Travel Lightbulb

 New Year's Eve is a huge celebration for people all over the world, but if you don't already know, in Scotland it's called Hogmanay. While the celebrations may be curtailed this year for obvious reasons, they normally last for around three days - us Scots love any excuse for a celebration!  Whatever you're up to I hope you enjoy your celebrations, and wish you all the best for 2021 - let's hope it's a happy and healthy one for us all - it simply HAS to be better than 2020 that's for sure!

 Time to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope Santa has been good to you and that you haven't ended up on the naughty list!  It may not be the sort of family time we're used to but I hope you all still manage to have a wonderful time and are all staying safe and healthy. Seasons greetings everyone x

 I appreciate we're all staying at home just now, but if you're looking for a day out when this is all over, I've got a suggestion for a little gem of a National Trust property that may have escaped your attention. Gawthorpe Hall is in the Borough of Burnley, in Lancashire, but its estate extends into Padiham. It has been named Downton of the North, as it looks a little bit like a mini version of the real building used in Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle.  Before lockdown, I had to book a slot to visit and I will point out that the hall is only open for a few months of the year, so please check before making plans! It's worth arriving a little while before your slot time to explore the grounds. They're not huge, but it's lovely to have a little wander round the woods, which include a little lake.  When I visited, Covid restrictions meant that visitors were limited, and it was almost like getting ap private tour of the house. The guides were very informative, and ...

 For those reading my blog in the UK.....here we go again! Back to where we were in March, staying home, saving lives and dreaming of a time when we'll be allowed to roam the world again. It's a challenge to write a travel blog at a time like this, but many of you have been in touch to say my blog posts are cheering them up so I'll be plodding on through as best I can! I'll still be bringing you some ideas of those off the beaten track places in the coming months, so perhaps as you stay inside in the dark dreary weeks ahead you can continue to hop over to Travel Lightbulb each week for a spot of armchair tourism! Keep your chin up everyone - together we will get through this. 

The clocks have gone back, the weather is getting colder, and I'm sitting here dreaming of far flung places with endless sunshine and a bit of heat! The Maldives has been in the news a lot recently - partly because the country has kept corona virus rates low throughout the pandemic having made the decision to close its borders early.  Of course, it helps that many of the 1,200 islands are isolated, and that's probably why the country has now made it onto the UK Foreign Office's safe list. That means travellers from the UK can now visit without invalidating their travel insurance.  I went to this stunning country about ten years ago, and always promised I'd return. It was the perfect place to relax and get away from it all. The resort I stayed in, Veligandu, had a "no news, no shoes" policy, and I can assure you that wearing no shoes for two weeks helps with the relaxing experience! The only thing you need as a visitor is to have a negative Covid-19 test before...

It feels like the Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives forever, but I have finally managed to find one small positive to come out of it. When the tough restrictions came in earlier in the year, we all suddenly became obsessed with getting our permitted hour of exercise in each day. While travel was restricted I don't think I'm alone in saying many of us discovered wonderful walks right on our doorsteps.  I have friends who live in big cities who discovered beautiful winding lanes, and canal walks which were much more enjoyable without the crazy crowds that would normally occupy those parts of the UK. I'm lucky enough to live on the outskirts of a city, within close reach of the countryside, and I unearthed some wonderful walks and the best bit was there were hardly any other people around.  It has been difficult to stay positive with everything that we're experiencing in the world just now but keep your chin up; get out in the open air whatever the weather and discov...

I get the feeling that 'stay-cations' are something we're all going to be doing for many months to come, so if you need some inspiration for a UK trip, then how about this for an idea - luxury boutique accommodation in Wales.  Ffynnon (which means spring or well in Welsh) is a chic guest-house located in Dolgellau in the Snowdonia National Park. Converted from a Gothic Victorian rectory, there are six individually designed rooms that are in keeping with the property, while also managing to be contemporary.  The rooms are all different styles, shapes and sizes. I stayed in a beautiful, spacious oriental style room called Annis. It had a beautiful high ceiling; all the mod-cons that you'd expect, and beautiful views. The bedding is of fabulous quality, and the best bit was the peace and quiet - I slept so well here! The bathrooms have big windows, luxurious bath products and come with waffle bathrobes.  Breakfast is served in a lovely dining room - and they don't hold...

 It's now over six months since restrictions came into all our lives. Things have changed in ways that we could never have imagined at the turn of the year. None of us know what is going to happen with the pandemic, but one thing I think we'd all agree on is that it has changed travel forever. There are many people who've decided that staying home for now is the best thing to do. There are others that feel that this pandemic shouldn't put our lives on hold, and that we should still travel if it feels safe and possible to do so.  When numbers were lower in the UK in July, I decided to head off to my little hideaway in Portugal. My own experience of travelling back then was a fabulous one - empty flights; no queueing at airports, and deserted beaches. However good that felt at the time though, it's clear that isn't sustainable for airlines and the businesses that rely on tourism. Travel was as popular as ever at the start of 2020, before grinding to a halt by Marc...

