19 February 2020

The theme of the Travel Counsellors Annual Conference 2019 was “Moments that Matter”. Travel experiences feature highly on my own “moments that matter” list because by their very nature they tend to be experiences outside of normal day to day life. It’s also that time of year, when you tend to reflect on another year past and think about the new one about to begin. The Year 2020, how futuristic does that sound! Yet, here we are, about to begin a new decade. What destinations are on your wish list? January is traditionally a very, busy time of year in the travel industry. Over the Christmas break, families often have the chance to sit down and discuss ideas on where to go for their next holiday, be it a winter or summer break. There are often airline sales and special early booking discounts so it makes sense to plan ahead & secure the best deal by booking early. My plan is to go on a Nile cruise. Egypt is very much back in the headlines again, for all the right reasons. The Grand Egyptian Museum, in Giza is due to open in late 2020. The Tutankhamun Exhibition – “Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh” is currently running in London. To visit Egypt has been on my Wish List since secondary school days so I’m very excited at the prospect of finally going. I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled to many destinations, but my wish list never seems to get any shorter! Everyone is different. For some people it’s a country they’d like to visit or a city. To see some of the world’s most iconic buildings; The Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera House, The Eiffel Tower, The Burj Khalifa, The Pyramids of Giza. For other people it could be seeing Nature at its most spectacular; the Cherry Blossom in Japan, the colours of the Fall in New England, the Aurora Borealis in Norway, Victoria Falls on the borders of Zimbabwe/Zambia. Great sporting events are often a “once in a lifetime” experience. To go to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, to attend a World Cup Rugby/Football game or go to an Ashes match, to follow the Tour de France or go to the Olympic Games. To build a holiday around a sporting event is a fantastic way to see a bit of the country you are visiting. Wildlife experiences also feature highly on a Wish List. Seeing the wildebeest migration in Kenya, taking a hot-air balloon trip over the Serengeti at sunrise, swimming with whale sharks in the Maldives, watching Brown Bears fishing for Salmon. These are moments that matter, they will be experiences you’ll never forget. Dreams can become a reality more easily than you think. Many people tend to save their Wish List for retirement but with retirement age extending & pension pots not always fulfilling expectations the time to travel is now. Live in the moment & start ticking off that Wish List. Happy New Year!

13 February 2020

As well as having a regrettably good Rugby Union team, South Africa is also a country blessed with beautiful countryside, rugged mountain ranges, lush rolling hills, stunning beaches and an abundance of wildlife. I'll start with Cape Town, as there is so much to see in just this one city and the surrounding area. Cape Town has a stunning, waterfront location with the backdrop of Table Mountain, its most famous landmark. The V&A Waterfront is bustling with life, with a variety of fabulous restaurants and shops selling high quality, artisan goods. The exchange rate against the Rand still makes this a “good value for money” destination for the British. During our winter, is an ideal time to visit Cape Town, with average summer temperatures in the high 20’s (Celsius) but even in their winter, the temperatures would rarely be less than 15 degrees. Flying time is 11 hours, 35 minutes on a non-stop flight with British Airways and as the time difference is only 2 hours, there is no problem with jet-lag. The city is quite compact so it’s very easy to get around either by foot or by local taxis. There is also a very informative “hop on, hop off” bus service which operates two loops, an inner city, circuit and an outer circuit which includes the Table Mountain Cable Car station, Camps Bay (an upmarket beach suburb) and the world famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. There are a variety of city tours which you can pre-book but the following are my recommendations. A half day city tour is an ideal way to get your bearings but also to briefly see places which you may want to spend more time visiting. Two of the most popular “must see” destinations are Table Mountain and Robben Island. Table Mountain is very weather dependent so be prepared, if the skies are clear, do it! The cable car is often closed due to cloudy/misty conditions or high winds. Robben Island is a former prison and leper colony, best known for its most famous inmate, Nelson Mandela. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and museum. Some of the guides are former prisoners who share their first-hand experience of what life was like. With the stunningly, beautiful Cape Winelands on the doorstep it would be remiss not to sample some of the world-renowned wines! A full day tour will include wine tasting and a visit to the picturesque towns of Stellenbosch, with its prestigious University and boutique craft shops and the more tranquil Franschhoek, with its celebrated fine dining restaurants and French ambience. Another recommended full day tour is the Cape Point and Peninsula Tour. This will take you to the Cape of Good Hope via the dramatic coastal drive along Chapman’s Peak, where the road hugs the rugged coastline. Stops along the way include Simon’s Town and Boulders Beach, home of the very cute Cape Penguins. Is Cape Town on your wish list, or South Africa in general? Then please give me a call. I’d love to discuss ideas with you:– The Garden Route, The Winelands, Safari’s? There are so many options & it's such a wonderful destination, don't delay!

