12 December 2023

We were lucky enough to visit Lapland recently and it was a wonderful trip - a completely different holiday to anything else I’ve been on. There are some great activities (and we got to meet a certain person who gives out presents at Christmas time) but just being there is an amazing experience in itself. You’re up in the Arctic Circle so the sun never officially rises in winter - which isn’t to say it doesn’t get light but you get a beautiful half light which combines with the stillness of the forests to create a truly magical atmosphere. We stayed for three nights and I would recommend staying for a few nights if you can as it makes for a relaxed experience. We’d had a late night prior to travelling due to a very excited five year old being unable to sleep, then an early fight from Gatwick. Once we had arrived and checked in, we were taken to a traditional Sami Kota, which is a cosy wooden roundhouse. We had a tasty buffet meal and were lucky enough to meet some real elves, who let us into a secret - they had lost Santa’s list! Luckily all the children were very keen to help find it. After a long day we went back to our cabin and had a great night’s sleep, only just waking up in time to make it to breakfast. Our first full day was free so we took the opportunity to explore Saariselka, the nearest town to our accommodation. Santa’s Lapland provide their guests with all-in-one snow suits and a pair of snow boots so we were warm and comfortable as we wandered around. Our daughter got to run around and make snow angels and we all got to enjoy some freshly baked cinnamon rolls. We had a nice couple of hours chilling out when we got back to our accommodation. We stayed in a Glass Igloo Cabin in the Star Arctic Hotel, which are cosy cabins with a glass roof. Although it was too cloudy to see the aurora borealis while we were there, it was great fun just watching the snow falling on the cabin and getting a wide angle view of the surrounding landscape. After another good night’s sleep, it was time for a busy day of activities. Everything is on one site and you are free to wander around and get involved with whatever takes your fancy. The exception was the husky sledding which needed a set time slot. Our turn was first thing in the morning and the dogs were full of energy and raring to go. Being in charge of a team of huskies speeding through a forest in the Arctic Circle is a great way to start the day. OK, I’ll own up - when I say, “being in charge,” I think the huskies knew exactly where they were going. It was great fun though and my favourite experience of the trip. The highlight for our daughter was probably the mini skidoos - a bit more exciting than scooting to school in suburban London. There is, of course, one more little adventure I should mention. One of the activities was a reindeer sleigh ride and would you believe it, as we were gliding through the snow we spotted a couple of elves… and, you guessed it… a gingerbread cottage. Could this really be the home of the actual Santa Claus? It was indeed and he even had the letter our daughter had written to him. She was relieved to find out that she had been good enough that year so went away with a little present given to her by Father Christmas himself. We had one more activity left for the last morning - a chance to drive some snowmobiles. This is definitely one for the grown ups. We found them pretty easy to drive and just as with the husky sledding, it was great to be out in a landscape very different to drizzly Britain in December. It was an amazing trip for all the family. Just being there is a great experience in itself, but add in all the activities and it really becomes a trip that will be fondly remembered for a long time. There are many different options for visiting Lapland so get in touch to start planning your big adventure 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@mytc.com

21 November 2023

We wanted to get away for a bit of sun in October half term and having never been to Lanzarote we opted for Princesa Yaiza in the south of the island, which I had heard great things about. The hotel is brilliant for children. The Kids Club, Kikoland, is well set up into different age groups. Each group has their own little house with an age appropriate playground and in some cases a small pool as well their own timetable of activities throughout the day. These areas are positioned around a larger pool so if the kids only want to do one activity you don’t have to go far for a sun lounger. The activities range from face painting and crafts to water games and movie time. The characters, Hooky, Cooky and Kiko, pop round the restaurants at breakfast to say hello too. As we were there late October may activities were Halloween themed and we ended the week with a Halloween themed gala dinner and show which was fantastic. In addition to the kid’s club there is also a good soft play room which over 4’s can be left at. Esme went here every day, possibly spending more time there than in the pools! Esme’s favourite thing (which could not be missed!) was the nightly mini disco We had to make sure we ate early to make sure we got her there in time! Also at Kikoland there are a number of sports courts, which are used for activities for the older kids club age groups and can also be booked by hotel guests to use with their families. It isn’t just about the kids activities, there is alwo plenty to keep the grownups busy The Animation Team offer all sorts from yoga and pilates to Water aerobics. There are a huge number of dining options for dinner including three different buffet restaurants: the main one with a different theme each night and a number of a la carte restaurants offering Teppanyaki, Italian, Tapas and fine dining. The food was excellent throughout our stay. The rooms are lovely and spacious - all suites. Our suite had one bedroom and a living room with a sofa bed plus a good size balcony. For larger families the family suites offer two bedrooms for more space. We did find time to leave the hotel and explore the island. We hired a car for a day and found the driving easy. We headed to a volcano which has a fairly flat circular walk around the base, the Volcan del Cuervo and went to a quiet spot on the coast for lunch, Playa Quemada. There is lots more to explore around the island and we would probably stay further north next time to see a different area, though it would be difficult to find a hotel that offers all the things so perfectly for Esme

