Category: UK

March 4, 2018 Baby Travel, Camping and Glamping, UK 1 Comment

A Log Cabin Break in the Forest of Dean…

A luxurious log cabin in the woods:

I’ve just got home from a four night break with Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.  We stayed in a luxurious log cabin with its own private hot tub nestled amongst woodland.  The weather was perfect for cabin living, bright crisp, chilly mornings and some snow which made a dip in the hot tub even more fun.  There was nothing but the rustling of leaves, birds tweeting and squirrels foraging in the undergrowth.  It was so peaceful.  Matt, Emily and I stayed with our friends Sam and Graham and Emily’s best baby buddy Heidi.  Set over two floors our log cabin had four rooms, two doubles, one with an en suite and two twin rooms.  We packed our own travel cots for the girls who had a room each.  The cabin also had two family sized bathrooms, this meant there was ample room for us all to spread out.  A spacious lounge with log burner and a floor to ceiling window overlooking the hot tub was a gorgeous place to relax.  Plus a kitchen kitted out with everything imaginable for self catering made our stay a very comfortable one.  Our log cabin also had an outdoor decked area with table, chairs and barbecue.  We spent our days exploring the local area, followed by a soak in the hot tub and cosy evenings playing scrabble in front of the fire.  The Forest Retreat, a café/bar area, reception and a small shop was a short stroll through the woods and across the meadow.

 

 

What I liked about Forest Holidays:

  • Someone checked the water quality and cleaned our hot tub everyday.  A rubber duck was placed on top of the cover to let us know it was ready to use.
  • The hot tub water is changed before each new arrival.
  • The Forest Retreat was perfect for buying take away drinks, fresh bread and supplies.  We also bought wood here for the log burner.
  • We loved ordering ‘room service’ to our cabin through the menu on the tv.
  • A small kitchen starter pack containing bin bags, a sponge and enough dishwasher tablets for the duration of our stay was a nice touch.
  • Ample towels were provided along with some for the hot tub.
  • We had stair gates for our little ones.
  • I loved the underfloor heating!
  • Choosing dates in between school holidays and being low season meant we got a great deal.  Check out Forest Holidays for prices and locations.

 

What I didn’t like:

  • The table in the kitchen was too large, it was a struggle to move around if more than one person was in the kitchen at same time.
  • The stair gate wasn’t great.  Although it was fixed in place for us, it ended up coming loose and unsafe so we took in down.  This is probably something we should have mentioned at check out.
  • Check-in is at 4pm, for an early check-in from 2pm we had to pay £35.  I thought this was a little on the steep side.
  • There was no ice-cube tray…sounds like a minor issue but ice is very important for a G&T!  We got creative and filled egg cups with water.  But for such a well equipped kitchen it is something I would have expected to find.

 

Things to do in the area:

This was my first visit to the Forest of Dean, I hadn’t realised there was so much see and do.  From caves to waterfalls and hundreds of hiking trails I definitely need to go back to explore more.  Beechenhurst has a café, children’s play area, a sculpture trail, climbing tower and Tree Top Junior.  The café does a delicious sausage baguette and cup of tea too.  Symonds Yat Rock is a must visit, the viewpoint is set high up above the River Wye and has gorgeous views.  Biblins Bridge is fun to cross, the rope style suspension bridge is set over the River Wye.  Only 6 people are allowed to cross over on it at once.  I must admit I wasn’t overly sure about crossing over, but it turned out to be fun!  It’s an adventure in itself getting to the bridge, start at Symonds Yat Rock viewpoint and walk down into the valley.  The walk is sign posted and is around 2.8 miles.  Jump on the little ferry by the Saracens Head, but double-check it’s running before commencing the walk as I don’t think it operates all year round.  Once the other side of the river head for Biblins campsite.  For more detail on this walk click here: Symonds Yat Rock to Biblins.  We were unable to do the walk as we hadn’t bought our rucksack carrier for Emily, but we had a lot of fun trying to find it in the car.  Unable to pinpoint an exact location on google map, I did some research and discovered we could get to the bridge through Biblins Campsite.  We drove for a few miles along some very tiny lanes and eventually picked up signs for the campsite.  We parked up and walked down a very steep track in the woods for around a mile until reaching the bottom of the valley and the bridge.  Matt and I underestimated how steep the walk back up would be, a screaming, over tired Emily and two very sweaty parents pushing a buggy for a mile uphill was not a pretty sight! I found a great blog post from Family Days Tried and Tested about their Biblins Bridge adventure, they have some great images of their day out. If you have time it is worth driving over the border into Wales.  We visited Brecon and absolutely loved the views of snowy mountainsides and driving on roads with not a soul around.  If you are looking for a good soft play by the way there’s a fab one just before Brecon called The Play Barn.

 

December 24, 2017 Baby Travel, Bali, Published Work, UK, USA 3 Comments

Bali, Cornwall & California, my 2017 travel roundup…

I’m writing this from a campervan in California overlooking the Pacific Ocean, I’m working with the lovely folks at Jucy campers and spending some time with Matt and Emily exploring a small part of the west coast of America.  2017 has been an exciting year for me in terms of blogging and travel.  I’ve collaborated with some awesome travel brands and taken on some new freelance clients.  I have also returned to my day job as a flight attendant after being on maternity leave.  Emily was born in 2016 and has become our mini travel buddy, she’s been away with Matt and I on a few trips and has already racked up quite a lot of airmiles in her 20 months of being on this planet.  From Cornwall to Bali she is lucky to have experienced some beautiful parts of the world so far.  Read on for my round-up of 2017 and travel plans for 2018….

