25 September 2017

In August 2016 we have decided to spend a few weeks in Holland, doing a tour around the country by car and then crossing with the ferry to Texel Island to spend some time there. And what an amazing idea it was. Holland is not a very big country but it has so much to offer to families with kids. From all the countries that we have visited till now we found this to be the one offering the most facilities and activities for kids. We started our tour in Amsterdam, where we spend 2 nights in Holiday Inn Amsterdam Arena Towers, which was a great surprise. Generally in Europe Holiday Inn is a budget hotel but we did not feel that in Amsterdam. We were upgraded to an Executive Room which was very spacious, modern and has all the facilities we needed for our stay with the kids. Staff was really pleasant and breakfast was really good also. It was located 5 minutes walk from a train station with easy access by train to the city center (about 20 min). So, overall highly recommended as it offered really good value. Hotels in Amsterdam tend to be on the expensive side, especially if very centrally located. We did a 1 hour boat tour on the canals around Amsterdam (longer than that it would have been too much to handle for our kids) and then visited the Artis Royal Zoo which was absolutely amazing. Really big and offering a lot of animal species. We left Amsterdam to visit Volendam, the country's best-known fishing village with a very pretty harbor with great restaurants offering a variety of fish dishes and lots of souvenir shops, as well as a cheese factory. Unfortunately it was raining quite heavily so we only spend a few hours in the harbor. From there, we continue to Alkmaar, the city of cheese, that has so much more to offer. The famous cheese market was in full swing and it was overcrowded with tourists but we managed to take a sneak peak at their trading traditions. The city offers a few other museums also, like the Beer or Beatles Museum but we did not visit those as kids had no patience for such things. Instead we walked around the old city area which offer a lot of shopping opportunities, as well as nice terraces. We spent the night in an apartment in the city centre which was good because it was easy to access everything but a bit challenging as not much parking is available in the area. From Alkmaar, we continued north and did the crossing to Texel Island which ended up being the biggest surprise this country offered us. We spent a few nights in a private home but the island has many other opportunities for accommodation: a few B&Bs, private villas, hotels, camping. We rented bicycles with all the necessary equipment for the kids also and that was the best way to go around the island. The weather was not great, around 15-18 degrees only but that did not stop us from discovering the beauties of this island. The beach is quite big and there were amazing restaurants on the shore offering a variety of meals which included a lot of fish of course. All the restaurants we saw around the island offered a kids play area next to it, making it easy for us to sit on the terrace enjoying our meals and drinks while kids were playing close by. Lots of activities for the kids: learn how to make ice cream at a local farm (the most delicious ice cream I ever had), horse riding, go karting, learn how to make bread rolls, soap or candles and of course lots of water activities which we could not do many because of the weather not being at its best. Overall we thoroughly enjoying our stay there and we would go back if we would have the chance. We continued our adventure to Zaanse Schans to discover the famous wind mills. A beautiful little town offering authentic houses, windmills, a tinware factory, a cheese and dairy factory and other crafts. They have a few small museums, like the Museumwinkel (a grocery from the past, as they existed before the emergence of large supermarkets), the Bakkerijmuseum (Bakery Museum), the Museum Zaanse Tijd showing a collection of unique clocks, most of which still work, as well as a 20th-century chocolate factory. We spent one more night before our departure in Zaandam, close to Zaanse Schans in a budget hotel, Bastion Hotel. It was ok for a one night stop being very basic but with easy access to Amsterdam and the surrounding areas. The last day we decided to visit Europe's largest playground, Linnaeushof. The kids absolutely loved it. It's not an amusement park with long queues and roller coasters, it's a huge playground where kids can play for real on climbing areas, trampolines, slides, pedal boats etc. Different areas available for small kids also. Really entertaining and safe for the kids. We did not visit the north of the country on this occasion as we wanted to do it during the flowers season so we left that for another trip. Overall, we were very impressed with what Holland has to offer; people have been very nice everywhere we stopped and we thoroughly enjoyed their kids activities.

