13 May 2020

Back in 2015 we had a really fun trip travelling around Florida as a family but as the children were only 7 and 9 at the time we didn't get to visit Universal in Orlando...….so last summer in 2019 we travelled to Orlando again to see and do the bits that we missed the first time around. None of us felt the need to revisit Disney this time so we focused on shopping, visiting NASA, Water parks and the 2 Universal parks for the first 5 days in Orlando before driving West to Clearwater for 3 days. After some beach fun we drove down the west coast to Miami which took about 4/5 hours but we stopped at many beaches on the way for me to do some 'extra research'. We had an overnight in Miami with dinner at South beach, before flying onwards to Antigua in the Caribbean where we stayed in the fabulous Blue Waters hotel for another 6 days...allowing us to relax and spend some time exploring this beautiful island. I thought for a change you may like to hear about the trip from my daughters perspective..... Hello, my name is Millie and I am the 12 year old daughter of Sally. In July/August 2019, my family and I went on a fantastic and fun trip to North America and Antigua. During our holiday, we did a lot of amazing once in a lifetime experiences that I never imagined I would get to do, such as visiting NASA, staying in a luxurious Hard Rock Hotel and swimming in the clearest water I have ever seen. At the start of our holiday, we took a trip to the NASA Space Centre where we were able to see lots of different rockets, watch videos and learn all about the successful and failing trips to space over many years. It was really hot that day and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. There are loads of different exhibits and a great bus ride where you see the launch pad and where the rockets are built. After our day we drove for a few minutes to visit Ron Jons which is a great surf shop before we went to Cocoa beach on the east coast of Florida for an ice cream. While we visited the incredible parks in Universal Studios including Volcano Bay Waterpark, Universal Studios Theme Park and Islands of Adventure Theme Park, we stayed in the absolutely amazing Hard Rock Hotel with a very grand entrance and a big drive way as you approach it . The hotel has a lovely pool and great rooms with extremely comfortable beds; you can even have an electric guitar put in the room for you to play. By staying at this hotel it automatically entitles you to Express passes for the rides in the parks....this was the best ever as we never had to queue for longer than 30 minutes to get on the fun rides....worth every penny my Dad said! It was a really busy few days but the rides in the parks were amazing...my favourite was the Hulk....sooo fast! In the second half of our holiday, we took a flight from Miami to Antigua to stay in an all–inclusive resort that had beautiful views and endless things to do. Inside our suite, we had two bedrooms and a bathroom to share between 4 and plenty of extra relaxing space where the lounge and TV were. We had a massive balcony overlooking the Caribbean sea and even though it rained a few times it was never for long and we still did everything we wanted to do. We hired a jeep one day and drove the whole way around the island visiting lots of beaches, the capital St john and then ended our day a Shirley Heights for food and reggae music. Another day we went horse riding and even went in the sea on them! All of the staff at the hotel were very kind and fun and the best thing about the whole hotel was the chocolate milkshakes that were DELICIOUS! On the way home from our absolutely fantastic holiday we flew via New York but it was a quick plane change so I only managed to see the yellow cabs and then we had one more surprise that even my parents weren’t expecting! We had been upgraded to premium economy where we had comfortable pillows and blankets, more leg space, wider chairs to relax in and even champagne given automatically to my mum and dad! It was a lovely surprise to end our fab family holiday to North America and Antigua. So...there you have it....was it a bit full on? We did probably try to fit in a bit too much for the first week and your children need to be energetic and old enough for the long busy days ,but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend what we did. Even though July/August is essentially in the middle of the rainy season , the couple of downpours we had were quick, and as they say in the Caribbean...it is just liquid sunshine!

