30 January 2026

South Africa is one of those rare destinations that can mean completely different things to different travellers. For some, it’s about wildlife and wide-open spaces. For others, it’s food, wine, beaches and road trips. Often, it’s all of that in one holiday. The magic lies in how flexible it is. When South Africa fits your travel style, it really delivers. Here’s who it tends to be perfect for.

29 December 2025

Myself, my son and some friends travelled to Lapland in December, and this is my honest account of our experience.

14 September 2025

Last week I was invited to Ringaskiddy ship visit on Azamara Journey. Azamara (previously Azamara Club Cruises) is a very small cruise line, with just 4 ships. All of the ships are fairly similar, so it’s a simple enough one to get your head around. The 4 ships are Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Onward and Azamara Pursuit. The passenger capacity does not exceed 700 passengers on any of t

29 July 2025

Some facts to start with: Passenger Capacity: 2852 Year: Launched 2009, refurbished in 2019 Home Port: Amsterdam Size: 1041 ft / 121878 tonnes Class: Solstice Class (Other ships in Solstice Class are Solstice, Equinox, Silhouette and Reflection) What those facts mean to me and you: The capacity is low for a ship this size, often ships of this size will have a passenger capacity of 4000 or m

03 July 2025

No – I don’t mean you’ll find Roy Keane hanging out drinking Tanora in an African version of the English Market. I mean going for the less obvious choice when looking at a destination. When tourists come into our lovely country, Dublin often springs immediately to mind, but I’m sure a lot of people would agree that Cork – although possibly the less obvious city has just as much to offer. I feel th

18 June 2025

Yesterday I was invited down to Cobh for a ship visit on the ultra-luxury small cruise ship Silver Dawn. I arrived early so set off to get myself a coffee. The first thing I noticed was how quiet Cobh was compared to other days I have been there for ship visits. Silver Dawn, as well as her sisters in the Muse Class – Silver Muse, Silver Moon Silver Spirit have passenger capacities of about 600.

06 June 2025

The Overview I was so nervous for my visit Elephant Hills because I've booked it for so many of my clients and they all rave about it. I was so afraid that it wouldn’t live up to the hype or that I would find fault with it (I can be fussy!). It ended up being a highlight of our trip, everything was organised so well (it was exactly as it said on the tin!) and as you read on, I will give you detai

16 May 2025

Packing is definitely a big part of the mental load, and while booking through me takes a lot of the mental load off, sadly I can't pack for my clients. But I can share what worked (and didn't!) for me. I hope this helps you get ready for your Thailand Adventure! The Heroes: What I Packed and Will Pack Again My sisters hiking boots - win! For a lot of the trip I was looking at the hiking boots i

13 May 2025

To my five-year-old, Thailand wasn’t just a country - it was a playground of elephants, tuk-tuks, and the yummiest mango ice cream ever imagined. I couldn’t keep all the laughs, surprises, and sweet moments to myself - so here’s a little peek into his Thailand adventure! How We Travelled: We flew in a plane (we slept on the plane, had lots of snacks and watched lots of movies) We went on a train

08 October 2024

For Dublin departures to Christmas Markets you really are spoilt for choice but here are my 3 picks for Christmas Markets from Dublin: Vienna - with Aer Lingus and Ryanair both offering direct flights from Dublin and nearly 20 different markets within the city at Christmas, Vienna is not to be missed. The main “Christkindlmarkt” is the most famous, but there are lots of smaller and alternative

30 September 2024

Right now, I am counting down to my next holiday. It will be a very family friendly all-inclusive break in Marrakech (I’ll fill you in on my next blog) and it has me reminiscing on old adventures in the same destination. Back in 2018 myself and one of my close friends did a small group adventure tour of Morocco. We had an amazing time! The contrast and experience was so different to our day to d

02 September 2024

Stepping aboard the Zuiderdam (pronounce Zou-der-Dam), the elegant vessel of Holland America Line, I was immediately struck by the perfect blend of classic charm and modern luxury that set the tone for an unforgettable afternoon onboard. This ship is one of 4 Vista Class ships, which are a series of medium sized cruise ships. The name Vista comes from the amount of glass used around the ship whi

12 June 2024

0400 – I arrived in Cork Airport (my favourite airport in the entire world!) I was surprised to see a small queue at security but as usual with Cork, it moved very fast. Colleagues of mine who arrived 5/10 minutes after I did were waiting about 20 minutes to get through as opposed to the 10, I was waiting. 0415 – Met our lovely group in the Aspire Lounge in Cork airport. We had a tasty bit of br

03 June 2024

On Thursday, I was invited down to Cobh to come on board the MSC Virtuosa. I was very interested to see how it would compare to my recent holiday on the MSC World Europa. First, we boarded and were sent to the Karaoke Bar, then we did a tour of the ship, starting with the Yacht Club, which is a private area for Yacht Club Cabins and guests, with their own pool, deck, and restaurants. This is a b

29 May 2024

Restaurants: Included in our cruise fare were the buffet restaurants, main dining room and a little pizza and burger restaurant, as well as some burgers and pizza by the pool which was kind of an extension of the buffet restaurant. I personally try to avoid buffet restaurants as I normally travel solo with my son, and I find it’s all a bit too much. Breakfast - included in your cruise fare was

