ENGLISH MUM

Five great spots for UK wildlife holidays with kids

Britain is a paradise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.  From the verdant Lee Valley to the Arctic peaks of the Cairngorms and the volcanic moors of Lundy Island, there is a vast range of natural habitats which can easily be accessed by families, with great kids holidays practically on the doorstep wherever you may happen to live in the UK. Here’s a brief look at just a few of them to whet the appetite and encourage families with smaller kids to explore the unrivalled riches of these remarkable islands.

Cirencester for beavers

Wild beavers disappeared from Britain several hundred years ago, back in the reign of Henry VII, and it is only recently that they have begun to come back.  A reintroduction programme has finally begun to bear fruit and on the Lower Mill Estate here in Cirencester the very first kits were born for the first time in five centuries, in 2008.  There are several different types of waterside accommodation on offer for visitors to watch these remarkable animals mess about in their lodges out on the lake.  Both beavers and humans have free access across the 550-acre estate.

Reptiles in the New Forest

The New Forest, once the exclusive preserve of monstrously spoilt royalty, is now one of the UK’s newest national parks and is home especially to many different species of native reptiles.  These include the very rare sand lizard, harmless smooth snake and the only poisonous snake in these islands, the Adder. Located close to Lyndhurst, the New Forest Reptile Centre is home to numerous reptiles and amphibians, and after a visit here you can get out into the field and onto the exciting Reptile Trail.  This is a one-mile trek through the woodland park, keeping a sharp lookout for tell-tale movements in the undergrowth. If you come on a warm day you can hire a bike to explore the centre as it’s on the New Forest’s cycle network

Seals off Anglesey

Although as a wildlife-spotting destination Anglesey in Wales doesn’t have quite the ring of Alaska about it, there’s plenty of wild flora and fauna to admire even if it’s not on a par with watching humpback whales spout in front of icebergs.  Visitors here can opt to put up at a beautifully restored 18th century Windmill located on the eastern side of the island, set plumb in the middle of an area of outstanding natural beauty.  There are magnificent views from its upper panoramic windows from the living quarters on the top floor, to spot seals cavorting around in the waters below against a breathtaking backdrop that stretches from the Menai Straits and Isle of Man to Snowdonia and Beaumaris.

Bats in County Fermanagh

On the Crom Estate in County Fermanagh bat enthusiasts can see eight species of these furry little wonders literally hanging around in the rafters.  There are organised night-time excursions around the estate, led by an expert guide who will point out the finer differences between the lesser horseshoe and soprano pipistrelle varieties, just to start with.  You can also spot pine martens when it gets light.

Whales off St David’s

Sailing out from St David’s on the coast of Pembrokeshire is the best way to see whales in the UK.  There are also regular sightings of porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks and even the odd minke and orca whales in these waters.  The best accommodation is a tent, as there are several excellent campsites around the town and the weather is friendly throughout most of the year.

David Elliott is a freelance writer who loves to travel, especially in Europe and Turkey.  He’s spent most of his adult life in a state of restless excitement but recently decided to settle in North London.  He gets away whenever he can to immerse himself in foreign cultures and lap up the history of great cities.

Templar treasure: a luxe short break at the Château Saint-Martin on the Côte d’Azur

The path down to the pool

So I started to tell you a little about the Chateau Saint-Martin when I reviewed their beautiful two Michelin star restaurant, Le Saint-Martin. But there’s so much more to this place than the fabulous food.

Wine tasting in the cellar

View of the Chateau from one of the villas

A 30 minute drive through beautiful scenery from Nice Airport, the Chateau nestles atop a hillside overlooking the French Riviera and is surrounded by 35 acres of gardens, including 300 ancient olive trees (they make their own estate olive oil), tennis courts and a fabulous swimming pool. The ancient ruins, preserved by the Chateau, date back to Roman times, and were once home to the Knights Templar.

Transformed into a luxury hotel by the Oetker family (yes, the pizza ones – they also own the famous Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the Cap d’Antibes and Le Bristol in Paris) the Chateau has 51 luxurious suites and six sumptuous private villas, all available to hire. Staff are discrete and attentive – there’s not a hint of haughty Parisian-type service here.

As well as Le Saint-Martin, the Chateau has a Mediterranean restaurant, La Rosticceria (with shutters open over the most spectacular view of the Riviera) and a summer grill outside in the gardens called L’Oliveraie.

The Chateau boasts a pretty amazing wine list. We were lucky enough to experience a wine tasting in the cellar with the Sommelier, who was far too discrete to answer my questions about the most expensive bottle of wine. The website does hint that the cellar offers ‘some of the world’s most exclusive vintages’ and I certainly spotted some boxes of Petrus and Chateau Lafite Rothschild amongst the dusty bottles on the shelves.

The Spa

The gorgeous spa, taking up two floors on one corner of the Chateau, offers a huge array of treatments featuring La Prairie and Bamford Body products.  I opted for a La Prairie facial and it really was delicious.  Delivered in a futuristic-looking treatment room with customisable coloured lighting (green for revitalising, blue for relaxing) I’m pretty sure I fell asleep, and wafted out afterwards on a heavenly scented cloud, heavy limbed and relaxed with skin that was plumped and glowing.  I was given a sizeable collection of La Prairie product samples to try at home too (I can’t bring myself to use them).

The cobbled streets of Saint Paul de Vence

Vence and Saint Paul de Vence

A short drive away in one of the Chateau’s Mercedes limousines (with a driver straight off a Gaultier advert), is Vence - a lovely little town and well worth a visit.  Queue up for fresh baguettes, warm out of the oven, sit and sip a glass of rosé and watch the world go by, or pick up some gorgeous Provençal tableware in the little shops.

Nearby is the pretty, fortified town of Saint Paul de Vence.  It’s a lovely place to sip a café au lait and watch  the locals play boules, then take a wander up the stone streets and mooch around the galleries and tiny shops, all pretty much unchanged since Picasso and Matisse trod the same cobbles.  Take time to visit the little cemetery perched overlooking the Mediterranean, where Chagall is buried, and follow the meandering streets to a little chapel overlooking the town.  We also snuck a quick look inside the legendary La Colombe D’Or hotel – a great place to star spot, but notoriously difficult to bag a table in the restaurant.

Le Fondation Maeght

The Maeght Foundation is a private art gallery located at Saint Paul de Vence and is a must-see if you’re in the area. Visitors can wander the gardens and view paintings, sculptures and ceramics by artists such as Bonard, Chagall and Giacometti (my favourite is Giacometti’s ‘Dog’, said to have been created by him after getting caught in the rain) and many contemporary pieces too. There are often special exhibitions at the Foundation, which is open every day.

Giacometti’s ‘Dog’

We returned refreshed and relaxed – even our ridiculous delay at Nice airport couldn’t take the shine off, and I’ll be returning as soon as I can.  Not a budget option, admittedly, but three glorious days at Chateau Saint-Martin was as relaxing and pampering as two weeks in the Caribbean, and just an hour away from the UK.

The Knights Templar may have long gone, but they left all their treasure behind.

Green travel: slow holidays

Pic: (c) Inntravel

So you’ve heard of slow food, right?  Slow food is all about eating fresh, local, sustainable food – thinking about what you eat and how your choices affect the environment and support farmers and businesses.  It’s a great way to shop and eat, and it’s rewarding too – knowing that you’re eating thoughtfully, and making a difference.

But have you ever thought of applying similar rules to how you holiday?  We jet off to foreign climes, race around theme parks and whizz around on jet skis (and yes, as a frequent traveller I certainly have guilt about my own carbon footprint), but it’s not just about the environment – how about considering a slower holiday?

Cycling holidays

Cycling is a wonderful way to really immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of your holiday destination.  Many holiday companies will arrange for decent bikes to be available on arrival, and will either provide a guide, or plan routes and provide maps so you can make your own way around, arranging for manageable rides between hotels (you can choose how far and how challenging the ride will be – perfect if you’re travelling with kids), and transferring your luggage along the way, meaning that you can travel at your own page.  Routes are well thought out and stick to quieter roads and country lanes wherever possible.

I love the idea of cycling around the Loire Valley, taking in vineyards  (with a little wine tasting thrown in, obviously) and châteaux along the way (try Inntravel for cycling holidays like this).

Walking holidays

If you imagine a walking holiday to be a nightmarish daily trudge from one hotel to another, you’re quite a way away from the reality.  Walks are planned for you in advance, with routes and maps provided, and again you can choose the level of walk you’re comfortable with.  Centred walking holidays focus on one or two base hotels, with planned walks of different grades provided from your base location(s) so you can explore the local area.  In Croatia (an area I’ve always wanted to visit), you can explore the Dalmatian coast with walks that take in Croatia’s beautiful olive groves and medieval towns, as well as plenty of time to relax by the sea.

As you can see, I’m not suggesting that we all give up flying.  I know that’s never going to happen, but cycling and walking holidays can be a fabulous way to really slow things down once you reach your destination, take it easy and soak up more of the area you’re visiting.

