03 June 2019

Well this was a new experience for us! Since we became Mum and Dad to our fur baby Bruce, we decided that as he is such a good boy he deserved a holiday too! After researching the most dog friendly beaches we decided on The Bay in Filey. We stayed in one of the detached houses on the complex, which was a real home from home and the log burner ensured us a warm welcome for a February UK beach break! This being our first trip away with Bruce, I was amazed at how welcome they made their four-legged guests, with the huge field to exercise them and the dog friendly beach just a few minutes’ walk away, it was perfect. Not to mention the dog friendly pub on the site for that well-earned drink on the way back from a long coastal walk! There are many more destinations all around the UK that welcome our pooches and we will certainly be testing a few out, so if this is the type of holiday that you would like help in arranging, then please do get in touch.

26 September 2017

We set sail from Southampton on a sunny August afternoon. How relaxing it was not to worry about how much I could pack with no flights to restrict me on how many shoes I could take! We had already taken advantage of the drinks package by pre-booking in advance and this is certainly something I would recommend. Sipping a Pina Colada at the sail away party with not a care in the world, I was relaxed from the start. The Independence of the Seas is one of the larger Royal Caribbean ships and she is still my favourite. Having been on her maiden voyage 10 years earlier I worried that the wow factor may be lost on me but not at all, she still had the same feel that she did on my first experience. There is so much to do on board that the sea days are just as packed as a day on shore! Only if you want them to be - I was often found relaxing by the pool with my book and a cocktail in hand, delivered to my sunbed by the many waiters. From the Flow Rider and the ice skating rink to the spa and the jacuzzi, you are spoilt for choice. The entertainment on board catered for all tastes and ages. There are so many bars and entertainment venues, from the champagne bar to the British pub, and many more. Not forgetting the beautiful theatre with West End style shows! Our Itinerary was the Mediterranean cities which included Malaga, Palma, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Cannes, Lisbon, Vigo and Cadiz, all of which were stunning and each had its own charm. Where else could you fit so many beautiful places into one holiday other than a cruise? To write about each destination and all that they had to offer would take me into next week, so if you would like any more details on any of the ports that I visited or you have any questions on cruising at all, then please get in touch with me as I would love to have a chat and tell you all about it.

29 June 2017

I am passionate about all things travel and I am grateful that I do a job that I love, and just as I thought that it couldn't get any better I was lucky enough to be rewarded with a place on an amazing "work" trip to the stunning island of Mauritius! We flew from Heathrow with Air Mauritius who looked after us really well, and we arrived to the most wonderful welcome, the warmth and friendliness of the local people became apparent straight away. Our first stay out of the two was the beautiful Constance Belle Mare Plage, the rooms here were stunning, with plenty of space, and a lovely bathroom that opened into the bedroom, I had a lovely view out over the pool area to the beach. We had a very busy schedule over the three night stay which included wine tasting, a cookery class, a mixology lesson, Golf Lesson (luckily for the guests we stayed on the driving range, we weren't quite up to the standard to be let loose on either of the two 18 hole championship courses) and finally we enjoyed a relaxing spa treatment - well I did say it was "work"! We also sampled a few of the seven restaurants in the hotel, each with a different theme and the food was just amazing, my favourite was the Asian restaurant. During our stay here we took a boat trip with "One Love" this was so much fun, we did some snorkelling, saw wild monkeys, a beautiful waterfall and had the most delicious BBQ on the beach, whilst being entertained by our guitar playing barman and our lovely guide Iris singing to us. It was then time to check out of this stunning hotel and head off on to the next, on the way there we stopped off in Port Louis, a lovely colourful place with plenty of shops and restaurants. Then we arrived at Luxurious Le Prince Maurice, and I was totally overwhelmed by this hotel. The view from the reception took my breath away, then onto the room, I couldn't quite believe I had this huge space to myself, the bathroom alone was bigger than most hotel rooms with a lovely view over the lagoon from the bath. The special touches that this hotel offer really do make this a 5* luxury resort, from having your sunglasses cleaned, and a power pack brought to you by the pool, to a little bottle of alcohol free bubbly in the family suites for the kids on arrival! They really do cover everything. Again we ate in a few of the restaurants and again the food was outstanding, my favourite here was the floating restaurant. We did a pastry class, which got pretty messy, a cocktail making class, another wine tasting in the hotel cellar where they stock a bottle valued at $12,000! I did have a go at paddle boarding here... and failed miserably, but it was good fun! Then we rounded the trip up with the most amazing massage in the hotel spa. To round up my experience, I fell in love with Mauritius and I would go back in a heart beat, the people are so warm and friendly and the island is beautiful. To my colleagues that joined me on this remarkable experience, you were all amazing and I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to meet you all. I also want to give huge thanks to Emma from Constance for hosting this trip and looking after us all so well, you were fantastic. So thank you Emma and thank you Constance Hotels, and Mauritius - I hope to see you soon!

