Love and Happiness in St Lucia...

Hello Travel Friends!

Well I have a very exciting story to tell regarding my last trip.

My partner & I booked a weeks stay at Sandals La Toc in St Lucia for a week in June to celebrate my birthday.
Firstly, can I just say, I wasn't really someone that considered travelling to a Sandals property before, I thought it would be full of oldies (not that I don't like oldies of course!) I just didn't think it would suit my 24 year old self.
But I was so wrong!!! There were so many young (mainly American) couples here. So don't let this put you off.
The hotel was great, I thought some parts looked in need of some love, but it is currently undergoing a refurb anyway. It is a huge, sprawling resort with beautiful views over the Caribbean sea.
Food was great, room good with a nice size balcony and views of the sea, staff friendly and helpful, I just loved it...

Our hotel was about ten minutes away from the town of Castries, in the north west region.
We also made a trip into Soufriere while there, which was interesting! There wasn't a lot there, same with the other towns, so it isn't really somewhere for you to venture out and about.
We snorkelled in between the famous Pitons which was incredible. We were told that St Lucia is considered to be the only female island in the Caribbean due to the Pitons, I am sure you can figure out why!

We went to the sulphur springs too, now this place stinks like rotten egg but you get used to it after a while. Firstly you plunge your entire body in red hot volcano water, it is lovely though once you get over the initial heat! After this, you take handfuls of the sulphur mud stuff and cake your body with it. When covered, you stand in the sun to let it dry, very weird sensation. While we were drying, we were told by our tour guide that it is supposed to make you look ten years younger! Wasn't so sure about that but I must admit is was good for our sunburn and made my skin silky smooth. You then wash it all off in another hot tub. I'd so recommend doing this trip, it was fun!

St Lucia is a beautiful island, very green and we loved eating fresh fruit each morning which we knew would have been picked hours earlier, if not the day before. The vibe is chilled and relaxed, just how I'd imagine Jamaica to be! I'd recommend the island to couples, but families would also enjoy it - check out the Coconut Bay hotel in Vieux Fort!

But the part that made the holiday so special for me was that my boyfriend of 5 years proposed while we there! It truly was the happiest day of my life and St Lucia now holds a very special place in my heart, I can't wait to return.

Travelling Tips...

Good morning from sunny England.

The weather in my part of Kent is lovely today and has a great Spring vibe....my daffodils have flowered beautifully and I cannot wait for my upcoming holiday to Ibiza.....But more on that later...

Working in the travel industry, I frequently get asked the question of 'How can I get a free upgrade?'
To be honest, I think it is down to pure chance but there are ways on increasing your chances. I read a great little article from the Telegraph Travel about hints & tips: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9990046/How-to-get-an-airline-upgrade.html

So always remember to be polite, smartly dressed and become a member of airline loyalty schemes, they're free to join!

Happy Travelling xoxo

My latest travel adventure...

Hello Travelettes!

Long time with no posts, but I have recently embarked on a fabulous new journey with a premium brand tour operator. I started my new job last November and am loving the new opportunities, people and experiences.

I've learnt so much since starting, and I am too excited to go on my first holiday as part of my benefits package, I'm craving a luxurious all inclusive Caribbean getaway in July (once my probation is over-providing I pass of course!)

I thought I'd best update you on some HOT travel destinations for this year, they are high on my wishlist and are just oozing chicness!

1) Oman. Seriously check out the quality of the hotels there, something different for lovers of the Middle East. If you're fed up of Dubai & Abu Dhabi, give this little jem a try. Steeped in history & culture and yet unspoilt by commercialism, this is my number one hot pick for this year. Not too long a flight for the haters of long-haul, fly direct from heathrow with Oman Air.
My hotel hot pick here would have to be the Six Senses Zighy Bay on the Musandam Peninsula, the scenery here is so stunning it will truly take your breath away. Its like an authentic Omani Village and offers rooftop yoga & pilates - what a treat! Tip: book a beachfront pool villa which features a private gate with direct access to the beach, what could be more perfect than that?!