15 September 2023

Whilst being back at fantastic family hotel MarBella Corfu this summer I popped next door to her beautiful adult only sister, Nido. So beautiful and peaceful, built on the hill like a village. All low rise, small blocks of spacious rooms. All sea facing with the choice of terrace, whirlpool or private pool. This property comes on bed & breakfast or half board basis (next door is All Inclusive), with a few local tavernas to pop out to for meals and local towns to bus or drive to for an explore this is a perfect spot for anyone who loves a bit of luxury to go back to after a days sightseeing. Get in touch for more information and to plan your stay. 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

13 June 2023

Whilst Celebrity Cruises do not really push themselves as a family friendly cruise line, they are actually a great option for families wanting a bit of luxury but not needing all the bells, whistles, ice rinks and rock climbing of sister cruise line Royal Caribbean. Outside of school holidays you wouldn’t usually find many kids on board but we met plenty during our May half term break to the Norwegian Fjords on Celebrity Silhouette, often as part of multi-generational family groups . The kids club, Camp at Sea, is smaller than other cruise lines might offer but has a wide range of activities for the kids to do together, tailored to their different age groups: 3-5, 6-9, 10-12 and the 13-17 teens. There are also activities put on for the whole family such as scavenger hunts around the ship. The temperature in Norway was only about 12°C but we still used the heated outdoor pools, though the hot tubs were a necessity to bring body temperatures back up! Fortunately, the adult only solarium with the indoor pool did have a couple of ‘family hour’ sessions each day so that Esme was able to get in her multiple pool fixes a day. Meal times are also great for kids, with their own menu (with the usual kids options) in the main dining room, Grand Cuvee and a kids corner at the buffet with burgers, fish fingers and chips as well as the pizza and pasta section to keep them happy. I should mention that grown ups cruising without kids don’t need to worry - there are plenty of quiet corners on the ship as well. Our cruise to the fjords had some great stops - the Norwegian ports we stopped at were all within 15 minutes walk of the centre of town. All of them offered spectacular scenery in the area around the port as well as beautiful views sailing out of port (and on the way in, if you get up early enough!). With the little one in tow we didn’t feel the need to take any of the shore excursions which went further afield, though I did hear some fantastic reports from people that did take them. There are also hiking options close to the ports. Evenings worked well for us, eating early following by a little entertainment from the house bands in the grand foyer area followed by one of the fantastic shows in the theatre. The shows in the theatre were very varied on our 7 nights cruise, magician Matthew McGurk put on two different shows as did rock tenors Rebel. The Celebrity singers, orchestra, dancers and acrobats had different shows on 4 nights, each showing at 7pm and 9pm. One of the highlights of any cruise is the food and we found plenty of excellent options . In addition to the included Oceanview Café buffet restaurant and the main dining room Grand Cuvee ( which both offer breakfasts, lunches and dinners) we also had breakfast a couple of times at the peaceful Spa Café and enjoyed a burger lunch at the Mast Grill (both of which are also included). We also had enough onboard credit included (thanks to a special offer when we booked) for a couple of specialty restaurants. Tuscan, right at the rear of the ship is Italian: steaks, pizzas, pastas so works well with small ones in tow. Its setting makes it the perfect choice for dining when you are sailing out of port so make sure to check your cruise schedule before booking your specialty restaurants. The other we tested out was Le Petit Chef at Qsine, which combines animation with fine dining . I wasn’t the only parent who purposely booked this for the last night to avoid being pestered to go back again! It is best to book your specialty restaurants in advance for a wider choice of times and also better prices. We really enjoyed the experience of waking up somewhere new each day. All in all this was a great cruise and would highly recommended for anyone liking a bit of luxury, great food and the opportunity to explore beautiful destinations. Get in touch to discuss your own cruise adventure. 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