 

January:  Cheddar, Somerset
Matt surprised me on Christmas day with a trip to Cheddar in Somerset for New Years Eve.  We stayed in a tiny chocolate box cottage with an open fire and lots of old worldy character.  Three days of exploring Cheddar including a trip to the famous gorge and caves, long scenic walks and a cosy evening in by fire the with a bottle of Champagne on New Years Eve made it the perfect way to see in 2017.  Read more on my Cheddar adventure here: A lovely long weekend in Cheddar, Somerset.

 

March: France
In March, Matt, Emily and I went to France with our lovely friends Sam and Graham and Emily’s bestest baby buddy Heidi.  We travelled by ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, I loved the ferry it made a nice change to flying.  Once in France we made our way to the gorgeous harbour town of Port en Bessin and stayed in a three-storey cottage right on the harbour front.  The 5 days saw us going on sunny strolls around the harbour and cliff tops and learning about the D-Day landings the beaches in this area are so famous for.  Eating fresh seafood from the local fish market, enjoying typical French breakfasts in traditional cafes and of course enjoying plenty of bread, wine and cheese; a must do when in this part of the world!  This trip was quite different as working around Emily and Heidi’s nap times often saw us spending time apart from Sam and Graham as the girls’ snoozing patterns didn’t always happen at the same time…but we would always come together in the evenings for a gin and tonic just outside on the harbour wall with the baby monitor by our side and dinner and wine while watching the tide come in from the lounge window.  I loved waking up in the morning to the sounds of the sea, you could view it from pretty much all the rooms in the house.

 

May: London and Menorca
A trip to London for two nights for the Traverse travel blogging conference was awesome.  I was a little nervous about attending by myself, although I needn’t have worried as I met some lovely people and had an amazing two days at the event.  I learnt so much and even got some work from it.  After pitching an idea to the Spanish tourist board I also got invited on a week-long press trip to Menorca, pretty exciting stuff!
A couple of weeks after Traverse, I attended a seven-day press trip in Menorca with a group of bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers.  It was organised by Traverse Events, the Spanish tourist board and Jet2 Holidays, I had the best week.  There was a one day conference with some really interesting sessions and workshops focussing on a whole range of skills from SEO to using a drone.  There were activities and evening events running all week with the opportunity to explore the island.  One of my favourites was a kayaking trip, we paddled along picture perfect coastline and explored caves, which was pretty cool.  The evening events were wonderful too, from tapas at a vineyard to drinks in a cave at sunset overlooking the ocean.  I had such a blast and met so many interesting people, some of which I’m still in contact with, it’s so nice to have friends in the blogging world!

 

June: Beach time and returning to work
June involved lots of sunny beach time and my maternity leave coming to an end.  I really loved being on maternity leave, getting to spend so much time with Emily and Matt and being able to go on some fantastic trips.  I was petrified of returning to my day job as a flight attendant but knowing I was going back on a part-time basis made it feel a little bit easier to handle and by the end of the 8 day training course I was ready to return to the skies!

 

July: Jersey, New York and Cornwall
My first flying roster consisted of a New York and a Jersey nightstop along with some other shorthaul flights.  In New York I explored the West side of Manhattan, took a stroll along the High Line and visited Chelsea Market.  In Jersey there was just enough time for a walk along the seafront and dinner with the crew.
Matt, Emily and I also went on a mini road trip down to Cornwall for a few nights as Matt had some work in Newquay.  We enjoyed a couple of pub lunches, breakfast at Fistral Beach, a walk at Watergate Bay, a bit of shopping in the town and I got to surf at Fistral too.

 

August: New York and Midhurst, West Sussex
I went back to New York twice again in August, which was definitely not a hardship!  On one of the trips I went to see the views from Top of the Rock, the viewing platforms on top of the Rockefeller Center.  I went up years ago but couldn’t resist another visit.  I love the views of the Manhattan skyline and from the Rockefeller Center you can see Central Park, the Empire State Building and pretty much all of Manhattan including the One World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty.  It’s such a breathtaking view.  I also explored Central Park with a lovely crew and visited Times Square.  It’s been hard getting used to leaving Emily when I go away, some days I feel really emotional about it.  It’s so nice to be able to see her on FaceTime, it makes me feel not so far away.  Its been great working with other parents too, to know I’m not the only one who struggles with my emotions sometimes!
It was my birthday in August and to celebrate Matt surprised me with a night away while Emily spent the night with hr grandparents.  We stayed at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst, it has the most gorgeous spa and pool area which we loved relaxing in.  We also enjoyed a G & T or two in the cosy bar area and dinner was just divine.  We finished off our very relaxing 24 hours with a crab salad and a glass of rose at Seven Fish, just so tasty.

 

August & September: Bali
At the end of September we flew out to Bali, via Kuala Lumpur, Matt and I were pretty apprehensive about flying with Emily.  Although we had already done a fair few flights with her, this was the first one with her as a toddler who loves nothing more than running around and exploring!  The flights were full of ups and downs but in general she was such a good girl, after a traumatic beginning to our flight home we did decide we wouldn’t be flying again with her until she was about ten!  Having reflected on it we made a pact that we would only do night flights in the hope that she would sleep for some of it!  Anyway, Bali was just beautiful, we stayed in a private villa with Matt’s parents In Sanur where we enjoyed leisurely mornings by the pool, afternoon strolls along the beach and cocktails while Emily snoozed or played in the sand.  We had a night glamping in Ubud at Sandat Glamping Resort and then a few nights in Canggu.  Seeing the rice terraces and temples was a great experience but I was surprised at just how touristy some of these sights were.  Bali is such a family friendly place so if you are thinking about an adventurous family trip away, I would definitely recommend Indonesia.  For more check out my blog post: Bali with a Baby.

