07 January 2017

Borneo was simply amazing! We flew Air Malaysia from Heathrow direct to Kuala Lumpur. We also stayed in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi. I would recommend this exact itinerary and duration of a minimum of two weeks but three would be much better. See my other journal on Langawi and Kuala Lumpur. In Borneo we stayed at a 5* hotel called the Shangri La Tanjung Aru which was directly on its own private

07 January 2017

Dominican Republic is a destination I have now visited twice. I have stayed in the north of the island in Puerto Plata and also the south in Punta Cana. The Dominican Republic is one of the cheapest Caribbean destinations to visit apart from Cuba. A lot of my customers ask me whereabouts to stay on the island. When I visited the North I stayed in 4 hotels in one week (Iberostar,Gran Ventana, R

07 January 2017

October 2010 was my first visit to the amazing island of Antigua. I stayed 1 night at the Grand Pineapple beach and then 4 nights at Sandals Antigua resort & Spa. The trip was a prize winners trip with Travel Counsellors. We flew British Airways from London Gatwick direct and the flight time was just over 9 hours. The Grand Pineapple beach is a 3 star plus hotel and an all inclusive property

07 January 2017

I had a fantastic three nights in Paris which was long overdue. We flew with Ryanair into Beauvais airport which is around 82km from Paris. It’s not ideal but there are plenty of coaches that run from the airport into the city centre and also to Disney. I would normally recommend flying into Charles De Gaulle. We stayed three nights at the Royal Elysees hotel which is a four star hotel in the C

07 January 2017

Prague is my favourite European city. I have been to Prague over 30 times and I got married in the old town square back in September 2006. My wife is from Prague so I frequently visit this amazing city. Prague has so much to offer all year round and my favourite time has to be Christmas time. I travel before or after Christmas every year to see the Christmas market, go ice skating and sample va

07 January 2017

February 2013 was my second visit to Miami. We flew U.S Airways via Philadelphia for a 3 night stay in Miami. The connection in Philadelphia was 4 hours but this was no problem. Unlike some of the U.S airports this airport was huge with many shops, bars and restaurants making the connection comfortable and lots to do and see. Also the airport offers free WIFI. On arrival into Miami transport

07 January 2017

February 2013 was my first visit to Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean. We stayed 7 nights at the fabulous Beaches Resort which is part of the Sandals group and located only 15 minutes from the airport. Beaches Resort is a very family orientated hotel but does also cater for weddings and honeymoons. The hotel is made up of 3 villages in one resort. The Caribbean village which is where I stayed,

07 January 2017

February 2013 was my first visit to Philadelphia. We visited this vibrant city on a stopover on the way back from Miami. We decided we would stay here 2 nights and we stayed at a hotel called the Radisson Warwick Plaza. A very good standard of hotel right in the city centre perfect location. The subway was a 10 minute walk away which you can get to the airport direct and the cost is around

07 January 2017

Thailand is now a destination I have visited 14 times. This was only my second time to travel south to the islands. I started in Hua Hin where I stayed 10nts at the Verandah resort which is situated right on the beach. I would say this is the best area to be as the beach is much nicer and quieter. Fine white sand and the sea is very warm. The hotel is very good value for money and they have a rest

07 January 2017

This was my first visit to the Bahamas and I stayed 1 week at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort in Nassau. Sandals are a very unique chain of properties only situated in the Caribbean. They are adult only All-Inclusive hotels. Every hotel has 28 different room categories. Bahamian Bay is not a huge resort like some of the other Sandals properties so it's very easy to find your bearings within a

07 January 2017

This was my first visit to Toronto and we stayed for 2 nights at the Fairmont Royal York hotel. The hotel is quite old yet modern inside and is a 5* hotel, very central right by the main train station. The airport express bus also runs within 50 yards of the hotel so it's an excellent spot. It is a huge and our room was very modern and quite spacious. I really could not fault the Fairmont Royal

