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Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

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If you’ve dropped in before, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to make the most of our weekends by heading out to explore the country a bit more. I’ve got to be honest, Stratford-upon-Avon was so bloody good that it’s going to take a lot of beating. The Hotel Indigo there was just utterly gorgeous, so when the chance came up for us to try the new Hotel Indigo, Chester, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had one night away this time, so we knew we wouldn’t get to explore that much, but a hotel-centric night away in a gorgeous hotel, with dinner and a few drinks is sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries. Here’s how we got on:

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Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

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We enjoyed our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon so much that we’ve decided to make heading out on a little weekend break a regular thing. Since I’ve never visited the Cotswolds and always wanted to go, we made our next booking at the dreamy looking Cotswold House Hotel in the pretty village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. We booked a two-night break over a Sunday and a Monday, thinking that we could relax on the Sunday, then explore on the Monday when it was a little quieter. The drive was so easy - just over an hour and a half from us here near Tring, in Hertfordshire. I’d say it’s better to have a car to fully explore all the surrounding towns and villages, but you can get a train to nearby Moreton in Marsh, which is served by London Paddington and Birmingham.

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Copper House Bar is back

Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is back!

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I’ve written about it before, but Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is one of my favourite places to drink and dine. I love the friendly people, the stylish interiors (oh, Tom Dixon lights, I love thee) and the great food. After a really tough time over lockdown (owner Lyndsay told me last night that they were SO close to throwing in the towel), it’s back open and I’m happy to say thriving too. Slightly rebranded as a bar & brasserie, adorned with the most beautiful floral archway, and boasting all new menus (including a separate vegan/vegetarian offering), a new classic cocktail list priced at just £8.50 (the negroni is my absolute favourite) and a new lunch menu starting from just nine quid for classic sandwiches, light lunches and salads, it’s tempting me back big style. We booked last night (how I’ve missed dressing up) and headed down to try out the new menu. Read more

The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo

The staycation series: The Woodsman Restaurant and Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon

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Finally. Finally! Last weekend, we actually got to travel again. I can’t tell you how excited I was at the prospect of someone else cooking my dinner, and of sleeping in a luxurious hotel room once more. We headed to Stratford-upon-Avon for a much-needed staycation (sorry, I know it’s a terrible word). We’d booked in for dinner at The Woodsman Restaurant, which originally opened last year (and has already won the Good Food Guide Best New Entry 2020) before obviously having to be closed again because of the lockdown. The Woodsman is situated on historic Chapel Street and specialises in ‘field to fork’ eating. Owner Mike Robinson is passionate about the use of game, wild and foraged food and locally-sourced quality British ingredients, much of which is cooked in the large wood-fired oven and charcoal grill in the central, open kitchen. Happily last week it opened again, and we drove the easy hour and a half to check out the fabulous-sounding menu.

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White and green pizza from Sal's Market Deli at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando Resort

White and green pizza from Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando

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How are you all? What is it, today? Lockdown day 44 or something? It’s not too bad here. We’ve settled into an uneasy truce where we’re mostly civil to each other, which is a lot easier for everyone. Anyhoo, I hope your lockdown home life is going okay. I’m missing travel and my favourite theme parks and hotels and restaurants and delicious food in general, so when the lovely chaps at Universal Orlando Resort mentioned that a few of their recipes have been put online for people to recreate at home, I jumped at the chance. Last night, I made the white and green pizza from Sal’s Market Deli at the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and woah, it’s delicious. I know a lot of people are talking comfort in taking time to create new dishes, so I’ve adapted it a bit from the US measurements so you can give it a go too.

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Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

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After the joyous whirlwind of noise, feathers and sequins that was Dominica’s Mas Dominik carnival, we said a fond farewell to the lush surroundings of Jungle Bay, and headed north in Trevo’s van, windows down, Calypso music blaring, to our final hotel, the utterly gorgeous Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica. Cabrits Dominica is like no resort I’ve ever seen before. It’s the most magical mashup between traditional local style buildings and a super high end resort. There’s an abundance of local stone and reed-topped roofs, matched with chic interiors, clever, functional rooms (UK plug sockets!!), jazzy tiling and tropical planting. The resort is surrounded by deliciously inviting pools woven into the landscaping - some in unexpected places, but always with the same delightful rule: ‘if it’s blue, you can swim in it’. It’s beautifully contemporary, relaxing, tranquil and being so far on the northwest tip of Dominica in Portsmouth, it has a magical, hidden away quality about it too.

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Ten helpful things to order in while you're self-isolating

Ten helpful things to order in while you’re self-isolating

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It’s at times like this that we really need to be supporting our local economies. Loads of our local small businesses are introducing really creative ways to keep going, from home delivery to new takeout offers, so I thought I’d list ten helpful things to order in while you’re self-isolating (or social distancing or whatever the hell it’s called). Plus if you have any ideas - ask! It might be possible for your local pub to sell you some bottles or wine or beer, even though their doors are shut. These are just a few local ones, but if you’ve heard of any others, please do add them in the comments, I’m sure we’d all benefit right now.