 

October: MSC Cruises and Mallorca
I got an invite to attend #BlogCampOnBoard in October, a blogging event onboard a cruise ship, I of course accepted the invite and found myself climbing aboard the very impressive MSC Preziosa.  The day consisted of a tour of the ship, some interesting blogging sessions, lunch and a Q and A with the MD of MSC UK and Ireland and the marketing team.  I throughly enjoyed exploring the ship and made some lovely new blogging friends, everyone was so friendly and it was great to meet others from different blogging niches from cruising to food and parent bloggers onboard.

 

November: Mallorca and London
I jetted of to Mallorca for some winter sun in November as part of the Spanish and Balearic tourist boards #betterinwinter campaign.  The Balearic Islands are well-known to the British as summer holiday destinations but they are just as lovely in the winter.  There was sunshine everyday in Mallorca while I was there, it was definitely warm enough to sit on the beach.  I spent four days exploring this gorgeous island with four lovely Instagrammers.  We enjoyed tapas in some delightful locations, visited some stunning hotels, strolled around Mallorca’s capital Palma and took in glorious views of the city from the top of Palma Cathedral.  One of my favourite things was a trip to Flor de Sal where salt is produced.  It was such a different thing to do and standing next to 10ft salt mountains was a unique experience.  I loved strolling around the market in Santanyi, it was hard to believe it was November with all the sunshine we had.
I landed from Mallorca and headed straight to London for a few days of sightseeing and shopping with my Mum.  We checked in to the Premier Inn Hub Hotel on Brick Lane in East London.  Our cosy and compact room was perfect for our two night stay and I loved exploring this very cool part of London.  We had breakfast at Spitalfields market, shopped on Oxford Street and took in the views of the city from the Shard.  Earlier on in the year I won tickets at Traverse to visit the Shard, so Mum and I made the most of it by going up at sunset and enjoying the views with a few glasses of champagne.  We also had the best curry back on Brick Lane, if you find yourself in that part of London head to The Monsoon for Thali, so, so good.

 

December: California
As I mentioned in the first few lines, Matt, Emily and I are currently in America.  We are here to spend Christmas with family, it’s so strange to celebrate Christmas in the sunshine compared to the cold, frosty December days in the UK.  I’m not complaining though it’s a very nice change and I also love seeing how Americans embrace Christmas, people definitely decorate the outside of their houses in a much more exciting way than in the UK!  We have also spent ten days roadtripping along the west coast of California within a very cool Jucy campervan.  Its been slightly different to normal as it’s the first road trip we’ve done with Emily.  Picking up our van in San Francisco we travelled up to Point Reyes National Sea Shore, followed by a few nights in Monterey, Morro Bay, Carpinteria and now Carlsbad near San Diego.  More blog posts to come on our adventures soon…It’s safe to say 2017 has been an awesome year and finishing up with Christmas in California is a wonderful way to round it all up.
Travel plans for 2018 so far include a break away with friends to The forest of Dean in February and a family holiday with my parents in Menorca in June.  Matt and I are hoping to explore somewhere far-flung at some point in the year while Emily holidays with her Grandparents…thanks in advance Nana, Grandad, Nanny and Pops!

 

May 5, 2017 UK 7 Comments

Traverse 2017 Travel Blogging Conference…

Last weekend I attended the Traverse travel blogging conference in London, held in a fantastic location at Ravensbourne next door to the O2 and sponsored by some big travel brands, Jet2holidays, Cheapflights and Cathay Pacific to name just a few.  The two-day event consisted of sessions, workshops and pro bars with an opportunity to book a one on one appointment with the speakers, plus plenty of networking with other bloggers and travel brands.  In between chatting to the various travel brands and tourist boards I also picked up some great freebies, who doesn’t love a freebie?!  I attended the first Traverse event back in 2013 and although I’d been before I was a little apprehensive about going alone.  I needn’t have been though, I Tweeted a few days before to find out who else was attending and got a ton of responses from others going alone.  From that Tweet I met and bumped into pretty much all the people I spoke to, it just goes to show the power of social media.  If you are going alone don’t be nervous get chatting to people online, you will meet plenty of new bloggers and everyone is so friendly.
There were so many interesting sessions and workshops I struggled to choose which ones to attend.  I finally settled on the ones below, click on the links to see the slides and presentation notes.  For the talks you can’t make, a good plan is to swap notes with other bloggers who attended different sessions.  The speakers will often provide their notes afterwards on their blog as well or keep an eye out on Twitter or Traverse Events.  This year the #Traverse17 hashtag has been used for all things Traverse related, so take a look for information and updates from the weekend and from those who attended.  It was also used to order booze during the closing panel, a genius tradition that has been going since the first conference!
Sessions I attended:
PR yourself and your blog – How to stand out through content and connections – Susan Schwartz and Alexandra Delf
How to gain followers on Instagram without loosing yourself – Nicola Easterby
Work with Spain – Brand session
Money making game changers – Monica Stott
SEO – what you need to know in an increasingly visual world – Adrian Land
How to successfully pitch to editors – Lauretta Wright and Tania O’Donnell
How to work with brands and negotiate – Kylie Bawden
How to create successful professional partnerships based on the written word – Abi King
How to be prepared when pitching to an airline – Kerwin McKenzie
The other thing I should mention is that Traverse isn’t just about sessions and workshops, the social side is absolutely awesome!  The opening party was held at Altitude London’s Skyloft bar in partnership with Jet2holidays, stunning views of the city accompanied by complimentary alcohol and canapés made for a fantastic first evening.  Saturday night was hosted by City Cruises and sponsored by Cheapflights.  We boarded our boat for the evening at Greenwich Pier and cruised all the way along the Thames passing plenty of famous landmarks such as the Tower of London, London Eye and the highlight was passing under London Bridge.  The sparkling wine was flowing and the evening was a pretty magical one!  Finishing off at Westminster it was time for one last sneaky drink at St Stephen’s Tavern opposite the Houses of Parliament before bed.  Sunday’s conference was rounded off with a closing panel and party at Iberica in Canary Wharf for more drinks and food.  Lunch was also provided over the two days, so you definitely won’t go hungry!
What to wear:
This was a big question mark for me, I couldn’t decide between smart or casual, boots or flip-flops, I’m so indecisive! I struggled with my packing especially as the Saturday conference was followed by the boat trip, what would I wear?!  I eventually settled on a smart casual look and definitely packed more than I needed for the weekend!  From trainers to heels and dresses to jeans, the answer is dress how you feel comfortable as everyone certainly did at the event.
What to take:
I wasn’t sure if I should take my laptop to make notes on, in the end I opted for good old-fashioned pen and paper, which gave me the perfect excuse to buy a new notebook.  Take business cards with you and hand them out at every opportunity, especially when chatting to the travel brands, you never know where it could lead.  I took a copy of the timetable with the weekends talks on too so I could keep an eye on the different sessions going on and work out what to attend.
What I’ve learnt:
I learnt so much from the weekend but the main things I have taken away with me include the fact that your blog needs to have a niche.  It’s not enough to simply say you are a travel and lifestyle blogger you need to delve further! So my niche is: I’m travel and lifestyle blogger with a passion for road trips, surfing and outdoor adventures; as a first time Mum family travel is a focus too. There we go, I now have a niche…or a few!  Being yourself goes along way too and putting personality into your blog will make it a more interesting and personal read.  Less is more: this is definitely something I am taking on board when writing, don’t ramble just get to the point!
I met so many lovely people, it was great to talk travel with fellow travel bloggers and brands.  Shout out to Kerry from 9 – 5 Girl Escapes for the selfies and to Nicole from Lost In This Whole World, Claire from Saltwater, Gemma fromLittle Miss Gem Travels and Neil the Barefoot Backpacker. #Traverse18 is being held in Rotterdam and I’m looking forward to it already!  Huge thanks to Paul and Michael from Traverse Events for putting together another awesome conference!
If you are new to blogging and attending travel events for the first time fight those nerves and just go for it.  Learn, network, but most of all don’t forget to have fun, I certainly did!

