26 October 2014

In July of this year my partner and I headed off for a few days to London for a city beak and we had a fantastic time! I had always heard so much about London and it was a city I was asked a lot about it so I was delighted to be able to experience it for myself first-hand. We flew into London Heathrow on a great service provided by BA and then took the Heathrow Express straight from the terminal to Paddington Station. It really could not have been easier! Our hotel for the 3 nights was the Holiday Inn Oxford Circus, which is just off Oxford Street the biggest shopping street in London. We found it to be a great location as we could walk to lots of places and then of course the underground, once you have got the hang of it, will have you around this huge city in minutes. The Holiday Inn Oxford Circus is a nice hotel with friendly staff, rooms are small but it was what I expected. Even though we were only there for a few days we did manage to take in a huge amount of the main sites such as Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Tower of London, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, London Aquarium, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Houses of Parliament, Regents Park, Thames Cruise, Madame Tussauds and of course a trip to London would not be complete with a visit to the West End to see a show. We went to see "The Commitments" and it was brilliant! I highly recommend it. London is not cheap and I think lots of planning is definitely advisable before you go to make sure you get to fit in as many of the fantastic attractions this busy city has to offer. After being in London for a few days I now feel I could confidently advise people on the best areas to stay in, hotels in which areas, shows to see etc Would I return? Possibly when our boys are a bit older and they can truly appreciate all the attractions. For now there are lots more cities to tick off my bucket list :)

25 April 2014

Myself, my partner and our 2 little boys spent our first family holiday together in Lake Garda in September 2013 and I really do not think I could have picked a more beautiful destination than Lake Garda. We flew from Dublin to Verona and the flight was less than 2 and half hours and I can now see exactly why families with young kids always look for a short flight. When we arrived in Verona airport I had pre-booked a private transfer to take us to Peschiera del Garda. This transfer took us less than 15 minutes which again I think is a great advantage when travelling with young kids. We arrived at our destination, Camping del Garda where we were staying in a Vivaldi 3 bedroom mobile home. This was my first time to experience an Al Fresco holiday and I have to say we really enjoyed it. The mobile had 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen area, a lovely decking area and a BBQ with everything you could need. Camping del Garda is in ideal location less than 10 minutes’ walk to a great supermarket and approx. 15 minutes’ walk into the beautiful resort of Peschiera del Garda. Here you can wander around the streets with lovely cafes, restaurants and plenty of ice cream shops. It is a very laid back resort but we really loved it and I would highly recommend it for families and couples. The weather in September was good for young kids; sunny with temperatures in the mid 20's so perfect as I did find we did a huge amount of walking on this holiday. Approx. 15 minutes’ walk again from Camping del Garda you will reach the train station where you can get trains to Verona, Milan and Venice. We spent one day in Verona and it is a city I would love to return to. It is a gorgeous city and we got to see the Amphitheathre where they do open air operas. We also got to wander through the many streets again with beautiful restaurants and cafes. The train took approx. 20 minutes and cost approx. €5 per person so very good value. There are frequent trains to Verona and also to Venice. From the train station you can pick up the free bus to Gardaland which is a fantastic theme park for families less than 15 minutes’ drive away. Gardaland is well worth a visit and even with our kids being so young they still had a super day there. Other family attractions are a waterpark and aquarium. What else can I say about Camping del Garda itself only that we loved it! The choices of pools, restaurants and bar area were perfect for our needs; there was a kid’s playground to keep the little ones happy too. There is also a sandy beach here right by the lake so again I found that a great advantage. I walked one day from Camping del Garda around the lake to where Bella Italia is located which is another really popular campsite. This again is in a fantastic location and I would recommend this site more for families with older kids. Camping del Garda is great for families with young kids. You can also take boats from the harbour in Peschiera which will bring you to many other stunning resorts on the lake such as Malcesine, Riva and Sirimone. This is definitely a must but unfortunately something I didn't get to do. We spent 7 days here and I feel that 10 days would have been just perfect. Before we went on this holiday I would not really have actively recommended Lake Garda as a family destination but now I always recommend it to families and couples who are looking for something a little different to your typical Spain and Portugal options. I loved the freedom of sitting outside on our huge decking and not having to worry about balconies with kids etc. it is a very relaxed laid back holiday and suited our needs perfectly. If you would like more information on Lake Garda or Verona please let me know and I will try my very best to help you out.