Panty liners, poodles and hurdling toddlers… Keeping it classy in the Côte d’Azur

This week I’ve been in the Côte d’Azur, at possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever stayed.  Whilst there, you’ll be pleased to hear that I had several epic adventures including:

Seeing more tiny teacup dogs than I ever thought possible, and feeling the need to say ‘Monsieur, I need to poop!’ Each time in the style of ‘What Women Want’.

Replying to a French shopkeeper in my schoolgirl French, and somehow giving them the impression that I’m fluent in the language, then not understanding a word they said to me and having to nod dumbly as they chatted away happily.

Walking down the marble stairs to reception before my spa treatment in my robe and flip-flops, enjoying the fact that each flip-flopped step was making the most incredibly loud echoey slapping sound, before realising that all eyes in reception were turned towards me.

Reaching into my bag, grabbing my phone and putting it on the table at dinner, not realising that there was, in fact, a panty liner stuck to it. The waiter continued to pour the wine with classic French charm.

Giggling inappropriately about the VERY attractive driver like teenagers in the back of our chauffeur driven Mercedes.

Bursting into a spontaneous version of ‘we’re knights of the round table, we dance whenever able’ after being told that the chateau was once occupied by the Knights Templar. Then feeling slightly stupid.

Yoga on the lawn at the Chateau, taught by a rather stern Eastern European lady who told us that ‘zere vill be no talking during ze yoga’ and proceeded to torture us with the most punishing set of exercises I’ve ever done, including lying flat whist holding our straight legs up in the air for two minutes (try it).  All of us reported back the next day with stories of being in so much pain that sneezing was agony.  I myself nearly cried trying to lie down in the bath, such was the pain in my abs.

Conducting a ridiculous ‘catch the pigeon’ comedy caper through Nice Airport after our easyJet flight was cancelled and we were told it was first come first served at the easyJet desk for remaining spaces on the one other flight that day.  This involved the entire passenger list racing around the airport to get to the desk to bag the seats.  My favourite moments included: all of us going the wrong way and coming to a locked door then having to reverse up, one man actually hurdling a small child, and one lady being completely taken out by an elderly French lady and her suspiciously fit walking stick-toting husband, who then limboed under all the barriers and elbowed their way to the front of the queue. I laughed so much I was nearly sick.

Driving home from Gatwick at midnight with the windows open, singing along to ‘In the Air Tonight’ with Phil Collins on Heart FM trying desperately to keep myself awake (I have a mortal fear of falling asleep at the wheel and killing someone).

English Mum. Embarrassing herself since 2006 (and well beyond) so you don’t have to.

(By the way, more gorgeous pictures, incredible 2 Michelin starred food and beautiful little French towns to follow shortly).

Guest post: family fun in Sorrento

The town of Sorrento lies on a peninsula just north of Italy’s sparkling Amalfi coast, and makes a beautiful backdrop to a family holiday in the sun.  All the traditional Italian charm, historic sites and scented citrus groves will please the adults, while kids will love exploring the region by boat and train, discovering the story of Pompeii and sampling the local gelato.  Here’s a brief guide to the best things to do with the kids while you’re here.

Orientation around the idyllic medieval streets, palazzos and churches is infinitely more fun for the kids if you take the white train around the town.  You can listen to an audio tour and let them enjoy riding behind the ‘engine’.  The beautiful harbour areas of Marina Grande and Marina Piccola are perfect for escaping the centre and resemble an old fishing village, with small cove-like beaches where the children can scramble around looking for shells, while you relax on the sunbathing piers.

Take a leisurely stroll to the Villa Comunale Park and you’ll find the perfect spot for a family picnic, complete with shaded areas, fragrant tropical flowers and prize views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.  Don’t miss a chance to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum while staying in Sorrento: older children in particular will marvel at the real-life stories of people who were buried here by the falling ash from Mount Vesuvius, nearly 2000 years ago.

One of the most popular outings after Pompeii is the scenic bus ride along the Amalfi coast, taking in the sights of one of Europe’s best-loved coastlines.  Great for all ages, it’s perhaps best-avoided if your little ones get travel sick, although there are other fun ways to see the best of the countryside.  Kids will love taking a boat out around the marina, or heading for the Isle of Capri by ferry.  With the Grotto Azzurra, or Blue Cave to explore, and the 450-foot ride up to the clifftop cafés via funicular railway, the island makes an enjoyable day trip.

There are plenty of tour companies which cater for family holidays in Sorrento, from kids’ activity programmes to family-friendly hotels, restaurants and great pool facilities, making the town an ideal base for exploring the nearby surroundings.  A warm, breezy climate, stunning nature and lots of brilliant days out, this Italian resort has all the makings of a holiday that everyone will remember for years to come.

Giveaway: win one of two £200 Wimdu accommodation vouchers!

Every so often someone comes up with an idea that’s just so brilliant, I’m amazed I haven’t heard of it before.  Wimdu is one of those things.  It’s a website (or ‘accommodation platform’ to use the technical term)  that brings travellers together with people around the world who have accommodation.  It’s not small, either.  They currently list over 150,000 properties in over 50 countries around the world.

So what do they offer?  I asked Wimdu’s lovely Joshua Goodwin to tell us more about it:

‘We offer a range of accommodation. Anything from a small private room in a Berliner’s flat to a villa in rural Spain.   We list many unusual properties too but the vast majority of our business comes through city breaks and beach holidays. We are the number one alternative to hotels.’

So why choose Wimdu?

‘People stay with us because they prefer the comfort and authenticity of a home over a faceless hotel chain which they can stay at anywhere in the world.’

And what are the benefits of choosing Wimdu to book your accommodation?

‘People can decide to take a room in an apartment or the whole property which means we can suit almost all budgets.  We want people to take a classic villa by the sea over an overpriced and over subscribed hotel you get with a package holiday. We want to show people that the extra comfort and authenticity does not come at extra cost and the average family will save money through us.’

I LOVE this idea. And presumably local people in these resorts benefit too?

‘Absolutely.  I like how it takes a lot of tourism money away from the multinational hotels and puts the money back into  local hands.  It encourages people to mix with locals more, as you can often find yourself just surrrounded by fellow natives and it can really water down the culture which is a shame.’

So who are your hosts?  Are they posh people with grand villas by the sea, or just ordinary folk?

‘You don’t have to own a second home to make a bit of money, just a spare room in the house or perhaps your child is away at uni or moved out and its a great way to make a bit of income.’

And to celebrate this absolutely FABULOUS idea, Wimdu have given me two £200 vouchers to give away.

As usual, there are a few ways to enter:

Usual English Mum competition rules apply.  Competition ends Saturday 23rd February at midnight.

* THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. WELL DONE TO STACEY GUILLIAT and ERICA PRICE.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES*

My top 5 must have travel books, right now.

Ever visited Tenerife? Maybe you can help with my top tips for Tenerife holidays

When you’re planing a holiday, it’s really handy to be able to chat to someone who’s been to that destination before – even better if they can give you a few hints and tips to get the most out of your holiday.

The chaps at TravelSupermarket are working very hard to make this happen (well, the next best thing).  They’re planning a series of ‘cheat sheets’ for top holiday destinations, so you can log on and find loads of information on your chosen holiday.  They’ve asked me to help with their cheat sheet for Tenerife, and they’re also hoping you’ll be able to help.

Here’s what I’ve got so far:

The destination 

Tenerife, for me, is the stuff of childhood holidays: my first experience of holidays ‘abroad’, warm sunshine, sandy beaches, blue sea and fantastic food.  Tenerife is a great place to bring the family as the flight is a manageable length and, whether you want a beach holiday, or want a more active holiday, there is such diversity here,  there’s something for everyone.  The climate is amazing all year round (it’s known as the ‘Island of Eternal Spring’) and even in the winter, you can experience temperatures in the 20s, with very little rain at any time of the year.

What to pack

Packing for a Tenerife holiday is easy as the temperature stays pretty warm during the day.  During winter and into the spring, night time temperatures can dip down to 16 degrees, so pack a few extra layers for when you’re out and about during the evening.  Tenerife has excellent shopping right across the island, so, especially if you’ve got small children, consider buying some of your essentials, like nappies, when you arrive rather than clogging up your suitcase.  Suncream, hats and full-cover swimsuits for the youngsters are a must all year round and especially during the summer and autumn months when temperatures can climb into the high 20s (and have been known to hit the 30s).

Hand luggage helpers 

•  When travelling with children, pack them a little rucksack of their own with interesting things to do on the journey.  It’s also worth packing a few ‘surprise’ items in your own hand luggage to whip out if they start to get bored.
•  Make sure you’ve photocopied everyone’s passport, your tickets and any other information, such as travel insurance.  Pop it into a different bag, just in case one gets lost.
• Don’t pack enormous hand luggage bags – your fellow passengers (and your family!) won’t thank you when you take ten minutes to squeeze it into the overhead locker, and generally, once it’s there, you won’t want to bother taking it down again.  Think about what you’ll really use: iPad, headphones, maybe a book, and leave the rest at home.