10 October 2022

We don’t normally go for all inclusive but Esme loves a kids club, so we opted for a couple of different hotels in Corfu with premium all inclusive offerings and found a lovely villa for our stay in Paxos in the middle of the trip. The all inclusive at Grecotel Daphnila Bay and MarBella Corfu are premium in that they include a la carte restaurants plus wine and spirit options rather than just the basics. Other than the overeating that is hard to avoid when every meal is a buffet or three courses (I have NO will power!) I find that staying at an all inclusive doesn’t really encourage you to get out and about and explore the destination, it’s culture and food though we did get out a little. All inclusive is a great way to try lots of different food and drink and both hotels had an excellent choice of Greek food and wine as well as plenty of other options from around the world. You could easily spend the whole holiday enjoying either of these hotels, but we decided to head out from the Grecotel for a day’s exploration. We hired a car so we could explore the north of Corfu, heading first to beautiful Agni Beach and then to Kassiopi, which is a lovely town to wander around. We explored the harbour and then took a walk to some nearby beaches. There are also castle ruins to visit on the hill for a history fix in Kassiopi. Corfu town is another beautiful place for a wander, with a selection of museums in the area to cover all interests. Our stay in Paxos was completely different to Corfu. We ended up choosing a villa with a big enough pool to properly swim in, a good choice for this time of year when the water is still warming up. We hired a car so we had freedom to explore, though I don’t think this is really necessary unless someone in the group isn’t too good walking up hills. At busier times of year I imagine that parking is terrible, so as long as you are staying a short walk away from one of the three villages (which would also mean you’re close to some beaches), you could use taxis, or take the local bus which heads up and down the island a few times a day. Each of the three villages would be a great base. Gaios, close to the ferry port, is the largest village with a small but good selection of shops, including a wonderful butchers for your BBQs. There are plenty of restaurants around the town square, which is right on the water and where the boats depart for Antipaxos. Loggos where we stayed is the smallest – still with good dining options right on the water, shops, bakeries and boat hire options (if you fancy hiring your own for a day trip). Levrechio beach is just next door with the typical bright white smooth pebbles and a good size taverna. Lakka in the north has all the amenities and lovely beaches all in one big protected bay. We walked round to Lakka beach after lunch and found that the pebbles didn’t go far into the water before the bottom turned into lovely soft sand – beach shoes are highly recommended for this island to avoid slipping and a snorkel is handy as well to explore the clear water – I wish I’d bought mine earlier in the trip. We of course went across to Antipaxos - in fact if you tell anyone you are visiting Paxos their immediate reaction is to tell you to not miss Antipaxos. This happened to me so many times and I can see why - it’s a picture postcard destination, with beautiful soft sandy beaches and azure blue seas. There are tavernas for lunch but be warned, just because it is May and 25°C it doesn’t mean the season has truly started and those tavernas may not be open. In fact of the four we checked (across multiple beaches) only one was open – and only serving drinks, but they did have loungers and parasols too. We definitely appreciated our lunch in Gaios straight off the boat at 4.30! This is a beautiful part of the world and less than three hours flight from Gatwick, so even doable for a long weekend. But remember, even if you are staying all inclusive, make an effort to explore. Drop me a line to plan your Greek adventure.

11 December 2022

To be honest we didn’t really pick Gran Canaria as a destination, it picked us as it had the accommodation we wanted: self-catering but also a kids club and a kids pool with slides – perfect for a fussy four year old. We spent a week on the island, hiring a car one day and catching local buses from our base on the edge of Playa del Ingles on others. There was a lot of pool time enjoyed – which it was definitely warm enough for in late March. As we have a small child who is prone to car sickness, we avoided driving along the twisty mountain roads of the interior, although we were tempted to risk it as it looks spectacular. Instead, we drove up the coast to the capital, Las Palmas and had a mooch around the old town area, Vegueta and visited the Christopher Columbus museum in the Casa de Colon. The museum is in the lovely old governor’s house. Wandering around Las Palmas also reminded me of something that is great for kids all over Spain - most town squares seem to have a play area! We bussed the half hour to Puerto de Mogan, where in addition to the cute town and lovely local restaurants we found a perfect little beach. It’s just right for little ones, with great castle building sand and wonderfully calm water due to the harbour wall protecting it, plus the sea is shallow for a long way out. Esme loved it so much she requested a return visit the next day. She hadn’t been keen on the beaches closer to our accommodation as they were much wilder due to the wind and waves. The return visit was on the Friday, which we’d purposely avoided knowing it was market day and expected it to be busy. It must be crazy there in peak season on market days. The public bus was already full when it got to us, though another was following close behind. The markets were good for a wander but we felt lucky to get a table for lunch - we got to the restaurants soon after midday and they were jam packed compared to the previous day when we could choose any restaurant we liked. The local food is wonderful and definitely worth trying – the canarian potatoes are simple yet amazing.