 

January 8, 2017 Baby Travel, UK 2 Comments

A lovely long weekend in Cheddar, Somerset….

Hollies Cottage, Somerset
There’s nothing better than sitting by an open fire in a cosy cottage while the weather outside is cold and grey, that was made even better with a glass of champagne on New Years Eve! Matt, Emily and I spent a long weekend in Cheddar over the New Year, Hollies Cottage; our very cosy cottage was our bolthole for a lovely mini break.  Located in the village of Draycott five minutes drive from Cheddar it was in a perfect spot for exploring the area and was well equipped with everything we needed including a travel cot and high chair. Cheddar is famous for Cheddar Cheese and also Cheddar Gorge, the UK’s largest gorge, the chocolate box town is nestled in between a steep valley. The gorge itself is very impressive to drive through, the huge imposing rocky cliffs looked even more impressive on a grey day. The village has some nice coffee shops, cafes and restaurants along with shops selling as you can probably guess, cheese and a handful of touristy type shops. There are also two caves in Cheddar which are open to the public, both are really interesting. For £19 you get entry into Gough’s Cave and Cox’s Cave, The Museum of Prehistory, The Lookout Tower, The Cliff Top Gorge Walk and an open top bus tour during the summer.  If you buy tickets online prior to the day you are going you can get a 15% discount. Gough’s Cave is the larger and my favourite of the two, learn all about the history of the cave with a personal audio guide and see cheese maturing inside. We loved the cliff top gorge walk; the three-mile loop has stunning views of the Mendips and goats grazing on the cliff edges, we bumped into friends here too! After our day in Cheddar we headed back to Draycott and stopped off at the Cider Barn. This quirky ‘pub’ is a must visit, local ciders, homemade pork pies on the bar, a simple menu and log burner made it our venue of choice most afternoons on the way back to our cottage. Not one to be landlocked we also explored the coast; Weston-super-Mare was a 25 minute drive. Huge stretches of sand you can drive on and neat beach huts all lined up in a row was a lovely surprise, it was just a shame about the weather!
I loved Cheddar, the perfect place for a cosy winter getaway and a nice way to see in 2017.

 

December 31, 2016 Baby Travel, Iceland, UK, USA Post a Comment

Iceland, America and a baby, 2016 has been a good’un!…

This year has been an incredible one, I’ve done less travelling than usual due to being on maternity leave but having Emily has made it the loveliest year for me and being able to take her on adventures around the world even better. I thought I’d look back on the travels and adventures of 2016 and reflect on the differences with a mini adventurer in tow!

 

January: Iceland
January started off with a trip to Iceland, being 6 months pregnant this was our ‘babymoon’ and the last time I planned to fly before my due date in April. Matt and I spent four days in the Arctic Circle, what an amazing place! We stayed at Loft Hostel in the centre of Reykjavík and explored a lot on foot, the views of the city from the top of the church, Hallgrimskirkja were one of my highlights here. We were lucky enough to see the northern lights on a super jeep tour, drinking hot chocolate while watching the aurora borealis dance across the night sky was an amazing experience. A trip to the south coast included a stop at Reynisfjara, the black sand beach near Vik, seeing waterfalls such as Skógafoss, one of Iceland’s largest and Eyjafjallajökull the volcano that erupted in 2010. My favourite sight on the south coast was walking along the base of a glacier, hearing it crack as it moved and taking photos of the ice blue formations was incredible. On a tour of the Golden Circle we walked between fault lines at Þingvellir National Park, watched the mighty Strokkur geyser explode every few minutes and took photos of Gullfoss waterfall in the freezing cold! The day was rounded up perfectly with a trip to the Secret Lagoon; the Blue Lagoon was closed during our trip so this was the next best thing. Unfortunately I couldn’t go into the hot pool as I was pregnant but Matt loved floating around in the steamy water.

