14 March 2025

Onto Stage 4 of our tour of Japan and we reach a place that kick-started my fascination with the country – Kyoto! As a recap, our tour started in Tokyo, moved to Takayama in the Japanese Alps, took in some of the historic Nakasendo Way and now we’ve reached Kyoto. Following a couple of nights in ryokans I must admit the thought of an actual bed and being able to choose what we ate sounded like l

06 March 2025

This International Women’s Day I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some holiday experiences for women only or with solo female travellers in mind. Some people might wonder why this is even a thing? Here’s why: 1) Safety – of course for a lot of women there is safety and security in travelling with other like-minded women – maybe they are on their own, maybe their other half isn’t inte

03 February 2025

Our tour of Japan started in Tokyo, moved to Takayama in the Japanese Alps and next up I’m talking about the historic Nakasendo Way – the trail between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. From Takayama we took a scenic bus journey through river valleys, passing dams to Matsumoto, famous for its castle, with an original tower dating back to the Edo period (1500s). It certainly has an imposing presence and

12 January 2025

In October last year my husband and I set off on a long-overdue trip, taking in Japan, New Zealand and French Polynesia. It was very much like three holidays rolled into one and here I’m talking about the Japanese Alps - specifically Takayama and its Autumn Festival. Our first destination outside Tokyo was Takayama in the Japanese Alps. To get there required a number of train journeys, so I was

03 January 2025

In October last year my husband and I set off on a long-overdue trip, taking in Japan, New Zealand and French Polynesia. It was very much like three holidays rolled into one and, to try to make it easy for you to pick the bits that are the most relevant, I’ve tried to break it down into sections – here are my reflections on our starting point - Tokyo. Tokyo is huge and therefore looking at it as

12 January 2024

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write about our amazing trip to Antarctica but, having recently had clients return from there, it seemed like a good time to get on with it! Unsurprisingly, with such a trip-of-a-lifetime we had a special occasion to celebrate and we started with a steak at Rich’s favourite restaurant in Buenos Aires for his 50th birthday – I was thrilled to see it still ex

01 December 2023

Back in April I had a lot of fun putting together a Deep South US tour for my clients Suzanne and David Johnson. They've recently returned and were kind enough to share some photos with me! Their trip started in New Orleans where they sampled the legendary nightlife and found some respite from the mayhem in the more tranquil parks. Next they headed to Mobile and Birmingham in Alabama, then on to

30 May 2022

I've just finished in the gym, showered and am about to head out for brunch at the waiter service restaurant, rather than the various buffet options I could choose from. Next up will be a spot of sun-bathing, most likely in the adult-only area, although I might have to try out the waterslides that have been calling my name all week - one of them, Green Thunder, looks pretty terrifying though. Lat

31 March 2022

I've recently returned from Costa Rica, as those of you who follow me on Facebook will not have failed to notice, no doubt! The primary aim was to see as much of the country as possible and this was achieved through a blend of accommodation and transportation that brought us into contact with the amazing range of environments and biodiversity Costa Rica is known for. Costa Rica has almost 6% of t

14 January 2022

From white-sand beaches to mountains, grizzly bears to hummingbirds and trail trekking to iconic road trips, the US is one of those destinations that has a huge amount to offer. If you’ve always wanted to explore but the idea of unfamiliar food and language puts you off, the US is the perfect first-time touring destination. New York and Florida’s Walt Disney World top the charts for US trips and

01 December 2021

I recently had the absolute pleasure of joining three fellow travel agents on an educational trip for the first time in two years and the destination was Lithuania. Now, I knew pretty much nothing other than to expect it would be very cold in late November and I came away with a great impression of the places we visited, the people we met and (very importantly) the food we ate! We flew from the t

08 February 2021

As the nights draw in some of us might be tempted to head for warmer climes, as per November’s New Zealand blog but others might want to make the most of the cold and go searching for all things winter – whether that’s snowmobiling and husky-sledding, visiting Santa at home or seeking out the elusive Northern Lights. Lapland is the perfect place to combine all of these and there’s even downhill an