Getting around

Tenerife really is an island of two halves.  There are resorts in the very south of the island, and some in the very north.  If you want to explore, think about hiring a car (consider arranging it with your travel agent when booking).  The main road between the north and south circles the island and is well signposted and easy to navigate.  If you’re heading ‘off piste’ be aware that some of the roads may be less well cared for (and marked), especially if you’re heading up towards Teide when there are some mountain roads next to steep drops (worth attempting, though, as the scenery is amazing).  Public transport is really good: the bus system is modern and inexpensive, plus you can buy tickets called ‘Bono Bus’ for discounted travel if you’re planning on using the bus system quite a bit.

Sightseeing 

In the south of the island, don’t miss beautiful Siam Park, a huge Thai-themed water park.  For well-priced tickets, try www.attractionticketsdirect.com - also look out for the free double decker buses that run from most of the major southern resorts.  Try also to head up to Teide National Park, where the strange lunar landscape has been the backdrop of many a feature film.  If you want, you can head up to the summit (well, within 500ft of the summit – you need a permit to go all the way up) in a cable car, but go prepared: wear sturdy shoes and take warm clothing – it’s very cold up there!

In the north, head to Loro Parque.  I find the best way to see the parquet is to do all the animal shows back to back as soon as you get to the park : sealion, dolphin and then orca. The shows are more crowded, but the atmosphere is fantastic and this then leaves you with the whole afternoon to tootle about the rest of the park, which is beautiful.  The food in the park is very good as well:  try the barbecued pork skewers – delicious!

Dining tricks 

• Don’t visit Tenerife without trying the lovely salty papas arugadas (literally ‘wrinkled potatoes’) and the delicious accompanying mojo sauces
• Tenerife also produces some stunning wines (mostly exported to the USA, sadly), but you’ll often find small producers selling their wares locally.
• Kids will love another local delicacy called simply ‘flan’.  It’s similar to creme caramel and is served in moreish custardy slabs, sometimes with the dark caramel sauce but often just plain.

Like a Local

In Tenerife, locals don’t tend to invite people into their houses, so often you’ll see families and friends congregating in local squares in the evening, chatting and laughing together.  They’re incredibly friendly people and will often chat to you – especially If you have small children!  It’s worth looking out for where the locals drink as they’re often much cheaper than the tourist bars.

Do remember, especially in the older, less touristy parts of Tenerife, that businesses will close in the afternoon for a siesta, reopening at about 4.30pm for the evening.  If you’re buying postcards, ask in the shop for stamps to save you visiting the post office separately.

Tipping in restaurants is about the same as here In the UK – about 10% should be fine.  If you’re drinking at a table in a café or bar, the waiter will tend to wait for you to finish before bringing you the whole bill, rather than paying for drinks as you buy them.  Rounding up the bill or leaving some loose change is always appreciated.

Phrases you should know 

I do recommend that you take an English/Spanish language book with you.  Although most locals, especially in tourist areas, speak excellent English, they always appreciate it (and will often help you with pronunciation etc) if you have a go at a few simple phrases like: sí  (yes) – it’s just no for no- buenos días (good morning),  por favor (please) and gracias (thank you).

So there you have it, these are my top tips.  Anything to add?

Top tips: the secrets of enjoying a trip to Lapland to see Santa

Christmas treats for kids don’t get much better than going to Lapland and meeting the real Santa Claus. Children will fall in love with this wonderland where the deep, velvety snow is dotted with frosty pine trees and (if you’re lucky) illuminated by waves of blue light.  If you’re fortunate enough to be planning one of these enchanting breaks, there are ways to make the most out of visiting Santa’s homeland.  There are tons of things to consider: the best age to take the kids, how long to stay, which company to pick and where exactly to go.  Here’s how to make seeing jolly red himself a little easier and give you some much-needed tips for any Lapland holiday:

Deal hunt

There are many tour operators offering some great deals on breaks to Lapland; prices are competitive so root around and dig out the best deal for you and your family.  Christmas is an expensive time of year as it is and with the added financial hardship at the moment, many companies will be struggling to sell these Christmas trips.  Esprit Holidays (although actually their site is called Santa’s Lapland) offer a range of decent deals for short breaks for families with quite hefty reductions.

Once you’ve got your package right, then shop around to compare various travel insurance prices in order to find the right family solution.  At this time of year, every penny saved can make the difference, after all.

Consider day trips carefully

It seems to be all the rage to take a day trip to Lapland but I am wondering why parents inflict this upon themselves.  Yes it’s cheaper, but it comes with many downsides: firstly your kids will be up a the crack of dawn, fly three and a half hours, have an afternoon in Lapland, fly three and a half hours back and arrive home in the early hours of the next day.  It sounds like a recipe for bad moods and temper tantrums.  Plus there is no room for error – if you miss your plane, the bus breaks down, or your flight is delayed then you will enjoy no day trip whatsoever.

Short breaks

By far the best way to see Santa is on a short break, for a two or three night stay.  You will have plenty of time to go sledging, ride snowmobiles, toboggan and have husky-dog rides.  A couple of nights will give you time to relish the blue tinted stretches of snow and possibly catch the Northern Lights.  Though they are more expensive than day trips they are better value; try Transun for an impressive deal.

The resort

The main commercial resort in Lapland is Rovaniemi; a small city with Santa Claus village, which is the heart of the Santa industry. However there are other, smaller villages, which are less commercial and utterly picturesque –  these include Karesuando and Saariselka.

The kids

The window of opportunity for taking an authentic Santa trip is relatively small; too young and they won’t remember it and might not enjoy the cold.  Too old and the Santa gig is up and it will lose its magic.  Roughly between the ages of five and eight is pretty perfect for a visit to Father Christmas.

Your package

Check the deal you are buying carefully and ask yourself these questions: will we get a private meeting with the man in red?  Will it be special and not tacky?  How will we get there?  Nordic Experience is great for trips that aren’t commercial and they always add something special to the holiday, for example they can organize Santa to have your child’s wish list and a present from you.

Lastly remember to kit yourselves out in proper winter gear: thermals, big boots, waterproofs, thick hats… you name it you need it.   All that’s left to do is plan your magical trip to Santa’s secret grotto.  Oh, and put in a good word for me, won’t you?

Review: The Hotel Maspalomas Princess, Gran Canaria

I had such a lovely flight to Gran Canaria.  It wasn’t particularly the plane (with Thomson now launching their new 787 Dreamliners – they start flights to Mexico and Florida in May next year – I wonder if this will free up some newer planes to replace the clunky old Boeing 757-200s that are still being used on the Gatwick-Gran Canaria route?) in fact, I spent takeoff and landing being dripped with icy water from the air conditioning …  No, it was that I was sitting next to a really lovely retired couple (hello Brian and Gail!) who not only came to my aid with a copy of the Financial Times to use as an impromptu umbrella, but also made a very boring flight enjoyable chatting about their travels and family.

Still, as usual the Thomson crew were gracious and smiley (and provided wodges of tissue to dry me off!) and about four hours later we touched down in Gran Canaria.

Arriving at the Hotel Maspalomas Princess we were gobsmacked at the sheer size of the place : the mirror image of its sister hotel, the Hotel Tabaiba Princess (now a Thomson all-inclusive resort) the two form an enormous w-shape with 800 rooms between them over three floors.  A slightly shambolic check-in followed (large reception desk combined with no visible queuing system) but we were soon away and up to our lovely third floor room which was spotless, modern, comfortable and with a lovely balcony overlooking the pools.

We chose this hotel because my Disreputable Dad and his partner have been going there for ten years – the waiters and dining room staff greeted them like old friends – and we wanted to see what was so great about it that it keeps attracting them back.  And here’s what I discovered:

The staff are fab: they work and work and work to make sure everything is perfect.  Happy hour in the piano bar is 5-6pm and we often sat around playing cards and chatting with the bar staff, some of whom we became really fond of.  Oh, and that brings me on to my next point:

The drinks are very good value for a big hotel too.  There were cocktails for just €3 and soft drinks were good value at about €1.90 a pop – important when you have teens with you guzzling soft drinks.

The food is excellent: obviously the main restaurant is enormous and yes, you occasionally have to join a small queue to wait for a table (bear in mind it was half term too), but there is a huge amount of choice, with some dishes being cooked in a ‘show kitchen’ by chefs while you watch, a decent selection of both local and international dishes, plus the ubiquitous chicken nuggets and chips for the kids.  My one gripe was a lack of decent coffee and juice in the mornings – both were served out of machines and were a bit meh.

The wine list is small but there are some great Spanish wines on there (up to about €20ish – we tried some corkers).  Mexican evening was FANTASTIC with a Mariachi and a magnificent spread of authentic Mexican dishes.

The kids clubs are amazing: this is another area where Thomson excel. We often bumped into a happy band of kids with their Thomson carers.  I always watch the children’s reps and they’re just SO lovely with the kids.  It would drive me mental, but they’re always patient, sweet and kind – even with the more… er… challenging of their charges!  They have a lovely bright playroom inside and often take small groups outside in the lovely hotel grounds too.

