Holiday Destination: Mauritius

The warm sun shines through the crisp palm trees as I try to lap up the last rays of the day. Golden hour. Mauritius is something else - total relaxation, exotic encounters and delicious treats are just some of the words that come to my mind as I try to put this holiday into words.

STAYING IN MAURITIUS

The hotel was just amazing. We're talking beautifully calm swimming pools, surrounded by lush, green gardens and right of the edge of a beach with a view. The food was incredible too, typically Mauritian (I mean, who doesn't love a curry?) and totally delicious. It was the perfect base for lazy beach days and being at the north tip of the island meant that those days were filled with sunshine. We also made the most out of the all-inclusive activities, which meant daily fitness classes, a glass bottomed boat ride to see the turtles and chilled pedalo rides across the tranquil, turquoise ocean.

EXPLORING THE ISLAND

We spent a lot of the 2 weeks visiting and exploring the African island via excursions and local transport. The buses in Mauritius are super cheap and allowed us to visit the local towns, as well as Port Louis, without spending more than £2 at one time!

Our first excursion was a tour of the south; visiting the Sacred Lake and Hindu temple for a traditional blessing, Chamarel coloured sands, the Black River waterfall and La Vanille - where we had the most incredible tortoise feeding experience. We were very lucky that the sun was shining all day (the south can be temperamental!), meaning that we got the most out of every location. We spent another morning exploring the Botanical Gardens, which were beautiful, even in the winter.

Our favourite day by far was when we visited Casela Nature Park - in the west of the island. If you are an animal lover, this is the place to go. When entering the park, it became clear that animal welfare was top priority and the space in the park was incredible; a proper safari experience. There are plenty of activities and experiences to do here so we planned our day tightly; lion interaction, safari truck, giraffe feeding experience and the Tulawaka rollercoaster - as well as observing the other animals and visiting the petting farm. The lion interaction was something we decided to do based on watching them and after talking to the lion keepers and what an experience it was! When else are we ever going to get the chance to be up and personal with such an incredible animal? Only in Africa! I would highly recommend this experience and the park to anyone visiting Mauritius.

Mauritius was the perfect place for us to get to know a different region and for anyone thinking of an Indian Ocean holiday where you can explore an island, get to know the locals, as well as enjoy a 5* hotel experience, well - this is it.

Until the next one x

Holiday Destination: Monaco

I've just come back from an incredible 4 days in Monaco and crash landed in what feels like the middle of November. Take me back to sunshine, cocktails and people watching outside a casino any day! 

There is so much to see and do in Monaco, we struggled to fit it all in. We chose the week to go primarily for the Top Marques car festival, which happened to be on our final morning, so still had 3 and a half days to explore the A-listers hot spot on the French Riviera.

PEOPLE WATCH

If you can't people watch in Monaco, then when can you?! Grab a space near the front at Café de Paris, order a banana split (seriously good stuff) and watch the cars drive past. You can sit there for hours and watch the world go by.

SIGHTSEEING 

We set out on our second day for a whole day of sightseeing and thoroughly enjoyed it. Walking through the back streets led us to incredible views, quiet parks and unique shops. My top places to visit would be the cathedral, the casino, the Port de Fontvieille and the palace.

VIEWS FOR DAYS

The gardens and photogenic spots in Monaco are second to none and will definitely be adding to a few new Instagram posts over the next few days. We visited the Jardin Exotqiue and Jardin St Martin, both easily accessible and completely instagrammable.

SHOPPING

The shops in Monaco really speak for themself. From Chanel to Cartier, D&G to Dior and Zara just to add into the mix, I loved going around all of the shops hunting for my dream purchase. I found myself a handbag in The Kooples that I just couldn't resist so it ended up coming with me! If you fancy a luxury weekend spree, Monte Carlo pretty much has you covered.

The final night in Monaco was definitely a night to remember. The night started in Buddha Bar with an incredible meal and cocktails, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the casino and ended with drinks at Café de Paris. The casino was beautiful inside - with marble bar areas, a jazz band setting the atmosphere, hand painted ceiling detail and enough men in tux's to kit out the extras for the next 4 James Bond films. If you're in Monaco, fancy dressing up for a night and having a bit of fun, the casino is definitely the place to go.

