Inspire Me – ARUNDEL TRAVEL

Florida Fun, Fireworks & Fabulous Site Inspections

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:21:04 GMT

Join Bea on her trip with Ocean Florida to the Sunshine State!

After a smooth flight with Virgin, a full season of Georgie and Mandy (highly recommend) and maybe a wine or two. We touched down in the Sunshine State for our Florida Adventure to start. The drive from Tampa to Orlando went quickly (thanks to our speedy driver Sam) and we arrived at the Drury Inn in no time, ready for a good nights rest before our jam- packed week.

The Drury Inn was our hotel for the first 2 nights, it was lovely to have a big comfy king to myself, the staff were friendly and the free popcorn in the lobby was dangerous. It was the perfect little gem tucked away in bustling Orlando, in a great location to the theme parks and surrounding attractions, offering free hot breakfast and a 5:30 kickback service in the evenings, which is offered across of all the Drury hotels: light-dinner/ snacks and 3 drinks.

Day 1 - Because we were here to ‘work’ site inspections were a must, and we saw some great ones. Up early on our first day we headed over to the sister hotel, Drury Plaza. Just half a mile from Disney Springs, this hotel is an official Walt Disney World Good-neighbour hotel. What does this mean I hear you ask? Well, you will receive some Disney perks including shuttle transfers to all Disney parks. This newly refurbished hotel (2023) offers fresh designed family rooms and a big open pool looking over the lake. After having a really good look around and sampling a Mickey pancake or two, we headed over to Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin for lunch and another look around. Both sides of the hotel share their amenities, and are strategically located between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, with Disney perks such as early theme park entry and scheduled transportation in the form of a boat or buses. The Swan, with its elegant design is the smallest of the two, with the Dolphin being more grand. A quick freshen up, back at the hotel ( the Florida heat really surprised us this time of year), before heading out to Disney Springs, where shopping, people watching and eating was done. Wrapping up the evening at Chef Art Smiths Homecomin, where the fried chicken was tasty and the Mac and cheese deserved every award it’s won.

Day 2 – Up bright and early, ready for what would become one of the best days on the trip. ‘Rope drop’ which basically means being there before the park was even open was definitely worth it. Heading straight to one of the best rollercoasters in Disney ( my opinion only obviously) Guardians of the Galaxy, which launched us into space, time and screams. From Epcot we drove over to Hollywood Studios for some rockstar energy on Aerosmiths Rock n Roller coaster, and the chill of the Tower of Terror. I didn’t think my ‘work’ day could get any better. But then we headed to Magic Kingdom. What a grand finale it was! The fireworks brought me to tears and the dazzling starlight parade was the most incredible way to end the day. It was the perfect dose of Disney. After a long but amazing day we headed to our Villa in Champions Gate to settle for the night.

Day 3 – A slightly slower morning, which was needed and appreciated, before heading out for a full day of villa inspections, Highgrove, Solara, each one more impressive than the last (a full review of each one coming soon). Stopping for lunch at the lovely Traditions Restaurants at Reunion Resort, before heading to see some of the most incredible villas I have seen offered, they had a full blown pirate ship in them! Who knew that would ever exist?

After a little bit of retail therapy at Target (yes I bought a lot of things I didn’t need) we headed over to the Residence Inn for a site inspection followed by dinner. This felt less of a hotel but a little like a home away from home, the suites were roomy and are perfect for relaxing after a full day at the parks. Coming with a full equipped kitchen, you have the perfect excuse not to leave.

Day 4 – Coffee was essential this morning, because by day 4 we were flagging a little. We definitely needed a pick me up, so what better way then to head to The Grove Resort, my favourite hotel out of them all! It was perfect for families, tucked away only a short drive away from Disney, the hotel offered everything including an onsite waterpark, featuring a lazy river and FlowRider. The 2/3 bedroom suites are perfectly spacious for groups or families but don’t worry if you don’t want to cook every night as there is an on site restaurant available. The rest of the day was spent at Seaworld before heading over to the Caribe Royale followed by dinner at the Stadium Club. The Caribe Royale is an upscale hideaway right in the heart of Orlando, but without feeling like you’re in the busy theme park area. They offer rooms and even some villas, the pool scene had a fantastic vibe and offered a lot a dining options. The Stadium Club – what an incredible addition to the Caribe Royale, if you love any American sport this is the place to be, it’s a high-tech immersive entertainment space with sports simulators where you can play virtual sport, quarterback passes or zombie dodgeball. The entertainment didn’t stop there, as we then headed to Andretti Karting for laser tag and go-karting, where apparently my driving skills were questionable, I unfortunately didn’t win any trophies.

Day 5 – We said goodbye to our lovely villa and hit the road for the Space Coast, where our amazing host Tom met us for two days of discoveries. Of course we had to meet him in the most wonderful place on the Space Coast, Kennedy Space Centre, it’s a place where everything feels larger than life, with giant rockets and space suits that have actually been to space. Not only is this place educational, but also makes you think ‘wow I didn’t realised I cared so much about Space’ from Space Shuttle Atlantis, shuttle launches and The heroes and legends exhibit. It’s a must whilst in this area and will have you watching all those space movies when you come home. That evening we headed for a sunset river cruise on the banana river and were lucky enough to see dolphins. Dinner tonight was at the Sunset Café, where it definitely lived up to it’s name. We then checked into the Hilton Cocoa Beach hotel, right on the beach front, a few miles from the Cocoa Beach pier and perfectly located for all you cruise goers from Port Canaveral.

Day 6- It’s cruise day, after a reasonably early night we were up and out heading over to Port Canaveral for a ship visit of the beautiful NCL Prima, what a lovely ship, from go karting (there was a bit of a theme on this trip), to market place food halls. The Prima is perfect for couples and groups of friends. Our lovely host Tom had lots of plans for us that afternoon when we came off the ship, however Florida had others… a rocket launch. Yes you read that right an actual rocket launch! So we grabbed some beers and headed to the beach at our hotel and we waited and waited a little longer. Unfortunately, with 4 minutes left on the clock it was -scrubbed! Due to some technical space terminology that went way above my head. We were so close but yet so far away. However, this didn’t put a downer on our day as it was so lovely to spend the afternoon on the beach, beer in hand, sun shining and listening to Toms incredible stories about the place he calls home. That night we went out to celebrate our final night all together and went to a place called Dirty Bird (not sure on the name) but the food was great, along with the atmosphere and the company,

Day 7 Home time but not before we headed to Ron Jon Surf shop for our final shop of the trip, followed by a wander through the Historic Cocoa Village, a cute, quirky place to end our whirlwind adventure. Then back to Tampa we headed, with our bellies full, lots of knowledge to take back to our teams and customers and of course lots of happy memories.

It was the perfect dose of Florida and I can’t wait to bring Will and Harris back in the future.

Bea x

Sebatana Reserve – A Bucket List Trip

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 13:34:00 GMT

Our customer shares their unforgettable bucket list adventure!

I have wanted to go on safari for more years than I can remember, so when I saw the price for a week at The Rhino Lodge in January 2023 we booked without hesitation. We then had over 2.5 years to wait till we went. 4 September 2025 was flight day. A week before we realised they only had a Jaguar at the reserve so to see the Big 5 we had to do the additional tours and just figured this was why it was so reasonable.

It was an absolute trip of a lifetime, and I would recommend it to anyone!

I can’t lie, when you live in Yorkshire, flying from Heathrow is a bit annoying, and being 26 hours door to door is not for everyone. But it was worth every second! When we arrived at Heathrow, (about 4 hours before our flight) we were able to check our bags in straight away. The guy at the desk asked if there were 22 of us in our party, but this was the whole Newmarket booking so we knew there was a group of 22 on the flight going to Sebatana. We arrived at Johannesburg airport and have to say we struggled to find our transport guy as he didn’t have a Newmarket sign, he was just wearing a Sebatana cap. We are fairly well travelled so are used to refusing help from locals as they always expect to be paid but having wandered round a few times we were scooped up by a guy that knew where we needed to be. Everyone in the party had struggled to find him so we were relieved it wasn’t just us!

It was about a 3-hour minibus ride from the airport but on the way to the reserve we stopped for a comfort break and a sandwich lunch at a lovely roadside eatery, so it took about 4 hours. On the drive you’d pass the odd wildebeest, monkey and so on which started to get everyone on the minibuses excited.

We finally arrived and WOW, what a place! As you drive through the Jurassic Park style gate, you enter the start of the Sebatana Reserve. The oohs and ahs from around the minibus as we saw our first giraffe were great. The expectations of the week ahead growing by the second.

We arrived as the sun was setting and were given cold towels and a welcome cocktail.

The hotel was stunning. 3 pools of varying sizes and temperatures (only the brave went in the big pool), but the smallest was basically a jacuzzi so definitely something for everyone unless you are an avid swimmer!

The attention to detail at the hotel was incredible. There were beautiful wood carvings of elephants, rhinos, giraffes etc round the communal areas and the beauty of the surroundings wasn’t lost on anyone.

The set up was great. As you drive through the main gates into the grounds there are animals roaming free, however, the actual Lodge area is all fenced off to prevent animals entering the guest area, so you are free, and safe, to wander round all areas of the Lodge.

We had been given our room numbers at the airport, so it was then time to get our keys, go to our rooms, where our bags were waiting to have a quick shower and change before the Managers welcome and dinner.

Dinner was lovely, beautifully presented avocado salad followed by Kudu steak and crème brulee. The serving staff and kitchen staff got together and sang for us, and we all sat enthralled by the wonderful, shared experience we were having.

We had pre-booked the all-inclusive drinks package when we booked the holiday, but this was something that you could add on when you arrived. They offered both alcoholic and non-alcoholic packages, though both people in the room had to have the same ones. I believe they were €250 and €150 + 20% VAT respectively. On the all-inclusive, they didn’t serve wine by the glass, just by the bottle but they wrote your room number on and kept the bottle on ice for you. The staff couldn’t do enough for you!

The next morning, we had breakfast. There was buffet style with sausages, bacon, meats, cheeses, cereal etc as well as freshly cooked eggs and omelettes. The staff did joke about us being fed constantly, and they really weren’t joking! With full bellies we headed out and jumped in one of the 3 jeeps. If you have started to make friendships, make sure you get on the same jeep as you stay in these groups for the rest of the week. We drove to a wooden gazebo for a wildlife talk, which was basically the Rangers introducing all the activities for the week and a chance to sign up for all the weeks activities. It’s cheaper to sign up for all the activities even if you’re not sure about some of them, but once you get into the South African experience you get FOMO so have to get involved in everything!

We then headed back for a buffet style lunch. On the way back we drove through the Lion Lodge and Elephant Lodgewhich are other lodges on the reserve and stopped for a look at the Spa facilities and the gift shop. The afternoon was our first game drive. This one was just on the Sebatana Reserve, so a chance to see Kudu, Impala, Giraffes, Crocodiles, Zebras, Warthogs, the Leopard, Wildebeest, Sable Antelope and monkeys to name a few! We spotted all except the Leopard and Zebras, not a bad start and this is the reserve without 4 of the Big 5!

Day 3, Sunday, at the reserve and reality of a safari hits! We were split into our groups for this optional tour. 2 jeeps went out in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. We were one of the early groups, so breakfast was 5.30-6am with departure for the Welgevonden Game Reserve at 6am. Our Rangers from Sebatana took us on this drive as it was only a 20-minutedrive away and they then borrowed jeeps when we got there. It was a chilly start and having a thin jumper wasn’t quite enough. Fortunately, the reserve supplied blankets which we gratefully made use of. It was a pretty good start to our Big 5 spotting experience. We wanted to see Zebras as we hadn’t seen any the day before and others had so when we saw some within 5 minutes of being in the reserve we were delighted. So today we saw Zebras, monkeys, Warthogs, Red Warthogs, a lion and 2 lionesses eyeing up some warthogs for lunch, hippos in the water, 2 rhinos with their huge horns in-tact, 2 Cheetahs lying under a tree, loads of buffalo and some monkeys. We stopped for a drink and a snack, because we hadn’t eaten for a few hours, and actually got off the jeep on a plain with zebras, wildebeest, warthogs and rhino in the distance. I can’t tell you what a pinch me moment it was. It was so surreal. We had heard about the lionesses making a kill over the radio so our Ranger took us back to see if we could see the lions eating. We were near the end of our 3-hour game drive, but our Ranger took us to see the lions again.

There was another jeep with 2 Park Rangers in, and our Ranger asked if they knew where the lions were. They guided us round the plain where we had been 100-200 yards away from them earlier and there was the lion. He looked at us, moved and lay down by the side of the track. Our Ranger slowly turned the jeep round and got us to about 10 feet from the lion. We were all just stunned we were so close. The people on the side of the jeep closest to him were a little nervous, especially when he growled, but apparently lions don’t jump, he would just have swiped the jeep, so all was fine. I got the most amazing photos but when I showed our Ranger he asked if anyone had got a video of him growling! It was 10am and we were definitely past our 6.30-9.30 timeslot. I loved that the Rangers always stopped to let you see animals and take your photos and didn’t move until everyone had finished and was ready, even when we were over out timeslot, they would always stop and let us see the animals, we were never rushed, and let’s face it, we are all there to see as much wildlife as possible.

We ended up leaving Welgevonden at 10.51. On the way back to the Lodge we also saw 3 Emus that live at Sebatana which was a great way to end our game drive. We got back to the Lodge about 11.15 and had the rest of the day to chill in the sun by the pools until the night safari and bush dinner (optional tour) at 7.30. The afternoon group had left after lunch at 1.30 for their game drive. The bush dinner was an absolute must. We were driven through Sebatana to an area where there was an open fire and tables for everyone. The barbequed wildebeest was the most incredible meat I have ever tasted. It was a cross between fillet steak and a venison steak, incredibly lean and very tasty. The night safari was disappointing in terms of animal sightings, however, it’s still quite exhilarating driving through the bush with everybody desperately trying to get sight of that elusive leopard! Sadly, no such joy! For anyone that didn’t do the optional trips, meals were still laid on at the Rhino Lodge. Believe me, nobody went hungry and if you didn’t fancy the food, unless you were incredibly picky, there were always options.

Day 4, Monday, started at 5.30-6 with a continental breakfast before the walking trail round Sebatana at 6am. There were 2 options, a longer walk and a shorter walk for those that weren’t fit enough. We all opted for the longer one which took about 2 and a quarter hours and started with us seeing the beautiful sunrise. We were shown animal tracks, trees, poo, birds, giraffes and impala, it really is about what is about at the time. Having arrived back before 8.30 we had time to get changed for a day round the pool before our cooked breakfast at 9am. The day was our own until the tribal evening optional tour at 7.30. This was the one part of whole trip that didn’t really enjoy. The food was very basic, as it was an authentic historical tribal evening, but we also had to eat it with our hands, which is fine until you’re trying to eat mash potato and the equivalent of baked beans with your fingers. We did all feel like it would have been good to have tried this and then be given cutlery and something to wipe your hands with. Fortunately, it was just round the corner, so we just walked back to the Lodge.

Day 5, Tuesday was the game drive at Pilanesberg National Park. It was about a 3-hour drive from Rhino Lodge so was a full day excursion. Breakfast was 5-5.30 with a 5.30 departure time and as it was such a long way we were driven in the minibuses. As always, a comfort break was factored into the journey, giving everyone the chance to get off the bus and buy snacks from the service station if needed, though we had been given packed lunches as we left. We arrived early at 8.20am and had another comfort break before getting on a large jeep with a Ranger from the Pilanesberg Reserve – this one big enough for the entire group to be on.

What a day of sightings! Within 30 minutes we had our first elephant sighting (some of the other groups had seen elephants at Welgevonden) and what a sighting it was! We saw a family of Elephants, with a 5/6-day old baby trotting after it’s mother. I cannot tell you how thrilled we all were. It was just the most incredible, beautiful and sweet thing to see! We were all cooing over it like a newborn baby, even the men! We saw more elephants throughout the day, believe me, you can’t ever see enough as well as hippos out of the water, which bearing in mind they only do for about an hour and a half a day, was quite something! We saw a lion apparently eating a zebra. It was quite camouflaged by the trees but apparently there were 2 lions and 6 lionesses all chomping away on it. Although we couldn’t see much, we could hear the roars as they were fighting over it. We also saw loads of Zebras, Rhinos including a group of 4 together, a crocodile in the water, Hyena from afar, Impalas, Kudu and Antelope. Although we didn’t see as many animals today, we saw 3 of the big 5 and they were all amazing sightings and pinch me moments. After a full day of animal spotting, we headed back to Sebatana to shower before dinner.

Day 6, Wednesday, was the safari at Sebatana with champagne brunch. In the morning, we set off at 7am (breakfast 6.15-7), a relative late start with our Rangers to forage for things to make a hat to try and win the hat competition. Crafty things aren’t really my bag, but we set about getting twigs, flowers etc from the bush and then making a hat which one of the team had to wear and then we also had to put on a presentation of some description. The team all got really involved, and then we went to the location of the Champagne bush brunch. It was basically an open sided thatched roofed viewing platform above a watering hole. It was stunning. We stood in awe looking down on about 30 animals, zebras, wildebeest and impalas, all grazing together. It was absolutely spectacular. Sebatana Reserve is such a well-run resort and just offered such incredible experiences. After lunch in this beautiful location, we headed back for a few hours before heading out again for another game drive in the reserve with a stop off at an observation deck near another watering hole. As the sun started to set, we got to the observation deck. We were all quite disappointed when we pulled up and saw Wildebeest and Zebras walking away, however, within minutes of being settled in our seats, they all started wandering back so we could see them all. We were so close to them all, sitting there with our cameras snapping away at them all. Just beautiful and the first time we had managed to get really close to the wildebeest and so many Zebras. We went back to the Lodge for cocktails with the Rangers and a chance to talk about highlights of the week.

Day 7, Thursday was our final Game Drive. This one was at the Reserve next door, so was a 10-minute drive from Sebatana. Breakfast was 5.30-6 with a 6am start and then we were on our way to the Kaingo Game Reserve. Was this the day we were going to see our elusive Leopard and complete our Big 5 sightings? We arrived to see the sunrise, a spectacle in itself. Our Ranger was on true tracking duty, finding footprints and trying to spot as many animals for us as he could. He did pretty well too. We saw 4 of the big 5. Lots of elephants including 2 at a watering hole, 2 lionesses, hundredsof buffalo and a group of 5 rhinos. We also saw the usual suspects, warthogs, zebra, kudu, sable antelopes and impalas. It was another truly bucket list day which we will never forget. We got back to the Lodge just before 11 and then had until 5pm to chill round the pool. 5-7pm we went out for the last time to watch the sunset at Sunset Rock, yet another beautiful experience.

Day 8, Friday, the dreaded departure day. It was with great sadness that we had to leave Rhino Lodge and the Sebatana Reserve. We settled up (you have to pay for your additional tours in Euros) and left tips for the staff (there were envelopes to give tips to the different groups of staff – housekeeping, serving staff including kitchen, rangers which could be in euros or South African rands were equally acceptable) and got ready to leave. We all agreed it was an absolute bucket list trip, an experience of a lifetime with more pinch me moments than I could have ever imagined when we booked the trip. We left to the chorus of the staff all singing and forming lines for us to walk between. The journey back was long, broken up by a short visit to the Apartheid Museum, however the feeding continued with pack ups on the coaches.

I know it is all about luck in terms of what wildlife you see, but if you have always dreamt of a safari and fancy as reasonably priced safari with the opportunity to experience incredible wildlife and pinch me moments as well as incredible service by wonderful people in a stunning location, I will recommend Rhino Lodge every day of the week. It was absolutely superb!

��Top Tip - You need to take African plugs rather than European plugs as there is only one socket in the room for European but about 5 for the African type M plugs.

Penny Price

Escape to Mauritius with Nick

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:53:54 GMT

Join Nick on his trip to Mauritius with Beachcombers UK

When I heard I was going to Mauritius, I was absolutely overjoyed! The beautiful island in the Indian Ocean had always been on my list!

We met up at Manchester Airport and checked in for our flight with Turkish Airlines. We flew to Mauritius via Istanbul. I had never flown with Turkish Airlines before, so I was really excited to experience it. The connection worked really well and is a great option to consider rather than flying via Dubai with Emirates. Istanbul Airport is very modern, and the departure board shows flights to almost anywhere in the world. Duty-free shopping and happy mooching was definitely the plan! Helen gave me a huge list, so off I went.

The flight to Mauritius was great. The crew were very attentive, and I would certainly recommend flying with them. Well done, Turkish Airlines!

On arrival in Mauritius, my passport was stamped quickly, and I was thrilled to get my Mauritius stamp — very happy with that, and off we went. For all the history buffs (me included), Mauritius was once a French colony until the British took over, which is why they drive on the left like us. Most people speak English, French, and a Creole dialect.

As soon as you meet the locals, you realise the true gem of this place — the people. They’re always smiling, warm, and kind-hearted. Our itinerary was well balanced, with lots of hotel visits and stays, but we also had time to enjoy the views and try out some of the activities the island had to offer. Transfers are by road, but there’s also the option for a helicopter transfer if you fancy arriving in style.

Mauritius is an incredible paradise getaway — perfect for a once-in-a-lifetime trip or special celebration. The island is as dreamy as the photos: soft white sand, clear turquoise sea, and tropical charm. Over the course of six nights, we enjoyed dolphin watching, gourmet dinners, and the company of our fantastic hostess — the lovely Sarah Archer from Beachcomber UK.

We spent our time between all the hotels in the Beachcomber portfolio — a mix of 4- and 5-star properties, each one a delight. Luxurious, immaculate, and beautifully located, they all offered something different. The jewel in the crown was the Royal Palm, which was simply stunning. Every hotel had exceptional beaches and a variety of room types, from suites to villas — perfect for everyone from those wanting to relax and unwind, to golfers, adventurers, and multi-generational families.

It's always difficult to choose your favourite Beachcombers hotel, however if I had to say my top 3 hotels they were the Paradis, Royal Palm and the Cannonier. The reason why I chose these were the locations of them all and the layout of them. All the Beachcombers are not overly huge but these 3 were cute and quaint and have a very charming atmosphere about them. All are positioned in idyllic spots and are truly perfect nobody would be disappointed in staying.

The island really has something for everyone — it’s picture-postcard perfect and full of energy. The best way to experience Mauritius is to get out on the water. Thanks to the reef protecting the beaches, there are no big waves, making it brilliant for swimming and snorkelling. There’s also kite surfing, wakeboarding, and water-skiing — all included at most of the hotels. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even swim with dolphins.

Port Louis, the capital, is full of charm. The market is a must-see — full of vibrant colours, chatter, and bartering. There’s a real buzz, and the fresh fruit stalls were amazing. Some vendors even shaped their pineapples for you!

As you drive around the island, you’ll see fields of sugar cane — Mauritius is famous for its rum production, and there are many local distilleries where you can pick up a bottle (and maybe enjoy a sneaky tasting). My cocktail of choice was a ‘Dark & Stormy’ — dark rum and ginger beer — a true delight.

All of the Beachcomber hotels are beautiful and cater to everyone. The beaches are spectacular, the locations brilliant, and the hospitality unforgettable.

