I have recently been to Benidorm for a short break with my family to celebrate my brother in laws 60th birthday. For sure Benidorm is like Marmite you either love it or hate it ! I would like to tell you how this region has so much more to offer, and how you can explore the coast surrounding Benidorm by using the super efficient tram and bus service. I took the tram down to the most colourful town of Villajoysa, only 20 minutes south of Benidorm and 1 euros 45 cents the tram took you to the top of this beautiful resort, it was a steady 10 minutes walk down hill to the fabulous sea front. There are many lovely sea front restaurants, quirky colourful streets and a lovely promenade to explore. The beach is sandy and very flat. If you are looking for a short break this would be a great option. The tram along this coast line runs from Alicante up to Denia. It runs inland at the top of the major resorts and with lovely mountains as back drop. I also headed north on a different day, I took the open top bus from Benidorm for 11 euros 24 hours unlimited travel, I went to the beautiful white washed resort of Altea. This resort is very picturesque, with a central square and a church at the top of the hill with a good selection of quirky shops, labyrinth of streets, while down by the sea front another spectacular promenade that you can walk for miles. There is a lovely marina and good selection of sea front cafes/restaurants. The beach here is pebbled/shingle I found it not as nice however the outlook is lovely. Altea is nicknamed as the Santorini of Spain. The tram station is located at the bottom of the hill and takes 20 mins. I will definitely return to either of these resorts. I loved them, Costa Blanca is a great place for exploring, hiking, beach, shopping, cycling. It really does offer something for everyone.

If you have read any of my earlier blogs, you will know I am a fan of small ship cruising with Azamara and have just returned from a lovely 4 night trip with a pre cruise night in Barcelona. We stayed in a central hotel with a fabulous roof top bar to enjoy drinks as the sunset before heading out for a modern style tapas meal. The following day after having a little walk to the central market we headed down to the port to board the ship. With approx. 700 guests, it's a lovely looking ship as you can see from the main image. The cruise took us to St Tropez, Nice then Toulon before heading back to Barcelona which was a fabulous itinerary for a short cruise. Highly recommended and if it's something that appeals to you - give me a call and I will do my best to arrange a similar fantastic experience.

In August I travelled to the beautiful Mediterranean island of Menorca for the first time with my husband and 2 children aged 11 & 16 years. I stayed in the small resort of Sa Caleta which is located only 1.5 miles from the historical city of Ciutadella. The sea was turquoise and crystal clear, it was ideal for paddle boarding, snorkelling and jumping in from the many coves/rocks, my family very much enjoyed. I enjoyed walks along the seafront to the neighbouring towns, where there were many sandy coves to be explored. We hired a car to explore the island, we travelled around the island visiting the resort of Cala Galdana in the South to the resort of Fornells in the North. The buses on the island are very efficient and cheap, we caught the bus to Cala n Bosch and Ciutadella on an evening which was lovely. The whole island is relatively low-key for nightlife, this was ideal for my family who enjoy beach days, paddle boarding, snorkelling, swimming etc along with watching the stunning sunset and a nice meal out on an evening. I would definitely return, a great holiday had by all.

Elounda had been highly recommended as a place to relax and recharge. It did not disappoint! The beautiful, calm bay of clear water was edged by a small fishing harbor with plenty restaurants to choose from by the shore. Across the bay is the enchanting Island of Spinalonga that is steeped in history, with boats trips every 30 minutes. Aghios Nikolaos the main town is a 15 minute taxi ride away and has fabulous shops, bars, restaurants and plenty people watching opportunities. if you prefer something a little different. There are plenty things to do and places to explore around the area to entice you away for day trips but you may just be as happy as we were to stay there and chill. An unspoilt bit of Greek life that I am sure we will visit again.

I have just returned from a week cruising around the Greek Islands with Azamara - what can I say other than you need to try this style of cruising to understand. Small ship - 650 guests on my cruise - boutique style cruising, informal wear - no set dining times or tables - docks in the heart of the port due to the size of the ship. The image is the ship is in Aghios Nikolaos in Crete and for anyone who has been there - you will know exactly where this is. There are 4 ships in fleet all very similar in size that try an incorporate late evenings or sometimes overnights at least once within an itinerary so you can be free to explore your stops at night time as well as the day. I love just being able to get on and off, do our own thing, explore on foot - or this time on a quad! The sailing so close to the islands was a lovely experience whether it was as the sun came up in or morning or it set on an evening. If you want to know more or are interested in exploring this style of cruising - give me a call.