 Portugal's Algarve coast is a wonderful destination for those seeking some of the best beaches in Southern Europe, but it also offers fascinating and authentic places to stay. Only 10km from Faro airport, it's an easy transfer to the wonderful Palacio de Estoi. Only a few years ago, it was a semi-ruin, but has now been restored to its former grandeur and is now a small luxury hotel. From the moment you park up in front of the main building with its distinctive pink colour, you get the feeling that your stay is going to be special.  A contemporary wing was constructed in 2009, and somehow gels well alongside the old building. The 63 guest rooms are spacious with floor to ceiling terrace door windows and a minimalist look and feel. The rooms have all you'd expect, such as slippers; a fridge, and free Wi-Fi. The bathroom is large, with some lovely products by Portuguese perfumery Castelbel of Porto.  The main building is what staying here is all about though. This Baroque 1...

Capri is quite simply a stunning island, and comes high up on my list of recommendations if you haven't been before. I had visited on day trips in the past, but on my last visit to Italy I decided to stay for a few days. There is nothing better than enjoying the island when all the day trippers have gone home! If, as I did, you are struggling to decide which part of the island to stay on let me try to help. It is split in half by a mountain called Monte Solaro. To the East you have the lively area of Capri, to the West the quieter Anacapri. I decided on the latter because it's not only more peaceful; it's also much cheaper, and is still perfectly located for exploring the island. The first thing that I searched for was a hotel that offered a free shuttle service to and from the ferry harbour. Taxis can be a bit pricey, but a transfer takes the stress out of arriving at the harbour with all the other tourists! I booked Hotel Il Girasole - a three star hotel with sim...

The legendary Tour de France cycling race has kicked off, coinciding with a heightened interest in cycling worldwide. In recent months, changing consumer habits have driven much higher demand for bicycles, so much so that it has provoked a scarcity of supply in many countries. Many people who rediscovered the fun of cycling in lockdown are now passionate about the sport, and I've been taking a look at some of the bucket list bike rides that could take that interest to another level.  Credit: Visit Isle of Wight For those not wanting to travel too far from home, the 'Round the Island' route on the Isle of Wight is a possibility. It's home to over 322km of traffic-free cycle routes through some of the most scenic countryside in the UK. The cycling route offers 113km of trails, and Lonely Planet rated the Isle of Wight as one of the best places in the world to explore by mountain bike.  Further afield in Columbia, cycling is more than a sport - it's a way of life, and ...

 July in Portugal is normally a time when the temperatures rise and the number of tourists increases, but this year the high season painted quite a different picture. Global travel has been hugely affected by Covid-19, and the traditional tourism sector in the Algarve has been suffering the effects of a lack of British tourists. More than 15 percent of the visitors that head to Portugal are from the UK, and when I first arrived in the country I couldn't believe how quiet it was for that time of year.  I normally spend a couple of months in the Algarve each summer - arriving as May draws to a close, and leaving at the end of July. By the end of my stay I usually notice an upturn in traffic; the need for restaurant reservations, and slightly busier beaches -  not so this summer. While there has been a small increase in travellers from other countries (mainly Spain), it seems the Portuguese had decided on so-called staycations and at this moment in time, they make up the maj...

 I think it's safe to say 2020 has been a pretty rotten year. Many have sadly lost loved ones; hundreds of thousands of people across the world have suffered the awful effects of Covid-19, and all of us have had to endure some form of lockdown. Now that it is being eased, how comfortable are you with returning to some sort of normality, and when will you feel confident enough for travel to be part of that new normal?  When the pandemic hit the UK back in March, I was supposed to be heading off to Portugal but my flights were cancelled just before lockdown. As I tried to make the most of the time at home, I realised how I'd have much preferred to have been locked down in Portugal! I'm lucky enough to have a little bolt-hole over there, so could easily have whiled away the time on my deck looking out to sea, instead of sitting in my garden in the North West of England. I was also due to fly to Barbados in May and obviously that holiday was also cancelled (refund in your own t...

You may well know that Portugal is one of my favourite places in the world. Not being able to visit my own little sunny hideaway for many months felt very odd, but clearly it was the sensible thing to do during the height of the pandemic. As soon as I felt safe enough to travel to Portugal I had no hesitation in booking my flight. As I write, there have been 15 deaths overall in the Algarve since Covid-19 began, and that made my decision a relatively easy one given the way things seem to be playing out in the UK. The one thing I knew was definitely going to be strange was the flight out here, and I thought it was worth sharing my experiences for anyone else thinking of travelling in the coming weeks and months. I took an early morning flight on easyJet, and on arrival at Manchester airport I couldn't believe there wasn't one other car there. For July, normally the height of the holiday season, it was quite a remarkable sight.  I popped my mask on (mandatory from the moment you ...