Visiting Mauritius is an experience I’ll never forget. I fell completely in love with the island, and here are my top tips for anyone visiting:

�� Always watch the sun go down with a cocktail — the sunsets are incredible.

�� Visit Port Louis for its vibrant market, the Slavery Museum, and a stroll along the harbour front with shops galore.

�� Take a trip to the zoo — there’s a conservation project to protect the giant tortoises, which you can feed,they are surprisingly fast when there is food involved ( just like my dog at home)

�� I’d also recommend a twin-centre stay — start at the Paradis Beachcomber where you can relax and watch the world go by, then head to Grand Baie and stay at the Royal Palm or the Mauricia to explore local life beyond the hotel.

�� Sit back and watch nature unfold — the island is full of life, with birds flying everywhere. My favourite moment was seeing a fruit bat fly overhead; I was so excited! I loved every minute and spent the rest of my trip gazing into the trees hoping to spot another.

Mauritius is an island for everyone. It offers and delivers everything — a beautiful emerald gem with palm-fringed beaches and an exotic mix of cultures and cuisine. Thank you to Mauritius and Beachcomber for a truly magical stay. It will stay with me forever.

P.S. If you’re looking for something extra special, check out Mautourco — a fantastic company for transfers and unique experiences. From boat trips to seaplane flights, they’ll organise everything for you. Thank you, Jessica — you were fantastic!

— Nick

Bea’s Overnight Adventure Aboard the Ultramarine in Aberdeen with Quark Expeditions!

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:59:03 GMT

Explore with Bea...

Hiya,

I’ve just had the most incredible overnight experience aboard the Ultramarine, Quark Expeditions' luxury expedition ship and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

But first of all who are Quark Expeditions? In short, they have been ‘Polar Obsessed since 1991’ this pioneering company were the first to take commercial passengers to the North Pole and since then have been offering immersive expeditions to the Artic and Antarctic. And if travelling to some of the most remote corner of the world is on your bucket list then this company is for you. Whether it’s cruising past icebergs, spotting wildlife such as polar bears, and penguins or experience cultures up close then Quark can take you on this trip.

When you book with Quark Expeditions, you're not just getting a cruise—you're getting a unique experience. Their team of experts, from naturalists to expedition leaders, are passionate about teaching you all about the regions you’re exploring. There’s something magical about having the chance to learn from people who have dedicated their lives to exploring the world’s most remote places. And if you want to explore the wildest parts of the world in a luxury, comfort and Style then Quark Expeditions have that covered.

The Ultramarine is not your average cruise ship. It’s an expedition vessel designed for the most epic explorations of some of the world’s most remote, awe-inspiring locations—think the polar regions and beyond. And with Quark Expeditions at the helm, you're in for an experience that mixes luxury with the wildest adventures.

From the moment you step on board, it’s clear that this ship is a step above the rest. The Ultramarine offers a more intimate, upscale experience without sacrificing the thrill of adventure. With spacious, modern cabins and stunning panoramic views, the luxury is immediate.

I was lucky enough to get a balcony suite on board for the night which is like your personal haven at sea, designed for comfort and luxury which will give you stunning views of the wild landscapes you're cruising through. Imagine stepping out onto your own private balcony, where you can soak in the fresh air and watch icebergs, wildlife, or breathtaking coastlines pass by.

Inside, the suite is spacious and modern, with big windows that let in tons of natural light. The décor is clean and stylish, with a cozy vibe that makes it easy to unwind after a day of adventures. It’s got all the top-notch amenities you’d expect, from plush bedding to a sleek bathroom, plus plenty of space to stretch out and relax. It’s basically the perfect spot to kick back in comfort, all while feeling connected to the rugged, untamed beauty of the polar regions.

One of the coolest things about the Ultramarine is its ability to offer heli-landing excursions. They have two on-board helicopters, in which gives guests the chance to explore places that would normally be completely inaccessible. Whether it’s an untouched glacier or a remote wildlife spot, you get to experience the most pristine, untouched corners of the planet. Definitely a huge USP for Quark!

If the helicopters and Zodiacs aren’t for you ( yes they have them both) there are tons of activities to keep you busy onboard. The ship has lots of onboard gear for kayaking and paddleboarding. They also have a science lab on board where you can learn about the fascinating research in which the Quarks expedition leaders do in some of the most extreme climates in the world.

Let’s not forget about the food, the dining options are great and it plays a large part of what Quark Expeditions are about, they offer a variety of options to suit all different preferences and schedules ( it’s not uncommon to be interpreted at lunch or dinner to go out and spot the wildlife). Balena Restaurant serves as the main restaurant, where breakfast and lunch is served buffet style with a selection of hot stations. Where dinner is an international four course plated affair. The restaurant is designed to accommodate all guests and the expedition team at once and offers large windows ensuring every seat offers the view of the polar scenery.

Casual dining can be found at Bistro 487, where extended hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered to cater around those varying schedules. The style is quicker food, and ‘ grab and go’ staples so guests can head back outdoors on the aft deck to take in the breathtaking scenery.

Quark takes eco-friendly travel to the next level, ensuring minimal environmental impact while offering guest an incredible journey, the Ultramarines state of the art systems reduce the ships carbon footprint while cruising through delicate areas like the Artic and Antarctica.

So, whether you’re an adventurer at heart or just love exploring new travel possibilities Quark Expeditions is for you.

I would love to help you tick another bucket list adventure off that list of yours.

Bea x

Unforgettable Moments from South Africa!

hello@arundeltravel.co.uk (Evie Arundel ) — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 10:27:15 GMT

Join Libby on her adventure in South Africa!

For the longest time, South Africa has been on my bucket list.

After hearing stories from my mum about her visit there when she was 18, I knew that one day I needed to go and explore it for myself.

Fast forward to a few months ago when Helen received a phone call from Premier Holidays offering me a place on their South Africa Fam trip... safe to say there were tears of joy from myself and Helen. September quickly rolled around and there I was heading down to London Heathrow to meet Nicky (Premier Holidays) and the rest of the group and what an incredible group we had.

Our 11 hour direct flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town with British Airways quite literally flew by and in no time at all we were flying next over table mountain and Cape Town. Unfortunately, Cape Town wasn't on our itinerary for this trip but fortunately for me it just means that I get to go back and explore it at a different time and I already cannot wait for that.

We connected on to our flight up to George, on the Western Cape, which was only about an hour or so and we were finally greeted by a local driver and guide, Dean, for our time on the Garden Route. We were met with drizzle but this didn't dampen our spirits. Knysna was the first stop on the itinerary with a stay at Knysna Hollow County Estate. This hotel really is beautiful - set in lovely gardens with wildflower beds and water features, the standard is very high and it was the perfect place to relax after a long day travelling and the location was brilliant too. A quick freshen up and out for dinner we went to a local waterfront restaurant, Drydock, the location couldn't have been better as it is set right in the harbour with views over the water. Our meal was delicious and it was out first experience of South African hospitality which is outstanding! Throughout our entire trip we only ever experienced the best possible hospitality with the friendliest of people - smiles so big you couldn't help but be happy in their presence.

After a peaceful sleep in Knysna we were up bright and early - luckily it had brightened up too - for our little tour of the town and the Featherbed Eco experience. Did you know that Knysna have their own species of Seahorse that can only be found in Knysna Lagoon and two other tiny areas! Featherbed Nature Reserve is a pristine piece of land situated on the Western Head of Knysna and is only accessible by ferry. Once we arrived we were met with 4x4 vehicles to take us up to the top of the reserve, we stopped for a while to admire the breathtaking views before embarking on a 2.2km hike back down along the paths passing by all of the glorious flora and fauna and into the natural sea cave to watch the waves crash into the rocks. At one point Knysna Lagoon was one of the most dangerous entry points for ships due to the waves and currents! Our hike ended back in the restaurant where we were met with the most incredible buffet lunch, all homemade dishes made with local produce and washed down with a Savannah cider under the trees - that's my kind of hike...

A short ferry ride back across to Knysna harbour and we were back in the minivan on our way to Parkes Manor for a site inspection. Parkes Manor is a quaint little hotel that is designed in a very typical British style, open fireplaces, well kept gardens and wooden beams all made me feel like I was back in the countryside at home. I think that made it feel really comforting and homely - it was in a great location to get into the centre as well as having pretty views of the water and gardens. Our visit was short but sweet and onto the next stop Plettenburg Bay (I think this might have been my favourite stop on the Garden Route). Driving through Plettenburg Bay we were surrounded by fun bars, local restaurants which seemed to have a cool vibe to them and unbelievable views! Again, I know I am repeating myself but the scenery was so familiar to me that I didn't feel far from home at all. I used to go to Wales a lot on camping holidays and the beaches reminded me of there. The waves rolling onto the sand in the same way but instead of a potential seal sighting if we were lucky, we were greeted by whales just lounging around in the waves.

Our jaws all hit the perfectly pristine floors of the Plettenburg Hotel where we went for a site inspection followed by pre dinner drinks and dinner. This hotel really is something to be admired, the attention to detail is so high in every aspect of the hotel. From the beautiful, comfortable rooms with views over the bay to the cocktail menu hand crafted by the expert team who run the bar, it was luxurious without feeling pretentious in any way. The five-star Small Luxury Hotels of the World property, has 35 beautifully appointed rooms and two family-style villas, so if you're wanting that little haven I think this hotel would be perfect. We were treated to an outstanding meal at their restaurant with canapes to start and homemade macarons to finish, I think it is safe to say that we had to be rolled out of there and back to the Plett Quarters hotel where we were staying.

The Plett Quarters hotel is very centrally located, in the thick of the bars and restaurants but is also a very high standard with beautifully furnished rooms ensuring you have a very comfortable nights rest before heading out to explore the rest of the beautiful Plettenberg Bay. I've never visited Australia before but some of the group said it reminded them of Sydney, a laidback feel but still lots going on! I really did love the feel of it here and I wish I could've stayed longer to do some more exploring but time just goes too quickly and the next morning had come around already so after a delicious breakfast in the Plett Quarter restaurant off we went on another site visit, this time to the Robberg Beach Lodge. Perfectly placed overlooking the calm waters of Plettenberg Bay this charming hotel has a variety of rooms suitable for a mixture of guests. Imagine waking up and watching the sunrise over the ocean, sitting and reading the newspaper on the terrace breathing in all of that fresh sea air - this hotel could give you all of that!

The Garden Route is so easy to navigate around, the roads are quiet and easy to follow. The scenery beautiful and lush watch out for the baboons though as they like to wander very close to the roads - very cute to see though! Tsitsikamma was next on the itinerary and whilst driving there we came across the Bloukrans Bridge Bungy - one of the highest bungy jumps in the world sitting at 216m above the Bloukrans river. Curiosity obviously got the better of us all as we asked if we had enough time to stop and watch. This is something that is on my bucket list and had we had enough time I would've signed myself up - another reason for me to go back! However, Tsitsikamma was awaiting our arrival as was the Tree Tops Canopy Tour, a tour that would we be taking by zipline. This quaint little village looks like a film set with its one general store and Marilyn's 60's diner amongst the few buildings there. Safety briefing done and hard hats at the ready we were driven up to the start of our Tree Top adventure of the Tsitsikamma indigenous forest. One by one we made our way across the trees and between the branches getting up to some pretty high speeds - a few nervous laughs and words of encouragement saw us all complete the tour. Stopping along the way to learn about the native trees and local wildlife, we didn't manage to see any of the Vervet monkeys however I think we got our share of the countless birds we passed.

A little uphill walk through the forest floor back to the 4x4 was just what some of the group needed to ground themselves again and stop their legs from shaking - naming no names here (Nicky). Certificates in hand to show off our skills we had a light lunch at a local cafe before checking in at Tsitsikamma Village Inn. The hotel was established in 1946 and has served as a stop-over for travellers for more than a century. Most of the rooms are situated around a typical Village green. These buildings reflect many of the different building styles that were to be found in the Cape Colony during the 1800s, it has such a peaceful feel to it and sitting with a cup of tea overlooking the green was the perfect way to start the morning. After checking in and dropping the cases, the Micro-Brewery was just down the street and we had a little tour of the brewery learning all about the process of making the beers, lagers and ales. Beer isn't really my thing normally but we sat and enjoyed a flight of some of the beers on offer and chatted away about the time we had spent in South Africa so far. I never really knew what to expect when I finally arrived in South Africa after so many years of thinking about it but every part of what I had experienced so far had surpassed my expectations and we were not even half way through the trip yet!

Dinner at Marilyn's diner was exactly how you can imagine it would be, slow cooked brisket, fried chicken and coleslaw all washed down with milkshakes and cocktails - not what I expected from the middle of the Garden Route but this hidden gem was started from a love of Cadillacs and all things classic America. A beautiful spring morning greeted us for our final full day on the Garden Route and a wholesome breakfast was served up in the cosy restaurant at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn - who says you can't have scones for breakfast!

Back to the roads we went towards Cape St Francis, Dean telling us stories of his upbringing, giving us so many facts about the areas we were driving through and the history of his incredible country that he is so proud of. We were in awe of his endless knowledge as well as the stunning villages and landscapes that we passed by. The Sands St Francis Bay was our first taste of what was to come, this beachfront hotel is beautiful - not only in its design but in its location too. Whale watching can be done from the restaurant as well as the sea facing rooms and trust me when I say that you could spend hours just looking out to sea, drinking a coffee and enjoying homemade cake.

St Francis Bay was decorated so beautifully, simple designs but done to such a high standard. Bringing elements of the outsides nature into the rooms with the wooden furniture and putting the inside out with private rain showers - small touches like this really elevate the rooms to make them that extra bit more special. There is even a wine cellar the guests can go into before dinner to choose their wine and hear all about the choices on offer, I thought this was a really nice touch!

St Francis Bay put on a lovely homemade spread for us which set us up for our afternoon on the water...

Cape Francis was where we were spending our final night on the Garden Route, the villas we had were so close to the beach we could feel the sand against our skin when the wind blew. Cape Francis is perfect for all types of groups, families, backpackers and couples as they have accommodation to suit everyone! The villas have everything that you could possibly need for self catering, a roaring fire for when it drops colder and a lovely sized pool for those hot days. BBQ pits or should I say braii and a huge outside area make it ideal for summers in South Africa.

After checking in we were surprised with a canal cruise around Cape Francis at sunset. If anyone has ever been to this part of South Africa you will know just how impressive it is, the houses are the kind you would see in magazines with the matching his and hers jetskis bobbing around. We cruised around these truly fabulous houses with drinks in hand and were reminded of how lucky we were to be there... whilst trying to google how much I needed to save in order to buy one of my own, turns out its a lot even with the exchange rate.

A very special evening completed our Garden Route experience, a private chef in our villa. Local chef Angie along with her sister Vee made this evening one that I will never forget. Cape Francis produces some of the best calamari in the world and they even have a dedicated festival for it every September - now that is my kind of festival. As well as the fresh calamari, we had the creamiest mussel soup and homemade bread cooked on the braii to start with. After eating this I knew we were in for the most delicious meal. Freshly caught prawns and line caught fish was next to be served alongside fresh salads and a chocolate brownie to finish it all off, South African wine paired beautifully with it all and the whole evening was perfect. Vee and Angie reduced is all to tears by singing us a traditional song that they learnt as children, a very heartwarming moment for me.

4am alarm set for the next stage of our incredible trip... safari!

From Cape Francis to Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg then Johannesburg to Skukuza and we were officially in Kruger National Park.

Skukuza is a tiny little airport only about an hour away from Joberg which makes getting around South Africa dead easy so you can easily add safari on to a multi centre trip.

CJ, our incredible guide made our safari experience the best it could've possibly been. His knowledge of the wildlife, stars and animal tracks left us all thinking - how could somebody retain that much information and I think the only way that is possible is through the sheer love he has for Kruger. Supplied with Savannah's we set off to Kruger Untamed Plains camp - within 5 minutes of driving we had already seen a giraffe and 3 lionesses in the dried river bed - this was only the beginning for us.

Elephants crossing the roads right in front of the jeep was something that I never thought would happen and by the end of our time there we still didn't believe it was real. Zebras perfectly aligned like some kind of optical illusion made our journey feel like the real-life version of Lion King - one of my favourite films. I can't even begin to explain how incredible safari is and how much I would recommend it to every single person out there! They say the big 5 are the main animals to see and they're not wrong but what made it for me was not only the larger animals but the warthogs, honey badgers and ostrich that live in perfect harmony together.

With the wind in our hair and the constant 'look an elephant' exclamations our few hours of transfer times were soon coming to an end as we turned off down a dirt track, the sun setting behind us. When the sun sets in Kruger it is quite literally like someone has turned the big light off and in the distance the little lights of the camp grew and grew until we came to the perimeter of Kruger Untamed Plains camp. An electric fence keeps the camp safe from the animals getting in and it is so necessary to have that there as the animals are in touching distance. Hot towels and welcome drinks accompanied the biggest of smiles from the camp team. After a quick tour of the main parts of camp we were shown our tents, I say tent loosely because it was the most luxurious tent I've ever been in and bigger than most London flats.

Kruger untamed plains camp and Tshokwane camp (their sister camp) are eco camps meaning that they get packed up and put in shipping containers when the season ends and brought back again next year. When setting the camps up they cannot cut down any trees, branches or make any damage to the landscapes, so much so that the only way they find where the tents go is by GPS tracking from the year before. They don't leave any carbon footprint either and I found it so impressive how they have luxury camps in the middle of Kruger National park which in a few weeks won't even be there. The hot water for the tents is filled up when you're out on game drives so are ready for when you get back, the hard work that all the team put in is fantastic and they employ local people from the surrounding communities from just outside Kruger.

Roaring campfires just beg for local stories to be told and I wanted nothing more than to sit and listen, sipping on warm soup and homemade croutons. We were attending a bush camp the following day, meaning other groups of agents, tour operators and tourism board members were meeting for workshops to learn more about South Africa and all of the wonderful things you can see and do. Our welcome dinner was very much needed by the time we sat down and the heartiest beef wellington was served up followed by curries and malva pudding - a bit like sticky toffee pudding but imagine the sponge soaked in sweet cream...

... sorry I am still imagining it.

Okay, back to it!

The guides take you back to your tents with torches as they cut the electricity out to save on power and also to make sure you don't stand on any snakes. The nights are cold when the sun goes down but the tents are warm and the beds are dreamily comfortable. Lions and hyenas roar throughout the night, serving as constant reminders of where you are and before you know it your wake up calls are stood outside your tent greeting you with 'knock knock, good morning' something I felt was a lovely touch!

Our morning game drives were fuelled by hot chocolates and rusks, sunrises and even more animals. A pride of 7 lionesses were only a few hundred metres from camp and we sat and admired their beauty. CJ was telling us stories of other groups that he had taken on safari and reminded us that we are with the animals in their natural habitat and not the other way around so respecting the place they call home and conserving it is the most important thing we can do.

I could've sat and listened to his endless knowledge all day but we had work to do, a speed dating type day was ahead and we sat to listen to Western Cape, Limpopo Tourism and Eastern cape before hearing about Durban, the activities you can do and a luxury safari you can get involved in as well. The sun was hot but having the small bursts of information was a great way for us to learn a bit about them and made is hungry to learn more! Each day you get the chance to take part in morning and afternoon game drives to maximise your chance of seeing as many animals as you possible because, as CJ said, they have legs and will walk around to different places. Cool boxes packed in the jeeps are out we went again, everything was spectacular and tears flowed as we watched giraffes cross our paths and a mummy and baby elephant were stood munching away on the trees. The baby elephant wasn't even 3 weeks old yet and there they were just stood so close to us completely unbothered by our presence. My heart was warm and full.

About half way through we stopped to watch the sunset with a sundowner in hand and snacking on biltong, I knew that I was meant to be there in that moment.

Another night hearing stories sat by the campfire, sipping on soup and tucking into the heartiest homecooked food - I never wanted this trip to end. I went to bed that night feeling so incredibly happy.

'Knock knock, good morning'

Tshokwane awaited our arrival this morning and our game drive took us to the, passing baby baboons, hyenas, elephant and giraffe, endless Kudu and Impala too. One of my favourite animals is a hippo and I was really wishing we would see one at some point. Obviously, they spend a lot of time near or in water so heading to the camp in the dried river bed I was told that there was a small watering hole nearby... fingers crossed for this one. Turning off down the track to the camp we stopped to see if we could see any movement in the water. A crocodile popped his head up to say hello and we were already over the moon with that, as we crawled past the croc we spotted a little head break the waters still surface... a hippo!

Fun fact - Hippos can't breathe underwater so they hold their breath for 6 minutes before pushing themselves off the riverbed floor to get the next breath of air.

Tshokwane welcomed us with open arms and we sat and learnt about the camp, its facilities all before having our final few sessions with the tourism boards. South Africa has something for everyone, the adventure seeker, the animal lover and the city adorer so I cannot rate it highly enough and think everyone should have it on their bucket list.

Being at one with nature whilst sat in their pool to cool down really is not how I expected my September to be but there was nowhere else I would've rather been. All of a sudden we hear music and singing, a local community singing group put on very moving performance for us of traditional songs and dancing! Of those who know me well you will know how much I love to dance so when one of the group reached out a hand I didn't hesitate to take it and danced away with the locals - laughing as I tried to keep up with his moves!

Kruger Untamed work closely with the local communities providing support and funding, the performance they put on was so moving and I took time to reflect on our trip, the people I have met and the lessons I learnt.

Dancing done, we had a quick q&a with the tour operators who were explaining what we can do to try bring tourism to South Africa and some excellent ideas were mentioned. There are some very exciting projects coming up in the near future so keep your eyes peeled for updates on these!

Jumping in the jeeps we went out again to explore more of Kruger National Park and wow were we in for a treat...

A lion and a lioness

Laid together only 50m away from us

We sat there gobsmacked, locking eyes with these majestic creatures.

I can't quite describe how strong and beautiful they are and how I then became utterly obsessed with watching their every move, there really is no wonder why a group of lions is called a pride. They stand proudly and they sit proudly. The sundowners tonight felt that little bit more special and we watched over the plains, the sun came down and we chatted about the day we had and what was to come of our last night in South Africa. Our campfire soup sipping evening was silent as we listened to a storyteller brilliantly narrated his upbringing and life to us. The path he was on was one of crime and poaching until he started in a conservation programme, learning how to track the animals and turning his profit into passion.

A gala dinner rounded up our evening and our last day, beautiful food and perfect company all finished off with a game of eye spy on our drive back to camp, I'm not sure one of the elephants was too keen though as we had a very close encounter with one in the darkness.

'Knock knock, good morning'

Our final wake up call made me feel slightly sad, I really didn't want to leave but all good things must come to an end - or this is what people tell me. Today was still an exciting day though as we said goodbye to our amazing Kruger Untamed Plains camp we said hello to Kruger Shalati - the train on the bridge.

This site visit was a little different to the rest as this hotel is built on a bridge and the guests stay in the carriages, it was one of the most unique hotels I have seen. This 5 star luxury hotel has the animals right under the bridge for you to gaze upon whilst dipping in the pool, just from where we were standing we saw elephants, wilder beast and another hippo! A perfect, perfect end to an absolutely perfect trip!

South Africa has my whole heart and I want to explore every inch of this incredible place.