The lunch choices were varied and excellent: it’s important when you’re staying somewhere on a half board basis that there’s a bit of choice when it comes to grabbing lunch.  There is a large range of cafés, beach shacks, etc with reasonably priced toasties, burgers (ooh and lovely crab wraps), also a lovely poolside restaurant serving salads, pizza, pasta, etc.

Around the hotel

The place is huge so there is loads to do: mini golf, table tennis, pool, etc.  There is a baby pool, a heated larger pool and then a huge two-part pool on an artificial beach (let down by foot-slicing grit as opposed to sand).  The hotel grounds are lush and beautiful with stunning plants and foliage.

Out and about

If you want to explore, you can easily grab a taxi from the front of the hotel and go to the bustly Playa Del’Ingles.  We didn’t really bother.  Just out of the back gate and across the road (the route to the beach – a good half hour walk, unfortunately) there’s also a lovely café serving toasties, salads, and a decent jug of Sangria.

If you fancy splashing out, walk the route to the stunning white beach at Maspalomas and seek out the El Senador restaurant – a gorgeous, seafront place selling the most amazing seafood.  We feasted on a fantastic fish soup, fresh garlicky prawns, paella and the most amazing fish, plus my dessert – a Galician almond cake with a Pedro Ximenez reduction was TO DIE FOR.  After all this exertion, waddle to the beach and plonk yourself on a lounger (it’ll cost you €7.50 for two beds, though, so don’t do it too often).  If you feel more like walking off your lunch, be careful where you wander, there’s a lot of nude sunbathing areas!

I’m not a huge fan of half board (I’d rather have been all-inclusive in the Tabaiba part of the hotel) as we did spend quite a bit of money, but I can’t complain because that was our choice so that we could be with my Dad, plus you don’t really have to go and stuff your face at lunchtime like we did. There are plenty of good value options to be had within the hotel.  We had a wonderful time, ate some amazing food, and although we weren’t hugely lucky with the weather, it was warm the whole time and we still came back rested, a bit browner and yes, a bit fatter than we went.

Always the sign of a very good holiday.

Oh, and Brian and Gail heartily recommended their own holiday destination, the Lopesan Villa Del Conde, which, they said, had amazing food, lovely staff and a fabulous setting.

Huge thanks, as ever, to the team at TUI UK.

Thomson offers seven night Platinum holidays to Gran Canaria staying at the 5T Hotel Maspalomas Princess Thomson Platinum Resort on a half board basis, from £609 per adult, first child travels from £324 and from £389 for the second. Price is based on four sharing and includes flights departing from London Gatwick airport on 7 January 2013. To find out more about this holiday or to book visit your local Thomson travel shop, thomson.co.uk or call 0871 230 2555.

Gorgeous Guernsey and Heavenly Herm – our foodie weekend away

Back, then, from our wonderful weekend, we’ve had time to reflect upon Guernsey, and what it can offer the traveller – be they family, couple, group or solo.

The first thing that struck us both, having enjoyed each other’s company, sans children, for the first time in a good few years, is that it’s a wonderful place for a weekend getaway.  But then, it’s good for everyone.  Before I explain why, let me tell you a little about this teeny island nestled off the south coast of England, nearer, in fact, to Normandy than the UK:

Although Guernsey has strong ties with France (it was, in fact, French up until 1066, but I won’t bore you with a history lesson), Guernsey is not French. Nor, is it English: it’s a self governing crown dependency, if you must know.  The population, and I found this amazing, is about the same as, say Rugby: 62,000, spread across an island that is just 30 square miles.  Guernsey is a bit like a wedge of cheese, with high cliffs on the south east side, sloping down to level ground on the north west.  There are huge tides here – meaning that the sea goes out a really long way, also meaning that the waters are very clear and clean, meaning awesome shellfish and happy sea bass, as well as making the water lovely for swimming.

Which brings me neatly on to why Guernsey is a fabulous summer destination for families.  Just a 45 minute flight from Gatwick (we flew Aurigny, who were amazingly courteous, ran like clockwork, and cost about £100 return per person), or a short ferry ride, and you’re on an island that boasts better weather than the UK and the most glorious, clean beaches.  What you won’t get is the ‘kiss me quick’ hat, tatty seaside resorts that put a lot of people off holidaying in the UK.  Guernsey is, well, classy.  In the harbour town of St Peter Port, the little boutique shops, restaurants, cafés and immaculate streets reminded me of Marlow, a well to do town, proud of itself, but in an understated way.

So I thought what I’d do is give you a perfect weekend in Guernsey (tried, tested and scoffed by my lubly Hubby and I) to give you a taster.  If you can make it for a week, even better, but here’s my perfect weekend:

Getting there: fly Aurigny.com from Gatwick and pick up a hire car at the airport, or ferry over from Portsmouth with your own car.

Accommodation: there’s everything on Guernsey from very posh five star hotels to lovely B&Bs (for fab beachy holidays, check out Waves, which is very stylish self-catering accommodation on glorious Vazon Bay, or stay in St Peter Port where there is a wide range of hotels – check visitguernsey.com for more info).  We based ourselves in St Peter Port, but being such a small island, everywhere is easily accessible.

FRIDAY

On arrival, have a drive around the island – you can’t really get lost – if the sun’s out, seek out the glorious beaches, often hidden away down little ‘park and walk’ lanes, or strike out along the stunning cliff paths and on the way, check out all manner of Nazi bunkers (from the occupation, more of this later), Neolithic tombs, The Little Chapel and much more.  Stop and see what people are selling in their ‘hedge veg’ stalls – makeshift shops where the locals sell their fruit, veg, flowers and – in lovely Mandy Girard’s case – cheese from her herd of Golden Guernsey Goats.  For lunch try The Hideaway at the Best Western Moores Central Hotel, Le Pollet, St Peter Port, for excellent local crab sandwiches and home made cakes, all served on a gorgeously sunny outdoor terrace.

In the afternoon, have a wander around the cobbled streets of St Peter Port where there is amazing shopping.  If you get tired, pop in to the Ship and Crown pub on the harbour front, for a pint of the local Rocquette cider and check out the shipwreck photos in the bar.

In the evening, book a table at Red Grill House on the harbour front.  Be prepared to be stunned by their amazing wine list – several pages long – but don’t worry, the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable should you need help choosing.  They also have a fabulous array of steaks, sold by weight, and generally have fresh fish of the day.  Leave room to share their incredible tarte tatin before waddling along the twinkly harbour front back to your hotel.

SATURDAY

Head to the beach!

OR

Bimble over to Sausmarez Manor (pronounced ‘Summeray’, five minutes’ drive) where there is a great farmers’ market on a Saturday morning. Afterwards, explore the manor house and take a leisurely walk around the grounds where you’ll discover all manner of sculptures as well as beautiful gardens.

OR:

Head off to Herm Island (herm.com) on the ferry from the harbour and spend a day enjoying gorgeous, Caribbean-like beaches on a proper Famous Five island complete with bracken-edged cliff paths and azure water.  There are no cars on Herm and only 60 odd residents, so it’s a really peaceful place to while away the day.

We were escorted around the island by the lovely, and very knowledgeable Jonathan Watson who showed us all the accommodation on the island: from the 40-bed White House Hotel, perched above the harbour, with its Conservatory Restaurant (amazing wine list) and its attached Ship Inn brasserie, to self catering cottages and log cabins.  There’s also a campsite with shop facilities during the summer (they’ll even get your shopping in for you so it’s there when you arrive).  You can walk the cliff paths around the island in about a couple of hours, or if you fancy a shorter walk, cut across.

When you’ve worked up an appetite, head to the Mermaid Tavern and order the home made fish finger doorsteps with fat chips, battered with the local Herm Ale – you won’t be disappointed).  It’s a truly fabulous place to spend a holiday, where you really can let the kids have as much freedom as they want, but if you can’t manage it, do spend a day there (take note of the last ferry times, otherwise you’ll find yourself castaway!).

Back on Guernsey, book a table at Christie’s, tucked away on Lower Pollet (which runs parallel to the harbour front).  There’s an amazing atmosphere on a Saturday evening (ask for a booth at the back overlooking the harbour terrace – make sure you book!) – order a dozen oysters while you peruse the menu (their Tennerfest menu – loads of the hotels and restaurants do menus for a tenner during this six week period – is completely fabulous).

If you’re up for a few cocktails, head back to Red (just two minutes’ walk) and go upstairs to their cocktail bar, where the doors to the terrace are open in the summer, and quaff a few cocktails while watching the boats bob on the harbour.  I recommend the Bramble (gin, blackberry liqueur.. other stuff…).  I do not recommend drinking three.

SUNDAY

Nursing a slightly aching head, why not wander along the harbour to Castle Cornet, a real boys-own castle (hold your ears for the firing of the noon day gun!) complete with turrets and cannons.  The castle houses five museums with all sorts of interactive stuff kids will love, plus, you can stand high up on the fortress roof surveying the sea and pretend to be Jack Sparrow (or not).

If you’re flagging, pop into Boulangerie Victor Hugo for amazing pastries (59 Lower Pollet, boulangerie.gg).

