the 4th of 14 grades to get a bath. The pool deck is rarely crowded as everyone has their own private balcony, all suites have mini bars, and everyone has complimentary room service. If you’re happy to mingle, there are double bed cabanas and sunbeds around the pool deck which includes two shaded whirlpools and the quieter Infinity-Edge Plunge Pool that is located on Deck 5. We had an extensive tour of the ship and cabins and a presentation in the two-tiered Constellation Theatre before being treated to lunch. One of the joys of cruising is the dining and Regent didn’t disappoint. The main restaurant is the Compass Rose, and this was our menu: Sea Scallops with Herb Beurre Blanc, Crispy Leeks and Spring Onion Mashed Potatoes *** Creamy Porchini Mushroom Soup. Candled Garlic *** Latin Spice Crusted Fresh Halibut Fillet, Sweet Potato Mash, Rabe Broccoli and Daikon Slaw Or Roasted Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Morel Jus, Vegetable Bouquetiere and Fondant Potato *** Individual Diderot Chocolate Mousse with Grand Marnier Crème Brulee Center Vanilla Sauce As our groups had already been assigned to guides for the tour, they already knew that there weren’t any vegetarians on our table, but the vegetarians on other tables said that their meal was as lovely as ours. Explorer offers open dining and you can eat whenever your chosen restaurant is open. The speciality restaurants need reservations as they’re more intimate with more tailored menus, but none of them are at a supplement. Pacific Rim is pan-Asian and the entry to the restaurant is hidden behind a fascinating giant bronze Tibetan prayer wheel sculpture. Chartreuse offers a modern French fine dining menu in an art nouveau-inspired setting. The golden panels apparently sparkle at night as they’re embedded with crystals. Prime 7 has the atmosphere of what I imagine an exclusive Member’s Club to be – with quite masculine leather chairs, banquette booths and sumptuous dark colours. Prime New York Strip, Porterhouse Steak and succulent Filet Mignon are the popular stars of the menu and there’s a wine vault wall as you enter with a Sommelier on hand to make wine pairing recommendations. As with most ships, there’s outdoor dining available around the pool deck and on Explorer it’s La Veranda serving the usual salad bar and carving stations along with things with chips and it becomes an Italian Sette Mari indoor/outdoor dining venue at night. All in all – the only disappointment for me was the lift side of the atrium which I think could have been a bit more of a showpiece looking up – but if I was actually cruising I doubt I would care!

U by Uniworld Danube Flow

11 June 2018

U by Uniworld is designed for those with a passion for exploring and a taste for authentic adventures. They say ‘our ships double as a social club and venue for meeting like-minded travellers’. They’re decked out with a sleek design, contemporary air, and we decided to go and take a look this spring as The A and The B began their brand-new service in Europe. We chose ‘The Danube Flow’ from Budapest to Regensburg on The A. These cruisers are unique on the rivers as they’re elegant jet-black boats with neon running lights that cast a friendly glow to the shore at night to guide you back to your home from home. The cabin seems quite small, but once you’re unpacked you realise that there are lots of clever space saving cubby holes for everything you might have with you. The bed was King size and my husband, and I slept extremely well every night. The bathroom was also a very clever design and easier to use than some on the bigger ocean cruisers. As expected, the food on board was very good, and each meal is open dining. One of the unique things with U by Uniworld is that they encourage you to mix with other passengers at the earliest opportunity. The table are set around the restaurant and there are booths, round tables, square tables and a long breakfast bar style table that will seat around fourteen people. If you don’t want to get to know your fellow cruisers – this isn’t the cruise for you! If you arrive at the beginning of dinner service and are seated as a four or a six, one of the courses of your starter will come as a sharing plate for four or six, which is a great ice breaker. We joined our cruise in Budapest and as we were due to be docked overnight the options for the first excursion were to go to the famous Szechenyi Baths for a party night or join your host on a pub crawl through the city’s world-renowned ruin bars. Our U hosts were keen to take us out for a walk around the city the next day and there were also optional trips to the Holocaust Memorial Center and Dohány Street Synagogue or a trip to the Hungarian countryside for wine tasting. For something completely different—you could also sign up for wild white-water rafting on the Cunovo River. We didn’t do the rafting and also didn’t make it up in time for the early morning yoga on the deck – but it was a nice idea and lots of the US and Canadians made it due to their jetlag. As we left Budapest in the late afternoon we had a saxophonist play us out of the city. Next day Bratislava - what a lovely city! We took the obligatory picture of Cumil the ‘man at work’ but had an interesting walk around with our host who gave us an insight to the history of Slovakia and why they parted company from the old Czechoslovakia. Many of our passengers took an evening trip to Klosterneuburg Abbey, a 900-year-old Augustinian monastery just outside Vienna, for a classical music performance by a professional chamber orchestra. Everyone who did it said it was an unforgettable evening. You could also do an after-hours guided tour of the Schönbrunn Palace which was also very popular. Again, there’s a guided walk during the day and plenty of time to venture off on your own. During the summer evenings there’s a performance on a video screen on Herbert-von-Karajan Square, next to the opera building and we were lucky enough to watch the Vienna State Opera perform for free! We used the rail system to get to the main sights of the city and were surprised that there weren’t any ticket barriers, you just hop on and off the buses, trains and trams. As we sailed on through Dürnstein, the Wachau Valley & Melk the scenery changes and you’re into the slower pace of life that a river cruise brings. There’s no pool on board, so for the times when you’re sailing during the day it’s a nice chance to read up on where you’re going or just relax on deck with a cocktail and watch the world go by. I lost count, but I think there are around 16 locks to contend with on this trip and it’s interesting to see how they work. You must book your lock space so there could be four cruisers in the lock together and you can easily talk to passengers on the other boats as you’re virtually standing next to them! Our cruiser had a selection of bikes on board and there were several days when there were bike trips organised. We would see the cyclists set off early and then we’d play cat and mouse with them along the shore. As the river meanders they might be on a bridge above us or we’d see them sat at a riverside beer garden in front of us and then we’d reunite around 20 miles upriver. Durnstein was a really pretty town and we also hiked up to the Kuenringerburg Castle ruins. There were more bikes than cars on the streets here and it seems that electric bikes are the way to go. This town offers several artisan shops where you can get apricot-based delicacies and gourmet products, as well as wine and spirits. There are free samples outside and it seems that it’s never too early for a tipple! In Passau we climbed to the Veste Oberhaus high above the river. Today the castle is home to the local museum but the views across Passau are wonderful. On a good day you can clearly see the different colours of the rivers where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet. Our cruise ended with an overnight stay in Regensburg. Before we were let loose on the city we were entertained on board by a local beer mixologist who explained the difference between Bockbier, Weissbier, Radler and Russbier. As it happens it was the beginning of their May Fair and we walked to the famous stone bridge in the evening to watch the opening firework display. Once that was finished we walked to the fairground among the throngs of people wearing traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses. There were two marquees with live music and steins of local beer being drunk everywhere. Half-metre sausages, roast pork, weißwürste (white sausages) with pretzels and original Regensburg sweet mustard were the joined by the more traditional candyfloss, gingerbread hearts, popcorn and ice cream stands. There were all the popular fairground rides and a good evening was had by all. The next day started early for some who had to leave for the airport around 7am. For the rest of us we had a leisurely breakfast and were able to stay on board until the new guests started to arrive. The A crew had been brilliant and had sometimes joined us for the evening drinks and daily walks ashore. It was a sad farewell.

Beautiful Budapest

04 August 2018

It’s official – Budapest is now one of my favourite cities. We recently took our first river cruise out of Budapest and decided that we needed to be there for a few days before we sailed away. We flew out of Luton early in the day and were in the heart of the city before lunch. Just around the corner we discovered a delightful bistro and ordered ‘Goulash’ with a bottle of wine. This is hearty fare and deserved a stroll around the neighbourhood afterwards to get our bearings. We were very close to the Parliament building which is the world’s third largest and it sits right on the bank of the Danube – stunning both by day and by night. They have a daily changing of the guard and the soldiers are even allowed to pose with tourists for photos! The sun was still shining, and we were treated to dancing water shoots and mist sprays before heading down to the river bank in search of the Shoes on the Danube Bank Monument. Most waterfronts are teeming with life and this is no exception – as we walked we came across the sculptures of Attila József the famous Hungarian Poet, The Little Princess, A Girl with Her Dog and the Hungarian artist Ignac Roskovics – all within an hour of starting out. There’s a funicular railway that climbs up to Buda Castle and the city has an amazing transport network of trams, metro, buses and ferries. Before we knew it, we were travelling all over the city during our stay and considered visiting even more places than we originally thought possible. It’s such a pretty city and areas of Buda with the Mattias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion are so immaculate that you think you’re in a theme park! We visited the ruin bars during the day so that we could see what we were letting ourselves in for at night. The story goes that derelict industrial units in the city were set up as temporary spaces by local entertainment talent serving cheap beer. Several years later and Szimpla Kert is now one of many official attractions with all sorts of live music, a well-respected ‘Farmers Market’ and several charity projects. The furniture is still old and there’s graffiti on the walls, but it has such a great atmosphere that it just adds to the odd charm of the place. Plan to go early before the crowds to find a seat in one of the small music venues – your bags will be searched on entry and there’s a strict no drugs policy, so it’s a bit more mainstream now (some even accept Euros) and there are signs outside asking you to be quiet as you leave! We never did make it to the Szechenyi baths for the party night – or any of the thermal baths - so that’s a good reason to go back. The Szechenyi Baths alone is visited by over a million bathers per year and some others are centuries old. The Turkish baths, like the Kiraly Bath, Rudas Bath or Veli Bej Batha offer a completely different experience again and there are all sorts of spa treatments available. If you’re not into swimming, the Art Nouveau Gellért Baths have been described as ‘swimming in a cathedral’ so you could just go along for the architecture!

Bruges Christmas Market

05 May 2020

Having travelled to Belgium frequently as a child, I have fond memories of waffles and chocolate goodies. In recent times it has also included beer as Belgium has an amazing beer culture that was a mystery to me back then! Before the second world war, Bruges city centre was home to at least 30 working breweries. At that time beer supplies were delivered by horse and cart to people’s homes and tourists had not yet discovered the city’s old masters, museums and winding canals. Nowadays enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour flows in a pipeline under the cobbled streets from the De Halve Maan brewery to an off-site bottling plant. The Bottle Shop, just off the market square, is an interesting place to stock up on boozy gifts. It stocks more than 600 different beers and most beers have their own distinctive glasses. If you really are a beer fan, choose to return in February for the annual beer festival. The Bruges Beer Festival features more than 280 beers from more than 70 breweries and features visiting top chefs cooking cuisine with beer. It’s held in a large heated tent on the Grote Markt. This is also one of the few, if not only, festivals in the world where all seven Belgian & Dutch Trappist beers are available. We chose to travel by Eurostar for this trip as it was something my husband hadn’t done before. It meant an early start to get into London St Pancras as with most weekend breaks, you want to make the most of a short time away. Also, on busy services, the train can be a mile long! That’s a long way to walk with luggage, so it always pays to get there early and not be stressed about finding your carriage. Sadly it was a touch too early to stop off at Europe's longest Champagne bar! Our journey was comfortable and was a direct service through to Brussels. Our ticket was to ABS which means ‘any Belgian station’ and allows you to connect at your leisure to the local train which takes around an hour. On arrival we walked to our hotel which was close to ‘Minnewater’ – the Lake of Love. This is a quiet area of the city, but still only a 10 minute stroll to the central Grote Markt Square. This is also the part of the city that stables the horses that ply the cobbled streets by day and night giving city tours, so there’s very little road traffic, but you will hear the clip clop of the hooves and the trundle of the carriages going past until early evening. If you follow the steady stream of people from here, you’re bound to reach the Grote Markt which is overlooked by the medieval bell tower. If you’re reasonably fit and the weather is in your favour, it’s 366 steps to the top and gives great views of this pretty city. The timing was perfect for us to be up there when the bells were ringing which was a memorable experience. This is not recommended for people who are claustrophobic as the stairs are very narrow and winding! It’s also been made famous in recent years by the film ‘In Bruges’. So, what is there to buy at the Christmas market? As with most traditional markets, it’s lots of handmade goods supplemented by a wonderful array of festive food and drink. In addition, you can buy almost anything made of chocolate (and I do mean anything!) I have to say that this was a trip where we wandered around a lot, did lots of window shopping and festive eating and drinking with no real plan to our days. We admired the buildings, climbed the tower, watched the skaters and just soaked up the festive atmosphere.

Corroboree West

28 April 2019

As a Premier Aussie Specialist, I was invited to attend ‘Corroboree West’, held on the Gold Coast, Queensland – also the home of ‘I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here’ fame. It’s an area I’ve visited before and have been lucky enough to stay in the Palazzo Versace where the celebs retreat to after their exit from camp. Not this time as we were there to work more than play and checked into the Star Gold Coast which is just a few minutes’ walk to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. I did manage to find the time to visit the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary before the workshops started. This sanctuary has been in operation since the 1940s and is now one of the Gold Coast’s most popular visitor attractions. I was pleased to see that we weren’t doing the high rope adventure course (featuring 65 challenges including a Tarzan swing) and would be visiting the Wildlife Hospital at the end of our morning instead. The hospital has grown to be one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world, admitting over 10,500 animals a year and nearly 500 koalas alone were admitted 2018. One of the iconic things that Australia is known for is its surfing lifestyle, so after a light lunch, we were taken to Kirra Point to join Go Ride A Wave for a surfing or bodyboarding session. I’m quite happy in a wetsuit paddling around on a surf board and no more instruction changed that, but we all had great fun as Sam and the guys were very patient. Corroboree is all about meeting the people who look after our clients when they’re away and we had three days of scheduled meetings with suppliers from all over Australia. It’s great to put a face to a name and be able to keep in touch when we get back. Before we all go our separate ways we disperse around the country to explore another area before returning home and my fist stop was Canberra. Although Australia is such a huge country, her capital city has only got just over 400,000 inhabitants. When you compare that to almost 9 million people living in London it's got to be worth a look and it's a very nice place to visit for a couple of days. It has an excellent food and café culture. We were there in Spring and took a walk around Commonwealth Park with the head Gardener at Floriade. In 1988 this was designed to be a grand, one off floral tribute to mark Australia’s Bicentenary and Canberra’s 75th anniversary. It was so successful that it’s been running for a month in Spring ever since and now features more than a million bulbs and plants across 8,000 square metres of parkland with an ever expanding program of music, cultural celebrations, food and wine, artistic displays, entertainment and recreational activities. After lunch we made our way to Lake Burley Griffin to take a tour with SegGlideRide who offer segway and bike rentals. You can rent a bike to do your own thing or be guided on a segway tour which is a great way to get around and see lots with minimum effort! Next morning – up at 4.30 for our sunrise ballooning adventure. We found ourselves on the lawns of Parliament House again, this time with the balloon trucks. This is one of the only cities in the world where you can fly over in a balloon. The baskets are huge and take around 20 people plus the pilot. We had just five balloons flying in formation over the lake and Parliament House for over an hour and it was magical. We were also asked if we’d like to help pack up so there we were at 7.30 in the morning standing inside our balloon envelope gathering in the fabric and then sitting on it to make it small enough to fit back into the truck - that was another first! Next we went walkabout at the Old Bus Depot Markets and the Canberra Glassworks. Such a friendly place where you can get immersed in the unique handicrafts and home produce. All that walking gave us an appetite and our next stop was Pialligo Estate. This is a Paddock-to-Plate experience where we were shown around by their horticulturist. It sits on approx 85 acres and has an olive grove, orchard, market garden and award-winning smokehouse which is famous for producing Australia’s Best Artisan Bacon. We had a wonderful lunch admiring the view and didn’t want to leave. Next stop – Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. To stop us all from having a crafty kip in the sun, we were off to spot koalas and kangaroos in their natural habitat and see if we could find an elusive platypus or two. Well we walked and drove for a couple of hours around this huge reserve which is approx 55 square kilometres of protected area, on the fringe of Namadgi National Park and saw lots of kangaroos, potoroos, wallaroos, possums, wallabies and more but sadly the platypus wasn’t up for company. As part of good foodie culture nowadays you need to have decent craft beer on offer. So, working through the evening, we were off to the Capital Brewing Company to take a tour behind the scenes and see how it’s done ‘down under’. The MD Laurence took us round and his passion for the business shines through everything he does. They have a partnership with Brodburger and have now got a huge following at festivals and even offer non alcoholic ‘dog-beer’ so every member of the family can join in. Great tour experience, wonderful beers and tasty food. They do great work with the community from their Fyshwick base and since we were there have won ‘best brewery experience in Australia’ – absolutely well deserved guys and I’m sure there will be more awards to come. Our last day and more walking. This time just around the locality of our QT hotel and finishing off at The Cupping Room. We were greeted by queues at the door as this is the home of the world champion barista Sasa Sestic. The aroma of coffee and baking hits you as we were whisked into our reserved seating for our coffee initiation talk. This truly is Canberra’s place of coffee worship with ‘hitman’ and ‘black betty’ on the menu you daren’t order ‘white coffee’ as that would be an insult! We made our final stop at the National Museum of Australia. Sitting on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, we’d segway’s past it, ballooned over it and never realised what it was! It has stunning architecture and we could easily have spent the rest of the day there as they had some wonderful exhibits including the ‘Tracking the Seven Sisters Songlines’ but we couldn't stay as we had another journey to make….. and you can read all about that part of the trip on Corroboree West South Coast NSW.