Love, Libby xx

Libby’s Lisbon & Porto Adventure

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 07:37:00 GMT

I flew out from Leeds Bradford on Thursday 5th October to Porto and stayed at the HF Tuela Porto, which was near the pick up points for the conference. The hotel was only 15 minutes walk away from the outskirts of the bustling centre, the sun was shining so I set off to explore for a few hours. After I’d spent some time wandering around and enjoying a chilled glass of Vinho Verde, the local wine, I sat by the river side and had a bite to eat. Watching the trams pass me by with the sun setting over the Douro river, I reminded myself of how lucky I am to be able to experience beautiful places.

Porto has 2 sides to it which is split by the river Douro and Vila Nova De Gaia is located on the Southern side. Affectionately known as Gaia, it has an abundance of little bars and restaurants all along the river front which on an evening is lit up with twinkling lights, making it the perfect setting for a drink or a bite to eat. Gaia also has The World Of Wine Museum- think rooftop bars and live dj’s. This museum showcases every part of the wine journey with tastings available too which makes a great place to go on an afternoon or early evening if you want to do something different and learn along the way.

The centre of Porto is very historical, with lots to learn. The cathedral is really impressive so it is definitely worth a look around plus it was a welcome break from the heat!

Walking tours are a popular way of sight seeing here in Porto so you’ll be sure to see groups of people following a guide around the city. Before I went, I had an idea in my head of what it would be like but it surpassed my expectations, I knew that it was going to ooze charm and tradition but I never thought that it would be a place for all ages to enjoy.

As I was there for the CLIA conference, I only had a short amount of time to fit everything in, I would love to go back to keep exploring and seeing what else Porto has to offer but even in the short amount of time that I had there it made a lasting impression on me. There is something for everyone there, whether it be a stop over on a river cruise down the Douro river or a short city break, you won’t be disappointed in choosing Porto for your next trip.

Lisbon was a city that I had always seen and heard about but never had the chance to explore myself. So as I’d been in Porto on a conference,I thought to myself, why not go to Lisbon and do it as a twin centre?

The train from Campanha station in Porto was really easy to get to in an Uber and once I was there I boarded the train to Lisbon Oriente, this took around 2 hours 45 minutes but was a very scenic journey which passed through some beautiful country sides and villages.

A friend of mine met me off the train in Lisbon where we jumped on the Metro to our guesthouse accommodation across the city. I never realised how big Lisbon actually was until I was there and how much you could do and see. After a lovely dinner on the first night we got a good nights rest and was up and out early the next morning.

Our first day started with a walk through the bustling Praca do Comercio to the waterfront and walk along the waters edge towards the famous 25 De Abril Bridge which is famous due to it looking very similar to San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge, the bridge connects Lisbon to Almada where the Christ the King monument is, which is a smaller version of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

At this point we were going to turn around and head back as it was very hot and we didn’t think there would be much to see if we carried on… we were glad that we changed our minds. I always find walking around a new place to be the best way to see a lot of the area and to find some hidden treasures that you wouldn’t have usually come across if you had taken the bus.

This is exactly what happened to us and as we were walking around I spotted a queue of people coming from a bakery, I knew exactly what I had found. Pastel de Belem was right in front of us, this bakery is where the pastel de nata was born and these just so happen to be my favourite pastry. After eating more than one of these delicious pastries we carried on walking, dusting cinnamon sugar off our hands as we did. Along our journey we passed the impressive cathedral and the Padrao Dos Descobrimentos which are both must sees if you’re in Lisbon. We jumped on some E-bikes and made our way back to the metro station in order to get back to the centre, E-bikes and scooters are such a popular way of getting around with cycle lanes being on nearly every path and road. The metro stopped in the shopping district of the city, the streets lined with designer shops and boutiques and nestled between these was the where we had stopped for a drink. By the time we got ready for our evening the sun was coming down so we quickly headed up towards Senhora Do Monte, a busy viewpoint with bars and music, to watch the sunset and enjoy a drink and some delicious food.

Our second day here was all about sightseeing and we really packed it in. First stop was the Castelo de S. Jorge, the castle at the top of the hill which boasts some of the best views of the city, everything seems to be at the top of a hill in Lisbon so be prepared to get those steps in! Meandering around the cobbled streets we found some lovely bars and cafes, stopping for a drink and a snack in between the sights was a great way to enjoy as much of what Lisbon has to offer as we could. The Elevador De Santa Justa was next on the list, we decided to queue up and take the lift up to the viewing platform so we could tick this off our lists. It is an industrial age lift which is beautifully designed in a gothic style and has been used for years to transport visitors up one of the steepest hills in the city. The views from here stretch for miles and really are beautiful. If you don’t want to wait in the queues there are some stairs which you can take up to the viewing platform, if you really want to test your legs! We followed our map down to Pink Street, wandered underneath the colourful umbrella’s and soaked up the sun a little more. My friend had read about a little Dutch restaurant tucked on Green Street and as she is very familiar with this cuisine we had to go see if it was up to scratch but not before we indulged ourselves in the smells and sights of the Time Out market. If you have never been to a Time Out market before they are great! An array of different market stalls serving up lots of different street foods as well as bars and desserts too, it can be a really good way of tasting new dishes. We eventually found the Dutch place and it didn’t let us down, we enjoyed bitterballen, frikandellen and Krokets and a cold drink to refresh us before we set off on our journey back to the centre. We wanted our last evening meal to be a good one and remembered that on our walk to Belem on the first day we passed a lovely cluster of restaurants in the harbour near the bridge. A steak restaurant took our fancy so we sat at a table over the water reflecting on our day and ate the best truffle mash potato and steak that we’d ever had and the night ended with relaxed drinks in a rooftop bar.

Why does your last day of a trip comes around so quickly?

Even though our time in Lisbon was coming to an end we still had time to cram in a few more things. A few more Pastel De Nata were eaten (shockingly some even made it home), a few more drinks were had and a few more sights were seen including a ride on the famous yellow tram which goes up one of the steepest streets in Lisbon.

Safe to say we saw as much of Lisbon as we could’ve seen but there is still so much that we left unexplored but until next time…

Love,

Libby x

Celebrating in Corfu

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 15:24:00 GMT

This year my Husband Nick turned 60, and as part of his birthday celebrations we went to one of our favourite places, Kassiopi in Corfu. We have visited Kassiopi a few times now and we couldn’t wait to get back, visit some amazing places and of course see one of my best friends Lucy and her family, she has lived there for 17 years! Over our 3 week stay, more than 40 of our closet friends and families joined us – and they all had the same opinion- they loved this place – Kassiopi and Corfu.

How do you put together a family holiday, where everyone stays in the same place? A villa seemed like a great choice, however we all decided that staying in accommodation that we already knew and loved was the best idea – that meant everyone could fly out from different airports, different dates and different durations ( plus there was a cleaner and restaurant/bar onsite) the Katia Beach was once again perfect! https://www.katiaaparthotel.com

Last time we visited Kassiopi was when there was a break in regulations through covid, this year it was heartwarming to see all the restaurants, shops and bars so busy and bustling – the atmosphere in the village was amazing and we were surprised (after visiting other countries post covid) what good value it was to eat and drink out! Kassiopi is perfect for all – our party ranged from a one year old to grandparents and there really was something for everyone to enjoy – boat hire, walks around the castle and headland, beaches, cocktails, shopping, late night dancing, an ice cream parlour or a romantic meal – the list is endless!

We don’t normally make many plans before we go, but with there being lots of us at anyone point we booked a few trips.

Paleokastritsa is made up of around 6 beautiful beaches, and we spent a second morning and lunch in another cove, still idyllic but with a few more tavernas and shops – plus for a history fix, there is a fabulous monastery that you can walk too.

I love the sea, whether I’m swimming in it, listening to it, or my favourite thing… being on it! There is nothing better than hiring a little motorboat and seeing the island from the sea (it’s beautiful) and actually it is a fantastic way to move up and down the coast and find beautiful bays and restaurants that you would probably miss if on the land! It’s such fun and great value for money – we used https://www.filipposboats.com for 120 euros you can hire a boat that seats 6 for a full day plus petrol is between 30 and 40 euros.

There are some beautiful bays to anchor up in, there is nothing better than jumping into to the crystal clear seas, snorkelling in uncrowded coves and seeing the Corfu landscape from the sea – it really is stunning.

Two great stopping points are Kalami, which is well know for being the home for novelist Lawrence Durrell and also Agios Stefanos ( North East) which is a vibrant seafront village with some great tavernas and little shops.

Corfu holds some very special memories for me. I spent lots of holidays here in my late teens and early twenties with my mum and dad, brothers, and friends, Holly came along and had her fist holidays here and of course it’s amazing to now come here with Nick. The boat trips and Nicolas Traditional Taverna brought back some wonderful memories of my mum – being the captain of her ship ( well boat) and her laughing and dancing at The Nikolas taverna Greek night – of course it brought on a few tears but these wonderful moments we had also made me smile.

As a family we just love greek food – I thought after 3 weeks we would get bored of eating out, not a chance! There are so many different restaurants to choose from in and around the area, we never ate the same thing twice – (except taziki and taramasalata, I will let you into a little secret, I am obsessed with dip – I absolutely love it ) and never had a bad meal, in fact they were all fantastic! My favourite village restaurants…

Uncle Simos, Tavernaki, Petrine and Poro Nuovo – all of them had fantastic fresh food and amazing service. TOP TIP: to avoid disappointment, definitely book.

These restaurants were brilliant at hosting large parties and intimate get together – nothing was too much trouble!

My absolute go to restaurant and massive treat is Taverna Glyfa – watching the sunset over the sea with the back drop of the mountains the setting is stunning. It doesn’t have a huge menu which makes the food incredible, especially the seafood and the service is fantastic. It’s a beautiful restaurant for really special nights.

The deal that Nick and I have, is that I drive on sea and Nick drives on land – it’s a great compromise and works well. The last two weeks of our holiday we hired a jeep jimney ( it was actually the same one we had hired last time we were in Corfu, you may remember the story!) this meant we could take a few of our family and friends to some of our favourite spots on the island. Old Perithia is so beautiful, I literally have to go every time I visit corfu. This year the journey up the mountains was a little bit different, the area had been effected by forest fires and the landscape looked so different – it wasn’t ugly and baron as you would imagine, you could see the new shoots bursting through, vibrant heather contrasting againt charcoal trunks and where you could just normally see woodland, the views had opened up over the coastline and it felt like you could see for mile and miles – stunning. Old Perithia village was built in about 400m above sea level in the 14th century and was made up of wonderful stone buildings. At this time, lots of people wanted to live in the hillsides away from the coast as it was cooler and there were no unwelcome visitors such as pirates, in fact it was built so the village could see the sea, but village not be seen. The village was really prosperous with very successful farming plus cultivation of olives and vines – fast forward and time moved on, it became harder and harder for the people of Old Perithia to make a living and many of the islanders including lots of the village residents left the hills to go back down to the coastal areas where tourism was booming. That said, now the old village is thriving, with a handful of fabulous tavernas serving delicious homemade dishes, a lovely gift shop and a friendly bee keeper offering a quick honey tasting in his beautiful garden – the protected ‘oldest village in Corfu’ makes for a wonderful day out.

Finally, nights out – as you can imagine with our daughters, nephews and nieces with us, we had a few very late nights, but what fun! Illusions Bar was great fun, dancing the nights away and my dad even went on the Karaoke. A little more sophisticated was the Limani Bar – a late night cocktail bar and for pre dinner cocktails, Virginia’s served an amazing Margarita.

We all had so much fun and it was so fantastic to spend time and make memories with all the people that we love, in a place that is very special to us.

Please get in contact with us for more information about Kassiopi, we would love to tell you more.

Helen & Nick

Brilliant Barcelona by Evie

Fri, 12 May 2023 07:13:00 GMT

We have just returned from a 4 night/3 day Jet2CityBreak to Barcelona and it was fabulous… the weather was great – 18 degrees and sunny!

We flew from Leeds Bradford at 4.30pm on Easter Sunday and despite being forewarned by Jet2 about French Air Traffic Control strikes and Swissport strikes on that day, it was the quickest we’ve ever got through bag drop off and security, in fact we even departed a couple of minutes early!

We arrived at Barcelona on time and headed to our hotel. We hadn’t booked transfers as we originally thought about getting the metro. However, when we headed that way we noticed it was very quiet and being Easter Sunday we weren’t sure whether all the services would be running especially in the evening. Instead we used Uber which arrived within 5 minutes and we were at our hotel in around 25 minutes, the cost was approx. 30 Euros.

We stayed at the INNSiDE Barcelona Apolo Hotel which was in the Theatre District. The hotel was modern and bright, and the reception staff were very welcoming. The rooms were lovely and clean and spacious with a lovely big bed (and huge pillows!!!!), refreshments were provided including juice and water in the fridge. There’s a small bar area and a large lobby with plenty of seating. We didn’t find the Terrace Restaurant as this didn’t open until 7pm and we were usually out and about but the photos on the website looked lovely. It was a 15-minute walk to the Port area and a similar distance to La Rambla so a really good central location. There was a metro station literally minutes away. Across the road was a Café 365 which was perfect for a croissant and coffee in the morning for breakfast and was so reasonable, 2 croissants for 1.60 Euros and they were very tasty. These cafes are found all over Barcelona and are good for lunch too.

We finished the day by walking down La Rambla down to the Port where we stopped for refreshments by the sea, it was lovely and sunny with a breeze so perfect weather.

Day 2 was a Gaudi Day. We had pre-booked tickets to La Sagrada Familia and to Parc Guell as we’d read that you were best pre-booking to guarantee entry. It was a 50-minute walk from our hotel to La Sagrada so we decided to get the metro which was so easy. A Single trip is 2.40 Euros per person however after researching a bit more we could get a Family ticket for 10 Euros which covered 8 journeys so this worked out cheaper, you can buy online and collect your ticket at the metro station using a code.

You can also get the Hola Barcelona Card, which covers travel for a selected number of days. We didn’t opt for this as it was our intention to walk more places but time wise it may be beneficial. We got the metro a few times but still managed to clock up 1000s of steps every day so definitely make sure you have comfortable shoes.

We arrived at La Sagrada a little bit early, but they allowed us in after going through security. It is simply Amazing, it’s definitely one of those WOW moments when you walk in through the door, the detail is out of this world and phenomenal. We booked to go up one of the Towers and got a view of the city, plus you got to look at the detail on the outside of the Cathedral and see the work that is currently still being undertaken. Definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

Our next stop was at Parc Guell, again we had pre-booked tickets for 2pm. There were limited tickets available on the day for much later on so definitely worth pre-booking. We stopped at a Café nearby for a spot of lunch before going to the Parc. It was very busy, but we were able to look around and get plenty of photos.

Day 3 we booked a stadium tour at Camp Nou, home of Barcelona Football Team. A must for football fans, even my Mum and Sister were impressed. It was fascinating to see the number of trophies they have won, they really are one of the biggest teams in the world. The pitch was amazing, we took plenty of selfies and photos!

My Sister had researched places to go whilst we were there and found Poble Espanyol which is an open-air architectural museum where you walk through different areas of Spain such as Andalusia and Galicia, it is made up of streets, squares and recreations of traditional buildings throughout Spain. We did this in the afternoon on our last day.

We had hoped to see the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc during our stay however we didn’t realise the showtimes were only on certain days so make sure to check the timings to co-ordinate with your visit dates if this is something you want to see.

We found a Tapas restaurant we wanted to try called Guell Tapas, this was located off La Rambla. The first night we tried they were fully booked, same on the second night however we managed to book in for the Wednesday night and we are so glad we did. It was busy even though there were plenty of tables, so clearly a popular choice. The menu had plenty to choose from, we had the Paella and it was divine, really worth the wait. Top Tip – pre book to make sure you get a table. You’ll find it on the street Carrer Nou de la Rambla.

With plenty of sites to see, lots of photo opportunities, shopping and many places to eat and drink, Barcelona is definitely recommended for a city break, with flights from Leeds Bradford it was a perfect getaway!

Our bucket list trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls by Penny Price

Thu, 11 May 2023 10:54:00 GMT

We like to make life as easy as possible on travel day so often we book a hotel the night before. We stayed at Ryland Farmhouse, about 5 miles from Manchester Airport which was perfectly adequate for the night and had the full English breakfast it was one of the best I’ve ever had!

Top Tip; Being Tesco shoppers, we get Clubcard points and use our rewards to book a hotel the night before through Hotels.com . It normally costs about £25-£30 (we do lots of shopping), but it certainly makes it a much cheaper option.

We pre-booked the ‘drop & go’ parking at Manchester, which makes life so much easier on the day – Once the keys were dropped it was less than a 5 minute walk to the terminal (and I have short legs!). Whilst we were checking was some confusion around the luggage allowance and that we had to pay £130 for excess luggage, although Arundel were close, I called the wonderful Helen and she asked us if we were able to pay it and she’d get it refunded when we return. Helen also made sure there would be no problems for the return flight –

“ One of the massive benefits of using Arundel Travel is the exceptional service you get. If there is ever a problem, you are totally reassured it will get sorted as you know you are dealing with people and they appreciate your business! ”

We made it to the Aspire lounge, we do like our ‘free’ wine and comfy seats in a quiet area before a flight. The food options are a little limited, but having already had a fabulous breakfast we didn’t have to worry about that today!

We flew with Air Transat on a direct flight from Manchester to Toronto. They are a Charter flight so you don’t get as many benefits as you do with a scheduled flight such as British Airways, this is reflected in the cost – you do get a meal with with a glass of wine and a snack, however for anything else you are directed to the food and drink menu and pay for. You could pay for a premium option to include some drinks and snacks, but I think this was significantly more! Air Transat is a basic airline, but the staff were lovely. They were all very normal people, a lot were older and just kind and considerate.

Once we arrived in Toronto we opted for the train/metro. It’s a little walk to the station which is sign posted and from there we caught a free train to Terminal 1. Our hotel was downtown so we bought a one way ticket to Union Station which was about 24$ (£18) for the 2 of us and then got a 2 trip pass to Dundas Station which was about 13$.

TOP TIP: If you use the TTC in under 2 hours they don’t deduct a fare so we went to the hotel, unpacked and went out for dinner on 1, then back from dinner on the second.

You can get a daily pass, but by the time we were going for dinner it was 5:30pm in Toronto and 10:30pm UK time and having left the hotel at 8am, we knew we needed a relatively early night!!

Like we do in the UK, we pre booked a reservation for our evening meal. We ate Goodmans Bar and Grill – After a long day of unhealthy food, feeling tired and dehydrated, this was just what we needed! Tim my husband ordered a cheeseburger and I ordered the seared tuna sandwich which came with really delicious fries too to get a good mix of comfort and healthy food!

Tim tried a local beer, the Mill Street Original Organic beer, which is brewed a couple of blocks away, and really enjoyed it.

It was a lovely meal, which including tip cost about £80

We were exhausted and wanted to take some wine back to the hotel so our server gave us a bag to carry our leftover wine back in. It’s against the law here to drink alcohol in public places so you have to be quite careful when carrying open bottles around!

Travelling really is quite exhausting, especially with a 5 hour time difference. We got to bed at 9pm, equivalent to 2am UK time which is pretty late on a Wednesday!

Just so you know- in Canada there is a federal tax that is levied by the government that is a set 5% and a state tax of 6 to 10% which varies between provenances. This often gets combined to a single tax called the ‘Harmonized Sales Tax’ in Ontario which is the state we were in, the combined total was 13% The tipping etiquette in Canada is similar to the USA and it customary to tip between 15 – 20%. Generally they give you a receipt with a calculation at the bottom of what the tip would be at 15%, 18% and 20%. If you pay by card the choices are on the card machine.

After such a long day yesterday, we had a slow start this morning and a rare treat of not setting the alarm clock! We caught a train to Union on the TTC which was a 5 minute walk from our hotel, The Chelsea.

Just across from where the train comes in is ‘The Path’. An underground network of over 1200 shops and cafes that is very useful, especially when pouring with rain or the temperature drop well below freezing. According to the Guinness Book of Records it’s the largest underground shopping complex in the world! We weren’t there for the shopping so it wasn’t really our cup of tea, however, we found the Danish Pastry House which had the most amazing selection of pastries.

We then walked to the CN Tower. We had seen online that you can go to the viewing platform after dinner, ideally we wanted to see Toronto before it was dark so asked if this was possible. The really lovely young lad said we could go up to the viewing platform before the meal so just turn up 30 minutes early. Unfortunately this was not the case and they make you pay for the meal before allowing you your “free” visit to the viewing platform.

It was amazing just to see and wander around and see the CN Tower! It’s not the prettiest of buildings, but so iconic.

From here walked to the harbour. We’d been last night but it looked very different on a dry sunny day rather than a miserable wet evening.

We had a wander round and popped into Mill Street for a drink. Food was on our mind so we left and had a look at restaurants but the only other restaurants that were open (a Tapas place and an Asian fusion restaurant) were really expensive charging 85/90$ for a bottle of wine compared with most places charging 42-48$ so we went back and had lunch at Mill street, another delicious seared tuna sandwich! This was also the brewery that had brewed Tim’s pint from the evening before. The food in Canada on the whole is delicious. Though nothing is cheap…

St Lawrence Market, another place the guide book told us we should visit. The produce looked amazing and there were places in here to buy food and some tables to sit at. There was also a shop to buy wine but because you’re not supposed to drink in a public place you could be given little paper cups to drink out of. The lady assured us that lots of people do this but we didn’t feel comfortable with it.

The Fairmont New York is the most beautiful building and when you walk in you are blown away by the beauty of the place. It was absolutely fabulous with pianist playing – A little moment of heaven. We treat ourselves to a drink here. We both went for cocktails and sipped them very slowly to soak the ambiance up! As you would expect, it wasn’t cheap (a slight understatement) but lovely and really worth it for the experience. Sadly, the Pianist finished for a break at 4pm. If we went again we would check out the times he plays so we didn’t miss it! As he finished, the lights dimmed and gentlish pop music played.

After returning to the hotel to change we were out for dinner at The Keg steakhouse. It was very buzzy and lively. Good steaks, served with hot beetroot. The wine was reasonable, about 30$ a bottle. 26oz is 1 bottle. 5oz is 142ml. 6oz is 177ml which is a uk medium glass.

Not quite ready for home, we tried to find somewhere to go on the way back to the hotel. There was a Jazz bar which sounded amazing but unfortunately it was 20$ each to get in and as we were only planning to be out another 30 – 60 minutes, we decided it was too much to pay. It seemed lots of bars close at 10pm on Thursdays.

Easter is a big holiday here, and we visited over the easter weekend, so we found on Good Friday lots of the shops and cafes were closed in fact we went back to The Path for a Danish Pastry and the shop was closed – we had to have a ‘Tim Hortons’ – basically a Canadian McDonald’s. This was a real low point for us and the only recommendation we can make is please don’t waste your money! The bars on and evening also closed early so maybe have drinks before your meal if you want to have a later night out!