 

What to do with four days in Iceland
Exploring Iceland’s South Coast
Adventures on the Golden Circle in Iceland
Chasing the Northern Lights in Iceland
Review: Loft Hostel Reykjavik, Iceland
Northern Lights Photography Tips

 

 

February: London
In February, Matt and I went to London for a few nights for a wedding and explored Islington, Shoreditch and the market at Spitalfields. Having lived in London for three years while I was at university it was nice to go back and visit areas I had not been to before. We tried out some really great restaurants and cafes and ate a lot of good food!
A foodie weekend in London

 

 

April: Emily
April saw the arrival of Emily Louise Dunkinson weighing 6lb 1oz and since then it’s been a whirlwind eight months! Matt and I have always said that we would carry on travelling with a baby but were a little apprehensive about how this would pan out. Once we’d got our heads around the extra packing (who knew someone so small could need so much) we were good to go!
Emily
Flying with a baby

 

August: Cornwall
We started off with a road trip to Cornwall in August; I had a surf and yoga day planned with professional surfer Corinne Evans in Newquay. It was the first time I had surfed since being pregnant, it was so nice to get back on a board and meet some like-minded ladies. Three nights in Cornwall meant there was time for lots of beach walks and relaxing too and Emily at four months old seemed to love her first trip away.
Surfing in Cornwall with Corinne Evans

 

September: Italy
In September we went to Italy for two weeks to explore the southern region of Puglia. This was Emily’s first flight and it took a while to get my head round all the palaver of what liquids we could take through airport security and how she would be on the flight. Thankfully she was such a good girl and slept a lot, leaving Mum and Dad time for a celebratory G & T! Puglia was beautiful; we stayed in a traditional trullo building and visited some gorgeous towns, swam in the turquoise Mediterranean, strolled around cobbled streets full of white washed buildings and enjoyed spending time with Emily and her grandparents. Eating and drinking was high on the agenda here too, with freshly picked figs and almonds from the trullo gardens and Aperol to be sipped by the pool it was a very indulgent two weeks!
How to spend two weeks in Puglia
Exploring the trulli town of Alberobello

 

October/November: America
During October and November we spent some time in America. Visiting family in California was so nice and Emily got to meet her cousins for the first time. Being in America for Halloween was fantastic, fancy dress and trick or treating in a neighbourhood that pulls all the stops out was an awesome experience! Matt, Emily and I also went on a road trip to Sequoia National Park. The 7 hours drive was well worth it as our rustic cabin high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at 6,500 feet was very welcoming. Stargazing, taking photos of giant trees, hiking with some incredible views, driving through a tree, watching the sunset behind the mountains and climbing the 400 steps to the top of Moro Rock are just some of the adventures we had there, all with Emily strapped to our backs! Back on the coast we watch surfers at Swamis, enjoyed brunch in Encinitas and visited Temecula for wine tasting and lunch. I was blown away with how well Emily coped with jetlag, she seemed to do better than me and she was so good on the long flights.
As any parent is aware it takes time to adjust to looking after a tiny human and it has been hard to keep up with writing on my blog along with my freelance work at the same time as being a Mum. I’ll often put Emily down for a nap with grand plans of getting some work done and a blog post, then I’ll hang some washing up, make a cuppa, sit down, feel all like ‘yeah I’ve got this being a Mum and writing thing nailed’ jot down a paragraph and then Emily will wake up!  I’m not complaining as I am completely in love with her, I think it’s just something I’m still learning to get used to. So my new years resolution is to stop beating myself up about it!

 

December: Somerset

I’m writing this today from Somerset, Matt, Emily and I are staying in a cosy cottage near Cheddar and will be seeing in the new year sat in front of the log burner in the lounge with a bottle of champagne. Travel plans for 2017 are already in motion with the first being a trip to France we’re going with friends by ferry from Portsmouth to Caen. We are staying in a lovely apartment in the fishing village of Port-en-Bessin-Huppain overlooking the seafront near Normandy which is famous for the D-Day Landings. I’ll be going back to work too, which right now seems like a terrifying prospect but at the same time I’m really look forward to flying again and visiting some new destinations, Peru, Costa Rica and Cape Town are just a few of the new routes I’ll be exploring when I return. As cabin crew I think I’ve never really got used to the idea of being ‘grounded’. Having said that I have got used to being in a ‘normal’ routine at home now so it will be interesting to see how I get on with weekly jetlag and 3am starts! But I’m sure surfing in Barbados, shopping in Orlando and a whole nights sleep all to myself will help me get through it! There will be at least one longhaul adventure for the three of us too, Matt and I are currently mulling over some options so watch this space.
Cheers to new adventures in 2017 and Happy New Year to you all!