Corroboree West South Coast NSW

08 May 2019

After leaving Canberra we set off to discover the unspoilt beauty of the Snowy Mountains and the Sapphire Coast with Gang Gang Tours. We loaded up our exclusive tour bus and set of for Batemans Bay and were checking in to our hotel 3 hours later. After an informal dinner we set off early to bed to prepare for our next adventure – sea kayaking! I’ve kayaked before and I know it can be hard work, so I was very pleased to see that we were in two-seat kayaks. Getting into the spray skirt at 6am was entertaining, but once we were all paired up and fitted into our kayaks, we were off with the RegionX lads leading the way. As we were of mixed ability, we took it gently and arrived at our deserted beach feeling we’d earned our breakfast. I was a bit disappointed that we weren’t firing up the barbeque, but we had a lovely breakfast all the same and a short break to prepare for the next half of the paddle. What none of us expected was to be joined in the water by Southern Right mother and calf whales for around 10 minutes and before we knew it, we were pulling the kayaks back onto the next beach feeling on top of the world – and it was still only about 9.30! After a quick change back at the hotel we made ourselves look respectable for out next treat – a visit to an oyster farm. Now I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the Oyster Shed was exactly that – a pretty shed on the docks. The oysters were absolutely amazing and I’m now a convert after tasting them and hearing how they’re farmed. Next stop – Bodalla, a historic town where wonderful cheese is still made on several of the town premises. We were heading for lunch at Bodalla Cheese Factory & Dairy Shed. This is a step back in time with a retro jukebox and the most wonderful ice cream and milkshakes or wine tasting with a cheese plate for the adults. A real family friendly place where everyone’s welcome and you can bottle feed the calves and goats and get up close and personal with alpacas. After a relaxing lunch we were off again to walk it all off at Narooma. We met the National Parks and Wildlife Services for a guided tour of Glasshouse Rocks. This rock formation on the Eurobodalla coast is recognised by the Geological Society of Australia as dating between 510 and 440 million years old. It’s still a fairly well-kept secret as the pathway down to the beach is reached through a cemetery, it isn’t signposted and there are quite a few tracks that lead you round in circles rather than down to the 700m long beach, so our guide made it much easier. Our last day on the Sapphire Coast took us to Tilba. With Mount Gulaga never far away we visited the Apma Aboriginal Arts centre where works from Yuin and Ngarigo artists were on display. A very small frontage hides an Aladdin’s cave of paintings, jewellery, artefacts, books, crafts, prints, sculptures and weaving and Apma is a fascinating lady who was happy to explain the inspiration for some of the pieces. The rest of the town is designated as a National Trust Village and it was a delightful way to spend a couple of hours. On our way again we stopped at the Blue Pool Historic sea-bath at Bermagui and heard about the exploits of Billy Connolly when they filmed ‘The Man who Sued God’ in town. We didn’t have time to stop but the film was shot almost 20 years ago, and the town still retains much of its charm. The one thing that got cancelled in our itinerary was the promised whale watching boat trip. From mid-August to the end of November humpback whales can be seen on their migration route. We managed to spot them from shore in the distance, but we had to make do with a visit to the Eden Killer Whale Museum instead. This is housed in a cute lighthouse and was actually very interesting. I’ll keep the secret but if you’re ever around that way it’s somewhere else that’s worth a couple of hours of your time. Keeping the sea theme going, we had a private visit with dinner at the Marimbula Aquarium and Wharf Restaurant whilst being entertained by one of the local boat captains. Next morning, we were up and away early again on the 0630 flight to Sydney. We had a walking tour around Paddington, breakfast at Micky’s, a site inspection and a whistle stop tour around Sydney before setting off to the airport for our flight home at 2pm. Our thanks to Tourism Australia, Destination Gold Coast, Tourism Queensland, Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines for making it an amazing trip.

Oceania’s Marina ship visit

09 August 2017

Thanks to Oceania for another great ship visit last week on the Marina. Sadly not many outside shots as the weather in Southampton was grey and overcast and didn't do the pool deck justice! Marina is one of Oceania's new build ships and has less than double the amount of cabins as Nautica, but is more than twice the size at 60,000 tonnes taking approx 1250 guests. One of the things that struck me was that the ocean view cabins have floor to ceiling windows that resemble a set of patio doors more than anything else! This makes the cabin light and airy. The elegant country house style of Nautica was evident in several places on Marina but with a more contemporary twist. She still has a fireplace in the 2,000 book library and the impressive artwork and sculptures are around every corner. Although Marina is 6 years old now, she still looks brand new. Personally I didn’t like quite so much of the artwork this time, but I also learned that this was the intention. The two buyers were the founder and the Vice Chairman of the cruise line and they had an agreement that if they both liked the same piece they’d reject it as they wanted the purchases to represent different artistic tastes on board. I’m pleased they disagreed on the Murano and Lalique glass and we got to see lovely pieces of each. The cabins still boast the signature ‘Tranquility Bed’ and the Penthouse Suites are styled by Ralph Lauren at Home. The twelve Oceania Suites were designed by the famous New York designer Dakota Jackson and have more than 1,000 square feet of space to relax in. These each have a living room, dining room, not one but two whirlpool spa tubs with one being on the private veranda. If you’re lucky enough to be in a suite you’ll also have your own 24 hour butler service. The ship has a small casino for those that still like to try their gaming skills and has a Canyon Ranch Spa complete with a separate spa deck area with hot tubs. Oceania isn't strictly 'adult only' but they don't offer reductions for children and have no kids facilities on board. The Polo Grill and Toscana speciality restaurants are featured on the Marina as well as on Nautica - but on Marina they also offer a private dining experience for a reasonable supplement in Privee. For up to 10 guests you can hold a private dinner party and choose dishes from either restaurant or a combination of both. Marina also offers ‘La Reserve’ by Wine Spectator which is a wine pairing restaurant for a supplement. Apart from these two, the speciality restaurants are included in the cruise fare but do need to be booked in advance. New to Marina & Riviera are the Red Ginger Asian fusion restaurant and the renowned French chef Jacques Pepin’s ‘Jacques’. We had lunch in the Grand Dining Room which is the ship’s main dining room and I have to say that the food was excellent again. This time I was able to try the Filet de Boeuf Perigourdine and wasn’t disappointed. Before going for our lunch, we were able to see the Terrace Café begin offering their guests their first meal on board. Despite being a buffet restaurant, you are still served at every food station and some dishes are prepared for you whilst you wait. Oceania pride themselves on their cuisine and offer ‘The Culinary Centre’ on Marina and Riviera where you can learn to make some classic regional dishes yourself. You can even shop at the local market with one of the chefs and then cook what you bought when you come back on board. That sounds like fun and I’d love to try it!

Surprising Salt Lake City weekend

20 March 2018

In April 2016, Delta Airlines launched a new nonstop service between London Heathrow and Salt Lake City. This was great news for my skiers as Utah offers four world class ski resorts within a 45-minute transfer from Salt Lake City airport or just 20 minutes from downtown. With access to a total of 14 ski resorts across seven different mountains there’s something to offer every level of skier. I had the opportunity to try out the new route last summer and was pleasantly surprised. At an altitude of 4,300ft and a quick transfer from the airport, Salt Lake City sits at the bottom of the Wasatch Mountains offering clean air and beautiful views. If you hire a car it’s the gateway to five stunning National Parks - Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion. The city offers everything from their National History Museum to the Capitol Theatre and Macy’s at City Creek Shopping Centre. Temple Square is a 10-acre complex, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The impressive Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build, between 1853 and 1893 and looks almost like a mini Disney castle. With walls nine feet thick at the base and six feet thick at the top, this impressive six-spire structure serves as the universal icon of the Mormon Church. An estimated 3 to 5 million people visit Temple Square each year, more visitors than at all five of the state's national parks combined. The whole site is immaculate with sculptures, gardens and fountains. Their Tabernacle Choir with 360 members is world famous and often sings accompanied by the Tabernacle Organ. This pipe organ is the 11th largest in the world with 11,623 pipes. The acoustics in the Tabernacle building are so good that they demonstrated hearing a pin drop 170ft away from the stage with no microphones and they offer a free organ recital daily. The 35-acre area contains more than 15 attractions related to Mormon heritage and beliefs and many of them offer free tours in multiple languages. There’s a light rail system that runs through the city called TRAX and the central area including Temple Square is in the ‘Free Fare Zone’ making it easy to get around. What we didn’t get the chance to visit was the city’s namesake The Great Salt Lake, which at 1,700 square miles is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere – maybe next time!

Nautica ship visit

17 June 2017

I was lucky enough to go on a ship visit this week to see Oceania’s Nautica in Southampton. Oceania is a premium 5* cruise line with six ships which are all quite different in size, style and appearance as only two of them were new builds for the line (MV Marina & MV Riviera) and the other four were bought from other cruise lines and refitted. The newest refitted ship is medium in size (MV Sirena) and the two new builds are large at 66,000 tonnes but are only taking around 1250 passengers each. Nautica had her refit in 2005 and now takes 700 – 800 passengers with just 345 cabins. There are 28 inside cabins, 85 with ocean views and the rest are all balconies. With a ship of this size they can offer dinner at a single seating and offer two speciality restaurants included in the price as well as the main dining room and a buffet restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised by the elegant country house hotel style of Nautica and the amount of artwork on board. The standard cabins are much more contemporary than the top suites, but like it or loath it – she’s certainly not bland! Oceania likes to be known for its excellent cuisine, destination oriented itineraries and their exclusive Tranquility Bed for comfort. They also do a soft refurbish all of the ships in fleet every 18 months/2 years bringing subtle updates and improvements each time. I have to say that the service was spot on, the lunch we had was wonderful and showcased dishes from each of the restaurants. Maine Lobster and Daikon with Caviar Acacia Honey and Xeres Vinegar Espuma *** Fagottini Al Formaggio Provolone-stuffed Pasta Purses with Butternut Squash Cream *** Filet De Boeuf Perigourdine Medium-rare Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Black Truffle and Foie Gras Demi-Glace, Harvest Vegetables and Glazed Mushrooms -OR- Den Miso Glazed Sea Bass Wrapped and Cooked in Hoba Leaf with Steamed Basmati Rice -OR- Mediterranean Vegetable Tart Tatin Zucchini, Tomatoes, Eggplant and Parmesan Cheese *** Papuan Chocolate Volcano Passion Fruit Heart and Caramel Lava *** Petits Fours and Macaroons Nautica isn't strictly an adult only ship but she doesn't cater for children at all. With Versace place settings and Riedel wine glasses you'd need to be a brave parent to take kids into the formal dining venues! As expected there's a lovely spa operated by Canyon Ranch, a fully fitted gym and a small casino. Several cabin grades provide butler service and the ship offers complimentary 24 hour room service.

Fantastic Fuerteventura...

18 February 2017

...I can say that now – whereas after my first visit with my family many years ago – I wasn't so sure! The flight from London was just under four hours and I was beginning to think that I should have made better use of my iPad. All around me people were watching films and I was just finishing my latest e-book and the in-flight magazine – so go prepared to entertain yourself for almost 4 hours if you go for the ‘low cost’ carriers! When we travel as a couple, my husband and I like to be quite independent so we’d hired a car for the short journey into Corralejo. The hotel we stayed at this time was the Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahia Real GL and I couldn’t wait to find it. We were on the outskirts of the resort but found is easy enough and were greeted by several staff in the national dress of the island. This hotel is an oasis of peace and quiet at the pools and mature gardens with views of Los Lobos from our room across their golden sandy beach. The design of the hotel ensures that most rooms have a sea view or they look out on the gardens and the pools. At the end of the day so much of our stay was dictated by choice and that started with the pillows, where we had five different types to select from. We also had several restaurants with the Yamatori Japanese, the Spanish Las Columnas, La Alacena Real international buffet, the Coco Beach Lounge over water restaurant, the Beach Club Las Palmeras and the exclusive La Cúpula de Carles Gaig with a prestigious Michelin Star. All of the food was excellent – and you definitely know you can’t go wrong with Cava and smoked salmon on offer to start your day! As you'd expect from a hotel of this standard, you're never far away from a bar whether you choose one of the pools or the beach to soak up the sun. If you do overindulge there’s a lovely gym and the Spa Bahia Vital spa circuit, which also offers exercise classes, massages and spa treatments. In the evenings the entertainment is low key and gracious with show cooking in some of the restaurants and local musicians who entertain in the El Mirador piano bar.The bar will serve all sorts of cocktails and coffees until late, but it wraps up the music before midnight. The army of staff always say good morning or good evening and keep the hotel immaculate - even down to the fresh flowers on the tables and the groomed sand on the beach. If you don’t have a car, it’s around a 15-minute walk around the beach and headland to the start of the town and perhaps 30 minutes in total if you carry on down to the town beach and the harbour. If you don't have your own transport, there's a taxi rank right outside and you can be down in the music square in 10 minutes. Now, I admit – there is one fast food chain restaurant in the centre of town - but with over 300 other independent restaurants, there’s food for every taste and pocket - including another Michelin featured restaurant. You can also choose to go somewhere to eat with live music and where the shops stay open until late in the evening for that after dinner stroll. This is a fishing village that has grown into a charming seaside town and the locals that aren’t fishermen, restauranteurs or boat captains are into windsurfing, kite surfing and dune buggies. This trip was an unusual one for us and we stayed put in the hotel and Corralejo more than normal – but this time it has left me wanting to go back and explore the island further. It’s roughly 60 miles long by just 20 miles wide so it’s going to be easy enough to explore and return to base every day. Corralejo is right next to one of the National Parks on the island where the kite surfers sit in the sands getting to grips with their manouveurs before heading out to sea. Taking a boat out from Corralejo harbour you can get across to Los Lobos bird sanctuary in around 15 minutes for excellent snorkelling.There's a small cauldron-shaped extinct volcano here as well as lovely deserted beaches for an unusual day out - but it is uninhabited - so be sure to take a packed lunch and plenty of water with you!

Kenya Intrepid Air Safari

06 April 2020

Kenya holds a special place in my heart and if I see a competition for a Kenya prize – count me in! I visit World Travel Market every year and this trip was just that – a 7nt prize trip to Kenya for two. Loving Kenya as I do… I couldn’t just leave it at a week so I added some extra safari and beach nights so that we visited both Samburu and the Masai. The adventure started with our flight with Kenya Airways. If you think that an African airline is a bit ‘third world’ – think again. Kenya Airways took delivery of her first Dreamliner in 2014 and now have nine in their fleet. This was our first experience of the aircraft and it lived up to its reputation of being quiet, comfortable and spacious. Bigger windows give lots of natural light but if it all gets a bit much you can dim them at the touch of a button! The guides from Gamewatchers met us in Nairobi and transferred us to Wilson airport. I had expected to be just dropped at the door, but they helped us inside with our luggage and made sure that the bags were split correctly at check in for what went into storage and what went with us. They also turned up in a huge land cruiser which gave us a good insight into what our clients would get if they were on safari with them out of Nairobi. When we’ve been to Kenya before, we’ve either been driven from Nairobi or from Mombasa, so to be using Safarilink this time was a big treat. I love the ‘casual’ scheduling, which for us included two touchdowns to pick up extra passengers .... it certainly adds to the adventure to be able to see wildlife from the air and to be able to see the change in the layout of the land between the national parks. The whole experience is casual but professional which is a relaxing start to the safari. I would definitely recommend this to my clients who have the budget. We met some wonderful people, saw some amazing sights and felt hugely privileged to see the 'big five' again in the wild. Things have moved on since we were there last and the locals now also have the 'special five' in Samburu (as they have animals there that can't be found anywhere else in the world) and even 'the ugly' five! The ugly five includes the warthog who are quite odd to look at, but are now quite endearing since we've all watched Lion King several times. On our anniversary this time we had breakfast overlooking the hippos in the river at dawn. If the thought of ‘tented’ accommodation doesn’t appeal – think again. Most tented accommodation on safari is a wonderful opportunity to be at one with nature with a huge comfy bed, wonderful food, service and a private bathroom. The Intrepid camp tents, both Mara and Samburu were beautifully finished with netted four poster beds, tiled walk in showers, his ‘n’ hers sinks and a lovely view from the furnished terrace. After our safari we returned to Wilson by Safarilink, retrieved our beach luggage, had a mini tour around Nairobi en-route back to Jomo Kenyatta International for our flight to Mombasa and our beach stay at Voyager Beach Resort. Once we arrived at Voyager, we were also very well looked after. On arrival it was almost the end of service for dinner so we were checked in very quickly and escorted to the main buffet restaurant so we could eat before we unpacked. This is a very well run property and we were pleasantly surprised by the variety & standard of food. There is also a good understanding between the resort staff and the beach vendors so we did venture out and walk the beach when the tide went out. Security was discreet but visible so we felt perfectly safe and the vendors were polite and friendly. The hotel has just over 230 rooms and is well known for the excellent family facilities it offers. During our stay the whole main lawn was set up for an outdoor celebration dinner with staged entertainment. We watched with interest wondering whether it was for a wedding until we realised that it’s a weekly guest event! The watersports centre offers windsurfing, sailboats, snorkelling and diving. As it’s situated just a mile from the marine park there aren’t any motorised watersports on offer, but the snorkelling and diving are excellent in the park and Nyali is where I completed my PADI Open Water diving course many years ago. On the way back, we were met by Gamewatchers again in Nairobi but this time we had a while to spare before we would be able to check in at our overnight hotel, so our driver gave us several options of how we could spend our time. In the end, we opted to visit the giraffe centre which was a lovely experience. We spent quite a while feeding ‘Eddie’ and his friends and this is certainly something I would recommend for people who have time to spare or can’t afford to stay at Giraffe Manor – and now I can say I’ve been kissed by a giraffe!

Sssh - it's a Secret

10 May 2018

Secrets Akumal – ‘Place of the Turtle’ After a whistle stop touring trip of California we needed a few days of relaxation in the sun – and like many Americans – headed straight for Mexico! I have stayed at and loved Secrets and Dreams resorts in the Caribbean, so decided to head for the adult-only Secrets Akumal. This hotel is roughly an hour from Cancun airport and from the road all you can see is lush vegetation until you spot the gates. Once inside, the hotel follows the same recipe as their sister properties – a very slick champagne check in and we were escorted to our beautiful contemporary room with a jacuzzi bath. This property has 434 rooms with 12 room types and offers several ‘swim up’ options where you can step from your terrace directly into a meandering pool. Because there are so many pool options, none of the main pools ever felt crowded – and the stunning beach runs the whole length of the property and off into the distance in both directions. There are no wrist bands for the all-inclusive but there is discreet security making sure that only guests have access to the resort. They can’t stop people walking the beach, but they can stop and challenge people who cross the invisible line that marks the property boundary to the shoreline. Dining at Secrets is always a pleasure as there are so many a la carte restaurants included in the all-inclusive package. When in Mexico (even having just come from California!) we had to try the Mexican ‘El Patio’ which was a lovely meal. We also enjoyed the Italian ‘Portofino’ but my favourites were ‘Oceana and the ‘Seaside Grill’ because they’re open sided and I’d rather be in the balmy warmth of the evening beside the sea than in the air conditioning of an indoor restaurant. I’m very partial to wonderful seafood and it takes a good few days to get through their menus! Each day we would stop by at the Barracuda bar for a sundowner on the swing chairs before getting changed for dinner and at the Rendezvous lobby bar for a last nightcap by the firepit. There was plenty of evening entertainment going on around the resort, but as we were on a wind down from our hectic road trip in the US, this time we were more than happy to just chill out. Naming this hotel the ‘Place of the Turtle’ was no accident and this was one of the lasting memories from our trip – swimming with the turtles off the beach. Akumal is famous for its native green sea turtle population and they didn’t disappoint. We both love snorkelling but there was no need to get a boat or book a specific time – we just took our masks and snorkels with us each time we went for a dip and floated around above the turtles who were happily feeding on the seagrass meadow below us. Very relaxing for us and the turtles were too busy feeding to be worried about what was going on above them – the perfect end to a perfect trip!

Jamaica like James Bond...