27 January 2022

We had a wonderful holiday to Menorca right at the end of their holiday season (hotels were starting close their doors for winter whilst we were there). Flying out 29th September, we weren’t looking for baking hot weather, but it was still warm enough to use the pool and go in the sea. Over the 12 days that we were there it did rain a few days but it had nearly always finished by 10am and the one downpour that was later in the day was perfectly timed whilst we had a long lunch undercover on a square in Ciutadella. There is lots to do around the island if you want to get out and explore. Getting around by car is easy if you choose to rent one. There is one road through the middle of the island with branches off to the coast. There are plenty of buses in the summer from the main resort areas to the towns of Mahon and Ciutadella if you’d rather not drive or just want the odd day off the beach. Mahon and Ciutadella are both lovely for a visit. At opposite ends of the island, Mahon is the current capital, taking over from Ciutadella in the 1700’s when its narrow harbour became too small. Both towns are very cutesy with winding narrow streets and plenty of restaurants, cafes and play areas. Mahon’s old fish market is worth a visit but not for what the name suggests – a large part of it is given over to dining and you could easily spend an afternoon there grazing on tapas. We also took a scenic boat ride around Mahon’s large natural harbour - the commentary gave us a great overview of the history of the area and Esme really enjoyed the opportunity to go down into the glass bottomed viewing area (once we’d persuaded her she wasn’t actually going to get wet!). Anyone with kids should also look out for the Little Red Train that does a circuit around town, another of Esme’s holiday highlights. There is also plenty to do outside of the towns. Dotted around the island are various Talayotic sites, which are well worth a visit if you like to learn about the history of your holiday destination. El Toro is the highest point on the island and if you are driving it is well worth the side trip up to the top to take in the views - on a clear day you can see the whole island. Esme’s favourite day out was definitely the zoo. If you visit, make sure the kids have swimwear (or at least a change of clothes) as there’s a splash park there, as well as an indoor soft play, a trampoline and a playhouse at the café. Definitely a good day out with kids. We stayed at Son Bou, a resort village on the south coast with a few hotels and lots of villas and self-catering accommodation options. The beach here is a lovely long stretch of sand with lots of loungers to rent and a few restaurants to choose from. There are plenty of other restaurants in the centre near to the bars and shops. As we had a car, we stocked up for self-catering at the big supermarket 20 minutes away in Mahon, which had more choice and better prices compared to the little resort shop. Most of the island is reachable from Son Bou by car within about 45 minutes, but if you like to get out visiting lots of different beaches you might prefer to stay towards the far end of the island, to be within closer reach of the most beautiful beaches. The best are often a walk from a car park accessed by a small road. These walks generally make use of the Cami de Cavalls, the round island walking trail. If you enjoy multi day walks then this really must go on your to-do list, the parts of the trail we saw were beautiful. We wandered up part of the trail from Es Grau, in the north east, before heading back to enjoy the beach with its wonderfully shallow water. We then had lunch at a restaurant right by the sand. Lastly, it’s worth talking about Menorcan food specialities. Food lover or not, you must try an Ensaimada, the local pastry, which comes in a wide choice of flavours from just plain with icing sugar (still yummy) to chocolate to Cabello de Angel which is made with pumpkin jam – really tasty! The local sausage, sobrasada and mahon cheese are also great to try and there are a couple of locations in Mahon to try to the local gin. I should also mention that this is where mayonnaise (Mahon-aise) is said to originate from. Whatever sort of holiday you would like in Menorca I will be able to help out with advice on locations, accommodation, how to get there and entry requirements to make for a smooth holiday. Get in touch to start planning your getaway.

28 October 2021

I know a number of families who were due to take a Disney Magic at Sea staycation cruise this summer but who ended up unable to travel because of the Covid protocols in place. So, after Esme and I were cleared for boarding with our negative lateral flow test results, I ended up having a little tear of relief as we entered the ship’s entrance lobby to be greeted by Captains Mickey and Minnie- handily my cotton face mask caught those tears! – it was well worth having to jump through all those hoops to see Esme’s face of joy over the two days we were onboard. The ship offers plenty for kids and adults alike, with the Oceaneer Club keeping children busy enough to give their grown up some downtime – I wasn’t sure Esme would be up for going to the club so hadn’t planned what to do without her! They have open house hours which allow you to take the children in for a visit so that they know where they are going in when you sign them in for a session on their own later and allows the grownups to see the environment they are sending the kids into. Over the pre-booked timeslots each group of children has the same animator with them as they move around the different areas taking part in a variety of different activities from colouring and making slime to a boot camp with one of the Toy Story soldiers. Esme specifically wanted to go back in for the Slinky Dog slide in the Toy Story themed area and the staff at the check-in desk could tell us what time her group would be at that area if she only went in for that part of her session (she ended up going straight in rather than waiting though!) and I then knew when to collect her after she’d done that so we could get to dinner on time. There are numerous dining options around the ship. For dinner everyone is assigned main (1730-1800) or late (around 2030) sitting and a dining rotation around the three main restaurants, you don’t have to use these if you’d rather just grab a pizza but the pool but it’s so nice having the same servers looking after you each evening and for breakfast on the last morning. Of the three main restaurants, the one that must not be missed in Animator’s Palette, but I won’t tell why and ruin the surprise! My understanding is that you would normally have characters in the restaurants, though this didn’t happen due to Covid restrictions. There wasn’t a shortage of meet and greet opportunities though, from Disney Princesses on the stairway on the way into Lumiere’s for dinner on our first night or scheduled meet and greets in the theatres to Marvel Morning where various Marvel characters were dotted around the ship. The Disney Navigator app shows you where you could meet characters and it had a handy function allowing you to set fifteen minute reminders for characters, shows, kids club bookings, restaurant reservations and shows. There were three shows onboard for us. In the main theatre, Tangled was on the first night and on the second night it was Disney Dreams: an Enchanted Classic. This is a story bringing together all the best loved Disney classic songs which I really enjoyed. Esme’s favourite was of course the 8 minute Frozen compilation up on deck, which we went to twice on the evening it was on! We’d probably have seen even more characters if Esme hadn’t discovered how much she loves swimming when she is able to go for it alone! No need to keep hold of her in the way we have to in her lessons currently, there were handy little flotation jackets which meant she could kick and push herself along – Little Miss Independent! Deck 9 has a choice of pools, one in the adult only area, (with a poolside bar of course), Goofy’s pool in the centre for a dip, Aqua Lab (very shallow pool with splash park) and Nephews’ Splash Zone(for the babies). There are also a couple of flumes which for some reason Esme really wanted me to go on though having her with me worked as a great excuse not to be able too! Around the pools are various casual dining outlets including Pinnochio’s Pizzeria, Duck in Diner and Eye Scream (yes, that’s where to get your ice creams!). Cabana’s is also on deck 9 for buffet meals. Deck 10 has Palo, which I didn’t get to try out as it is adult only though I did go for a little nosy whilst Esme was in Oceaneers and it was great! Lovely relaxed ambience, next time I’ll be making sure I get a brunch booked in at the same time as an Oceaneer Club slot! Other than enjoying Palo and the adult only pool and bar area there are also pre-bookable activities like wine or whiskey tasting to keep the grownups busy if they want to be! There’s so much to do onboard, we could have done with more time to enjoy it all, just imagine how much you’d have to do on a normal Disney Cruise when it visits different ports where you can hop off to explore as well… if you can get the kids off the ship that is!