23 April 2014

Cyprus - Birthplace of Aphrodite and how lucky was I to have spent 2 fantastic years living here and working a dream job as a Wedding Coordinator. I moved to Cyprus in Feb 2010 and started working in April as a Wedding Coordinator based in Limassol. What a fantastic job and the Cypriots really know how to do it well when it comes to Weddings! The Cypriots are so like the Irish and they love a good party. I did not work for any particular hotel so I was fortunate to get to see so many fantastic venues. Hotels in Limassol I worked in include; The Le Meridien Resort and Spa, Elias Beach Hotel, Mediterranean Hotel, Four Seasons to name just a few. Nothing can describe that moment when all my hard work came together and I saw the happy couples walking down the aisle and knowing that I played a huge part in making their day so special. During my second season working as a Wedding Coordinator I was based on the east coast so I organised weddings in Ayia Napa and Protaras. Firstly let me say for anyone who might be put off at the idea of a wedding in Ayia Napa, because they feel it is too lively, please don’t be. You will be so surprised when you get there at how fantastic it is and how amazing the wedding venues are. The beaches on the east coast are stunning and a trip to Nissi Beach is a must for anyone who is visiting Cyprus. Hotels in the Ayia Napa/Protaras area include The Grecian Park, Adams Beach, Capo Bay, Sunrise Hotel, Aeneas Hotel, Nissi Beach Resort, Vrissianna Hotel again to name just a few, but apart from the hotels you can also get married in some beautiful venues by the sea or of course there are options to get married in the Catholic Church. Choices for your reception venues are plentiful and I have been so fortunate to have worked with some classy restaurants such as Ahrontiko- a fantastic traditional Taverna hidden away and once discovered you will be so amazed, Nissiotis - beautiful sea front restaurant in Protaras with the most amazing views and yummy food! Another option I loved is the Garden of Eden just outside of Ayia Napa. Here you can have your civil Ceremony and also your reception and fun, fun, fun is guaranteed here where Andreas, Jackie and all the staff are sure to look after you. Another fantastic option in Limassol for your reception if you wanted to get out of your hotel is Terra Mare. The food here is to die for and Mamas the owner could honestly never do enough for you. Another option if you wanted something completely different for your reception or even if you just wanted a few hours of a drinks reception is to hire a Catamaran and set sail with all your guest for a fantastic few hours with the most amazing views. It doesn’t get any better than this and honestly something you can say you definitely wouldn’t be able to do at your wedding in Ireland! I organised everything when it came to the wedding. From paperwork, flowers, photographer, wedding cake, hair and make-up, wedding car, horse and carriage, catamaran boat hire, stationery, decoration of venue and so much more! It can all be done in Cyprus and usually at a much cheaper price than what you pay at home. Paperwork is very easily arranged and I think that is one comment nearly all my couples made was how easy it is to get married in Cyprus. They really do not make it difficult and you will be overwhelmed at how friendly and helpful you will find everybody in Cyprus. So if the thought of a Wedding in Ireland is to stressful worrying about the weather etc. I would definitely recommend thinking about Cyprus. It has everything you could wish for and more. Good weather, fantastic food, great atmosphere and most importantly people who care about your big day and know how special it is to you and your family. Please contact me for any further information on Weddings in Cyprus! I think you can see from this journal just how passionate I am about Cyprus and how much I loved it there. I have first-hand knowledge and I would be delighted to help make your dream day come true.

19 April 2014

On the 6th of March 2014 I met with fellow travel agents in Dublin Airport who were to be my buddies on the trip. This was a fantastic opportunity for me to experience business class on an Emirates flight first hand and all I can say is wow! The service, food, lie down flat bed, entertainment and staff were just second to none and was a fantastic start to an amazing trip. We flew Dublin to Dubai and then Dubai onto Mauritius. The welcome we received as soon as we landed in Mauritius was to set the tone for the whole trip as the people really could not have been friendlier and more welcoming. After a very short transfer of about 10 minutes we arrived at our first hotel which was the Shandrani Resort, a beautiful all inclusive hotel with fantastic food and pool area. There are two beaches here and it is a great place to go snorkelling; it is a beautiful resort and very popular with honeymooners and families. The next day we travelled to our next destinations which was the Paradis and Dina Robin Hotels. This is a fantastic resort with two hotels just a buggy drive away from each other and the great thing is you have the facilities of both resorts. I thought this was excellent as it gives you such a variety when it comes to restaurants, pool areas and beaches. The first thing that struck me about the Paradis was the size of the rooms and the bathrooms! They are huge and it really is a beautiful 5* resort which I would highly recommend. Paradis would have more going on around the pool area whereas the Dina Robin, which we went to visit, was more relaxing and chilled out. Such a lovely combination as you really have the best of both worlds! The Dina Robin was so luxurious and we had a gorgeous lunch in their fish restaurant on the beach. We were also fortunate to experience the spa in the Paradis where I had a massage and it was just such a beautiful and relaxing experience. I really think the highlight of my stay at Paradis though was to follow that evening when we went for dinner and were brought by boat from an area of the resort to the Mauritian restaurant. I felt this was so romantic and would be a beautiful touch for honeymooners. Dinner was followed by a local “Sega Dancing” show which was lovely to experience and then a DJ on the beach. The following day we travelled further up the coast and visited another two hotels called Le Cannonier and Le Maurisia. Again you can inter-dine between these two hotels but there is no shuttle bus between them so you could organise a taxi locally. Le Maurisia is in Grand Baie so a great option for people who like to be close to a resort with nightlife and shopping. We had a few hours free to do some shopping in Grand Baie on Sunset Boulevard. From there we made our way to Le Victoria where we stayed for the night This is a 4* resort but still really beautiful with an amazing beach and excellent food. Our last hotel of our trip was the amazing 5* Trou Aux Biches Hotel which I really think was my favourite! I had a room with a private plunge pool overlooking the beach. Again the food, service and rooms are just fantastic here and I loved the fact that you are not too far from Grand Baie if you fancied a night out. Our last morning was spent on a catamaran cruise sailing from Grand Baie and is something I would definitely recommend. Overall I was so impressed with Mauritius and really would have no problem in recommending it to my honeymoon couples, families who are looking for something a little bit different and also golfers as the golf course in the Paradis is second to none. If you would like any more info you know where I am!