27 July 2025

One of my own bucket list trips was to visit Alaska and the best way to do this is by taking a cruise. The cruising season is May to September with peak season being June- August as outside these time the weather conditions and icy seas are not suitable for non expedition ships. I was staying on the beautiful Seabourn Quest, Seabourn are one of the top end cruise lines and I'd hand selected thi

18 July 2025

Turkey has so much more offer than golden beaches (although they are gorgeous!). I just got back from an 8 day tour around some of the historic sights that this culturally rich country can offer. First stop was Istanbul, and we enjoyed two nights at the very centrally located Port Bosphorus Hotel which is located directly across from the Galataport. Taking to the water is a great way to see both

28 June 2025

If you're looking for a city that offers pretty much everything you can think of in a bite size portion that's very clean and safe, then Vancouver needs to be on your list. I recently stayed in the city for 3 nights prior to an Alaskan cruise and always include Vancouver as part of a clients multi centre tour of Canada if they're heading to the west, as its such an easy city to get around, its v

25 May 2025

After visiting Disney World in Orlando last year I was so excited to now visit Universal Orlando and see how the theme parks, attractions and hotel offerings differed. We stayed at Cabana Bay Resort - such a fun retro vibe at this bright, funky and very family friendly hotel. With two huge pools (one with a slide plus mini beach and one with a lazy river) this hotel has 4 buildings totalling 2,0

22 May 2025

I recently got back from a great holiday in the Netherlands. My mum had always wanted to see the infamous tulips fields so we booked a river cruise departing and returning to Amsterdam which had a fantastic mix of ports of call including that all important trip to the tuilps! We sailed with Scenic, this was our second time and they once again were brilliant, from our huge veranda stateroom compl

21 November 2024

I've recently returned from a fabulous 9 day tour of Saudi Arabia. Starting in the capital Riyadh, key attractions here include the imposing Kingdom Centre Tower which incorporates a Four Seasons Hotel, shopping mall, cinema and the Sky Bridge at the top, 99 floors up and 65m long, this is a fabulous way to view the city. The National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh offers a wonderful collection of

14 September 2024

If you've never tried cruising, but may be put off by giant ocean liners - how about a river cruise? More personal, they usually have around 150 passengers and because they are much smaller, they can dock right in the heart of the cities. They offer high levels of service, lots of interesting excursions and the food offering is amazing! Here's a short overview on the recent French river cruise

25 August 2024

So the cherry on the top of my visit to Disney World was the chance to enjoy a private tour around the Disney Wish who was docked at Port Canaveral, ready to pick up passengers and set sail to the Caribbean. Disney operates cruises from the US for 3, 5 and 7 days, and closer to home you can set sail from Southampton this summer on 3, 4 and 5 night itineraries on the magical Disney Dream, or in 202

25 August 2024

Disney’s Magic Kingdom with the infamous Cinderella’s castle I’d always thought was just for kids, but it really does offer something for everyone. "Tomorrowland" has thrilling rides like “Tron” where you board a lightcycle and shoot off at 60mph and “Space Mountain” a high speed rollercoaster in almost total darkness, plus “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” where you fire lasers in a shooting g

25 August 2024

This was the first time flying Aer Lingus internationally, so I was keen to be able to compare with some of other well known carriers. Well I have to say I was really impressed, I lucked out securing an emergency exit seat on the way out and the leg room was HUGE! Lunch was ample and offered a good choice and the wi-fi worked really well for me to clear up some last minute work emails. On the retu

23 June 2024

New Zealand is 11,500 miles from the UK, so like myself most of clients head to this beautiful part of the world on an extended bucket list trip. I'd always recommend given the long journey to enjoy a stop over for 3 nights enroute which will also help to ease your jetlag as New Zealand is between 11 and 13 hours ahead of the UK depending on the time of the year you go. New Zealand has four distin

16 June 2024

If you're looking for a fascinating stopover for an Asian or Australasian multi centre this should be on your list! Singapore—known as both “Lion City” based on the story of Sang Nila Utama's sighting of a lion on their shores and “Garden City,” due to its many parks and tree-lined streets is a wonderful melting pot of cultures brought to it by immigrants from all parts of Asia Singapore has a p

02 June 2024

After sending multiple clients off on their bucket list trips to Lapland, I thought it was time to go an experience this winter wonderland for myself. Lapland is not a country but a region that covers vast areas of northern Scandinavia and part of Russia. For my trip I selected Finnish Lapland and took a direct flight to Rovaniemi. The airport while small was very efficient and had a lovely winter

29 September 2023

Historically known as Siam, Thailand is centrally located in South East Asia and is bordered by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia After being given a place on the Travel Counsellors Gold Trip which is awarded to the top performing travel agents, I was keen to extend my stay to see as much as possible of this diverse country My 12 day itinerary allowed me to visit 5 key destinations, Bangkok, C

04 August 2023

With the world now fully open and ready to be explored, lots of clients have been asking me to create their bucket list trips for them, from safaris in Tanzania, Australia and New Zealand combo’s to touring around Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. One of my favourite trips from a few years ago was my 12 day tour of Peru and now that the political unrest from start the year had died down, its now

08 July 2023

Just back from a marvellous cruise on the Rhone River in the South of France where for 7 days we enjoyed fabulous sights in Burgundy and Provence. We flew into Nice and then had a two hour transfer to Avignon where we boarded the MS Shakespeare. Multiple operators offer the Rhone but I wanted to try Riviera given its staterooms offered full sized sliding windows and all the excursions were include