20 March 2020

I am sure that most people that haven’t visited the island just think of Tenerife as a beach resort destination good for some winter sun, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Not being beach-sitters, when I planned to travel to Tenerife with my family in mid-February we booked a 2 centre holiday. We spent the first two nights in a beautiful resort hotel in Costa Adeje in the south. We didn’t really need to leave the hotel with its lovely pools and restaurants, but we did go out for lunch and a wander to the beach. It was lovely and warm with lots of people making use of the loungers on the beach and strolling along the promenade with its huge range of restaurants. Costa Adeje has everything you need for a beach break with a wide variety of shopping and dining options but we thought the north-west sounded more our cup of tea so we headed there for the second part of our holiday. Driving north is very scenic once you reach the top of the TF-1 highway at Santiago del Teide. From there the roads are much smaller and wind their way through the mountains. We stayed on the outskirts of Los Silos, found a lovely little local restaurant for our first dinner there and tried some of the local dishes of rabbit and chicken stews served with yummy patatas canarias – basically mini jacket potatoes. There is much to explore in the area – lots of little town like Garachico and Icod de los Vinos with their old centres and cafes on the squares, which were very handy from parking up a sleeping toddler and enjoying a quiet coffee! Icod even has a butterfly house right in its centre which we visited twice the day we were in town. We took a short walk on one of the trails out of Los Silos – there are a number of beautiful routes to walk in the area and from what I saw they are well signed and the weather in February was perfect for walking. Due to the mountains crossing Tenerife, including Spain’s tallest Teide - training ground for grand tour cyclists, the climate differs from north to south. Where the south was warm and sunny for our visit the north was still a nice temperature for sight-seeing but it was definitely not sunbathing weather. It was obviously seen as ‘off season’ in the north west as the public out-door swimming pools did not even have any water in them. It didn’t stop people making use of the beautiful natural pools dotted along the coast, though I must admit that the wind must have made it a bit chilly for people getting out! One spot we found in the North-West which was very protected, warm and with lots of swimmers was the beach at Punta de Teno. With amazing views along the coastal cliffs of Los Gigantes and of the light house in it’s volcanic landscape it is well worth the 20 minute bus ride from Buenavista del Norte. You can’t drive yourself into the protected area due to new access rules that came in in 2019. On our last day our flight home was late enough for us to squeeze in some sandcastle building in Los Christianos. It is slighty further down the coast than Costa Adeje where we spent our first couple of nights and nearer to the airport. From our quick visit I saw a good selection of restaurants and the beach is lovely and wide. There are many spots around the island that we did not visit and next time it would be good to go to the north-east for some great historic towns to visit and lovely mountains to explore. We would also like get the cable car up Mount Teide, we were recommended not to on this visit due to having a 2 year old with us and it getting a high altitude. If you would like to visit Tenerife get in touch and I will plan the perfect trip for you. 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

