22 December 2022

Lapland When it comes to visiting Lapland, there are so many different options to consider, including the different resorts and artic villages, different accommodations which each tour offers, but there is different accommodation for every budget. Each tours have different activities included, some are fully inclusive, and others have unforeseen hidden costs, so it pays to do your research and make sure you’re booking with a trusted tour operator. As a travel counsellor I only sell the Best award-winning tours to my clients giving you amazing, authentic experiences to ensure families make memories that will last a lifetime. All our trips include flights, accommodation, meals, activities, and transfers. All are trips are run by expert tour agencies in the most authentic locations and include amazing experiences with authentic Santa, Elves, and activities, for the truly magical experience! So Finnish Lapland is the part of Finland north of the Arctic Circle. It is a magical winter wonderland of pink skies, of forests and fells, Northern Lights and midnight sun, unique wildlife, and traditional culture. It is also the home of a jolly old man known locally as Joulupukki – Santa Claus! You can stay at the ice hotel, sleeping under the northern lights in an igloo topped with a glass roof for those uninterrupted skyward views! Or stay in an article cabin or one of the new artic treehouses… or the famous Kakslauttanen artic resort .. whatever your budget Lapland has something for everyone including wellness breaks! Northern lights can be seen painting ribbons of colour across the sky from late August until mid-April. Every Winter, families from across the world travel to Lapland to experience the magic of Lapland. It's a fairy tale come true, with reindeer and huskies dashing through the snow, see elves around every corner, warm fires and cosy log cabins and the best Christmas present ever, that magical meeting with Santa Claus himself. This winter wonderland serves up a host of action-packed Arctic activities for kids and parents alike, choose from snowmobiling, skiing, sledging, and snowshoeing, to speeding through the forest behind a team of Siberian huskies, the husky park located next to Santa Clause village allows you to meet the huskies, stroke them and get a taster, you can also book longer rides such as 500m 2km or 5km! You can then opt for a smoother pace on a traditional reindeer sleigh ride, which gives you more time to soak up the scenery. There are a population of over 200,000 reindeer – that’s more than the local human population there. The snowy landscapes are what makes a winter trip to Lapland so magical, a place of outstanding natural beauty, where reindeer roam freely, Walk through the forests, make snow angels, sledge down hills, have a snowball fight! You could try ice fishing, go on a shoe-shoe hike. Then visit the sauna, for a full experience you should combine your sauna with a plunge into the snow afterwards - if you’re feeling really brave and want to get the endorphins flowing, you can jump into the ice-cold water of a semi frozen lake! Best time to book your trip…? December or January are always the busiest time of year for booking trips to Lapland for the following Year, This is because it's almost always too late to book a last-minute trip to go sooner and also because the best trips get booked up so far in advance, so it pays to be organised and book a year in advance to get the best price, the best trips, and your first choice of dates and accommodation. Tours go on sale more than a year in advance and can be booked with a deposit of around £200pp. And depart from many regional airports around the UK. How much will my trip cost……? Lapland can cost roughly about £500-700pp per day, it depends on where you go, when you go, who you go with, how long you go for, what type of accommodation you stay in and what activities are included. Day trips can start from around £579pp Ultimately, you get what you pay for! Which Resort…? Rovaniemi sits directly on the Artic Circle and the capital of Lapland, has all the amenities of a city and an array of excursions available, making it a great choice for families. Those looking for a more remote experience or a wilderness escape head further north to the barely inhabited regions surrounding Ivalo & Kittlia offering escapism with beautiful surroundings and still lots of facilities and adventure… Here are a few examples of some itineraries on offer for 2023 and you can also book for 2024 very soon as well & remember you can pay monthly via your MYTC app.. Making it even more affordable. DAY TRIP - ENCHANTING LAPLAND Meet Santa Claus in Lapland next Christmas and enjoy an action-packed day trip to Enontekio with husky and reindeer sleigh rides galore. Enjoy an exciting sleigh transfer from the airport to a beautiful location in the Lappish countryside before visiting a snow igloo and participating in a variety of traditional Arctic activities. GUIDE PRICE: based on a family of 4 travelling from Gatwick £2708 on 3rd December 2023 CHRISTMAS SPARKLE - 2 NIGHT TRIP This Lapland Santa holiday is based in the peaceful village of Suomu or the picturesque Ruka Valley, on the edge of the Valtavaara National Park. The resorts are two of Santa’s favourite Lapland locations and in Suomu and Ruka Valley you can meet some of the traditional elves who work tirelessly to ensure that everything runs smoothly for Santa on Christmas Eve. GUIDE PRICE: £4,776 based on a family of 4 sharing an apartment at Aurin Village Apartments in the Ruka Valley, with flights departing from Gatwick on 4th/6th/12th December 2023 MAGICAL INTERLUDE - 3 NIGHT TRIP Join the Search for Santa on this 3 night/4 day Lapland Santa holiday Escape the hustle and bustle of the modern world & be transported to a land full of mystery and magic in Search of Santa. Prepare to be spellbound by the beauty of Luosto, as you feel at one with nature, set amidst the Lappish wilderness. Meet Wendy Wood, the toymaker & a host of special friends as you Search for Santa. Feel the power of the paw, as the huskies whisk you away through ancient snow-covered forests in our quest to find the great man. GUIDE PRICE: £6,180 based on a family of 4 sharing an open plan log cabin, departing on 2nd December 2023 £6480 on 8th Dec. WHAT IS INCLUDED? Depending on which tour you book, the activities will vary on the duration of your stay.