06 January 2020

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is an amazing, natural, phenomena occurring when electrically charged particles emitted by the sun, interact with the earth’s magnetic field. Iceland’s unique, geographical location makes it an excellent place to view the lights if the conditions are right – ideally you need clear, cloudless, dark skies. The best time to visit is between October and March. I was lucky enough to visit Iceland and experience the amazing, spectacle of the Northern Lights but it wasn’t the only highlight of the trip. Iceland is also famous for its volcanoes (remember the Ash Cloud?), the Blue Lagoon, it’s many geysers and waterfalls. The Blue Lagoon is such an amazing, azure blue you think it must be a photographic illusion but it really is that colour. The geothermal waters are rich with three active ingredients; silica, algae and minerals. It’s very relaxing bathing in the silky, smooth water, like being in a giant hot tub! One of Iceland’s most popular excursions is called “The Golden Circle” which includes visits to the following 3 attractions. The Unesco World Heritage site Pinggvellir, where you can see the Mid-Atlantic Continental Divide, the North American & Eurasian tectonic plates. The Great Geyser hot springs where you can view the original Geyser and the most spectacular geyser, Strokkur, which blasts boiling water up to 30m skywards every few minutes. It’s quite an incredible feeling to be walking over ground where literally, under your feet, the boiling, hot water is bubbling and bursting to explode! The third attraction is the Gullfoss Waterfall, one of Iceland’s most visited waterfalls, where you can see glacier meltwater thundering into a 70m deep basalt canyon. For me, the highlight of our trip had to be travelling by Super Jeep! It is possible to visit Iceland’s main attractions by coach or car but a lot of the interior, in the depth of the winter, can be inaccessible by anything other than the Super Jeeps. We were travelling in a modified 4x4 Mercedes Ice Truck, so high off the ground we needed steps to climb on board! As we drove to the Langjokull Glacier the road literally ended in front of us, but because we were in the Super Jeeps we were able to drive off road, climb the steep slopes of the glacier and race across the flat planes. It was like a scene from Top Gear! We then stopped in the middle of nowhere, to visit an Ice Cave, venturing deep into the glacier. Inside, there was even a simple Wedding Chapel and an Ice Bar! It’s not every day that you have an opportunity to ride snowmobile either. I was a little bit apprehensive, but the guides gave us full instructions on how to operate them and assured us it was quite straight-forward. We set off in pairs, with the guides leading and following our group. The scenery was spectacular and it was an amazing experience so I’m glad I had a go! We stayed at The Hotel Grimsborgir, a 5 star property approx. 70 miles from Reykjavik which is a complex of six houses and ten apartments, with a central building housing the main reception area & the excellent Grimsborgir Restaurant. Did you know that one of Icelander's favourite traditional dishes is Lamb. Another which is not quite so appealing is Hakari - fermented shark! Located in the heart of the Golden Circle the accommodation is ideal for families, offering a great base from which to explore Iceland away from the main cities. Iceland has so much more to offer than just the amazing Northern Lights. There are opportunities for whale watching, glacier hiking, ice fishing, puffin watching, a visit to a Lava Tunnel and to hike inside a volcanic crater to name but a few. It’s time to start planning your next adventure!