03 February 2021

As winter bites in the UK what better time for a long-haul trip to the Antipodes for a spot of sunshine? Try to avoid December as you’ll be competing for beach space with the locals who have an extended holiday, so November, January or February are great months to visit. I spent a year in Australia so trying to narrow it down to a trip of a few weeks is asking a lot (although I may be giving this

25 January 2021

This is the third time the US makes my bucket list but that’s hardly surprisingly given how vast it is and the number of incredible destinations there are. For an even more exotic alternative, autumn in Japan is second only to the cherry blossom season. Depending on where you start, this trip can be done from mid-September through to late October and I would recommend trying to finish up around Ha

14 January 2021

For those of us not tied to school holidays, September is the perfect time for a holiday in Europe – the sea is at its warmest, the weather is generally still pleasant and the crowds are slimming out. You could pick any number of fantastic European destinations but I have chosen to focus on Italy. Why? Because for me it is the ideal blend of culture, landscapes, beaches and food, combining to make

07 January 2021

As tempting as it was to include Alaska in June’s blog on national parks, there is just so much to do here it really deserves a blog in its own right – so here it is. The tourist season is short, pretty much from mid-May to September, with snow and ice making trips longer and more difficult outside these months. This timing works well combined with a trip to Canada’s British Colombia (BC), particu

18 December 2020

You might have noticed by now that a lot of my bucket list destinations have a leaning towards seeing our amazing wildlife in their natural habitat and this month is no exception. The Great Migration sees thousands of wildebeest and other savannah dwellers travelling through the Serengeti and Masai Mara following the rains to new feeding grounds. This is the largest mass movement of land mammals o

26 November 2020

The US might be best known for its cities but it has some of the most iconic national parks – think Yosemite, Yellowstone and, of course, the Grand Canyon. June is a fantastic month to visit before the crowds of summer – unsurprisingly thousands of Americans descend on the parks by car and it can become very difficult to get around. It’s relatively easy to visit several parks in one trip, especial

24 November 2020

Unique wildlife is a big draw for many people, so the opportunity to see orangutans in their natural environment is on a lot of people’s bucket list. Borneo is the ideal place to do this and makes for a fabulous trip of two weeks combining wildlife with beaches and starting the whole thing off with a stay in Malaysia’s capital – Kuala Lumpur. This itinerary would work pretty much anytime from Marc

16 November 2020

This trip is sat firmly at the top of my bucket list, as I would love to see the cherry blossom in Japan. This can start in mid-March depending on whereabouts you are and will only last a couple of weeks but with different varieties flowering at slightly different times, early April is peak season. The most popular ‘sakura’ spots tend to be close to the cities, with Kyoto considered to be the prim

10 November 2020

If you’re looking for the best time to visit Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, then March is right up there. Combining culture and beaches, a tour around South-East Asia is definitely on a lot of people’s ‘to-do’ list. It goes without saying that night markets, cookery classes, stunning waterfalls, elephant sanctuaries, visiting local industries and other superb experiences can be enjoyed thro

03 November 2020

Surely we all need to experience the sheer joy and celebration associated with Carnival time at least once in our lives?! A few places spring to mind but three big hitters have to be Venice, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. Venice is often cited as the original Carnival as we know it. Meaning ‘farewell to meat’, Carnevale celebrates the last few feasting days prior to the traditional forty fasti

23 October 2020

As one of the last places on the planet to be ‘discovered’ by man just 200 years ago and with such a high ecological profile, it’s hardly surprising that Antarctica makes it onto so many people’s bucket lists – mine included. However, our increasing awareness of the climate crisis is enough to give people pause for thought about travelling here. In 1991, the International Association of Antarctica

26 August 2020

It seemed like a good idea to take the opportunity of a lifetime to see Venice without anywhere near the usual crowds, so we did! Quieter hotels meant more deals, the museums had reopened and were operating relatively normally (although masks were mandatory) and it was lovely to be able to sip a Spritz and stuff your face with actual Italian pasta. We flew with EasyJet out of Gatwick and, other th