17 April 2017

To friends that know me, it’s no secret that I love the Caribbean and especially Jamaica. On this trip I travelled with two work colleagues for an update. First stop - Half Moon. The is a mega resort set on 400 acres with a stunning 2 mile beach just outside Montego Bay. We stayed here for 2 nights in Hibiscus Junior Suites. These suites in two storey detached buildings run along the back of the beach with glorious sea views. Although the resort is set on such a large amount of land it only has 228 rooms and villas and they’re so well spread out that you need the golf cart supplied to get from the villas back to the main part of the resort. The villas have 4 – 7 bedrooms with pools and they come with three staff (a cook, butler & housekeeper). It’s well known that some of our royal family have stayed here, so as you can imagine, the grounds are immaculate, the food is excellent and we were very well looked after. They’ve even planted insect repellent plants around the restaurants to ward off anything that might bother you when you eat outside! Sadly we didn’t get the chance to use any of the 13 tennis courts, ride or swim on any of the 28 horses at their equestrian centre, play golf on their award-winning 18-hole championship course or use the wonderful spa – but we did swim each day and made a point of finding their two bottle nosed dolphins in the private lagoon. Next stop was Goldeneye in Oracabessa. We couldn’t believe our luck to be invited to spend a night in their newly finished (but not yet on sale) beach huts! Our driver clearly didn’t know quite what to expect from this funky 49 room resort and drove straight past it. After getting him to turn around we spotted a discreet set of gates in the greenery and we'd arrived. It was originally a villa owned by Ian Fleming and he wrote all 14 James Bond books here. Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, bought the property in 1976 and over the years has set about refurbishing the original villa, building the beach & lagoon villas and lagoon cottages along with the bar and restaurant. I have to say he’s done a stunning job and the resort was everything I’d hoped it would be. After being shown around, we were equally lucky to meet the man himself who was an absolute gentleman and spent time talking to us about what they had hoped to achieve and their plans for the future – all very exciting stuff! An eclectic mix of celebrities have stayed here – as well as my two favourite Bonds – Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. If you’re staying in the Fleming Villa, you get your own beach and, of course, your own pool, gardens, and staff. If you can’t quite run to that, you can have in room dining on your verandah which all have lovely views and will be lit by torchlight. Even thinking about it again now, my mouth is watering! We all had a wonderful time and would go back in a heartbeat. We went into Ocho Rios for our third stay – Jamaica Inn. This hotel was featured on ‘Millionaire’s Holiday Club’ recently and has just 48 suites and cottages. It opened in 1950 and has several pictures around featuring the Hollywood greats who have stayed there. Many of the staff have been there almost as long and Teddy the barman has been there 55 years! If you get him making cocktails he has plenty of memories to share of the hotel in its party heydays, but they are very discreet about guests. Jamaica Inn is a colonial property and the suites and cottages are very spacious. The pool is small but it’s only steps away from their private sandy bay so we preferred to go for a dip in the sea. Close to the beach you’ll find an immaculate croquet lawn and hidden in the cliffs en route to the cottages you’ll find the spa. Like all things here, it’s small but perfectly formed and the four treatment rooms overlook the beautiful Caribbean Sea. As you’d expect, the food is wonderful and the service allows you time to savour the surroundings. There’s live music over dinner but it’s mostly finished by 11pm. Let’s face it – if you want to party it’s only a 10 minute taxi into the centre of Ocho Rios. By the time we had to leave, we had made firm friends with Shadow IV, the hotel’s resident black Labrador and had discovered that the blue of the buildings is an almost exact match to the cloudless blue sky. Jamaica Inn doesn’t allow kids under 10 and has a very loyal clientele - so all those familiar faces of both guests and staff soon make it feel as if it’s ‘home from home’. Many of the guests may actually be millionaires - but everyone that stays at Jamaica Inn is made to feel like one.... We finished our trip at Round Hill, an iconic property with 36 rooms and 27 villas, spread across 110 acres on a private headland and beach in Montego Bay. It opened in 1953 as a hotel with the 36 ‘Pineapple House’ rooms that were designed by Ralph Lauren. The pineapple is a theme throughout the property because the land was originally a pineapple grove. Our room was an Oceanfront Balcony and overlooked the infinity pool just a few steps from the beach. The villas are all completely different in size and style and you can opt for a villa suite or rent a whole villa which comes fully staffed. If you choose to stay in a villa you can still use all the facilities of the hotel including the restaurant. There are pictures of Hollywood icons such as Paul Newman and Bing Crosby in the bar who were regular visitors and it’s well documented that John F Kennedy spent his honeymoon in Villa 10. Since that golden era there have been many additions including the kids' club, fitness centre, yoga pavilion and the spa. There are three tennis courts close to the beach and two more further up the hillside near the entry gates. If you haven’t got the energy to walk all the way up to the upper tennis courts or you can’t remember where your villa is, there are a fleet of golf buggies with drivers ready to take you wherever you want to go. Afternoon Tea, with homemade sandwiches, cakes, scones, tea and coffee, is served every day in the main cocktail bar and there are regular themed evenings such as a beach barbecue, curry night and the highlight of the week, Jamaica Night on a Friday. The main restaurant sits overlooking the bay and features the only indoor, wood-fired grill on island, using local, indigenous logwood where you can watch the chefs preparing Snapper, Grouper, Mahi Mahi and local Caribbean spiny lobster - but fish isn't the only thing on the menu! Needless to say – we were sad to leave...

Snowmobile Safari

22 February 2017

We recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Finland for a snowmobile adventure. It was an early start flying into Kiruna and then a picturesque drive along the Swedish border 250km into the Arctic circle to Karesuando where we crossed the border into Finland. We arrived just in time to drop our luggage to our cabin and go back for dinner at our lodge. After dinner we had a briefing and found out that our first expedition was going to be that night so - we set off to get fitted for ‘suits and boots’ and to choose our snowmobile. The reason for going out at night was to hunt for the Northern Lights.... but we were out of luck. It was quite eerie being out so late, in the dark, on snowmobiles, in the middle of nowhere – but it was also great fun to be able to open up the throttle along the frozen river once Karesuando was in sight again. As it was below zero standing still, you can imagine how cold it was with the wind chill factor at speed, but the snowsuits did their job and kept us cosy. The next day was our snowmobile safari – out for the whole day! We travelled a pre-planned route further North, deep into the Käsivarsi Wilderness Area where we stopped at a vantage point. You could where the Norway, Sweden and Finland borders meet and for miles around. We also stopped for a spot of ice fishing to while away some time whilst lunch was being prepared. It’s harder work that you would expect to drill through the ice and none of us were successful at catching anything. It’s a good job we weren’t expected to provide the fish for lunch! Although this is a wilderness park, there are plenty of people who pass through on snowmobiles in the winter, or just hiking in the summer months. The snowmobile tracks are marked and if you step off the snowmobile and off the track – you’ll be waist deep in snow. The snow drifts can be metres deep and you soon realise that what you thought were bushes are actually the tops of buried trees! There are many mapped travellers ‘huts’ in this 2,206 square kilometres of wilderness where you can shelter and prepare a meal. They have bunks for around 8-10 people and there’s also a peat toilet in a smaller hut nearby. There’s a supply of wood that’s topped up by the rangers, so you can always get the stove going and keep warm through the night. Whilst we were there we also had a go at snowshoeing. It’s not as easy as it looks! You’d think the snowshoe would sit ‘on’ the snow but it often compresses down to 8 or 9 inches... and then the tail of the shoe picks up snow and twists as you lift your foot and the next thing you know is your other foot sinks further – so it’s a bit like walking through deep mud! Most of us ended up rolling around in the snow at some point, but it was good fun. The safari day over, the rest of the time was our own. There were optional excursions available to visit the reindeer camp and do a sleigh safari, take a cross country skiing trip, take a husky safari or opt for a night in an igloo, but we decided to explore the village by day and do some more late night walks in search of the Northern Lights by night. This time we weren’t disappointed. There’s a mountain track behind the village with a keg of hot glögi (mulled wine) at the top. For the next two nights we went out stargazing and were rewarded with a light display each night. Overall, the accommodation was a bit basic, but spacious and perfectly adequate. We had plenty of hot water and a warming rack for our clothes to dry out. We felt that the food was more ‘homely’ than Scandinavian but we weren’t expecting gourmet food and there was plenty of it. We went for the snowmobiling and to see the Northern Lights in the village was a bonus.

Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast

24 March 2016

It’s been a few years since I visited Italy and I’ve had so many enquiries recently that I thought it was time I did some ‘on site’ research. I travelled with my husband in September and his interest in the trip was to hire a Fiat5 00 to drive the Amalfi Coast - I wasn’t sure whether that would be frightening or fun but was up for giving it a go! We stayed in a beautiful villa in the hills behind Sant'Agnello. I’d recommend arriving in daylight if you do something like this because driving is a challenge enough without the added hilarity of a satnav trying to take you through someone’s back garden! When we finally arrived the electric gates opened to reveal a driveway leading through a lemon grove and the view from the villa was stunning. Our stay was based on B&B and we enjoyed Maria's baking - the lemonade and cake to greet us was a lovely welcome. Breakfast was all locally sourced and offered something different every day alongside the more traditional cereals and eggs. We walked into Sorrento from here most days and spent hours just wandering around the quaint shopping streets trying to decide where to eat – everything looked wonderful and we weren’t disappointed. The area is known for Limoncello liqueur and there's no shortage of opportunity to try out the local brands. There are plenty of restaurants with the ‘catch of the day’ displayed on ice in mini fishing boats for you to choose your fish and so many pastas that there’s food to suit every pocket. The town comes alive at night with impromptu street entertainment so even just going out for a quick pizza and a drink can turn into a late night. Having recently watch ‘Pompeii’ the movie, we had a renewed interest in seeing it for ourselves. It’s easy and cheap to go by train from Sant Agnello/Sorrento but you will have a better experience if you have a tour guide when you’re there. It’s a well preserved and interesting site but it’s huge and very uneven in places so make sure you have good walking shoes. There's also not much shade if you visit in summer but there are water fountains so you can top up your water whilst walking. As an add-on it’s also a great opportunity to visit Vesuvius. There are tour buses that leave from outside Pompeii and half way up you will transfer to a ‘monster truck’ to take you much further up on the gravel road. Finally, if you’ve got the energy, it’s a 20/30 minute walk to the crater. It’s definitely worth it and there’s even a bar at the top for a well earned drink with an amazing view. Vesuvius is still 'live' and you can see wisps of smoke escaping all the time from the crater sides. For the second half of our trip we moved to Maiori. This is a pretty seaside town with a beach. The drive along the Amalfi coast was definitely not for the faint hearted. The short wheel base local buses and touring coaches swing around the tight bends and we were pleased we’d got a small manoeuvrable car. It's not know as the 'road of 1000 bends' for nothing! There are passing places and plenty of viewpoints but backing up against a cliff face became second nature to allow some of these bigger vehicles to pass us. I thought that parking would be a problem, but in September it wasn’t too bad. A couple of Euros for a couple of hours in the car park in town or squeeze yourself behind a white line into the cliff space seems to do the trick! The other thing to be aware of is that the locals still have mopeds galore. They don’t seem to care where they park those and think nothing of riding across the town square and pulling up outside a shop just to pop in for a few supplies. The highlight of our last few days was a visit to the Palazzo Avino, high above Maiori in the town of Ravello. The town is a 7km twisting drive up through the Valle del Dragone but it’s worth it. There are lovely gardens to wander in, the 11th-century Duomo di Ravello on the town square is surrounded by pretty bars and restaurants. It’s predominantly a pedestrianised town so it’s a great place to wander around. We were lucky enough to have lunch at the Terrazza Belvedere with stunning views of our resort below. The hotel itself exudes glamour with smiles and gracious service from the staff – many have worked there for most of their lives and know their regular guests well. The rooms and suites combine high ceilings, antiques and individuality with the modern additions of satellite TV and iPod docking stations. It’s a historic hotel but it’s keeping up with the times gracefully. I'd love to be able to stay next time and try it out properly! Ravello takes on a different mood at night once the day trippers leave and it's renowned for being peaceful and atmospheric. They also offer summer concerts at the Annunziata Historic Building or their outdoor stage which are great settings. Had we been away longer I would have loved to have taken the ferries out to Capri and Ischia, and across to explore Naples as a city. I definitely would have explored Positano and some of the smaller towns and returned to Minori and waited to get a table at Sal De Riso for a coffee and ice cream or dessert - but time was against us!

Corroboree!

28 May 2015

As an Aussie Specialist I have just returned from ‘Corroboree Europe 2015’ which involved 300 Aussie Specialists from all over Europe meeting up with over 130 suppliers who look after our clients visiting Australia. The format is very structured to make sure that everyone gets to meet all of the exhibitors face to face to find out more about the services and products they offer. We also leave knowing that if we need help on the ground for special arrangements, we’ve almost certainly met someone who can help us, which is invaluable. As host city, Adelaide gets the opportunity not only to showcase her conference facilities, but also to show off and entertain us after official working hours. The first evening we were given a traditional Aborigine welcome at the National Wine Centre and afterwards several of the local wineries were offering wine tasting to complement the food at the stands. The second evening we visited the Adelaide Oval. I’m not a cricket fan myself but many of the men among us were in awe at seeing the memorabilia displays and the floodlit pitch after its multimillion dollar stadium facelift. For the third evening we were told not to wear white footwear and to take a jacket as we’d be going directly from the conference centre to the evening venue. Needless to say there was an air of anticipation building during the day as we tried to work out what we might be doing! The fleet of coaches arrived promptly and whisked us off to the Adelaide Parklands Terminal and all was revealed – the Ghan in all her glory! The Ghan is regarded as one of the world’s greatest rail journeys - her symbol is a camel and its handler in recognition of the pioneering Afghan cameleers who forged the original trail through Australia’s red centre. We were able to walk through the whole train and see the restaurants and the red, gold and platinum seating made up for day and night use. We then found ourselves back out on the platform which had been adorned with fairly lights, tables set for dinner and the distinctive red earth underfoot – a wonderful experience! After sampling so much local wine we couldn’t possibly leave South Australia without visiting a winery or two. South Australia has 18 wine regions but the Barossa Valley has more than 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries alone, so we didn’t need to go far. They even let us loose in the lab at Penfolds to blend our own which was great fun! Did you know the South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine? After our busy week in Adelaide we went our separate ways and split into 27 groups to explore further. I had chosen the Whitsundays and our flight was at 0600 via Sydney into Hamilton Island. This is a stunning airport to fly into and marked the beginning of our whistle stop tour. We boarded the Cruise Whitsundays ferry seamlessly to take us and our luggage to Airlie Beach for afternoon tea & a site inspection at Peppers and then transferred to the Abell Point Marina to meet the Solway Lass. She is a historic two-masted schooner and usually operates three and six night live-aboard cruises but she was only our home for the one night. We enjoyed a lovely steak dinner on the deck under the stars and retired fairly early. The next morning the water was like a millpond and we could see fish the size of dinner plates just swimming by. After breakfast we set off in the zodiac boat to the reef for a morning of diving and snorkelling. As it’s still considered to be stinger season we were required to wear stinger suits so we didn’t exactly look very glamorous! After a wonderful morning on the reef and lunch on board we headed back to the marina for our next stop – the Waters Edge apartments back at Airlie beach. The apartments were huge with lovely views over the bay – all be it from the back of the resort! However, it was only a five minute stroll downhill into the town which has a holiday feel to it and we had dinner at Capers on the Esplanade. Another early start as we were checked out by 06.45 to transfer back to the marina for our next nautical adventure – a day on the Camira catamaran. Camira is one of the world's fastest commercial sailing catamarans and can take around 100 people but she usually sails with a maximum of 80 in high season. I think we had around 60 people sitting in the ‘departure lounge’ at the marina but it didn’t feel crowded once we were all on board. We donned the compulsory stinger suits for snorkelling after lunch and then headed for the ultimate beach – Whitehaven. The pristine silica sand of Whitehaven stretches over seven kilometres and is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world and it certainly didn’t disappoint! Once we were back on board we had a relaxing sail to Daydream Island Resort & Spa where we were relieved to be reunited with our luggage. We discovered that Daydream Island & Spa has an interesting history on our site inspection. The mermaid statues are named Serenity, Aphrodesia and Infinity, representing respectively mind, body and spirit. The spa was built by Vaughan Bullivant, an Australian health mogul, when he owned the island and it has no less than 16 individual treatment rooms with Vichy showers, thermal tables, hydrotherapy tubs, steam effusion showers, dual treatment rooms & dual spa baths. I’ve seen some spas in my time but this was way above what I expected on this family style island that has its own Australia themed 18 hole mini gold and 44ft outdoor movie screen! We also had the opportunity to visit their living reef and hand feed the stingrays, lemon sharks and barramundi. They have resident marine biologists running the sessions and as it’s unlikely you’ll find Nemo or Dorey when you’re snorkelling, they’ve even made a ‘Nemoville’ habitat on their reef so the kids go home happy. We snorkelled off the smallest beach here and took some fishfood out with us. As soon as it was released into the water we were surrounded by fish including some parrot fish almost a foot long! After a relaxed picnic lunch on our beach, Cruise Whitsundays picked us up again and took us on to Hamilton Island. As you can imagine, an island that’s big enough for an airport has a larger range of accommodation, so as soon as we arrived we were allocated our own fleet of golf buggies to do the site inspection! Hamilton is a beautiful Island with the Marina Village and Catseye beach at its heart, but our aim was to be at One Tree Hill lookout for the ultimate sundowner which was everything it promised to be. We had ‘breakfast with the koalas’ before our afternoon pick up, overnight back at Airlie and our early morning flight from Proserpine to begin our journey home from another wonderful trip!

