Holidaying at Home

Holidaying at Home

With all its charm and diversity it amazes me that British people are so quick to get out of the UK and book overseas holidays when it comes to taking a break. I personally know several people who have travelled as far as Australia and yet have never eaten an ice cream on a beach in Brighton, walked through the Yorkshire Dales or tried to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster.

Something that surprised me when I read it just a few months ago is that there is a beach in Britain that has been voted as one of the top ten in the world! Rhossili Beach in Wales is worthy of its title as you would be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to a beach on the Mediterranean with its stunning blue sea and miles of sandy shoreline. In true British style there is also a pub (Worms Head) which overlooks the stunning bay. Granted it is much more pleasant when the sun is shining but even on a cloudy day this beach is breath-taking. The beauty of Britain is that there really is something for everyone. For those who prefer a livelier, albeit less picturesque beach, where the focus is on the nightlife and activities, Brighton is a must see. With its pier and rows of bars and restaurants it is a hub for the younger generation as well as family days out. I enjoy walking through The Lanes in Brighton where I am always spoilt for choice between the boutique shops, quirky restaurants and jazz bars that thrive in this area.

Being a born and bred Londoner I am probably biased when I speak about how incredible the city is. From the punks and famous Stables Market in Camden to the designer shops and upmarket restaurants in Chelsea and Kensington, the diversity in this city is endless. A favourite hotspot of mine is Shoreditch, it never ceases to amaze me as I can be walking along a fairly nondescript  road and come across a striking piece of graffiti by Banksy himself and the next minute be outside a top London restaurant or bar, a favourite of mine is Beach Blanket Babylon. Aside from all the hidden hotspots London has to offer, there are the obvious main tourist attractions that millions come to visit from across the world such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the countless museums. I personally love to see the famous skyline, especially at night and with so many different places to do this from it is a must see when in London. Whether it is on a rotation of the London Eye, sipping cocktails in the bar at the Shard or having a picnic in Primrose Hill, the views are incredible.

For those who prefer a break from the hustle and bustle of city life, the UK has some of the most stunning natural landscapes in the world such as the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. Popular with hikers, the Peak District was the UK’s first National Park and offers activities for every age; from rock climbing to walking around stately homes and visiting famous film locations. The Yorkshire Dales also offer stunning views for miles on end and I remember after hours in the car as a child on the way to Scotland I would always perk up when we drove through this stunning area of natural beauty. Even back then I was aware of the rolling green hills and quite frankly fascinated by the open space and tranquillity of the area compared to my London home.

Every year for three nights between Christmas and New Year my family would take us to the small village of Dunkeld in Scotland and despite going back time and time again it never got boring as there was so much to do. The hotel (Hilton Dunkeld) offers activities such as clay pigeon shooting and 4x4 driving but outside of the grounds Scotland has so much to offer. We visited Edinburgh several times and this old town combines historic charm with a cosmopolitan vibe to create a truly unique experience.

No trip to Scotland would be complete without a trip to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. The castle has a tower which is still intact and offers a great vantage point from which to try and spot the Loch Ness monster. Every time I looked out across the icy Loch as a child I could not help but let my imagination get the better of me and convince myself that I had spotted Nessie in the distance, only to see a bird then fly away. With its deepest point reaching 227 metres I believe my search is far from over and I will continue to keep one eye peeled when I next visit as there is a definite mystical aura around the area. Another reason Scotland is a great alternative to a holiday abroad is because from the northern most points of the country you are sometimes able to see the Northern Lights on a clear day.

While I have visited several places across the world there is nothing like driving through the Highlands of Scotland with the snow-capped mountains above and mist over the Loch below and then having to stop the car to allow a majestic stag to cross in front of us. These memories that were made so close to home will stay with me forever and I hope other families also instil in their children a similar knowledge of and passion for the UK before they flee the nest and head to Magaluf, far too cool to be seen with their parents anymore.

Another country in the UK which is popular with the younger generation is Northern Ireland. Just a one-hour flight from London and you can be in Belfast which is a great starting point from which to explore the region. For me the first stop was Glenarm where we visited Glenarm Castle, set between hills on one side and the sea on the other, it is a stunning location. A must-see when travelling around is the Glenariff National Park. The glens here are magnificent and run right down to the sea providing magnificent views. One of the most famous sites is the Giants Causeway. You are free to clamber all over the causeway which is something the National Trust is proud to offer bearing in mind it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The next stop was Londonderry, a walled city with a lot of history dating back to 1600. The Tower Museum tells the story of this city right up to the present day and you come away with a real sense of hope that Northern Ireland has turned a massive corner on its road to peace. The final stop was Belfast which proved to be a vibrant, safe city for visitors with loads to see and do. A ‘must-do’ here is the city bus tour which is a hop-on hop-off bus that takes in all the main sites and is led by a local, knowledgeable tour guide who helped to bring the history of the city to life. 