Holiday Destination: Paris

Paris has always been somewhere I'd love to visit and celebrating my 21st was the ideal excuse to head there for a few nights away. I hadn't looked into the city too much, meaning that our itinerary was quite spontaneous but I had spoken to a few people about their highlights and looked through recommendations, in order to make it the perfect city break. Here's what we got up to during our 3 night French excursion...

WHAT TO DO

Landmarks are always high on my to-do list when visiting a new city and Paris was no exception. Our bus transfer from the airport dropped us at the doorstep of the Eiffel Tower - a great first impression. Later in the week, we also climbed the Tower (when in Paris, right?!) to admire the greatness of the architecture, as well as the incredible views across the city.

We visited all of the landmarks over two days which was a great way to hit everything in one go but in over 30 degree heat, I would definitely choose the metro next time, rather than walking. The first day consisted of the Notre Dame and Ile Saint-Louis, allowing us to explore more of the traditional Paris, mingling with the locals in delicatessens and down the quiet streets.
The following day accounted for Moulin Rouge, Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre and Champs-Elysees. We went FULL tourist.

One of my itinerary highlights was the second night of the trip, when we visited Parc de Princes to watch a PSG game. We both love watching football and seeing this was Neymar's first game, we couldn't miss it. The tickets were easy to book and print online and cost us around £35 each for pretty good seats. It was such a fun night and definitely something I would do again, if visiting an iconic European football club.

Eating and culture

I have a real soft spot for French food and always enjoy finding a local patisserie for lunch (and post-dinner pastries!). The cakes in Paris are like no other and just looking at the pastel perfect window displays will tempt you to visit.

We ate at two amazing restaurants while in Paris which I thought I would share with you. On our first night, we headed to a simple restaurant, 'Bistro Chez France', where we indulged in steak, fish, lots of vin and the most sublime apple tart tatin. The restaurant was a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, hidden in the back streets, but seemed very popular with locals and the service was fantastic and personal.

'Le Grand Colbert' finalised our trip in the most spectacular style. The brasserie style restaurant impressed as soon as we entered - the art-deco lighting, mosaic flooring and attention to detail was not to be missed. We had no idea that this restaurant was a setting for the film 'Something's Gotta Give', but luckily, it wasn't tacky with any memorabilia or Jack Nicholson enthusiasts. If you head here, definitely try the classic french onion soup and make sure you save room for pudding - their pavlova is to die for!

Holiday Destination: Mexico

As I'm writing this post, the sun is just beginning to peek through the grey clouds. I'm back in the UK and the weather is awful! Take me back to non-stop sunshine, cool cocktails, a suite made for a queen and the white sand of the Caribbean coast.

We'd booked Riviera Maya, Mexico, back in 2016 and after months of paying it off, holiday shopping and anticipation, we left Birmingham airport on a dreary Monday morning at the end of June and headed on what can only be described as a holiday of a lifetime. 

The Hotel

Booking a Mexican holiday is something that, at the time, proved a little more difficult than we thought. There's so many options and you're spending a lot of money... what if it's not what you thought it would be?!

The Hideaway at Royalton Riviera was the best choice we could have made. What a hotel. It's difficult to put our experience into words but from the moment we walked into the resort, everything was even more incredible than what we could have ever imagined. Not only does every inch of the resort have the most amazing panoramic views of the clear blue ocean and white sandy beaches that lie alongside the hotel, but the service, atmosphere and attention to detail was unlike anywhere else I have ever stayed.

We never went hungry and the 11 restaurants on offer were of a quality I have never experienced at any hotel before. Our favourites had to be the French cuisine restaurant (we're talking 10/10 chateaubriand and crepe suzette), the Italian and Hunter's steakhouse. The pools and beach were gorgeous, whether you wanted to join in with drinking games, play table tennis or just sit and read your book... and the sunbeds were something else - resulting in maybe one too many midday naps.

Our suite was the cherry on top of an already 3-tiered, smooth frosting, fondant flower decorated cake! Full-to-the-brim fridges every evening for those midnight snacks, two jacuzzi's for ultimate relaxation and a beautiful view from our panoramic balcony was much appreciated during the warmest of sunsets. We were very lucky to be able to experience this resort in the way that we did and would recommend this hotel to anyone looking at staying in Riviera Maya!

Day Trips

I'm starting to think maybe I should have split this into two posts... I'll try not to blabber on!