02 September 2023

Today I visited this beautiful ship, as soon as I boarded, I was immediately impressed, it feels like a boutique hotel it has a warm welcoming feel. For those that have sailed with other cruise ships this is slightly different in the fact there are less days at sea so more port time so for this reason there are no casino’s onboard, there are no inside pool areas or any kids’ clubs. Kids are welcome onboard there are just no facilities for them so I would recommend the older children. This ship holds only 702 guests so although small it didn’t feel small onboard, there are lots of facilities onboard such as a pool with a spa and pool bar, lots of sunbeds, a fitness centre and spa, salon and jogging track, there is a drawing room and shops along with table tennis etc and laundry .. All guests will receive complimentary drinks which includes soft drinks, bottled water, speciality coffee and selected cocktails, standard beers and wines and selected spirits, you can also upgrade your drinks package to include premium spirits and cocktails along with champagne etc onboard. *also if you do book a drinks package Azamara do not expect all passengers in cabin to purchase the drinks package this can be just one guest.. some cruises this can be applied to all in cabin only. If you book a suite onboard you will receive additional benefits such as complimentary speciality dining, room service, complimentary Wi-Fi, butler service, access to the spa deck, in suite afternoon tea service, one bag of laundry service, complimentary in room spirit.. This ship is great with gluten free and allergies as well as voted best at sea for vegan! For other cabins you can pay extra to visit the speciality restaurant at $35 cover charge per person or you can select a dining package offer onboard to dine multiple days. Spa offer on board I found really good as well if your not in a suite it was only $99pp per cruise for access to the therapy spa .. The dress code is casual dining no formal wear, but most people will dress up for dining .. Also every cruise you will receive a AzAmazing evening onboard which will be something special .. If you like a boutique hotel and good service along with amazing food and some great destinations this is the cruise for you! With less time at sea and more time at port gives you more time to really explore the destinations… Where did the name AZAMARA name come from …? This was coined term derived from the romance languages including the more obvious link to blue (az) and the sea (mar) also inspired by a star acamar which was the most southernly bright star that could be seen from the latitude of Greece. So we think of Azamara as a star on the blue sea and conjures up the imagery of magnificent journeys around the world.. so the highlights for choosing a Azamara cruise is for me the overnight stays - with one of the only cruise ships to offer more extended time in port and overnight stays allows the guests to experience more culture and and at a more relaxed time.. also leaving later means you get to see the destination at night... also the other unique selling point is the AzAmazing evenings private locally inspired unique events that are authentic bringing you closer to the destination, its culture and its people and totally complimentary... these are truly special and memorable experiences! Azamara is the best kept secret in cruising! Discover for yourself...