06 January 2020

The small, heart shaped island of Tasmania, located off the south coast of Australia is a place close to my heart, as I’m married to a proud Tasmanian. For many people on their first visit to Australia, the core of their holiday tends to be based around either Sydney or Melbourne, the Barrier Reef coastline and the Red Centre. For those lucky enough to visit for a second or a third time, then I would recommend taking one more flight south, to explore this beautiful island. Tasmania is very different from the mainland, the pace of life is slower, time has stood still a little, in a good way. Farming and fishing are popular with the rich, agricultural land and coastal waters teaming with life. Wine production is increasing, there are fields of poppies and lavender. Country markets are full of quality crafts, artworks, artisan products and gourmet, local produce. Tasmania is famous for Huon Pine, discovered by the early settlers as the best timber in the world for boat building due to its high oil content (methyl eugenol). Furniture makers also love other specialist hardwoods, for their strength and beauty, grown in the southwest, such as Sassafras, Blackwood and Myrtle. The island is similar in size to Ireland, approx. 226 miles north to south and 190 miles east to west. But with a population at just over 522 thousand it is far less populated than Ireland’s 4 million people. There are no motorways in Tasmania and no traffic jams! It’s a very easy place to explore on a self-drive itinerary. The distance between the two main cities of Launceston in the North & Hobart in the South is 124 miles, approx. a two & a half hour leisurely, drive through the Midlands. For a small state there is such diversity in its surroundings. The north and east coast have some beautiful beaches and the stunning Freycinet National Park with its white sand amd the perfectly shaped Wineglass Bay, overlooked by the granite peaks of the Hazards. Hobart is the vibrant capital, rich in history but also a modern, waterfront city and a great base from which to explore further south to the Tasman Peninsula and Port Arthur. The Southwest National Park forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area. Much of the park is remote and without roads. Access in the south is by boat, light aircraft or hiking trails. From Strahan, on the west coast, you can take a wilderness cruise on the Gordon River, through Hell’s Gates to Sarah Island penal colony, “cruise back to another time and another place”. In the northwest is the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, home to the famous Overland Track and iconic Cradle Mountain with its glacial lakes and rugged scenery. Launceston, one of Australia’s oldest cities, located on the banks of the Tamar River, has elegant Colonial & Victorian architecture and century old parks. Its star attraction, Cataract Gorge, is a little slice of wilderness within a short walk of the city centre. So much to explore… and that’s just some highlights!

05 January 2020

There are some experiences which are truly “once in a lifetime”. The Rocky Mountaineer isn’t just a train journey through the Rocky Mountains, it is a luxurious encounter with a bygone age where to travel was a glorious, unforgettable experience. The journey is all about the magnificent views, the exceptional service and the wonderful, Michelin style food. The Rocky Mountaineer offers two levels of service. With GoldLeaf, you are in an exclusive bi-level glass dome carriage with full length dome windows and have access to a covered, outdoor viewing platform. Your meals, which are gourmet style from an a la carte menu, are served in the exclusive lower level dining room. With SilverLeaf, you are in a single dome carriage with panoramic views, through oversized windows and your gourmet style meals are served at your seat. Both service levels include complimentary drinks and entertainment via the Rocky Mountaineer hosts captivating stories and historic trivia. There are three main routes through the Rockies, from Jasper/Banff/Lake Louise to Vancouver or vice versa. They all have wonderfully romantic names, “First Passage to the West”, “Journey Through the Clouds” and the three day option “Rainforest to Gold Rush”. Your journey takes you through the spectacular snow-capped mountain scenery of the Canadian Rockies. Highlights include;- the Continental Divide, the Spiral Tunnels and Kicking Horse Canyon (love that name). As you move closer to the coast, the terrain changes from glacial mountains to an almost desert like environment, as you wind through river canyons and pristine forests. You’ll travel through the Fraser Valley and Hell’s Gate, the narrowest point in the Fraser Canyon. Whichever route you take, you’ll overnight in a hotel in either Kamloops or Quesnel. You’ll often see the Rocky Mountaineer advertised as part of a coach and Alaskan cruise 21 day package or a 14 day coach tour of Western Canada. It can just as easily form part of a fly/drive or an independent itinerary without the need of hiring a car. A suggested 10 day independent itinerary would be to fly into Calgary, have three nights in Banff, one night in Lake Louise, two nights in Jasper, one night in Kamloops and three nights in Vancouver, transfers included. Using Banff as a base there are a variety of day tours available to include visits to the stunning “Jewel of the Rockies” Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, a wildlife tour or a ride on the Sulphur Mountain Gondola with a cruise on Lake Minnewanka. From Jasper a must visit is the Icefields Parkway Columbia Icefield where you can ride onboard an Ice Explorer on the Athabasca Glacier and step out onto the Glacier Skywalk. When you end your Rocky Mountaineer epic adventure in Vancouver you’ll be wowed by the glorious waterfront setting of this vibrant city, consistently voted the best place to live in Canada! Of course, if you have more time Vancouver Island is right on your doorstep, a picturesque ferry ride away. There is the beautiful city of Victoria, the award winning Butchart Gardens, wildlife experiences galore with whale watching and bear watching plus some beautiful, beach areas for some chill out time! There is so much to see and do in Western Canada.