One of the reasons Ollie and I decided to book Mexico wasn't just for the all-inclusive food and getting some Caribbean sun - it's somewhere that we've always wanted to explore and learn more about. We booked a Chichen Itza tour through Gray Line before we went away and honestly, it was one of the highlights of our trip. Although the transfer was just over two hours, the drive went really quickly and was completely worth it for the incredible views and surrealness you felt while stood underneath the famous Mayan antiquities. You can really take in your surroundings and appreciate why this ancient city is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. On your day out to Chichen Itza, you can also take time to explore famous cenotes, which is a must - because Mexico is one of the only countries in the world where you can see them.

Visiting Isla Mujeres is probably the most fun I have ever had and would tell anyone visiting anywhere remotely near Cancun to take a day trip there. The island is particularly famous for one thing, Corona, and even has its own Corona drive thru but if you really want to feel like you're in a Corona commercial, head to Playa Norte. It's without a doubt the most beautiful beach I've ever visited and has one of the cheapest bars we came across - even better! For the rest of your day, we're talking feeding turtles, haggling shop owners, taking in the views from the southern part of the island and trying street food - all whilst exploring on a golf cart.

Playa Del Carmen was probably our closest town and we headed there towards the end of our trip to focus on one thing... shopping. 5th avenue runs parallel to the beach and is jam packed full of shops, stalls, bars and restaurants. From American high-street shops to traditional market style stalls, incredible street food (you have to try the churros!) to nightclubs, it's all there in one place. Once we had explored the buzzing street, we headed down to the beach to unwind and get some shade. From Playa Del Carmen you can also get the ferry over to Cozumel, a beautiful, large island, famous for scuba-diving, which we'd have done if we'd have stayed in Mexico longer but that's just another reason to return.

After two weeks of soaking up the sunshine, exploring Mexican wonders and sipping a little too much tequila, we headed home with some of the best holiday memories (and a few magnets!). I would recommend Riviera Maya to anyone, it really is a holiday of a lifetime. I can't wait to head back already but for now, it's time to start planning the next one...

A day trip to Oxford

Image from Pixabay

Last weekend was full on; cinema trips, shopping, eating out, celebrations, road-tripping and cake making! On Sunday, we decided to head to Oxford. We visited the University city in 2015 and you can see my post here but this time, we had a different agenda.

First we headed to the Ashmolean Museum, where we discovered arts of the Renaissance, incredible Greek sculptures and a marble staircase of dreams. I love exploring museums and learning more about different countries and cultures, especially when those countries are places that I dream of visiting. I think it's good to immerse yourself in the culture of countries you're interested in, it can really make you appreciate another place.

After exploring the Ashmolean, we headed to Jamie's Italian for a pasta fuelled lunch, complete with a gorgeous praline bomb and a few cocktails. Shopping in Oxford is really good but I only came away with a couple of items; I think online shopping is so much easier, stress free and actually allows you to look at the items you're buying.

We spent our last hour visiting the University colleges, parks and buildings. They're absolutely breath-taking; you really don't feel like you're in a city with the culture and architecture that surrounds you. Oxford is one of my favourite cities and heading there just for the day made my bank holiday weekend so much more exciting. 

If you love Oxford, are thinking of travelling there this year or have some great recommendations for the city, feel free to leave me a comment or tweet me @amie_journalist 

For now, here's just some of the pictures I took on my trip:

New Year ideas

Image from Pixabay

For me, last minute New Years plans are normal. It gets past Christmas and suddenly everyone is asking: "What are you doing for New Years?" and "Got any plans?" and I realise... I haven't even thought about it.

I love going out on New Years Eve but everywhere is so busy and pretty expensive and I definitely don't want to end up in Marilyns, (we're talking sticky dance floors and underage girls dancing to Nicki Minaj!), but I can never think of any alternatives!

So, for all of you in the same position as me, here's 8 ideas of how you can start 2017 with a bang...

1. Head to the Capital...

If you get the chance, head to London for a night of fun with so many events to choose from. My pick would be Kensington Roof Gardens, which host a circus themed evening; drinks, live entertainment, a huge fireworks display and plenty of surprises along the way.

https://www.designmynight.com/london/bars/kensington/the-roof-gardens/new-years-eve-at-the-roof-gardens-2016

2. Game on!

Grab all of your friends and have a night in. Lots of alcohol, drinking games and takeout food makes for the perfect New Years, with no worries about finding a taxi or spending it alone!