05 November 2023

*ADRIATIC SEA & GREEK GEMS ITINERARY* This year I took my friend on her first cruise to experience first hand why I love cruising so much.... I have sailed 3 times now with Virgin Voyages and I love the ship, the food for me is first class, the entertainment for me is great, and to go in August and have an adult only ship is fantastic! The cabins are really well equipped and also very bright not as dull as some cabins can be, we had a lovely cabin and the red signature hammock is a great touch. We dined in the Wake restaurant which for me as a favourite and I am yet to taste a better steak! The razzle Dazzle for breakfast had some really great options and healthy too... we had freshly made sushi at lunch round the pool daily which was delicious, and this was really the first time I really enjoyed sushi! The Bingo was hilarious with the resident dame. There is no need to worry about dressing up, but they do a scarlet night which means everyone dresses up in Red this can be a dress, or shirt or even swim wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Virgin Voyages is a comfortable cruise so if you like the idea of no kids, great food and great facilities this is worth a try! The itinerary for me was one of the best we got to hike up Montenegro which was well worth it! We went to Athens which was amazing and we also visited Corfu here we did a hop on/off bus. I will definitely sail again with them again and happy to chat to anyone who is thinking of trying a cruise the Virgin Way. Virgin Voyages have picked up a number of industry awards this year which when you get onboard you will understand why! Food is not buffet style all the food is freshly cooked to order meaning less waste and means you can be assured its fresh too! but don't worry this does not mean you get less as you can order as much as you like still, it's hard to pick a favourite restaurant as I enjoyed all the food but The Wake is a must visit for breakfast and dinner! It's a real treat. So that is my brief review of the ship as I wanted to let my friend give her view of the ship as a customer going onboard for the first time so she can give you her first hand experience.. So this is my friend Helen's review of her time onboard the Resilient Lady My first Virgin Voyage Adults only cruise... I went on a virgin adult only cruise with Soozie in August. Onboard the resilient Lady. It was amazing, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who is thinking about taking a cruise holiday. We had a balcony cabin which had a hammock, Lovely to chill out on after a busy day. The food in the restaurants were excellent with a variety of dishes from around the world which were very tasty indeed! The Galley restaurant had everything you need, Loved grabbing a box of sushi to eat at poolside, this was made fresh every day.. Loved the casino, I’d never been before but had lots of fun. There were theme nights, The scarlet night was fun, We all dressed in red and had a great night dancing and watching the onboard entertainment team and ending up getting absolutely soaked in the pool. Getting on and off the ship was easy I am happy to say. We flew to Athens to board the ship, From there we sailed to Croatia/Split, beautiful port indeed Next we went to Dubrovnik where they filmed Game of Thrones. Lovely architecture there. Montenegro was the next port of call. Beautiful place to visit also really stunning port. Last stop before returning to Athens was Corfu. Again. Lots of architecture and a beautiful place to visit. When we departed the ship on the last day, we had plenty of time before our evening flight so decided to visit the Parthenon. A definite must. All in all it was a fantastic cruise. One I would definitely recommend. Helen Law age 59 years - First time cruiser ..

30 June 2023

TOURING - This Beautiful Country is todays Blog.. Italy is a must-see Country and is one of the most travelled destinations in Europe! There are so many reasons why! There are so many highlights of this beautiful Country which I wanted to share here to inspire you to visit Italy at some point whether this year or next, whether you want to get on a Gondola down the canal in Venice to the Tuscan wine land and sample some fine wine! The cobblestone streets of Rome to the Arno River that runs through Florence or the picture postcard view of the stunning town of Positano which is Instagram worthy! Sorrento and Capri there is so much to Italy I would recommend a short tour or even a self-drive, if not a multi city holiday. Italy not only has good food, culture, and fantastic ice-cream the Men were very easy on the eye too! The Italians are so friendly so what’s not to love about the Country of love… But don’t take my word for it …Go to Italy and find out! I have visited the cities of Rome and Venice and loved them both. To do Italy properly it is worth travelling around and, in this Blog, I wanted to share a couple of great options of a couple of tours which have been rated highly by our customers so wanted to share them with you. Florence Is always a favourite city because of the architecture and of course natural beauty! The sun setting over the Arno River is one setting you won’t forget! Rome for me was one of the iconic and is still one of the most travelled cities in the Europe, you can spend days getting lost in this fab city! The most picturesque spot in Italy for me has got to be Positano and I often share this photo on my social media! This is a real Gem and very Instagram worthy! This is the most picturesque and most romantic town in all of Italy, but this is just my opinion! WHY A TOUR…? Why a tour I hear you ask...? well unless you want to drive around Italy which again is another great option and one, I can also arrange. But with a tour this is great for couples, or singles or retired couples as you will have a local guide who have hands on experience of the destination and will include some amazing experiences for the group to enjoy which could be making your own pasta in Italy. I find with a tour you cover so much more of a country in a shorter time but for me it is much more educational and interesting with a knowledgeable guide sharing off the beaten track knowledge! My memories as a child was touring as a family self-driving and my uncle making me read the travel guide on the way to where we are visiting and my uncle would then ask me a question about the site we were visiting to test my knowledge so I really enjoyed this and this is the beauty of touring with a guide you learn things you necessarily wouldn’t of known! With Travelsphere one of our close partners they offer small groups, 4-5 * Hotels which are hand picked by them, Guaranteed departure meaning your tour will go ahead! With an organised tour you can sit back on the coach and take in this breath taking country while someone else does all the driving leaving you to take in the landscape. If you want to add on to your tour that is possible too with my help, as well as staying on longer, I can arrange that for you. You can also upgrade your flights and can also add on extra tours!! This is also a very family friendly way of travelling too... WHAT ABOUT SOLO'S..? Yes, we have “just you” tours especially for solos in mind where you can meet like minded people and meet some new friends, also they are now offering new selected tours for Women Only for those women who would like to experience the world in the company of other like-minded women… If you want to experience all of Italy and the different cultural experiences then the best tour, I recommend is this Grand Tour of Italy this will cover the best of Italy and is an amazing trip, from customers who have done this trip have raved about this trip so I will put this as a number one tour to do if you can! This is a 15-day tour starting in the beautiful city of Venice and then you will end your tour on Sicily nicely with the epic view of Mount Etna! Here you can choose to stay on longer or head home. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR..? • Return flights (where applicable) • Accommodation if on a single tour this will be in a room of your own - no single supplement! You'll have a twin or double room if on a single tour this will be all to yourself - a place to relax at the end of each day’s activities. • A welcome get-together We include a welcome drink on each tour offering the perfect opportunity to meet the rest of your group and start getting to know each other. • All breakfasts and many other meals You don't have to eat alone, unless of course you want to. We include all breakfasts while on tour, as well as many other meals. You'll often find, that where a meal isn't included, you'll still meet up with your group to talk about your day over lunch or dinner. • A range of incredible experiences to share with like-minded travellers Every tour includes a range of included and optional trips so you can join in as much or as little as you choose. There are other fantastic tours to choose from which include 8 day tour Pompeii, Paestum & Herculaneum or 8 days in Puglia & Basilicata But if you would like to spend Christmas in Italy then how about this tour Christmas on the Sorrento Coast! 7 days from around £1499pp However, you would like to see Italy please get in touch for more information, if you need more information on the Travelsphere tours with more details on the inclusions and full itineraries or the Just You Solo tours get in touch, and I can send them over to you. Your Italian Adventure awaits! CIAO BELLA!