05 August 2019

Helsinki was voted as one of the world’s most liveable cities. It is a “City of the Sea” and was founded to compete with the Hanseatic port of Tallinn, across the Gulf of Finland. The Suomenlinna fortress was built to protect the harbour and is today a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the largest sea forts in the world and Helsinki’s top visitor’s attraction. Suomenlinna Island is not all about its military heritage, it’s also very popular with the arts, music and theatre. Many artists live on the island and throughout the summer there are several concerts, festivals and open-air theatre performances. Suomenlinna Church is also a stunning venue for weddings, in fact I was lucky enough to attend a beautiful, family wedding there myself, a couple of years ago. It’s only a short, ferry trip to the island but the Royal Line operates an islands tour which takes you between the archipelago of islands and gives you a different perspective of the city. The city centre of Helsinki is very walkable, with some cobbled streets, lots of parks and green areas. Down by the harbour is The Old Market Hall and the bustling Market Square with stalls selling all sorts of fresh produce and Finnish souvenirs. Also, harbourside is the Helsinki Allas, a complex consisting of a spa, sauna, two swimming pools and a diving pool. The Finnish cannot survive without their saunas! It is an integral part of everyday living and although there are many public saunas, most Finnish people also have a sauna in their homes. Next to Helsinki Allas is the Finnair SkyWheel, every city seems to have one these days! Leading off Market Square is the elegant Esplanadi, a long park with plenty of places to while away a few hours at outdoor cafes or listening to a local band perform on stage. The Esplanadi is sandwiched between the streets of Pohjoisesplanadi and Etelaesplanadi, home to small shops, bars and restaurants. At the end of Pohjoisesplanadi is the longest and main shopping street, Mannerheimintie (the Oxford St of Helsinki). It’s very easy to get around Helsinki but trying to pronounce or spell any of the street names is impossible (unless you’re Finnish!) A couple of streets back from the harbourside is the beautiful Senate Square with its regal 19th century buildings including the Palace of the Council of State, the University of Helsinki and University Library. Dominating the square, in all its majestic glory, is the magnificent shining, white Helsinki Cathedral. As it stands on a higher level than the square, at the top of two tiers of steps, it almost appears to be floating against the clear blue sky. Helsinki, of course, has many fine churches and interesting museums but there are two very different churches that are definitely worth a visit. The award winning “Kamppi Chapel of Silence” looks like a high sided, wooden bowl and is constructed from curving strips of spruce. It’s located just off the busy southern end of Mannerheimintie but when you walk in the door, it is as if you have walked into another world, one which is calm and serene. Temppeliaukion or The Rock Church, was designed by architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. It opened in 1969 to huge controversy but is now one of Helsinki’s most visited tourist venues. The church was literally quarried out of solid bedrock. It has a massive copper dome with a diameter of 24m, it is lined with 22 km of copper stripping and light is reflected inwards from 180 skylights. The acoustics are excellent & the church can hold nearly one thousand people. Helsinki is a beautiful city; the Finns are very friendly, and everyone speaks English! (thankfully). The winter can be bleak and bitterly cold, so summer is definitely the time to see Helsinki at its best.