10 June 2019

In April 2019 my husband and I took an early morning flight to Venice to celebrate his 50th birthday in style. First question - is it worth the extra expense to sit up front in business class for a short flight? Oh yes! For a special occasion definitely as we had champagne, a lovely cooked breakfast, a spare seat between us as standard and then some more champagne. A lovely relaxing start even for a 7am flight! Before we knew it we had landed in Venice, were swiftly through the airport and on to a public bus which took just over half an hour in to the city itself; a short walk to the Vaporetto and we sat back and watched the world go by until our stop and our hotel on the Grand Canal. A lovely day followed with gelato, people watching, a trip to the stunning Belmond Hotel Cipriani to have a tour of the rooms and hotel (I'm always working, but in a nice way), more gelato, wine, shopping, more people watching, more wine, dinner and bed. A fairly early start the next day, with a lovely breakfast at our hotel overlooking the canal and clear blue sky. By 10 am we were picked up by boat and transported with a few other guests to the main train station - Santa Lucia. Our luggage was whisked away, and we checked in and got our first view of the majestic gleaming Orient Express. That was a WOW moment; the carriages gleaming with grandeur. After being greeted by our cabin steward for the trip, the champagne arrived and then we slowly pulled out of the station with many bystanders waving and wishing us well on our journey. You are only allowed a small cabin bag and suit carrier with you so if you have other luggage this is stowed away for you until arrival in London. The cabins are certainly 'bijou' but immaculately formed with a sofa sitting area, a small table and foot stool and a tiny cupboard which houses a sink (fabulous toiletries!) and that's it; with a shared loo down the end of the carriage and no showers. Your journey and requirements are explained to you by your own steward who looks after your every wish for the whole journey. Enrico was hilarious and professional all rolled in to one and regaled us with amusing stories and tips for the trip. Even though the cabins are small it was comfortable and cosy and caused us no end of amusement over the 36 hours we were on board. There are the 3 options regarding accommodation, a cabin, two interconnecting cabins which essentially just gives you more relaxing space and 2 bottom bunks, or 3 suites which are at the front of the train. We got to see these when we stopped for a change of engine in Innsbruck Austria and they were simply stunning, but they do come with a large price tag! There are 2 sittings for lunch and dinner, and we chose the latter of the 2 for both so we could get settled in. You are given the choice of whether you wish to share a table with other guests or dine alone. There is a bar with a mini grand piano and long sitting areas and a small boutique for necessary items you may have forgotten or for buying a special souvenir. The train passes through some stunning scenery and the day just passed by so quickly so before we knew it, it was time to get glammed up for dinner. The dress code is smart/formal, but most guests donned evening dresses and black tie and we found all our fellow travellers were from many different countries and most celebrating a special occasion. We met some fun and interesting people as we travelled on through Europe and its glorious landscape sipping on G&T's. On to dinner in one of 3 dining carriages. You are allocated a different one for each main meal so that you get to experience the whole train but not a problem if you choose to stay in your favourite one for meals. It also means that you get to meet and chat to a huge variety of other passengers should you so wish. So on to the food. Amazing, beautiful, tasty and to an extremely high standard - words just don't do it justice! I was intrigued as to what the food was going to be like considering the tiny areas they must cook in, but it really was to an exceptional standard and presentation was immaculate; as was the service. You essentially have a 3-course lunch and dinner, breakfast in your cabin the following morning and then a fabulous brunch as you travel onwards through France. We had risottos, lobster, duck, fish - the list goes on and if something is not to your taste then they will offer you an alternative. They are also sensitive to any dietary requirements. Whilst you are dining and enjoying your evening, your cabin is transformed by your room steward into the bunks for sleeping, suffice to say you will need a couple of glasses of wine to climb into the top bunk. The beds are made immaculately with sheets and a duvet and you are also supplied with dressing gowns and slippers for any necessary trips down the corridor to the facilities! Breakfast is served in your cabin when you wish, and we had a lie in until we pulled into Paris. Many guests alight here and continue their trip with a stay in the city. We took the opportunity to get off and stretch our legs with a walk along the platforms of Gare du Nord and on arrival back to our cabin it had been transformed once more to its daytime splendour. We relaxed and then had an amazing lobster brunch served as we watched the French countryside roll by. All too soon we arrived in Calais and we bid the staff and the beautiful train goodbye, passed through French customs and boarded a luxury coach for our journey through the Eurotunnel. On arrival in Folkestone you are greeted by a jazz band whilst you await the arrival of the British Pullman for your onward journey to London. After a short wait we boarded, and again more bubbles arrive to greet you! We then spent a lovely couple of hours watching the English countryside go by and admiring the beautifully restored carriages whilst devouring a full British afternoon tea before a 6 pm arrival back to Victoria. Your luggage awaits you on the platform for your onward journey home. On reflection we both agreed it was one of the most iconic and fun travel experiences you could possibly have; and even though our pockets were somewhat lighter on return (without a doubt) it was worth every penny!

