There is nothing quite like a Seychelles honeymoon. Its outstanding natural beauty makes it the perfect place to celebrate the start of married life. And if paradise is what you crave post-wedding then Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is the place for you.
There is nothing quite like a Seychelles honeymoon. Its outstanding natural beauty makes it the perfect place to celebrate the start of married life. And if paradise is what you crave post-wedding then Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is the place for you.
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December 1, 2016
Can I tell you a secret? Before a couple of weeks ago, Gareth and I had never been on a beach holiday together! That was all about to change when we partnered with Hilton Hotels in the Seychelles to not only experience some of the most glorious beaches in the world first hand, but to share it with you guys on our return. I can’t quite believe how lucky I am to have seen the Seychelles with my own eyes. I’ll be dreaming about this trip for the rest of my life, for sure.
Can I tell you a secret? Before a couple of weeks ago, Gareth and I had never been on a beach holiday together! That was all about to change when we partnered with Hilton Hotels in the Seychelles to not only experience some of the most glorious beaches in the world first hand, but to share it with you guys on our return. I can't quite believe how lucky I am to have seen the Seychelles with my own eyes. I'll be dreaming about this trip for the rest of my life, for sure.
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November 25, 2016
This post is enormous because I have so many photos from this trip that I want to share. So grab an extra large beverage and prepare yourself for a kaleidoscopic visual assault!
As much as I adore Marrakech (this recent trip was my third in two years!) it can be a very intimating and intense place. People yelling at you, motorbikes whizzing past you in narrow alleyways, donkeys pulling carts that look way too heavy for them, old men pushing enormous trailers full of everything imaginable… and all in 40°C+ heat! It’s chaotic and buzzing all day and all night which is why having a calm oasis to retreat back to at the end of a long day isn’t just advisable, it’s a necessity!
As much as I adore Marrakech (this recent trip was my third in two years!) it can be a very intimating and intense place. People yelling at you, motorbikes whizzing past you in narrow alleyways, donkeys pulling carts that look way too heavy for them, old men pushing enormous trailers full of everything imaginable... and all in 40°C+ heat! It's chaotic and buzzing all day and all night which is why having a calm oasis to retreat back to at the end of a long day isn't just advisable, it's a necessity!
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October 13, 2016
I’ve been meaning to write a definitive Las Vegas guide for ages – you guys are always asking me for recommendations of things to see and do! I’ve been there four times now and on each visit I find something new to entertain myself with.
I often hear people say they couldn’t stay in Vegas longer than a few days, or that one trip is enough, but I completely disagree! Sure, if you’re just there to drink, party and gamble you’ll probably be ready to go home after a long weekend, but if you want to broaden your horizons a bit more then one visit is barely enough time to scratch the surface. Vegas is so much more than blackjack tables and nightclubs (although a little of both is a hell of a lot of fun!)
Las Vegas is a city like no other, with a slot machine on every corner, gargantuan hotels, amazing shopping and some of the hottest weather you will ever experience! Seriously, during this recent trip (in July – we were clearly having a moment of madness when we booked it, who the hell goes to the desert in the summer?!) the temperatures soared to a scorching 48 degrees celsius (and it was still over 30 degrees at night!) It felt like god had left the oven on, thank goodness for the ample air conditioning!
This is one question I get asked I lot! I like to think my Vegas wardrobe is pretty similar to my at home one… but with more sequins! Definitely bring comfortable shoes for the day time if you’re planning on walking up and down the strip, but for nights out pack your most OTT ensembles!
You see ALL SORTS in Vegas (some of them have to be seen to be believed) and its impossible to ever be overdressed. False eyelashes, glitter and your most extravagant shoes are a must. Plenty of swimwear too if you plan on lying by the pool or doing pool parties. I only bought one swimsuit on my last trip and I regretted it! Even lying poolside is a fashion moment opportunity.
Over my four visits I’ve stayed in five hotels – the Stratosphere, the Encore, the Cosmopolitan, the Flamingo and the Venetian. They all have their perks and downsides.
The Mirage is next on my list!
The Stratosphere is super cheap but waaaay the fuck down the far end of the Strip. You’ll have to get cabs everywhere which can be expensive and inconvenient.