We caught the ferry to Toronto Islands. The ferry boats go to 3 different islands: Centre, Harlan’s and Ward. The islands are all connected so you can walk between the. We choose to get a ticket to Ward. This cost around 7$ for a return ticket. The ferry is pretty basic and only has seating inside – so wrap up warm. We were lucky the sun was shining and we stood on the deck admiring the skyline. The shops and services here don’t really open until early May so it seemed a little run down, that said, it was lovely just walking round and the views were amazing looking back over Toronto. In the summer there is a beach to sit on and a cafe and restaurant and I can imagine lots of locals get the ferry across for the open space

The Goodmans Pub on the harbour was a great spot for lunch: had nice views, good food, and it was cheaper than a lot of places.

We had pre-booked the CN Tower for dinner in the 360 degree rotating restaurant. It takes 72 mins to rotate fully and you are allowed 90 mins at the table. We got there early as we were hoping to go the viewing platform before dinner, however as I mentioned previously this want the case and ended up having 2 hours in the restaurant, it was quite quiet, if they were busy I can imagine they would be much stricter. I would definitely say to do this experience- it was amazing, the food was very mediocre, by far the worst food we had on the trip but the view was phenomenal.

Having paid for meal you can go to the viewing platform downstairs but it was absolutely rammed so we went back up the stairs to the 360 restaurant and got the lift down without queues. The lift is glass so you can see the view going up and down. Dinner for us was 327$ plus tip. We had 2 courses at 75$ each (90$ for three) but having said it was our anniversary we got a free pudding to share which was delicious, the best part of the meal!

The service was also quite poor, with Tim’s plate being removed while I was still eating, but again the views made up for this!

TOP TIP: Make sure you pre book your table- obviously the weather is something that can never be guaranteed so maybe check the long range forecast. You are not able to book a window seat either, so if it’s an anniversary or celebration make sure you let them know! We also checked the sunset time before booking so we had planned about an hour before sunset and half an hour after. We were so lucky as we had a beautiful clear night.

The following day, we picked up the hire car that was included in our package. The package was to pick up in the centre of Toronto and drop off at the airport, there was a charge of for this, but because the car hire company hadn’t advised about this, they only charges $25 rather than $70.

It’s worth googling car hire hints and tips before you go as the car hire companies don’t give out much advise: Be aware you can undertake and if you’re turning right you have to let pedestrians cross. Due to the extremes in temperature, the roads are pretty bumpy too potentially worse than in the UK.

We stopped at Vineland on the way to Niagara on the Lake (NOTL), another recommendation we had received. We did a wine tasting, 3 x 2oz glasses for 16$ sitting on a mezzanine floor above the farm / wine shop. We then drove onto the Queens Landing Hotel which had a large free car park at the front and was in a decent location. The locals we spoke to said it was the best hotel in NOTL. She told us our room didn’t have a view so I asked if we could upgrade but got short sharp shrift that it was booked by a third party and they weren’t allowed to offer us any kind of upgrade. It’s a shame as the back of the hotel overlooked a small marina which would have been lovely to look over.

Lunch was at Corks. It had a lovely glass conservatory style frontage and looked lovely with the sun shining in. I had the special which was a Buffalo chicken wrap, which was to die for. Deep fried chicken breast with buffalo sauce and ranch sauce, grated parmesan, iceberg lettuce. Slightly spicy and very large but beautiful. 21$. Worth every penny. Tim had the chicken Caesar wrap which he also said was gorgeous but there was no food envy going on from me! We went to Corks again for dinner as other places very expensive or quite empty and managed to get a window seat – there’s definitely a theme. Our lovely waitress recommended we to go to The Angel Inn where they had live music. It was absolutely fabulous and the pub just got busier and busier throughout the evening. It was full of locals, some Canadians and some ex-pats who were all so friendly and welcoming. Good to get there a bit earlier, we were there about 8.30, to get a seat.

We’d walked round in the afternoon and found the underground fort. It literally took a couple of minute look round as you couldn’t access all parts of it, but the views were amazing and you could see across to Toronto and the CN Tower. Luck was definitely on outside with the weather, clear blue skies again! We found a great Golf Club too. The view from the golf club was amazing, straight across the lake towards America! The Dinner menu looked expensive but the breakfast menu looked delicious and great value. There was a buffet breakfast starting at 10am as it was Easter Sunday, but they were also serving the normal breakfast 8-9am. We booked a table for 8.45am the following morning and breakfast was great with the most magnificent view. The golf club was virtually empty but I got a lovely pot of English Breakfast tea – a joke in our family that wherever I am in the world I ask for English Breakfast.

There is car parking all over around the area for around $30. We choose to park at our hotel for 45$ a day as we thought it was safer and easier just to keep it close.

We saw the Falls … wow, wow wow. Absolutely incredible another tick on a bucket list of thing to see…

We had a little wander round and then went to Table Rock welcome centre and the restaurant in there. Incredible views over the falls, which obviously is reflected in the price. We had the smoked salmon sandwich with chips which we shared and was lovely. The portions here are so big it’s crazy! In fact we enjoyed it here so much we had exactly the same lunch here the next day!

We had pre-booked dinner up the Skylon, again having checked the sunset time so we could see the Falls by day and night. We mentioned about our wedding anniversary again and managed to get a table by the window. I had the Canadian Smoked Salmon and Tim had the Shrimps and Scallops Provencale for a starter – Both were delicious. For mains, Tim chose the striploin steak which was really tough and I had the seafood pasta which was huge and quite nice. When we mentioned about Tim’s steak, they offered a free dessert instead. The food and service were much better than the CN towers.

The Casinos at Niagara are the biggest in Canada, so we had to go for a look. It was a crazy place and we were slightly overwhelmed so didn’t end up having a go, but it was well worth visiting to watch those brave enough to risk losing their money.

On Monday, out last full day in Canada, we had breakfast up The Tower, just opposite our hotel. When looking at the menu the day before, the waiter told us it was an IHOP breakfast. IHOP is an American Pancake firm that’s specialises in American Breakfast – we didn’t really enjoy it, and found that it wasn’t good value for money, but again your paying for the incredible view.

We had prebooked the Maid in the Mist, but this wasn’t running so we went on the Hornblower instead. It was absolutely incredible, it was very wet and windy and I’m really not sure I had fully anticipated the strength and ferocity of it all.

I would definitely say to take a waterproof cover for your phone! They give you a poncho but holding your phone up to take photos and videos allows the water to go down your sleeves and also in the gap by your face. You will definitely need to dry off afterwards, or go and change your clothes.

We were lucky and sat in the sun having a lovely glass of wine as we got off the boat. It was about 25$ for 2 x 9oz glasses.

After lunch we did the ‘Behind the Falls self guided tour’ that was included in our holiday. (It was about 24$ each if you had to pay.) A series of tunnels getting you up close and personal. When you actually go behind the falls you are in the tunnel completely protected about 15 feet back and behind a fence, so not in any danger at all. You also go to the edge of the Falls and see the volume of water coming over the edge. You stay completely dry doing this but and it was worth it.

Dinner at the Keg, the same menu as in Toronto(so we knew what to expect). We asked for a window table so waited at the bar for one to become available. I never tired of this view – absolutely worth the wait. The Keg are renowned for steaks but I just didn’t fancy another so I had the calamari and tuna tartare starters at 22$ each. Both were huge and really good value. Tim had the scallop and bacon starter and got about 8 scallops wrapped in bacon on a skewer, again about 22$.

After dinner we caught the Fenicula down to the front by the Falls. 3.50$ each way or 8$ for a day pass. The falls looked spectacular lit up, and fabulous to be so close and hear the sound of water crashing over the edge.

We set the alarm early the next day to see the sunrise over the falls which was beautiful. We left the hotel about 9 and headed back to the Golf Club at Niagara on the Lake for another of their fabulous breakfast with a lovely view over the lake. The staff here are great and everyone just so friendly. We stopped at the Fort we missed a few days earlier- but this is seemingly only open weekends 10-5. We then headed to Lock 3 on the Welland canal. It’s a popular place to watch ship navigate one of the world engineering marvels. The outdoor discovery park also gives you chance to soak up the local history.

We’d decided to come back to Toronto early as we wanted a nice meal before our flight left. We dropped of the car and found a place at the airport to leave our bags safely which cost 20$ each bag for 8 hours and caught the UP Express to Union’ (a rail link from the airport to downtown Toronto) it takes about 27 mins and costs 12.35$ each and and walked to the harbour from there to find a restaurant (about 10-15 minute walk)

And then it was home time…At about 5.30 we set off back to the airport, collected our luggage and waited for our flight home.

… this was one of the best trips we’ve ever been on! The Canadians are just the most lovely, kind and helpful people. We did some amazing things and saw some incredible views.

There was the right amount of time in each location to see what we needed to see. We ate really well but did spend quite a bit of money. We didn’t take any Canadian dollars and were able to put everything on our Starling bank or Tesco Credit card.

All in all, we’re buzzing since we got home and would recommend this trip to anyone who is limited to time but wants a proper bucket list trip! Thanks Helen and the Arundel Travel team!

My Iceland Adventure by Tricia Wood

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 08:03:00 GMT

Last November, after years of wishing, hoping, and planning…

…this mum finally went to Iceland!

After excitedly visiting Arundel travel to book our departure day came, packing our suitcases with plenty of warm and waterproof clothing (just in case!) we were on our way.

Flying from Leeds Bradford is always a bonus, as it’s only 15 minutes from home, and easy to navigate.

The flight passed comfortably and quickly, and soon we were landing at Reykjavik. The first views of this magical island were real ‘wow’ moments, the landscape was almost other worldly.

After a short coach transfer, we were dropped at the Skuggi hotel. What a gem! Cosy and welcoming, with some fantastic local artwork in the bar and reception areas. After an efficient check in, we were shown to our room. Everything was spotlessly clean, minimalistic and tastefully decorated (and warm!) After a very brief unpack and donning another layer, we headed out into the sunshine to explore.

First (after consulting the wonderful reception staff) we decided to visit the famous Hallgrimskirkjachurch, about a 10 minute stroll away. Beautiful and imposing, it dominates the skyline. Entrance is free, and it’s well worth a visit to take photos of both the exterior and stunning interior.

After this, we set off to explore more of Reykjavik. Although cold, the sun was still shining, so we headed down towards the seafront.

As well as spectacular views of the sea and mountains, the gorgeous little streets are full of individual shops, bars and cafes. We walked down the rainbow road, and soon found ourselves at the waters edge.

The views were fantastic and the sculptures were fascinating – from the cairns along the seafront to the sun voyager sculpture, representing ‘the promise of undiscovered territory, and a dream of hope, progress and freedom’.

We had booked our Jet2citybreak package through Arundel Travel and this included a free northern lights excursion. The weather was going to be clear that night so we our trip was going ahead as planned! We headed back to the hotel for a little rest, before gathering up another extra layer of clothing and heading out to eat before our trip started!

TOP TIP; Eating out is expensive in Iceland, as is drinking. Take advantage of the duty free shop in Keflavik airport before heading to the baggage claim.

We found a lovely restaurant 2 minutes from the hotel called Loa ( it was next to where we were getting collected by the coach) Although we hadn’t booked, we were made welcome by the friendly staff. They really went out of their way to help. A member of our party was coeliac and they even baked her some fresh gluten free bread ! The meal was delicious, all made from local produce.

Then, the skies were dark and it was time to cross our fingers for a glimpse of the aurora borealis as we climbed aboard the coach !

Be prepared and wrap up warm, it was absolutely freezing, but no one was complaining !

As we left the lights of Reykjavik behind, we noticed some fuzzy white stripes in the sky, only to be told that they were the aurora beginning to appear! We drove along dark roads into the middle of nowhere towards viewing area in Thingvellir national park, The excitement was contagious! We hopped of the the coach and looked up at the clear, moonlit sky. What an absolutely amazing experience watching the lights dance for over 2 hours – spotting shooting stars and drinking hot cocoa…

Then, everyone sporting enormous grins and cold hands (difficult to take photos with gloves on!) we headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep, after a fantastic first day.

FACT: the geometric glass reflects the sunlight, changing colour with the time of day and the weather.

Day 2. Another lovely bright day and because the sea was calm we decided to do a whale watching trip from Reykjavik harbour. After a fantastic complimentary breakfast in the hotel, we strolled down towards the harbour. As we were early for our trip, we called into the Harpa concert hall and conference centre in the old harbour, for a coffee. Amazing architecture both outside and in.

FACT: The geometric glass reflects the sunlight, changing colour with the time of day and the weather.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: we were lucky and didn’t need them, however there are waterproof suits onboard.

Once back on dry land, we headed to the Hard Rock Café for a burger before a twilight stroll around the town. The town is full of quirky buildings and there is artwork everywhere. As all the shops are well heated. A great excuse to pop in and browse (or treat yourself to something unique) and keep warm at the same time.

We also saw the John Lennon Imagine Peace Tower. This is an outdoor light memorial, which is lit on certain dates, from sunset to midnight. It is on Vioey island in Reykjavik, and can be seen from most of the city.

After another restful night at the Skuggi, our next adventure began. We took a trip, booked through the Get my Guide app, to visit national parks, geysers, and waterfalls…

After boarding our assigned coach for the Golden Circle trip, our guide for the day gave us some excellent information and history about Iceland. The coach was warm and comfortable perfect for passing through some stunning scenery en route to our first post of call – the Thingvellir National park. Here we stopped, layered up and walked through the rift valley. This is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. We saw waterfalls, streams and rock formations.

Be warned, the wind chill can be absolutely freezing at times so be prepared walk briskly. The hot chocolate is very welcome when you return to the visitor centre !

Back on board the coach and peeling off a few layers, we next headed towards Haukadalurgeothermal fields – the home of the geysers. The smell of sulphur was a little strong, but didn’t put us off walking up through the steaming landscape to stand next to the great geysir and wait for it to erupt! Many of the rocks have turned green and yellow with the sulphur, and the landscape is quite barren. The visitor centre here has a lovely café, and a shop selling traditional Icelandic gifts and crafts, and it was good to get out of the biting wind to warm up with another a nice mug of hot cocoa.

Next stop was Gullfoss waterfall, where the water of the glacial river Hvita plummets 32 meters into a deep crevice. The sheer power of the waterfall is awe inspiring, as the noise and spray envelop you. The guide continued to explain the history of the area, and offer advice on taking the best photos, but the photos just don’t do it justice.

After leaving the splendour of the waterfall, we were treated to an impromptu stop at a stable, giving us the opportunity to get up close with some Icelandic horses…

…they are small, but magnificent!

Whatever you do though don’t call them pony’s in front of the locals, as they will be offended !

Driving through more dramatic scenery, we made our way to the Kerid crater for a short photo stop, and brief history / geography lesson.

Our guide was great throughout the day, explaining things in a fun, informative way, without swamping us with facts.

More waterfalls, rivers, lakes and mountains followed, as we made our way back towards Reykjavik, after a fantastic day of exploring.

With our last day upon us, we decided to spend the day at the sky lagoon, just outside Reykjavik.

TOP TIP – the Sky Lagoon isn’t accessible by public transport . Our receptionist booked our tickets and arranged our taxi.

After a 30 minute journey, we turned off the main road into what looked like a small trading estate, it did make us wonder where we were being taken! Then we pulled up in front of the spa which is built into the earth, and looks like a large grass covered mound and we were amazed at how large it was inside. The decorations were mainly dark neutrals, wood, glass and slate and the aroma was amazing. We’d paid extra to have private changing facilities, so were led to a row of beautiful individual rooms, containing showers, mirrors, towels, toiletries and baskets for your clothes. After donning our swimwear and taking a quick shower, we entered the outdoor spa pool. The huge spa pool is built into the hillside, overlooks the sea and it’s toasty warm . We swam over to the outdoor pool bar to pick up a glass off fizz, which we sipped whilst gazing out to sea.

You are allowed to buy a maximum of 3 alcoholic drinks per person.

It’s such a relaxing and peaceful experience, despite other tourists and locals chatting around you, never feeling crowded or busy. We then headed into the spa, to start the 7 step spa ritual, which included sauna, steam, mist and body scrub. The view from the sauna was breathtaking, a whole side of the sauna was glass overlooking the sea.. another wow moment.

After another relaxing hour (or 2) in the lagoon, we headed back indoors to visit the restaurant and shop. I treat myself to a bottle of the gorgeous smelling organic body lotion that was in the changing rooms, so now when I use it at home I can re live our blissful day at the spa ! Then, it was time to head back to the hotel to pack for our return journey.

We had an absolutely amazing time, and can’t wait to return to Iceland. Yes, it’s expensive, but the food is local and fresh, everywhere is spotlessly clean and the people are friendly and helpful plus the scenery awe inspiring and unique…

… and that’s why this mum will definitely go to Iceland again!

Family Fun In Majorca

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 18:21:00 GMT

In June we set off on our lovely family adventure (4 year old Peony & 8 month Carter) to Mallorca.

It was our first beach holiday since the dreaded pandemic, and we had heard all sorts of horror stories, however we flew from Leeds Bradford with Jet2holidays and it was all very calm and easy – no sight of the long queues we had heard about .

TOP TIP WHEN TRAVELLING WITH SMALL CHILDREN: I had ordered some milk for our baby Carter, from Boots at the airport which I collected airside, this made life so much easier!

Our flight was in the afternoon and we picked the resort of Palma Nova as the transfer was no more than 40 minutes – trust me with a very excited 4 year old this was perfect; it felt like we arrived at our beautiful hotel, Aula Hawaii in no time. As It was quite late and dark when we arrived we couldn’t really see much so we went straight to bed excited to see what tomorrow would bring!

The Aula Hawaii was ideal; nice and clean with a lovely splash park plus 2 choices of swimming pool and a small rocky beach where you could take a canoe out to sea. We had a ground floor suite, spacious with a little kitchenette and a small balcony.

The beach was perfect for our daughter. Well looked after with, shallow waters for quite a distance, perfect for a paddle and splash around. My daughter Peony spent hours looking through the hundreds (maybe thousands) of shells that had collected in the beach!

There was loads of different restaurants and eateries to try! One evening we visited the ‘The olive tree’ restaurant and had a delicious meal with lovely mojitos! The Olive Tree restaurant is beach front with lovely wooden decking cantered around an Olive Tree, the interior & music gave the restaurant a very chilled. It was great to know we were eating mostly locally sourced ingredients and natural products.

‘Max Garden’ Restaurant was a perfect lunch & dinner spot! During the day they had ‘ buy one get one free on burgers’ which were so tasty and fresh. There a lovely terrace with a really calm feel – ideal for a late lunch and a drink in the sunshine.

A MUST TRY; ‘Cafeteria Playa Son Matias’ had the most amazing traditional Mallorca Paella!

Most restaurants we visited on the seafront had play areas too. This was so handy and made eating out that bit easier, and didn’t leave you feeling like you were having a meal in a children’s play area!

Palma Nova really is a great spot for families- (there is even an Aldi so if you need to stock up on snacks and nappies you can do easily and at a very reasonable price)

TOP TIP:

Try pre-booking your ticket online, I am sure we got a discount on the ticket price, it worth checking it out before you turn up!

We also visited Katmandu the famous upside down house. Inside the house was certainly mind bending, a room with a pool table on the ceiling! There is also an indoor soft play, 3d shows, rides and water park, probably more for slightly older children too. Peony loved watching the machine inside the house make candy floss, and the ice creams were a welcome treat in the afternoon.

If you children like to have lots going on, be sure to use the small funfair area which was really reasonable priced and not too busy, with trampolines and merry go rounds, and a small park area.

To be fair, we spent most day by the pool, which doesn’t make the best story but it worked well for us as a family. The hotel had a children’s area and kids club which was open daily and parents could stay with the children or drop off. It was a great area, even glass fronted looking on to pool area so you could always keep an eye on the kids.

After tea we liked to go for a walk on the front and stop at the ice cream shop, the ice cream, waffles and pancakes were divine- one thing I really notices about the town is that there are hardly any steps and the pavements are really wide so it was perfect for walks with the pushchair.

Our holiday passed so quickly and we made the most of our last day, finishing on a high with Paella and a Daiquiri at ‘Be Max Beach House’ We had enjoyed are holiday so much we didn’t want to leave, my daughter ask frequently to go back hopefully we will get back soon.

Winter Sunshine – Cape Verde Islands

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 22:37:00 GMT

Sitting at the airport with a pizza and coffee waiting to come home is always a bittersweet moment for me, this time it seems particularly difficult…

Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) has gotten under my skin; the people and the authenticity, the beauty and the barrenness

Just over a week ago we took the 5.5 hour flight from Manchester to the island of Sal. I’ll be honest I was apprehensive… All Inclusive holidays are not something we have ever done as a family and I was scared of being ‘stuck’ in the hotel and feeling like I could be anywhere in the world.

Looking over the turquoise fringe island as we came in to land definitely made me smile…

We were staying at the RIU Palace Santa Maria, and we enjoyed everything about the hotel. The food was incredible- we tried all the specialty restaurants (these are all included in the All Inclusive program) – the Japanese was very good! I have to say though, the choice on the buffet was fabulous and if you decided not to go to these alternative restaurants you wouldn’t be disappointed. The RIU Palace has direct access to the beach and 3 of the 6 swimming pools over look the amazing sands. The location of the hotel is great, a 30 minute stroll along the beach takes you into Santa Maria town where there are some nice bars and restaurants giving you the option of trying out the ‘catch of the day’ and get a real flavour of the local life.

The complex, really lends itself to families with preteen children. The kids sounded like they were having a great time in the clubs and in the fantastic waterpark. Alternatively if you are travelling as a couple; the restaurants and adult only swim up bars – plus the romantic sunset walks on the beach make this hotel perfect!

Something great to note was the facilities place for guests that are in wheelchairs or of limited mobility. There were ramps, spacious seating areas in the dining rooms and additional measures around the pools such as hoists.

Top Tip; Friday nights is RIU party night. It alternates weekly between a white party and a neon party. It was fabulous fun and not to be missed!

If you have teenagers, maybe look at the Hilton or Robinson Cabo Verde which is slightly closer to Santa Maria and have loads of water sport and beach based activities. Robinson Cabo Verde has a very cool, surfy vibe and a fab beach bar – we really liked it here. Plus a big selling point for me was that you could swim in the sea!

I loved the fact that you could get out an explore. We booked a private tour as we wanted to get to the heart of this island and find out more. What a fantastic day – Bumping around on the back of a pick up was an adventure itself! I could go about this trip all day. I loved it, but I only have so much space so here are my highlights:

The island isn’t that big, about 30km long and about 12 wide, so it’s easy to get around in a day! Be prepared to get dusty though, especially when your exploring the inner lands lunar landscape and mirages. It’s so baron, it’s breath taking!

In contrast the coastlines are incredible beautiful! Bright blue seas lap against white sand beaches, kite surfers filling the sky with colour as they brave the surf and boats bobbing along in the hope of seeking out whales and turtles in their natural habitat.

Before we travelled there were a couple of recommendations we wanted to try out! Bikini Beach Club was one of them. We arrived around lunch time and had booked a pool front cabana bed for a minimum spend 70 Euros. It was such good value for money! We had a fabulous food , amazing cocktails and basically a private pool as it was really quiet! It started getting busy as it hit early evening and the super trendy DJ started playing – that was our Q to leave as it becomes adult only after 7pm. Just to pre-warn you the beach club is a little weather beaten and could do with a sparkle so don’t expect Ibiza standard, however the staff were absolutely fantastic and we would definitely go back.