22 December 2022

Dubrovnik – Croatia The beautiful jewel of Croatia “Dubrovnik” this was my first holiday to Croatia, and I wanted to start here as I had heard so many good things from many customers and it really didn’t disappoint me! We spent a week here and can honestly say I would most definitely go back! Dubrovnik can be twinned with a two-centre holiday which could be an island, split or even Montenegro. If you want to hire a car, I suggest driving between Dubrovnik to Split and take the Adriatic highway that connects the two and you will see great scenery, the journey is 6 hours long so best to stop off at an island or two along the way. HOTEL CROATIA 5* - CAVTAT We stayed at the Hotel Croatia which is close to the airport so short transfer which also makes this perfect for a long weekend too! The area of Cavtat is beautiful with a picturesque harbour and small promenade, there are a handful of bars, selection of restaurants, and shops, you can catch a water taxi to Dubrovnik. In the morning you will see the fisher man docking and selling their fish from the boats. The hotel has a lovely outside pool and a decent size indoor pool as well, there is a spa area and a pool bar serving snacks which was of a decent quality also excellent choice if your vegetarian! I would recommend B&B if you are vegetarian as the buffet restaurant in the evening was more limited for vegetarian options. The room was faultless with magnificent view – we had a sea view room, great size bathroom with big bath and a lovely shower, with great quality products, the room also comes with lots of wardrobe space and also a fridge and kettle. The bathroom also had a hairdryer. The walk down to the shops is via lots of steps but you can also ask the hotel to take you down in the golf buggy, we also found that Uber was the best option in Dubrovnik and worked well. Old Town – Where kings landing “Game of Thrones was filmed” This was truly breath taking such an amazing medieval city! These huge walls were built between the 11th & 17th century and you can pay to climb the steps and walk round the city walls and admire the views from above, we did this on a rainy day which was good as it was less busy, I can imagine this being busy in height of season and could be hard work in the heat, as lots of steps! This is also a popular stop for cruise ships so you can see a lot of cruise passengers descend into the city walls. There are lots of shops selling game of thrones merchandise but take time to look around as some are cheaper than the other. There is also a museum, a market and some boutique shops and a little aquarium as well. There are lots of lovely cafes which attract many tourists, and ice-cream is a must! This is a perfect place to people watch so sit down grab a beer or a coffee and watch the world go by... Dubrovnik also has a cable car where you can see some magnificent views of the city, there is a restaurant up the top and the homeland war museum. Elaphite Island Boat Tour We booked this boat tour in Cavtat and spent the day looking around these islands Sipan, Lopud & Kolocep and I would recommend this tour the area is beautiful... I would recommend the area of Cavtat as it offers the best of both worlds a small resort with some evening entertainment yet close enough to the Major city and island excursions, myself and my family loved it there so great for families but equally great for couples… There are some beaches in the area and a nudist beach apparently… I would recommend to visit this city as a long weekend or twin centre with other parts of Croatia and you won’t be disappointed it’s a magical destination!