28 October 2019

After leaving a wet and windy Gatwick it was only a two and a half hour flight to Split where the sun was shining and the skies and Adriatic Sea were both a beautiful blue. The Old Town of Split is mainly within what was the Roman Emperor Diocletian's Palace and makes for a wonderful place to explore the narrow lanes, with the odd little square popping up on your wanderings. With plenty of restaurants to choose from you won’t go hungry or if you fancy a boat trip out exploring further afield there are numerous options to choose from. With our full day in Split we walked up to the wooded Marjan Park which covers much of a small peninsula next to the old town. There are great views from the lookouts and plenty of shady corners for a picnic out of the midday sun. We spent just two nights in Split seeing the main sights, but you could easily spend longer there visiting the museums and use it as a base to visit the likes of nearby Trogir which looks really interesting or take a boat out to some of the nearby islands. Our next stop was the island of Korcula, about two and a half hours by catamaran from both Split and Dubrovnik. It fits really well between to the two cities and with the catamaran stopping off at a number of different islands you could easily add in more island hopping stops if you had the time. The old town of Korcula is great for a wander around, exploring the nooks and crannies, with lots of eating and shopping opportunities as well as various boat excursions to choose from. We stayed in Lumbarda which is only a 15 minute drive from Korcula Town. The village is built around a number of bays and has a couple of sandy beaches to choose from. The small Grk winery is great to visit for a tasting on the way to the beach too - the Grk grape is only grown in Lumbarda and has a very distinctive but lovely taste. Visiting in mid October we found the island fairly sleepy but this was perfect for us and the weather was still hot enough for lounging around (when Esme gave us the chance) but not too hot for exploring. Many of the local konoba (restaurants) were closing for the end of the season whilst we were there and day trips and water taxis were not very regular. We were lucky with the October weather - I would recommend visiting at the end of September at the very latest to increase your chance of beach weather and to have more dining and transport options. Our last stop, Dubrovnik has lots to offer with its history, museums, galleries, boat excursions and kayaking - with just a day and a half and a one year old in tow we didn’t do any of that! We had a relaxed time just seeing the old town, we spent about an hour and a quarter walking the walls to take in the fantastic views and then took Esme to the beach (she’d had her first beach experience on Korcula and loved it). Dubrovnik does not have a great food reputation but we did find a couple of decent restaurants. I also hadn’t realised how many steps there are around the old town, so anything beyond a couple of streets across from the main drag are up flights of stairs - so if you don’t want to be carrying your bags up dozens of steps be careful where you are staying. This can certainly turn your sightseeing into a full workout! What we saw of Croatia in the short time we were there is really just a taster, there is so much else to see around the country and I am sure we will be back to see more of it another time. Get in touch to plan your Croatian adventure on 020 3292 0515 or sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

27 August 2019

I recently had the opportunity to spend the day on board Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. It is a fantastic ship for families, with the Perfect Storm waterslides, Flowrider (for surfing!), climbing wall, SkyPad (bungee trampolines with virtual reality headsets!?), mini golf and fantastic kids clubs for different age groups. Plus, there is a choice of pools and the Splashaway Bay splash zone too! There is no shortage of other entertainment on board either, with a 1320 seater theatre for broadway/vegas style shows and an ice rink where dancing on ice and world championship skaters perform or you can have a skate yourself. At other times of day the ice rink is covered and turned into a laser tag venue! There are many dining options on board - as well as the Main Dining Room (where I had my yummy meal) and the Windjammer Buffet Restaurant (where the choice is huge) there is a variety of speciality dining options from Johnny Rockets diner or Fish & Chips to Japanese or Italian. With all of this you might not want to leave the ship but she has some great itineraries over the next couple of months sailing out of Southampton before cruising transatlantic on 26th October to winter in the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale. You could even explore Disney and Universal for part of your holiday and then board the cruise to make an extra awesome trip! With regards to where to sleep – there are a variety of different staterooms to choose from. If you aren’t planning on spending any time there other than sleeping then you could be happy with a spacious inside cabin. If you would prefer some daylight then the panoramic staterooms have floor to ceiling windows while opting for a balcony means that dining in your stateroom is a completely different experience - sitting outside as you are cruising along. The staterooms come in a variety of different sizes and bedding configurations. For families, some have fold down beds, others have sofabeds whilst one junior suite I visited even had a separate area with bunk beds – there are also interconnecting staterooms. The ship is perfect for big kids too and of course if you are able to travel outside of the school holidays there are some real bargains to be had! Get in touch to discuss which itinerary and stateroom would be most suitable for you and let’s get you booked on a sailing soon 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