The beach club is located on the promenade that’s backed by the Melia Llanas and Tui Blue Cabo Verde. These hotels looked gorgeous and the beach here is very different to the Santa Maria beach as it looks as through the hotels have invested in man made coves meaning it’s a lot safer to swim in the sea as these temper the waves. No matter where you are on the island, make sure you heed the warnings of the lifeguard, the sea can be pretty choppy! The Bob Marley Bar in the same area had also been recommended but we didn’t have time to try this.

From this here you can walk down to Ponta Preta beach where there is a couple of cool beach bars. The world kite surfing championships was taking place whilst we were there which was an amazing spectacle.

Our last night arrived and we’d booked a table at the Bounty Restaurant about 5 minutes drive from our hotel. We’d had a sneaky lunch here the day before and the food was AMAZING. The evening lived up to our expectations, overlooking the beach, lovely wine and excellent service.

As you can see, getting out and about was easy and affordable using taxi’s or taking a trip. Electric bike tours and dune buggy trips are also really popular.

The local people are so helpful and friendly and it felt very comfortable walking around outside the hotel complex. Beach sellers approach you selling their wares ( there is some quite good stuff actually! Nick managed to get his fridge magnets) however is you say that you are not interested they don’t hassle you at all.

There is a wonderful saying here …

Hakuna Matata which means ‘no worries’

We will definitely be back to explore these islands more, maybe a triple centre exploring Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente (home to one of the most beautiful bays in the world) and Santo Antao.

For now I’ll sit and reminisce on the flight home about this fabulous winter sun destination and all it has to offer!

Pop in and see me, Nick or Holly for more information. We would love to tell you more x

Tallinn…

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 21:11:00 GMT

It’s so hard to know where to start, so I am making a BOLD Statement…

The best city break I have been on so far – gosh, there it is – in writing, I guess I had better explain!

I didn’t really know what to expect, Tallinn hadn’t been on our list of destinations to visit but thank goodness we ended up here by default. Wow… we stayed at the Schlossle Hotel in the heart of the old town ( see my favourite hotel blog on Facebook for more information about this hotel) all I’ll say is – it is beautiful and we would stay here again in a breath!

The old town of Tallinn is still tucked safely behind the original stone walls of the city. The walls themselves are part of the charm. With there hidden tunnels, imposing turrets and tales of Danish conquest – ‘if walls could speak’ I am sure they would have a secret or two to tell

Over the years the old town has been home to wealthy merchants that came to settle from all over Europe and this is shown in the architecture. Medieval churches and gothic spires overlook the cobbled streets, old mills, warehouses and ancient merchant homes – many dating back hundreds of years that are now home to bars, restaurants, shops and museums. The town is so well preserved it is no wonder that it was awarded an UNESCO World Heritage title.

I love a Birds Eye view of a town, it helps me find my bearings and also spot other areas I’d like to see. Tallinn has some incredible viewing points. One at the top of ‘Troompea’ (the upper town) which looks St Olav’s Church.

There is quite a bit of what I’ll call ‘dark tourism’ here and it’s all the rage! Again by default we fell upon these. The KGB Prison Cells were definitely worth a visit. The stories being told from past prisoners and tales of what happened in those very cells was very sobering, it’s unbelievable that things like that happened not very long ago! There is also the Patarei Sea Fortress and Prison in the Kalamaji district. This is open seasonally and is now known for being one of the best places in the world to see a glimpse of Soviet- era prison life. Even if you don’t go in, walking around the outside of this damp, sea weathered building is pretty eerie!

To ‘lighten’ the mood we booked a private ghost stories walk! It was AMAZING – I loved it. I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit scared at some points ( well jumpy). It was such a great way about to learn about the different buildings, move around parts of the city we wouldn’t have visited and learn some ‘very’ alternative history. Dancing with the devil, black cats in the well, jilted lovers and faceless monks were amongst some of the stories. One of the many things I love about Tallinn is that there is a tale to tell about everything, it really is like being in a fairytale book!

We visited Tallin for 4 nights so we had loads of time to head out of the city and explore some more! We jumped on a ferry to Finland and spent the day in Helsinki. What a fantastic day trip. The ferry port is a five minute drive from the centre ( you can walk if you wanted to) and in just two hours your are there! As always we have a bit of drama and literally got lost. We wondered around thinking, what an earth is everyone raving about- it’s not all that good. After visiting the design museum (very strange but interesting) we all of a sudden stubbled onto the coastline walk, stunningly beautiful and exactly as you would imagine. We followed the sea path stopping for a delicious hot chocolate and cake before reaching Vanhakaupunki which is the Old Town of Helsinki. Here you will find the market square (we picked up a couple of hand crafted fridge magnets here- Nick was delighted), the Helsinki Cathedral and the Uspenski Cathedral amongst lots of museums and gorgeous buildings. The one thing I was amazed at was the shopping! I wouldn’t say that Tallinn was huge for designer shopping, but Helsinki! No wonder the ferry was busy. It was like being on Oxford Street in London (less crazy) Alexander Street (Aleksanterinkatu) begins at the Presidential Palace and is home to fabulous eateries, boutiques and the famous Stockmann Department store. A day was plenty enough to visit Helsinki and we would definitely go back in the summer to explore more of the coast.

We were whisked away to a completely contrasting area – to the trendy Balti Jaam Market – wow! Three floors of fresh produce antiques, vintage clothing and cool places to eat and drink. There are nearly 300 hundred traders here so you can imagine the variety of things to buy! Crossing over the road you enter the Telliskivi Creative City. This is the former industrial area and is now full of galleries, independent shops and start ups. The street art is great too. In the evening there are gin bars, night clubs and some great places to eat. It reminded me that Tallinn really is a city for everyone.

Unlike me, I haven’t mentioned the food! There are just so many restaurants and so much choice. I would recommend eating away from the square as you can imagine it’s a bit of a tourist trap – lunch is a good idea rather than evening meal.

We had some amazing meals … Controvento Restaurant in St Catherine’s passage- Italian and amazing service – Mega busy so definitely book!

For a fine dining experience book into the Stenhus Restaurant in the Schlossle Hotel. Try the smoked Eels and Elk.

Want something a bit quirky? Head downstairs into Rukkilill Cafe, which translates to cornflower in English. This cafe is tiny, family run and very homely. We tried wild boar dumplings washed down with great wine. The whole menus is homemade and looked delicious.

Something special – book in advance ( before to travel) Rataskaeuvu 16. Great food, lovely cocktails and fab service.

So after all that, make sure you don’t miss the Estonian Martime museum at Fat Margaret’s tower. That’s was really interactive and lots of fun. You can buy a double ticket here that also allows you access to the Seaplane Harbour along the coast. We walked along the coastal path which was lovely. This area would be amazing in the summer. Nice beach bars and access to the sea.

We really did have the most amazing trip and will definitely return in the near future. Don’t let the flight from Liverpool put you off! It was an easy journey and a fab airport – lots of facilities and easy parking!

As always please get in touch if you would like anymore information about this fabulous city!

Razzle Dazzle, Scarlet Nights and Shuffle Board… Beas amazing week in board Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 09:18:00 GMT

Ahoy,

Virgin voyages is not your typical cruise line, this is the first adults-only cruise line of it’s type. It’s unique concept of cruising is apparent as soon as you step onboard. They name things differently for a start, the passengers are called sailors the cruise is called a voyage and us travel agents are called first mates.

I was lucky enough to cruise on board their ship Valiant Lady on the 9th October out of Barcelona. Our itinerary was amazing – Barcelona, Marseille, Cannes, Sardinia , Ibiza , Barcelona

Embarkation was really simple and I was through and on the ship within 20 minutes. I was given my voyage band which is used instead of the generic key card, to wear around my wrist for the duration of the cruise, you can use this bracelet style fob to open your cabin door, purchase things on board and use it to check you in and out when going ashore.

Opening my cabin door for the first time I was greeted with the curtains opening and lights turning on automatically. My lovely ‘Sea Terrace Cabin’, was a large open space and had lots of room for my 7 night adventure, and looking at the amount of restaurant choices there were, it was a good job I was onboard for 7 nights, and of course I tried them all. The best part of my cabin had to be the hammock on the balcony, after trying several times to get into it elegantly (not possible) I loved sitting here with my book and literally watching the world go by.

On board there is: the Pink Agave which was the Mexican restaurant which was my favourite on board, who knew sweetcorn could taste so good. Razzle Dazzle, a vegetarian restaurant offering a few ‘naughty’ options. The Wake – all meat and seafood. The Test Kitchen – a experimental 6 course menu. Extra Virgin – Italian ( I liked what they did with the name) and finally Gunbae, a Korean BBQ restaurant letting you sit with your fellow sailors to fine and play drinking games. In a additional to all these, you have The Galley which replaces the traditional buffet restaurant and is replaced with small themed kiosks, where you take your seat and order at the table. And finally the Pizza place, perfect for that late night snack.

Virgin Voyages love exercise, I maybe should of taken advantage of all the different fitness and wellness activities on aboard, with one of the biggest gym areas I have seen on board a cruise ship! There was also pull up bars and a boxing ring on the top deck. But I did join in one class which was the 80s dance class, and as much as I tried the only thing I learnt was that I have no coordination.

A stand out for me though had to be the staff, they a so friendly and happy to be working and so approachable.Normally on cruise lines and in a lot of other jobs tattoos have to be hidden ( I feel they encourage this with their tattoo palar on board). Without a strict uniform and appearance guidelines they could express themselves and be comfortable and for me that came across in the level of service.

A lot of customers who haven’t travelled on a cruise before always wonder if they’ll be enough to do onboard especially for those sea days, Virgin Voyages have everything, from the sail away party to a Pajayma party. To their very own Scarlett night, were everyone wears red, unfortunately the weather was too windy for this to take place up on the pool deck however the night was hosted inside and was a lot of fun. Around the ship there was so much live entertainment happening in various venues, including ‘pop up entertainer’ that would do pop up, roaming shows around the ship. You will never get bored on this cruise, and will not see the same thing twice.

As you have seen I have so much information to tell you about these incredible cruises that I have actually run out of room on here, one tip I would always recommended though would be to take a picture of your cabin number, it helps alot.

I would love to tell you more, so please call in and ‘SEA’ me.

Bea

Abbie’s Villa Holiday in Menorca

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 17:08:00 GMT

My first ever holiday abroad was a friends and family trip to Menorca for two weeks in 2016.

We stayed in a villa in Binibeca in Menorca. The villa, was ideal for relaxing and being only a five-minute walk to the beach had amazing sea views.

One of the main reasons we had chosen to go to Menorca was because we heard that it would be lovely and relaxing of relaxing and we wanted to have beautiful surroundings and wildlife around us. Binibeca is a destination which would tick the boxes for families and couples looking for somewhere to just chill and enjoy their time with a quiet holiday. We were a ten minute walk into the town where there were restaurants and lots of local shops.

One of the days we were there we got a bus down to Mahon and went on a boat trip around the Mahon harbour. Around the Mahon Harbour you see all these houses and villas right on the sea front which is just breathtaking and certainly not what we see in England! After we had finished our boat trip we walked around the market in Mahon and that is where for the first time I got my hair braided which clearly by the look on my face was hurting but I was trying to play it off with a smile.

One of my favourite days was when we went to the water park which was called the Splash sur Menorca. We travelled on a tourist train down to the water park and spent hours and hours there- pretty much the full entire day. There were several water slides and a lazy river for anyone who thinks slides aren’t for them. The water park also included a kids section making a part of the park for families with young children who did not want to go on the bigger slides. On this day it was the hottest day by far with the clear blue skies and not a single cloud in sight. But my absolute favourite part was the size of the candy floss which my Step dad surprised me with, this definitely put him in the good books. I highly recommend the water park for families and adults who enjoy the fun, it certainly was one of my once in a lifetime moments as a kid!

The beach was very much a main factor of our holiday as it was so near and easy to get to it meant it was somewhere we could go and spend all day without needing to travel far, while getting to enjoy the beautiful sunsets everyday!

Binibeca is perfect for those who want to explore locally on foot. The great thing about this area is that it is pretty off the beaten track meaning it is not overly commercialised. The buses were limited to one a day, so next time I would rent a car as this would make it easier to be able to get to and from places.

I would recommend the area of Binibeca in Menorca for families who don’t want to travel around as much but instead want to relax and have a beautiful beach, great restaurants and local shops nearby.

Menorca really was an amazing first holiday for me. We just relaxed and chilled which brought us together as a family – we had never really been away before all together, it was amazing!

I would love to go to Menorca again and this time visit a different part, I’d love to do some from boat trips and further activities.

Thanks for reading,

Please let me know if you would like more information

Abbie

Family Fun in Majorca!

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 12:54:00 GMT

I have just returned from my summer holiday in Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca. It was our first summer holiday since Covid so we decided to have a chilled holiday than an action packed one.

We flew from Leeds Bradford Airport with TUI at 3.15pm. We waited barely anytime to get through check in and security, it took us about an hour so left us with plenty of time to look through Duty Free and get a sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed about an hour but that wasn’t much of an issue as we were all buzzing to get there. As we were flying later on in the afternoon we decided to have something to eat on the plane as we weren’t due to get to our hotel until around 9pm in the evening. I do have to say the Ham & Cheese Toastie from TUI really does hit the spot even though it’s pretty basic.

We were lucky enough to get a private transfer from Palma de Mallorca Airport due to us missing the coach transfer from the flight delay – it got us there in half the time when it was supposed to be 1 hour and 30 mins coach journey with all the drop offs. Our hotel was on the beachfront between Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia.

We stayed at the Club Del Sol Resort and Spa in Puerto Pollensa. We’ve stayed at this hotel a few times before and it definitely does not disappoint. We went previously before Covid and they had newly refurbished rooms and they really did look much more modern. The room was big enough with a double bed in a separate room to the sofa bed in the living area/kitchen which was very handy as we were 4 adults. The views of the sea even when walking towards the bus stop at the end of the road was gorgeous. The hotel was just as we remembered with the lobby even having the exact same smell. The hotel staff were so lovely, and the entertainment staff were too. As a family we much prefer to sunbathe and relax than join in with activities that need effort! However, my Mum and Sister did join in with French boules, Petanque and actually won it!

The hotel has 2 main pools as well as a kiddy splash park. Having the option of two pools was very handy as the main pool was much busier as the day went on meaning that we were able to go to the other pool if we had been out in the morning. We were on a self-catering basis, so we didn’t use the buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner however we did go to the Pool Snack Bar several times. The Snack Bar had a good menu with a wide option of foods to choose from however it did close at 4pm so we had to have our tea quite a bit earlier those evenings. But with there being a mini market in the centre of the hotel we were able to get the food we needed for having some meals in the hotel room especially lunch and breakfast. Their sugary donuts were to die for.

Just outside the hotel there was a lovely little bar and restaurant called The Hideaway which is a small family run business. It was amazing, the food was brilliant and so tasty we decided to spend our last night there. They had so many different options including Takeaway and on the last evening they had a lovely singer called Emma who performed many old classics and we had a good sing-along. There was evening entertainment in the hotel on every nigh starting with a kids disco then different music acts, magic shows etc. and even Bingo which unfortunately we didn’t win!

The hotel was very accessible being in between Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa. It was around a 30-minute walk into Pollensa itself which we have done previous times before however we decided to not to walk this time as it was very hot and we wanted to take it easy. There is a bus service that runs every half hour to and from the hotel into Pollensa and the same with Alcudia which is 2 euros per person and can be paid contactless which you tap for however many people are getting on and then tap it again when getting off at the stop which was much easier than having to pay with cash. On the first night we missed the bus to go into Pollensa so we took a taxi and it actually turned out slightly cheaper than the bus. Which we never expected! We had a lovely meal at El Casinet which is an Italian Restaurant serving pizza and pasta.

We spent most of our time chilling by the pool trying to get a suntan however we did do a couple of day trips. We took a day trip to Alcudia old town which is very traditional with cute Spanish streets and Plazas with restaurants and cafes around. Many years ago Alcudia old town was an important Roman fortress. When walking round you can see the turrets and can walk along the top walls that look down onto the rest of Alcudia. We sat at a restaurant to have some baguettes and drinks for our lunch in the shade as it was very hot when we got there. One of the other times we have visited Alcudia we took a trip to the Bull Ring which was quite impressive as it looked exactly like one out of a movie and they had an offer of a free drink if you bought a ticket to go in. So obviously we did!

We took another day trip into Pollensa Old Town to look around the shops and cafes, it was very similar to Alcudia old town however there are the Calvari steps which I intended to count on the way up but I got distracted looking at the houses and sculptures along the way, I know that there are 365 steps all the way to the top. It was a good work out climbing the steps but we needed a few breaks on the way up. It was so worth it when we reached the top, there was a lovely little chapel with a man sat outside playing traditional Spanish music on his guitar. You could see for miles. On a Sunday there is a market with stall selling many different things including fruit, veg and flowers as well as jewellery and many other things.

We also went on the pedalos at the beach in Pollensa! It was so funny as we kept going round in circles, Mum and Dad had to pedal like mad against the current. I jumped in and had a swim in the sea which was lovely, the water was warm.

On a previous trip to Mallorca we visited Palma, most tour operators offer day trips to the city. Palma is the capital city of Mallorca and has amazing architecture. My favourite part was the Cathedral. There is also a guided sightseeing bus which has become a tradition in our family we love a good tour bus or land train!!

We had a fabulous time and I would definitely love to go back……..although I do want to visit lots of new places too!

48 Hours In Edinburgh

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 13:26:00 GMT

We are so thankful that we have finally managed to get away…

… it may be only a few days, and it isn’t Copenhagen or Kiev, but we are feeling very lucky!

Nick and I have had a fabulous 48 hours in Scotlands Capital – Edinburgh.

I’ve been here on work trips, flying in and out for events, but never had time to explore the city so we couldn’t wait to pop on our ‘tourist hats’ and check out what Edinburgh had to offer!

The train journey up from Leeds is a great start – the scenery is beautiful, travelling along the coastal track, whizzing past Alnwick and Berwick On Tweed, spotting the Angel of the North and arriving at the very central Edinburgh Waverley Station.

With 10 seconds to spare, ran to another platform desperately pressing the open button on the train side, to be told by the station conductor to stand back as the train was leaving – thank goodness, it was the London train! As we turned around in dismay, luck was on our-side. In a haze of light, glowing on the tracks was our train! It had been delayed by 2 minutes and like something from a superhero comic, Nick threw me, the bag and himself on and we were Scotland bound!

We met our lovely friends on the train, had a few drinks to celebrate our arrival and a good catch up. We’d booked into the Motel One – it was the perfect location for us walk to all the sights and from the train station. It’s a gem of a hotel, really clean, great service, fabulous breakfast and lovely bar area. Fab price too.

First stop was Edinburgh Castle, wandering through the narrow cobbled streets, walking up ancient steps and passing through hidden closes, we really began to get a feel for this old city. As we arrived at the Castle and looked over the whole city, the Firth Of Forth and Arthur’s Seat we definitely had a wow moment – what a view!

The castle was really interesting with stories about bygone days, baronial halls, tales of the Jacobite Rebellion and beautiful portraits. The National Scottish War Museum is also here and well worth a visit.

That evening we headed for a bite to eat and booked into a cool pub with live Scottish Folk Music. These guys were so talented, fiddle, flute, and guitar- absolutely great!

After a leisurely morning with a long breakfast (something we never really get time for) we were excited to be spending an hour or so in a bubble. I’ve wanted to do this for ages, ideally looking up at the stars in the wadi rum, but over looking the Edinburgh Skyline was good enough for today! It was pretty cool (well boiling inside) and a really unusual concept.

We then headed to Mary King Close. Bea and Will had recommended this! It was mega interesting. I won’t tell you the whole story – “Experience over 400 years of history, and discover the stories of your character guide. From myths and legends, to the deadly plague epidemic, and a famous royal visitor – there’s a myriad of tales just waiting to be told on this one hour guided tour” The tourist in use could resist the photo fridge magnet and matching key ring!

We couldn’t visit Edinburgh and not walk the Royal Mile, armed with our new found knowledge from the tour we wondered from the Castle to Holyrood Palace, there are some beautiful building and lots of shops, including a Christmas Shop!! Unfortunately we ran out of time to go into the Palace but there is always next time.

Tonight was date night! It felt so good to get dressed up (Top Tip don’t wear high heels!) We had booked in for cocktails at Cocktail Geeks – this is a very quirky concept, originally a pop up company around Edinburgh this brand is now based in the arches of the train station and changes it’s theme, decor and cocktails every 4 months. For us it was hero’s and villains and we felt very adventurous with our cocktail choices, a big difference for our usual expresso martini and amaretto sour!

There are loads and loads of restaurants, all sorts of varieties. Our friends ate at Indian restaurant ‘ Ronaq Restaurant Waverley’ claiming it to be the ‘Best Ruby Murray’ ever!

We finished our evening in a cosy and characterful bar, hidden down an old town close called – Half Way House. This pub is a must visit!

And that’s that, I’m now sat on the train writing my blog, with a coffee and cookie looking at the views of Durham Catherdral and watching the deers playing in the fields.

Giant gorillas, Turkish wine and getting lost in the wilderness…

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:22:00 GMT

So, the first challenge of a UK staycation must be, how much you can fit in the car (along with a dog and 3 adults) The answer is (and I’m sure my lovely friend Kirsty will agree) a lot – especially if food, wine and games are part of the luggage. The one rule we have is that Nick doesn’t pack the car (sorry darling) but he just doesn’t have the patience – no one wants to arrive with squashed crisps, dripping dips and exploded shampoo bottles!

This year we were heading to Bury St Edmunds, we’d booked a lodge with our friends (default from what should have been Paxos) and we were so excited! The drive for us is never too far, we love music so it’s a great excuse to have a great singalong – yes we look a bit crazy, a good catch up and some yummy old fashioned ‘in the car’ sweets!

The lodge was all about the location, oh and a Hot Tub. Aspen Country Park, made for a great base and gave us loads of space for our party of 6. We had done loads of research and there was so much to do, a week wasn’t going to be long enough…

After a few drinkies on Friday night to celebrate us ‘actually getting’ to somewhere on holiday after 2 years of trying, we headed to ‘Go Ape’ on Saturday. Now I’m a bit of a scaredy cat, as is Kirsty, so it was left to the dads to navigate the girls round the Tree Top Challenge! They had a blast and conquered all 5 levels #nailedit. If like Kirsty and I that’s not for you, the course is set in a part of Thetford Forest.

Apart from the forest being stunningly beautiful, it’s a brilliant set up…

…there is Forest Segway, Bicycle Hire and a brilliant adventure playground plus some amazing walks. I managed my 10,000 steps by walking around trying to find our gang on ‘Go Ape’ so I’m not sure who had the biggest challenge!

I’m beginning to think I’m not used to too much fresh air, happily tired and with a good glow (the weather was great) it was homemade Hongkong Style Sweet and Sour Chicken for tea, and a game of “Great Night In”

If I had one word of great advice – prepare yourself. Wow! is the only word I can say about this game. Skateboard drawings that looked like UFO’s, a whole new miming language in Charades and a humming game, of which the memories will be with me for the rest of my life – Possibly in my nightmares!