06 October 2016

We travelled from Birmingham via Dubai with Emirates Airlines, and even in economy we were more than happy with the service that we received. Upon arrival in Male I was overwhelmed with how simple the procedure was to find our speedboat to take us the hour long journey to what can only be described as paradise! The moment you arrive on Meeru it is truly breath taking! We were greeted from the boat and shown to comfy seats by the sea and given a tropical cocktail to enjoy whist we checked in. It was all very simple and stress free, then we were taken to our beautiful Jacuzzi Beach Villa on a golf buggy. The villa was stunning, with a four poster bed, spotlessly clean and had everything inside that you could possibly need. The outdoor bathroom was just perfect and the Jacuzzi on the private garden was just the icing on the cake. The island is classed as one of the larger ones. We walked the whole circumference and it took around 45 minutes, but the island is still so tranquil. There were always spots along the beach where you wouldn't see a soul if you wanted to be more private. Both pools are lovely, one has a children's play area and a kid’s room close by for families and there is also the adult’s only pool. Both provided waiter service to the sunbeds, which was superb. You can do as little or as much as suits you on Meeru. Check out your TV each morning for a list of what is going on, there is something for everyone. The sunset boat trip is a must do, I have never seen so many dolphins at one time anywhere else in the world. It was a fantastic experience. We also did a lot of snorkelling, both off the beach and at the house reef. There is as you would expect plenty to see! In the evening it was nice watching the turtles, stingray and the sharks from the Asian Wok Restaurant. This was also a fantastic place to watch the beautiful sunset. The food in all of the restaurants was delicious, and as always the service was top quality. We were always greeted with a smile and made to feel so welcome. After the first evening they all remember your favourite drink. The thing that stood out for me was that the staff genuinely do care and take such pride in their little piece of paradise, and they go above and beyond to make everyone's stay perfect. From the moment we arrived I felt like I had left the world behind and arrived in paradise. I would go back to this beautiful place in a heartbeat.

05 June 2015

We travelled from Heathrow and our first stop was Bangkok where we stayed three nights at the Majestic Grand hotel, the hotel was in an ideal location with bars and restaurants just outside the hotel. People watching is a fascinating pass time in the city that is for sure, but it is not all hustle and bustle, we had a fantastic day on the floating market, this is a must see whilst in Bangkok. To get around we used the Sky train which is a surprisingly easy experience in such a busy city. We did travel once in a Tuk Tuk just to say that we had tried it but not something I would repeat, they are not the most relaxing forms of travel! Khoasan road is also a must see, with the vibrant nightlife and the street food vendors selling a varied menu of grasshoppers, bamboo worms, silk larvae, crickets, weevils, ant queens and scorpions and of course noodles! I did have the most amazing foot massage here one evening whilst my husband enjoyed a cold beer. Our next stop was Hua Hin, we had a taxi take us from Bangkok and we were surprised how little traffic there was once out of the City, our journey was a pleasure as we saw the rural Thailand. We stayed at the Evason Hua Hin and wow, the welcome at this hotel was the friendliest that I have ever experienced. We had a villa with a private pool... absolute heaven! We decided that as we weren't going to leave the hotel very much on this part of the trip that we would take the All inclusive package, to us this was really good value, you still had a choice of restaurant and great selection of menu. Our stay included bicycle hire and it was such a pleasant bike ride along the coast, certainly needed after all of the delicious food! I would certainly go back to the Evason, it was such a relaxing experience. Then our final stop was Koh Samui, we stayed at the Imperial Boathouse which was directly on a beautiful beach, from here we enjoyed trips which included snorkeling and a speed boat trip to different islands. We visited Fishermans village one evening and the choice of restaurants and the atmosphere was brilliant. This will certainly not be our only trip to this amazing country, there is so much to see and do, in fact we are planning our next visit right now!

05 June 2015

Having been to the Caribbean side of Mexico many times in the past, we decided to try the Pacific coast and it truly is beautiful and has a more local feel. We stayed at the Riu Palace Pacifico and the suite was huge, with complimentary mini bar and the most amazing sea view. There is so much on offer in this part of Mexico, I even tried horse riding for the very first time! The restaurants in Puerto Vallarta offer cuisine from all over the world and is reasonably priced too so my advice is if you are all inclusive at your hotel please venture out and don't miss out. The highlight of the trip had to be seeing the migrating humpback whales breaching, wow they really stole the show, it was breathtaking to see the mothers with their babies. They can be found in the area from December through to March and is an amazing experience. The beach is not as white and powdery as it is on the Caribbean coast but this little gem is so worth a visit.