Allure of the Seas

12 April 2015

It’s official – size matters! While Allure of the Seas is the younger sister ship to Oasis of the Seas… she’s a whole two inches longer, which makes her the largest passenger ship ever constructed. Her home port is Port Everglades and I recently had the pleasure of spending a week aboard her on a ‘Seminar at Sea’. We flew into Miami and spent the first night at an airport hotel. This is normal when you join a Caribbean cruise as a flight delay could result in you missing your sailing. After a leisurely breakfast we transferred up to Fort Lauderdale to join the ship. The embarkation is staggered to make boarding as smooth as possible and the cruise terminal had around 20 check in desks. We were photographed for our Seapass which is linked to your credit card and allows you to purchase things on board, access your drinks package if you’ve bought one, and get on and off the ship. Several of my fellow Travel Counsellors were dubious about spending a week in the company of over 5,000 passengers, but once you’re on, you would never know there were that many people on board. As the ship was sailing full, we were given special clearance to board early so that we could view the main cabin categories before their guests arrived. Allure is a family ship and although there were hundreds of children on our sailing, they were well entertained by the complimentary Adventure Ocean kids clubs and the organised family activities. There’s the Studio B ice rink, twin rock climbing walls, mini golf, a sports court for basketball, volleyball and dodgeball, several pools, a water park, two surf-riders, a fairground carousel, a 3D cinema and a zipline to keep kids of all ages busy during sea days. For very young children, there’s even ‘Royal Babies’ and ‘Royal Tots’ where you can book babysitting from $6 an hour and prebook your supplies of nappies etc. with their ‘Babies2go’ service. There’s also ‘My Family Time’ dining offered where the kids club staff will collect your children aged 3-11 from the dining room 45 minutes after service starts so that you can enjoy your dinner and entertainment as a couple until the early hours. We enjoyed the amazing new OceanAria aquatheatre production, the Blue Planet stage show and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical ‘Chicago’ and were easily able to change our dining times to choose between early and late shows. Adagios was our main dining room on second sitting but we also sampled ‘Rita’s Cantina’ Mexican restaurant & ‘Chops Grill’ steakhouse for a small cover charge. Other people chose to try out the ‘Izumi’ Japanese restaurant & ‘Giovanni's Table’ the Italian Trattoria. For breakfast most of us seemed to favour ‘central park’ or the solarium as we were able to eat outside and enjoy the early morning sun before heading into the conference centre for our training sessions. Room service is also offered free of charge or you could also opt for a full silver service breakfast cooked to order in the main dining room, the buffet breakfast in the Windjammer or even donuts and pastries from the Boardwalk Donut Shop. We did try, but failed to get round all of the restaurants on board in just a week! We also tried to get round all the entertainment between us, and failed that too. We were able to catch the Ice show and most people alternated between Blaze and Dazzles for clubbing and live music but we didn’t get round to the comedy or jazz clubs, the karaoke or spend time in many of the other bars featuring live music. One that we had to try together before dinner one night was the ‘Rising Tide’ which actually travels slowly between three decks! On port days we had some free time and in Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica) and Cozumel (Mexico) we were able to leave the ship easily as there were gangways directly onto the piers at each. Labadee is Royal Caribbean’s 260-acre private beach resort and has four distinct beaches linked by ‘tram’. This is actually more like a stretched golf buggy pulled by a mini tractor – but it beats walking! Whilst ashore here your lunch and drinks are included, but you pay extra for any activities you do – including using the water park. If you’re up for some soft adventure you can ride the Dragons Breath zipline – it’s the longest zipline in the world over water at 2,600 feet long and can reach speeds of 40mph. If that’s too fast for you, located 680 feet up on the same mountain, you will also find the Dragon's Tail alpine roller coaster which runs with single seater cars and can reach 30mph as it snakes down its track towards the sea. Most of us took the opportunity to laze on the beach and go for a swim and then wandered back through the craft village to the Adrenaline Beach to watch the zipliners for a while. A couple of people stayed on board and tried out the spa and a couple of others went kayaking and visited a local village. All in all, it was a relaxing day and even embarkation seemed to have naturally staggered itself so there was no last minute rush to board the ship. Maybe a few of the ‘labadoozie’ island cocktails had done the trick to make everyone relax into the Caribbean pace of life. Falmouth is Royal Caribbean’s specially built cruise port close to Ocho Rios. The town itself has 19th-century Georgian architecture and you can wander around here easily without having to book an excursion. If you want to explore further afield you can visit Dunns River Falls, take a bamboo raft ride on the Martha Brae, visit Negril or one of the Great Houses. Several of our group went river tubing but we were invited to visit Secrets Wild Orchid and Secrets St James and it was a great opportunity to see these resorts first hand. The last port of call was Cozumel and a couple of our Australian TC’s were out very early for the all day trip to Chichén Itzá which was fascinating. Most people don’t realise it covers 6 square miles and has several hundred ancient buildings. The other Australian TC’s hired a jeep and explored on their own, finding an authentic Mexican beach bar where they were the only guests for lunch. Several people went to Chankanaab which is a fairly new local beach park offering a snorkeling reef, botanical gardens a sea lion show and crocodile pond. I opted for a snorkeling trip by catamaran and visited a beautiful reef before spending an hour on a deserted island beach with a cold beer and the local iguanas. During our sea days on the way back we met the captain and his hotel and entertainment directors, we visited the bridge and the galley, the Adventure Ocean clubs and the nursery, the casino, spa, gym and photo gallery. Allure of the Seas is operating out of Europe all summer so I must admit I'm tempted to sneak off for another week to experience the bits I've missed!

Amsterdam revisited

31 December 2014

My husband proposed to me in Amsterdam so it’s always been a city close to my heart. It’s been a while since we’ve visited so we returned in October to see whether it’s changed much in recent years. I’m pleased to report that it hasn’t ... and for me that’s great because it had so much character then, and it still has it now. The Dutch people are very artistic and although it has all the big chain stores and designer shopping, it also has an eclectic mix of shops and markets to browse for the more unusual gifts. This time we opted to stay near the Vondelpark, which put us in a quiet part of the city in the museum district, but just across the canal from the Leidesplein and one of the main tram routes. Although we were well placed for using the trams, we walked everywhere. I say ‘walked’ but that also included dodging the cyclists at every junction and the trams that clang their bells at you in the shopping streets! Just when you think you’re safe walking down a one way street, there’s bound to be another bike taking a short cut, so daydreaming on foot isn’t an option. Luckily there are plenty of cafes to tempt you, so you can people watch in peace. The only thing I would say is that there are cafes and ‘coffeeshops’ in Amsterdam so you need to make sure you know what you want before you go in! But to be fair, the coffeeshops usually feature green in their livery or psychedelic artwork and have a very distinctive aroma which is definitely not coffee! It was too late in the year to visit the tulip fields or the Keukenhof gardens that Amsterdam is known for, but the flower market is still worth a visit at any time of the year. Some stalls sell dried flowers and you can buy bulbs and seeds all year round along with cut flowers. The market town of Alkmaar was also off the list this trip as it’s known for the outdoor cheese market from the first Friday of April to the first Friday of September. Having said that, there are numerous cheese shops around Amsterdam and they all welcome you in to try their products. If you want to know more you can also take any number of cheese and wine tours which will educate you on how and where they were made. I have now revived my love of Gouda which is around 60% of the cheese made in the Netherlands and is offered with many different herbs, seasonings and flavourings. One official trip we did do was a canal cruise. The cruisers are moored close to central station and there are four main routes to choose from, so it’s a good idea to check out a few before you decide which one to take. Most of them offer headsets or multilingual commentary and are a great way to find your bearings in the city whilst finding out about its history. Ours took about an hour and also took us past several large river cruisers that were moored at the back of the station. The red light district is close by so if this isn’t an area you want to wander around in, make sure you’ve got your bearings when you get off! Again, if you want to find out more you can take an official tour which will give you the history of the area and tell you more about how it operates in present times. It was a bit early for the run up to Christmas but the Dam Square had been turned into a funfair complete with a big wheel, dodgems and haunted house along with the shooting ranges, hook a duck and all the eateries you could wish for. We have visited some of the more traditional museums and this time decided to go for the Body Worlds Happiness Project. This is definitely not one for the feint hearted as it features over 200 anatomical exhibits that brought to life my old biology text books in an amazing way! This is now a permanent exhibition in the city and was fascinating. All in all.... an enjoyable few days and we have promised ourselves to return again soon.

USA Road Trip

06 April 2015

I’ve never had LA at the top of my list for places to visit in the USA but circumstances made a visit essential in 2014. So, with my tourist hat on I set about going and finding out why so many people stay there. We were based in West Hollywood for a week without transport and did the usual things such as the ‘Stars Homes’ tour in Beverly Hills which also took in several iconic movie locations including the Hollywood Hills, Rodeo Drive, Carney’s on Sunset Strip, the Saddle Ranch and Whisky a Go-Go (which helped launch bands such as Guns ‘n’ Roses). Just round the corner from our hotel was the world famous Chinese Theatre, home to the historic Hollywood forecourt featuring handprints of the famous. We were all set to buy tickets to see a film there when we realised that a film premiere would be taking place instead – red carpet and all, so we waited outside. The security built up during the afternoon and around 6pm the limos and huge black 4x4’s with tinted windows started to arrive. Everyone seemed to be in good humour and Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, Terry Crews, Jason Statham and Antonio Banderas were all happy to work the crowd and sign autographs to promote ‘Expendables 3’. Sadly this was the same day news broke that that Robin Williams had died. We visited his star on the Walk of Fame before we left and each day the tributes mounted as people paid their respects to this much loved actor and talented comedian. Another day we made our way out to Burbank to the home of Warner Bros. The VIP Studio tour was approx £40 and worth every penny. We covered the 110 acre site in a Batman themed golf buggy and heard how so many of our favourite films and TV programmes had been filmed there. We visited the set of Friends & Ellen, the exhibitions of Batman and Harry Potter and saw the studios for Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men from a distance as they were both in use. The workshops were in full swing making sets and the prop shop is an Aladdin’s cave of memorabilia – all for hire. All in all, a great day out and it can be done by bus if you haven’t got a car and don’t want to pay for a taxi. On our last day we went riding in the Hollywood Hills – next stop Las Vegas! Las Vegas is much like New York – a city that never sleeps! I’ve visited before but felt that it was time to return and see what 10 years has done to the place. The recession has left some projects unfinished but it has also got some amazing new properties. Vegas also has top class entertainment so if the casinos, quality dining and designer shopping aren’t your thing, there are bound to be several shows you’d be pleased to see. We chose Veronica Voices at Bally’s and it was everything it promised to be – a great new talent in town. If you book in advance you can get to see headline artists such as Elton John, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith & Madonna and staying in a 5* hotel here is a fraction of the cost you would pay in any other city. Very few visitors go to Vegas without taking a trip out to the Grand Canyon so after a couple of days we headed out to the Hoover Dam and the Canyon which was stunning. Once you’ve paid entrance to the park, there are free shuttle buses that take you to the best viewpoints which allows people to walk between them quite easily. This part of the world is also one end of ‘Route 66’. The legendary road passes through the heart of the United States running from Chicago to Los Angeles. Long since decommissioned, much of it has been either built over or bypassed, but most of the towns are still there. In recent years there has been a movement to preserve its history, highlighted in 2006 by the Pixar film ‘Cars’, so we made a point of driving on part of the old highway and visited Williams which was the last town bypassed by the I-40. It had to be done – we ate in a 50’s style Diner and the town has great atmosphere at night so we were pleased we made the detour! The next big city on our hit list was San Francisco. We only had time for a fleeting visit but we took a trip out on one of the numerous boat trips from Fisherman’s Wharf. Getting a trip out to Alcatraz wasn’t possible so that’s something you should definitely book in advance if you definitely want to go. We were happy just to cruise past it and hear some stories from the guide in the headset. Luck was on our side and we saw the Golden Gate Bridge without her frequent misty cloak. The bridge was painted 'international orange' to enhances the bridge's visibility in the frequent fog. We spent some time at Pier 39 wharf admiring the sea lions. This is a free nature centre as they're free to come and go as they please, but they have been living in the bay since 1990 and a visitor centre has been built to educate people on keeping the area a suitable habitat for them. We had dinner overlooking the pier at the ‘Bubba Gump Shrimp Company’ which was started after the success of the film Forrest Gump. The whole area has a fairground atmosphere with street performers, a mirror maze and a even a carousel for the kids ,so it's a great place to just sit and soak up the atmosphere. Another thing that has to be done in San Francisco is to ride the cable cars. These are the last manually operated cable cars in the world and they cover just three routes. The gripman who operated ours was more than happy to chat on the way up and tell us how everything worked , which was great value for a $6 ride. Once we left LA we covered 2,500 miles in two weeks and tried to see a bit of everything. Valet parking is expensive but worth every penny in the cities. Sat nav is an absolute must and made the journey relatively stress free. I hate the fact that everything is priced up 'excluding tax' - but would be happy to do it all over again another year to see some more of the bits we missed.....

Iceland - Northern Lights

21 April 2014

The Northern Lights have been on my husband’s wish list for years. Having organised trips for several clients this winter, I decided that we ought to join the hunt and we went to Reykjavik in February. Our flight was early in the day so we took the bus to the Blue Lagoon. The thermal pools are closer to the airport than to the city so it’s always a good plan to stop off on the way in or out from Keflavik if your schedule allows. They’re a well organised attraction offering luggage storage, towel rental and electronic wristbands that will close your locker and buy you a drink in the pool – clever stuff! The water temperature in the bathing area of the lagoon averages 37–39 °C and its rich in minerals like silica and sulphur. Whilst this doesn’t sound a nice place to be, it’s actually very pleasant. There are ‘mud stations’ around the pools where you can help yourself and most people walk around in the water with a face pack on for a while. Then you can visit the ‘pool bar’ for a drink, get a body massage or a sauna. In time the silica makes the black volcanic rocks turn white and smooth below the water line and on the bottom of the pool it’s mostly smooth, squidgy mud – just beware the odd rock! After all, this is a natural lava landscape pool that’s fed by water from the nearby geothermal power station and the healing properties of the water were discovered by accident. Unfortunately, whilst it’s great for the skin, it plays havoc with your hair - so if you get it wet, you’ll need a week and a gallon of conditioner to put it right! The bus into the city will drop off at most of the main hotels so it’s a great service. We found the Icelandic people to be friendly and helpful and the world’s most northern capital is spotlessly clean. We walked everywhere in the central area and even made it up to the Perlan centre. The Perlan is built on top of huge geothermal hot water storage tanks on Öskjuhlíð hill and houses reputably the most expensive restaurant in the country. We made do with coffee and cake, but it’s an interesting ‘James Bond’ style building that often houses exhibitions and offers amazing views of the city from the viewing platform. Most visitors to Iceland will also do the ‘golden circle’ excursion featuring Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir. This is a full day trip and it was good to get out and see some of the countryside. Thingvellir National Park is the site of a rift valley between the Eurasian Plate and North American Tectonic Plates. Silfra on Thingvellir Lake is one of the best spots for diving in the world and experienced divers find the rift dive offers a unique opportunity to dive pristine waters offering 100m visibility between two continents. Northern Lights tours are offered by all the main tour companies and it’s a good idea to book one up for the beginning of your holiday. We were lucky enough to see the lights almost every evening in the city, but the first time we took the tour it was deemed a ‘no show’. The second time we went (for free this time), the guide was much better with her rendition of local folklore and we found ourselves back at Thingvellir Park. This time we were treated to shimmering curtains of red and green that ended in an intense swirl. The display lasted around 20 minutes. Taking a good picture is more by luck than judgement as you have to choose a long exposure time and hope that it stays in focus. Also the cold will quickly drain your batteries. You could hardly see your hand in front of your face in the park so taking a small torch so you can adjust your settings is a good idea. Using a flashgun is extremely bad form - not only will your picture be useless, but the light from your flash will ruin the shots of everyone around you! So – mission accomplished – Northern Lights done. My husband says we were lucky – I say it was good planning! Our hotel was also one of very few that had a sky terrace by the bar, so he had plenty of chance to practice with the camera whilst I was wrapped up in a blanket with a hot toddy!

Cape Town, Durban & KwaZulu-Natal Safari

30 November 2014

I won a trip to South Africa at a training event some time ago and it finally took place in September 2013. We flew in overnight with South African Airways & I was delighted to see that we were due to visit Table Mountain on our first day. We quickly checked in to the Southern Sun Waterfront and had a packed lunch on the way over to the cable car. I did think it was all a bit rushed, but once we arrived we found that the clouds were rolling in and there was a chance that it might be closed down for the day. Luckily we made it up to the top and caught a few good shots of the bays before heading back down, but it was too cold and exposed to stay up there long – even the Dassie’s were huddled together for warmth! Down on the V&A Waterfront it was a different world with street musicians playing and people eating outside. So, my first piece of advice is that you should always visit Table Mountain early in your stay! The next day we were due to visit Robben Island but that was also scuppered by rough weather out at sea, so we did the ‘hop on, hop off’ bus around the city instead which was very interesting. Our afternoon was spent visiting hotels and we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Southern Sun Cullinan. The next morning we had breakfast and were checked out to leave by 8am for our journey into the winelands. The scenery changed as we got closer to Stellenbosch which has at least 140 wine farms and stacks of heritage, being the second oldest city in the country. With so many of the wineries offering rooms on bed & breakfast, it’s an ideal place to spend a couple of days learning about wine production and finding a new favourite to take home. We were lucky enough to stay at the award winning Grand Dedale in Wellington, which is right next to the Doolhof winery where we spent a couple of hours wine tasting before dinner. Next stop – Durban! After a return to Cape Town and a short, comfortable flight we hit the Durban Heritage Route including a visit to where Nelson Mandela cast his first vote and a stop for lunch at a local restaurant. If you're local it's a 'bring a steak' party and cook it on the braai - our guide had already brought ours over earlier so it's a fun way to meet people and cook together and at night they have live music too. We walked off our braai lunch with a couple of interesting hotel visits before heading to the Southern Sun Elangeni to check in. The following day flew by – we took the Skycar Ride to the top of the Moses Mabhida Stadium and some brave souls took the ‘Big Rush’ bungee back down. We did a Segway tour around the stadium and then cycled to uShaka Marine World to visit the Aquarium – all before lunch! But it was well worth it – the Three Cities Docklands Hotel is a quirky hotel close to the docks. They operate a partnership with a cookery school and the food here was an absolute delight at a very reasonable rate. We stopped off at Victoria Market in the afternoon before getting dressed up for dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Over the past 5 decades, the Beverly Hills hotel in Umhlanga has been home to both royalty & celebrities and has its own style and elegance. The rooms are sumptuous and the hotel even has their own ‘dolphin bell’ to alert guests to the pods that frequent the waters surrounding the hotel – how cool is that! The last part of the trip was our eagerly awaited safari stay at Phinda Private Game Reserve. After an early start we arrived next day at Mountain Lodge in time for lunch, but the journey from the gates became our first game drive. There are just twenty five suites here, each with a private veranda complete with plunge pool and romantic al fresco shower. The bathroom was huge with a walk in shower, freestanding tub and patio doors that open to give you uninterrupted views out over the valley. During our two days we visited five of the six lodges and saw amazing wildlife including black rhino and cheetah cubs. They not only have the big five here, but also over 400 bird species and part of the park is comprised of a rare dry sand forest with great towering torchwood trees. We also stayed a night in the Forest Lodge there which features stilted rooms with full floor to ceiling glass on three sides. Another area we drove through was very wet and muddy (it's not called "The Greater St Lucia Wetlands" for nothing!) We found this out to our cost when we got stuck in the mud for a while, but our armed rangers arranged for us to be towed out and served us sundowners whilst we waited – we couldn’t have asked for better service!

Cyprus – my honeymoon island...

17 March 2014

Many years ago when my husband and I got married, the travel world seemed a much smaller place than it is now. We were already fairly well travelled for our age and wanted somewhere special for our honeymoon. We chose Cyprus - dubbed the “island of love” as it is the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. Since then I have organised several weddings and numerous honeymoons to the island and felt that it was time we went back ourselves. This time we went to celebrate my husband’s birthday and spent time in both Limassol and Paphos. Limassol is the second largest city on the island and also one of the island’s largest seaside resorts. As it’s a business centre and the home of the international port, you have to be very selective where you stay and we chose the Meridien. This hotel reminded us a bit of Thunderbirds’ Tracey Island but was an oasis of calm with great service, a small but immaculate blue flag beach and beautiful gardens. They have an amazing spa offering over 120 treatments, a seven pool thalassotherapy circuit and manage to offer both adult only areas and the great Penguin Club kid’s facility which is almost a resort in itself. We had a car for the duration of our trip and set about exploring the island after a couple of days. Without exception everyone was very friendly and eager to please us. It was comparatively cheap to eat out and although it was early in the season, there was plenty of choice on the menus. We visited friends who took us out to dine in a non-tourist mountain village and the cost was even cheaper still! We explored Limassol old town and walked the boardwalk for miles. It’s a city by the sea so it’s not the prettiest place for a stroll, but staying there would give you access to more shops and restaurants than we had on the outskirts. Troodos doesn’t seem to have changed very much and is still a lovely drive. I had expected Aphrodite’s Rock to have become quite commercialised and was pleased to find it hasn’t. With a 6000 year history of winemaking we decided that we would spend an afternoon in the wine villages. My husband enjoyed the nuts, olives and cheeses whilst I enjoyed the wines – a perfect end to the day! Paphos had changed the most and what we remembered to be a local unmarked road is now a well paved street lined with hotels, shops and restaurants. There is now a go kart track and a waterpark in town and the beach beyond is being developed with Caribbean style ‘pop up’ bars and restaurants so you can party on the beach until the early hours without disturbing anyone. Our honeymoon hotel has now become the upmarket adult only Asimina Suites and we couldn’t resist a peek inside. As expected, the grounds are immaculate and the hotel has two inter-connecting pools in the centre. Several of the suites have their own pools and if you tire of these then you can move to your private cabana near the beach! The Constantinou Brothers have several 4 and 5* hotels in Paphos and it’s great to see that they have evolved and prospered bringing back many repeat guests to resort year after year. After seeing what our honeymoon hotel has become – we may well be joining them!

