Travel Lightbulb

Glamorous camping (or glamping as it has become known) is a relatively new phenomenon; and for those who are fed up with sodden clothes and pitching tents, it means you no longer have to rough it to enjoy the outdoor life. That said, you perhaps wouldn't expect a glamping location in Sydney, just ten kilometres from the famous Harbour Bridge! Nestled within the 700 hectare Lane Cove National park, Tandara (meaning 'here we camp') is in an enchanting location, and it's safe to say there's nothing else quite like it in Sydney. Photos courtesy of www.lcrtp.com.au/tandara-sydney Officially opened in January 2011; it was built to offer something a bit different, and as you can see by the photos, it has certainly achieved that! It's designed for two people and, unlike any tent you may have stayed in before - it has a king size bed, wi-fi, and a flat screen TV! Photos courtesy of www.lcrtp.com.au/tandara-sydney Tandara has a BBQ kitchen and dinner hamp...

One of my favourite things in the world is the feeling of sailing on the open water; with the sea wind blowing in my hair, and the sun beating down on me. My number one place to do this? The Grenadine islands in the Caribbean. When I was a little girl, my parents took me on a day trip from our base in Barbados on a traditional wooden island schooner called 'The Scaramouche'. It is one of my favourite childhood memories, and I am lucky enough to have been able to go back and experience the trip again since. There are many ways to tour the Grenadines, but it feels so much more authentic doing it on a traditional boat, rather than a modern catamaran. The Scaramouche is a 60ft vessel which was used in the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and is also one of the last working schooners in the West Indies. After a fifteen minute flight on a small aircraft from Barbados to Union Island (the southernmost island of the Grenadines), you board the Scaramouc...

You may never have heard of Guadix (I hadn't until I was on a driving holiday through Spain), but it's an old Moorish town in the province of Granada. It's a fascinating and unusual place, because almost half of the town's inhabitants live underground. Picture Fred and Wilma in The Flintstones, and you're pretty much there! La Barraida de las Cuevas is situated in the Northern part of the town. There are around four thousand caves dotting the bizarrely shaped countryside - the biggest concentration of inhabited caves in Europe. It's like entering the set of a Star Wars movie, completely bizarre but enchanting all the same! You see whitewashed facades on almost every hill, with little windows and chimneys rising from the hillside. Not only do the local residents live in caves; but you can also experience what it's like, as many of them have been made into small apartments/hotels. I stayed in Cuevas Pedro Antonio which is a little out of town, as ...

Travel Lightbulb isn't just about fabulous places to stay - I also have lots of restaurants, bars, and attractions to suggest to you that I think you'll love. Sometimes you don't have to travel very far to get a moment of inspiration, or see something unique. On a summer's day last year, I headed to Crosby beach on the Merseyside coastline to see 'Another  Place' - a large scale installation by London born artist Antony Gormley. It consists of 100 cast-iron life-size figures which face out to sea, spread out along a two mile stretch of shoreline.  In common with most of Gormley's work, the figures are replicas of the artist's own body, and as the tides ebb and flow, the figures are revealed and submerged by the sea. Up close each figure has been worn by the elements - some still in their original iron state, and others covered in seaweed and barnacles. 'Another Place' went on show at Crosby in July 2005, and was supposed to move to New Yo...

This is a very exciting day for me - having started Travel Lightbulb at the start of the month, I have now written my first guest post! It went live on the easyJet holidays blog today, and features Portugal's second city, Porto - a fantastic place for a city break. Here's a sneak preview: The Hilly City on the River of Gold Most people picture the pretty fishing villages and beaches of the Algarve when they think of holidays to Portugal, but there's so much more to discover in this diverse country.... To read the post in full,  click here. Many thanks to the team at  easyJet Holidays  for giving me this opportunity, and I hope all my followers enjoy the guest post.

Ragusa is one of the most stunning towns in Sicily, and you can't help but feel your jaw drop when you first set eyes on it! While most travellers on Italy's largest island are drawn to the capital Palermo or the coastal resort of Taormina; they really are missing out, because Ragusa is absolutely breathtaking. It's located about an hour's drive from Syracuse, the nearest large city, and is in the south east of Sicily. Ragusa's population is just short of seventy thousand, and that's one of the main attractions. While other parts of the island can be filled with tourists, this town still seems to be a hidden gem. In 1693, most of the eastern side of Sicily was razed to the ground by a horrendous earthquake. In the aftermath, public opinion was divided on where to rebuild the town, so a compromise was made. The wealthier citizens built a new town (Ragusa 'Superiore') while the other half decided to rebuild on the original site at the bottom of a ...