07 May 2020

It’s fair to say there will be a significant demand for ‘staycations’ this summer as we all want to get away for a change of scenery, even if it’s not the beach paradise we had in mind. I’ve been hearing from people that they are looking forward to catching up with friends and family, enjoying the great outdoors and recharging their batteries. UK holiday cottages and rentals have a lot going for t

27 April 2020

As part of our three-month trip around South America, my husband and I got to visit a real bucket-list destination – the Galapagos. Firstly, here are a few tips from me: 1) Unless you get seriously sea-sick don’t opt for a land tour; the absolute best way of seeing as much as possible is by boat. 2) You ideally want at least a 10-night tour as these tend to actually mean 8 nights out in the isl

02 April 2020

Great friends of mine have emigrated to New Zealand and so I couldn’t wait to go and visit. I primarily planned the trip around spending time with them, so focused on the North Island. I’m very much looking forward to returning to see for myself what the South Island has to offer. Here are my impressions of the North Island. I’ve heard people giving Auckland a hard time but I really liked it – wa

06 November 2019

This summer clients of mine undertook an epic journey across five countries in Africa. They have been kind enough to share their travel journal with me and I have used that for the basis of this blog. Huge thanks to Peter & Ruth. Starting in Cape Town, South Africa, they didn’t have the best of weather, so that prevented a trip to Robben Island. I always recommend going up Table Mountain as soon

30 August 2019

I absolutely love Greece and Kefalonia is somewhere that has certainly featured in my wish-list for some time, so when I was fortunate enough to receive a travel agent offer from Sunvil I seized the opportunity! We chose the Kaminakia apartments, within walking distance of Fiskardo, as we wanted to be close to town but also wanted a pool to enjoy. The apartments are basic but comfortable and were

02 May 2019

I really wanted to share the great feedback and wonderful photos (I especially love the traditional costumes!) I had from some lovely clients who have travelled as a group of four on two lengthy trips to South America in the last couple of years with me. I'm sure they won't mind me saying they are (slightly) older than the average back-packer but their wanderlust and enthusiasm has given me the o

13 March 2019

I had the wonderful opportunity of spending 5 days in Singapore with Singapore Airlines (fabulous by the way) and the Tourist Board. They were determined to make sure we sampled the best of everything Singapore has to offer, so we packed a lot in! Most Brits are likely to visit Singapore on a stopover, sometimes just a touchdown and sometimes for a day or so. My suggestion is to give yourselves a

10 January 2019

I’ve recently completed training with the Travel Foundation – an organisation determined to put sustainable tourism at the top of every country’s agenda. This is about more than single-use plastic; although that is a great place to start, this encompasses the impacts of the travel industry on the local economy, communities and the environment, to ensure it contributes positively. The Travel Fou

04 January 2019

Following a couple of nights in Vegas (see previous blog) we picked up our Mustang convertible (what else?) and hit the road. First stop was the Grand Canyon but less than an hour out of Vegas is an equally awe-inspiring site, albeit a man-made one. The Hoover Dam is a genuine feat of engineering – I was a little bit unnerved to discover it’s pretty much held in place by gravity. The visitor centr

27 December 2018

I’ve always assumed Las Vegas is very much like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. I wasn’t sure which camp I would be in and there was only one way to find out! As part of a trip designed to visit several US National Parks we were starting with the Grand Canyon, a mere four-hour road trip from Vegas, so that decided our starting point. On arrival it looms out of the desert like some kind

11 January 2018

If you’re a mum with school-age children, the chances are you’ll have heard of the Algarve resorts of Martinhal and Pine Cliffs or the Greek mainland choices of Sani or Ikos. They are fantastic resorts offering a huge range of accommodation and activities aimed at creating memorable family holidays and long may they continue to do so. However, you might be looking for something different. Maybe

08 November 2017

Bologna has many names – La Dotta, referring to the number of educational institutes that can be found there, La Rossa, for both its ubiquitous roof tiles and communist sensibilities and, my personal favourite, La Grassa – the fat one – for the sheer magnitude of superb cuisine – just don’t ask for Spaghetti Bolognese (read on and I’ll explain why). I’ve visited a fair bit of Italy and absolute