07 January 2017

What an experience this wasl from the pictures you can see just how spectacular this attraction is. Niagara Falls is definitely a place I would go back to. It's around 150km from Toronto. You can either book up an escorted day tour which includes the boat trip and the journey behind the falls. It also includes lunch and then a visit to a winery on the way back. I recommend pre-booking and I ca

25 December 2016

This was my first visit to Vietnam and my first experience with Vietnam Airlines. Vietnam Airlines fly a direct route from London and I flew out Premium Economy Class and back home in Business Class. Both were amazing and I highly recommend the premium upgrade, which can be very affordable. We arrived in Vietnam early in the morning and it was a short drive to the centre of the very crazy city

25 December 2016

I have sent many clients over the years to Singapore and, particularly to take advantage of the great offers via the Singapore Airlines stopover programme, it was time for me to explore this vibrant city. While densely populated and comprising a lot of reclaimed land, Singapore has a calm, organised and modern feel to it. The city itself is spotlessly clean and features some excellent transport

25 December 2016

Bali is a beautiful Indonesian island known for its fantastic hotels, beaches, beautiful sunsets, great restaurants and lovely people. The Balinese are extremely friendly, gentle and courteous, with a warm smile. The interior of this tropical island is a rainforest and also features a volcano, and a combination of temples carved into the cliff faces along with paddy fields. This diversity is in st

06 October 2016

Madrid is a city I can recommend to anyone of all ages. Whether it be a stag/hen part, a family break or a romantic weekend away. We stayed very central in a four star hotel. The city has great transport links with a metro system that is very easy to navigate and English is widely spoken. The airport is only around 15 minutes’ from the city centre which can be reached by train or a private tran

27 July 2015

My week in Sri Lanka was a work trip and it was hosted by Explore who specialise in adventure and tours. We flew Sri Lankan airlines from Heathrow on their newer fleet and I highly rate them. We spent the first night in Negombo around 45 mins from Colombo on the coast. We stayed at the Catamaran beach hotel which is located in the town and directly on the beach. The hotel I would recommend to a

25 June 2015

I arrived in Sorrento for an eight-night stay, this was my second visit. I stayed at the amazing Grand Capodimonte hotel located just a five minute walk to the main bustling street of Sorrento. The hotel is on the cliff face with three pools on three levels on the roof of the hotel. The views are amazing and you can see the whole of Sorrento and the ocean. You can see all of this from the sunbeds.

25 June 2015

Well I finally made it to St Lucia, that’s another one off my bucket list and one place you have to add to yours if it’s not already on it. This exotic Caribbean island lived up to all I expected of it. We were only here for five nights but I made sure I saw as much as I could of this beautiful island. We started off with two nights in the Sandals Regency La Toc. This is a lovely very large

25 June 2015

Well what can I say, this place just has the WOW factor. From the moment we landed until we left we were treated like royalty. St Vincent and the Grenadines are made up of 32 islands, with only nine of them inhibited. St Vincent would be the largest of the islands and at only 18kms long and about 11km wide it won’t take you long to get around! We stayed at the beautiful 5* Buccament Bay Resor

21 September 2012

Whilst visiting Australia we decided to have 1 week on Hamilton Island. What a week it was. Hamilton Island is a tiny island located 16km off the coast of Queensland. We took an internal flight from Sydney which was just a short two hour flight with their low cost carrier Virgin blue. On arrival into Hamilton Island at their tiny airport we picked up our transport for the week (A golf buggy) th

30 July 2012

In September 2006 I spent 10 nights on Sun Island which is a 5 star in the Maldives which was for my honeymoon. We flew Qatar Airways from London via Dohar and we were lucky to be able to fly business class. Qatar Airways are a 5 star airline and I would say they are as good, if not better than any other airline. The service was truly amazing. We were spoilt rotten from the massive choice of me