Writing this blog has been one of the hardest I have ever had to do, not because I struggled with what to write but rather quite the opposite. The UK has so much to offer that it is hard to know when to stop. Having said that, there are not enough words in the world to convey just how incredible so many destinations in the UK are. While I am not suggesting we all give up our beloved holidays on a beach far away, I do urge you not to forget the wonders that lie right on your doorstep, after all as once mentioned by Hugh Grant in the hit film Love Actually: “We may be a small country, but we’re a great one too.”

Leamington Spa

Hello Cathy

 

Thanks for your letter.  We had a lovely holiday at the Hotel Mijas, also known these days as TR Mijas Beach Cultural.    It was very early, cold and misty when we set off for Birmingham Airport on the 29th April!    Our car was collected at the Airport and check-in was easy. We enjoyed the Aspire Airport Lounge-nice and quiet.    The flight was good and we were met at Malaga Airport by local rep Karen Quigley and passed to our driver for the transfer via a winding road to Mijas.     The hotel sits in such a spectacular site with views to the mountains and set in lush gardens.    We had a lovely room with views over the tennis court and garden, looking down to Fuengirola and the Mediterranean Sea!   Karen came to see us the following day to talk about excursions but the pick-up point was in Fuengirola and we would have had to get a local bus at 7am!    Having just had an early start for our flight we decided not to do that.  Karen said not many Classic clients go to the hotel , maybe because it is not Five Star?     We found the staff very friendly and seemed to appreciate our modest attempts at speaking Espanol.

 

We enjoyed relaxing by the pool where we had some nice lunches. The dining room also has spectacular views and we ate there several times in the evening. There was a wide mix of people there from Japan, France, Germany, the Netherlands and UK.     

 

There is lots to see in Mijas with its white houses, narrow streets, all bedecked with flowers. When we walked further from the main areas it became more traditional with elderly ladies talking from their front doors. We got a local bus from just outside the hotel to Fuengirola and then a train to Malaga.   Very interesting city, we went to the Cathedral and the Picasso Museum which is housed in a former palace.-very impressive.

We went again to Fuengirola on the bus and walked along its beach promenade.

 

There is a bullring in Mijas and on the Sunday we went to an evening event there. A mix of dancing and horsemanship-no bulls!  On one side of the bullring, basking in the evening sun, was the bell tower of the parish church, on the other was the white houses and straight ahead was the mountains of the Sierra de Mijas and a blue sky with not a cloud in it!   It was just lovely!

 

All good things come to an end. We had a good journey back home and were able to use our Priority Pass for the Sala lounge at Malaga Airport.

Thank you for booking and organising everything for us we had  really enjoyable time and would certainly recommend  Mijas. I attach a few pics of the hotel and Mijas-there are more!   We will send off the feedback questionnaire to Classic and Felicity has put a review on Trip Advisor.  When we are  next in Leamington we will call in to say hello-which days of the week are you around?

 

Best wishes

 

Bill and Felicity Fleming  

Corrine Statford

Corrine,

 

I would just like to thank you and your team at Stratford and the Carrick Travel at Head Office, for their support following the incident at East Midlands Airport which affected our departure to Malta. I have heard horror stories about such delays, but the support and guidance which Carrick provided was nothing less than outstanding. No wonder you are the only Travel Agent we use. In the event the delay only amounted to 2 hours. Your taxi provider on Gozo, Raymond and his wife, were also excellent throughout our stay and should be highly commended.

 

Thank you again  Mike Ward

Cheylesmore

Hi Helen

Well what can I say, Dubai was fabulous, yes we did the Burj.... twice, day time and evening, went to Atlantis on the Palm, both amazing feats of engineering and vision.  We were lucky enough to fly over tha Palm on our way to Kuwait, albeit being a tad hazy.

The Hotel was truly one of the best we have ever stayed at, and we did speak to various couples who said they'd been going there for between ten - twenty years, and yes they had seen plenty of changes!!!  

Whether it was due to Brian having a Birthday while we were away I don't know, but we got an upgrade to Club, and while we would have liked a view up towards the Palm area I wasnt going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so we settled for some beautiful sunsets and made the most of the afternoon teas and pre-dinner drinks instead....