2) Vietnam's popularity is increasing so quickly, so for you travel lovers, get there soon. There are many places to visit here that you would not want to miss, so why not try an escorted tour or a multi-centre holliday? Halong bay is a must-do, so is Ho Chi Minh City, which you may know better as Saigon. Head 1000 miles south and you'll hit Hanoi, which boasts a spreading of parks, temples & pagodas. Tehn, get yourself to a beach for powder-soft white sand with palm trees and blue, blue sea.
Tour picks: 'Vietnam With A Difference' from Virgin Holidays is a 12 day tour covering Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang, Hoi An & Saigon. Price start from £1995 each and includes flights & mixed board.
Hotel picks: Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa in Danang for your beach break.

Somewhere that I am dying to see before getting old & settling down (babies!!) would be Bali, it would be my ideal honeymoon destination for its perfect mix of culture, sights & beaches. Ever since going to Thailand I am constantly researching the best beaches in the world, the finest sands & cleanest bays. I'd spend my days chilling on the beaches of Kuta, visit a Balinese cooking school and watch traditional dances in the village of Ubud. For anyone that read or watched 'Eat Pray Love' will remember Elizabeth's experience of Ubud, I've been desperate to go ever since.
So my number 3 has to be Bali. In my line of work I meet and speak to so many clients that have been and have loved it, my hotel choices would be between The Laguna in Nusa Dua & the W Retreat and Spa in Seminyak. Or, I'll just stay at both!

Let me know if you've been and experienced any of these places, I love hearing about your adventures too...

September Ski

September is a great time to book ski deals for this winter, so if you haven't started thinking about it yet, now is the time! Check your local agencies for the best offers, they deal with some of the biggest names in ski including Neilson, Crystal & Inghams to name a few.

For some, ski holidays are a complete grey area, but honestly, once you've tried it you will want to go every year after that.

The ski market for North America is really growing and have resorts to suit non-skiiers, families, first times and the experts.

Breckenridge, Colorado

Beginners will like the well-groomed, gentle slopes on offer – there are 55 blue runs and some good terrain parks so there are plenty of spots to practise and perfect technique.

For the experienced skiiers, Mammoth in California and Whistler in British Columbia are two real favourites in North America 

Mammoth:
This is heaven for any experienced skiier. The ridge at the Panorama Lookout has double diamonds (the most difficult run rating in the North American system) scattered across it, couloirs and chutes which open out into vast bowls, steeps and deeps. There’s a large system of high-speed lifts, so seasoned skiers keen to get the most out of each day will rarely have to wait in line.

Whistler:
Consistently ranked as the number one ski resort in North America by a whole range of expert publications, Whistler was the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic Games. There are over 100 runs, five terrain parks and a 22-foot halfpipe.

The snowfall in North America is more frequent than in the Alps so is well worth the extra travelling time and is less crowded which means less time queuing for ski lifts-result!

If you haven't thought of North America as an option for your next ski holiday (or your first ski holiday!) then definitely add it to the list. There is plenty of information in brochures, online and from travel agencies, so do your research and you will absolutely find a resort perfect for you!

Happy Skiing

xoxo

I may be a bit forgetful

Ok so its now been 7 months since my last post! Sorry!

I will get the hang of this soon.

So to continue from where I left you all in March, I had arrived in Koh Samui and totally fallen in love. Its a vibrant, lively island full of lush greenery and stunning white beaches. We stayed in Chaweng Beach which is the liveliest part of the island and we had a fabulous stay! Its full of bars, restaurants, beauty salons, street vendors and ladyboy shows, which you have to see....when in Rome and all that!

We also did a brilliant trip to the national marine park Ang Thong, this was probably one of my favourite days.

The park is made up of tiny islands with no human inhabitants, just full of wildlife and plants and the best beaches I've seen...

We did some kayaking and snorkelling plus a delicious lunch of thai Masaman curry was included too, bonus!

After all that we then hiked up God knows how many feet to a viewing point across the island and a beautiful green lagoon, the view was so worth the hard work of the hike in the scorching heat...

I would highly recommend this trip if you're in the area.

After spending some time in the east, we then travelled to the west of the country to Phuket for our ferry across to Koh Phi Phi. If you haven't heard of that island (by the way Koh in Thai is island) this is where Danny Boyle filmed 'The Beach' with Leonardo DiCaprio.