18 October 2017

Our stay on Crete was drawing to an end and I had opted for a serious dose of luxury to provide an appropriate send-off. This took the form of the truly magnificent Blue Palace Hotel, based just outside Plaka on the Mirabello Gulf, overlooking the famous (thanks in large part to Victoria Hislop) former leper colony on the mysterious island of Spinalonga. The island provides a haunting backdrop

18 October 2017

After a few days of essentially walking and eating, we headed out to explore a little more of this part of the island. Arkadi Monastery is a poignant reminder of the resistance of the local population to invasion by the Ottomans. As the battle was lost, the women and children who sheltered here chose to ignite the gunpowder store rather than join the Turkish harems – the storeroom has been left un

18 October 2017

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have sent clients to Greece this year, and Crete is one of the perennial favourites – fabulous beaches, lots of culture, great food and wonderful weather – at least, that’s what I’ve always told people even though I’d never been! It was clearly time to practice what I preach. It’s been some time since my last visit to Greece, specifically Skiathos, mainl

09 October 2017

I try to make a point of going away for my birthday every year and, as it falls in June, I can usually expect good weather. This year we headed to Lisbon, which was in the middle of a heatwave so the weather was perhaps a little too good. We’d pre-ordered Lisboa cards which we collected at the airport – this gave us discount or free entry to a number of top sights, free travel for our chosen le

05 October 2017

It’s been a long-held dream of mine (well alright, fantasy and it has always involved watching from one of the super yachts) to go to the Monaco Grand Prix and I finally bit the bullet this year. One of our fabulous partners, BAC Sports, had an offer on for five nights in Nice and grandstand tickets to the race, so I just couldn’t pass it up. I won’t bore you with the race details (F1 fans, get

25 April 2017

Where are you going this time? La Palma? Oh I love Majorca. Nope, that’s Palma, this is one of the Canary Islands. Oh yes, Las Palmas is on Gran Canaria, isn’t it? Well yes, but it’s not that one either. This pretty much sums up one of the main attractions of staying on La Palma – no one’s ever heard of it, let alone been there. It’s one of the smallest of the seven main islands and is out to the

03 April 2017

Mention the Seychelles to most people and it immediately conjures up images of perfect white sand beaches fringed by palm trees with unusual boulders jutting out of the turquoise sea. And that’s just about spot on. The second thought is probably along the lines of ‘expensive’ or perhaps ‘exclusive’, which is where I beg to differ. I was one of a very lucky group of six Travel Counsellors fortu

14 September 2016

As part of our time in South America, my husband and I spent a few nights in the Ecuadorian rainforest on a tributary of the Amazon. The trip down was on a motorised canoe and the sheer width of the river amazed us – of course it’s the main mode of transport, so we passed by all sorts of boats; some taking children to school and others carrying heavy equipment for the logging industry. Upon arr

22 June 2016

Being at work on your birthday is over-rated, and the last couple of years has seen me jet off somewhere as the UK's weather gets increasingly unpredictable in June! This year (due to far too many other holidays) we only had time for a long weekend and, after a bit of research (also known as asking people on Facebook), Budapest beat Copenhagen. Surprisingly quick to get to (about a two-hour fli

12 April 2016

Following on from my blog about Louisiana and New Orleans, here's what I made of Carnival Cruises... Our first two days were at sea, which gave us plenty of time to acquaint ourselves with everything the Carnival Dream had to offer. The first thing that springs to mind is the amazing food – so fresh, tasty and plentiful but such a variety of options – you simply couldn’t get bored and that’s co

12 April 2016

Recently I was very lucky to be one of a group of fellow Travel Counsellors who got to take a cruise courtesy of Carnival. We were fortunate to start our trip with a couple of days in Louisiana in the capable hands of Neil Jones from the office of tourism. After a slightly bumpy start to the trip involving various flight and luggage issues we were underway! First stop was Lafayette, staying nea

16 February 2016

I have to admit I'm a little bit of a Lanzarote fan - enough going on to keep all of the family interested but plenty of places to find some peace and quiet. Couple that with one man's successful crusade to limit the impact of development and for me it's the perfect example of a Canarias island. As much as I love Lanzarote, I invariably find myself both returning to and recommending clients vis