Peru – The road to Machu Picchu!

01 December 2013

In April I was lucky enough to travel to Peru for a wonderful trip. After checking in at the hotel we were picked up by our local guide for a visit to the Larco Museum followed by popping into a well-known historic local tavern to be introduced to Pisco Sour – the national drink of Peru. The locals tend to buy the distilled brandy by the bottle, then spend the evening making their own cocktails at the table - the atmosphere was getting very merry by the time we left! As it was getting dark, we headed for the Magic Water Circuit, the largest water and light show in South America which was very impressive. The next day we drove to Paracas. This is a seaside town and the gateway to the Ballestas Islands, home to approx. 200 types of birds, sea lions, Humboldt penguins and occasionally dolphins. Our visit was to fly the Nazca lines by light aircraft. These huge drawings can only be seen from the air, they were discovered in 1927 but have been there for over a thousand years and we still know relatively little about them. If you’re happy to ride a rollercoaster you’ll be fine but if the thought turns your stomach you might want to just buy a set of pictures instead! The next day we drove the 250km back to Lima and continued our tour. The buildings of the old city show their Spanish heritage and the Cathedral had amazing mosaics and carvings. The city was also a hive of activity with street cleaners and gardeners keeping everything immaculate. We were only back in Lima for one night and were flying to Arequipa the next day at 0530. This White City is at altitude, our room was ready when we arrived and we rested to get acclimatised. In the afternoon we walked the city and visited Santa Catalina Monastery, the Cathedral, the pretty Yanahuara district and Carmen Alto viewpoint to see the Misti, Chachani and Pichu-Pichu volcanoes properly for the first time. The next day we were in the foothills of Chachani surrounded by llamas and alpacas en route to Colca. Another very early start saw us at the Colca Canyon before 8am. We waited with bated breath and were rewarded with several majestic condors rising on the thermals. These amazing birds are the symbol of the Andes and although they have a wingspan of almost 3 metres, they looked tiny in this vast canyon when we first spotted them. During the afternoon we stopped at more colonial towns to arrive in the very chaotic lakeside town of Puno. There is only a narrow strip of land between the lake shore and the mountains so the city is precariously creeping up the mountainside. It’s predominantly a fishing and agricultural area where bartering is still king and a traffic jam is an everyday occurrence. Lake Titicaca, the world's highest commercially navigable lake, at 3,860 m above sea level is home to the ‘floating islands’. For thousands of years the Uros people have lived on and maintained these unique islands, depending on the lake for their survival and in recent years, supplemented by tourism. We spent two nights here at the Relais & Châteaux hotel Titilaka and the hotel, the lake and the islands were magical. The end of our trip was in sight as we drove to Cusco via Pucara, the Temple of the Wiracocha and Andahuaylillas for more insight into the local history. The next day Sacsayhuaman Archaological Park was impressive, shopping at Pisac Market was fun and soon we were in Ollantaytambo for our overnight stay. The next day was the highlight of our trip – Machu Picchu! We took the Inca Rail train to Aguas Calientes to meet our guide and boarded the bus which took us up the last steep winding road to Machu Picchu. The Urubamba River rushes though the pass below us and The Lost City of the Incas disappears into the clouds above us. We journey up through jungle vegetation and you wonder how the place was ever built. Our guide took us to vantage points all over the sacred site and explained the terracing, the shrines and buildings. From here you can also see Intipunku – the sungate where people who take the Inka Trail will emerge and glimpse their first sights of the lost city. For the adventurous, there are 400 tickets available daily to climb Huayna Picchu and see an alternative view amazing!

Amazing Malta in March

19 March 2015

Malta is a country I have visited before so I was thrilled to win a pair of tickets at World Travel Market to visit again. With the ticket and holiday restrictions we had, we decided it would have to be March. We knew it wouldn’t be a lounging around the pool/beach holiday so we opted to stay in Sliema and have a car for the duration so we could easily explore the island. Unfortunately we explored Sliema a bit too much on arrival as we struggled to find our hotel! Luckily there were plenty of helpful people around who pointed us in the right direction. Once we managed to get parked we were introduced to Charles Portelli, the front office manager at the Victoria hotel, who is a charming gentleman and an absolute fountain of knowledge of all things Maltese. Once he had produced a more sensible map than the one the rental station had given us and told us what to look for, driving was a doddle. He persuaded us to visit his local town, Rabat for the Feast of St. Joseph the next day. This festival was absolutely amazing. The town was decked in banners and religious statues, there was a carnival atmosphere with street stalls and everyone out in their Sunday best. We enjoyed musicians playing and the air was filled with ticker tape as the parade passed through. This is one of many festivals on the island and we were so pleased we went. It was easy for us to walk from our hotel to the seafront in Sliema and we enjoyed several lovely meals in the local restaurants. Just along the coast we found St Julian’s with the typical pretty fishing boats in the harbour. We took the ferry across the bay to Valetta one day so that we could enjoy a full day there and both have a drink with our meals. This is a beautiful city with so much to see. We people watched in the squares and visited Buckingham Palace complete with its marching guards. My war history is pretty patchy and I was interested to read the stories of Malta as a hospital island at Fort St Elmo and see the Siege Bell Memorial. If all the steps get a bit much you could always take a horse-drawn cab, known locally as the karozzin and if you think it might be a bit too hot for the horses, Valetta has now got electric cabs similar to the Johnny cab in Total Recall – only these have proper drivers! By taking a harbour cruise you get to see the three cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua and we also saw a huge oil rig undergoing repairs! If you wanted to be out all day you could take in the neighbouring islands of Gozo and Comino. Of all the cities in Malta, Mdina is probably the most enchanting. Known as the Silent City, you can wind your way through the maze of narrow, cobbled streets and feel like you’re in a medieval town. It has great charm, and there’s no better way to enjoy it than just strolling around. Eventually you’ll find yourself back where you started at the Mdina glass shop and it will be hard to resist a unique purchase as a memento. If you’re driving around the island, sooner or later you’ll see the dome of Mosta standing proud above the town. Depending on what you read, it’s the third or fourth largest church dome in Europe. It was hit by two bombs during the war and pierced by a third weighing 200kg during the evening mass. Luckily if failed to explode and a replica is proudly on display to those who visit. On Sunday we visited Marsaxlokk. I always like to visit a local market and apparently so do most other people on the island! Marsaxlokk is a fishing village and the classic pictures show the bay full of traditional fishing boats. The day trippers fill the bars and restaurants along the seafront at lunchtime and the stalls do a brisk trade in everything from fish, vegetables and clothes to locally produced honey, olives, fruit jams, sweets and wine. We enjoyed our car and drove all over the island - but if you don’t want to drive every day, there are three hop on hop off bus routes with a sightseeing commentary or the local bus system which is efficient and cheap – and strangely it’s run by Arriva!

Kenya's Tsavo East - Galdessa Safari

02 December 2014

Having visited Kenya several years ago and followed the classic Aberdares, Samburu, Lake Naivasha & Masai Mara route we decided that when we returned this time we wanted a more private experience. We would be staying on the Kenyan coast afterwards so chose to visit Tsavo East staying in a luxury camp with just 11 thatched roof, semi tented bungalows on wooden platforms on the southern banks of the Galana River. We flew into Mombasa via Nairobi and it took around three hours to reach the Buchuma park gate. Tsavo East is wilder and much less frequented by visitors than Tsavo West, therefore fewer lodges and fewer vehicles in the park. It’s also one of the largest with an area of 13,747 square kilometres. Game drives always begin as soon as you enter through the park gates and this one was no different. We saw several different landscapes, kudu, dik dik & impala in the next hour and the winding avenue of doun palms in the distance showed us that we were nearing camp. The Yatta Plateau, the world's oldest fossilised lava flow, also overlooks the river and creates sand bars and dramatic backdrops along its 300km length. Lugard’s Falls is 15kms away from the camp and features an odd shaped eroded rock where the Galana River flows through and turns into rapids during the wet season. Below Lugard’s Falls are Hippo Point and Crocodile Point which are popular sites for wallowing hippo and basking crocodiles. Tsava East is known for its black rhinos and 'red elephants' and these were what we most wanted to see during our stay. We also hoped to see one particular elephant close up in camp. Part of the charm of camps such as Galdessa is that they’re not fenced and this allows you to have a unique experience of local wildlife. At check in we were interrogated by the camp manager to ensure that we didn’t have any food in our bags or cases. There are no phones in your accommodation so if you have any problems you need to bang the jungle drum for assistance. During the day one of the lovely staff will quickly attend to you, but at night it will be one of the Masai rangers who patrol after dark. The beds are fairly low to the ground and the roof thatch reaches down to approx 1metre off the ground. This means that when you’re lying in bed you can still see the river and the surrounding vegetation through the mosquito net and the fine mesh on the canvas windows. You feel at one with the sounds of nature and you do sometimes feel that the trees are moving. When you look closer you’ll see that the ‘trees’ are likely to be elephants or hippos and that’s why you can’t afford to have any food in your tents at night! The staff will agree the time to escort you to the lodge for pre-drive coffee and cake/cookies and you start out just after dawn on your morning game drive. On the way the staff will be able to show you tracks of the animals that have passed thorough the camp overnight. The morning game drive will usually last a couple of hours and you return to the lodge for a full breakfast. The rest of your morning is at leisure and a full service lunch is included. Late afternoon you go for your second game drive and the aim is to be back just as darkness falls. Dinner is usually fairly early in the evening due to the early start next day.You can arrange a full day out with a packed lunch at a supplement and we also joined one of the local rangers for the walking safari at Lugard’s Falls to see the crocs and hippos. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed on safari, but we knew that Galdessa often has a bull elephant who visits the camp during the day. He’s affectionately known as ‘Mugabe’ and we were lucky enough to see him every day of our stay. He’s totally wild and the Masai are never far away to make sure that everyone keeps their distance. On our last day we took the full day out of camp and found our red elephants and also saw a glimpse of the black rhinos so we were very lucky! The red elephants were amazing and we stayed with them for miles.... they had found some of the buried water pipes that run alongside the park boundary. As it was dry season, they had dug down to the pipe and stamped on it until it cracked and filled the hole with water. After drinking, the red mud they made gives them their camouflage and you can easily lose sight of them at a distance. One of the babies had got stuck and we watched Mum rescue him - we were totally mesmerized! How anyone could harm these amazing animals is beyond me!

Still 'Dreaming' in the Dominican Republic!

31 August 2012

Ctd.... After a lovely meal at ‘Mercure’, the French restaurant at Now Larimar, we decided to explore this larger resort in search of some nightlife. There were plenty of places to choose from and we moved between a couple of the bars until we found ourselves in the club. Now Larimar has a fresh, funky style and appeals to younger clientele. You can still have a top quality all inclusive here with plenty of activities on offer to work up your appetite – and keep going into the small hours. If you like the activities but want to retire early – opt for the garden rooms which are brand new and set slightly apart from the main hotel. They have their own pool and provide a haven of peace for those that aren’t beach lovers. You can use all of the facilities in the main hotel and there are golf carts providing a shuttle service if you really can’t make the 5 minute walk between the two. After realising that we had to have had breakfast and be checked out by 0730 we decided to leave the club whilst it was still in full swing. Boat trips can be both exhilarating and scenic but we weren’t sure which we would encounter on our trip the next day to Saona! After what seemed like a ‘nap’ we were all present and correct by 0730 and our local host was pleasantly surprised. She had half expected us to be late and as some had chosen to skip breakfast, she offered to drop into Burger King en route to help out. The menu here wasn’t quite the same as you would expect in the UK – and certainly not with the speed of service – but it was very well prepared and served with a smile – just what was needed! The trip to Saona Island is one of the most popular excursions on the Coconut Coast. You can go one way speedboat and back on a catamaran or vice versa and it can be combined with shopping or a local tour. Saona is a national park and covers approx. 42 square miles so overcrowding is rarely an issue. The colours are amazing and it’s a chilled out day with just the crystal clear sea, a beach barbeque and merengue lessons on the softest of sand if you fancy a go. If the mention of music sends you running, there are massage beds at the other end of the beach where you can have a full body massage for a fraction of the cost in the UK. With just the sounds of the breeze through the palms and the water lapping the shore, what could be more relaxing! The boats leave in dribs and drabs from mid afternoon and most stop on the way back for a last refreshing dip in the sea at a shallow spot. This area is known for starfish and if you can’t find one... one of the deckhands will for sure. When we arrived back at the beach we walked directly into Dreams Romana to check in. I can’t believe that this property has 750 rooms. It has seven a la carte restaurants and as many bars but it has three pools (including the preferred club) and none seemed hugely busy although the hotel was almost full. The beach is long and wide with no other properties sharing it. At one end of the beach you will find Bayahibe village and at the other there’s a small bay with a pier. Wednesday night is the beach barbeque night so we saw the screens going up and the stage being set for more dancing in the sand. A fitting end for our last night! After seeing Dreams Punta Cana we knew to expect the excellent Exploreres Club and the sumptuous spa but I particularly like the Preferred Club terrace and beach, the Veranda bar and the Jungle restaurant here. We called in to see Dreams Palm Beach on the way to the airport, it's smaller, has similar facilities, but I have to say that my heart lies with La Romana. The Dominican Republic is now served by scheduled airlines and offers ‘Unlimited Luxury’ hotels as well as a huge choice for history, nature and adventure – I think they will gain many new clients in the years to come as their infrastructure grows and it becomes easier for guests to venture out and see what it has to offer.

‘Dreaming’ in the Dominican Republic

29 July 2012

As a Caribbean Specialist I was given to opportunity recently to visit the Dominican Republic with AM Resorts. July is officially hurricane season so the weather was hot and humid, but as it was still cold and wet here – it was no contest! We flew BA with a quick touchdown in Antigua and were dismayed to see four other wide bodied aircraft at Punta Cana when we arrived. Despite having to queue to pay $10pp arrival tax, the airport handled the mass arrival very well and we were soon on our way to Dreams Punta Cana. We were checked in at the Preferred Club so by the time we had completed check in formalities with a welcome drink, our luggage had been delivered to our rooms. I say ‘room’ lightly as I had a junior suite – complete with king sized bed, palatial bathroom and a Jacuzzi on my balcony! There are seven restaurants and ten bars for people to choose from here with no set dining times. We ate at Himitzu which is the Pan-Asian fusion restaurant and also offers Teppanyaki tables for an entertaining meal (which was excellent). By the time we had finished dinner, my body clock was reminding me that it was 3am back home and I really should retire to my bed. Next morning we were up bright and early (thanks to the jet-lag) to find somewhere for breakfast, check out and prepare for the site inspection. In the light of day I realised why the resort seemed quiet; the grounds are beautifully landscaped and I wouldn’t have known there were 620 rooms here. The hotel has the largest freeform pool on the island which provides lots of quiet spots to hide away in the greenery – strangely, complete with resident flamingos! Our next stop was Zoetry Agua Punta Cana which is a complete contrast - but still with beautiful gardens and beach. Just 51 suites and an ideal pampering honeymoon style ambience – featuring aromatherapy pillows no less! You can have 24 hour in-room private dining, a 20 minute spa treatment every day, the contents of your whole wardrobe laundered and if you want to, you can phone everyone you know to tell them you’re having a good time – no charges - now that’s what I call all inclusive! Our next home was to be Secrets Royal Beach with another late check in and a hunt for our restaurant in the dark. Anyone watching our odd journey across the bridges over the pools and back several times would be forgiven for thinking we’d been in the bar all day! The morning light made the breakfast hunt easier and by lunchtime when we had been shown round it was beginning to make more sense. Lovely meandering pools flanked by 373 rooms, this is an adult only resort with more contemporary styling and a huge beach. So that we could actually see something of life outside the resorts, Bavaro Runners Ziplines picked us up in a 4WD safari truck for an afternoon of scenic sightseeing and fun. They operate in the Anamuya mountain rainforest and the 16 platform, 12 line adventure sees us 800m above the ground at one point and riding two of the longest ziplines in the Caribbean. There’s no athletic ability required but I would recommend a clear head and a sturdy pair of shoes for climbing up to the platforms and just in case you land ‘at speed’ at the other end! Dinner hunt in the dark – this is becoming our favourite game. Not only is this a test of our morning tour but the hotel has chameleon features – the bubbling fountain we had used to get our bearings earlier had now become an evening stage complete with subtle lighting and a band playing. Not only that – we were dining in the hotel next door so we had to find the ‘secret passage’ leading between the properties and show our keycards for entry into this whole new world! Now Larimar is also a contemporary styled hotel and Mercure is one of their eight speciality restaurants. This hotel is bigger & has much more going on but it’s a one way deal... Now shares it’s eight restaurants, nine bars and other entertainment with Secrets but Secrets guests keep their three restaurants and five bars to themselves. This is a great benefit for anyone on a two week stay at Secrets and there’s no transport required! To be continued...

