Travel Lightbulb

I've yet to meet someone that doesn't enjoy getting away from it all, and having a little spa break. Whether you love being pampered with a facial, or just reading your book in peace and quiet it's a great chance to have a bit of "me time"! National Spa Week runs from the 10-17th of September, with the intention to encourage more people into spas, more often.  To mark the occasion, I thought I'd point you in the direction of my personal favourite spa - Stobo Castle. It's in the heart of the Scottish countryside, but just 20 miles from Edinburgh city centre. I've yet to find a spa I love more, so why not discover it for yourself! Click  here  to read more about the delights of Stobo Castle.

If you're a sun worshipper, then you could do worse than head to Palm Springs in Southern California. It has 360 days of sun-kissed weather and stunning scenery. It is sometimes called Hollywood's playground because of its nightlife, but is also known for the hot springs; golf courses and stylish hotels. A few years ago, I featured a quirky party hotel with a real retro feel, so why not flashback to my original post, and read more about it  here !

You may have been told that December to March is the ideal time for a holiday in Lapland, and that's because both snow conditions and the northern lights displays are at their peak. However if you're not on the hunt for Santa, then the melting snow between April and June gives a wonderful hint of the phenomenal landscape that has been hidden for months.  In fact, Laplanders say late March-early April is their favourite time of the year. The daylight hours are longer, the temperature improves, and with less cloud cover, your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis increases. My flashback today features a hotel where you can opt to stay in an igloo - and that option is available until April. To view my original post, click  here.

Today I'm flashing back to one of my favourite places in Europe. La Fresnada is a little village in the heart of Spain's Matarraña region, and the best place to stay is in the stunning 17th century converted convent, El Convent.  If you want to get away from it all, then the location of this convent is just perfect - it has a pool if you do just want to chill out, but you can also hire bikes from the hotel to discover the beautiful nearby towns. I can't recommend this place highly enough, so to read my original post, and find out more about the convent - click here .

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to flashback to an eerie place to visit. If you're going to the Algarve, then head to Alcantarilha for a spooky experience in the 15th century chapel which dominates the village.  If you want to find out more, then read my original post by clicking here .

If you've never been to Seville, then what are you waiting for? You simply have to go! It's one of the most vibrant cities in the world, with so much to do you could easily spend two weeks there and not see everything. To help you plan any potential trip, I compiled a list of the top 3 things I like to do in the city.  That's where I'm flashing back to today, so if you want to read my original post, then please click  here.

If you're into your history, and are looking for somewhere decadent to stay, then The Witchery in Edinburgh is a great choice. This boutique Gothic hotel is at the top of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, and is a fabulous place to stay for a special occasion. I featured The Witchery on my blog after spending a night here and absolutely loving it, so I can't recommend it highly enough. If you want to see my original post on one of the best places to stay in Edinburgh, click  here.

The city of Västerås is the sixth largest city in Sweden, and is also one of the county's oldest. There are many good reasons to visit in 2017, as this year the city will mark it's Jubilee. The city has a vibrant nightlife, and an exciting history, but one of the main reasons I featured it on my blog is that this is a place where you can spend a night underwater.  I love featuring unique places on my blog, and I certainly found one that's not to be missed in this great city. So if you'd like to read my original post on Staying under the water in Sweden, click  here .

Today I'm flashing back to a few years ago, and my blog post on a wonderful hotel in Poland's capital city, Warsaw. This city has arguably the best restaurant scene in Poland. It has a superb collection of neighbourhoods to wander around, and the Stare Miasto, or old town, is one of the best.  It was left in ruins after WWII but was painstakingly rebuilt using pre-war sketches. This historic quarter is a tribute to the city's survival instinct and is now a Unesco World Heritage site. To go to my original post, and a fabulous choice of hotel in Warsaw, please click here .

Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most iconic images of Scotland. It's situated on an island where three sea lochs meet, and is surrounded my some majestic scenery. It's one of the most visited attractions in the Scottish highlands.    I found an incredible hotel which is just an hour from the Castle, and a great place to base yourself to explore the wonders that the highlands have to offer. To go to my original post, and read more about the hotel, just click  here.

I'm flashing back to one of the most memorable trips I've ever been on today - a trek through the Sahara desert. I did this a few years ago for charity, and not only did it prove to be very worthwhile in raising crucial funds for several charities...it was a real life changing experience. Watching the sun set after a long day of trekking, and spending a night sleeping under the stars were just two of the highlights of this wonderful experience. I can't recommend it highly enough. If you want to view my original post on my incredible trek through the Sahara, then click  here.

