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 or

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

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 sta

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 m

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 H

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

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

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

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 bein

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

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 f

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 ther

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 pe

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

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

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 ma

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 h

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

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 tour

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 the

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 Ke

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 a

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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 Bud

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 ca

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 ha

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

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)

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 o

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

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 i

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 beh

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 know

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

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 inc

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 expl

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 c

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

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 a

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 fr

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

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

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 w

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

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

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 o

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 beachfr

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

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* h

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 everyo

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 pr

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

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.

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 t

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 tr

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 fi

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

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

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 t