So sang Rosemary Clooney in 1953. Over 50 years later and after being battered by Ciara, this weekend it was our turn to “Beware of Dennis”.
Egremni beach, Lefkada, Ionian Islands, Greece
The name Dennis itself derives from Greek and means follower of Dionysios. So this time out we head off to Greece for a holiday of a lifetime. The birthplace of Western Civilisation, Greece has so much to offer. History and culture by the bucket loads, exquisite cuisine, 300 days of sun, beautiful beaches and much more. With 227 inhabited islands and the mainland to visit you will always find somewhere to suit you.
Have you been windswept, battered and soaked by Storm Ciara? Then think back to September 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama island causing $3.4bn worth of damage, 70 people lost their lives and as of November 2019 282 people were still listed as missing.
The Bahamas
If you are thinking of a getaway, it’s easy to understand why the Beach Boys would have wanted to take you to the Caribbean.
A holiday in the Bahamas makes great sense at this time of year. Average daytime temperatures range from 25C in February to 28C in April, and your tourism pounds will help the country rebuild.
The Bahamas has beautiful clear waters which are ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Explore some of the world’s largest underwater cave systems and one of the largest barrier reefs. The Bahamas consists of 700 islands of which 14 are tourist destinations.
At 11.00pm on 31st January 2020 the United Kingdom became the first ever state to leave the European Union. The UK has now entered a transition period that will last until at least the end of the year.
If you have booked or are planning to travel to the EU in 2020, then everything will stay the same as it did before Brexit. If you want to double check anything about you holiday plans to the EU then contact Maggie to put your mind at rest.
The transition period lasts until the end of 2020. The deal allows for an extension by one or two years, although Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister has ruled that out. So there is still a chance that things might continue as they are for awhile to come.
It’s a bit of a twist on Shakespeare’s famous words from Twelfth Night, but as we start to put Christmas well behind us, it’s time to start looking forward to making plans to travel in the future. Looking back to our first post, one of the reasons we like to travel is to experience the fantastic variations in good food on offer round the world.
Empanadas
Food offers a unique insight to the history and culture of a region or country. The empanadas pictured above were first documented in Galicia in North West Spain 100 years before Twelfth Night was written, but today they are a part of everyday cuisine in places as far apart as Argentina, the Philippines and the Cape Verde Islands.
Many other cultures have their variations on an empanadas, in the UK the pasty, in South Asia the samosa and in Russia the Pirozhki.
Now that Christmas is almost sorted. Presents bought and wrapped, cards signed and sent, food ordered but yet to be cooked. Isn’t it time to think about unwinding and spending some time relaxing and being pampered, after all you don’t want to start the New Year stressed.
Spending time relaxing is good for both your mind and body and whether you’re spend it relaxing close to home or a little further afield what better way to finish off the old year and see in the New Year.
Maybe you have a few days between Christmas and New Year or a week or two after all the festivities have finished. Even a simple massage has a huge range of benefits from reducing muscle tension and anxiety to improving joint mobility and skin tone. Just imagine the joy of letting someone else take care of you and your loved ones.
The 2020 Formula One season promises to be one of the most hotly contested in recent years. Will Lewis Hamilton be able to retain his title for a record equalling 7th time? Will 2020 be the year that Max Verstappen or Charles LeClerc seriously challenge Lewis for the title?
All the race venues make great destinations to see the race or to combine with a holiday. Shake off the winter blues with a trip down under for the Australian Grand Prix on the 15th March. How about Vietnam on the 5th April for the first ever Vietnamese Grand Prix. Next season starts in Australia on the 15th March and then heads off to Bahrain the following weekend before visiting Vietnam for the first time ever. For something closer to home how about experiencing Max-Mania as the Dutch (Netherlands) Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time in 35 years at the Zandvort circuit on the 3rd May.
Soneva-javi, MaldivesElephant Hills, ThailandJade Mountain, St LuciaKeemala’s bird nest, Phuket, Thailand,
My favourite is the Keemala Bird’s Nest Villas on the beautiful island of Phuket, Thailand. You have to visit just for design of the villas, never mind the views, expansive bathroom with monsoon shower and a stand-alone bathtub with a view.
“Uninterrupted ocean views create a unique castaway experience. The beautifully designed villas offer the ultimate in privacy and laid back luxury” is the boast of the Soneva Jani Resort in the Maldives. Your villa comes complete with its own pool and waterslide direct into the welcoming Indian Ocean.
What could be better than camping out in luxury of course amongst wild animals. Elephant Hills are Thailand’s first Luxury Tented Jungle Camps, combining the camp idea of African national parks with the Thai tropical forest environment.
Even though the views are to die for there is no “Murder in Paradise” on this caribbean island. Jade Mountain St Lucia is your perfect getaway. Jade Mountain was voted No. 1 Resort in St. Lucia and No. 15 in the Caribbean in the 2019 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.
Interested in the Top Hotels in the world then you might be interested inthe book “Luxury Hotels Top of the World*” by Martin Kunz.
Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to us
