25 March 2015

I’ve just got back from a truly incredible cruise across the Western Caribbean! I was fortunate enough to be chosen to sail aboard the amazing Allure of the Seas – one of Royal Caribbean’s most exceptional ships. The facilities were out of this world, and I also visited some incredible destinations along the way! Whether you’re a fan of cruising, or even if you’ve never considered a cruise holiday before, I think this itinerary is an absolutely fantastic way to experience one of the world’s most beautiful regions – and to have the most relaxing or action-packed time as you like while doing it! My cruise left from the lively Floridian port city of Fort Lauderdale, before arriving at the private resort of Labadee in Haiti, a haven of white sands, delicious food and thrilling zip wires. Next, we arrived at Falmouth on the idyllic island of Jamaica, and I had a great time discovering the Georgian splendour of this 18th century harbour town. Between two welcome days at sea to explore some of Allure of the Seas’ fantastic facilities, I spent a wonderful day in Cozumel, one of Mexico’s most popular destinations and a diving paradise. Altogether, this Royal Caribbean itinerary offered the perfect balance of natural wonders and the cultural diversity which makes the Caribbean such a fascinating place to explore. It’s this diversity that makes a cruise the very best way to see the Caribbean. Plus with Allure of the Seas you certainly won’t be disappointed, with 18 decks of great entertainment, delicious food and luxuriously comfortable staterooms and lounges, you could spend the whole time exploring every inch of what is a truly remarkable cruise ship. Thrill-seekers won’t want to miss the FlowRider and Zip Wire, or for a slower pace head to the vast tropical garden of Central Park and enjoy a coffee in an awe-inspiring tranquil space. I had an unbelievable time – and you can too for an amazing value price! For more information give me a call or drop me an email. Claudine Hoines

18 March 2014

I was one of the very lucky Travel Counsellors to go to our International Travel Conference in Telford and to London on a Virgin Educational. Virgin Atlantic service was fantastic from the time we checked in till we arrived back in SA. We had the privilege of experiencing the business class lounges and flying internally on the Little Red from London to Manchester. On the return leg Virgin upgraded all 10 of us to Business Class and what a birthday treat it was! Our conference was really amazing with entertainment at its best, the motivational speakers were unforgettable, Debra Searle and Karen Brady and just the information offered to us by our fellow colleagues and Mentors to grow our business was priceless! We then moved onto London, and being with 9 other awesome Travel Counsellors it was great fun and a good laugh! We went sightseeing to the ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum’ which we thoroughly enjoyed and spent a good 2 hours there. There is so much to see and many fun things to do too, I highly recommend it! We were also lucky enough to go visit the Tower of London, but make sure that you have time as you ideally need a full morning to see it all – it was very interesting. One thing to note when you go to a food shop to buy a sandwich and juice, they always ask you if you are taking it away or if you are eating in, the reason for this question is because if you are eating in they charge you for a tray fee! I love the vibe of London, the diversity and all that it offers you to do. It offers great shopping from the M&M Store (3 storeys by the way) to the awesome Disney Shop to really cheap shops like Primark and TK Max! Thank you to Virgin and to my head office friends/colleagues for all the work that was put in to organising such a great trip! If you would like to visit London please will you let me know as I would love to help you plan your next trip.

11 August 2008

Being Portuguese, I thought it would be great for my boyfriend (now husband) to meet my parents and experience Portugal. The date was set for June 2007 and before we knew it we were being welcomed by my parents and extended family at Lisbon Airport. There was little time to unpack as we were given a personalised guided tour by my uncle who took us around the city, stopping at the fort of Belem, the port where Vasco de Gama left to start his explorations, the famous 1800 bakery of the 'Pasteis de Nata', (Portuguese custard pastry) and a few other interesting historical sights. On the second day in Lisbon, we drove to Estoril, which is the more privileged area and a few of the famous soccer players have houses there. Here we walked along the Promenade and stopped for lunch and enjoyed our first taste of Portuguese Sardines - not only were they reasonable in price but also really tasty. Later in the day we drove up to the top of the hill in Estoril where we stopped at a look out point known as 'Boca do Inferno’ (Hell’s mouth), it’s a place where the ocean waves fall onto these rocks and enter a cave and make the most amazing loud noise. Our next destination was 2 hours north, up the coast to Figueira da Foz. Figueira has long beautiful beaches perfect for volleyball games, soccer matches and has just an absolutely amazing atmosphere. Figueira weekend markets are busy with locals but a great place to buy different Portuguese artisans, fresh fruit and fresh fish. Figueira doesn’t just offer beaches though, it also has lush pine forests where you can stop to view the whole coastline of Portugal. After spending a week in Figueira relaxing, we then drove to the south west coast of the Algarve, to Carapateira, a small fishing/surfing village. Our accommodation was in a self catering ‘pousada’, very quaint and clean. There was a small little bakery across the road where we bought fresh rolls every morning, with some nice Portuguese cheese. The 5 minute drive to the beach was great, passing through big sand dunes and then along sheer cliffs dropping off into the ocean, offering fantastic views. Be warned though, the water here is freezing, but when the outside temperature is in its 30’s you might appreciate it. The beaches are beautiful and not overcrowded. There are a good number of quality restaurants around the village offering delicious meals at very reasonable prices. We then returned to Lisbon where we spent another 2 nights. It gave us a bit more opportunity to explore Lisbon including Alfama – the old Lisbon. Alfma takes you back in time with small windy cobbled stoned roads and little restaurants, this is an area with many restaurants, where you can have dinner and watch a Fado live (the traditional Portuguese folklore) and where the scent of sardines and other traditional dishes cooking can be savoured. I would suggest visiting Alfama during the festival of the Saints where you will get a taste of the culture and lifestyle of Portuguese people living in this old part of Lisbon. The streets are a hive of activity with music playing, colorful decorations, fire works and processions with traditional dancers, dressed in amazing costumes, from each region. Overall just an amazing atmosphere! Not only does Portugal have delicious food, its beauty and tradition is like no where else, and the people are always friendly and helpful.

11 November 2008

Travelling 3 months through South America and Central America was one of the best experiences of my life. We spent 2 months travelling through Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador and then the last month through Mexico. We spent a minimal amount of our budget on accommodation as you spend a minimal amount of time in one's room, so we stayed in very basic accommodation and enjoyed experiencing each place and the food instead. Brazil, was a friendly vibrant country. We stayed in Rio de Janeiro for a couple of nights, resting on the beaches of Copacabana and doing the sightseeing thing up Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado, both impressive. We then moved down south to an Island off the coast of Sao Paolo, called 'Ilha Grande', where one will find cheap but clean and central accommodation. The main road is just lined with loads of local restaurants and the rest looked like lush vegetation throughout. We then took a day trip into the Argentian side of the Iguazu falls, one of the better views. This was an impressive sight and so beautiful, with rainbows everywhere from the water and an abundance of butterflies. It offered breathtaking views. Moving along into Central Brazil, the Pantanal which is closer to Bolivia. This is probably more like the South African bushveld...although very wild. It is where Piranhas and Alligators roam these waters, especially in the wet season. Well a few days later after staying in a tiny town called Coroico, we were paying to go on a little adventure wading through these waters and then to go on a trip into the Pantanal. It was a great experience, snorkelling in these waters with the Piranhas (they are not harmful in the wet season) and watching flocks of brightly covered parakeets fly over our heads. The little of Brazil that I did see was great and inexpensive and so diverse....it is definitely worth a visit!!