06 September 2017

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit this piece of paradise twice in the last 5 years. First time was in 2011 at Jumeirah Vittaveli Resort and second time just recently at Shangri La's Villingili Resort. The main thing I can say about both experiences is WOW...If you love water, beach, sun and luxury there is no better place in the world that Maldives. The main difference between the two islands is their location and accessibility. Jumeirah Vittaveli is located close to Male and it takes 20 minutes by speed boat to be there, while Shangri La's Villingili Resort is located south of Male and you need 1 hour by internal flight and 10 minutes by speed boat to reach the resort. There is a seaplane option which is generally more expensive that can be schedule for you on arrival if during daylight or the Maldivian Airlines scheduled flight which have fixed timings. We landed early in the morning at 6.30am, we were welcomed by an employee from Shangri La and escorted to a lounge in the airport where we were able to have breakfast while we waited for the 11am flight. He took care of our luggage and did the check in for the flight, so we only had to go to board 10 minutes before departure. So, overall we reached the resort around 1pm, about 12 hours after leaving Dubai. While the arrival process has been very well handled and we were well taken care of, the time to reach the resort took away a bit from my overall experience. Once on the island, the welcoming is always amazing; we were greeted with a small flower bouquet and a coconut juice and escorted directly to the villa for check in. I stayed in a pool villa. The villa was very spacious, with a nice swimming pool overlooking the sea, outside shower area and a huge bath, a big terrace with a day bed and lounge chairs. It had everything one could need of. It was located on the side of the island which did not allow swimming due to the currents and had lots of vegetation around it. The island is very big compared to the Jumeirah one and it had a golf course on it, as well as a green jungle. It was nice to be able to go around the island on a bicycle and see different types of birds, as well as some quite big hanging bats, which could be a bit scary though if seen at night. The beach area is quite small but there was a big swimming pool close by as well so you could easily lay around the pool and go for a swim in the sea as well. Lots of water sports available and some of them free of charge (non-motorised). We did two excursions: snorkelling and dolphin watching which were really great. The guides were amazing, knew exactly where to go to get the best out of the trip. We saw amazing corals, fishes and huge turtles and of course lots of dolphins. The food was as well very good, we tried their breakfast buffet a few times, the food around the pool area, drinks at the M Lounge by the beach and dinner at Dr. Ali’s and Fashala. Everything was delicious, staff really nice and helpful and service of a very high standard. They have a spa as well on the island which is a peace of heaven. It is surrounded by lots of vegetation and water and includes treatment villas with private gardens as well as yoga studio that overlooks the sea. Absolutely breath taking. Other types of villas available on the island are the ones with direct access to the beach and the over water villas. Most of them accommodate up to 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children but they did have a few as well for bigger families, with a separate bedroom. I have seen 2 kids areas, one for younger kids and one for older, with different activities to do by age and they organize daily trips around the island to discover different parts and learn something new. The morning of the departure, we had to leave very early so they organized a small breakfast for us at the departure lounge, while we were waiting for the boat. The trip back was very smooth also, with the staff assisting us all the way to the checking counter at the airport for the trip back to Dubai. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience which I would happily repeat. It is an expensive experience though, as Maldives is a costly destination. But highly recommended for both couples and families.

22 April 2014

I was always fascinated by cruise ships but in the same time I always had the feeling that they are for old people. I was researching an itinerary for our summer vacation in 2011, after our Hawaii trip and I came across a page with cruises. Of course, because of my fascination with cruise ships I immediately started looking more into this. After a bit of reading I convinced my husband that we should give it a try and see how it really is, and if we don't like it then we will never do it again. I am so grateful for having tried it. It was a great experience and it absolutely changed my perception that it is for old people. There are definitely some ships out there and some itineraries where you will not find many people below 50-60 years old but definitely this was not one of them. We boarded Ruby Princess in Venice, spending the first night there in the port. The ship was as impressive as I imagined that it would be. We had a balcony cabin on 14th floor, mid ship, close to the stairs and elevator. What else could we wish for? Great location and a very spacious cabin, with amazing views in every single port. There was not even one single moment that we felt bored on the ship. We sailed from Venice to Athens for 2 days without stopping and we did not even realize when we reached there. We had a welcome on board formal party which simply loved, great dinners, great shows and lots of entertainment both during the day and at night. There was something to do for everybody on the ship, starting from kids. We enjoyed the pools, the spa, the health club, health related classes, movies under the stars, dancing classes, zumba classes, games... We were on board for 12 nights, visited 8 different ports and enjoyed every single moment of it. The ship was generally in a port from 6-7am till 6-7pm so there was plenty of time to do a bus tour, or enjoy a wine and cheese escape in Tuscany. The only city that it was a struggle to visit was Rome, as the port is quite far from the city and there is too much to see for few hours. The food was unbelievable and there was sooooo much of it everywhere and anytime. There was a buffet restaurant with different selection every single day, the pizza and burger stations by the pool, the ice cream and sweets stations, the two main restaurants, that served a la carte with a different menu every night, the coffee shop and bars and the two signature restaurants: a steakhouse and an Italian restaurants. Food was free of charge everywhere except for the 2 signature restaurants that had a 20$ cover charge, but when you left that place you felt like you have eaten for 200$. Alcohol was not included, as well as soft drinks but they had some great packages to choose from for every single budget. I have put forward my deposit for the next cruise and I am so looking forward to try some of the new ships that were launched in 2013-2014, Regal Princess and Royal Princess. My next itineraries are Caribbean, Alaska and North Pole. A highly recommended experience but before deciding on it, you need to make sure you are on the right ship and on the right itinerary.