Stylish Anguilla

05 April 2012

Anguilla – an island that stands by her principles of a ban on cruise ships, casinos and high rise buildings – what’s not to like about this Caribbean gem? This island is only 35 square miles in size and has 33 pristine beaches so it’s not surprising that island life revolves mainly around the beach for accommodation, dining and activities! Imagine my disappointment when I found that my home for our relatively short stay would be the Paradise Cove – a property that’s not actually on a beach! This hotel is owned and operated by a local lady who has won countless awards and when we settled in it became clear to see why. It’s officially a 3* but would pass for a 4* on many other islands with just 29 suites surrounding a good pool. It’s only a few hundred yards from both Cove Bay Beach and Rendezvous Bay West Beach. The rooms are huge with flat screen TV’s, a kitchenette and an equally huge bathroom. The air conditioning worked a treat and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. This is a haven of peace just steps from the beach without a big price tag - always a bonus. Our first meal on the island was at the local beach – where else? Smokey’s on Cove Bay serves an extensive menu which is far from what I would expect in what looked essentially like a small ‘beach bar’. Over the course of my (lobster) lunch music struck up and people were soon dancing on the deck and lounging on the beach sofa – unexpected at 3pm midweek? - apparently that’s not unusual! We had a couple of hours to relax and soak up the last of the sun before meandering back to the Paradise to unpack feeling as if we’d already been on island for days. Anguilla is the secret choice for celebrities and two of the places to be seen at are the Viceroy and Cap Juluca. Both have style and elegance but are totally different. At Cap Juluca you can have a room, a suite or have your own contemporary beach house villa including sunbeds laid out on the beach each day with fresh towels - the views are stunning as is the in-room Bose sound system. The Viceroy is more minimalistic & marble but the bathrooms are amazing and it’s very hi-tech whilst having driftwood carvings and many natural feature pieces dotted around the resort. Driving round the island on good roads was a pleasure and being so small it was hard to get lost. Driving on the left helps and there aren’t many roads where you can actually reach the speed limit of 30mph. There are 10 Heritage points on the island’s new heritage trail plus the rustic Heritage Museum, but be sure to ask a local to tell you more as it really brings it to life. We expect to eat well at hotels but often people are wary of venturing out to eat - we ate at ‘Veya’ whose directions state ‘located behind the Anguilla Garden Center’. Sure enough, the lights of the restaurant sparkle in the trees and when you go upstairs, many of the tables are on an open sided terrace which gives you the feel of eating in a tree house! However, the menu here was sophisticated, the food was wonderful and this hideaway is reputedly one of the best restaurants on the island. In complete contrast, we were told we must meet ‘Elvis’ on the way back. So we ventured down a tiny track in Sandy Ground to find a boat which has been made into a beach bar. The home of the Full Moon Lunasea party, ‘Elvis’ makes sure everyone has a good time. He’s a tall, slim local guy with not a quiff or white suit to be seen – again – I’m sure there’s a story there! Anguilla also has some lovely villas - we visited several from the simple to the ultra modern. For on island activities there’s golf, tennis and good sailing plus ten shipwrecks and a double reef for divers and snorkelers. If you crave shopping you can get to St Maarten in 20 minutes by ferry or 7 minutes by air. Anguilla's not a straight forward journey from the UK but maybe that’s what makes this island so charming – only those that know are prepared to make the effort to get there - and I for one will be back!

Suprising St Kitts

22 January 2012

As a member of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation I recently had the opportunity to visit St Kitts. This is an island of history and plantation house properties and has the only (steam) railway in the Caribbean. Our flight was via Antigua but with an hour on the ground to stretch your legs and a short hop on to St Kitts we were wide awake on arrival. I stayed at the Timothy Beach which is the only beachside property on the Caribbean Sea coast at Frigate Bay. It’s a 3* and performs well within grade. The rooms were spacious, there were several categories to choose from and it has a beach bar and pool. I thought we would hear noise from ‘the strip’ which runs along the back of the beach but we didn’t hear a thing. Maybe on a Thursday night it might be different when the Shiggidy Shack has it’s fire eaters and Caribbean Beach barbecue though! But - this is a popular venue, the food’s great and it’s also right on the beach so if you can hear the fun you might as well go and join in! St Kitts champions her island history and we visited the beautiful botanical gardens and the Caribelle Batik workshop at Romney Manor. Here you can see how the popular island designs are made and find out why they don’t fade. There are plenty of things to buy from stunning wall hangings to small souvenirs. If you’re fairly fit you should visit Brimstone Hill, a Unesco world heritage site . The drive meanders up the mountainside and from the car park there are steps to climb to the fort. It’s in great shape, has cannons on the ramparts and has amazing views to other nearby islands. There’s a small shop but this visit is enhanced by a guide or guidebook as it has a colourful history which doesn’t tell itself! Plantation style properties are excellent here. You can dine in an original plantation estate greathouse at Rawlins, Mount Pleasant and stay in a converted sugar mill in the grounds. At Ottleys most of the rooms are larger than a traditional hotel room and are located in the house itself with sweeping views across the local village down to the sea. This style of accommodation is ‘home from home’ and you will soon feel like one of the family. Ottleys is unique in that it also has a spring fed swimming pool, offers spa treatments,a tennis court, croquet, and their own rainforest trails. Whilst in St Kitts we also visited her sister island of Nevis. We had breakfast in a coffee shop near the ferry terminal and I was pleasantly surprised to find the variety and quality as good as at home. It’s a quick crossing and Nevis has an even more laid back lifestyle. If you can find it, have a long lunch at ‘Sunshines’. This is a quirky beach restaurant, known for it’s Killer Bee cocktails and visited by celebrities staying at the nearby Four Seasons. When we got back to St Kitts we were greeted by some vervet monkeys. This is another unique thing about St Kitts and it’s rumoured that there are more monkeys on St Kitts than residents! You are encouraged not to feed them or leave your drinks unattended on the balconies as they're as partial to a rum punch as the rest of us! Basseterre is a pretty capital with Georgian architecture, a central clock and Independence Square (fashioned after our own Picadilly Circus). It’s not very big but if you have spare time before or after your ferry it’s an interesting place for a wander around, some shopping or a bite to eat. Sadly we didn’t get the chance to ride the steam train. This is a scenic trip that takes you through the sugar plantations. At the moment the island doesn’t have enough visitors for it to be a daily service and my trip wasn’t long enough to stay and wait – so that’s on the list for next time!

Beautiful Barbados

31 May 2011

I visited Barbados last around 10 years ago and, as a Caribbean Specialist I thought it was about time I gave the island a second look ... We chose to sample the new addition to Almond Hotels first – The Casuarina Beach. This is a typical Barbados style 280 room hotel and, as many an older hotel that’s been revamped – has a lovely beach location with tropical gardens. We had a renovated beachfront room and ate dinner in each of their three restaurants. Unusually for an all inclusive, breakfast is the only meal that’s buffet style and we were impressed with both their food & service. We also took the opportunity to spend a day at one of their sister hotels, the Almond Beach Village. The Village is a 32 acre family resort with 395 rooms spread across 11 categories. We found that almost all of the 10 pools seemed to have plenty of quiet areas for those who didn’t want to join in their plentiful activities and the beach seems to go on forever! Our second stay was a complete contrast – The Crane. This is a historic, prestigious 5* resort property consisting mainly of one, two and three bedroomed ‘residences’ & resort apartments. It's situated on the East coast and we hired a car as public transport in that area isn’t frequent. L’Azure restaurant overlooks Crane Beach which is stunning and has been voted one of the top ten best beaches of the world. This multi award winning restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and isn’t overly priced for the quality. It’s also visited by many locals for the ‘Gospel Breakfast’ and the buffet lunch accompanied by live steelpan music. There are additional residences under construction but it’s very skilfully done and we weren’t aware of any noise during our stay. The property has benefited from the opening of ‘The Crane Village’ which tempts people out at night to shop, drink and dine in a village style atmosphere which is lacking within walking distance of the resort. Barbados isn’t a big island and getting lost is a given – but the locals are never far away to put you back on track & we were determined to use up our petrol allowance! You can’t go to Barbados and not come across Mount Gay rum - and having driven past it several times near Bridgetown – we decided to call in and visit. Mount Gay has been producing rum since 1703 and is the oldest brand of rum in the world. The tour isn’t so much of their distillery as their bottling plant - but it’s their only one and they turn out 10,000 bottles a day! The guides are entertaining, the presentation is professional, the rum tasting has enlightened me that not all rums are the same - and some definitely deserve to be drunk ‘on the rocks’. Andromeda Botanical Gardens, on the other hand, are supremely hidden for a six acre site! Eventually we found them hugging the steep winding roads surrounding Bathsheba. These gardens are over 50 years old, have over 600 plant species and there’s a choice of two self guided walks. We enjoyed it so much that we did them both! The day before we came home we decide to visit Jack-in the-Box Gully. Who could resist such a place? This is the home of the Aerial Trek Zipline Adventure and is a constructed course of eight platforms that are built around the canopy of the trees within the gully. No level of fitness is required – just a head for heights and a nerves of steel! The first zip is the scary one but after that just sit back and enjoy the experience. It’s early days yet – no shiny gift shop - just a beer afterwards, a chat with the guides and a great sense of achievement for stepping off that first platform! On our travels we noticed that lots of things have developed – new shopping malls are springing up and the area at the East end of ‘the Gap’ now houses wooden craft rondavels. Oistins seems to have grown in popularity with permanent ‘fish’ lights strung across the road and the Kensington Oval finally got it’s floodlights in 2009. Gentle change doesn’t hurt - it seems all the old favourites have survived and prospered, it’s still beautiful, the people are as friendly as ever and I hope it’s not another ten years before I can visit again!

Abu Dhabi – do!!

24 April 2011

Etihad are an award winning airline and the flight to Abu Dhabi was excellent. There's a huge selection of entertainment with their ‘view on demand’ service and the seven hour flight seemed much shorter. The food on board was among the best I’ve had in the air for a long time. On arrival we were whisked off to the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr to settle in. Next morning we were whisked off again – this time by Jetboat!! Yellow Boats Tours offer scenic trips along the corniche and are a great way of seeing the layout of the city. After leaving the sedate fishing harbour we set out to sea for an exhilarating trip to Yaz Island. Mooring up in the marina was a fitting arrival to the island home of Ferrari World and the Yaz F1 track – although I can’t say that we looked very glamorous at that point! The Yaz Hotel looks amazing – it straddles the F1 track and has a shell which changes colour. It can be seen from miles around and is currently the largest LED installation in the world. The styling continues inside, it’s light, airy and all six of the restaurants have terraces with views of the track. Virtually next door, Ferarri World is home to Formula Rossa – currently the world’s fastest and fifth longest roller coaster. Any repairs to our appearance were undone by the Rossa & G Force but it would be a shame to go there and not ride the top rides! Our evening was spent at the Emirates Palace. The hotel was full so we were very limited in what we could see but the food was excellent and the service was everything you would expect from a hotel of this standard. At the end of a more traditional city tour, we arrived at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque for a private tour. Ladies have to don a black Abaya and headscarf provided at the entrance to take a tour - but it’s worth it. This building is stunning and houses Swarovski crystal chandeliers, white marble from around the world with decorated walls and pillars. The main prayer hall has the largest hand made carpet in the world and the mosque can accept over 40,000 worshippers! Abu Dhabi has great plans & Saadiyat Island will soon be home to four iconic projects. The Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, an incredible looking performing arts centre & the marina with a half submerged hotel! There is already a world class Gary Player golf course open on Saadiyat. We returned to have a wonderful lunch at the Fairmont in their Italian, Marco Pierre White restaurant ‘Frankie’s’. I hadn’t been a fan of this more modern face of Fairmont – until now! Our contemporary room was very generous in size with a freestanding bath and rainfall ‘wet room’ shower. The upgraded rooms have a view of the mosque but for a ‘standard’ room, ours was very impressive. The final part of our whirlwind weekend - how can you visit a desert nation without going to the desert? We were picked up in two huge Land Cruisers and drove for around an hour. We entered the desert and stopped at camp where we saw some falconry & I thought we would transfer to different vehicles for the dune driving. To my surprise we took the same vehicles back into the dunes! These dunes looked to us like huge walls of sand and I’m amazed that we got to the ridges on top – even more amazed that we got back down in one piece – albeit sometimes sideways! It was certainly both a more comfortable and more dramatic ride than I expected! Later, after riding camels and quad biking we moved to the main area of camp for a desert barbecue dinner complete with a resident henna artist. After dinner we went outside the compound to sit under the stars on rugs having Arabic tea made in the embers from the fire, hearing how most people lived in Abu Dhabi in camps such as this only 30 years ago – before the discovery of oil took over from the traditional pearling industry. Abu Dhabi is proud of it’s history and is building a great & generous nation for its nationals and visitors alike. Again - in 10 years time it will have changed hugely and I for one would love to return and watch it grow.

Constellation Celebration

08 October 2010

Celebrity Cruises are celebrating their 20 year anniversary this year and I was lucky enough to join the Constellation for a ‘Seminar @ Sea’. I chose to fly from my local airport and join several of my colleagues on board who flew into Barcelona from Manchester. After a quick check in at the cruise terminal I was ready for the welcome aboard buffet at the seaside café and soon found that everyone else had the same idea! Before we knew it we were being summoned to the muster station for drill and my efficient cabin mate had already checked where we should go. When we were dismissed our luggage was in our cabin and we had plenty of time for a wander before our second sitting dinner at 9pm. With a ship of this size (just over 2400 passengers) it takes a while to find you way around - but there are deck plans by all the lifts and we find where to eat and meet pretty quickly. The San Marco is our elegant restaurant split through two decks and the food is excellent. We tended to go for a buffet breakfast but with more time for a holiday treat you can have breakfast served in here too. The first day when we get the chance to jump ship we head for Monte Carlo. The ship is docked in the pretty town of Villefranche but it’s easy to get a train into Cannes or Nice too. For people who don’t venture ashore there is a wine tasting, line dancing, wii fun and casino lessons to name but a few activities! This is the first formal night and it’s lovely to see everyone ‘dressed to impress’! Monday is Genoa and most passengers are going to Milan or Portofino whilst we’re in the conference sessions. We’re free after lunch and decide to try the Thalassotherapy pool as the sky was pretty ominous! This gives us the best of both worlds as we chat about what we think of the ship and our plans for the next few days. We manage to squeeze in a visit to Pisa by taking a taxi from the docks in Livorno and our work session in Civitaveccia is scheduled for late in the day so the earlybirds can get into Rome. We all have different ideas for Salerno – Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius and the Amalfi coast. In hindsight we should have booked excursions here because the public transport wasn’t running as frequently as we needed at lunchtime to ensure we would be back on board by 6pm! Our last day was at sea. The ship was full but we still managed to find sunbeds when we ventured out on deck around 4pm. We made the most of our drinks packages on sundowners and when returning to the cabin found that the ‘emporium’ area was full of shoppers stocking up on their duty free purchases. That evening the Martini Bar was buzzing more than ever and the bartenders were showing off all their tricks. Overall the Constellation is an elegant ship and there are all the usual facilities – and excellent spa and gym to ward off those extra cruise pounds and a lovely library for all that port research. If you really don’t want to DIY then there are port lectures in advance to advise the best things to see and do or you can tune into the information on the ship’s TV - even on the day of departure you can have a tour en route to the airport! A place I ventured to often was the Café al Bacio for speciality coffees and delicate ‘afternoon tea’ style snack bites. I promised myself ice cream from the Gelateria and a crepe from the Bistro on Five but seemed to run out of time! In the Tuscan Grille one evening we were offered wonderful service and stunning Italian food – well worth the $25 cover charge. People who ate in the 'Ocean Liners' a la carte restaurant told us it was extra special service and again - worth the extra charge. We didn’t see very much of the entertainment but saw the other passengers coming out of the theatre every night with smiles on their faces. Other people had smiles too as the slots machines in the casino paid out $96,082 during our week on board! So – do I love my work - and would I go again? Yes & yes!

Magical Mauritius

04 November 2010

April is not the best time to go…. but it’s also not the worst – so we packed raincoats when we went to Mauritius in spring this year for a quick break. We flew overnight with Air Mauritius and were transferred, checked in and unpacked at the hotel before lunch. Our home for the week was the Veranda Palmar Beach Resort in Belle Mare on the East of the island. Although the Palmar is only a 3* hotel, it has excellent feedback and we had decided to try a smaller property (70 rooms) so were looking forward to a quiet, relaxing week. The hotel has lovely gardens, a pool, two bars, two restaurants, watersports facilites, kids club, a gym and a spa which is not what you get for 3* in many parts of the world! As with many boutique style hotels, the beach frontage was also quite small but perfectly adequate for the number of residents. We didn’t have a problem with sunbeds as there were also people who preferred to stay by the pool. Whilst the beach frontage is not huge – the beach itself stretches as far as the eye can see in both directions. We walked the beach every day and it was lovely to see the local families further along on the more ‘public’ stretch in the late afternoon or the weekend with their picnic blankets and barbeques on the go. One family were very musical and they were there a couple of times with their instruments entertaining everyone. Mauritius is a multicultural island nation and we saw many religions represented by temples, shrines and churches – some in the most unusual places! We also saw several men fishing from the beach most days and the few beach traders we did see weren't pushy - just polite and friendly. As we were limited on time, we decided we would have to keep our island explorations to the North. The three obvious places on our list were the Pamplemousse Gardens, Port Louis and Grand Baie with the Ile aux Cerfs & the couloured sands of Chamarel in the South if we had time. The Pamplemousse Gardens were renamed Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens in 1988 but the original name seems to have stuck with tourists! We hired a car and set off – driving on the left. We eventually found the gardens – neither name in evidence on the gates! The gardens are renowned for their giant lily pads – when fully grown they can reach 4 ft in diameter and can take the weight of a person or two but we don’t put it to the test….. we also visited the giant tortoises and walked around the lake. The entrance fee is minimal but it’s well worth paying a little bit more to get a guide here as they will make the visit far more interesting. I was disappointed with Grande Baie as it seemed to be overrun with traffic but pleasantly surprised by Port Louis which has a lovely waterfront development, interesting shopping and a thriving Chinatown. The day we visited was election day and none of the restaurants were serving beer with lunch. Apparently alcohol sales are restricted from 6pm the day before until 6pm the day after the election to minimise the risk of trouble in the towns. As tourists, we were allowed to drink inside the English pub on the waterfront. The towns & villages we passed through were decked with purple or red white and blue bunting & flags - we thought the purples would win and they did. The afternoon we decided to go for the Ile aux Cerfs the heavens opened and we thought that this was not a good day for a boat/beach trip! In fact it rained so hard that we couldn’t see the road & stopped! This was the only rain we saw in the end – although it was cloudy at times for the couple of days we had the car. The other thing that made navigation ‘interesting’ was the sugar cane. Sometimes it was as high as 6ft on both sides of the road so it can be difficult to find your bearings. Sugar is still a major industry with approx 49% of the island planted to sugar so at a different time of the year the inland scenery would be completely different – the next time we go will be after harvest and then maybe we’ll make it down to Chamarel too!