Don’t miss the La Vallette Underground Military Museum, also walking distance from the harbour.  Set in actual tunnels used by the Nazis for storing fuel during the occupation, the place is an amazing trove of memorabilia, not just from WWII, but right back to Victorian times.  Kids will love the plethora of uniforms, guns and medals and adults will, as we did, find some of the things (letters home from family members sent to prisoner of war camps and tales of life during the occupation) very poignant.  A moving place and well worth a visit.

For your final lunch, head to Le Petit Bistro, just on the corner of Le Truchot and Lower Pollet where you’ll find good wines (or great coffee) and adorable French staff.  Feast on ‘Le Club’ sandwiches with extra ham or smoked salmon and share some frites.  Delightful.

Finally, head sadly to the airport and vow to return to spend time in the summer on some of those spectacular beaches.

For more information on Tennerfest, which runs until November 11th this year, click on tennerfest.com

Huge thanks for our Gold accredited guide Gill, who was a mine of information and answered all my stupid questions, and to Visit Guernsey for sharing their beautiful island with us.  I’d keep quiet if it was mine.

Guest post by Bella Franklin: how to look great on holiday – celebrity makeup artists’ holiday beauty essentials

Getting ready for your holiday can be a stressful time. Some people go to extremes of having tummy tuck surgery, breast reduction (also known as mammoplasty) and other drastic measures to get themselves beach-ready, whilst the rest of us simply struggle with what beauty products to pack.

Most people aim for natural beauty on holiday, but this can hard to pull off unless you have the right products. You also have to think about protecting your skin from the sun, protecting your makeup from melting in the heat and protecting your hair from humidity-induced frizzing. In short, packing your holiday beauty bag can be a bit of a nightmare.

Luckily, a few of the most renowned make-up artists in the world have revealed their top tips for holiday cosmetics:

Kristofer Buckle recommends… waterproof mascara 

Kristopher Buckle, who has worked with Blake Lively, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lopez, to name just a few of the famous faces he has made up, recommends waterproof mascara as his top holiday cosmetics tip. You need to get a really good one though, which won’t smudge or flake in the heat and which will give you a fresh, wide-eyed look. You don’t need to spend a fortune though, as there are several great waterproof mascaras available from top high street brands like L’Oréal and Maybelline.

Eugenia Weston recommends… SPF foundation and a good eyebrow kit

Eugenia Weston, whose most famous collaborations have been with fashion photographers Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts, has two top recommendations for your beach beauty bag. The first is protective SPF foundation or tinted moisturiser, which evens out your skin tone and covers flaws whilst also shielding your skin from sun damage.

Eugenia’s second tip is a good eyebrow kit. She says that because the rest of your makeup tends to be pared down on holiday, your eyebrows need to be in top condition. Get a multi-tasking, compact eyebrow kit complete with tweezers, shading colours and liner, and you will have brows that give definition and frame your face.

Marietta Carter-Narcisse recommends… a daring lip colour

Marietta, who has most famously worked with the US singer Jordin Sparks, believes that as your tan deepens, a vivid lip colour will look great. Pack a shade that suits you and this will be all you need to liven up your makeup for the evenings.

Et voila! You’re all set for a gorgeously glam holiday. You’re welcome!

Guest post: looking after kids’ health when travelling

Keeping the kids healthy on holiday isn’t just a matter of making sure they eat well and don’t get too much sun – it’s also important to make sure they have had any vaccinations or immunisations that are needed in your destination. While anyone who travels without their shots may be putting themselves at risk, teenagers and young children are much more vulnerable as their immune systems are weaker. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common jabs you may need to arrange for them – some are also available free on the NHS.

Malaria

Malaria is usually spread through mosquito bites and is most prevalent in tropical regions like Africa, South and Central America, India and South-East Asia. While there is no vaccination that offers full protection, you can take a course of tablets that help to prevent the disease. However, it’s best to ensure your kids keep covered up while they’re out of doors, especially in the early morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active. Take plenty of insect repellent and make sure your kids are using it often, and sleep in accommodation that provides mosquito netting.

Typhoid

Typhoid spreads through contaminated food and water and can cause nasty symptoms like fever, headaches and stomach pains. It is most common in Africa, Asia, India and South America, and usually occurs in areas with poor sanitary conditions. Young children are particularly at risk and should be protected with a vaccine, which is available orally or as an injection. Those with a weaker immune system may need to take the injection, as the tablet form contains a live sample of salmonella bacteria.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is common in places with poor sewage disposal systems, particularly countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and Southern and Eastern Europe. Like typhoid, it is usually transmitted through infected food and water, so make sure you keep an eye on what your children are eating and avoid buying food from street vendors. A vaccination can be arranged on the NHS and should be given four to six weeks before travelling.

My Florida diary, part 4: How do you poo in space? The Kennedy Space Center, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and dinner at Kouzzina

After a restful night at the gorgeous retro Helmsley, we set off early towards the east and the Space Coast.  Arriving a little late, we had to nip in the back at our scheduled lunch with an astronaut.  If you’re visiting, don’t miss this amazing experience.  To be accurate, it’s not like an intimate lunch, it’s more a big, full restaurant, one person talking at the front kind of lunch.  Still, this suited us fine and we were happy to listen to the amazing Bob Springer, veteran of both Space Shuttle Atlantis and Space Shuttle Discovery and and all round good guy.  There aren’t many times you hear ‘and this is a photo of earth I took out the window of the shuttle…’  We shared the lunch with an enormous party of Chinese school children.  They were very well behaved, but of course Bob had to field the ubiquitous ‘how do you poo in space?’ question, which he fielded bravely, and with pictures (if you really want to know it’s all done with suction. And leg straps). We were all impressed.

The Apollo/Saturn 5 Center is also AWESOME.  The films are humbling and actually quite emotional, plus you get to sit in a galleried area and watch as an entire countdown to launch is re-enacted in an actual mission control centre.  We also got to visit the huge launch area complete with the biggest single storey building in the world, a hangar so huge that looking at the ceiling nearly makes you fall over backwards.  Our gorgeous guide, the incredibly knowledgeable  Andrea Farmer, PR for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex let us into a secret too: Atlantis is going to be permanently exhibited at Kennedy, the planned date being summer 2013.  I’m SO going back.  Check out kennedyspacecenter.com or follow them on Twitter @ExplorespaceKSC.

Our home for the night was the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel, my favourite, I think, of all our Florida accommodation.  The rooms were beautiful, and the actual hotel (well, hotels, there’s Swan and there’s obviously Dolphin) feels slick and classy, but is child-friendly too. Quite a feat.  There are bars and restaurants galore, a white sandy beach, stunning waterfalls and lush gardens.  In the evening, we wandered along Disney’s Boardwalk (one of my favourite places) to Kouzzina by Cat Cora, a frankly fabulous Greek restaurant.  The food was ridiculously good: we started with amazing dips: tzatziki, a spicy aubergine dip, taramasalata and hitipiti (red pepper and feta) served with delicious warm breads, followed by gorgeous melty Kasseri, a sheep’s milk cheese flamed so it’s lusciously gooey, served with toasted ciabatta.  Our mains were a tasting trio of braised short rib with feta mashed potato, lamb slider and a fisherman’s stew, and we finished off with an oozy chocolate centred budino cake, baklava and outstanding sorbets.  The wines were stunning too, and we staggered out just in time to watch the fireworks over the water before waddling back to the Swan, replete.

For more information, check out the Visit Florida Facebook page.

I travelled to Florida with Visit Florida and Virgin Holidays.  If you’d like to recreate my trip, here’s some information about a very similar seven nights in Orlando from £949

Seven nights in Orlando with Virgin Holidays, including scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick or Manchester direct to Orlando, two nights accommodation at the 5V Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, two nights accommodation at the 3V+ Sunset Vista Beachfront Suites, two nights at the 5V Longboat Key Club & Resort and one night at the 5V Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel, all on a room only basis with car hire included starts from £949. Prices are per person based on two adults travelling and sharing a standard room, price includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Prices are based on departures 12 – 14 Nov 2012.

Start your holiday before you’ve even taken off in the v-room at Gatwick Airport or Manchester Airport; Adults £20, Kids £12

Virgin Holidays is a member of ABTA and is ATOL protected

To book: www.virginholidays.co.uk, 0844 557 3859 or visit one of their 90 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser stores nationwide

Ten great iPod, iPhone and iPad apps for visitors to London and the UK

When we were discussing the Olympics Games at the last Gatwick Passenger Panel meeting, one of the things that came up a lot was how helpful technology can be when you’re visiting a new place.  With London (and the UK generally) set to see a huge increase in visitors for the Olympic Games, and hopefully continuing afterwards, and English Dad brandishing his brand new iPhone 4S I thought the following might be helpful.  Most are available for iPad, iPod and iPhone unless stated.

1. Cool Places UK

Tips to live like a local (apps for loads of different cities and counties all across the UK) – things to do, places to stay and eat.

2. National Trust

Find NT places near you – great tips for coastline, gardens, houses to visit.

3. Hotels.com

Still the best hotel iPad app in my opinion.