22 April 2014

I visited Oahu Island, Hawaii in December 2010 and it is till today the most memorable holiday because of the beauty of the island and the people I met. If you love nature, mountains, sea, forests, waterfalls, you name it...you can find it all there. I don't think there is one thing that you cannot do in this place. We stayed on the North Shore in a rental house and we were able to watch wales from the balcony every single morning. The famous Pipeline beach was just a few minutes away and we had the chance to watch some amazing surfers on some huge waves. I could not believe that waves can become this big. The weather was lovely for what we wanted to do, as we did not go there to spend the days on the beach. Cool rains in the night, which made the air so fresh every single morning and partly clouded sky during the day, which helped with our exploration. The best way to explore the entire island is to rent a car and drive around stopping at each beautiful spot you can find. It can take you a few good days to see everything. The road with the mountain on one side and the sea on the other side is amazing. Two other experiences that we enjoyed a lot were the day spent at Kualoa Ranch and the afternoon spent at the Polynesian Cultural Centre. We did horse riding; ATM driving in the muddy forest, where Jurassic Park and Pearl Harbor were filmed; catamaran ride around the island; hula lessons; and watched lots of Polynesian shows. Of course we could not miss visiting the Pearl Harbor museum and learn about one of the most memorable moments in the history, as well as the famous Waikiki beach area. We experienced the Atlantis submarine, a great 1000ft parasailing, jet skiing, went on a whale watching cruise and climbed the Diamond Head Volcano Crater. The people that we met were absolutely unbelievable. They enjoy every single moment of their life. Most of their cars were trucks that had minimum one surf board on them and during lunch breaks you could see them dropping off their suits and enjoying some waves for an hours before returning to work. One of the things that was a struggle during our amazing time in Hawaii was the jet lag. We were wide awake at 4am and sleeping by 8pm. But that did not stop us from enjoying every single minute of our time there. I highly recommend Oahu despite the fact that it took us 32 hours to reach from Dubai. It is one of the most amazing places out there.

14 October 2014

London is one of my favorite cities in Europe. I have visited the city 3 times already and I will always find it as one of the best cities for a short break. I have been lucky enough to have great weather every time I was there which made a huge difference. What I enjoy the most about this city is that it is so lively and you can always do something that you have not done before. I am a big fun of live entertainment so West End is definitely one of my favorite parts of the city. I love as well their parks and of course the palaces. The hotels I stayed in are Premier Inn near London Bridge and Club Quarters at Trafalgar Square. Premier Inn was great from all points of view except the location, while Club Quarters had the greatest location but wasn't as good as I expected it to be (non smoking room that smelled horribly like cigarettes, very dark rooms, no safe in the room, etc). Overall it is an amazing city and I am looking forward to my next visit as there will be another one for sure

14 October 2014

I have visited Madrid twice, the last time in June 2009. I loved every single moment spent in that city. My favorite thing was the food, the Flamenco show we have seen and of course the cava sangria. The Opera House is fantastic as well. We stayed on Gran Via (their most central location) at a very nice boutique hotel from the Vincci chain; great location to be able to visit everything and close to lots of entertainment areas, restaurants, bars and shopping. We visited as well El Parque de Attracciones de Madrid, one of their oldest amusement parks which surprised us quite a lot with some amazing rides. Overall it was a great experience and I would love to go back one day.