I didn’t travel abroad when I was a child – fun family holidays were spent in the UK; caravanning in Devon, making sand-castles on the never-ending sands of Western-Super-Mare and taking donkey rides in Southport. I didn’t travel in my late teens or in my early twenties except one mad week in Ibiza with a friend.  Then married with children we travelled to Europe for family holidays – The Greek Islands were a favourite and we visited Spain, Switzerland and France and that’s when the travel bug began to bite.

Now the children are grown up and discovering the world for themselves – and there’s a few more pennies in the travel pot although we work hard running our business to earn them.  My daughter, and I get away for a trip each year and Mr and I travel 3-4 times a year be it long-haul, Europe or UK trips.  We like our home comforts and a good hotel or B&B is a must – hostels aren’t for us that’s for sure.

Travel with work is a bonus, although it can be a tease not being able to get out and explore.   I’ve experienced some fantastic hotels, countries and sights I’d not have had the budget for otherwise.  I love the energy of cities and visiting cultures that are completely different to my own – I love Vietnam for its beauty, culture and cuisine and Namibia for its stunning landscapes – I’d return to either in a hearbeat.  Turkey and Italy are new favourites having visited for the first time in 2012.

The journey so far…

Austria:  Salzburg

Brazil:  Rio de Janeiro

Cambodia: Siem Reap, Angkor Wat

Canada: Toronto

Canary Islands:  Tenerife, La Gomera

Croatia: Split, Ston, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar

Cuba: Havana

Cyprus: Paphos

Czech Republic:  Prague

Denmark:  Copenhagen

Dominican Republic: Punta Cana

Egypt: Cairo

Estonia: Tallinn

France: Paris, Porte du Soleil, Yvoire, Evian, Thonon, Annecy, Poitou-Charentes

Germany: Freiburg, Frankfurt, Munich

Greece: Athens, Rhodes, Zante, Skiathos, Corfu,

Hungary: Budapest

Ireland: Galway City, Connemara, The Burren, Cliffs of Moher

Italy: Sorrento, Pompeii, Amalfi, Bologna, Rimini, Positano

India:  Delhi, Jaipur, Agra

Malta:  Valetta, St Julien, St Gorges,

Mauritius:  Morne Peninsular, Flic en Flac

Montenegro: Budva, Tivat

Morroco:  Marrakech, Agadir, Taroudant

Namibia:  Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Sossusvlei

Portugal:  Albufeira, Lisbon

Russia: St Petersburg

Scotland:  Edinburgh

Spain:  Barcelona, Cadiz, Marbella, Seville, Sitges, Tarifa, Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca

Sweden : Stockholm

Switzerland: Geneva, Gruyere

Thailand:  Bangkok, Koh Samui, Pataya

Turkey - Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Bodrum

USA: New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon

Vietnam: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City

WHERE I’M HEADED TO IN 2013

February: France – Paris, and a stay at St Pancras Renaissance and a visit to The Shard in London

March: Morrocco – Agadir

April: The French Alps – Morzine

May: Belfast,  Italy – Sorrento, Positano

June: The Netherlands – Amsterdam

September: Italy – Bologna