07 June 2019

Hong Kong is an amazing place for a stopover en route to many destinations. Three nights in Hong Kong, recovering from a long flight from Heathrow. The hotel I would suggest is the wonderful Mandarin Oriental. With advance bookings deals are more likely for great pricing and possible free upgrades. I would recommend a harbour view room. The rooms are large enough for a family with one large double bed and a very comfortable sofa bed for a teenager, with a picture window floor to ceiling of Hong Kong harbour. The bathrooms can only be described as oversized with a separate shower and large bath. Breakfast is buffet style and catered for every style of food from oriental to western. I would recommend that any stay in Hong Kong starts with a Big Red Bus Tour, one that is valid for 48 hours is a good purchase. This bus tour allows you to get on and off anywhere you want to give you time to fully explore this exciting city. You can also purchase a night-time tour taking in all the sights experiencing the amazing night show of neon lights that is Hong Kong – highly recommended. If your time is short in Hong Kong, then please consider a tour that only takes a couple of hours, but this tour should include a ride to ‘The Peak’. This is an iconic landmark with a viewing terrace overlooking the whole of Hong Kong. The peak can be accessed by tram which is an unforgettable experience. It is the world’s oldest and most famous funicular railway and rises to 396 metres. A must is experiencing the markets with the most amazing street food, markets selling fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers, there is a market for almost everything in Hong Kong. If designer labels are your thing then Hong Kong is the place for you but take plenty of spending money! The Star Ferry travels between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, this journey offers spectacular views of the towering skyscrapers and the jungle clad hills of Hong Kong Island. Make sure that you have your cameras ready. This journey can also be enjoyed at night. A visit to Stanley on the southern coat of the island is part of the Big Red Bus tour. It is a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is famous for its market, offering reasonably priced clothes as well as tourist tat. It looks a little ramshackle but don’t let that put you off. We did not have enough time but hope to return one day to explore the things that we missed.

05 June 2019

Don’t stop travelling overseas just because you now have children and what’s more, you still want great accommodation, great facilities and a little time for yourselves. Great kids’ entertainment and supervision such as children clubs can be important, as well as facilities for them onsite. Plus, top tips on how to avoid the having a stressful journey with the kids. 1. Pace yourself. Go with the flow and don’t plan to much. Build in rest days and be realistic about what you might see and do. 2. Travel is great for broadening the mind, even if you’re a six-year-old. Start by getting your little ones prepared for their holiday. Read a guide book to them or show them videos of what you plan to do. This will get them excited and have something to look forward to. Encourage them to keep a holiday journal, collect photos, ticket stubs and draw pictures of what they have seen and record new words they may have learned along the way, and give things a try. 3. Research and prepare a “things to do and places to go if the weather isn’t great” list. This is particularly good if travelling out of season. 4. If possible check in online as knowing you are sat together will give you piece of mind and you can often turn up a little later to airport if you have checked in, leaving less time to entertain your child before boarding. Do remember a lot of airline now charge for seats if you wish to select more than 24 hours before flying. 5. Choose a hotel that caters for children. Kids clubs can give parents a break but make sure you check the age requirements and if its only ran specific times of the year. 6. Taking a buggy or pram, even if your child is now walking, can be handy as they can double up as places to rest from the heat or if up a little later than usual to rest. 7. Check the hand luggage restrictions before travelling, what you are permitted to take liquids, gels and creams, which will more than likely include milk and nappy cream for example. Make sure they have been stored in a specific way and not carried over a certain quantity. 8. Requesting a ground floor room if available is often a good idea many rooms lead onto gardens giving extra play areas. 9. When flying it’s helpful to have something such as a boiled sweet to suck for take-off and a drink for landing. Make sure you have plenty of ways to entertain your little one such as crayons, books and their favourite toy or an I pad. 10. If you book with me I can do most of these thing for you.

