Travel Lightbulb

When you go on your travels do you book independently, or go for a package deal? Personally I prefer the freedom of booking flights and accommodation myself and more often than not I have found it cheaper to do it that way too. Many people still book through a travel agent or online package deal though, as I found out from new research from Nationwide FlexPlus. They conducted a poll to mark the 175th anniversary of the first packaged holiday, and it threw up some interesting facts. Did you know that the average Brit spends 10% of their annual salary on their holiday? It's no surprise that we all get very excited about holidays, but 6% of Brits are so keen to go that they start packing a fortnight before they're due to leave. I don't miss my home comforts too much when I'm away, but many people do - 1 in 10 admitted they take tea bags with them! One final fact I liked was that nearly a third of Brits will have a holiday romance and one in 20 will marry as...

Latvia is my featured destination today. I chose this destination because earlier this year, Latvians marked the 25th anniversary of a Soviet crackdown on pro-independence protesters. Twenty five years ago, they built barricades across the country to defend against Soviet attempts to quash the Baltic nation's quest for independence. It may have taken the country a huge part of that time to shrug off the chains of Communism, but it's a beautiful place and is starting to shine. Riga, pictured above, is its cosmopolitan capital, but aside from that it's a country full of unspoilt parkland. Latvia's national parks boast fantastic hiking trails, and if you visit in spring you can see huge numbers of wild cherry trees in blossom. If city life is more your thing then Riga boats one of the finest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world - in fact incredibly, they account for a third of the properties in the city centre! When to visit depends on w...

I'm sure you've all heard the phrase picture perfect and, although I say it myself, I think this photo sums up the saying perfectly! On a fabulous day in Barbados, I got up to go to the beach and read my book. Strangely there was no one else on the beach, which can happen in the East of the island, but is quite unusual for the West coast. I was lying there very happily on my sun lounger; turned my head to the side, and this was my view. I had to get the camera quickly in case someone came into the shot but luckily I snapped it in time - my picture perfect holiday shot!

How to sum up 80 days or summer hols (in no particular order) - no socks or shoes; no straighteners; no hairdryer; no make up; barely a cloud in the sky; only a couple of spots of rain; lots of friends; great food; fabulous wine; lots of champagne; laughter with my best mate; love & hugs with hubby; reminiscing with Dad; life in a country with no terror threats; the joy of floating in a rubber ring in the sea like a kid; remembering to enjoy the simple things in life; realising you don't need much to be happy; reading 14 books and enjoying every one of them; manicures and pedicures; taking time to miss those who are no longer with us but still provide us with great memories; remembering what life is all about and trying to hold onto the idea that life is for living - especially when you're lucky enough to return to a job that you love.  There is too much sadness in the world - get out there and live people...you only get one shot at it. Life is not a dress rehearsa...

I have to admit when I was researching new destinations to suggest to you I had never even heard of Palau, but if you're into diving or snorkelling you may well already be aware of it, as it's one of the best places in the world to do just that. Palau is an archipelago of more than 500 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, and 100% of its marine territory has been turned into a sanctuary to try to protect what has been labelled a 'Serengeti' on the sea. It's home to some of the healthiest reefs on the planet, and Palau's Blue Corner is amongst the world's top dive sites. This is a remote and untamed part of the world, but there were also some ferocious battles here during World War two - and you can see submerged ships and fighter planes in the lagoons. Top tip: Palau enjoys a warm climate all year round, and while rain is more frequent between July and October, there is still a lot of sunshine.

Travelling is one of my favourite things in the entire world, and this blog is usually full of positive things about discovering the world. However the process of getting to your final destination is not always fun. My reason for saying that? Airports….and a few travel gripes about them. Queuing is sometimes said to be a British trait, and I can’t think of a place where you will spend more time in several different queues than at airports. There is the queue for check-in. If you’ve checked in online, then you may still have one at the bag drop. Hand luggage only? Well fast forward to the queue at security. Once you’ve passed through there, you’ll find another one at the gate - why do people insist on queueing to get on the flight - you’ve got a seat, just wait until your row is called….the plane will not leave without you! Security is paramount these days, with so many scary things going on in the world, and I don’t have a problem going through the process if it means w...

On a recent trip to the Caribbean I was sitting on my balcony enjoying the sunset with a cheeky rum sundowner, when I got some company in the form of this little chap in the photo below. He sat quite patiently while I went to get him some bread, and posed quite nicely for me while I took this photo! It was one of those moments where you have to be quick with the camera in case your subject matter decides he's had enough to eat for the night and flies off - thankfully on this occasion he stuck around for just enough time!

If you've never been to Thailand before, then picture a lush country with white sand beaches and emerald waters. Today I'm featuring a fabulous hotel which is set on the edge of Krabi's National Marine Park at the heart of the stunning Phranang Peninsula. Courtesy of Rayavadee, Krabi Inspired by a southern Thai village, the Rayavadee resort has won awards for its architecture. There are 96 two-storey pavilions and 5 luxurious villas, all dotted through tropical gardens and coconut groves.  Courtesy of Rayavadee, Krabi There are several restaurants to choose from, with everything from elegant dining to casual beachside fare. As for things to do, there is a fabulous spa at the resort which also offers a full range of excursions to places on Krabi itself, as well as the area's outlying islands.  Courtesy of Rayavadee, Krabi The beaches here are stunning and there are three incredible ones just a few steps away. Phi Phi island can also be reached by spe...