3. Go to the Races

Going to Cheltenham Races is one of the highlights of my year and their New Years Day event makes for the perfect excuse to go! Wrap up warm and grab yourself a few drinks while you're there... carrying on the party from NYE.

http://cheltenham.thejockeyclub.co.uk/

4. Host your own

Host your own New Years party with a fancy-dress event. Casino night, Hawaiian Luau or an 80's themed party will make the evening more fun, not that you'll be able to remember it the next morning!

5. Drink in Dublin

Dublin's New Years Festival last 3 days and has pretty much everything you can imagine; a light extravaganza, sky dance, poetry slam and not to mention their concert, which this year sees Walking on Cars headlining! All of this and plenty of drinking will make for a New Years to remember. 

http://nyfdublin.com/

6. Or head further...

NYE is the perfect time to take a holiday. Expensive, yes, but the atmosphere that you'll experience in cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Berlin or Rio will make it completely worthwhile.

7. A girly evening

If you like a more laid-back evening, grab your girlfriends and set up camp in your garden. Plenty of blankets, fairy lights, projector films and bottles of Prosecco will make your New Years unique.

8. Just enjoy it.

No matter where you're off to this New Years, make sure that you're spending it with your faves. And really, as long as plenty of food and drink is consumed, you're sure to have a good one!

Holiday Destination: Prague

I know it's long overdue, but I wanted to share my recent holiday pictures and thoughts with you, this time from Prague.

We flew to Prague at the end of May, after a stressful year at uni and to mark the beginning of summer. Here's what we got up to:

Day 1

We arrived at the Majestic Plaza in Prague to beautiful weather and an urge to explore. After getting ourselves ready, we headed around the corner to find a large shopping centre (Sephora and Topshop - hello!), had a little look around and made our way down the high street towards Wenceslass Square. We had dinner at a pizza parlour in the heart of the square and then made a slow walk towards one of the bars we'd been eyeing up - James Dean's. The bar was our favourite and we ended up back there every night - great music, cheap drinks and a 50's diner theme.

Day 2

We had a lie-in pretty much everyday in Prague - it's such a chilled city, there's no need to rush for anything. We walked down to the Old Town Square where we had ice creams and admired the incredibly detailed buildings, before heading over Charles Bridge en route to the Castle. It was a long walk uphill but it's definitely the one thing you HAVE to do if you're in Prague. The buildings and views are definitely worth it once you get up there!

We had dinner in the Old Town Square at sunset, before exploring Prague's Old Town for bars and pubs. Bugsy's was the last bar we went to and was definitely my favourite, with a 20's London vibe and a long list of cocktails to choose from.

Day 3

On the hottest day of our holiday, we headed south along the river to explore more of Prague. We walked until we got to the dancing building and chilled by the river for a bit before going to crazy golf. Everything is relatively cheap in Prague and for £8 we had unlimited golf, arcade games and 2 drinks each - pretty good! We had such a long walk back to the Old Town so it wasn't too great that we got stuck in the biggest thunderstorm just as we were wandering across Charles Bridge so we spent the rest of the afternoon running back to the hotel and ordering room service for lunch!

Our dinner reservation was at the Buddha Bar in Prague and without a doubt, it was one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. The attention to detail, from the cocktails to the dessert, was exceptional and was definitely worth every penny.

Day 4

We spent the morning wandering over the Charles Bridge to find the John Lennon wall and pub, where we listened to music and looked around the stalls. There's so much to do in the city with history behind every attraction, but it's such a relaxing and chilled place to be.

We had a reservation at Cloud 9 - the sky bar in Prague, and the views over dinner were incredible. The food was lovely, but spent most of our time there making our way down the cocktail menu. After dinner we headed back to James Dean's for the night, which I guess was pretty good, because (judging by the photos) we ended up spending all of our money and partying along with a stag-do...

Day 5

Our last day was an absolute write off. I decided to get that drunk on our last night, I could barely move on our last day. After a loooong walk into town, we sat at a restaurant where I sipped water and admired the view. I had a nap and felt a bit better, so we wandered around a few shops before heading back to the hotel to wait in the lobby. I wish I'd have done it a bit differently and maybe not drank as much, it definitely ruined our last day in such a beautiful city, but we had to spend the last bit of our money somehow!

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