Azura Inaugural Celebrations

12 April 2010

The launch of a new ship is always exciting - and this one was no different. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and a lovely day to head down to Southampton. When you get close to the ferry dock you can often see the larger ships and Azura was sitting there gleaming in the sun. Check in was delayed slightly as Darcey Bussell arrived and we were all asked to make way for her to go through the procedures in peace. This was expected and handled well as we were all given numbered cards so we didn't lose our places in the queue. After a quick check in and a lovely lunch in the Venezia 24 hour buffet restaurant we set off on our inspection of the ship. The 'Retreat' is going to be a popular venue on this family friendly ship as it offers a child free relaxation zone for a modest fee. As with every ship of this size (3,100 passengers) there is a state of the art gym, aerobic studio and spa for the adults plus excellent kids’ facilities for children of all ages. There is now a new opportunity for families to do something together with the outdoor 'Seascreen', where blockbuster films will be shown. For adults who love the spa - there are brand new spa staterooms giving preferential access to the spa terrace - and outdoor spa cabanas. I was disappointed that the new single stateroom wasn't open for viewing when I found it - but popular opinion from colleagues who did see them said that they were very well styled and should prove very popular! In general, the style of the ship is fresh, contemporary and offers a great range of cabins from the singles to the butler serviced suites. The last part of the tour is to visit all the entertainment & dining venues. These all have individual style but really don't come to life until everyone's out and about later. After a presentation from P&O in the Playhouse Theatre we have around an hour to get ready for the gala dinner. This is when we find out that the hot water doesn't run out and there are plenty of well placed mirrors around the cabin! At 18.30 the gathering place for everyone aboard is around the atrium for a champagne reception and we're all out in our finery. A wonderful dinner is served in the silver service Meridian restaurant and then we're free to enjoy the ship at her best. For those who wanted a leisurely drink there are plenty of places to go.... the Planet Bar has sea views all down one side and if that's not good enough the opposite walls are floor to ceiling audio visual screens which show different vistas every night - you could be in the middle Manhattan one evening and Rio the next! If you're missing home, people can head to 'Brodie's' - there's live music and a pub feel with the slot machines and gaming tables out back. For a quiet wine bar there's the Glasshouse which is designed by Olly Smith and offers a sophisticated alternative dining venue with wine pairing. If you're missing your curry you can spoil yourself in 'Sindhu' the Atul Kochhar Indian/British fusion restaurant. We found ourselves in 'Malabar' the exotic looking Indian themed bar nearby which featured a live band and singer for most of the evening and then moved on to the larger 'Manhattan' for an hour or so on the dance floor. We couldn't make up our minds whether to go in search of a late night snack or call it a day and I have to say that my dancing feet made the decision for me - only four hours to breakfast - off to bed! Overall, although Azura is a twin sister ship to Ventura - I definitely preferred Azura for her style and design. She has all the expected facilities with alternative dining, professional entertainment troupe and on board shopping but the single & spa cabins, big screen outdoor cinema and 'Retreat' give new options for us all to enjoy - I just wish we had been able to stay on longer to try them all out!

Spirit of Adventure - Africa & the Atlantic Isles

25 May 2009

I have visited small ships before but you have to imagine the great atmosphere at sea - this can only be created once the crew and guests are aboard! My outside cabin was perfectly adequate and I soon got the hang of being greeted by ‘ Good Morning Missy Buckyham’ at 7am every morning as my steward Roland brought in my coffee. When Spirit is full she only carries around 320 guests and it takes no time to find your way around. We felt a bit of a swell on our first night but there is a medical officer on board who can soon sort that out and heels aren’t the order of the day until the first formal night. We flew to Tenerife but our first port of call was Gran Canaria. Our excursion included Casa de Colon – Christopher Columbus’s house which is now a museum. There are charts all over the walls detailing his voyages, local life then and explains his links to the Canaries (a woman!) We also had a quick walk along the promenade, went up to the viewpoint at Santa Brigida and were back on board for lunch… For people who don’t choose one of the included daily excursions there's deck quoits, card school, shuffleboard & table tennis on offer followed by afternoon tea and a choice of port lectures. The Captain’s Cocktail Party was our first opportunity for formal dress. If you didn’t want to dress up for dinner, the same menu was available in the Verandah as self service and you could sit indoors or out by the small pool. The evenings on board were very informal and usually there was a film shown outside at the ‘Top of the Yacht’ where the crew would provide you with popcorn and a blanket on your lounger – and drinks of course! Early start! A huge part of Lanazrote is still volcanic and we visited a black sand beach that was used filming Star Wars before going to Fire Mountain in Timanfaya National Park and wine tasting at the Vineyards of La Geria. Much of the park is restricted access because of volcanic activity and the guides throw buckets of water into holes in the ground that produce steam geysers 30ft high. We were due to cast off early from here so didn’t get a chance to see the golden beaches on the other side of the island. With an afternoon at sea there were two lectures on offer in the Sirocco Lounge and the library was busy offering DVD’s for people to watch in their cabins if they didn’t want to soak up the sun on deck. I opted for the casual dinner and watched Slumdog Millionaire on deck before having a nightcap in the Yacht Club listening to the resident cocktail pianist, Clive. Africa – Agadir! The fish market was full of the early hustle and bustle of preparation for the days’s trading and the fruit & veg was stacked high. This is Berber country and our tour finished with a folklore show featuring horsemen, snake charmers and mint tea before driving past the glorious beaches of the modern hotel zone with the obligatory McDonalds. Back on board for lunch and I’ve got the Sudoku bug – didn’t make the line dancing! George, the executive chef holds a galley tour – can’t believe they can provide such good food in such a small space which gleams like new! Casablanca – play it again Sam! Apparently there are at least six bars in Casablanca that claim to be ‘that’ famous bar. Our morning was spent at the Hassan II Mosque which is an amazing feat of architecture followed by a traditional Moroccan lunch with accompanying belly dancers. All day in Ceuta – a Spanish enclave in Morocco. It’s a beautiful, clean city, full of pretty Spanish buildings with a harbour & beach. The Mediterranean Park has a minimal entry fee and is a huge tropical water park. There are no flumes or thrill rides here but it’s a lovely haven of peace with a few bars, restaurants and resident lifeguards. Granada's Alhambra Palace. This is a full day ashore and the gardens and Palace are stunning. It’s not a place to be hurried so once you’re inside you can take your time. A farewell cocktail party tonight & a lovely end to our trip. I never did make it into the Spa and we never did win the quiz – maybe next time!

Cornwall & The Eden Project

30 March 2009

I had promised myself a visit to the Eden Project for several years and decided to take the trip during February half term. As February is a very unpredictable month we opted to find a cottage so that if it rained we wouldn’t have to be in a hotel bar or cramped up in front of a small TV in our rooms. As a bonus I managed to find a property that had access to a heated swimming pool and games room. The ‘West Country’ is surfing country and in the summer towns such as Looe, Newquay & St Austell are full of young people. Most towns have shops selling surfing gear and clothing and the VW Campervan is still iconic. The art and gift shops are full of pictures, ceramics & t-shirts depicting VWs of all colours and anything surf related. True to form we chose to have Cornish pasties for lunch. All of the bakeries and many of the coffee shops have these on offer in different sizes and flavours made fresh every day. We also saw signs advertising clotted cream to be sent all around the world and plenty of fudge shops! The Eden Project is now seven years old and is the transformation of an old clay pit. I had thought that was all it was – a reclamation project. It’s actually a very educational and thought-provoking place supported by companies who are looking at new ways of doing business that won’t harm our environment. The Eden Project is in a fairly isolated position and had been robbed of all its value – 60 metres depth of clay. Now it’s waste neutral, carbon positive, self sufficient in water and they even made the 83,000 tonnes of soil they needed to start it off! The two Biomes have controlled humidity, birds, insects and ‘extreme gardeners’ to look after 1 million (ish) plants. Whilst the rainforest biome is more focused on conservation and methods of improving food production, the Mediterranean biome also includes areas representing South Africa and California. There are several pieces of sculpture around the site including one called WEEE Man. This is 'waste electrical and electronic equipment' - it shows how quickly we tire of these things in our modern world. We were actually quite proud to say we are still using at least two of the items featured in the sculpture (although we have a few more in the loft!). The 'Core' is the education centre, set apart from the domes. Here there are many interactive exhibits including a huge mechanical nutcracker. Added to this, they work with several initiatives worldwide that are conservation based and run workshops throughout the year for schools. My children went ice skating in the events area before we left and as the single admission can be converted to an annual membership, I am seriously thinking about going again when everything will be in bloom! The children have also said they’d like us (!) to try the zip line through the rainforest dome. The next day we visited Boscastle. This small community was depicted worldwide in August 2004 when it flooded. Over 100 people were airlifted to safely, 84 wrecked cars were recovered from the harbour and it’s estimated that a further 32 were swept out to sea. To see it today, you would never know! The visitor centre was re-sited and it tells the story of what happened that day. It also shows that things have subtly changed since then. The car park area has been raised, the riverbed widened and lowered, trees felled along the valley and the lower bridge near the harbour has been removed. Boscastle will undoubtedly suffer a similar deluge again but next time the water will have a much less restricted outlet to sea and the town will watch with interest instead of terror. Our final visit was to Tintagel. This is home to the legendary 'King Arthur's' Castle. Sadly just a ruin now. Despite this, the town receives thousands of visitors during the summer and the shops here are full of swords, shields, armour and all sorts of items relating to witchcraft (although the UK's only witchcraft museum is in Boscastle!). It is also the home to the UK's oldest post office; a 14th century manor house & cottage garden operated by the National Trust, which looked interesting but was closed..... My only regret this trip was that we didn't get round to trying the Cornish ice cream!

Rome

03 October 2008

We arrived into Rome by train from Civitavecchia. The ticket had been cheap but the train was very busy. On arrival in the station we had to get our bearings as we knew we were close enough to walk to our hotel but there are several exits! Ten minutes later we had arrived and climbed the stairs to the first floor reception. This is a common occurrence in Rome and the lift only operates from the first floor so it was a good job we are reasonably fit! Our rooms had been refurbished but the breakfast room was behind schedule so we were told that breakfast during our stay would be available in a restaurant just down the road. We never did see what the hotel would have provided, but the restaurant staff were friendly, continental breakfast was as expected and it was lovely to sit out in the early morning sun. We had had enough of trains and decided that where we could, we would walk round the city. The next day we tackled the Colliseum with a guide. We’ve seen so many films depicting ancient Rome but the guide was entertaining and brought it to life for us. After lunch we walked the forum area and the Palatine Hill hearing more gory stories of life in ancient times and the death of Caesar. The next day we took our only metro journey out to the Vatican City as we had an early start. I have always thought of Rome as a fairly large city but there are very few metro lines and I doubt that anyone would get lost using it. The only thing you have to remember are coins for the machines otherwise you will be forever queuing to buy tickets. Again, we had opted for a guide to see St. Peter's Basilica as a good guide makes things so much more interesting than reading from a guide book! No pictures can do this place justice and whether you are religious or not, you can’t deny it’s an amazing building. The guides here work with headsets and headphones so if you want to linger for pictures or just to take in the atmosphere you can still hear your guide if you fall behind the group. As we were then breaking for lunch you could stay longer so long as you remembered where & when to meet for the other half of the tour. The Vatican City has no official border control but you can buy cards and stamps within the world's smallest sovereign state and so long as you post them inside the city limits they will bear the Vatican City postmark. Interestingly enough this holy state also has it's own telephone system, banking system, radio station and pharmacy but the guards that protect the Pope are Swiss! This has been the case since 1506 and they can often be seen on sentry duty in colourful ceremonial uniform. Our guide for the afternoon’s museum tour was very passionate about the arts. We heard the life story of Michelangelo and how the famous ceiling came to be painted. There has been huge restoration work done and now all the well known images of the chapel are under copyright to the Japanese businesses who paid for it to be completed. The before and after samples show that it was a costly and time consuming task which has taken almost 20 years to finish. The Sistine Chapel is worth seeing – it’s a remarkable achievement but my favourite part of the day was the gallery of maps. We had five days in the city and found our way to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain by day and night and several gelateria. I'm not a huge fan of ice cream normally but they have a huge selection of flavours and we all found a new favourite. The designer shops are in abundance and the young Italian women look like they shop there! Wherever you are in the city you’re likely to stumble upon a stunning building sooner or later or an ornate fountain to fill your water bottle. It may be hot in the summer but the crowds and heavy traffic were eerily absent as so many locals leave the city in the summer and head for the beach or the mountains. We enjoyed our taste of culture and vowed to watch ‘Gladiator’ all over again when we got home!

Navigator of the Seas

25 August 2008

I have cruised several times now and decided that this year I would take the family. My children are teenagers and the ship seemed to offer the perfect solution to being able to give them their freedom, add a bit of culture to their constant diet of TV and computer games and give us all a much needed dose of sunshine! We opted to fly to Rome and join the Navigator of the Seas for a 7 night cruise around the Med calling at Sicily, Piraeus (Athens), Kusadasi and Crete. We had an early start and reached the ship around 1pm. The cruise terminal was busy but efficient and within 30 minutes we had been checked aboard & found our cabins. As we’d been up for ages our first job was to freshen up and find the Windjammer for lunch! As expected there was a huge choice of food from burgers & salads to a full cooked meat and several veggie options with fresh fruit and a dessert counter to finish off. Although the ship was still in port the pools were already surrounded by people who had kept their swim things in their hand luggage and bagged their sunbeds for the day. We decided to have a look round the ship and try to get our bearings. Navigator of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean ship and has their trademark ‘Royal Promenade’ through the middle of deck 5. This is designed like a shopping street with the café promenade open 24hrs serving coffee, cookies and sandwiches. Here we also found the logo shop, the duty free and general store alongside the English pub and the wine bar. The children were keen to find things they could do without us so we went up to the sports deck to see the kids dens, Johnny Rockets (50’s style burger bar) , the climbing wall, in-line skating track, crazy golf and check out the sports schedules. Every day there’s a daily planner left in your cabin which lists the huge array of activities & entertainment available. Most are free but some, such as scuba and wine tasting have a nominal charge. In the end we spent most of our time around the pool during the day but when the kids were doing activities we often went along to watch. Dodgeball seems to be the activity of the moment with a junior, teens, 18-20 and adult age range offered for games. Our evenings soon fell into the routine of early dinner, a drink in the theatre watching the show, maybe a drink in one of the other lounges listening to live music or watching a parade on the promenade then a coffee and cookie before bed. Inevitably our evenings got later and so did our breakfasts but ship life enables you to eat at virtually any time so we had lazy days and did several things during the course of the evening. Kusadasi was our chosen port of call. Mainly because we could walk directly off the ship into the town. The grand bazaar put a smile on our faces as soon as we arrived advertising 'genuine fake Rolex watches'! The resort was clean and everyone was friendly. We wandered around for a few hours and did most of our shopping here getting into the swing of bartering. Around the port you can still see the fishermen mending their nets and the many carpet shops often have someone sitting outside weaving the most intricate designed carpets and rugs - all available for DHL delivery home! Even though we didn't visit Athens, Ephesus or any of the other classic sights offered, we had the benefit of being able to watch the information programmes in the cabins - we saved ourselves for Rome which is a separate journal! We were prepared for the (2) formal nights and I would say that around 70% made the effort. We felt conspicuous walking to dinner and being in the lift with people still in their pool clothes but by the time all the second sitting guests were down on the promenade there were some amazing ball gowns around. The ship photographers were making sure they captured everyone in their finery - pictures were around £10 for a 10 x 8 print. It all made for a great party atmosphere and you could have shots taken all round the ship with different backdrops. We didn't see a cloud or have a cross word all week - that says it all!

South African Adventure

05 July 2008

South Africa has been on my wish list for a couple of years now and I felt that it was about time I went myself, so I set about entering every competition going! I was lucky enough to win a trip to South Africa’s North West Province. First stop was Lesedi Cultural Village. I didn’t know what to expect for our first night but the ‘warriors’ were all smiling at us and took us & our luggage to the various village rooms. We did a tour which entailed a small group each being given a warrior guide who took us around the Basotho, Ndebele, Pedi, Xhosa & Zulu villages and told us stories about their culture as we went. Afterwards we went to the main dance performance followed by dinner with the tribal chiefs. Dinner was accompanied by some tribal music and the menu included crocodile, ostrich and ‘beans that thunder the buttocks’.The accommodation here was simple and rustic but everything worked and the people were very friendly. Next day we set off for De Wildt Cheetah Centre. Here we listened to an introduction that informed us that a cheetah found on your property (in Africa!) is a good thing. De Wildt is one of only two breeding centres in the world and after many years they have introduced over 750 cheetahs back into the wild. Part of the education process is to introduce cheetahs to local people and explain how they live and hunt. Byron was chosen because he is curious and tolerant of human contact. We even got to stroke him! Madikwe National Park is home to the ‘big five’ and is malaria free. Our lodge was Rhulani & over the two nights we were treated like house guests by Marnus and his team. Rhulani has 7 private lodge rooms and a family suite. They all have viewing decks with plunge pools, luxurious bathrooms with outdoor showers and a huge bedroom. The first night we ate by lamplight round a log fire and the second night we were in the ‘boma’. The lodge has its own waterhole and the animals come to drink regularly throughout the day. As it isn’t fenced, you have to be escorted by an armed ranger to and from your rooms after dark. When we weren’t on game drives, we spent our days visiting some of the neighbouring lodges. They all have their own character either on the river bank, clinging to the cliffs or in the middle of the bush, but the emphasis is on natural surroundings and blending the buildings into the natural environment. We visited Tuninigi, Buffalo Ridge and Impodimo – I would have been happy to have stayed at any of them but had fallen in love with Rhulani and felt sad to leave. At Sun City we checked into Cascades, one of four hotels that form this resort sited in the heart of an ancient volcano. The other three are The Palace of the Lost City, Cabanas & Sun City hotel with the surrounding golf course, lake, valley of the waves waterpark and facilities for horse riding, tennis, mountain biking and numerous other activities. I then travelled on to ‘Elephant Wallow’. This is a safari experience with a difference as you get to do it on elephant back! We were greeted at the lodge and told a little about the history of the elephants who originally came from Zimbabwe. The herd consists of Chikwenya, Sharu, Sapi, Mana, Michael and baby Lesego . Our herd arrived very gently and they wrapped their trunks around the log fencing whilst they were introduced. Baby Lesego would have climbed under the fencing if he could as he hadn't figured out yet that he’s too big! We rode with a handler in front and one or two of us behind. Wow – it’s along way down! The elephants have several trails they walk and our trek was through a reserve with lions, leopard, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and many of the smaller impala etc. We passed within a few feet of a small herd of rhino - how amazing was that! After the ride the elephants are taken away from the lodge to a garden area. If you ask for ‘trunk down’ you put the pellets into their trunk like a tube – if you go for ‘up’ they lift their trunks and open their mouths so you put the pellets at the back of their tongue – which means your hand disappears almost up to your elbow! Amazing!