St Edmundsbury Cathedral is beautiful, originally starting as St James Church in the Abbey grounds, it received its Cathedral status in 1914. The building itself has been developed over the years and most recently the 150ft Millennium Tower added in 2005 and then the intricate guided vault in 2010 makes the Cathedral even more impressive. We were welcomed to come in and explore, they had a local art gallery on display, and we also had the chance the view their very ambitious Lego project, it was amazing and I wish we could have taken a photograph. The aim is to recreate the Cathedral out of 200,000 Lego pieces and for each £1 that is donated, a brick is placed onto the structure. The project that started in 2016 is still going strong and is run purely by volunteers and I think it’s fabulous. We missed the tour of the Cathedral (Cost of £10), which takes you to what looks to be some brilliant viewing points so we will do that next time.

Sunday Lunch in a ‘proper pub’ – we booked a table for 3pm at the Mason Arms. The gentleman on the phone recommended we sit outside in their courtyard. What a fab recommendation, undercover, warm and a great atmosphere. Our own fault for booking a later table is that we only got to view what looked like an amazing Sunday lunch but the comments from the tables around us were great. Our food was brilliant, I think most of us, for our mains went for pie and the odd chicken dish – obviously starters and puddings , they were all beautiful. The staff were attentive which was great as they were still doing table service and for beer drinkers, they had a fantastic selection of ales to choose from. The pub also has the ‘Five Paw’ award so taking dogs with you isn’t a problem.

We popped into the One Bull for some after dinner drinks, again highly recommended. Big comfy sofas, high tables, trendy lighting but most of all, a fabulously unique wine list! It looked as though ALL the wines could be bought by the glass too which is pretty unusual. We didn’t eat here but I took a peek at the menu, and it looked good – grazing boards, grilled sandwiched, crispy rabbit leg and feather blade steak were my standouts and mostly locally sourced.

Holly and Abbie, headed to the Abbey Gate cinema one evening. The cinema is privately run and a lovingly restored original 1920’s cinema. They had the latest movies including the chosen Jungle Cruise and the girls loved it…

… time for a cocktail and some more fabulous food. Chris had clocked this amazing looking hotel called the “Angel”. It is an historic landmark in the centre of Bury St Edmonds overlooking Abbey Gardens, the exterior of the building is impressive and then you walk inside and ‘wow’ The newly refurbished bar and eatery are well worth a visit. Extravagantly furnished with a food and cocktail menu to go with it including a new inspired Dickens Cocktail. As many of you know I am a book worm so finding out that this hotel is where Charles Dickens stayed when giving his reading of the Pickwick Papers (hence the cocktail) made me like it even more. Quite a few subtle hints were given to Nick about a lovely weekend break staying at this hotel- I hope they were heard!!

As you may remember from previous blogs, our holidays are never without a good drama and this year was the same…

We hired a boat for the day on the Norfolk Broads from Barnes Brinkcraft (stop smiling to yourselves- I didn’t drive) However, how hard could it be – push the stick up to go forward, pull down to go back and steer! Oh my gosh, we hadn’t got 200m before Nick has steam coming out of his ears, and his life saver (which he never took off, even on land) looked as though it was going explode and poor old Elsa wanted to jump overboard. Kirsty quickly took over and within another 400m saw the ice cream barge and came to an alarming dock, so we could have one for breakfast! Boating along the river is just lovely. The wild/birdlife is abundant, I think we must have seen 8 Herons up close, and the scenery is out of this world. One thing I didn’t expect to see is a giant Gorilla on banks of the broads!

So, add together a very low bridge, a traffic jam and 5 ‘back seat’ fellow boaters, what do you get?

He navigated us safely under the bridge, nearly hit a multimillion-pound yacht and missed the pub stop – we all absolutely needed a cider!

In all fairness, he did a great job and after lunch politely refused to drive and sat lapping up the sights for the afternoon. Holly was fabulous (I was so proud of her) and really enjoyed her experience of being the captain of the boat for the afternoon, alongside Abbie and Kirsty. Kirst’ if you are reading this – you were amazing, you got us out of many a sticky situation and your James Bondesque 180 degrees turn at the end was truly magnificent!

I swear they gave me the job or jumping off and on the boat to moor it, was for their own entertainment and for some raucous laughter if I fell in – sorry I left them disappointed, but let me assure you, it was not a sight to behold!

Steamboats, riverside pubs and the boating etiquette (I’ve never waved so much in my life) made for a day full of laugher and fun. An experience we will always remember and definitely repeat.

We had been recommended a day out to Southwold, a charming seaside town on the heritage coast.

Note to self, check the weather forecast for where you are going and not where you are. Armed with sunglasses and wearing my favourite sundress and sandals of we headed to Southwold Pier…

Our week went so quickly, and I was desperate to have one final walk in the beautiful forests that surrounded us. On our final afternoon we headed to the Kings Forest for a leisurely walk. “Follow the arrows and you can’t go far wrong” said one of the locals. Famous last words! 3 hours later we are still trooping along the tracks. Our love of ‘eye spy’ had diminished and the wonder of the age-old trees, and hundreds of butterflies had worn out. We couldn’t find the car park for love nor money (if we had seen another soul) all I can say is thank God for Chris’s ‘Find My Car’ App. I have never felt so relived to hear a car alarm in my life!

We headed home that evening and I have to say, we’d had a wonderful time. It wasn’t our usual summer holiday overseas but the memories we made with our friends are just as precious and we wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog as much as I have writing it and remembering our UK adventure.

Helen x

The ‘C’ Word

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 11:11:00 GMT

The ‘C’ Word

This year, more so than any I can think of, we have needed some escapism, to get off the roller coaster of life and to give our family a sense of normality. It is no secret that the travel industry like many others has been suffocated by the ongoing pandemic and I’m sure like many of you, we felt we were firefighting on a daily basis to keep our travel agency alive. Whilst we have been one of the lucky ones, reopening our doors – we are (or were) exhausted and needed some ‘us’ time.

So what to do – I closed my eyes and thought of the place that makes me happy, an island that is filled with age old memories and where I knew I would be able to get the biggest (and much needed) cuddle from one my best friends…

… That is my ‘C’ word – Corfu

Like most of us that have travelled this summer, the build up to jetting off to our chosen destinations was slightly over shadowed with the quarantines regulations constantly changing and the slight apprehension of mask wearing in the airport and on the plane. However, putting all that to one side we are all so glad that we bit the bullet, packed our suitcases and headed out to the sunshine.

It is true, that feeling of walking off the aircraft and the sunshine hitting your face is one of the best feelings in the world and its never made me smile so much.

Driving north along the east coast of Corfu is always so spectacular, views across the rugged coastline across to Albania, passing through the coastal villages along winding roads lined with olive trees and smiling faces is just the best start to a holiday. We were already beginning to relax when we arrived at the Katia Studio’s and Apartments on the outskirts of Kassiopi.

You may remember me staying at the Katia Apartments last year with my lovely friend Kirsty when we came out to visit Lucy, and luckily Nick and Holly instantly loved it as much as I do. I’ll quickly remind you. The Katia is a small, family run complex with a great pool area and gardens that take you down to a natural un-serviced (therefore very quiet) pebble beach. It’s a very happy 2* complex, with basic self-catering facilities, a fantastic restaurant that serves delicious homecooked Greek food ( plus to Nicks and Hollys delight a great English breakfast – all day) To me it’s set in the perfect location, a gentle 20 minute stroll into the beautiful, bustling harbour town of Kassiopi or a 5 euro taxi ride and owned by the delightful Alex and Joanna. The staff are characterful, full of fun and very friendly – it really is a great base for a Greek escape.

We came out for 11 nights and spent the first few days by the pool and on the beach, recharging our batteries and then we decided to have an adventure!

I was trying to work out how many times we had been to Corfu, I think mine is around 8 or 9, Nick 4 and Holly is 5, and we have never explored the northwest coast, we have followed in the footsteps of the ‘Durrells’ and stayed in the beautiful areas of Kalami, Nissaki, Agni and Kassiopi (and I thought nowhere would be as beautiful but …) so we hired a car and headed out on an journey of exploration, hysterics and hysteria.

We were just so excited as we jumped into our Red Suzuki Jimney – trust me there was nothing flash about this car but we grew to love it like a comfy old armchair and it never let us down. With our free map of Corfu in hand our first stop was the Old Town of Perithia – one of Corfu’s oldest villages and a heritage protected site. 130 houses , many built in Venetian style stand abandoned and in different stages of disrepair but it’s amazing to hear that the village built back in the 14 ^th Century, perfect for sheep farming and the cultivation of olive and vines was fairly prosperous, unfortunately its demise came when tourism brought a wealth of jobs to the coastal areas and locals moved further down the mountain in search of work. Although often classed a ghost town, Old Perithia has a village square with a handful of Tavernas and is a favourite spot with locals for Sunday lunch, filling the village with laughter and delicious tasting mountain fare. We stopped for at ‘Gabriels Steps’ Taverna where I just could resist having homemade apple pie for breakfast (yes you read that right) and were presented with home grown figs for us to try – perfect start to the day. It’s very rural here so expect to see all sorts of wild life including snakes – we nearly stepped on a baby viper, so got a bit of a sprint on thinking ‘where there’s a baby viper, there’s a Mummy viper!

In our haste to get up the mountain we forgot to fill the car with petrol, so for the first hour Holly was panic stricken that we were going to get stuck, in what would literally been in the middle of nowhere, never to be seen again, so we drove back down the mountain to fill up – actually there are petrol stations all over but at this point we hadn’t realised!

On our first visit to this area we took a mountain route, through some amazing villages such as the beautiful Lakones which is gifted with spectacular views over Palaiokastritsa. The main street through the village is very narrow, so only allows for one-way traffic at one time, and works on a traffic light system so you may have a small wait to pass through it. Trust me when I say that the driving isn’t easy and the roads not great but gosh the views are insane so completely worth it. Nick did make the driving look pretty simple so I thought I’d give it ago, so of course at the top of a mountain I insisted that I drive so Nick could have a turn at looking at the views. Let me set the scene here, I’m looking pretty cool, my curly holiday hair, pretty headband, oversized sunglasses and the jeep roof down, feeling dead confident. So can you remember the car chase in the James Bond Movie – For Your Eyes Only, the cliff edged hair pin bends, roads that you can just about squeeze two cars past each other – yep that is literally the road I drove down. We started off with jovial giggles, which turned into raucous belly laughter, I then turned a corner and came face to face with a bus to which I swerved so hard that poor Nick ending face to face with a bush that came through the window. From that point the hysterics turned to hysteria, Hols just could stop laughing (nervously) and from that point the only words Nick shouted was “you’re on the wrong side of the road” We finally parked up and I burst into tears – with a mascara stained face and my hair looking like a lions mane, I silently thanked god that we had made it alive. I am not sure Nick saw any of the view after all and he drove for the rest of our car hire adventures.

After all the excitement we were starving, and both Nick and I were wanting some seafood. One of the best things about having friends living here is the recommendations that they can make for restaurants, so that evening we ate at the Taverna Glyfa. We booked a table for 5pm so we could soak up the incredible view whilst eating fried shrimps, anchovies and sword fish steaks – amazing!

The next day we stayed fairly local and headed up the coast to Kalamaki Beach. The east coast is renowned for it pebble beach and clear waters, but here the beach is sandy and offers such safe bathing for families. You can walk out a long way in the water and the sea only comes up to your knees so its perfect for babies and toddlers to have fun. The water is so warm, all I needed was some bubble bath and rubber duck and I’d have been on cloud 9. That said – frappe, donuts, watermelon and good company comes a very close second. Take your own beach towels and find a your own perfect spot or because Kalamaki is a serviced beach so you can treat yourself to a pair of sunbeds and a brolly for just 7 euros for the day. There is plenty of parking at Tavernas and as long as you buy a coffee or snack the owners are really happy for you to use the facilities. The drive down to the beach isn’t for the faint hearted and test your breaks its really steep but makes for a great day out.

That evening, we ate in possible the most special and best restaurants I have been to, not because it was fine dining, or cosmopolitan, but because it was true Greece. Chasing the most incredible sunset up the mountains to apparently one of the highest restaurants on Greece we arrived at the family run Boozoovey’s Café and Tavern. The food here is grown in the garden and is homecooked. We just didn’t know what to choose so we went for it and ordered a full meze for starters – Spicy Tsigareli, ‘Tigania’, Roasted Stuffed hot peppers and for mains, rabbit Stifado. The wine was rustic, the service unbelievable and the food the best I’ve tasted in Greece.

As I mentioned earlier we spent part of our final day with the car in Palaiokastritsa and then headed up the west coast to a watch the sunset at Agios Georgios. Another beautiful drive over the mountains, and just as we though we couldn’t beat the last view, we turned a corner and were wowed again. We even met the famous Costa Provatas. He and his wife are Artists and Jewellery makers and sell from the side of the road in one of the beauty spots. I joked with him that he must have one the best office views in the word. They have had been selling their hand made products in the same spot for over 10 years – quite unbelievable to be honest. Nick was delighted that we managed to get a hand painted fridge magnet!

After a few wrong turns, some exciting reversing we pulled up just in time to see the sunset in the charming Agious Gerdiuos whilst eating delicious salad and chips. We chose the Athina restaurant and were so glad we did, the service was brilliant and the setting perfect! After another adventurous journey in the dark on the way back, we said goodbye to our old friend Jimney and relaxed with a well needed Ouzo and lemonade.

We decided to stay put for the next few days, apart from arranging an evening boats trip to Corfu town, a recommendation from one of our customers that had done it last year. Unfortunately, the weather turned and although it was really warm the wind really got up and our trip got cancelled. We were really disappointed as wanted to explore the fortresses and get lost in the old town, but as we drank wine in the Venus bar overlooking the sea in Kassiopi, we thanked our lucky stars it had been, the waves were crashing against the rocks and the swells were massive. It would have been scary to be out there but it was stunning to watch on dry land and we made a lovely new friend – Philipa the cat. We managed to get the last table in a restaurant we had wanted to eat in all week – Kima which looks over the harbour and ate grilled octopus, village sausage and seafood linguine and risotto – delicious.

If you like a good mooch like we do, there are some lovely shops from homemade crafts to fashion boutique selling beautiful clothes and jewellery. If your feeling energetic head up the hill and explore the old castle ruins.

Our last day was filled with fruit salads, ouzo and friends sat on Avlaki Beach – this is a small beach about 20 mins walk from the Katia in the opposite direction and really popular with the locals. It’s fab watching the paddle boards bobbing by gracefully and hearing the kids laughing. A meal in our favourite restaurant Cavo Barbaro was the perfect end to our holiday, of course more tears as we said goodbye to our lovey friend Lucy and her family but we know we’ll be back to our bolt hole in the sun very soon.

Guest Blog – Wonderful Waidring.

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 09:56:00 GMT

“Now I’m not the most enthusiastic passenger but one flight I’m always happy to book is the Jet2 LBA to Salzburg route. By no means the cheapest but it’s rapid, leaves at a reasonable time and, coupled with the ease of car rental at the comfortably sized, mountain fringed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart airport, gives immediate access to any number of ski resorts in the Austrian Tyrol and Salzburgerland

A bus can get you to the town centre railway station for trains to larger town resorts but braver Alpinists can simply walk across the car park, pick up a hire car and head straight into the Alps. Last time we visited was to a tiny village called Waidring. Two routes, a longer one south which passes by the ski jump town of Bischofshofen, or more directly by crossing through the ‘German Nose’ bit of Deutschland that sticks out into Austria but attracts a supplement at the car hire desk (if you tell them that’s the way you’re going…)

Less than a pleasant hour’s drive later, and only four hours door to door, Waidring offers lots of lovely self-catering apartments, frustuck pensions (B&B) and traditional hotels of all budgets, some with ‘dampfbad’ (steam sauna – although not a stitch allowed in Austria!) and other wellness spa facilities. Owning a B&B ourselves not getting up for breakfast is a welcome relief so we self-cater at Appartement Winkler, a converted hotel 300 yards walk from the gondola ski lift

The Steinplatte ski area won’t keep an expert busy for more than a day or two but 42 euros gets a day ticket for the slopes starting with a ride in the gongola lift with cabins themed on diving bells. In summer the plateau at the gondolas arrival station features a dinosaur park and observation platform. The ski lifts are efficient and the pistes mainly simple, forgiving and treelined making the m ideal for beginners, improvers and the nervous, with the added curiosity of skiing over the invisible unmarked border into Germany. Wooden mountain huts dotted around serve the staple mountain food of kaserspatzle (cheesy noodles), pork and sauerkraut, germknodel (steamed suet pudding) and, of course, apple strudel. Always nice to take a break for a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, with or without deadly Stroh rum depending on how your morning has gone

Back on terra firma everyone must join in the apres ski celebrations and a huge farm themed barn of a bar, Zardinis Schindldorf, awaits at the bottom of the gondola station. Chronic versions of songs, some you’d know, such as Country Roads and the – ever popular with Teutonics – Living Next Door To Alice, get the souped up electro-oompah treatment and the volume and dancing increases as the Salzburg brewed Stiegl beer, Pear Williams schnapps and spiced gluwein flows

After the après has died down thoughts turn to evening dinner. The weary and comfortably numb can eat in their ski gear at the après bar, and watch the weekly folk dancing and music performance although, a hot shower and clean clothes later, our choice tends to be between the Post Hotel (every Austrian town has a Post Hotel, Waidring’s dates from 1416) for hearty Austrian fayre or the Schneidermann restaurant near the outdoor stage (every Austrian village, town or city has a municipal stage), probably my favourite restaurant in the Alps

Morning brings a choice; back up the Steinplatte or a drive twenty minutes back towards Salzburg is the family resort of Lofer which styles itself ‘der schoenest Alm’ (most beautiful Alp, hard to disagree) with its own network of lifts and runs. To the west lays St Johan, a bigger working town with a station, hospital, brewery, traffic, commuters and its own ski mountain and beyond that an hour away is the metropolis (in ski town terms) of Kitzbuhel. Charming in itself but not on the friendly village scale of Waidring, horse drawn carriages queue up amongst the ancient, traditional Tyrolean buildings to show the town off to day trippers. The Hannenkham mountain hosts the ultimate in downhill World Cup ski races each January and the local sports centre hosts fixtures of the Kitzbuhel Adler (Eagles) ice hockey team, which competes in the Alps League with other Austrian, Italian and Slovenian clubs

Our week featured unprecedented snowfall which closed the ski lifts as fallen trees and avalanche risks were cleared although we usually take a day or two off midweek anyway. Local busses run in any weather and we found a meeting of international husky sled dog teams camped by the lake at nearby St Ulrich to visit as they prepared for the weekend races

Although low key and quiet – unlike the larger ski holiday factories – Waidring has all amenities at hand and some you might not need such as a schnapps distillery and a bell foundry although if you love it as much as we do don’t bother looking for a holiday home there, nothing ever comes for sale and new builds are prohibitively expensive; the locals intend keeping it for themselves and we can quite understand why”

Finding our paradise in Poros

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 11:20:00 GMT

You would think that because we have the travel agency and because I’ve worked in travel since forever, that finding our family summer holiday would be easy…

… Ok I will admit, it’s completely me that causes weeks worth of angst when it comes to choosing. I don’t even think that I’m that fussy ( Nick and Holly might disagree ) but I do have certain things that I know I really like and that would help make our family holiday perfect.

We aren’t talking luxuries here like spas, butlers and chandeliers. All I would like is to be in a small property with a lovely pool area and great views from our balcony, to be a stones throw away from the beach and easy strolling distance from traditional restaurants and we must have 2 bedrooms- Holly our teenage daughter is fabulous but very messy and, well she’s a teenager. We like to explore and Nick loves to pick up a fridge magnet or two so to be in a place that we can hop on the local bus or boat is really important – it sounds easy doesn’t it.

After weeks of too-ing and fro-ing finding something and then changing my mind, Nick took the reigns and decided we were going to have another Greek Adventure and we booked the Aegean Villas in Poros. Now we haven’t been self catering for a long time so we were excited about being able to do our own thing (secretly I think Nick was more excited about not having to get up for breakfast), we packed up the UNO cards and our favourite coffee and off we went…

… we flew from Manchester Airport, we hadn’t been to this airport for ages and to be honest that was the bit I was dreading the most but it was great. The meet and greet car parking was seamless and before we knew it we were through security having a coffee. Holly was in her element looking round all the shops and the time flew by.

Poros is one of the Saronic islands and is situated just one and a half hours by ferry from Athens, so after an overnight stay in the centre of Athens we jumped on the Sea Cat 6 and arrived in Poros Town and instantly we were blown away by its beauty and charm.

Our accommodation, the Aegean Villas was located in a small town called Askeli and it was perfect. There was literally 8 apartments, all with either a pool or pool and sea view. We had a maisonette which gave us loads of room and the balcony was huge – perfect for watching the sunset and of course games of UNO (weirdly I have never played it before, it was great fun). They were cleaned daily and the apartments, pool area and gardens were kept immaculately.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but one of my pet hates is fighting for a sun bed by the pool and here we were in the peak season and no matter what time we went to the pool there was never a problem this may have been down to the amazing location, literally thirty seconds walk to the beach. There are areas here where you can lay on the rock platforms or throw your towels down on the sand for free, or you can take a set of sun beds and a parasol, buy a drink and they are yours for the day, it was incredibly cheap.

As I said before we had gone self catering and there were a couple of supermarkets nearby and a fantastic bakery. I wake up quite early so would pop up and see what delights I would pick up for breakfast and lunch or tea. I think the chicken, feta and cheese pie were a hot favourite ( and my hips would agree) along with anything featuring chocolate for Holly.

Askeli is great, it has a really lovely feel about it and loads of different facilities. On the beach there is a great water sports centre with banana boats, waterskiing, parasailing and all sorts of adrenaline packed fun. There are some great restaurants that have weekly live music and Greek dancing which was fun to watch and to eat out was very good value for money. We each had a different favourite restaurant, but mine was definitely Olga’s Restaurant – Poros Troizinias. I loved the way they took you to the food and told you what it all was, it really inspired you to try something different, the food was all homemade and delicious. For a sweet sensation the Once Upon A Time Cafe And Snack Bar made a fantastic Banana and Chocolate Crepe, they even delivered to the pool! To be honest we enjoyed all our meals out so it’s quite difficult to pick a restaurant. No matter what you would like to eat -seafood, pasta or traditional food there was all was a restaurant to suit.

It’s easy to get out and about from Askeli too. The local bus goes every hour to Poros Town which takes about 15 minutes. You could actually walk or hire a bicycle depending how energetic you felt. We got a taxi a couple of times and this was only 5-6 euros each way. From Poros Town you can take the ferry to Hydra (45mins) Spetses (1hour 20 Mins) and Aegina (40 Mins) or for some ancient history pop back across to Athens for a day exploring the Acropolis.

There are some great restaurants along the harbour front over looking Galatas on the Peloponnese and some amazing yachts, however if you walk away from the hustle and bustle you’ll find some lovely little tavernas, with great service, fab food and spare seats. A great thing to do from here is to jump onto one of the water taxis that take you across to Galatas. It takes about 5 minutes and cost a Euro, you will definitely get the best view of the town from here and there are some fantastic places to eat here. We ate one evening here in Babis Taverna / Ταβερνα Μπαμπης 1979. I choose beef stifado, it was amazing and so was the service. There is no need to panic about getting back across to the island either because the water taxis run every 10 minutes 24 hours a day.
If you want to try something really special try the Cine Diana, the open air cinema. They were showing some great movies whilst we were there, we just ran out of time to go, but it was highly recommended to us.