30 August 2020

Palladium Costa Del Sol Hotel Post lockdown and I had to visit the Costa del Sol which I know very well as my mother has lived there over 30 years, so I consider it my home from home. Unfortunately I had to go and tie up some loose ends after her passing, and decided after doing so in Fuengirola I would book myself and my son into the New Palladium Costa Del Sol for some well needed R&R. The Palladium was better than I imagined, and even in this strange time and pandemic they did everything to keep their customers safe and welcome. My room was a premium double sea view room which I would recommend, I slept with the balcony door open and fell asleep listening to the waves crash. POOLS/BEACH There is a kid’s pool with a couple of slides and a small baby pool. It has a bar and is down by the beach as well so you can do both like we did. The opposite end of the beach there is also an adult only pool which also has a bar and is in front of the beach too. There is a lovely beach divided by a walkway, there was plenty of room and it was shallow and safe for small children. RESTAURANT The restaurant was big and airy and there was lots of choice for breakfast hot and cold options. Lunch was plentiful and there was a great choice of salad items and cold meats, the hot food was different every day but there was always pizza, chips and burger or hotdog for kids. There was also ice cream and cakes available and lots of fresh fruit. Dinner was the same as lunch which changed daily also. There is also another a la carte restaurant located on the beach which looked amazing, but I never managed to go. There were tables by the window with stunning sea views. ROOMS My room was a sea view which was a stunning view. The balcony was furnished with table and chairs where I sat most evenings, and the bed was massive a nice king size. There was also a sofa bed in the room as well, we used the fridge to store our water, and my son loved the massive tv in the room! It also had a safe. The bathroom was big with a lovely bath and a luxury shower. BAR On level 12 you would find the roof terrace bar where they had music entertainment every night and also had stunning views. This also had some lovely beds with a dipping pool where guests can sunbathe during the day but due to Covid these pools where not filled while I was there. The music that they provided was all enjoyable. GENERAL The hotel had a spa which was closed due to Covid, so I did not see it, but it is easy to find. Outside the hotel in front of beach there is also a small games area with a small mini golf and table tennis table located in front of the kid’s club. The staff were all very attentive and we never had any reason to fault them. I had a late flight and I was able to book a room to use and freshen up and they also stored my luggage which was all easily sorted. The whole stay was very enjoyable and although we visited in a pandemic where masks were worn, and hands had to be sanitised before entering the restaurant this did not faze myself or my 10-year-old. AREA I know the area very well having been bought up round southern Spain so I generally use the public transport to get around. The train can get you to most places and there is a lot to visit with kids, from parks to wildlife to the waterpark. I can give you lots of ideas on the area depending what your interests are, we have visited Gibraltar many times and this is very easy to do and not that expensive! You can also pop to Torremolinos shopping or Fuengirola for a day out and this can all be done by train, and kids will love the mini golf either in Fuengirola or Torremolinos! For the golf lovers there is Mijas which is easy to reach. There are many other beautiful places to visit and all very easy to reach and I would be happy to share my knowledge with you! I would recommend this hotel for a lovely all-inclusive family friendly stay! I will be back very soon!

26 November 2019

This beautiful island is reached by speed boat and takes around 45 minutes. Once you arrive you will not be disappointed! With the dazzling white sand and a turquoise lagoon, this all inclusive resort was one of the reasons we chose this one. As everything is imported prices of drinks and food is high so would definitely recommend going all inclusive when visiting the Maldives. The food in the restaurants was really tasty and varied and also catered for my husband being vegetarian. We never got bored and there was a great choice of foods and the restaurant also had wonderful views. You could also book a private meal down on the beach for 2 at an additional cost. The island caters for families as well as couples, but when we visited we didn't see any children and it was very quiet even though they were pretty full. We used a few of the facilities such as the spa and we did try out a little badminton and snorkelled every day which was a breath taking experience as you step straight into a reef. We saw some amazing marine life including sea turtles, nemo fish, puffer fish, water snakes and a shark But the most amazing by far was the manta ray. You could sit at the end of the jetty at around 8pm and just watch them swim up and down as they had lighting, you could also arrange to dive in and swim with them as well. We stayed in a beach villa which was clean and well equipped and came with free WiFi and also a mini bar and bottled water and tea and coffee making facilities. We didn't do any trips but you could do a fishing boat trip but we were happy to sit and chill out and swim in the sea as there was enough to see for us. I would recommend this island and I would love to go back again some time in the future.