4. Top 50 UK Places

Over 500 places – search by what’s near/what’s hot etc

5. English Heritage Days Out

If you want to get a real feel for England, this is the app you’ll need.  Loads of historic castles, beautiful gardens and unusual places to go.  iPhone only.

6. London Bus Checker 

All London bus times, in real time.

7. London Tube

Journey planner/nearest tube etc

8. Hidden London

Unusual/quirky places in London away from the usual tourist trail (also check out Royal London/Horrible London)

9. Top Table

Restaurant finder and table bookings along with discounts and offers.

10. Blue Plaque Guide 

Lovely app showing the location of the 850 blue plaques in London with pictures and stories behind the plaques.

For other things to do in London, try Smartsave.

If you discover any new ones or want to recommend any good ones, please feel free to comment!

Embarking on a holiday to Florida with under 5s

Florida is famous for beaches, sunshine and, of course, the theme parks. Children and adults alike will love the chance to be able to explore the world-renowned resorts of Disney, Universal, Epcot, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the others. All the theme parks are great at catering for families, especially those with young children who may be too small to ride on a lot of the rollercoasters.

Each of the Disney parks has several great attractions for young children. Head over to Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom to ride on Dumbo, the Flying Elephant. This gentle ride is a lovely experience and kids will love being able to control how high their Dumbo can fly. Also in the Magic Kingdom is The Barnstormer. This junior rollercoaster is a great ride for any little daredevils in your family as it has a few twists and turns!
If your child loved being able to fly on an elephant, you could try Cinderella’s Golden Carousel, a charming old fashioned merry-go-round where the children can sit on horses, and there is an option of a bench carriage if they prefer. Fans of Nemo can go and visit Epcot and search the seas to find him in a ‘clamobile’ . From there you can visit the seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion, home to one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world.

Kids love seeing their favourite characters come to life, so why not head over to Hollywood Studios to see Playhouse Disney, an interactive live performance that combines awesome effects and puppetry and gives your children the chance to sing and dance along with Mickey!

If you want a slightly more relaxing break, there are plenty of beaches in Florida for kids to run around on, making sandcastles and splashing in the waves. Clearwater, Florida is home to some beautiful white beaches and is very family-friendly. Children of all ages will love the chance to be able to jump aboard a pirate ship on Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. Or visit Destin on the Emerald Coast for a quieter and more relaxing family-orientated beach.

Cosmos’ holidays to Florida give you the freedom to tailor your trip to your family needs. You can choose to spend your entire trip exploring the theme parks or opt for a Twin Centre holiday and split your time between two different parts of Florida. The possibilities are endless and you can guarantee that you and your family will never have a dull moment in the Sunshine State.

Cosmos Holidays are a leading UK tour operator. Find out more about Disneyland holidays with Cosmos by visiting their website.

Glorious Gozo

Ah, the Mediterranean – I can just picture the beautiful beaches and laid-back way of life. When I think of summer destinations, I always picture the Med. One place that’s on our list is the often overlooked Gozo, Malta’s smaller, but no less stunning, neighbour.

This small, relatively unspoilt island is the perfect place for a chill-out break. If you’re planning on visiting, I’d suggest making it a two-centre break by stopping at Malta too.

No matter how long the flight, travelling is an exhausting business. We get round this by booking an airport hotel, meaning we start our journey refreshed. We recently stayed at The Hilton at Gatwick and would certainly recommend it. Prices of hotels are surprisingly cheap, so this little treat need not break the bank. Also consider adding airport parking into the mix, and you’ll save even more.

If you’re setting off from Heathrow, try the Park Inn Hotel Heathrow Airport -  it’s a great choice for flights out of the capital, as well as the  Premier Inn Manchester Airport, both offering great rates and comfortable rooms.

So, back to Gozo. The capital, Victoria, is where the main action is in terms of nightlife and shopping. There’s plenty to see aside from shopping too, with the National History Museum a great visit for history fans, and the Citadella, a fabulous fortified city with a beautiful Cathedral and stunning architecture.

As far as resorts are concerned, the main one is Marsalforn, with its pebbly beach and shallow waters. Most beaches on the island, and indeed Malta itself, are pebbly, but this doesn’t take away any of the beauty. If you do prefer sand though, I’d suggest heading to Xlendi, where the beach is small, but sandy.

To me, Gozo is about relaxation, so if you want more action then maybe the main island is for you, however I think the great thing about Gozo is that it’s a little haven away from the bright lights. There is action if you wan it, but it’s more lazy bimbling than extreme sport. Perfect for us lazier travellers.

Most of the daily activities tend to be based around the sea, with boat trips my top tip for a great day out. I love boat trips and no matter where in the world we are, we always try and float around the coastline for a day, soaking up some rays. Just remember the sun-cream – the breeze can lull you into thinking the sun’s rays aren’t as hot!

If you’re into diving, then Gozo is a treat. The Blue Hole is a famous diving sight, with opportunities to view the underwater residents of the Mediterranean up close and personal.

Alternatively, stay on dry land and head to Ggantija Temples at Xaghra. This is an ancient UNESCO listed site, and the world’s second oldest religious structure. Another must-do is a jeep safari, which is a fun way to get out and see more, passing through villages and countryside.

In keeping with the laid-back way of life, night-life follows the same suit, so if you want bright and bustling, head over to Malta for the evening. Victoria and Marsalform both have a range of entertainment on offer, but none of it particularly hard core. I think this is a positive, and a great opportunity to sit with a delicious meal and a drink, watching the world go by.

For a break from the hustle and bustle of life this summer, head to Gozo.

My Florida diary, part 2: Clearwater, St Pete’s and segway madness!

Next stop on our whirlwind tour of Florida was Clearwater. Driving across the Frankland Bridge from Tampa, we were all struck dumb by the beautiful turquoise water, with the fabulous waterfront homes gleaming on the shores. Our first stop was Clearwater Marine Aquarium, home of ‘Winter’, the dolphin made famous by ‘Dolphin Tale’, the movie. The poor creature got caught in a crab line when she was just a tiny thing and was rescued by the CMA. Sadly they couldn’t save her tail but have helped her with a permanent home, physical therapy and a succession of prosthetic tails, kindly donated by a company that usually makes human prosthetics. At first sight, it’s a little saddening to see her bobbing around (she doesn’t wear the tails all the time), but the staff love her with a passion and give her the best life possible, and of course now she’s famous, everyone wants to come and visit:

After visiting Winter (and the miriad turtles, otters and other dolphins), we stopped in the utterly gorgeous St Petersburg (think white sand beaches, Riviera chic palm-lined streets and sun-drenched outdoor cafés) for lunch. The Cassis American Brasserie is something of a St Pete’s institution, with a famous bakery attached (apple tart TO DIE FOR) as well. We worked off the excesses of the previous night’s lycheetinis and karaoke (another day, I promise) by diving in to gorgeous fresh oysters, bloody marys and mahoosive burgers. Everything was delicious and the location, right on the sidewalk on Beach Drive, shaded by enormous umbrellas, was just fabulous:

Fully restored, we took a gentle sunny amble along Beach Drive to the Chihuly Collection where lovely director, Wayne Atherholt, showed us around these frankly stunning glass pieces. If you’re around St Pete’s you MUST visit. I promise you’ll stand awestruck in front of these phenomenal, complex glass sculptures:

Another quick drive took us to the amazing Dalí Museum. Our wonderfully eccentric and terrifically knowledgeable guide, Janice (complete with Dalí inspired shoe hat) steered us around hundreds of Dalí pieces, pointing out specific things in the paintings we would never have spotted, and explaining the thinking behind the paintings. Without a guide, you’ll still have a great time, but trust me when I say I learned more than I ever thought possible with Janice’s help. Don’t miss the beautiful gardens, cleverly named, of course, the ‘Avant Gardens’, with the enormous Dalíesque moustache and Wish Tree, where people have been writing their wishes on scraps of paper and tying them to the tree for years. By the way, if you want to add a wish to the tree, the museum will do it for you if you tweet your wish to #Daliwishtree.

We fell in love with Janice. In fact, so much that we couldn’t bear to leave her at the Dalí and persuaded her to join us (after a slight altercation between her car and a bollard – the bollard won) on our segway tour of St Pete. The segways are a little tricky to master, but with the help of the wonderful David Boston from St Pete’s guided segway tour company, Gyroglides, we were soon whizzing along in a happy troupe along St Pete’s pier, Janice merrily shouting explanations for her Dalí shoe hat as we glided past stunned passers by. Here I am looking utterly ridiculous on a segway:

And here’s Janice. In her multicoloured coat. On a segway. With her shoe hat on. Surreal (Dalí would surely have loved it):

After all that excitement, we were delighted to check into our evening accommodation, the delightful Sunset Vistas Beachfront Suites, located smack bang on the gorgeous Treasure Island beach, and chill on the balcony overlooking the ocean, sipping a cold glass of champagne generously left in our fridge (the condos are huge and really well equipped with washing machines, huge kitchens and two large bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as a sofa bed (three bed apartments are also available).