Jersey holds a place in my heart as I have visited this beautiful island for years and I now feel like a local. Over the years is has transformed from a simply a destination for an older generation and now offers something for everyone. The beaches are in abundance from tranquil,, sandy coves like Greve de Lecq to large stretches of beaches like St Brelade's Bay with watersports to suit all ages and deck chairs for those who just like to people watch. There is a large surfing community, a fabulous zoo which has eco friendly accommodation on site, historical Jersey War Tunnels to name but a few of the many attractions. The flight is an hour at most and car hire is available at the airport. Driving the Island is so easy and enables you to meander the pretty lanes with French names and discover your own little piece of paradise. The bus service is also an option and they run regularly around the Island. There are many fabulous restaurants catering for every taste, quirky beach bars and cafes overlooking the sea serving fresh produce. The Jersey Royals definitely taste amazing straight from the ground! Even though I want to keep Jersey all for myself I would recommend a visit to see what this beautiful place has to offer.

Benalmadena is a lovely resort on the Costa Del Sol. The sea front promenade is great for walking and is flat which is good news for the less mobile or for young families. Beaches are nice and clean and the sea front cafes and restaurants serve delicious sea food, salads and grilled meats. The marina is a lively place to visit, especially on an evening where there are lots of bars, shops and restaurants. Local buses and trains are cheap, clean and reliable to visit other areas of the Costa Del Sol. Benalmadena is a great resort for doing as much or as little as you wish.

The Southern most easterly tip 'the heel' is an area of Italy the Italians like to keep predominantly to themselves. Not the easiest to get to from the North of England, but summer flight from Manchester to Brindisi may change it. You'll need a car to experience all this region has to offer. Now I can't mention Italy without referring to the food, so I won't - it was fabulous! Puglian wine and fabulous foccacia, not forgetting the staple sweet treat from Lecce - Pasticciotto - just google it! It was only a short visit, but we experienced the old cites, the coastal drives - the very tip of Italy and then a very relaxing stay on hands down - one of the nicest beaches I have ever experienced, clear blue shallow crystal clear sea - heavenly! I can't wait to help you plan a trip to this area of Italy - consider it for an early or late season break, trust me - it's worth the effort.

I travelled during the Easter holidays to New York with my 2 children aged 11/15 years, we stayed overnight in New York before and after the cruise. When we arrived, we headed straight to our hotel and dropped off our bags. We then headed straight to Times Square where we enjoyed the Rise NY experience – this is an indoor ride attraction – like Disney’s soaring ride! It was ideal as the weather was terrible on arrival. The next day we got up early for sunrise – I knew with jetlag we would be up so decided to make the most! We took the Roosevelt tram way across the river to watch the sunrise over Manhattan, after this we headed to the Home Alone’s Park Plaza hotel near central park! We then called for breakfast at the famous Ellen Stardust diner. Next stop was Top of the Rocks – Rockefeller centre for the most amazing views of the city, it was a beautiful day, we could see for miles. We called at St Pats Cathedral and Radio city before heading to the cruise ship. We sailed on MSC Meraviglia from Brooklyn cruise port, calling at Cape Canaveral, Oceans Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas it was a fabulous 7-night cruise. The ship is a large ship of 5.6k passengers so not for everyone, it has so much to offer everyone with great entertainments programme, kids club, waterpark and high ropes course to name a few. The ship has 22 bars and 12 different dining venues. My cabin was a balcony aft cabin overlooking the wake of the ship which is our favourite location, it consisted of a double and full-size bunk beds. It is our 4 MSC cruise and we love them. Back in New York we had a full on 2 days visiting The Edge, One World Observatory, The Oculus, Madison Square Garden’s private tour, The Ride bus tour, Central Park, Empire state building, we walked the high line, visited little island, Macys and much more! I pre booked everything before I went using the go city app. The whole trip was amazing from start to finish with memories to last a lifetime.