Jamaica prizewinner's trip

01 December 2008

I was lucky enough to be part of team ‘Denmark’ who won a Travel Counsellors educational trip to Jamaica. Most of us hadn’t known each other before we started but have become firm friends since spending a week away together. We had a very comfortable flight into Montego Bay with Virgin Atlantic and on arrival checked into Sandals Royal Caribbean. The resort is close to the airport so a quick transfer - we could see the aircraft but they weren’t intrusive and after a welcome drink of rum punch we settled in for our 2 night stay. The unique features of the two hotels in Montego Bay are that Royal Caribbean has it’s own off shore island and Sandals Montego Bay has it’s own wedding chapel in the grounds. Common to all of the accommodation in all of the resorts is a king size bed, decent bathroom and plenty of a la carte dining choice – plus the premium drinks and fantastic watersports. We met one of the butlers at Mo Bay – she had been to the UK to train, was totally charming and had some amusing stories of the things the butlers have done for their clients – including surrounding one of the cottages and all the butlers singing happy birthday to the client when they had their breakfast in bed delivered! The evening we spent on the off shore island was something I will never forget…. we went over by boat and everything was lit by torchlight – beautiful. The restaurant was Thai and the meal was excellent. Over coffee we had local acapella singers to entertain us and afterwards we tried out the beach cabanas under the stars whilst waiting for the boats to take us back. As with all of these trips we spent most of our days doing site inspections of the resorts. Our cases packed we transferred to Ocho Rios to the newly refurbished Dunns River Villagio Golf Resort & Spa for our next 2nts. As the name suggests, most people in this area will climb Dunns River Falls which is a fun trip to do and not too difficult. We were also very pleased to be able to visit ‘Royal Plantation’ for lunch & a site visit. This boutique property is owned by Sandals but it’s not part of the ‘dine around’ and isn’t an all inclusive. The impression is one of elegance and privacy and several famous names stay regularly - in fact there was a well known singer in residence so we weren't allowed down on the beach because he was relaxing in the sun... Part of the Sandals ‘Ultra’ All Inclusive package is their extensive leisure facilities. Some of our guys that were interested in golf, undertook a few holes here whilst the rest of us checked out the spa, snorkelling, watersports or scuba. The green fees are included for the golf, a caddy and buggy are compulsory but it's still a very good, cheap round of golf whichever way you look at it and we compared notes over dinner at Kimonos. This is a very sociable way of eating with approx 12 people around the table and you have your own teppanyaki chef who cooks in front of you. After seeing more of this property and Sandals Grande the next day we moved on to Sandals Negril for the next 2 nights. The Grande Ocho Rios is in two parts, villas set on the hillside with their own restaurants, pool etc and then the original property is down on the beach. Negril is know for it’s laid back lifestyle and it’s 7 mile long beach. As well as the Sandals properties here we also visited two 'Beaches' family resorts and met up with the Sesame Street Gang at a character lunch! Whilst in Negril some of us took a trip on the Black River to see the crocodiles and do something a little less ‘touristy’. It was a quiet and peaceful trip through the mangroves and our guide was very knowledgeable. Our last night was spent at Sandals Whitehouse. This is the only mainstream hotel on the South of the Island. As it is fairly isolated, it’s a large resort built around themed village areas. The beach is huge compared to the other resorts we visited and we didn’t see a single beach hawker!

The Rockies & Vancouver

18 May 2008

I had wanted to visit Canada for years – ever since a colleague took a trip and showed me her stunning photos. In October last year I got my chance and travelled to Western Canada on an educational. We flew into Calgary – stampede city! From the Calgary Tower you can see the railway line disappear towards the Rockies and the Saddledome standing proud surrounded by the deserted showground. We took a city tour which included looking round the stampede ground and I could imagine how exciting it would be when it was full of livestock and cowboys showing off their skills. We were in Banff for our second night. The Banff Springs is an iconic hotel which was originally built as a castle. It sits at the edge of the town and many of the rooms have amazing views – including ours! Banff is a great mountain town in the summer with lots of interesting bars, shops and restaurants. There is plenty to do in and around the area and I got my equally stunning photos at Lake Louise and Lake Maligne. I would love to be able to return in the winter to ski, take a sleigh ride, see the ice castle sculpture and skate on Lake Louise, but I’d need to learn to skate first!! One thing I never thought I would get the opportunity to do was to go on the Rocky Mountaineer. The trip we did was from Banff to Vancouver and it was a restful, scenic trip. We had excellent food & service and whilst you can’t expect to see amazing things every minute of the day, it’s a wonderful journey to do. The staff tell you so much about the areas the train travels through that you can’t help being interested even through the plains and less spectacular areas - especially with names such as Hell’s Gate and Kicking Horse Canyon! On arrival in Vancouver we went straight across to Vancouver Island. The one thing I would have liked to have seen here was the famous Bushart Gardens but our itinerary didn’t allow us the time. Instead we spent some time at the Museum and at the Empress hotel. This hotel has a fascinating history and serves afternoon tea to over 800 people a day in peak season! We had a curry buffet lunch in the Bengal Lounge which takes it’s name and theme from when Queen Victoria was the Empress of India – well I never knew that! Another thing I have always wanted to do was to fly in a floatplane. It was noisy but fun and a much shorter journey back than the ferry had been on the way over. Back on the mainland we tried to cram in as much as we could before it was time to leave for the UK. There was shopping to be done on Robson and in Gas Town but the more adventurous of us decided that we couldn’t be in Vancouver and not visit Grouse Mountain. So, off we went to find the SeaBus. This is a catamaran service that operates to the North shore and has a connecting bus service to several places including Grouse Mountain and Capilano Canyon. When we arrived there we queued to board our next mode of transport – the Skyride. This is a cable car/ gondola which takes you up through the tree line to what would be the ski resort in winter. We visited the bears and watched some of the lumberjacks performing their stunt show which was very entertaining and good fun. It’s amazing what talent can do with a chainsaw and there were huge carved sculptures around the site. On the way back down we got off the bus at the Capilano Canyon and started to get into ‘Indiana Jones’ mode. Unfortunately there were plenty of other people there so we had no control at all over how much the bridge swayed but if you read the information it’s a pretty amazing structure. Over 230 feet above the canyon floor, 450 feet across and strong enough to support ten heavy duty fighter planes, this attraction is over 100 years old and handles 850,000 visitors each year! Once you reach the other side there is a ‘Treetops Adventure’ which would be great for kids as you get to go through the tree canopy on wooden walkways with lookouts and there is also a story centre, a totem park and the First Nation’s visitor’s centre. A thouroughly enjoyable trip with some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever witnessed.

Treated like a celebrity!

01 December 2008

Treated like a celebrity! I am an Aussie Specialist and made it as a Qantas Global Achiever in 2007. That meant I was one of the top 20 consultants for sales to Australa in the whole of the UK and Ireland and I was taken out there on an educational adventure. Our itinerary was very busy to say the least! On arrival we transferred to Surfers Paradise and took a 15 minute helicopter tour of the area – wow! – the beaches stretch as far as the eye can see! The idea was to keep us busy so that we’d get used to the local time zone so we had lunch, were given a shower and a massage (as our rooms weren’t ready) and then went to the ‘Australian Outback Adventure’ dinner show. Here we saw stampeding cattle in a huge arena, bush vehicles and superb horsemanship followed by an Aussie BBQ feast. Boy were we ready for bed that night! We all loved our hotel, because when we looked down at the pool in the grounds it not only had it’s own beach and shallows but also a large reef pool with tropical fish where you could snorkel. The rooms were great too! (Marriott SP) - also spent a night at the Palazzo Versace as used in 'I'm a Celebrity' Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary hosted us one morning and we all got to hold a koala. The park has kangaroos and wallabies that roam freely and huge saltwater crocodiles that we were pleased to see in a large habitat enclosure – as well as many other smaller mammals and birds. After a lunch at a surf club by the beach we were off again – this time to Tropical Fruit World. Steve Irwin had a passion for his wildlife (Australia Zoo is fairly local) & the host at tropical Fruit World had a passion for fruit! He showed us so many things we’d never seen before and tasted several that were weird and wonderful to look at. This is the largest plantation farm in Australia and we went round on open sided trucks pulled by huge tractors. There are other things on offer here such as rainforest walks and a jungle river cruise for the kids but we’d all had an interesting time. The next day was our craziest – we did a treasure hunt in hire cars which saw us jetboating, running around the local shopping centre collecting what we could for ‘free’, then off to Dreamland where we had to have pictures taken of us the their ‘big five’ rides. After lunch (!) we followed clues that took us to the Holden Performance Driving Centre where we were driven round the track at racing speeds of over 100mph and then a more leisurely drive to ‘find’ the Q1 tower. This was the world’s tallest residential tower block and has an observation deck where the winning team was photographed for the local press. The following day we found ourselves at Seaworld - swimming with sharks! Not as scary as it sounds - they weren't great whites but they were HUGE! Another adventure was Tangalooma – we weren’t there at the right time to feed their wild dolphins but we did a short tour of the island by quad bike followed by a wonderful seafood lunch in their beach restaurant. We flew on to Adelaide and went on to Kangaroo Island for a complete change of pace. This is like going back in time and we spent three days with a local guide doing walking safaris. Here is a place where everyone knows each other an no one locks the doors. We filled the (one) restaurant in town and the locals who wanted to eat and found their tables full of strangers just came back later and joined us - no worries! Here we found roos in the wild, koalas in trees and seals on the beach - not an ice-cream stand in sight - lovely! Our last stop was Perth (so we thought) but we ended up on the ferry to Rottnest Isand. This is a holiday island with chalets, shops and - no cars.... so to get around the island we were given bikes. We went in search of the legendary 'quokka' which is found here - and find some we did - along with sore legs and all of us needing cushions for the plane journey back to the UK! Thank you Qantas so much for an incredible trip!

My customer stories

Sent by Leanda Lockhart

I would like to thank Linda Buckingham, Travel Counsellor for organising my Christmas holiday to Budapest. I was there for three nights. My accommodation was about 40 minutes from the airport and we were taken to the hotel by a car and driver she arranged to meet us. The hotel was in a perfect location as there was a small shop about 2 minutes away in one direction and there were local restaurants about 4 minutes away in the other. The room was nice and spacious. Linda arranged a 2 day ticket to go on a hop-on-hop-off bus, a wine, cheese and charcuterie tasting tour, a river cruise and a Christmas Market with Mulled Wine & St Stephen Basilica walking tour. We had a really nice experience and I would recommend you book with her if you'd like to go there.

Sent by Kelly Jagger

Dear Linda We would like to thank you for what we can only say was an amazing, relaxing holiday. The location and accommodation were perfect. The organisation from start to finish was seamless, transfers, connections and location. The access to local towns, historical cities and some amazing restaurants ticked all the boxes and the amazing wine tour was fantastic. We thought when we arrived that we would be part of a large group but no - we had our own personal guide and a full range of local wines. So Linda, thank you again for an amazing break and we will always use you to organise our trips away. We will also always recommend you to anyone we know who is looking to book a holiday. Many thanks!

Sent by Janine Henderson

Thank you very much for organising our Pearl Anniversary weekend in Vienna. Especially the surprise bottle of fizz & sweets. The hotel was great and in a central location. Once again you have provided us with a memorable trip and I would not hesitate to recommend you & Travel Counsellors to my family and friends. Thanks again Janine & Dave

Sent by Chloe & Daniel Grinham

We just wanted to say thank you for the most amazing honeymoon plans - the hotels were fabulous and we had a magical time!

Sent by Dawn Ayres

Dear Linda, Thank you so much for our long awaited holiday to Lake Bled in Slovenia. Covid & Russia's invasion of the Ukraine meant that we needed to keep rolling the week over. It was well worth the wait! Slovenia was beautiful - clear, crisp air, mountains, lakes and a top of the range hotel that really did look after us. It was without doubt the most scenic trip we have done through yourself and we would love to return there again. As always, all arrangements were perfectly in place. There was nothing for us to do but go and enjoy ourselves! Where would we be without you Linda - you are a fabulous Travel Counsellor and I highly recommend you to all I know. Thank You.

Sent by F Goble

Hi Linda - Just to say thank you and to let you know we had a brilliant trip, so perfectly organised - not a hitch in sight! The hotel was clean and charming - we were on the ground floor with a little table and chairs in the courtyard, and it was very quiet. It was also an interesting neighbourhood too - a stone's throw from some nice restaurants and bars and the taxi rank! What I especially like about Paris is that people actually seem to live in the central bits - it's not all offices and big-name shops. Taxis seem very cheap compared to London - just 7 or 8 Euros to the Bateaux Mouches (which was really excellent) and the Eiffel Tower etc so that was very handy. All in all, thanks so much for sorting all this and particularly for patiently accommodating our special requests!

Sent by Melinda Smith

Home after an amazing holiday in Borneo and Malaysia. Thank you so much to Linda Buckingham Travel Counsellor for organising the trip that was originally booked in 2019 ( pre-pandemic), we knew she would get us there in the end. If you prefer the personal touch and/or don’t really know exactly where you want to go Linda is the person for you. She lives locally and will visit you to discuss ideas if you prefer Our holiday started with wanting to see Orangutans in the wild and relax on a beach. She built our holiday from there. Linda liaises with tour companies on the ground and in Malaysia that was Exo Tours who also provided an excellent personalised service. I’m already planning our next two big adventures Thankyou once again Linda!

Sent by Rohit Popat

We want to thank you for arranging our first family holiday. I was, as you can imagine, a bit nervous about travelling with my children at such a young age especially with our youngest only being 6 months old. You made things so easy, and arranged the timings of the flights to you go and come back for the comfort of the children. You also arranged for us to have a ground floor flat which was right by the pool. The holiday was great and we cannot thank you enough for giving us such a great memory. We will not hesitate to recommend you with the upmost confidence and definitely be coming to you for our future trips and Holidays. Rohit and family

Sent by Becki Rands

We just wanted to say thank you for arranging our belated honeymoon, it couldn't have been more perfect... our criteria was Sorrento for 10nts on BB, a hotel with a pool, WiFi & within walking distance of the beach and the town - you nailed it! The entire process ran so smoothly. Even when our private transfers were cancelled three days before we flew, you had sorted everything out before we knew there had been a problem. The hotel was beautiful and although you told us you could only get us a side sea view within our budget, it was better than we could have imagined! To top this off, we had two pools to choose from and the staff were also incredibly helpful. The location of the hotel was spot on and meant walking 5 minutes to the town and only a few minutes further for the private beaches. There were so many benefits gained from booking our honeymoon with you: the flight times were perfect - arriving in Italy with almost a full day ahead of us. Also not having to wait around for our flight home; the extra legroom seats, private transfers instead of a coach and many more. We wouldn't think of booking a holiday with anyone else in the future and will recommend you to anyone we know that wants to travel. Thanks again!

Sent by Dawn Ayres

This thank you seems an awful long time coming! We had a wonderful trip booked to Lake Bled, then Covid struck and more recently Russia's invasion of the Ukraine caused concern for a number of countries in the region. We rolled the holiday over again & again... Not only were you able to roll the trip, you also saved us money. Everything as always planned to perfection. I know that when we pick up the phone to you and say we need a break, all you ask is where to, when and what our budget is. You take it from there. You have booked a number of holidays for us and each one has been spectacular. Thank you Linda - I will continue to recommend you to all I know.

Sent by Daniel Ginder

Dear Linda, Thank you very much, for organising our last holiday. This holiday was re-booked several times due to covid, to the point that we actually forgot about it. Looking back I remember that you recommended this hotel with its waterparrks and other activities for the kids. The transfer was 2 hours from airport to hotel, but flying from Luton made it worthwhile. As always, we trust your advice and expertise on all our travel arrangements. Thank you once again

Sent by Wendy Morris

Excellent service received. Linda was extremely knowledgeable, nothing is ever too much trouble for her!

Sent by Lucy George

Hi Linda, just wanted to say thank you for organising our holiday. We had such an amazing time!! Will be in touch again to sort out next Summer!

Sent by David Henderson

every time i have used Linda i have found her to be very knowledgeable and helpful. i will always recommend Linda and travel Counsellors for any travel needs.

Sent by Sallyann Baines

Linda is incredibly helpful: nothing is too much trouble and she always finds the best deals. Her friendliness and sheer ability inspire confidence and she is always our first port of call when planning a holiday!

Sent by Lisa Solomon

Linda has been brilliant so far. Always so nice to know there's a friendly voice at the end of the phone if there are any questions or issues. We've booked for July 2022, so who knows what will change between now and then, but I do trust Linda to ensure we are up to date on the latest. So looking forward to travelling after 2.5 years of staying put!!

Sent by Vanessa Piggott

Linda has been incredible supportive and helpful, rearranging holidays and dealing with problems with unfailing good humour and efficiency

Sent by Melinda Smith

Especially in todays climate when booking with Linda you know you have the reassurance that she will advise you of any travel restrictions and get you home if necessary?? Should situations in the country you are visiting change. I love the personal touch she brings and have booked with her for over 20 years!

Sent by Sherry Clement

Linda searched and found the holiday that I wanted and also with the good price.

Sent by Bonny Harding

Linda is always very friendly and helpful, making suggestions when needed and making our whole travel experience much calmer and easier. She goes the extra mile to ensure we have a fantastic time. I would recommend her to anyone.

Sent by Glenn Roux

This is long overdue but I would really like to thank Linda Buckingham for the outstanding service that she provided to me recently. It's not the first time and certainly won't be the last time I use her for my business and personal travel plans. We booked a family vacation to South Africa at the back end of the Covid pandemic when South Arica went green on the traffic lights for travelling. We paid the full amount and then SA decided to be clever and discover a new variant which sent the country straight back into the red. This caused widespread panic and people were losing flights, money and getting messed around by the airlines. I on the other hand phoned Linda and she told me to hang tight and not to worry, if the airline cancelled Travel Counsellors would give me a fuill refund instead of us having to rebook new dates. Sure enough, the airline cancelled our flights two days before we were due to fly. Linda deals with everything when it comes to travelling and is worth her weight in gold when anything goes wrong. Thank you so much and I will talk to you again before my next trip!

Sent by Ray White

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for arranging the perfect holiday for us recently. We were looking for a relaxing beach holiday and the spec you were given was 'Greece'. I didn't want to go somewhere I'd been before so Crete, Rhodes and Halkidiki were out. As always you came up trumps. Everything about the holiday was perfect from dropping off the car at Gatwick to picking up the car a week later. You gave us a couple of options, Kos or Mykonos. Your experience knew that the southern islands were likely to have the better weather this late in the season and you were correct! The weather was almost perfect. Our hotel was on B&B and it was 1st class. English options were available but the Mediterranean spread was fabulous and my choice every day. The location was just two minutes from the beach and the restaurants. Although the hotel was small, it had two pools and a pool bar. The advantage of booking with you is the extra service you struggle to find online. Great flight times, personal transfers, extra legroom seats, extra baggage allowance and the comfor of knowing if there are any problems, you are on hand to sort it out. In the current travel climate that security blnket is essential! I can highly recommend Linda & Travel Counsellors - it's the smarter way to book your holiday!

Sent by Sam Baines

Incredibly helpful- Linda goes way beyond what is required, putting forward ideas and solutions before you have even thought of them! Amazing lady!

Sent by Joanne Cleary

Linda was so helpful, went through all options and really listened to what I wanted - found is the perfect holiday at a great price

Sent by Pauline Archer

Excellent service as always thank you for your patience and tenacity Linda Buckingham!!!

Sent by Victoria Hosier

Linda, has been amazing throughout re arranging our holiday for the 3rd time. Looking to book again for next year and would fully recommend to anyone else as she was recommended to me and has been outstanding

Sent by Sajid Hansraj

Linda provided prompt support and provided the right level on information each time. Perfect

Sent by Gwen Flint

Linda always deals with my requests very promptly and very efficiently. I would certainly recommend her to my friends.

Sent by Bruce Kennedy

Always friendly, knowledgeable service with ability to accommodate Covid changes as requested

Sent by Margaret Walker

Always a great service from Linda, never any problems, most grateful for her great service. Thankyou

Sent by Scott Patmore

Linda has prepared an amazing trip for me and my wife's anniversary, she has been fantastic and her attention to detail is second to none. we will use her for all our travel going forward

Sent by Catherine Jarmin

Linda is amazing. Helpful, professional, knowledgeable and very friendly. She removes all worry. We wouldn’t use anyone else.

Sent by James Melrose

Excellent service, nothing is too much trouble. Would not go to another travel agent. Linda Buckingham is one in a lifetime.