The condos are a fab idea if you want to go to Florida and have a bit more freedom. Self catering is a breeze with a café on site plus a huge supermarket within half a mile and plenty of lovely restaurants within easy walking distance (I highly recommend Sloppy Joe’s – order the firecracker shrimp – you won’t be disappointed!). If you’re staying a little longer in the area, George Hoch, the General Manager, recommends a trip to John’s Pass village, a lovely historical fishing village with loads of things to do and some fabulous seafood.

Here’s the inside of our condo:

And here’s the view from the balcony.  With my cankles:

For more information, visit the St Petersburg/Clearwater Facebook page, or the Visit Florida Facebook page.

I travelled to Florida with Visit Florida and Virgin Holidays.  If you’d like to recreate my trip, here’s some information about a very similar seven nights in Orlando from £949.

Seven nights in Orlando with Virgin Holidays, including scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick or Manchester direct to Orlando, two nights accommodation at the 5V Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, two nights accommodation at the 3V+ Sunset Vista Beachfront Suites, two nights at the 5V Longboat Key Club & Resort and one night at the 5V Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel, all on a room only basis with car hire included starts from £949. Prices are per person based on two adults travelling and sharing a standard room, price includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Prices are based on departures 12 – 14 Nov 2012.

Start your holiday before you’ve even taken off in the v-room at Gatwick Airport or Manchester Airport; Adults £20, Kids £12

Virgin Holidays is a member of ABTA and is ATOL protected

To book: www.virginholidays.co.uk , 0844 557 3859 or visit one of our 90 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser stores nationwide.

Back from Tenerife!

I have SO much to tell you that I just don’t know where to start.  Undaunted by his first ever ‘alone in the house’ time, the Mad Professor actually managed to keep the place tidier than I ever do (and not burn it down OR kill any of my baby plants) so I’m feeling rather a lot of parental pride.  The Dude spent the week with his Grandma and threw up the whole time, still Grandma handled it like a pro (she’s used to vomit – she’s got three kids and seven grandchildren after all).

So until I can download photos, whilst simultaneously loading the washing machine, unpacking my suitcase, paying bills and opening mail, I shall leave you with a few photos of the highlights of my trip.

More soon.. promise.

Firstly, here’s my cabin at the Yotel in Gatwick, where they very kindly put me up before my trip (thanks guys!).  I had a wonderful sleep in my space age pod, complete with bed (with VERY nice bedlinen) that moves back to give you more room, desk, flat screen TV, WiFi and amazing wet-room shower and loo.  I slept like a baby and the pillows were lush.  This is my second stay and I love it just as much.  Brilliant way to catch an early flight – just drive there the night before and stay at the Yotel.  Sorted!  For more info, check out Yotel.com.

And here’s just a glimpse of what turned out to be one of the most amazing, unforgettable (and deafening) nights of my life: the ‘firework wars’ in the town of Los Realejos.  More of this later.  As you can see we were on someone’s roof watching the display.  Mind boggling.

And finally a glimpse of the gardens at the Hotel Botanico, possibly one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Pure luxury (and again, more of this later):

Until then, I’m off for some hard labour. Serves me right, really…

The one with expert travel beauty tips, plus WIN Elizabeth Arden Eight hour cream!!

So recently I was having a chat with a fellow travelling Mum about long-haul plane travel. It turns out that our must-haves are pretty much identical:

• Face wipes
• Moisturiser – face AND hand
• Loads of water (and strictly no booze)
• Lots of thin layers
• A pashmina or wrap
• Plenty of stretches and exercise
• Soft shoes (not strictly a beauty essential but NEVER use a plane loo in bare feet!)

As soon as I get on a plane, it’s off with the ol’ makeup, on with a thick layer of moisturiser.  If I shouldn’t be sleeping there I won’t sleep (I reckon it helps with jet lag although some scientist or other would prove me wrong).

I have a make-up bag packed pretty much all the time so I don’t have to chop and change too much.  My must-haves are

• Dr Bronner’s liquid soap (you can wash your smalls in it too)
• Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint SPF15 (I’m prone to skin pigmentation so I layer it under MAC Fortified Skin Enhancer SPF35 in ‘Neutralise’, which counteracts redness as well)
• High factor aerosol sun cream (I was introduced to this by Liz on a recent trip – so easy to apply and you don’t have to rub it in)
• Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (I’ve just tried the new fragrance free one too – fabulous for parched lips, sunburned noses, dry elbows, cuticles and so much more – see competition at the bottom of the page!)

I asked some of my fellow travelling mums what their favourite travel beauty tips or must-take beauty essentials are.  Here’s what they had to say:

Liz Jarvis (@lizjarvisUK) is a journalist and travel writer and also writes The Mum Blog:

• A good quality suncare spray (much less messy than cream – I like Clinique’s Body Spray SPF 25)
• Moisturing skincare wipes (so much easier than taking bottles, Simple Daily Radiance Cleansing Wipes)
• Chanel bronzer (takes the shine off, and gives sunkissed skin a subtle glow)
• Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Cooling Aloe Vera (in case of sunburn and if you can’t get hold of actual Aloe Vera – lovely and cooling)

Trish Burgess (@mumsgoneto) writes family travel blog Mum’s gone to…

I’m pretty hopeless at all the beauty essentials. Moisturising cream, suntan lotion of varying factors and a couple of lippies and I’m done. But, to be honest,  there’s not much room in the case after GP husband has filled it with every lotion and potion known to man to cover most medical emergencies. He tells me if he can’t sort us out with his first aid kit then we need to be in hospital.

In his large plastic box he will squeeze in antibiotics, antihistamines, painkillers, tablets for when you can’t poo, tablets for when there’s too much poo, worming tablets (!), cream for rashes, cream for thrush, a variety of dressings, steri-strips, medical glue, insulating tape and duct tape.

However, whereas some families take handy-sized clear bottles in their see-though plastic bags through airport security, we use urine sample containers into which we decant our shampoo and conditioner. Classy.

Cathy Winston (@mummytravels) is also a travel journalist and soon to be become a new mummy!  Her travel blog is: MummyTravels:

• Multitasking products are a godsend. I’m rubbish at packing light, but finding something like a BB cream which will do several things (eg moisturiser, SPF and tint) is great for space saving. My current favourite is Boots No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream.
•  If you can’t live without it while you’re away, don’t put it in the hold. I ended up having to track down contact lens solution in Madagascar after Air France decided not to put my case on the same plane – which was not the easiest or cheapest thing to do. Bausch & Lomb do travel size versions that can go in hand luggage.
• Always pack After Sun, even if you’re not going on a beach holiday. No-one ever expects to need it (who thinks, ‘this holiday I shall get sunburn’?) but as I’ve discovered, it’s very easy to burn even on an unseasonably sunny city break. Unless I’m actually guaranteed pouring rain, in goes AfterBurn gel, which is the best I’ve come across.
•  Always save those shampoo and conditioner sachets from magazines – they’re perfect for short trips away when you’ll probably only have to wash your hair once. I also hang on to little travel-size bottles, and decant shower gel and hair products to save buying endless mini versions.
• However light you’re packing, there’s some essentials I always keep to hand on the plane, especially lip balm and hand cream as flying sucks all the moisture straight out of my skin. I also keep No7 Shine Free Make-up Base in my hand luggage to counteract plane-induced oil slicks. On longer flights, deodorant and mouthwash to make me feel almost human despite the jetlag.
• No man on security will know what eyelash curlers are, and as the handles look like scissors, they’ll definitely get flagged up if they’re in your hand luggage. Be prepared to demonstrate. And try to explain in sign language that no, they don’t hurt.

Jen Howze (@jhowze) is a journalist and also writes expat/parenting/travel blog Jenography:

• My essential product is Cetaphil – it’s a gentle cleanser that you can use on face or body and if you tissue it off instead of washing it off it’s moisturising, so it cuts down on what you have to pack for short trips. On overnight trips it’s one of the only things I pack.
• When you get on a plane, slather your face in moisturiser and hand cream and keep doing it throughout the flight. The next day your skin looks so much better for it. Those little mister bottles that spray a fine mist of scented water are also nice, if you can remember to pack one.
• Just forget about your contact lenses on long-haul flights! It’s not worth wearing them for vanity’s sake and the low humidity is not good for your eyes and will just make them red and scratchy. Not a good look.
• It’s not a beauty tip but it’s always worth dressing with care when travelling. Wear something comfortable but stylish, whether it’s a car journey, train trip or flight. Travel is still an exciting experience, full of promise and adventure. Let your outfit reflect that.

The final word, however, must go to Victoria Wallop (@vwallop), who travelled the world with her children for nine months – you can read her adventures at It’s A Small World After All.  Her new blog is Words and Pictures:

Shampoo is very useful for washing knickers and a small bottle of lavender oil is useful for when things get a bit smelly. I’m all class.