05 June 2019

I take great pride in what I am booking for my customers. I am not on a salary so all the time I spend on people’s enquiries is my own time. I work on commission from suppliers when customers book, so you are assured that I will want to find you the best holiday to suit your requirements. Chances are I am the same price as most operators and I often package the holiday myself to get the best deal. It just means I take care of it for you and you get the service I offer with it. This is my own business and I pride myself on the service I offer my customers and always being here for them. I love arranging my customers holidays and helping those who truly value the service I offer and understand the time and care I put in to finding them the right holiday. I may sometimes be more than online, but this is not a like for like holiday, it's a transaction and nothing more and I think I am worth that little more for that peace of mind, my knowledge, my care, my time and my contacts. Sometimes we all need to bet on ourselves and not undervalue our worth. Every booking I make, that customer is supporting me, my family and my dream rather than supporting an online big supplier who will never show gratitude that your booking means something to them. If you would like me to help arrange your next holiday, please contact me on 01295 880029 or charlotte.cole@travelcounsellors.com www.travelcounsellors.com/charlotte.cole Please like my page www.facebook.com/CharlottecoleTravelcounsellors

04 June 2019

“The Palm Islands” are the largest man-made islands in the world and often called the 8th wonder of the world. They take the shape of a date palm and can be seen from space. They are 3 artificial islands joined together. If you stay at Atlantis the palm, you get complimentary access to Aquaventure, the most fantastic water park in Dubai. With a lazy river to the terrifying Tower of Neptune. My daughters favourite water park ever. If you choose to stay in an underwater suite, you will wake up to the sharks and stingrays in your room! There are 65,000 marine animals all who are well looked after in the enormous Atlantis Aquarium and given plenty of fresh food. For a luxurious, relaxed retreat from the city, the One & Only The Palm ticks all the boxes. With a light, airy, Mediterranean feel, the hotel has exceptional levels of service in a city which aims to exceed expectations. It was rated “No1 in the Middle East and Africa” by Conde Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards. It has that relaxing feeling of being on your own private island. Dubai Marina is only a hop away in the hotel’s boat for when you want to explore the rest of Dubai. Jumeirah Zabeel Saray the amazing Spa – it has won a multitude of awards, and with 42 treatment rooms, eight hydrotherapy rooms, steam rooms, saunas, snow rooms, floating baths and two thalassotherapy pools, you’ll discover lots of ways to treat yourself. The vast variety of dining options here is impressive too – chill out at the beach front Plaj during the day; meet for cocktails at the ultra-chic Voda Bar before choosing from Indian, Lebanese, Turkish, fantastic steaks in the Rib Room or the lavish French Brasserie which is the hotel’s main dining room. There are plenty more reasons to base yourself on the “Palm” when visiting Dubai, I’d be happy to make lots of suggestions and tailor a trip to suit you.

04 June 2019

The range of world-class scenic thrills and cultural attractions in the Caribbean is extraordinary! Jamaica There is so much to do other than laying on a beach dance and sip cocktails. Ricks café has picturesque sunset views overlooking the cliff in Negril, whilst sipping a cocktail or 2 or 3. Dunns River is a stone’s throw from Ocho Rios the waterfalls and natural springs. Makes it one of the most beautiful places in Jamaica. Bob Marley’s house (also known as Bob Marley Museum) which was once his home. You can have a fully guided tour where you walk in what was his living space. Go diving in the Cayman Islands! Slip under the waves and discover a second, gorgeous Caribbean. Vivid corals bloom in an enchanted garden teeming with silver fish and sunbeams highlight the beautiful colours from above. There are 365 dive sites including the wreck of the USS Kittiwake and Bloody Bay Wall where vertical drop offs plunge to 6,000ft. Antigua Shirley Heights is a restored military lookout and gun battery. The Lookout offers the best view in Antigua. From the high point there is a beautiful view at sunset and early evening when all of English Harbour is all lit up, it’s so pretty. The name English Harbour came from being a former British navy base. Take a catamaran cruise from English Harbour and see the beautiful views of the country. Dance the night away in Cuba! Cuba is the destination for rum, music, dancing and smoking cigars. You can hear music wherever you go. Salsa, bolero, jazz, rumba, chachacha - the mood can be soulful or vibrant, but the people are very friendly and will happily let you join in! Sail away in the British Virgin Islands With calm waters, reliable winds, sheltered bays and over 50 small islands, the BVI's are the perfect natural arena for a sailing holiday. Drink rum in Barbados! Take a trip on Friday night to Oistinsm, then go to St Lawrence Gap or Harbour Lights for some live music and karaoke, with many rum shops on every street or corner. Brightly painted, by day they act as a combined bar, convenience store and community centre. By night, sit with the locals and chill to soca and calypso music!