We will definitely come back to Askeli and Poros Island in the next couple of years. There is so much more to explore including Love Bay and the Russian Dockyard.

We would love to tell you more about our amazing trip and if you would like more information please pop in and see Nick and I.

Beautiful Croatia

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 11:34:00 GMT

Sometimes all you need is amazing memories to make us smile…

Nick, Hols and I went on holiday to Croatia last Easter and had the most wonderful time. We stayed in my favourite resort of Cavtat in the Adriatic Luxury Hotels- Hotel Croatia and it was amazing.

The Hotel is completely different to what we would normally stay in as a family, but we thought we would give it a try due to it having an indoor pool as we weren’t sure what the weather would be like with us going over Easter…

The service has been fantastic and very accommodating ( Holly was on crutches ) – from a lovely warm welcome when we checked in, the pool bar staff with great sense of humours, waiting staff always with a smile to the guys that ran us up and down the hillside even in the rain so we could still enjoy meals out.

The indoor pool area was lovely, lots sun beds with fresh towels and the water was a great temperature. The Spa area was lovely and relaxing and the treatments were really reasonably priced too.

We were really lucky with the weather so we made the most of the sun terraces comfy chairs, fantastic views, cocktail hours, amazing food and of course read some great books next to the outdoor pool – we are definitely coming home with a nice glow.

We treated ourselves to a sea view room, and I can’t think of any room that I’ve ever had with a better view. The way the hotel is situated means that the views are uninterrupted and we saw some beautiful sunsets. Sitting on the balcony with a wine or coffee was just so relaxing, listening to the waves lapping against the rocks and no traffic noise apart from the odd yacht cruising by.

We wanted to do some exploring whilst we were here, so we booked a trip to Bosnia. We had wanted to go here for some time and because it is so close to Croatia, it was a great opportunity. The trip included the Kravica waterfalls and Mostar, it took 12 hours but it was just fantastic (and yes for those that know us, we got a fridge magnet!)

Waterfall Kravica was stunning and well worth the walk down. On the Trebizat River it reaches 28 metres in height and is home to all sorts of flora and fauna. In the summer you can bath in the river and even walk behind the falls…

… it was a little bit to chilly for us to take a dip.

Driving through the Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina border control took some time but it was worth it. The countryside in both countries is beautiful. We drove through the The valley of the Neretva river. The valley of the river Neretva, surrounded by mountains, is a unique natural phenomenon, the swampy area of the valley is rich in rare species of flora and fauna, and is an ornithological park with over 400 species of birds.

Following the Valley and driving down some pretty hair raising mountain passes we arrived in Mostar and oh my gosh it is absolutely beautiful. The old bridge across the Neretva the river was built by Osman Turks in 1566 is found in the UNESCO world heritage list. The bridge was destroyed during the war of 1992-1995, was restored in 2004, and today it symbolises the peaceful life of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the summer they hold two bridge diving competitions and people come from all over the world. Surprisingly they have to wear wet suits as the air temperature can reach up to 40c and the water temperature never rises above 10c. Mostar’s old town was like something from a fairy tale. Cobbled streets lined with craft shops, cafes serving tea and baclava and some beautiful river view restaurants. We ate a traditional Cevapi, it was delicious.

With the day over, driving through the mountains, valleys and along the coast during sunset was a perfect way to finish our adventure.

We have had a fantastic time, giggled lots and made some amazing memories. All 3 of us would definitely recommend this hotel and there was a huge variety of walks of life – friends, couples and family’s from toddlers to teens.

If you would prefer a smaller hotel I just love the Hotel Cavtat, fantastic location, roof top pool with amazing views and bedrooms overlooking the sea – simply beautiful (not one for the kids though)

Have a lovely day everyone and keep well

Helen, Nick and Holly x

Falling in love with Budapest x

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 11:13:00 GMT

We have been very lucky to have travelled all over the world, but one city that is a clear favorite with us is Budapest.

Budapest is one of the most interesting places I have ever been, with history sitting beside modernism, a real beauty and the beast story and it’s just as romantic.

Joined together by the Chain Bridge, Buda and Pest couldn’t be two worlds further apart. Buda is full of old character, and taking the old funicular to the top of Castle Hill is where it really hits you. With a view that takes your breath away, you can slowly meander through the old streets, with its unusual shops and cafes, watch the changing of the guard in the square outside the castle and explore the Fishermans Bastian. I would definately recommend taking a refreshing G&T at the top of the tower for the most awesome uninterruped views of the Parliament building across the river. If you want to soak up the history here, the Budapest History Mesuem and the Hospital in the Rock will fill you in on all there is to know about how these two cities joined. It is really fascinating.

Work your way down through the winding castle steps, past the ornate opera house and across the bridge and you arrive in Pest. The Parlement Building was actually inspired by our Houses of Parlement and is a proud landmark of the city, walk along the Danube to see the moving memorial ” Shoes on the Danube Bank”. If you like to shop, this side of the river is for you, with its boutiques and designer shops you’ll definately be in awe. You can also walk into the Jewish quarter from here. The beautiful Great Synagogue, is actually the largest outside the city of New York and the ruin bars in the quarter offer a very unique experience. The old abandoned buildings left to decay after WWll have been turned into artsy, laid back bars and restaurants offering a fantastic night out.

If you’d like a bit of time out, head to one of the amazing outdoor thermal spas, jump on one of the river cruises and sail down the Danube, its a brilliant way so see the amazing buildings, or hop on a bike and cycle around the magical St Margaret’s island, be sure to stop at the dancing fountain on the hour, it’s a great experience.

By now I’m sure you know I love a great bite to eat so here are my top places to go.

Coffee and Cake, one of the highlights of going everywhere by foot was stumbling upon this amazing Cafe – Asztalka Cukrszda the homemade cakes are to die for, actually I think Nick had two, or maybe that was me!

Borbirosag, tucked away behind the central market was a great find. It gave us a great chance to try some traditional, if not of the wall food and some amazing Hungarian wine.

I could go on forever about this amazing city, but I want you to go and explore it and see the many other fantastic sites Budapest has to offer, you won’t be disappointed, I promise.

Lots of love Helen x

Ps, Don’t forget the goolash, it’s served everywhere with paprika sauce, and believe me no matter where you eat it, they’ve got it right.

PART 1 – Discovering Cyprus with Cyplon Holidays by Nick Parry.

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 15:21:00 GMT

I was so pleased to to be able to go on to this amazing fam trip with Cyplon Holidays and it was a perfect way to learn all about this specialist tour operator and the Island of Cyprus.

Over the last 40 years Cyplon Holidays have been providing their customers with quality holidays. They have unrivalled knowledge of the destinations that they offer – Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Jordan and Sicily are just to name a few, plus Island Hopping in Greece and Croatian Cruising.

Cyprus has always been somewhere I’d wanted to visit, but somehow have just never got there – so what an amazing way to see it!

The group was travelling from 20-November until 24th November 2019 so I was definitely looking forward to some winter sun. Spending 2 nights in Paphos & 2 nights in Limassol was going to be great, I was really going to see a lot!

Cyprus is stunning and exactly how you imagine it, a beautiful Mediterranean Island with crystal blue waters and miles of golden beaches. I was definitely right about getting some sunshine, the weather was fantastic and I would highly recommend it during the winter months, although the climate is great all year round making it perfect to visit anytime.

Our first stop was at the Louis Ivi Mare. This luxury 5* hotel only opened in May 2019. I loved spending 2 nights here, it’s contemporary and modern and is located on the beach front, just a short walk to Paphos harbour. The food here was incredible. The hotel operates on Half Board Plus which means you can have breakfast and evening meals at the hotel including alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks with dinner. There’s 3 restaurants to choose from- the main buffet, ‘Meze’ a speciality Greek Restaurant and an Asian Fusion Restaurant Akakiko Japanese Restaurant, we ate here one night it was delicious.

The outdoor pool here is the largest in Paphos and it even has a jacuzzi that’s big enough for 10 people. The pool area has stunning views over the beach and promenade. There is also an indoor pool and a fitness centre.

Guess what…

… The Louis Ivi Mare only has 148 rooms, so you can imagine how amazing the service is. All the rooms have tea and coffee making facilities, bathrobes and slippers, and come with balcony or terrace.

During our 2 days in Paphos, we looked around another 8 hotels, it was such a fantastic opportunity for me to see these.

Our team highly recommended to our customers the Constantinou Bros Hotels – The Asimina Suites, Athena Royal and Athena Beach, and after visiting these hotels I can understand why.

The Asimina Suites is a 5* Adult Only hotel with its own area of beach. All of the suites have large balconies and some even have private pools with wooden decking!

The 4* Athena Royal Beach Hotel once again is adult focused. It has 3 swimming pools and an incredible 24 rink green bowls court. There’s a great spa here too with heated indoor pool.

Families will love the 4* Athena Beach, it’s paddling pools, a water slide and 3 swimming pools will make it a great hit with the kids. This hotel is in a great position, just a short stroll to Paphos harbour and directly on the beach.

One of the most iconic hotels in Paphos has to be the 5* Annabelle and this spring reopened its doors to show of its €11 million makeover! This hotel is pretty special. The Annabelle is set in 6 acres of beautiful gardens and is mixes classic, elegant and modern perfectly. The rooftop pool and terrace adds an extra wow factor to this hotel.

The 5* Almyra is the Annabelle’s sister hotel and went through its own renovation in 2008. The designer rooms have amazing views over paphos and the secret valley. Activities such as scuba diving, windsurfing and sailing can be arranged onsite. Just a 30 minute walk to Paphos centre makes this hotel a great choice.

‘Holiday perfection for couples’ is the Amavi’s tag line and, yes I could see me and Helen here…

A ‘Made For Two’ hotel, the Amavi is set on a blue flag beach with unobstructed sea views and postcard sunsets, there is no better way way to relax. I could really feel the intimate atmosphere of this hotel and love the design and furnishing that contributed to it. It’s in a great area to reach bars and restaurants too.

Our last hotel (but certainly not least) to visit in Paphos was the multi award winning Elysium Hotel. It has a world class spa, 5 incredible restaurants and bedrooms that shout luxury. The Elysium definitely has a romantic feel about it and would be perfect venue for a wedding. For weddings, couples can choose between a traditional Chapel ceremony or to tie the knot on the sunset pier.

So I hope you can feel how enthusiastic I was about the hotels in Paphos, but what about the resort of Paphos itself…

… for me Paphos was a fantastic surprise. I was expecting a loud noisy resort that was very commercialised but what I found was a lovely clean resort with a compact centre and great atmosphere. There is a whole range of eateries, suiting every budget and some lovely cocktail bars. The harbour area is really bustling and a great place to try out a seafood meze, before exploring the castle walls. If you fancy taking in some history, head to the Tomb of the Kings and the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park. The beach areas in, and surrounding Paphos are clean, sandy and perfect for safe bathing. There are some beautiful secluded bays great for snorkelling and many of the main beach areas have water sport centres and lots of facilities. I didn’t know, but the island is fantastic for cycling and extremely popular for Crown Green bowling.

I have so much more to tell you about the next party of my journey, so watch this space for my next blog. For now if you have any questions please pop in and see me, I would love to tell you more.,

I hope I’ve inspired you so far,

Nick x

Boutique Cruising with Saga

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 19:07:00 GMT

“Welcome to the world of boutique cruising”

I can’t begin to tell you what a fantastic experience Nick and I have had onboard the brand new Saga Ship – Spirit Of Discovery

So in the words of our Captain, Julian…

… it really is something ‘very’ special

Here’s a quick overview, a few more photos and a fantastic offer.

This ship offers plenty of space for relaxation, from two pools, a luxury Spa and a theatre, to the delights of a secret Terrace. It’s all been thoughtfully designed with a single aim: to help you find the spaces and places that will help you unwind, as only you want to.

It’s a real ‘wow’. Every cabin has a balcony, giving each guest their own private space, inside and out. And with an average floor plan of 215 square feet as standard, there’s quite a lot of space to enjoy.

Spirit of Discovery boasts an array of restaurants from the grand dining room, to Oriental and seafood eateries too. With cuisines from all over the world, they will be a match for London’s best restaurants. Best of all, you can eat whenever and where you like.

On all-inclusive cruises you can look forward to unlimited selected drinks throughout your time on board, available in all the bars, lounges and restaurants, at no extra charge.

With all this included there’s no drinks bill to worry about at the end of your cruise. You’ll be able to sit back and relax, with more money left in your pocket for excursions, souvenirs and enjoying yourself ashore.

Whether your are new to cruise or all ready a fan of cruise holidays, Nick and I would definitely recommend this amazing experience.

Pop in and see us for more information or to pick up your copy of the new Saga Ocean Cruise brochure. #spiritofdiscovery

My mind changing trip to Malta with the Malta Tourism Authority by Beatrice Paley

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:46:00 GMT

Did you know at Arundel Travel, Malta is one of our customers favourite destinations?

After hearing all the amazing things about the country, I wanted to see it for myself and thanks to the Malta Tourism Authority I finally got to visit the beautiful island in October.

The Maltese Tourism Authority are so proud of their country and be chosen for a place on this amazing ‘Malta’s Cities’ fam trip really helped change my opinion of this destination. A lot of people I spoke to before travelling out there described Malta ‘a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it’ and when I first landed I must admit I was little sceptical, however after arriving at our hotel, unpacking and with a glass of vino round the pool, I believe all my thoughts were all down to the early start.

We stayed in Valletta at the 5* Phoenicia hotel and what an amazing experience that was, as a member of The Leading Hotels of the World this hotel offers majestic views of the harbour whilst surrounded by the historic city walls of Maltas capital.

Valletta – With it’s golden buildings, colorful balconies and sparkling seas, it’s like stepping back in time. Our visit to St Johns Cathedral was breath taking, set in the heart of Valletta, from the outside this building looks plain and simple but once you walk through the door it was one of most stunning buildings I have laid my eyes on, the interior covered from floor to ceiling in colour and with the sun shining through the sparkling gold walls glisten.

Across the water are the three cities, where we used the ‘Rolling Geeks’ to get around on to help us discover the three different identities of each leg. The self-drive electric cars gave us the perfect tour with their programmed GPS helping and explaining to us were we were heading to.

Mdina also known as the silent city, is one of Europes finest ancient walled cities, covered in a mix of medieval and baroque architecture.

Gozo – The sister island of Malta, with a 25 minute ferry journey over you can discover a greener and more rural area. A visit to the Citadel a high city over looking the surrounding city of Victoria , on entrance you will be greeted by the great city walls, with its many steps leading you up the main gate. The Citadel for me was a remarkable place were you wonder around the towering fort walls. Unfortunately our visit here was hit by an hour of heavy rain, therefore resulted in us taking shelter at the Gozitna Restaurant, where the lovely owner showed us traditional cheese making and the very important wine tasting (all grown and made on his farm).

After the rain stopped we were lucky enough to go on a tour of Gozo on Segways, after a couple of rocky tempts we were soon on our way in the sunshine discovering more about this beautiful island.

The main thing that really stood out to me in Malta was the Maltese people and the amount they want to feed you! They are amongst some of the warmest people I have come across, they are so proud of their island, its history, geography and heritage. The traditional fresh meals they produce really shows how true to their roots they really are. This trip has really helped me understand what Malta is really about and shown me what our customer would experience whilst visiting.

I would love to tell you more about this amazing island, And the saying ‘ Don’t knock it, till you’ve tried it’ is actually true!!.

Bea x

My fun filled week in the Azores – By Dawn Lawson

Sat, 02 Nov 2019 11:44:00 GMT

Azores Agent Fam Trip with Sunvil Holidays – (28th September-5th October 2019)

On Saturday 28th September I travelled down to London Gatwick ready to start my fun-filled week in the Azores with Sunvil I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for us!

Our flight with SATA Azores Airways direct into the Capital Ponta Delgada on the Island of Sao Miguel, took around 4 hours and from landing I was in love with this beautiful destination and there was no better way to start our adventure than with a jeep tour to Sete Cidades. We drove through rare landscapes of beauty, stunning scenery which cannot be seen by foot, our route took us along the west coast of the island of Sao Miguel stopping at various viewpoints taking in more fantastic landscapes such as Sete Cidades Lake, Carvao and the Lakes of Empadadas.

We were up with the birds the next morning to catch our internal flight to the next island of Terceira which took approx 30 Mins (you can however catch a ferry to Terceira however this would increase your travel time to 4hours 30minutes) here we were met by our tour guide who had arranged our first Activity….

… Whale Watching!

Dressed in the most attractive waterproofs you could ever imagine (Paddington bear springs to mind) we were taken to our Zodiac Boat. A marine biologist joined us for our journey who was amazing at explaining what Cetacean we may spot whilst out on the water (however this wasn’t guaranteed). I have to say this was an experience of a LIFETIME and we were lucky enough to spot the Sei Whale and also the Risso Dolphin – just amazing!

The following day took us on a city tour of Angra Do Heroismo is one of the 3 capitals of the Azores and has been has been declared a UNESCO world Heritage Site. I can honestly say its a city untouched by time with cobbled streets, little townhouses and beautiful marina. Picture perfect is the word that springs to mind.

Very few places in the world allow you to explore and go inside a volcano and I can now say, I have been lucky enough to have been to one of them – Algar do Carvão – the volcano Erupted almost 3,200 years ago. It was an awesome experience, one I will never forget. Once you walk through the narrow passage, you can look up through the lava tube and see the sky.

HURRICANE LORENZO!

Unfortunately our next morning was disrupted by Hurricane Lorenzo as we was on Red Alert we had to stay safe while the hurricane passed – The Red Alert was lifted at 1pm in the afternoon which was great as we could continue our afternoon excursion of the island before we set off for our flight back to Sao Miguel.

The next day we took a tour to Furnas. We visited the beautiful 30 acre botanical gardens (Terra Nostra Park) these gardens have different flowers from all over the world. This is where you will also find the Hot Springs which is a MUST DO EXPERIENCE! For lunch we ate a traditional COZIDO meal which is a variety of meats and vegetables slowly cooked from the underground vapours of Furnas Hot Springs.

Our week flew by so quickly and our last day arrived and we took a tour of Ponte Delgada. The city is full of character with gothic churches, historic forts and traditional Portuguese tavernas.

Some interesting Facts

The Smallest Island of the Azores is called Corvo Island – this has approx 460 people living here however cows take over the residency having doubled in the past years, this island also has 1 road!

Cheese – 50% of the cheese made in the Azores is shipped to Portugal

40% of the milk is also shipped to Portugal from the Azores

In 1987 Hunting of Whales was Banned in the Azores

2000 Cultural Events happen in the Azores every year

Most Sustainable place in the World

The Azores have been producing tea for almost 200 years

Christopher Columbus discovered the first island of Santa Maria on his return voyage from America

If you are looking for an active adventure :

Hiking Trails – 800 Miles to be precise are available at your leisure

Cycling

Diving – 90 Feet Visible

Whale watching – available March – October

Bird Watching – Smaller Islands

Top Tip:

Take a Pac a Mac! The Azores is a blend of 4 seasons in 1 day you can be taking in the Portuguese sunshine and then whilst moving around you may catch some light showers whilst in the north of the island this may be cloudy with some light winds

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sunvil for inviting me on this trip and helping me experience the Azores

My Final Statement : The Azores is Romance with Adventure!

24 Hours in Disneyland Paris

Sun, 13 Oct 2019 11:17:00 GMT

Starting my journey the right way at Manchester’s airports 1903 lounge, with a class of bubbles and a bacon sandwich I was relaxed and ready for my busy 24 hours in Disneyland.

My Air France flight seemed to be over in a flash and after being served my cup of tea and croissant, I could sit back in my extra leg room seat and relax with my complimentary newspaper.

Charles De Gaulle airport really did surprise me, I always thought the airport would be too big and I would easily become lost. Air France have really changed my mind, they make the transit through the airport so easy with designated transit areas all within a simple laid out terminal.

My fairytale 24 hours started as soon as I checked into the Disney’s Newport Bay, I stayed at this hotel 2 years ago and it’s still blows my mind of how every detail immerses you in Disney Magic with its own Disney story. This particular hotel takes you back to the 1920s American seaside luxury, with subtle Mickey Mouse magic. One of the perks of staying at one of Disney’s hotels is the extra magic hours you receive in the both parks. So you can head straight to your favourite ride and beat all the queues.

Disney also offer the magic experience over in its Disney nature resorts, where you can reconnect with nature, relax and rediscover your adventures side. These hotels are only a 15 minute drive away from the parks offering free shuttle to both. Perfect for families or groups of friends that are wanting to kick back and relax after a busy day creating memories.

Disneyland park, is a true magical kingdom. Where five lands meet to bring your fairy tales to life. Offering your sparkling shows within its jaw dropping attractions. The Disney all stars parade will have you smiling from ear to ear as you watch, wave or maybe even scream at your favourite characters coming down Main Street. Here you can also enjoy the Big thrill rides, my favourite being Hyperspace Mountain or some fun for the little ones on Peter Pans flight. Every evening you can watch the Disney illuminations dazzle Sleeping Beauty’s castle with it’s incredible light projections and stunning special effects that bring the Disney classics to life.

Head next door to the Walt Disney Studios, where block buster attractions and star studded shows help you create some memorable encounters. The place where you can be part of the movie magic, my favourites being Ratatouille & Tower of Terror.

Don’t forget thought that there is fun beyond the parks where you can have unforgettable encounters with some of your favourite characters whilst having your breakfast or evening meal in one of the many restaurants available. The extra excitement continues in the Disney village, a place where a shoppers dream comes true or where there is magic on the menus.

I could talk all day about all things Disney from its food fit for a princess/prince, it’s fast passes that helps you cut down the queuing time or it’s photo pass so you can take away with you the pictures of the spellbinding special events that you have witnessed.

As you can tell and see I love Disney and everything it has to offer, so please call in and pick my brain on all things magical.

I truly believe that we all have the magic to unlock our inner child.

Bea’s Ibiza Fam Trip

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 11:53:00 GMT

Earlier on this year Bea was lucky enough to take part in a Palladium Hotel Group Mega Fam which took her across to the beautiful island of Ibiza…

“I can’t believe it’s taken me 26 years to get to the beautiful white island, Melissa talks so passionately about this place so when the Palladium Hotel Group gave me the opportunity to visit Ibiza, I couldn’t say no. I always thought Ibiza was one big crazy party island that never sleeps, and yes whilst I was there I had evenings when I didn’t get back till 3 am however this amazing island has so much more to offer.

I was really taken by surprise by the picturesque beaches that Ibiza has, they are picture postcard and the island really embraces home grown local cuisine so you can just imagine how delicious food is, I could have eaten out for every meal, thrown in a midnight snack and still never have got bored.

Picking the right accommodation and resort is key and it is really difficult. All the Palladium Hotels are stunning, all have different personalities and each one in an amazing location, this is great as it means there is something for everyone.