09 July 2019

Many people do not travel with their young baby as they think that it will be too hard or too stressful. It is actually easier when they are quite small, as once they are on the move it is so much harder to keep them entertained on a journey. Other parents think it isn’t worth taking them away as they won’t remember it – this is about you getting away as well and even if they don’t remember the trip, the new places they experience make it a great sensory adventure for them! Planning It isn’t hard to travel with a baby, you just need to be prepared. Before choosing a location do consider vaccinations for the destinations - some are not suitable for under 2 years. Think about sleeping arrangements. I would recommend a room with at least a balcony if the evenings will be warm, otherwise somewhere with a separate bedroom. You will need to be able to close a door to where they are sleeping so that you can have a chat and enjoy that glass of wine without worrying about waking the baby. Pool access rooms are also great, allowing you to lounge by the pool at nap time. Taking into consideration what you will be feeding the baby is a big factor – would self-catering make it easier to feed everyone or should you go all inclusive? Either way you might prefer to take your own baby food from the UK if you are quite particular about what you are feeding the little one or if they are fussy – especially if normally on purees. At the airport I highly recommend a sling, as if you take a buggy to the gate you may not get it back until the baggage carousel - at the other end of a long walk from the aircraft. It's also useful when wandering around the plane trying to soothe your baby. Look into pre-ordering for collection from the airside Boots after security. This will make getting through security a simpler process as you will have fewer liquids with you and will also mean you get more choice than in the shop. Most importantly, give yourself lots of time and get to the airport early. It will save you getting stressed out if there are any hold ups and a relaxed you will mean (hopefully!) a relaxed baby. On board You have priority boarding with children. It is good to get on board, stow your bags and get settled but it can add on a lot of extra time spent on the plane. If there is more than one adult, one could board with bags whilst the other waits until last with the baby. Feed for take off and landing to help regulate ears - don’t start too early else they will be full before take off! You could also try a dummy or your finger to suck as this should also help though the combination of sucking and swallowing works best. Before food service, ask for a meal early so that someone else can hold your baby whilst you eat warm food (get friendly with your neighbour if you're flying solo!). Keep everyone hydrated – this helps with jet lag and tiredness after a journey. Rather than spending a fortune on water at the airport, you can take empty water bottles through security and use the water filters airside to fill them. At your destination Try not to stress too much about routine - remember you are on holiday! If in Europe with only a couple of hours time difference, you may find it easier to keep to UK time, as that way you might be eating with the locals (rather than hours before) plus you could be lucky and get a lie-in. If there is a bigger time difference, don’t plan much for the first days you are there. It is likely you will all wake up early so just have a relaxed early start and be ready to get out once things open and then have an early night. We found after a few days with a 6 month old in Canada that she settled back to normal. What to do If you enjoy travelling and seeing lots of exciting things, the packing and unpacking with children could be daunting, so why not consider a cruise - no repacking needed but you get to see lots of sights and they have amazing facilities on board. You could even avoid airports and flying completely by cruising from the UK. If you are a skier having a small child needn’t stop you. There are options with childcare from 17 weeks old. A city break is great with a small portable baby! Just sling them on and go and explore and they will love watching the world go by. Or take it nice and easy and book a beach break! Get in touch to get advice and book up your next trip on 020 3292 0515 or sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com

06 July 2019

We visit the Lake District regularly when we go to Penrith to see Esme’s grandparents but whenever I have been it has rained – often quite a lot! Planning a two week trip there felt quite a risk but we were lucky. We split the trip in half, spending the first week in the southwest corner of the Lake District. As this is the furthest point from Penrith we thought it was where we would be most unlikely to visit from Penrith. Lake District roads are often single track and wind their way in between the mountains, so it takes a couple of hours to drive from one side to the other. We spent the first week in Eskdale Green – close to the scenic, Ravenglass and Eskdale miniature railway – we did a lot of walking – mostly with an aim for tea and cake at some point in the day. There are great cafes at each end of the railway line in Dalegarth and the cute coastal town of Ravenglass, as well as plenty of pubs to choose for lunch. Our walks were all lovely, some with blue skies and sometimes overcast but a perfect walking temperature and because there had been some rain around (most of which missed us) the waterfalls were lovely and full. We also visited Giggle Woods and the Japanese Garden which is right in Eskdale Green - a really lovely spot to wander around. The middle weekend was the reason for being in the Lake District – for a family gathering for afternoon tea at the Inn on the Lake in Glenridding on the banks of Ullswater. On the way from Eskdale to Ullswater we avoided the passes – we had had a view of Hardknott Pass when we visited the Roman fort there earlier in the week and as Esme had been sick on the windy roads on the way in to Eskdale we didn’t want to risk that happening again so drove the long way round. Less scenic but definitely less windy and according to Google it was only going to take 10 minutes longer than the much shorter, hillier drive. After a walk into the valley at Glenridding and our yummy afternoon tea we headed to the north of Ullswater, to Pooley Bridge where we spent the second week of our trip. Again we were really lucky with the weather – there were a couple of big storms on the first two mornings but by the time we were ready to head out for the day the weather had cleared enough for some lovely walks. We spent a day looping out via Howtown using the Ullswater Way on the eastern shore and another day we took the Ullswater Steamers down to Aira Force for the waterfall and home to Pooley Bridge from Glenridding with a great walk in between up round the back of Glencoyne. Another day we went for lunch on the beach at Stybarrow Crag. You can park just over the road from the beach and it was a great little spot to picnic, paddle in the lake, watch people pushing off their canoes, go for a wild swim or just watch the boats going past. We also headed out of the Lake District one day to meet up with family who lived a little further south – we met up at a midway point just off the M6 – it is a good little spot to know about if you would rather avoid service stations but will need to break your journey. Ravenstonedale has a great little play area for a picnic and also 2 pubs to choose from. On the way home we took advantage of our National Trust membership by stopping off at Shugborough Estate, an unplanned stop and a great find. It was the perfect stop for us to have lunch with ice cream, as summer had truly hit by then and we could stretch our legs before finishing the drive home. Get in touch with me on 020 3292 0515 or sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com to arrange your Lake District stay. I can help you find the perfect accommodation for you – from holiday parks and glamping to hotels and cottages, just let me know what you are looking for from your trip and I will find the perfect lodging in the perfect location for you.