30 July 2012

In June 2007 I travelled to Cape Town in South Africa on a prize winner’s trip. We only stayed in Cape Town for 4nts so a lot was packed in. We flew South African airlines from Heathrow. The journey was comfortable and the best thing was that there is no suffering with jet lag as the time difference is the same. We transferred to the Table Bay Hotel which is a 5 star luxurious hotel located

30 July 2012

May 2009 was my second visit to the Land of Oz In this trip we visited Sydney, Brisbane, The Whitsunday islands (see other journal), the Gold Coast and Melbourne. It was all packed into 3 weeks. We flew with Qantas on the brand new super jumbo airbus A380. Anyone travelling to Australia I always recommend and check availability as it makes a huge different on the journey and doesn't always add

28 July 2012

New Zealand - What a country! I have been lucky to visit New Zealand twice. The last time in 2007 I spent 2 weeks in the South Island and a year before that I visited the North Island. New Zealand is a place for all ages but especially if you are the adventurous type and like outdoor activities. The first time I visited New Zealand I was on a work trip so we packed a lot into one week. We st

27 July 2012

Thailand is a country I have had the pleasure to visit 13 times and I could still go back again and again as I haven't visited the whole country yet. It is one of my favourite destinations. The Thai people are amongst the friendliest in the world and are very accommodating. I lived in a town called Pattaya for 4 months around 10 years when I decided to go travelling and see Asia. I got settled

26 July 2012

Las Vegas justifiably deserved its name as the ‘gambling capital’ of the world – it is 24 hour round-the-clock gambling from the ‘slots’ to the ‘tables’ to the ‘poker schools’ to the TV Sports Bar where you can bet on any ‘live’ sporting event happening anywhere around the world. Things however have changed considerably over the last few years. It is now the fastest growing city in the USA a

26 July 2012

Los Angeles and San Diego were two destinations part of a multi centre trip which had included New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco. See my other travel diaries for the other destinations. We first stayed in San Diego for 3 nights. We arrived by car originally from San Francisco driving the coastal route but stopping off at various different places along the way. The drive was truly amazing wi

26 July 2012

My holiday in Rio seems a life time ago now but I remember it like yesterday, an experience I will never forget. I flew from London via Sao Polo with British Airways which was a long over night flight but was all worth the journey. When we arrived we transferred to our hotel one street back from Copacabana beach. A perfect location to explore the city as we were only there for 5 nights. We stay

26 July 2012

March 2010 was my second visit to San Francisco which was part of a multi centre taking in New York, Los Angeles and San Diego. San Francisco is around half hour from the international airport and is easily accessed by airport taxis or another way of getting into town would be the train which is fast efficient and cost effective. San Francisco has many attractions and has something for every

26 July 2012

Mexico is simply amazing! November 2009 was my third visit to Mexico. I stayed in the couple’s only hotel the Secrets Silversands in the Riviera Maya which is around 30 minutes from Cancun and the airport. The previous year I stayed in the sister hotel which had just opened which was the Secrets Maroma Resort in the same area. My first visit was to the Aqua Marina Beach Hotel in the heart of Ca

26 July 2012

If you like Theme parks and Disney and want to be a big kid for a few weeks then go to Orlando in Florida. This is a place for all ages and families. Orlando International Airport is only around 20 minutes from International drive, which is where a majority of the hotels are. Sanford Airport which is where all the charter flights go into is around 1 hour away. 2008 was my second visit to Orl

26 July 2012

It’s so good they named it twice! Although this was my second visit to New York I had a list of places to see and things to do the length of my arm. As I was travelling with my wife and friends of ours I knew we would be busy so I decided 4 nights would be just perfect. Arriving into Newark Airport instead of JFK Airport can sometimes be quicker to transfer into Manhattan. You can take the air

26 July 2012

Hurghada and Luxor have to be the hottest destinations I have ever been to! Staying one week at the 5 star Makadi Palace was a great choice, It was a holiday booked very last minute, in-fact 3 days before departure which is very unlike me. The hotel had a various mixture of guests from all over Europe which was fantastic to see. The hotel is part of a chain and was next door to the Grand Mak