We visited Crete for a family wedding, spending the first week in Crete’s second-largest city, Chania, in north-west Crete. Chania has a picture-perfect Venetian harbour surrounded by a beautiful old town. We went in May and it was very busy. We suspect that in the height of summer it could be uncomfortably popular. Magnificent 7 … More 7 DAYS IN // Chania, Crete
Pattaya is a beach resort, located on the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometres south of Bangkok. Pattaya caters to most tastes, with excellent beaches and resort hotels focused on families, as well as livelier areas with energetic nightlife catering to more eclectic tastes. Pattaya is busy at all hours however, even late at night, … More 14 DAYS IN // Pattaya, Thailand
A “Staycation” in the time of Covid. As the UK cautiously moves out of Lockdown, the Staycation has become popular especially given the fantastic weather we have had through most of the lockdown. We decided to visit Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Shanklin is a pretty village with thatched-roofed cottages, gift shops, tea shops, … More 3 DAYS IN // Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Lisbon is one of our favourite cities to visit. We like it so much we bought a small apartment in Estoril many years ago, which has easy access in to the heart of Lisbon. This post is aimed at the return visitor or those who are spending more than a long weekend in Lisbon. First … More Revisited // Lisbon, Portugal
Sandals Ocho Rios is one of the older Sandals resorts. It is also one of the cheaper Sandals resorts in the Caribbean. We booked for seven days (four people, two rooms) and we were very much looking forward to visiting after our great experience with Sandals at St Lucia the year before. Our first impressions … More 7 DAYS IN // Ocho Rios
Levico Terme is in Northern Italy. It is one of those wonderful lakes and mountains destinations that few people have heard about and is quite simply charming. More German than Italian, it is relaxed, has things to do and a beautiful lake sitting like a jewel at the bottom of the hill from the town … More 5 DAYS IN // Levico Terme, Italy
I overheard another guest at the resort we stayed at saying “another day in Paradise” whilst gazing out over the azure Caribbean Sea with the sound of birds singing overhead. It was hard to disagree with him. We stayed at the Sandals Resort La Toc on the north-western side of the island on a 10-day … More 10 DAYS IN // St. Lucia
Adelaide is Australia’s fifth largest city and off the well-beaten Australian tourist track. I like Adelaide, having lived there for all of the 1970s. Adelaide has a dry heat. Summer in Adelaide is December- February and it can get into the 40s°C. January is the hottest month (usually18°-28°C); the most daily sunshine hours at 10 … More 7 DAYS IN // Adelaide, Australia
Most of the New Zealand’s population is in the North Island, with about a third of New Zealand’s total population living in Auckland. The North Island has an altogether different feel to it than the South Island. Auckland felt different from the rest of the North Island. Our itinerary was as follows: Wellington, Napier, Taupo, … More 10 DAYS IN // North Island, New Zealand
Global Gary 