I was so excited to get there, its easily accessible from Phuket & Krabi by boat. We stayed in an awful guest house owned by a really old Thai man, there were 5 of us in one room with 2 double beds and one camp bed. The sheets were stained and the bathroom was basically just a room covered in tiles with a drain in the floor. Gross! But this island was my favourite place in the whole of Thailand. It has such a fun atmosphere, but there are no cars or motorbikes and I had been told that all the electricity on the island is run by a giant generator. Not sure if thats true or not but I like it :)

Koh Phi Phi Don is the larger island and is basically like 2 massive hills or small mountains with a beautiful bay connecting the two. We trekked halfway up one of these hills and watched the sunset whilst eating dinner. It was an amazing experience. You can also still see some of the devastation left behind by the tsunami of 2004. Its quite touching and there is a memorial walk you can do but we didn't have time. 

The streets were cobbled and narrow but full of shops, boutiques, eateries, beauty salons and tattoo shops. If you're brave enough, get a traditional Thai tattoo, I did and it really, really hurt!! Plus, the guy that did it was slugging brandy right before he began, but I thought it just added to the experience!

The photo above is from our trip to Koh Phi Phi Le where the film 'The Beach' was actually filmed, and the very sand we stood on was the beach where they filmed the shark attack scene amongst others. The longtail boats pictured are a classic postcard shot and I think they make most people think of Thailand.

It truly is an amazing island and a must see, you have to stay on Koh Phi Phi Don as Koh Phi Phi Le is very small, although you can stay in tents on the island for a night if you wish, but can't say this is my cup of tea!

We went to Bangkok after this but there is so much to say about the capital that I will have to dedicate another blog post to that alone!

Enjoy reading my Thai experience, I have plenty more to write about so keep checking :)

Happy Exploring xoxo

8 months since I last posted...

Ok, so I didn't keep up with this last year but will now. And I will start where I left off last summer.....

Thailand.

What can I say? The most beautiful, exciting and exhilarating country I have visited so far. There is so much to do and see around this absolute jewel in Asia.
My trip started at Heathrow with my two gorgeous friends. We boarded our Boeing to Bombay to start that dreaded long haul flight. The excitement was so overwhelming, beginning with the inflight entertainment system! What a God send that was. The food was terrible, thanks Jet Airways! Who would've thought you could be served curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner? After a brief stop in India (guards with guns and holes in the floor to use as toilets!) we headed for Bangkok!
The international airport there is stunning: so clean, easy to get around and plenty of travel desks so you can book internal flights/ferries/trains and so on. We met two more friends there who had just flown in from Chaing Mai. After attempting to book some flights down to Koh Samui with absolutely no luck (I would advise you book in advance, especially if you're trying to get down for the Full Moon Party), we headed for the central train station across the other side of the city.
My first shock of the trip came when we went to KFC to get something to eat, I couldn't stand the thought of another curry yet, and I sat down while my pals ordered their food. To my complete horror, a rat bolted through the restaurant and in to the kitchen where dinner was being cooked!!! Needless to say, I didn't order a single thing. My friends still ate theirs though, yuck!!
We booked a train and ferry trip to get us down to Koh Samui. It was a sleeper train that took 7 hours to Chumphon, then a three hour ferry to take us to Samui, which was to be our home for the next 5 days. The train was such a fun journey, even though we had been awake for about 40 hours, we were still singing and laughing, joining in with banter from some drunk lads from Melbourne, Australia. The highlight of the train ride had to be the bathroom: a metal floor with a simple hole, which you had to crouch over to pee in, with no toilet roll, just a mini shower head to 'rinse' with. What a culture shock! And not ideal when I had travelling in my floral Palazzo pants!
After arriving in Chumphon, we were welcomed with a chaotic organisation system to get us to the port to catch the ferry. We were put on what I would describe as a giant truck, and our backpacks were just chucked on the top. We were all hoping our bags wouldn't fall on the road, they drive like maniacs out there.
A short time later and we were on the ferry, we had now been awake for over 48 hours, and it was scorching! None of us had any sun lotion on us as it was still in our backpacks from the flight, so we got a wee bit burnt. As we were some of the last ones to board, we had to lay on the top deck floor, crammed in like sardines, nonetheless all part of this fantastic adventure we had just started.
Eventually, after unloading endless tourists at the three islands of Koh Nangyuan, Koh Tao and Koh Phangnan, we had finally docked in Koh Samui. And it was love at first sight...

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