 

May 12, 2016 Baby Travel, UK 7 Comments

Emily…

I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog lately, that’s because three weeks ago I had my baby girl…Emily Louise was born on 19th April at 6.13pm weighing 6lb 1oz. The last three weeks have been a lovely whirlwind, Matt and I are now getting to grips with looking after a little person and the lack of sleep that comes with it! We are completely head over heels in love with her, all the sleepless nights are totally worth it, she is such a cutie and just melts my heart! From a travel point of view, I definitely won’t be stopping; I am looking forward to travelling with Emily and showing her new countries. I’m sure travelling with a baby will be a completely different experience, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to get her passport. We found out I was pregnant while on a road trip in California last August, so she’s well travelled already without even knowing it! The last trip we took was a ‘babymoon’ to Iceland when I was 6 months pregnant, it was an exciting adventure, northern lights spotting, glacier walking and incredible scenery that I couldn’t stop taking photos of! It was a great last trip before I got too pregnant to fly and a really different experience. Travel plans so far for this year include a trip to Cornwall in the summer, two weeks exploring the Puglian region of Italy in August and hopefully a trip to California in early 2017. We are looking forward to making lots more plans once we get this parenting lark nailed. I’m really looking forward to making new memories with our mini adventurer in tow….
February 4, 2016 UK Post a Comment

A foodie weekend in London…

With a wedding to attend in London last Saturday it only seemed right to spend a few nights there and do a bit of exploring. The ceremony was held at Islington Town Hall followed by a trip on an old London Bus to the reception at the London Canal Museum. I love a cool, quirky wedding! We stayed at a Travelodge right near Kings Cross station making it super easy to get about town. I miss the buzz of living in London, day and night something is always a going on, there are always places open and it is so easy to get around by catching the tube or jumping on a bus. We used Uber a lot too, which again was so easy, download the app, select your location and your destination, it lets you know how close a car is from you and gives you the driver’s name and car details.  Really great service and cheap too. I also love walking around London, using transport is great but you often don’t realise how close everything is and you get to discover so much more on foot…
So Sunday saw us head for brunch with friends in Islington. I lived in London for three years while I was studying at Roehampton University, more than ten years ago now…I feel old! But apart from Camden I never really explored this part of the city.  Islington is full of lovely London mews and narrow cobbled streets such as Islington High Street, full of antique shops, art galleries, vintage shops, coffee shops and restaurants. If you continue along to Camden Passage you will find the well-known Breakfast Club, so well-known that people will happily queue around the block for brunch! I really wanted to try it out but being a hungry monster we walked a couple of hundred yards further along and came across The Elk in the Woods. It was also very busy but with room on a shared table we snuck in. Wooden clad walls and vintage lights bulbs give this cool venue a Scandinavian feel. Brunch was delicious! Freshly squeezed juice, good coffee and avocado on toasted coriander rye with fried duck egg and char-grilled asparagus dippers, yum! Their produce is locally sourced too. With bellies full Matt and I decided to take a stroll along Regents Canal, it was pretty peaceful and nice to see a quieter part of central London. Colourful houseboats line the canal; we also came across a floating bookshop. Wandering past locks and under bridges was perfect.
Starting to feel peckish again we decided to walk to Shoreditch for more food! Shoreditch has a cool, gritty and edgy vibe going on, vintage shops, and buskers jamming under bridges. Boxpark is worth a visit, a shipping container pop up mall, it is full of cool eateries and market style shopping. Next was onto Old Spitalfields Market, this market is indoors and full of vintage fashion and funky products. I wanted to buy everything in sight, so Matt prised me away and upstairs to have a drink overlooking the market. Ethos does some great mocktails I had a tasty ginger and coconut concoction served in a handled jam jar. It was a nice place to sit and watch the world go by from our elevated position. Tired after all our exploring we headed back to our hotel for some quiet time and to get ready for dinner. Steak and Lobster was our chosen spot for the evening, as the name suggests the menu is as simple as it sounds! Steak or Lobster with unlimited fries and salad, there was also a veggie option too. I had grilled lobster, Matt went for steak. While the mains were delicious and the service started off really well, disappointingly at the point where Matt fancied a second round of fries and salad we struggled to get any attention from the staff and after requesting more they took so long to arrive Matt was pretty much finished which was a bit a shame. After all how long does it take to fry some extra potatoes and throw a bit of salad in a bowl? Especially when the menu advertised the ‘unlimited’ part so invitingly. Moaning aside we still enjoyed our meal and would look to give it a second chance. The final treat of the night was a sweet one; I was just saying how I’d love to find a dessert parlour when as if by magic we stumbled across Candys & Cream. Sundaes, waffles, pancakes, cookie dough and ice cream, yes! This was exactly what I wanted! We chose salted caramel and chocolate fudge brownie ice cream with white chocolate flakes, it was the perfect end to a tasty day!
December 29, 2015 Barbados, Blogging, Mauritius, UK, USA 2 Comments

My 2015 Travel Highlights…

Wow, 2015 has really flown by!  I’m pretty sure I said this about 2014 as well in last years round-up: Cheers 2014…you’ve been a good’un!  So much has happened this year, I thought it would be fun to look back and to share with you some exciting new developments for the coming year…

 

January
I started the year off with a surf trip in Barbados, the sun was shining and the surf was pumping.  I surfed at Freights and hired a board through Zed’s Surfing Adventures.  Check them out of you are planning a surf trip out there.  This trip was the first time I used my GoPro on a board and I was pretty stoked to have some half decent images and video content.  With the help of my lovely filmmaker husband Matt, we put together a short video of my surf session.
For more reading on my trip head to: Barbados: A Surfers Paradise

 

 

February
A winter break away with a our very good friends Sam and Graham has become a bit of a tradition, last February we spent a long weekend in the quaint fishing village of Port Isaac.  This year I found a cottage through Helpful Holidays in the tiny village of Golant set on the River Fowey in Cornwall.  ‘Island House’ had river views on three sides, underfloor heating and a log burner making it a very cosy cottage.  We were greeted with a bottle of wine and a cake on arrival and spent the weekend on blustery coastal walks and visits to local harbour towns.  This mostly involved eating scrummy treats and drinking lots of cider!  Our favourite place for lunch was Sam’s in Fowey.  Fowey is such a sweet little place, set on the river and full of lovely pubs, quirky shops and art galleries, definitely worth a visit if you are planning a trip to the west country.
 