22 March 2019

I was determined to carry on travelling once we had a baby to take with us and I am sure that if people had known our plans for her first year many of them would have thought we were crazy. Most of the plans were made before she was even born! First flight, Aberdeen. You would think it would be the flight that would be hard but getting from Streatham to Heathrow by public transport on my own with a 3-month-old was never going to be simple. The buggy toppling over as the bus took a roundabout summed up the fun really! She wasn’t in the buggy but as she was on my lap it was pretty hard to get it back upright. Getting through security at Heathrow was a breeze but by then it was 2:1 adult baby ratio and at Heathrow they let you keep the baby in the sling all the way through. Never tried, but surely this is easier than having to go through with a buggy? Onboard Esme was attached to me using an infant seatbelt which BA provided. It is recommended to feed infants for take-off and landing to help their ears equalise and for such a short flight she fed the whole way both directions. On the way home, needless to say, we skipped the bus. As Esme’s first year went on the journeys got longer. We decided to forfeit the main benefit of holidaying with family, extra grownup hands at the airport, in favour of extending the beginning of our villa holiday in Spain by a couple of days so that we could visit beautiful Ronda. It is a lovely little town to wander around and is definitely a destination where a sling is necessary. The cobbled streets would make using a buggy very hard work and a very bumpy ride for the baby. After enjoying a relaxed time and tapas in Ronda, we trained and bussed via Malaga to Benajarafe, feeling like the buggy was slowing us down and just acting as a piece of extra baggage to lug around. This isn’t the first long distance train we have taken in Spain and have found them wonderfully spacious and punctual. When we arrived in Benajarafe we had a short walk up hill to the villa and this road was so bad and bumpy that Esme was crying in her buggy by the time we got to the door. The buggy hasn’t been on holiday since - it hasn’t been missed either! Our trip to Eastern Canada covered some beautiful places. Esme reached 6 months old in Montreal, we went whale watching from Tadoussac, visited the Saguenay Fjord, picnicked by Lac St Jean, mooched around very European feeling Quebec and spent a quaint morning in Trois Rivieres. We travelled around by car - we should have taken Esme’s own car seat with us as she may have been more comfortable in it but it’s likely it wouldn’t have helped us! Not having a car of our own at the time, we discovered that she had taken a disliking to cars the week before we flew out to Canada. We drove around to the soundtrack of 3 Little Ducks and Wheels on the Bus in an attempt to keep her entertained and happy. She finally fell asleep in the car on the 5th day of the 6 that we had it! It was such a relief when she did as it was the longest day of driving that we had. If I’d have known that the drives would be such hard work, I really don’t think this would have stopped me going as we saw some beautiful places and had great fun. We started our South Africa trip in St Francis Bay which involved flying from Heathrow to Johannesburg, to Port Elizabeth and then driving from there. Door to door it was almost a 24-hour journey, but it went surprisingly well. The overnight 11-hour flight from Heathrow departed just after 7pm when Esme would normally be going to sleep so was perfectly timed for her to be very ready for sleep after meal service and she slept most of the way. The flight home from Cape Town was timed the same and went just as well. We did have basinet cots on board, but they were quite high, and the curious little thing was too interested looking around over everyone to have any chance of settling. There were infant seat belts so I just strapped her to me and as she was connected, I was comfortable dozing off knowing that I couldn’t drop her on the floor. We had allowed 4 hours connection in Johannesburg, so we didn’t have any panic about making it through immigration and had plenty of time to relax and get a big breakfast in all of us. The short hop of a flight to Port Elizabeth went smoothly too but it was asking too much that Esme would also manage a couple of hours drive despite the fact she was much more used to car travel now than she was in Canada. She did amazingly well on that 24-hour journey. We allowed time to get over the journey by staying four nights in the cute St Francis Bay. We had a couple of nights at Kariega Game Reserve where rather than making use of the babysitting facilities we decided to take it in turns doing the game drives and childcare. Esme hadn’t been left with someone else before so we would have been worrying about her screaming the place down the whole time! We headed along the Garden Route, walked the suspension bridge over Storm’s River mouth, going wine tasting by horse and cart, visited an ostrich farm and the Cango Caves from Oudtshoorn amongst other things. In South Africa we had hotel accommodation rather than self-catering which we’d had in Canada. Self-catering does allow you to eat much earlier and fit in the baby, especially if weaning but we coped with going to restaurants in South Africa even though we were surprised by the lack of highchairs in what you would think were child friendly restaurants. We finished up the trip and Esme’s under 1 travel in Cape Town, took her to the sea life centre, which she loved and took the cable car up a cloudy Table Mountain, the clouds cleared perfectly whilst we were up there. We generally took it easy for the last few days of the holiday. The most important thing to remember when travelling with a baby is to allow plenty of time for everything, don’t try to squeeze too much in, keep a relaxed itinerary and you can still see plenty of amazing sights without rushing about. Get in touch on 020 3292 0515 sarah.coombes@travelcounsellors.com