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: 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!

X

Top Spring/Summer trends

Desert

Desert nudes are the perfect look for daytime, whether you're out for lunch or taking a day trip. Nudes, creams, whites and browns are all easy colours, but be imaginative. You can pair them with anything, but together they'll always look classic and effortless.

Lace

Lace has got to be my favourite trend this spring/summer. From lusting after the gorgeous Alexander McQueen and Dolce and Gabbana designer collections on the runway, to scrolling through pages of clothes online, I can't wait to find that perfect lace dress or skirt for long summer nights.

Lace is a perfect look for an elegant spring/summer wardrobe, and definitely won't go out of date.

Pastel

Pastel colours make for the perfect, girly summer look. Whether it's just a touch of pastel pink, paired with your favourite blue denim jeans, or a cotton-candy look dress, accessorised with a nude pair of wedges, you'll feel perfectly dressed for summer.

White

Crisp, white pieces are a must for the summer. White won't only keep your look cool and classic, but will go with any other colour, so mix and match brights and bolds with your favourite white top. Don't stick with plain cotton t-shirts though - textures work brilliantly with white, whether it's silk, lace or denim.

Holiday destination: Lesbos

I've just returned from my annual family holiday and this year, we tried somewhere a bit different. I'd heard of Lesvos and absolutely love exploring Greece and the Greek islands, but still didn't know exactly what to expect.

It was one of the most relaxing holidays I have ever been on. The intense heat left me wanting to just sit by the pool, sip cocktails and enjoy walks along the calm beach, which was directly in front of the hotel. As holiday destinations go, this is also one of the quietest I have ever been to. The tiny village of Skala Kalloni was just a two minute walk from our hotel and had around 15 tavernas, a couple of shops and a small boating harbour. Perfect to get away from it all.

At night was when you could see the popularity of the small holiday spot. The tavernas bustling, a brilliant atmosphere crept upon the village square. A lot of Greek destinations find themselves swamped in British, German and French tourists but I didn't find that here. Greek families filled the restaurants, beach and bars, creating a friendly, traditional set-up.

My favourite restaurants were definitely Caprice and Ambrosia, where we were spoilt with food, drink and a LOT of watermelon! Ambrosia's was more traditional; serving the best moussaka and kleftiko I have ever had. Caprice was a more modern restaurant, with pasta and fish dishes to die for - along with their passion fruit martini's!

A fantastic place for a totally relaxed, traditional holiday.

Holiday essentials

Ahhhhh, it's nearly time! Tomorrow, I fly out to Greece, but before I do, I thought I'd share with you my holiday essentials:

Bag⎜Michael Kors

The perfect tote to keep those holiday essentials in.

Book⎜Waterstones

A good holiday-read is a must have.

Travel Wallet⎜Aspinal of London

To keep those travel documents and currency safe.

Sunglasses⎜Topshop

Get ready for that midday sun!

Lipstick⎜Smashbox

To keep you looking photo ready at all times.

Bikini⎜Jack Wills

Ready to put on as soon as you get to your destination.

Happy holidays!!! I'll see you in two weeks time.

Best of bikinis

Girls, it's that time of year again! Hours of looking for swimwear, changing room tantrums, realising that takeaway food is your enemy... all to find that perfect beach look.

With summer sales slowly taking over our wardrobes (and lives), searching for that statement bikini really is the last of your worries. They are simple everywhere! From printed to plain, one-piece's to teeny tiny bandeau's, whether you think it or not, there is really something for everyone.

I originally wanted to get a Triangl bikini. The bright colours and simple design seem effortless and they are bang on trend. However, having a look around, I found more that I have fallen in love with! I could easily spend hundreds of pounds but thankfully, for the sales, you can get what you're after for a cut of the price.

These are just some of my favourites:

Blue twisted bikini⎜Boux Avenue
Back detail one-piece⎜Victoria's Secret
Pink print bikini⎜Motel Rocks
Pink floral bikini⎜Accessorize
Wrap effect one-piece⎜French Connection