29 December 2015

In October this year I got the chance to take part in my first educational trip – 10 nights in South Africa. I was thoroughly excited as this was somewhere I had never visited, but I must admit to having a degree of trepidation at the thought of visiting Johannesburg, largely thanks to sheer ignorance! Our Virgin Atlantic flights were great (I was lucky enough to be upgraded to Premium Economy

08 May 2015

OK, I admit I was basically going in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a certain Mr George Clooney who has a place down the road but the Italian Lakes offer lots of alternative eye candy if he proves elusive! I stayed on Lake Como, in a small village called Argegno with the most wonderful tiny piazza incorporating a few restaurants, an enoteca and a highly noteworthy gelateria – I recommend t

16 April 2015

It's hardly surprising that Iceland's landscape has been inspiring people for centuries - from Jules Verne using the glacier of Snaefellsjokull as the base for Journey to the Centre of the Earth to the world's biggest TV series, Game of Thrones using a range of Icelandic backdrops - it truly is a stunning and unique natural beauty. I visited Iceland with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights.

15 April 2015

I've had the fortune to visit Dubrovnik twice and it truly is the Pearl of the Adriatic as Byron once said. The walled centre is dazzling marble with a shock of red roof tiles and can often be wall to wall with people, but there's usually somewhere quiet you can escape to. If you are able to stay within or just outside the town you get to experience it once the day-trippers have left - in the sum

27 January 2015

Everyone seems to think that Istanbul should only ever be visited in the summer but I beg to differ. For Christmas 2011 my enterprising husband surprised me with a long weekend in Istanbul...for Valentine's. He's cheeky like that. I let him get away with it as it's somewhere I've always wanted to go and I do love a good city break out of season. We arrived accompanied by a small flurry of snow

19 December 2014

Having been to Italy several times I couldn't quite believe I'd still not been to Venice, so when I found I had an opportunity to go in September, I grabbed it with both hands. I arrived on train from Trieste via Croatia and only had two days and one night to see as much as I could. The train station delivers you directly onto the Grand Canal and your first sense of the timelessness of this floati

10 December 2014

My husband and I had been planning to have a go at the Inca Trail for about the last ten years, but life got in the way. So, with the opportunity of a lifetime to spend three months travelling around South America, this experience was top of our list. We had acclimatised as we travelled through northern Chile and into Peru, so by the time we got to Cusco, the starting point for the Inca Trail,

10 December 2014

La Paz is an incredible place. It was with some trepidation that we headed there, having heard the horror stories about drugs and crime. It sounds as though that story has reached the ears of the Bolivian government though, as every tourist area has a clear police presence. I didn’t once feel even remotely worried for my safety, but instead absolutely fell in love with the vibrancy and people. It’

17 November 2014

After a few weeks in the southern part of Chile, we travelled up the country (with a detour over to Mendoza for the wine, of course), passing Mario Irarrazabal’s Mano del Desierto, a giant hand in the middle of nowhere. We were heading for San Pedro de Atacama, situated within the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. San Pedro is a very chilled out, quite hippy-ish sort of place. We staye

17 November 2014

San Pedro is where we decided to deviate from the well-worn gringo trail through the salt flats on Uyuni, as stunning as it looks, all because I wanted to visit a ghost town…ever since I read about Santa Laura and Humberstone I’ve wanted to go there – a saltpeter mine and attached town in the middle of nowhere which, thanks to becoming a World Heritage site, has been remarkably preserved. It was b

17 November 2014

As I mention in the Torres Del Paine entry, Puerto Natales is a fantastic base for a number of wonderful sights in Patagonia. Having completed the trek and celebrated with Patagonia’s very own Baguales beer, we thought it was high time to detour over to Argentina to take a look at one of their own biggest Patagonian draws – Perito Moreno Glacier. It’s really difficult to do it justice in photos

17 November 2014

After spending two weeks trying to learn something resembling Spanish in Buenos Aires (a truly stunning, very European city), we flew down to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia. We spent a few days visiting the area my husband’s granny grew up in and then headed by bus to Puerto Natales. This was a great jumping off point for some wonderful experiences, not the least of which being the National Par