So over to you, then: got any fab beauty travel tips that you’d like to share?  The best one will win a set containing:

• a full size tube of Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 
• a full size tube of the new Fragrance Free version
• A travel size (30ml) tube of the original version

Video of our fabulous weekend at Disneyland Paris 20th birthday celebrations

So I’ve already told you about our marvellous trip to Disneyland Paris. I think one of the best things about it was spending a whole weekend just with one of my children (the other was rather happy to have some alone time with his Xbox AND without his little brother, don’t worry). The Death Wish Dude and I had an absolutely blast and really enjoyed each others’ company. And let’s face it, when they’re 14, the opportunities for ‘quality time’ are few and far between. We whizzed on rollercoasters, whooshed on rockets, oohed and ahhed at amazing sound and light shows and got all competitive zapping in Buzz’s Laser Blast, but more importantly we laughed. And laughed.

Here’s a gorgeous video that the lovely chaps at Disney made for us. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried buckets!

A celebrity tea party at the Disneyland Paris 20th anniversary celebrations

Well, the celebrations continue at Disneyland Paris (even though I’ve now left – fancy partying without me!) for the park’s 20th birthday.  Yesterday, all sorts of famous faces (I spy Kym Marsh, super duper uber model Erin O’Conor and Lisa Maxwell) took part in a really lovely British celebrity tea party on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups ride in Fantasyland (one of my faves), complete with cute dainty sandwiches, cakes and chocolate dipped strawberries.  Mickey and Minnie Mouse also joined the party, bringing an amazing 20th Anniversary tiered cake, magically created (in Scotland!) especially for the tea party:

The celebs also got to watch the new Disney Dreams show and the amazing the new parade that we saw last week too.  Here they all are telling us all about it:

If you want more information about the 20th anniversary celebrations at Disneyland Paris, read all about my visit here.

First Choice’s all inclusive calculator – it all adds up y’know!

So what sort of holiday do you yearn for?  We were recently debating this as we’re planning on taking a trip with the Disreputable One and his good lady later on this year.  All was well until the subject of board came up: ‘of course, we’ll be going half board’, said my Dad.

‘Oh’, I said, ‘only we really like going all inclusive’.

My Dad was a bit surprised as, being a food lover, he thought I’d be happier to get out and about and try different places for dinner.  The thing is, though, as I explained, when taking a beach break with kids, it’s easier to go all inclusive, given the constant stream of requests for cokes, ice creams, snacks and more cokes.  It’s so much easier to budget when you know everything’s paid for in advance.

It’s also rather nice for them to have the independence to wander off  and get their own snacks and drinks rather than constantly having to ask.  On our recent trip to Mexico, the Mad Professor would alight from his sunbed, have a stretch and then say, rather magnanimously, ‘right, it’s my round then’.

And yes, I am a food lover, and on different holidays we’d maybe choose B&B or self catering, then eat out – especially with city breaks – but on a good old ‘slob out on the beach’ holiday, the last thing I need is to be constantly badgered for my purse.

Interestingly, then, First Choice, the holiday company who have recently changed all their holidays to all inclusive only, have come up with a new ‘calculator’ tool so customers can measure the cost implications of self-catering versus all inclusive.

First Choice say that recent research has shown that choosing an all inclusive holiday can save a family of four £500 compared to going self catering over a week’s holiday.

If you want to have a go at First Choice’s new all inclusive calculator, click on http://blog.firstchoice.co.uk/all-inclusive-calculator/ - be warned, you have to let it do its bit before you can enter your own information.  It’s an interesting guide, though, and will even let you enter how many fizzy drinks or meals you think you’d normally use on your hols.

It’s a clever app and pretty thought provoking.  Now, whose round is it?

5* service at Gatwick? That would be my pleasure, madam.

So one of the things that comes up regularly at our Gatwick Passenger Panel meetings is the idea of great customer service.  We all know the kind of service that’s top drawer: John Lewis…  Harrods… amazing 5* hotels…  It’s something that so many of us appreciate – a door held open, help with a bag, a friendly smile or just a polite response to a quick question – it can make or break your experience of a brand or company.

Well Gatwick, always open to new ideas and ready to take on any suggestion have really taken this one to heart.  I’m not sure that people know this, but Gatwick already has a team of concierges.  They’re dotted around the check-in areas at the South Terminals and are ready and waiting to help customers, 7 days a week – whatever language they speak (they’re a multi-lingual bunch) – and are specifically charged with making every customer’s Gatwick experience a pleasant one.

And now, to make the concierge service even better, they’ve teamed up with The Goring, the beautiful family-run gem of a hotel in Belgravia, to really tweak the service and make sure it’s second to none.  The Goring’s team, led by Head Concierge John Andrews, will be coaching Gatwick’s entire concierge staff – that’s everyone from porters to passenger assistants in the art of providing top notch individual customer service

On a personal level, I’m delighted that Gatwick really take on board suggestions made by us during our panel meetings.  It’s just brilliant to think that stuff we sit round a table and chat about actually turns into real changes.  And with more and more people travelling through Gatwick, it’s really important that each passenger feels they’ve had a really great experience.  That includes us mums, who often need extra help with buggies, directions to nearby facilities, or even a helpful chap to hold a bag or two while we’re struggling with a toddler.

And it seems like their commitment to great service is really working. Gatwick have recently announced an increase of 20% in the amount of compliments they’re receiving from passengers, and a whopping 68% fewer complaints compared to December 2010.

And if I’ve played even a tiny part in that, it makes my job really worthwhile.  Well done, Gatwick!

The Gatwick Passenger Panel meeting: buggies, castles… and snazzy toilets

So I was back at Gatwick today for the next Passenger Panel Meeting. As you probably remember, I’m a member of the panel and I’m there to represent families.

We’re a funny bunch, us families.  The trouble is, we need so many different things to make us happy… we’d like our journey through the airport to ‘flow’ (this is a word that crops up a lot), and we’d really rather not cause a big fuss (nothing guaranteed to get you worked into a tizz faster than someone standing behind you rolling their eyes and tutting as you struggle with a toddler and a pushchair).  We’d like a bit of help on occasions, yes, BUT we don’t want to be seen to be making ‘a fuss’ or to be singled out for ‘special’ treatment exactly… it’s a tough one.

Before the meeting, I asked around my friends and on Twitter about what parents really want when travelling, and how Gatwick (and the other airports – this panel is designed to help everyone, really) can help.  Several things came up, so let’s deal with them one by one:

Getting through security

This can be a nightmare (see aforementioned struggling and tutting).  It was mentioned in our last meeting and happily, Gatwick listened and did something about it.  Something brilliant.

They’ve now introduced a new ‘Assistance/Family’ security area, where families, disabled travellers and others needing a bit of help will get one to one service, friendly help and, in conjunction with a local school, they’ve even designed a special body X-ray machine that looks like a castle!  The scanner thingies are extra large to accommodate buggies (no more levering your buggy through one-handed while clutching a child with the other) and at busy times, Gatwick provide extra people to help.  The area has been open since December, so make sure you look for the signs.  Spot on, I reckon.

Something for children to do while waiting in the departure lounge

Lots of people asked about soft play areas/toys, etc, to keep children occupied while you’re waiting to go.  Few people know that there are already ‘kids zones’ in both terminals with a separate area for the children to have a play, and watch TV and plenty of seating for parents too.

In the South Terminal, the play areas are upstairs in the departure lounge opposite Café Rouge, and in the North Terminal they’re behind  Boots.  Seek them out!

We also talked about the possibility of providing children’s entertainers and other special events during busy times like the school holidays, something that Gatwick have done before with great results.

Returning home – buggies and Immigration

Picture the scene: you’ve just dragged yourself off a night flight.  You’ve got a grumpy toddler (or two) and an older one that’s tired and irritable.  You get off the plane with your hand luggage and have to carry the toddler all the way to the baggage area to collect your buggy.  This is made worse by the fact that the baggage reclaim is packed and you daren’t put them down in case they disappear in the crowd.  Sound familiar?  Thought so.  One of my friends, Catherine, said: ‘it can be a very long walk from gate to arrivals, especially when carrying a toddler and with the long queues seen recently’.  Also, someone else pointed out that, annoyingly, they’re often the very last things to come through.

The problem, apparently, is that once something is in the hold, protocol says that it can only be unloaded with the other baggage and picked up on the belts.  This is obviously too late for parents, who need a buggy when they get off the plane.  Gatwick are working hard with the airlines to provide a solution for this.  One idea, which I quite like, is to provide free ‘airline buggies’ for parents to borrow that they can then give back at the terminal once they’re reunited with their own buggy.

And that dreadful queue at Immigration?  Well this isn’t directly managed by Gatwick Airport, but they do work in conjunction with Immigration and have already implemented assistance lanes to help families get through faster.  And obviously new technology being introduced (the new ‘chip’ passports in particular), will also help to speed up transition through Immigration too.

And finally…

Next time you’re at the South terminal check out their new toilets.  Gatwick have spent loads of time and effort (and a good few quid too) making the toilets absolutely blingy and fabulous.  Each cubicle has tons of room, plus its own sink and hand dryer too, so you don’t even have to share tap space with anyone.  Awesome.

If there’s anything you’d like me to bring up at the next meeting, do let me know.  And do check out Gatwick’s information about flying with children on their website.  You’ll even find a few little hints and tips from yours truly!

I must add here that it’s REALLY important when travelling with your loved ones that you make sure you have really good travel insurance.  We use Endsleigh, who’ve never let us down.