Playa Den Bossa is one of the main party areas where there is always something going on and can be one of the liveliest parts of the island. Ushuaii ( yes that the name of the hotel) is the place to be if you are looking to watch some of your favourite DJ’s play whilst you party and dance under the stars, this unique hotel also offers you the opportunity to surround yourself in the most exclusive way.

If Ushuaii sounds a little bit busy, next on the cards is the beautiful Hard Rock Ibiza where you can enjoy a legendary unforgettable holiday with epic rooms fit for rock stars! The Hard Rock has a fantastic pool area and a very laid back feel, with live music being played around the hotel complex, a great spa area and the food in the restaurant is to die for.

Playa Den Bossa isn’t all party party, and the Palladium Hotel Group have a fantastic hotel called the Palladium White Island. This hotel is perfect for anyone that wants a high quality All Inclusive whether you are a family with young children or teenagers, a couple or a group of friends, this hotel is perfect for a luxurious beach stay.

We know that not everyone is looking for a busy environment and for those looking for beautiful beaches, marinas and a good selection of restaurants we would recommend you heading to the resort of Santa Euliaia where you will find the Hotel Don Carlos.

The Hotel Don Carlos is Adults Only, has amazing views of the Mediterranean and is surround by a spectacular lush forest of pine trees. This hotel is a great place to relax and catch up with friends.

Just minutes down the road is the resort of Cala Llonga where you can stay at the Palladium Hotel Cala Llonga this beautiful adults only hotel is the perfect hidden getaway with a calm ambiance and gorgeous sea views.The Palladium Cala Llonga hotel is in the perfect resort if you want head into old town of Ibiza, which is amazing both day and night.

My top tip would be – Don’t forget to use your hotels facilities to recharge your batteries, whether it’s around the pool or in the spa, you will need it – not just so you can stay up till the early hours of the morning, but so you can explore the hidden charms of Ibiza

Ibiza is a fantastic island and we are so lucky we can fly here from our local airport with Jet2holidays!

There is so much more I could to tell you about this perfect island and the hotels it has to offer, but unfortunately Facebook has a limit!

Bea xxx

Our Family Holiday To Poros

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 12:42:00 GMT

You would think that because we have the travel agency and because I’ve worked in travel since forever, that finding our family summer holiday would be easy…

Our accommodation the Aegean Villas was located in a small town called Askeli and it was perfect. There was literally 8 apartments, all with either a pool or pool and sea view. We had a maisonette which gave us loads of room and the balcony was huge – perfect for watching the sunset and of course games of UNO (weirdly I have never played it before, it was great fun). They were cleaned daily and the apartments, pool area and gardens were kept immaculately.

Poros Town is idyllic, built up into the hillside with a clock tower placed on the top like a cherry. Narrow winding streets, quirky little shops including the good old fashioned souvenir shop. Nicks eyes lit up when he saw the row upon row of fridge magnets and Holly is like a magpie for anything shiny so it was like Aladdins Cave for her. Walking to the top of the town is a must – the views are incredible. There are some great restaurants along the harbour front over looking Galatas on the Peloponnese and some amazing yachts, however if you walk away from the hustle and bustle you’ll find some lovely little tavernas, with great service, fab food and spare seats. A great thing to do from here is to jump onto one of the water taxis that take you across to Galatas. It takes about 5 minutes and cost a Euro, you will definitely get the best view of the town from here and there are some fantastic places to eat here. We ate one evening here in Babis Taverna / Ταβερνα Μπαμπης 1979. I choose beef stifado, it was amazing and so was the service. There is no need to panic about getting back across to the island either because the water taxis run every 10 minutes 24 hours a day.

If you want to try something really special try the Cine Diana, the open air cinema. They were showing some great movies whilst we were there, we just ran out of time to go, but it was highly recommended to us.

We will definitely come back to Askeli and Poros Island in the next couple of years. There is so much more to explore including Love Bay and the Russian Dockyard.

We would love to tell you more about our amazing trip and if you would like more information please pop in and see Nick and I.

Melissa’s Mexico Adventure

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 07:57:00 GMT

Mexico has always been a destination I have always wanted to experience so when I was invited to go with Funway holidays and AM Resorts I was absolutely delighted!

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this hotel brand there is something for everyone and I was completely blown away with the standard of accommodation and service within the hotels. The AM resorts are made up of 6 luxury resort brands all of which have their own sandy beaches, Elegant accommodation , World Class Spas, Gourmet Dining and Unlimited Top-shelf Spirits. The Ultra luxurious Zoetry Wellness & Spa resorts; Adults only Secrets, Exciting Breathless Resorts, Luxurious Dreams, Youthful Now or The Fulfilled Sunscape .

For the first two nights we spent in Playa Mujeres just north of Cancun, this resort is a far cry from the spring break crowd. I ts Bordered on one side by the Mexican Caribbean and the other by a wetlands wildlife preserve. At the Secrets Playa Mujeres this is one of the adult only concepts with 424 luxuriously equipped spacious suites with a private balcony or terrace. 24 hour room and concierge service, daily maid service endless daytime activities and live nightly entertainment, Oceanfront infinity pool. In addition those staying at the Secrets Playa Mujeres include full access to Dreams Playa Mujeres which is situated next door. Between both hotels there are 19 restaurants 11 which are speciality restaurants and 21 bars, meaning there is plenty of variety for all food lovers. I particularly enjoyed a ‘ mamosa ’ which is a Mexican buck’s fizz with my breakfast.

The dreams brand is family friendly but for those families that still enjoy luxury. The facilities within the dreams Playa Mujeres were brilliant! It had a teenager centre that was like a teenager’s paradise! It had Xbox’ DJ Lessons, Riffle Shooting, Archery, Basketball, and much more! The dreams also had a lazy river and waterslides so was suitable for the little ones too! Both Resorts have buggy centres so you can get picked up without having to walk anywhere if you don’t wish.

Zoetry Villa Rolandi Isla Mujeres – Meaning ‘In The Art Of Life’ for those of you that prefer a small and friendly and boutique style this hotel is for you, with just 35 rooms with ocean views all round there is no place more relaxing than this hotel. What a better way to start your holiday with a 25 Minute private yacht transfer glancing and taking in the incredible views before you arrive to the hotel. This is the best place to experience the sunrise and sunset with clear views over to Cancun. The Zoetry Villa Rolandi also offers a romantic sunset private Yacht twice a week so its definitely perfect for couples or honeymooners!

We then visited Cancun for the day. With the famous Coco Bongos on your doorstep and bars open until sunrise Cancun has a thriving nightlife. It does also offer the most beautiful beaches. Reflect Cancun if you like the hustle and bustle this hotel is situated on the tip of Cancun enjoy the views of the stunning surroundings of the Carribbean sea. This hotel has 395 rooms all which have a partial or full sea view.

We then moved to the Secrets Akumal which is located in Riviera Maya. Riviera Maya is one of the best destinations along the coast for diving and snorkelling, the crystal clear wate rs will allow you to get up close and person al with some of the most fascinating tropical fishes. This is the worlds second largest barrier reef which l ies less than a mile offshore. The hotel its self is set in a jungle atmosphere and its got that tranquil atmosphere that makes you feel instantly relaxed.

A lot of people have asked me if there is anything to do other than lying round the pool or on the Beach whilst holidaying in Mexico and the answer is definitely yes. There is so much history and culture and lots of excursions to break up your days. We Visited the Tulum Ruins which is just south of Playa Del Carmen. These old stone structures that make up this archaeological site are surrounded by leaning palm trees, cactus flowers and a population of iguanas! There is also a secret beach just below the ruins if you need to refresh and cool down!

Brea thless Riviera Cancun was probably my favourite hotel that we visited. Its best described as vibrant luxury with Ultra contemporary suites. I even had a Jacuzzi on my balcony which was beautiful to relax in after a long day and watch the sunset. Breathless is an adult only concept with a classy Ibiza vibe. There is a live DJ in the lobby and also around the Freestyle pool which is where the pool party’s are held. The Middle Pool is the Energy pool where you will find the entertainment team with a selection of daytime entertainment games. The end pool is the Xhale club pool which only Xhale guests are allowed in and this is a chilled vibe with cabanas to soak up the sun . I would definitely recommend this hotel for couples and friends.

Everytime we checked in we were welcomed by the phrase ‘Welcome Home’ and I really did feel like I was at home with the exceptional service and the extra tou ches all the staff went to, making our trip that extra bit special.

With all the hotels you will find Unlimited Luxury this means there are n o reservatio ns for dining, no all Inclusive wristbands, Unlimited international and domestic top-shelf spirits, unlimited natural fruit juices and soft drinks, pool & beach waiter service, daily maid Service, 24 hour Room and Concierge service. They are just endless!

W hether you’re thinking about going to M exico for a special occasion, an unforgettable holiday or just a chilled break you will definitely not be dissapointed with these hotels.

Our week In Croatia 🇭🇷

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 17:05:00 GMT

Nick, Holly and I are on our way back from a wonderful holiday in Croatia. We stayed in my favourite resort of Cavtat in the Adriatic Luxury Hotels- Hotel Croatia and it was amazing.

The indoor pool area was lovely, lots sun beds with fresh towels and the water was a great temperature. The Spa area was lovely and relaxing and the treatments were really reasonably priced too.

… it was a little bit to chilly for us to take a dip.

With the day over, driving through the mountains, valleys and along the coast during sunset was a perfect way to finish our adventure.

We have had a fantastic time, giggled lots and made some amazing memories. All 3 of us would recommend this hotel and there was a huge variety of walks of life – friends, couples and family’s from toddlers to teens. We though it suited everyone and we are even looking coming back next May half term.

The Hotel Croatia is really popular, however I’ve found an incredible late deal in May if you fancy a quick week away…

Helen, Nick and Holly x

Madeira

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 20:18:00 GMT

It doesn’t matter when you visit Madeira there always seems to be something to celebrate, and the locals just love you to join in …

… whether you choose a New Year’s Day plunge into the chilly Atlantic or dancing on the street at the Madeira Carnival you are certainly going to see that this destination is vibrant, flamboyant and certainly not the sleepy island that you expect!

Here are some of our favourite festivals taking place this year

27 February – 6 March, 2019

At the end of February the island comes alive with colour, music, parades and big smiles. If you visit during this time you’ll be smiling from ear to ear as you see elaborately-dressed dancers sashaying down the streets of the capital Funchal accompanied by sparkling floats and music. The street food is delicious and on every corner you’ll be able to pick up a local delicacy. If you are there for “Carnival Tuesday” be sure to join the Slapstick Parade that takes place through the town.

12 May 2019

The largest Portuguese classic car event takes place on the island in May, so go vintage for the day in Funchal’s Praça do Povo as the most beautiful classic cars are rolled out for all to see. There is a rally across the island, a competition for best Belle Epoque outfit and of course plenty of awards for the most beautifully-preserved cars.

2-19 May, 2019

Madeira boast the most amazing flowers and if you visit in the spring you’ll see them at their best. This spectacular festival celebrates the sheer variety of tropical flowers across the islands and is as fragrant as it is colourful. The Wall of Hope Ceremony – 4th of May and Great Allegoric Flower Parade – 5th of May are the two main days so try not to miss these.

8, 15, 22 and 29 June (weekends), 2019

Concerts, show, fireworks, street performances. There’s not a quiet moment in June as Madeira kicks off the summer season with a whole variety of different events folded into the Atlantic Festival. Every Saturday night the pier outside Pontinha hosts a dramatic music and fireworks show, musicians from around the world gather to play at the three-day Atlantic Roots Festival, there is a week dedicated to art and traditional saints festivals take place throughout the month.

25 August – 8 September, 2019

Treading grapes, folk singing and of course wine tasting is a huge part of this traditional festival. Every where you turn this week, you’ll have chance to to help celebrate the wine harvest. Local restaurants and bars hold events so it’s the perfect time to see which wines they match up with their local cuisine, There will be plenty of great souvenirs to be had and not just in the bottle form, the local artists show make the most of the crowds and show of all their handicrafts.

1-6 October 2019

Madeira is a dramatic, stunning and special place and this week the island really shows off what it has to offer. Everyone is encouraged to try out something new – hiking, climbing, canyoning, mountain biking, water sports and much more.There are also craft shows and markets showcasing regional gastronomy as well as traditional folk music events.

December and January in Madeira are marked by a huge set of festivities. Christmas decorations, street entertainment, a festive atmosphere and amazing fireworks make this season one of the region’s most memorable. Experience Madeira’s traditions and cultures with locals and watch the magnificent fireworks, recognised by Guinness World Records as one of the world’s biggest displays. This will definitely leave you with the most amazing memories.

Jet2holidays fly weekly during the summer to Madeira from Leeds Bradford and because of the islands incredible climate these flights continue throughout the winter.

Pop in and see us for more information about festivals in Madeira and let us arrange a holiday for you that makes the most what the island has to offer.

Hope to see you soon,

Helen x

Guest Blog – 72 Hours in Wroclaw, Poland 🇵🇱

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 15:37:00 GMT

Welcome to our Guest Blog written by our happy customer, Michael Clark.

We had visited Wroclaw briefly in 2016 on a tour with Leeds Festival Chorus when we had 8 hours in the town comprising a whirlwind walking tour, eating, rehearsing and singing, having travelled by coach the 70 miles from our hotel in Opole.

Thursday 26th April

In 2018 Ryanair began a new route direct from Leeds to Wroclaw and the recently opened Arundel Travel Agency in Otley provided a wide range of hotel options for our travel dates. We chose the bargain priced 4* hotel ‘Q Hotel Plus Wroclaw’ for bed and buffet breakfast.

The flight to Wroclaw left Leeds at 5pm. 2¼ hours in the air, one hour time change and a half hour car transfer to the hotel got us there around 9pm, just in time to get a starter and dessert at the trendy hotel restaurant, open 12 noon till 10pm. The price of food and drink in the hotel were very reasonable, a point noted later in the city generally. Reception were very helpful and a useful booklet called Wroclaw In Your Pocket, updated regularly and available free, told us everything needed for a brief city visit.

Friday 27th April

There is a regular airport bus to the centre of town but that may not be as useful in the evening as it only goes to the city centre and specific hotels would need finding on foot or with the frequent tram and bus services.

The weather was in our favour (80 degrees all weekend) so on Friday we got the tram towards the market square after breakfast. Trams from the hotel stop went to many destinations and ticket buying on the tram itself is very easy. Click the Union Jack logo, choose a single fare at 70p (or day pass at £2.50). You must use contactless Debit or Credit Card on the tram although tram-stop machines may also take cash. A screen message ‘set to go’ appears and apparently the card retains the ticket in its memory for inspection if required later – very up to date technology!

A passenger kindly advised us, after travelling about 6 stops, that if we wanted the Market Square and Town Hall we should get off, as the tram lines go round the central area in a loop not across it.

We wandered around the square, visited the tourist office, had a chocolate drink at one of the numerous cafe’s and investigated the whereabouts of a number of attractions we had seen in the guide.

We also encountered very quickly the ‘Gnomes’ that Wroclaw is famous for – because you literally stumble across them. These 30cm high bronze figures are everywhere and represent events or nearby traders. Ice cream eating, fire hose carrying, drinking, use of abacus, lifting cakes onto windowsills….. The tourist office has a map available showing the locations and names of 100 of these, but websites estimate 200 to 300. You could spend an afternoon ‘spotting’ them, a great game for families and adults alike.

They were not intended to be a tourist attraction but were a consequence of the political climate of the 1980’s when an underground protest movement called ‘Orange Alternative’ made play of the militia painting over anti-establishment graffiti or public art. The ‘Alternative’ began repainting these bare spaces almost before the paint dried, with illustrations of Gnomes and soon attendees of peaceful protest rallies dressed as such. Arrests of these people looking ridiculous made the news almost nightly and made the authorities look idiotic. The movement spread nationwide and once communism fell, the Dwarf became the symbol of Wroclaw and statuettes were commissioned by the City Council. The idea took off as many traders created and erected their own designs.

Refreshing cups of tea (ask for extra milk) and double waffle cone ice creams are readily available in cafe’s and ice cream parlours – so necessary in the heat.

We were recommended restaurants in a railway viaduct arch, only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Many bars and restaurants occupied these arches and outdoor space. We chose a kitchen cafe and were very pleased with the food. Prices were extremely low and after the meal we tried the local flavoured Vodka that Poland is famous for.

Saturday 28th April

Saturday a longer tram ride, changing in the city centre, got us to the Centennial Hall (a UNESCO site) together with the Zoo, Japanese Garden, Pergola Fountain and Four Dome Pavilion. An antiques market was outside and we paid to enter the hall and exhibition area to view and learn about the amazing history of the building. We sat in the cafe facing the fountain and walked round the beautiful gardens.

Returning a couple of stops along the tram line, we alighted at Cathedral Island (Ostrow Tumski). Although once an island, part of the waterways were filled in to reduce flooding and the Cathedral stands with its two towers giving a great view of the city – climb 40 steps to an elevator that takes you to the top. In front of the Cathedral is the district’s only restaurant, Lwia Brama2, which was the most expensive place we ate in all weekend but was worth it. Nicely presented and having a lovely street veranda where we sat to eat, drink and people watch. Evening visitors may encounter the Lamplighter who goes round this district in his cape and top hat at dusk, lighting 103 gas lamps 365 days a year.

A couple of tram stops beyond the hotel is a water tower, modelled on a medieval castle, completed in 1905 to serve the city water supply. The building was originally constructed to house the employees as well, and also had a lift, which for a fee, whisked people up the 63m tower for the view. It survived almost unscathed the ferocious shelling by the Russians in the Second World War and was converted to a bistro and restaurant after 1995, although the premises were overgrown when I called.

An evening stroll to the nearby Glowny railway station to find a Bistro, that turned out to have closed at 7pm, led us to the unusual and colourful building of the station building, once the largest in Europe. Behind the railway station was the contrasting modern bus station and shopping precinct, which apparently stays fully open until 11pm. An ice cream parlour right in the centre provided an evening treat.

Sunday 29th April

With bags stored at reception, we took another pair of trams to the relatively new Polish History Museum where the more recent history of Poland is represented by a timeline walk through the years 1939 to date. This museum had so many artefacts, display boards and video stories as well as restored memorabilia, that we were loosing concentration after an hour (2/3rds of the way round) and retired to the cafe to refresh. The warm weather deterred us from returning so we went back to the market square to soak up the sunny atmosphere before returning to the hotel and transfer to the airport.

The only low point of the weekend was the airport check in service. After a rather rapid taxi ride to the airport we were very early, but the large queue for three check in desks took 50 minutes to clear, negating our intention to have a relaxed meal in the airport restaurant before boarding.

This highly recommended break has much more to offer. The history of how Poland has been affected over centuries by invasions and border disputes is well worth researching. There are also many churches, a moat, Jewish quarter, the Hydropolis watertank discovery centre, assorted museums, over 100 bridges, street art, neon signs, a sky tower (tallest in Poland at 212m), lots of quaint back streets full of bars & restaurants of so many cultures, as well as plenty of shops. Nightlife is also extensively reported on in the In Your Pocket Guide.

Written by Michael Clark

Guest Blog – Picture Perfect Hvar, Croatia

Thu, 10 May 2018 15:14:00 GMT

A friend & customer of mine, Zoe, recently travelled to Croatia for a relaxing holiday with her boyfriend. Here’s her story….

My boyfriend and I travelled to beautiful Croatia in early October. As we flew over the crystal blue Adriatic waters coming into land we knew it wouldn’t take much for us to fall in love with the country. After an hour’s ferry transfer from Split harbour we arrived on the sunniest of the Croatian islands, Hvar.

While our cases were transferred to the hotel we ambled through the cobbled square and found somewhere to have a drink and something to eat. Everywhere we looked was a picture straight from a postcard. What we noticed straight away was how friendly and accommodating the local people are. Given we were there at the end of the season nobody was hustling us to eat at their restaurant; a polite “no thank you” was all that was required.

Just a quick 5 minute walk round the coastal path and we were back in Hvar Town.

We spent everyday by the pool which is certainly the Jewel of this hotels crown. It features a huge swimming area with a built in slide, infinity pool and waterfall as well as seating areas and a swim up bar. As the summer season had ended a lot of the island had closed down but it was easy is see what it had to offer. A 3 minute walk from the hotel and we discovered Hula Hula Beach Bar; the islands most famous bar where you can rent a bed on a jetty over the crystal clear sea while enjoying the music and atmosphere. Cape Diam is another beach club located in the heart of the main resort area; This one is favoured by Prince Harry. There are numerous excursions on offer to visit the Green and Blue coves; named after the colour of the waters there as well as hiring a day boat to discover more of the coast or even nearby islands as well as trips to the local vineyards where the very tasty Croatian Wine is made.

With so much more than a beautiful hotel on offer we will definitely be back to Hvar very soon….

My Favourite Places – Barbados

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:43:00 GMT

My Favourite Places – Costa Brava

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:38:00 GMT

My Favourite Places – Budapest

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:29:00 GMT

My Favourite Places – The Algarve

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:24:00 GMT

Georgia’s trip to the Big Apple 🍎

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 18:38:00 GMT

In August 2016, my family and I travelled to the Big Apple, also known as New York!

The moment I stepped off the plane, I knew that this would be one of the best trips of my life. It had always been on my bucket list to visit New York. I’d dreamt of walking down fifth avenue and peering into the designer boutiques and visiting the Empire State Building and this had all become reality.

The hotel we stayed in was on 5th Avenue. Justa short walk around the corner and we were in Times Square, with the bright lights, billboard signs and Broadway shows, Times Square is a must if you visit New York. There are lots of Broadway shows to see in New York. Whilst I was there, I saw School of Rock, it was amazing! The cast, costumes and set were incredible. I would definitely recommend seeing a show whilst there. Other popular shows include Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked.

I had a wonderful time on the Staten Island ferry which departs from Manhattan to Staten Island and lasts around 25 minutes. This is an excellent chance to get a picture of the breath-taking skyline and the best part…

… it’s absolutely free! Another ferry I would recommend Is the NYC ferry which costs a few dollars but is definitely worth it. The NYC ferry travels to different areas of New York such as Long Island and Brooklyn.

My favourite attractions that we visited were the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock and the One World Observatory. All of these featured incredible views. My favourite has to be Top of the Rock. We visited in the day time and had a clear view of the city. I overcame my fear of heights to go to all of these attractions and I can honestly say I am so glad I did. We visited the Empire State Building at night and it was so surreal to see the City of lights from above.

New York is fantastic for shopping. There are so many shops for all kinds of budgets. There’s the typical high street stores we have here in the UK such as Urban Outfitters, H&M and Superdry. Then there is the makeup shops such as Sephora (my favourite). There are a few different department stores in New York such as Macys, Barney’s and Bloomingdales. If you feel like treating yourself, why not take a stroll down 5Th avenue where all the designer stores are such as Valentino and Tiffany’s?

New York has so many amazing restaurants. Ellen’s Stardust Diner was fantastic as the staff sing Broadway songs in the restaurant. Another great food spot is John’s Pizzeria which is a restaurant in an old converted church.

Whether you want to visit New York for the lights, the skyline, the shopping or to visit the home alone 2 filming locations . It is definitely one of the most amazing cities in the world.

Thanks for reading, I hope I’ve inspired you

Georgia