29 May 2024

In April I went on a Mammy and kids’ trip on the MSC World Europa because I really wanted to experience modern cruising as I hadn’t been on a cruise ship in over 10 years. Here’s a breakdown of my personal experience. Travelling and Embarkation: We took an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin which left early, with Aer Lingus in Dublin you can check your luggage in the night before and head to your ai

12 May 2024

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a ship visit in Cobh, where I was introduced to the elegant Le Boreal, a gem in the Ponant cruise line fleet. With its sleek design and welcoming ambiance, Le Boreal stands as a testament to luxury travel on the high seas. Launched in 2012, Le Boreal exudes modernity and sophistication. Despite its relatively small size, accommodating 260 guests and 130

08 May 2024

I was very kindly invited to spend a day on the Regal Princess when it came into Cobh on Sunday – and even better I got to bring my son along! As we walked towards the cruise terminal the first thing, I noticed was there was a great atmosphere at the port. There was some music playing and a table of juices and water set up from the team at Princess – this is not always common practice. Additiona

05 April 2024

1. Your Very Own Personal Travel Concierge After the initial consultation which is usually an online video call or in person, if possible, I will liaise with you in whatever way best suits you. I am available via WhatsApp, phone, or video call to help you with your travel needs. 2. Booking with Travel Professional Struggling to differentiate your Express Pass from your Explorer Pass from your Un

27 September 2023

On Monday, myself and my colleagues were welcomed onboard the Norwegian Star. After boarding and being greeted by the incredibly friendly staff, we were impressed with the bright and fresh aesthetic to the inside of the ship. Having undergone an extensive refurbishment in 2021 it felt like a much newer ship. Catering for just over 2300 passengers, it just goes to show bigger isn’t always best.

27 September 2023

We loved Barcelona. It has a reputation of being one of the most attractive cities in Europe with a cosmopolitan vibe. Being so well connected, it is one of the most popular cities in Europe. We stayed in the Hotel Arts Barcelona, which has a prime beachfront location and is just 20 minute taxi or bus ride to Las Ramblas. We preferred to explore the city on public transport. The buses were quic

27 September 2023

Valencia is a beautiful, modern city, lying right in the middle of Spains Mediterranean Coast with direct flights from Cork and Dublin. Valencia is best known for Paella, the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, urban beaches and vibrant nightlife. I spent two nights in Valencia with my 3 and a half year old son as part of a larger itinerary. (Check out my Trains in Spain Blog) and I’m ready to

21 September 2023

How do you decide your next destination? In my line of work I have an endless supply of inspiration. Every new enquiry sets the wheel in motion for thoughts and ideas on my own next trip. My problem is eliminating the tempting choices so that I am left with exactly the right trip. This year I knew I wanted to stay relatively close to home because we had been to Toronto and Mexico last year, and

24 May 2023

I travelled to Cobh last week for an afternoon of indulgence on the Celebrity Apex and it exceeded my expectations. Our group was welcomed onboard and ushered to Eden, one of the main restaurants, for coffee and treats. The wine and cuisine at Eden are rooted in nature and draw inspiration from the areas they visit throughout the world. The interior, is green and lush while still being airy with

08 May 2023

New York City! Wowzers. Having been blown away by the big apple with my sister a few years ago, I hadn’t thought too much about it until recently, but what a time we had. We arrived in late and it was already dark, which suited us, because we wanted to see the bright lights of New York from a yellow taxi. I would highly recommend this. It got our trip off to the perfect start. For our first da

09 April 2023

Now, talk about a throwback! Back in 2016 I took a notion to travel to Peru for about a month. I had never visited South America and I was absolutely bursting to go. At the time none of my friends or family members were able to come with me so I took the plunge and off I went and what an opportunity it turned out to be! I had some amazing experiences and met some wonderful people, but the highli

29 March 2023

My sister, her husband and their 18 month old son just got back from Paris. (Fair enough he’s not quite a pre-schooler yet!) I haven’t been to Paris in a few years. So, I took the opportunity to sit down with her and extract as much information about their trip as I could! What did you find helpful when travelling with a very small child in Paris? When we arrived in Orly, we started to queue for

16 March 2023

November 2022 Mexico is one of the top tourist destinations in the world so we were very excited to get to go there! I was traveling with my son who was two and half at the time. There were so many options in terms of accommodation it can be hard to choose - so we chose two, one that I loved and one that I knew he would love! First we stayed in Fives Ocean Front in the small fishing village of Pu

16 March 2023

When I was planning our trip to Mexico, I found a fantastic rate on flights with AirCanada, stopping over in Toronto. As Toronto was always on the list and I had a friend I wanted to visit there it was only natural that we make the most of the stop. The flight was excellent, apart from a two and a half year old little boy that did not want to stay in his seat! On arrival we checked in to ALT Air

16 March 2023

Mark Twain once said “Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and heaven was copied after Mauritius” When I visited the Island of Mauritius in 2019 I felt that quote hit the nail on the head. It has lush green landscapes, turquoise water, amazing mountains and beautiful beaches. It’s well set up for tourism without feeling crowded or massively commercialised. We stayed in two resorts, first