06 November 2018

During August 2017 I visited the Maldives with my husband and two children aged 10 and 12 and stayed at the family friendly Centara Grand resort. The Maldives with children I hear you ask? Yes, that's right, and what an amazing family trip that was! Our summer time is 'low season' in the Maldives and weather can be a bit unpredictable; however, we had wall to wall sunshine for the whole week and only two short downpours, one of which was at night. When it did rain the kids thought swimming in the warmth and rain was hilarious. The Villa We stayed in a 2-bedroom pool villa of which there are only 8 on this island but they also have overwater pool villas for families too. There were various room categories and we saw most of them. All were well maintained and lovely. Ours had a mezzanine area with huge bed and bathroom and a separate bedroom for the children on the ground floor. It had a fabulous and huge outdoor bath tub and big rainfall shower. The mini bar was refilled with water, beer, chocolate and wine daily, a lovely treat! Our own pool was a cute size and many evenings we enjoyed hilarity in it with our blow up unicorn! The beach Beautiful white soft sand, not so great maybe for small children as not wet enough for good sandcastles! Endless blue horizons and every shade of blue imaginable. The beaches in the Maldives never appear crowded and you can wander happily and hardly see a soul, lovely comfy sunbeds and did I mention the fish? It is truly like swimming in your own aquarium! We swam with Nemo, Dory, all shapes, sizes and colours of fish, black tipped reef sharks, turtles, crabs, lobsters and every type of ray you can think of. Every moment was a wow moment! If you do decide to try the Maldives, then an island that has its own house reef is a huge bonus. All-Inclusive The quality and what is included varies from island to island but on Centara pretty much everything was included! Daily spa treatments for the adults which were easily booked and brilliantly executed in the serene spa; an evening fishing trip where we all caught fish; a varied and fun boat trip visiting another reef for snorkelling; a whale shark boat trip (sadly we didn't get to see one but they did the day before and the day after us!) discover scuba sessions for the kids in the pool and all our meals and drinks. “Your usual sparkling rose madam?" at lunch every day! Restaurants There are three main restaurants available and one at an extra cost. The buffet restaurant was plentiful, fun, varied and if you booked ahead you could also have Teppanyaki - a great experience if you've never tried it. The Italian restaurant was on a jetty overlooking the water and was lit spectacularly allowing you to see the fish below as you ate. The staff were friendly, attentive and fun and decorated the tables beautifully for us on my husband’s birthday. The Thai restaurant was relaxed and food plentiful and well presented. Best bits So, what were the best bits? - the sheer wonder on the kids’ faces during the amazing seaplane transfer? - the traditional Maldivian welcome greeting of all the staff on arrival? - the squeals of delight at the rainbow of colours swimming all around the children in the real-life aquarium? - the feelings of having real 'quality and fun time' as a family? - the sheer freedom that the children had to wander around the tiny island and be independent? No! The best moment ever for me was the total awe and speechlessness on their faces as they swam quietly with a large lone turtle in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Truly a very special moment in time. So, if you're wondering if the Maldives is a suitable place to take kids, please don't wonder. It was the most magical, fun and special holiday ever! Go enjoy!