Many people talk about holiday destinations being 'heaven on earth', and for me - that description is just perfect for the Maldives. These wonderful coral islands are completely idyllic, and somewhere that I would love to return to. From the moment I stepped onto the sea plane to get to my resort, I knew I was going to have the time of my life.  There are so many islands to choose from and I took a long time to decide which one was right for me. Veligandu Island Resort was the one for me - great food; fabulous accommodation, picture perfect beaches, and wonderful staff. Why not revisit my original post to read more on one of the best places to honeymoon -  Perfection in the Maldives .

With the European Championship currently taking place in France, what better time to flash back to one of my posts on Paris. It's such a beautiful city - one of my favourites in the world, but there are so many things to see you don't necessarily want to spend lots of time in a hotel, so why not get an apartment instead, and head out to make the most of the sights. The apartment I feature in my post gives you the chance to experience authentic local Parisian life in a beautiful old building. Why not click here  to read my original post.

Some of the most spectacular landscapes on earth are in America's national parks. Think Yellowstone, and Yosemite - and I'm sure you get the picture. In 2016 the National Park Service, the government body which protects and maintains America's 59 national parks and historic landmarks turns 100 years old. The NPS is desperate to ensure the parks are at their best for the centenary, so what better time to visit. The parks are full of granite cliffs; stunning waterfalls, and incredible geysers spurting hundreds of feet high. Nature at its best, so why not mark the anniversary with a visit!

Today I'm flashing back to a place that would suit families looking for a place where adults can relax, and the younger generation are also well catered for.  Martinhal Beach Resort and Hotel is near Sagres in the Western Algarve and is a beautiful spot for a chilled out holiday, but also a lovely place to enjoy a spot of lunch or a cocktail as the sun goes down. Click  here  to read my original post.

This week's flashback takes us to to a country house that could be straight out of a period drama - but you wouldn't think it by taking a glance at the photo below. The eagled eyed travellers among you will recognise the shot was taken in Dublin, and today's flashback location is only an hour from the bustling Irish capital city. This week I'm featuring the country house hotel Bellinter House - to read my original post, click  here.

Today I'm flashing back to one of my all time favourite restaurants in the world. In fact, my mouth started watering even as I uploaded the photo below! It's not some fancy Michelin starred restaurant; it's not somewhere you need to dress up for dinner, but it is most definitely a place that specialises in  the highest quality chicken piri piri, and the sides that go with it are also fabulous. It's one of the most famous restaurants in Portugal's Algarve to serve one of the most traditional dishes of the country, and it's almost always my first stop after the airport! If you'd like to read my original post, then here you go -  The undisputed king of piri piri .

Airstream trailers date back to the 1930's, with the idea of building a travel trailer that would move like a stream of air, and be light enough to be towed by a car and give the owner first-class accommodation anywhere. As you can see by the photo below, they're instantly recognisable - with their distinctive shape and rounded aluminium bodies. I wrote about an airstream that you can stay in in Wales, where you can enjoy retro style in the rolling hills of West Wales. Not where you'd expect to find one, but it works....perfectly! To read my original post, and find out more, click  here.

Look at the two photos on this page....which appeals most to you? Is it the luxurious image above - a beautiful property in the Italian Lakes? Or does the scene in the photo below appeal to you more - a rustic cabin in the mountains? I have friends that I know would choose Lake Garda in a minute, but have other friends who would prefer getting away from it all in the second photo.  Personally - I like to mix it up, and experience both luxury, and roughing it. I saw these two photos, and they reminded me to flashback to a post I wrote when I had returned from a charity trek in Peru. Trips like that make you remember that the simple things in life should be enjoyed, and while it's fabulous to go camping....it's also lovely to be pampered. So the question is.....which side of the fence do you sit on? To read my original blog post, just click  here .

Australasia - the islands of Australia; New Zealand; New Guinea and its neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. So many different cultures and foods all wrapped up into one continent.  With a population of around 39 million, it has everything from Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge, to the coral reefs of Fiji.  One of the early blog posts on Travel Lightbulb was a review of a restaurant which combines all the food cultures of Australasia. So why not Flashback this Friday, and take a look back at Australasia, down under in Manchester!