March
My March highlight was a trip to Antigua, it was very nice to have a clear day down route to be my own boss.  Working as cabin crew I am lucky to get to explore different countries on an almost weekly basis.   With a house move on the cards and feeling a bit tired I spent the day relaxing on the beach, catching some rays and swimming in the warm Caribbean sea.  It was bliss!
 
April
It was Matt’s birthday in April so we decided to do something a bit special and booked a night away at Hotel Du Vin in Poole.  Our room was very plush, with a freestanding bath right in the middle and a massive queen sized bed.  It was a fab weekend and nice to spend some time away together.  We enjoyed exploring Poole harbour by boat and had a very tasty meal at the restaurant in the hotel.  For more on this luxurious weekend click here: A weekend in Poole.
 
May
I was invited to quite a few weddings last year, my favourite was a wedding in Westminster, London followed by a beautiful reception at the Dorchester.  It is one of the world’s most expensive hotels, I was very excited to be there!  The champagne reception was just perfect and the food was incredible, I particularly loved dessert, hence the name of my blog: Dessert at the Dorchester.
May also saw the start of one of many trips with work to Mauritius.  With a fabulous crew who all wanted to do something exciting, we chose to go swimming with dolphins which I wrote about earlier on in the year: Swimming with dolphins in Mauritius.  The crew had already excitedly discussed the plans on the flight over so I knew it was going to be a good trip.  Waking up early we set off for the southern end of the island to Black River.  Jumping in a boat and cruising out to the open water just as the sun was rising we slowed down and sat in silence watching and waiting for the dolphins to appear.  All of sudden the flat water changed as a pod of dolphins broke to the surface cruising right past the boat.  With that we were instructed to jump in and swim…such an awesome experience and what made it even better was knowing that these dolphins had appeared of their own accord, wild dolphins who could stay or go as they pleased.

 

June
Back to Mauritius and this time I went on an adventure to Black River Gorges National Park, I explored rainforests and waterfalls, marvelled at the Seven Coloured Earths, took photos of some epic views and got blessed by a Hindu priest at the sacred lake Grand Bassin.  Topped off with a curry in the evening and a spa treatment the following day, it was a fantastic adventure!
In contrast to Mauritius I had an afternoon to explore Edinburgh in June too, it was a sunny afternoon with a fresh chill in the air.  I took a stroll along the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle taking in all the gorgeous architecture and having a nosey in all the touristy type shops.  On my way back down I stopped in a cosy coffee shop for cake and tea.  I didn’t do all that much but sometimes it’s the simple things that you can take pleasure from and it was a lovely, leisurely afternoon.

 

July
July saw Matt and I off to France, two hours drive from Toulouse we stayed in a Gite in a little village called Loudet.  The week was spent exploring the surroundings and a drive over the border to Spain for Tapas.  We took a gondola in Louchon to a mountain resort, it was strange being up so high without snow!  Exploring gorgeous towns set along alpine rivers, fields of sunflowers and indulging in red wine and cheese, it was just perfect!

 

August
August is my birthday month and I always like to have something exciting planned!  This year we combined a trip to see family in California with an awesome road trip.  We hired a campervan from Wicked campers and went on an eight day adventure.  Starting off in Sequoia National Park we camped under the stars and saw black bears followed by a few nights on the coast near San Francisco and then continued to drive down south along the Big Sur.  It was an unforgettable birthday trip. 
 
September
After coming back from California we had withdrawal symptoms from camping and living outdoors, so we went off for a few days in our own van to Dorset.  With plenty of coastal walks and chilling by the campfire it made us reminisce about our recent American adventure.  It was really nice to have a few days away not so far from home…read more here: A weekend in the Purbecks.

 

October
I started studying for the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism a few years ago as a self – study course but struggled to complete it due to working full-time and undertaking freelance writing work at the same time.  In October I made the decision to pick it up again and so far am really enjoying it.  I really have to be strict with myself as it is a self-study course but hopefully this time next year I will be a qualified journalist!  I am studying with the College of Media and Publishing who are so helpful and really quick over email if I have any questions.

 

November
A hen weekend in Brighton was my November highlight, on the Saturday a ‘Beyonce’ style dance class, afternoon tea and a good old night out were the main events of the weekend.  Staying in a house in central Brighton meant we also got to do some exploring in this quirky seaside town.  We had lunch on the North Laine on the Sunday and believe it or not it was warm enough to sit outside, great for people watching!  The lanes have some very cool, unique shops so went spent some time browsing and window shopping before heading to the seafront just as the sun was setting for a ride on the Brighton Wheel.  We had beautiful panoramic views of the coastline, city and pier; it was a lovely way to end the weekend.

 

December
December saw the launch of my new website which you will be reading this on right now!  I’ve wanted a re-brand for a while and I’m so pleased with how it has turned out.  Andrew at Fix8 designed my logo, he’s done a cracking job at capturing just what my blog is all about. 

 

 

It has been an action packed year of travel but most importantly, I’m so excited to share with you all that Matt and I found out in August that we have a baby Dunkinson cooking!  We had our 20 week scan on 14th December and it looks all good and healthy.  We chose not to find out the sex and are so excited for our new arrival in April!  On that note we have a babymoon planned for January to Iceland!  I wanted to do that this year but haven’t quite managed to fit it in, so January 2016 seemed the perfect time to go away as our last trip abroad as a two…I’m looking forward to letting you know all about our adventures in Iceland and our adventures with a baby in tow!
What has been you favourite trip of 2015?  What are your travel plans for 2016?  Let me know in the comments below and I’d love to hear any tips and things to do in and around Reykjavík and Iceland…Happy New Year and see you all in 2016!