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Eco villas at Jungle Bay Dominica

The eco villas at Jungle Bay, Dominica

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So last time, I told you all about my life-changing visit to the Caribbean’s heavenly nature island of Dominica. After a long haul flight from Gatwick to Antigua, and a wildly exciting 45 minute prop plane flight, where we flew into a fiery peach sunset and skimmed over the top of beautiful Guadeloupe, we finally landed in Dominica. Our lovely guide, Trevo, picked us up from the airport, and as the sun set, we drove southwest - the warm air heavy with the grassy scent of the rainforest rushing through the windows making us deliciously drowsy, to the coast just above Soufriere to our first hotel, the brand new eco villas at Jungle Bay Dominica.

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The new hand luggage essentials

The new hand luggage essentials

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You know I love to travel. It’s not just about exploring and discovering beautiful new places, although that’s a huge incentive. It’s also about connections, meeting new people, and nurturing existing relationships by sharing these fabulous experiences. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, I guess all travel will change, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go! The travel industry needs you. And the lovely people who work in travel, both here and abroad (including me), rely on you to pay their bills. So I thought I’d bring you my thoughts on the new hand luggage essentials. Plus after my life-changing trip to Dominica, it became clear that I really need to up my hand luggage game, so there’s a few in there that aren’t new, but are good reminders.

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Finding myself in Dominica

How I found myself in Dominica - the Caribbean’s nature island

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Oh my goodness, I cannot wait to tell you all about my trip to Dominica. I completely fell in love with this beautiful island and had such a wonderful, life-changing trip travelling back to my Dad’s favourite place in the Caribbean and - not to sound too ‘new agey’, I really felt that I found myself in Dominica - truly discovered a sense of peace and confidence after the sadness and anxiety of our marriage breaking down at Christmas. A wonderful week of feeling so close to nature, of swimming in the endless azure sea, dipping my toes in icy waterfalls, eating delicious fresh fish, dancing with abandon, wandering lush forests and boating along peaceful rivers is, it turns out, exactly what you need to get your head straight.

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Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

Ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller

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So, since separating just after Christmas, I’ve been thinking quite a lot about solo travel. Obviously, due to my job, I’ve travelled solo quite a bit, but you tend to be in a press group, or at the very least hosted in some way, so it’s not really solo travel. I’m thinking of actually being brave enough to strike out on my own, and I’m clearly not the only one - one of the biggest growth sectors in solo travel is women in their forties - and not just because they’re divorced, either, just because they want to strike out and see the world on their own terms. Whether you’re male or female, the choice of single travel options is surprisingly wide. I’ve been looking into it a bit and have collated ten holiday ideas for a first-time solo traveller that might take your fancy.

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An evening with P&O Cruises' new brand ambassador Gary Barlow

An evening with P&O Cruises’ new brand ambassador Gary Barlow

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I’ve had a super secret save the date in my diary for weeks now - an invitation to a very special evening with P&O Cruises, and yesterday we finally got to head to the beautiful LSO St Luke’s in London - a stunning old Hawksmoor church - to find out what all this cloak and dagger stuff was all about. The big reveal turned out to be an evening with P&O Cruises’ new brand ambassador Gary Barlow, someone that I think is a brilliant fit for P&O Cruises. And what a night it was!

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What's it really like to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?

What’s it like to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?

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Well, WHAT A WEEK! I’ve got so much to tell you, and a gazillion photos to show you and, honestly, the whole experience just seems like a bit of a dream now I’m back home. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that last week I was lucky enough to be whisked away (by Virgin Atlantic’s very own Falcon, no less) to Walt Disney World in Orlando, where I got to make my very first visit to the Black Spire Outpost on the remote planet of Batuu, right at Galaxy’s Edge. In my post detailing everything you need to know about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge a while back, I mostly focused on the Disneyland California park, but now everything is up and running in Orlando and it’s completely breathtaking! So what’s it like to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance? Grab a coffee and get comfy and I’ll tell you all about it.

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The great big foodie Christmas gift guide

The great big foodie Christmas gift guide

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So following on from my great big Christmas gift guide, it’s time to concentrate on our lovely food-loving friends (my favourites!) and get cracking on a great big foodie Christmas gift guide. As usual, my gifting philosophy is to err on the side of practical, useful and useable, and foodie gifts slot in very well here. I’ve added a couple of wines, some fab books and a couple of wonderful dining experiences too. Enjoy! Read more

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna?

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Last time, I told you all about our gorgeous Christmas markets Danube cruise on board AmaWaterways’ revolutionary, double-width AmaMagna river ship. I thought I’d take the time to write a separate post about all the different AmaMagna stateroom categories, as there’s so much to tell you and I was conscious that the post was getting very long! So what are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna? Well, because there’s so much space, most of the staterooms (apart from a handful on deck 1) are suite class cabins. We explored the different stateroom categories so you can have a good look at all of them.

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A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

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If you follow me on any of my social channels, you’ll know that I was away last week on the most beautiful river ship I think I’ve ever seen. You know I love a river cruise, and AmaWaterways’ new AmaMagna is spectacular - she’s a double-width river ship, but without double the passengers. I loved the feeling of space this creates, as well as the luxurious boutique hotel feel on board. So what’s it like to take a cruise on this delightful - and rather extraordinary - new river vessel? I thought the best way to show you around would be to create a guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures, to really give you a feel for this clever, and truly luxurious new ship Read more