The Encore is fabulous, super glam and definitely one of my favourite hotels. It (and the Wynn which it’s connected to) is a quite a bit more luxurious then a lot of the others so you pay a premium for it. The lobby interiors are stunning and there’s lots of natural light which is rare in casinos. Our room was no bigger or better than any of the other hotels we’ve been to though.
The Cosmopolitan is in a GREAT location, right smack bang in the middle of the strip and within walking distance to a lot of the main sights. I found it overpriced for the size of the room and the lobby had a bit of a funny smell when we stayed there! The pools were disappointingly small and unexciting too, especially when you compare them to the pools at the Flamingo, Mandalay Bay (they have an actual beach!) and the Venetian (below).
AÂ view of the pools from our room at The Venetian
I've been meaning to write a definitive Las Vegas guide for ages - you guys are always asking me for recommendations of things to see and do! I've been there four times now and on each visit I find something new to entertain myself with.
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August 19, 2016
When you decide to book a holiday, what’s the first thing you do? You probably figure out if you want to go lie on a beach, explore a new city or throw yourselves wholeheartedly into some kind of action/ adventure sports trip. Next, you might want to know how the weather is at the time of year you plan to travel. Then you’ll probably look up what the local food is like, research the must-sees and investigate all the popular sites to decide if they sound like something you’d enjoy…
But what if I told you you could go on a holiday that you knew nothing about until two hours before take off!? Well, that’s exactly what Gareth and I did last weekend!
Surprisetrips.co.uk is a new concept from the people behind Expedia.co.uk. How it works is you tell them your preferred departure airport, send them a short list of places you don’t want to visit (maybe you’ve already been there or you just don’t fancy it) and they book you a completely surprise European holiday!
They currently offer 77 weekend destinations in Europe and the service is open to all UK, IE, CA, AUS, NZ and US passport holders (all flights depart from the UK or Ireland). All flights are at convenient times (we flew out at 9am and back at 8pm) and are under 3 and a half hours.
When I heard about the concept I was excited, if not a little bit nervous. I’m not an over-planner when it comes to travelling, but I do like to do a little basic research so I know what to expect of a new place. Not least of all, I like to know beforehand how I’m going to get to my hotel from the airport!
The anticipation of where we might end up was definitely one of the best parts of this whole experience and everyone I told about it was like “Wow that’s so cool, I’d love to do that!” Once you book, Surprise Trips emails you a link which tells you which airport and terminal to go to and what time you need to arrive. Then, a couple of days before the trip they email you again with a weather report from your destination so you have some idea of what to pack. Ours told us it was going to be 26-30°C so we were kind of expecting that we might end up on a beach somewhere… But as you can see, that couldn’t have been further from what happened!
Now I’m no YouTuber, but I thought it might be fun to make a little travel video so you can see what we got up to. Enjoy!
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When you decide to book a holiday, what's the first thing you do? You probably figure out if you want to go lie on a beach, explore a new city or throw yourselves wholeheartedly into some kind of action/ adventure sports trip. Next, you might want to know how the weather is at the time of year you plan to travel. Then you'll probably look up what the local food is like, research the must-sees and investigate all the popular sites to see if they sound like something you'd enjoy...
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July 12, 2016
For most people, only one thing springs to mind when they hear the name ‘Hiroshima’. As the first ever city to suffer a nuclear attack, it has a sad history for sure, but today’s Hiroshima is far from a depressing place.
I had no idea what to expect when we hopped on the 90 minute train from Osaka, but what greeted us was a lively city with some of the friendliest people (and wildlife!) ever. They also have great food (make sure you try Okinomiyaki, a local speciality which is a fried cabbage, egg, meat and noodle dish) and fantastic scenery. We spent 48 hours here at the end of our time in Japan.
Here’s how we filled it:
Our first stop was the Atomic Bomb Dome, one of very few structures left standing after the nuclear attack. The iconic ruin is a natural place to start your visit as from here you can walk down the river to the Peace Memorial Park and museum.
This was an emotional morning, especially because we’d both completely fallen in love with Japan and the people who live here. Just the thought of what it must have been like during the aftermath of the bombing is unfathomable.
For most people, only one thing springs to mind when they hear the name 'Hiroshima'. As the first ever city in to suffer a nuclear attack, it has a sad history for sure, but today's Hiroshima is far from a depressing place.
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April 28, 2016