 

December 23, 2015 Blogging, UK 1 Comment

Baubles, tinsel and travel…

It’s the season for sparkle, fairy lights and tinsel; one thing I love to collect from trips abroad is Christmas decorations.  I don’t often purchase many souvenirs from trips, as I am sometimes limited on luggage space so Christmas decorations are great as they are usually small and easy to pack.  I love getting them back out year after year, each one holds a different travel memory for me and I’m looking forward to adding to my collection on future travels…

 

Sequin bauble
This decoration came from a recent trip to Brighton, a reminder of a weekend I spent there on a hen party.  I loved the star sequins in the transparent bauble, very Christmassy…

 

Santa shell
This little beauty came from Barbados, near to Christmas time there is a stall in the airport full of decorations inspired by the Caribbean.  Every time I pass through the airport I want to buy more and more.  I love that this shell decoration came from a hot climate where Christmas has a totally different feel to a cold Christmas in the UK.

 

Santa and gingerbread man
Both of these tree decorations came from Macy’s in Orlando.  I love visiting America at Christmas time as the decorations are so grand and you can really get into the Christmas spirit.  Macy’s always have a fantastic Christmas department and I couldn’t resist buying these for my own Christmas collection.

 

Christmas candle and tea light holders
This candle and holders were also bought in America.  I try to buy a new candle each year and put it away for the following Christmas, I sometimes forget that I’ve bought one so it is a nice surprise when I open my decoration box in December.  This candle is called ‘Twisted Peppermint’ it’s from Bath and Body Works and smells amazing!  The peppermint lingers in the air for a long time and adds a touch of Christmas sparkle to cosy evenings in.

 

Father Christmas Russian doll set
I came across these gorgeous Santa figures in a shop in Warsaw, Poland.  It was full of Russian dolls from floor to ceiling!  I had so much fun exploring the old quarter, drinking coffee outside in a square watching the world go by and strolling around the cobbled streets.

 

Snow Globe
I got this snow globe in Breckenridge, Colorado.  It is such a lovely place, snow, ski slopes and cosy coffee shops.  I would love to spend Christmas in Breckenridge one day, but until then I will have to make do with remembering it by give the snow globe a good shake!

 

Do you have any Christmas decorations from around the globe or any other interesting travel souvenirs?  Let me know in the comments below…
Merry Christmas!
September 10, 2015 Camping and Glamping, UK 2 Comments

A weekend in the Purbecks, Dorset…

I love exploring locally; sometimes I think it’s easy to forget what’s on the doorstep.  So having had withdrawal symptoms from campervan living in California and with the weekend free, Matt and I decided to head to the Purbecks in our van for a mini adventure.  The Isle of Purbeck or the Purbecks for short is nestled nicely on the Jurassic coast in Dorset.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001 the Jurassic Coast got its name due to its impressive geology….and runs for 95 miles all the way to Devon.  You can actually walk the whole thing along the South West Coast Path.
We stayed at Burnbake campsite near Corfe Castle.  The campsite does not take reservations and there are no marked pitches so turn up, pick a spot that takes your fancy and that’s it!  The campground has a small shop on site, a toilet and shower block, washing up facilities, laundry room and a pop up café with a tent and log burner.  The cafe serves up a great English breakfast for £5.  The cost was £12 per night for one adult with a tent and car or campervan plus £6 per extra person.  Burnbake allows campfires but they must be contained, we hired a fire pit for £4 and bought logs from the shop, perfect!

 

Worth Matravers was at the top of my list of places to visit.  It is a tiny village full of Purbeck stone cottages, a duck pond, tea rooms and the Square and Compass pub.  From there we followed the coastal path to Winspit quarry on the edge of the cliffs.  It is very popular with climbers and also has some very dark, eerie caves to explore.  We continued along to the National Coastwatch Institution lookout station and St Aldhelm’s Chapel.  This 13th century chapel is still in use today and has very old graffiti on the stone walls inside, some of which from what I could make out were from the 16th century!  This lovely walk was around 5 – 6 miles and only one thing was on our mind on the way back…a cider and pasty at the Square and Compass.  We made it back to Worth Matravers and went straight to the pub for our well-earned treats!  I love the fact that this pub only serves pies and pasties, so simple!  It also randomly has a small fossil museum inside, a great showcase of all the amazing fossils and artefacts uncovered along this magnificent stretch of coast.

 

A Sunday stop off at Lulworth Cove and lunch at the Lulworth Cove Inn was a nice way to finish the weekend before heading home.  This perfect horse shoe shaped bay has crystal clear turquoise water and is beautiful all year round.  There are some fantastic walks along the cliff top from the cove, we just had enough time to go on my favourite stroll to Durdle Door before we said goodbye.
More things to do in Dorset...
Corfe Castle, towering high above the village of Corfe this is a great place to stop for a photo opportunity, we didn’t have time to climb up but I loved seeing the imposing ruins on the drive to and from the campsite.
Poole harbour is another great spot for exploring, having lunch or for a weekend break.  We stayed at Hotel du Vin right in the harbour for Matt’s birthday earlier this year: A weekend in Poole, Dorset.  The sun was shining and a lovely boat trip around Brownsea Island rounded off the weekend nicely.
Swanage has a steam railway, which travels 6 miles from Swanage to Norden, one of the stops on the line is Corfe Castle, this would make for a great day out.  Buy a day ticket or spend an evening dining on it,  I’ve not had the chance to go on it yet but I would love to experience the dining train.
Dorset has the prefect mixture for adventure with coast, valleys, rugged cliff tops and tiny village hideaways to explore.  There is so much to do in this beautiful area I still need to go back for more!