27 May 2025

We decided to do something a bit different this summer and spend less time in the UK so we could fit in some quality family time for the four of us. We packed up and went to Malaysia (– via Singapore-another family favourite, so we always try to visit as much as possible!) After a great few days enjoying the sites of Singapore - the Gardens by the Bay, a cocktail at the top of the Marina Bay Sands, the obligatory Singapore Sling in Raffles and the delicious food of the Hawker centres, we hopped on a 1.5-hour flight to Langkawi and had a phenomenal week at the Datai. Wow! We had a beautiful villa room sat amongst the rainforest – the sounds at night were amazing! We enjoyed some quiet beach time on their secluded beach, the most incredible Spa – the rooms are open air, and we had massages which a huge storm was overhead – they even offer massages for children so my two really enjoyed that. We took a cookery lesson, hiked in the jungle to a magical river and we swam in a secluded pond; made tie dyed clothes, and candles; my husband took my elder daughter on a night-time hike to see the nocturnal jungle creates which was an unforgettable experience for them. We were lucky enough for a pair of monkeys – a mother and her baby – sat by the pool for hours with us. There were four restaurants, so we tried them all – you sit high up in the jungle canopy at the Pavilion (Thai) restaurant so could watch the monkeys swinging in the trees so no need for ipads or other entertainment for my daughters. The food was sensational in each of the restaurants, the Gulai House and the Pavilion were our favourites. They even had ‘The Els’ golf club next door, which made us feel at home as it is our ‘local’ in Dubai! We are all keen to return to the Datai – it is such a special place. We did not want to leave! But eventually we had to, we took an internal flight to Kuala Lumpur and spent an afternoon and evening exploring the city, before hopping on another internal flight to Borneo (we actual had a few internal flights in Borneo to make the most of our time and to see what we wanted). We saw the Sunbears, Orangutans in Sepilok, had an unforgettable lunch with our taxi driving on a floating town, before heading to Kota Kinabalu for the last few days.

02 May 2025

We are just home from a fantastic two-week break to France (with a bit of Switzerland and the UK thrown in for good measure!) We flew into one of our favourite cities in the world – the Swiss city of Geneva and enjoyed the afternoon and evening walking around the old town, visiting our favourite haunts – including a trip to ‘Martel’ our favourite chocolate shop; and enjoying the fresh air – my husband even managed a cold dip in Lake Geneva after breakfast. Our transfer picked us up and we were swifty transported to Les Menuiries, part of the ‘3 Vallee’s’ in the French Alps. Our hotel (L’Ours Blanc) was perfectly situated for ski in/out but was away from the busy central area. The hotel was as gorgeous as it looked on the website, books everywhere -including hiding a door to a staircase to the children area – equipped with giant chess (where I taught my eldest daughter how to play) and vintage arcade games. There was a comfortable lounge and fireplace, with live music a couple of nights a week. The Bartenders were happy to suggest and mix cocktails, whilst sitting by the fire before dinner. Initially we thought we’d eat at the hotel once or twice but ended up eating there on four nights as the buffet was varied and insolubly top quality. One evening we had a magical walk across the slope to a mountain hut which my daughters really enjoyed! Now to the skiing – as ski enthusiasts will know, March/April skiing relies on a high altitude and well-maintained pistes. Les Menuires didn’t disappoint, my daughters are fortunate enough to have skied several times and ESF were brilliant at improving and honing their skills. Giving my husband and I some much-needed adult ski time each morning. We skied to Val Thornes and Meribel, each only taking 20-30 minutes, the snow was exceptional especially high up. By the time we came down for ski school pick up and lunch it was getting a little slushy lower down but perfectly adequate to ski, and great for the girls to experience all ski conditions from icy first thing, perfect power, then slush! After six brilliant nights, we the headed to Paris and Versailles (via the UK but that’s another story!) I hadn’t been to Paris since I was a teenager and had forgotten how beautiful it is, we were blessed with perfect weather – but it was extremely busy and we hadn’t booked anything in advance, so we enjoy landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame from outside. Make sure you book these in advance (we can help with this) and don’t make our mistake. After a few nights in Paris, we caught the short metro ride to Versailles and stayed in a hotel next door – wow this was a real treat. The gardens and architecture were stunning, and I was expecting so many nice independent shops and restaurants – it was the perfect end to our adventure in France.