The staff were all extremely courteous, helpful and friendly, Brian got Birthday pancakes, plus candle at breakfast and we came back to our room in the evening to a Birthday cake and bottle of wine.  Check-in and out was very smooth, in fact I think we were asked by five different staff members if we'd got all our belongings, passports and tickets etc when leaving.  Le Royale Meridien is definitely a hotel we'd both recommend and return to.

The transfers went without a hitch, and we did need the larger vehicle to and from the airport.

We also had a very enjoyable stay with our friends in Kuwait, not a tourist hotspot but some interesting sights, including a huge 'sandcastle' display, I'm sure if you google 'sandcastles' Kuwait you'll see what I mean, these weren't amateurish kiddies beach efforts, they had taken teams from all over the world several months to sculpt.

My friends reaction when she came home to see us sat at her kitchen table was BRILLIANT, she hadn't got a clue that we were coming, and it's all recorded!!

All the flights were without incident, that said I wouldnt put Emirates at the top of my list of favourite airlines, they were professional yes, but the flight home especially left a bit of a sour taste.  Initially I wasn't convinced that my wheelchair would actually be put on the plane, the stewardesses I spoke to appeared completely disinterested.  We did our usual, wait til last bit, once we got to Birmingham and then found that there were more people waiting for wheelchairs than expected.  In similar situations the staff have allowed us to wait on the plane, but not this particular set of crew, who quite obviously wanted to be on their way.  So we had to stand in a breezy and chilly stand.

However as we were in the air at the same time as flight MH370 went missing, this seems a bit of an insignificant whinge.

Overall this was another brilliantly put together package by yourselves, and I'm certain we'll be back to your 'sweetie shop' to see what else you have to offer.

Many Thanks to all concerned

Dawn and Brian McBride

Coventry - Africa Helen Sanders

We're back from our Africa hols.  It was amazing, up there as one of the best holidays ever.  All went without a hitch so African Pride did their stuff very well.  All the Sanctuary lodges were very different.  Chichele Presidential lodge was our favourite; very colonial and the rooms were quite dated compared to the other lodges.  However the staff were brilliant and the game drives just out of this world so would thoroughly recommend it especially for newbies like us.  

Sussi and Chuma was more modern, highlight was the trip to Victoria Falls...breathtaking and also seeing the white rhino, safely protected by armed guards !  Chobe Chilwero was not so good on the game front but the rooms were  the best.

As for food.....it was non stop, couldn't keep up with it all excellent.  Also the hotel on Jo'burg was lovely but weather was rubbish, like being in England.

Finally, on our last drive at Chichele just before sunset we were driven to Chichele Hill and waiting for us were the staff from the lodge, a set table, with fizz and nibbles and chairs arranged to watch the sunset...brought a tear to my eye it was wonderful.

Thanks for organising everything Helen in your usual faultless fashion !

So, where to next ????  

Fiona - Mauritius

Hi Fiona

I keep meaning to email you to let you know that we had a fabulous holiday in Mauritius. Everything about it was perfect & we would definitely use Four Seasons again.  The teenage kids club was great for Jonty.  

There were a lot more activities included in the price compared to Antigua, and you could do water skiing as many times as you liked for free.  You could also get free tuition on all the free water sports & sailing.  We took a boat out fishing 3 times & it was only £81 for 2 hours & then they cooked the fish for Jonty's lunch.

We would definitely go again.  The service was amazing.  We also had free bikes to get about the resort, and there were also buggies to take you anywhere you fancied.  The restaurants were all fab and there were various special nights as well.

Re Mauritius Airlines we found them to absolutely fine.  A modern plane, and certainly no worse than BA & VIrgin.  The food was better than BA & Virgin & their flight attendants far more helpful.

A new airport opened in Sept and it was amazing.  Air conditioned, really friendly staff and we have never been through Customs so quickly.  The airport transfers were great and the drivers really informative & a lot safer than Caribbean drivers!

Thanks again for organising such a wonderful holiday

Regards

Susan, Phill & Jonty 

Paul Carter

Dear Carrick,

Thank you for booking our fantastic holiday to Cyprus.  We returned on Monday morning.  The Four Seasons is a fabulous hotel and we would like to return, time and money allowing.

You made booking this holiday seamless, my only gripe would be the time of the return flight from Cyprus, but that's not exactly in your control.

Many thanks,

Jo Bell