15 May 2023

Japan has finally removed its Covid travel restrictions and bookings for this country that had its borders closed for so long are now booming! I was lucky enough to explore this fascinating country as part of a two week small group tour, given I was travelling solo for this trip I thought it would be more fun to join a group of like-minded adventurers to discover a new country. Our itinerary

01 April 2023

I just got back from a fabulous 4 days in Palma. Mallorca is a popular Mediterranean island for beach holidays, but if you’re looking for a city break that is rich in culture, has an amazing food scene and is compact enough to explore in a long weekend...the island’s capital is perfect! We stayed in the old historic centre at the 5* Nivia Boutique Hotel just off the Passeig Des Born which is s

13 December 2022

If you're looking to jet away for some winter sunshine and enjoy active day trips as well as relaxing on beautiful beaches...then look no further than Mauritius! Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of east Africa and is just 61km long and 45km wide. You can fly direct from London or from Manchester connect in Paris or Dubai. I was lucky enough to spend 8 days here in Decem

19 November 2022

If you’re looking for a weekend break but don’t want to travel too far, I can highly recommend the beautiful city of Lincoln, just over a 2 hour drive from Manchester. Probably one of the most under rated city breaks, Lincoln is a small city that packs a big punch for tourists. The most popular draws are Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral. While smaller in scale to places like Windsor, the cas

19 November 2022

I’ve just been fortunate to spend an amazing 4 days in Verona. A short flight from Manchester, this beautiful Italian city and UNESCO World Heritage Centre is definitely well worth a visit. In terms of attractions, this city can offer something for everyone. For foodies, enjoy crispy pizzas and al dente pasta with every topping under the sun, 100 flavours of gelato and this is Prosecco and Apero

24 April 2022

New York, New York…so good they named it twice! I was fortunate enough to live here for 12 years and I’m actually writing this article from my hotel room as I’m visiting to see how the city is post Covid. New York is such a fantastic place to visit and there’s something for all the family. For this trip I was staying in Chelsea, it’s a great neighbourhood being very centrally located without be

24 April 2022

I just got back from a fabulous 5 days in Seville. If you're looking for a city break that has one of the best sunshine records in Europe, wonderful architecture, amazing food, great shopping and easy access to explore Andalucia...this is the place for you! The city has such a lovely warmth and charm, from the old Jewish district Santa Cruz to the lively and authentic Triana district home to fl

07 March 2022

The next day we headed south to Kandy which is at an altitude of 500m and is the cultural centre of Sri Lanka. En-route we stopped at Dambulla Royal Cave Temple and Golden Temple. A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery consisting of 5 giant caves is the best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. It’s a bit of a hike to get to the top, there are paths but they are very

07 March 2022

Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean just off the tip of India. With a fascinating albeit turbulent history, it’s a great destination whether you’re a beach lover, culture vulture or thrill seeker. I recently returned from a 12 day tour visiting some of the top tourist attractions. We flew from Manchester with Qatar Airways who we couldn’t fault and had to transfer at Doha, the airport is huge a

29 September 2019

There are so many rivers in Europe to choose from, from the Danube and Volga to the Loire and the Elbe. Selecting which river to cruise on really depends on what type of destinations you’re looking to visit. We selected the Rhine, home of medieval towns, castles and wineries. This river is also critical to the European economy, moving over 500MM tonnes of coal, cars and other goods along its 766 m

29 September 2019

Cruising is now the fastest growing holiday sector in the UK and there’s a plethora of cruise ships and destinations to choose from, so I knew I wasn’t going to be spoilt for choice, it was more a case of how do I pick the right one for me. Given river cruising is the new comer and I’ve always been fascinated with castles and medieval cities, I plumped for a cruise down the infamous Rhine. There a

23 June 2019

Once you arrive in Male, the seaplane check in desks are right outside arrivals and the actual terminal is only a 10-minute drive away. You simply check in, drop your cases off and the next time you see them they’re in the room at your hotel. I’ve always wanted to experience a seaplane journey but wasn’t sure what to expect. Relaxing in the hotel's private lounge, I enjoyed some lovely refreshment

23 June 2019

The Maldives located in the Indian Ocean is an archipelago of over 1,000 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls, less than 2 metres above sea level. Historically known as a luxurious retreat for the rich and famous, given expansion of the airline network and resort offering, this beautiful part of the world is now available to discover for a whole range of visitors. Flying from the UK is easy with

05 November 2018

Zanzibar or "Spice Island” is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania and located 25kms off the mainland in the Indian Ocean. The area is made up of the main island “Unguja” or Zanzibar, Pemba Island and lots of smaller islands. I was staying at the Zanzibar Serena Hotel, located in Stone Town about 15 minutes from the airport. The hotel has been lovingly transformed from an old colonial building

05 November 2018

There aren’t any direct flights from Manchester, so I flew with Emirates to Dubai and then onto Kilimanjaro. I’d pre-arranged transport and after a 70-minute drive reached Arusha – my home for one night. I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in the centre of town near the Clock Tower, which marks the spot halfway between Cairo and Cape Town. A good-sized town, Arusha’s Central Market is a hec

05 November 2018

If you want a short break away in a picture postcard city, then Bruges has to come top of the list. The capital and largest city in West Flanders, Bruges is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Europe and a 90-minute train ride away from Brussels Airport. The city centre is so picturesque, think cute winding streets, cobbles galore and a network of canals that criss-cross the city and g

15 July 2018

My favourite artist Ed Sheeran was playing in my home town, but I just wasn't quick enough to secure tickets, hence why I'm now at Stockport Station and in less than three hours I’ll be in the land of the Toons. Newcastle. One of the most iconic cities in the UK with its industrial heritage, scenic bridges and lively nightlife. I'd booked a three-day weekend – plenty of time to explore the sig