I often think about winning the lottery (don't we all!), and where I would stay if I was lucky enough to hold the winning ticket. I'd want to get away from it all, and chill out in a special place where I could think of how to spend my money. The great thing is, I know exactly where that place is! The Lone Star - a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar on the West Coast of the Caribbean island of Barbados.  Photo courtesy of Lone Star Constructed in the 1940's, Lone Star was originally a garage - at the time, it was the only garage on the West coast that was licensed to sell petrol! In 1996, the building was sold to the present owner. The building may have been completely changed in the redevelopment, but it is still possible to make out the original name on the façade of the garage. The restaurant staff also wear mechanics’ overalls and baseball caps - a nice touch! Photo courtesy of Lone Star The hotel and restaurant sit on a s...

When you think of Majorca, what images do you conjure up in your head? Is it that 18-30 holiday in Magaluf that you can't believe you went on all those years ago?! Do you think of the bustling city and port of Palma? Or have you discovered the REAL Majorca like I did a couple of years ago? I stayed in Port de S ó ller, which is a lovely little village and port with some fabulous restaurants. However, that wasn't the real discovery on our holiday. That came when we we took a day trip to the stunningly picturesque village of Deiá . When you drive through the village, towards S ó ller, there is a little turning to the left just outside the village. You have to drive very carefully down the winding lane, and then park up and walk the last 600 feet or so, but this is your reward. Cala Deiá  is a very small cove on the steep northwest coast, which has fantastically clear water. Rocky cliffs curve around the bay, making it feel like a hidden paradise.  Now I'm not a huge f...

I stumbled across this crazy futuristic hotel project the other day, and knew I had to feature it on Travel Lightbulb! There's no better way to introduce it, than to show you a photo. Photo courtesy of www.blessthisstuff.com How amazing is that? The hotel is located in the town of Harads in Sweden, which is just 60km below the Arctic circle. It consists of completely crazy individual rooms, each designed by a different Swedish architect. It has been named on the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller Hot List for 2011, and perhaps the most stunning room is the mirrorcube (pictured above). It reflects everything from the forest around, making it almost invisible. The idea of the owners is to create a comfortable, well designed hotel which allows visitors to live in harmony with nature - and they certainly seem to have achieved it. Photo courtesy of www.blessthisstuff.com The room pictured above is another of my favourite rooms - imagine sleeping in yo...

For those who haven’t been, the Alentejo region of Portugal extends from the unspoilt beaches of the West coast, through vineyards, to the rugged hills on the Spanish border. It’s full of fascinating towns and villages, but the best bit of all is that it is totally unspoiled….and I mean totally! A few years ago, I discovered a boutique B&B that seems to capture the feel of the region ~ Herdade do Reguenguinho. It lies ten miles inland from the surfers beach at Malhao, but this is no ordinary bed and breakfast. When you arrive, you're drawn in by the beautiful flowers, and the orange walls that stand out from the surrounding countryside. The B&B is made up of two converted barns, with a cool courtyard in-between. The rooms (there are only eight) are good enough to move into – they make you ask “why haven’t I done my bathroom like this” or “we could do this with our lounge”! Stylish simplicity. The best bit of all is the infinity pool which overlooks the rol...

Ever since I was a little girl, my dad told me "Life is not a dress rehearsal". While it was a phrase that stuck in my mind, it didn't resonate with me until I got a bit older, and realised that he was totally right! We spend so much of our lives at work; in meetings, and sometimes doing things we don't always enjoy. So when we have time off and go on holiday, we have to make the most of it. Take time to look up at that blue sky, breathe in that fresh air to give us new energy for when we have to return to reality! One of my passions is travel - another is research, which combine to make a brilliant partnership! I love finding places off the beaten track; hotels that make you go 'ooooooh'; B&B's that make you feel you could just unpack your suitcase and stay forever, and attractions in different countries that you may not find in your guide book!  This is why I decided to start Travel Lightbulb - I want to share some of the great things I've...