Colourful Costa Blanca
I have recently been to Benidorm for a short break with my family to celebrate my brother in laws 60th birthday. For sure Benidorm is like Marmite you either love it or hate it ! I would like to tell you how this region has so much more to offer, and how you can explore the coast surrounding Benidorm by using the super efficient tram and bus service. I took the tram down to the most colourful town of Villajoysa, only 20 minutes south of Benidorm and 1 euros 45 cents the tram took you to the top of this beautiful resort, it was a steady 10 minutes walk down hill to the fabulous sea front. There are many lovely sea front restaurants, quirky colourful streets and a lovely promenade to explore. The beach is sandy and very flat. If you are looking for a short break this would be a great option. The tram along this coast line runs from Alicante up to Denia. It runs inland at the top of the major resorts and with lovely mountains as back drop.
I also headed north on a different day, I took the open top bus from Benidorm for 11 euros 24 hours unlimited travel, I went to the beautiful white washed resort of Altea. This resort is very picturesque, with a central square and a church at the top of the hill with a good selection of quirky shops, labyrinth of streets, while down by the sea front another spectacular promenade that you can walk for miles. There is a lovely marina and good selection of sea front cafes/restaurants. The beach here is pebbled/shingle I found it not as nice however the outlook is lovely. Altea is nicknamed as the Santorini of Spain. The tram station is located at the bottom of the hill and takes 20 mins. I will definitely return to either of these resorts. I loved them, Costa Blanca is a great place for exploring, hiking, beach, shopping, cycling. It really does offer something for everyone.
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In the Easter holidays my husband and I jetted off to explore Brazil with my 2 teenager children, what an amazing country it is, we loved every minute. Our adventure started in Rio de Janeiro, taking in the sights of Christ de Redeemer, watched sunset up Sugar Loaf mountain, Fifa- street favella tour, Maracana stadium and enjoyed relaxing on Copacabana beach. The next stop was the amazing Iguazu Falls, with over 270 falls, spreading over the border of Brazil and Argentina - it was incredible. We explore both the Argentina and Brazil side and got soaked on the boat trip into the falls ! We stayed in Foz De Iguazu for 3 nights, the boys enjoyed a round of golf and the girls enjoyed relaxing by the pool. We headed over the border into Paraguay for a quick shopping trip before continuing our journey to Santos ( Sao Paulo beach resort ). The home of Pele, my football crazy family headed to Santos stadium and Pele museum before exploring the old town on a vintage tram. From here we boarded our cruise ship for a 7 night sailing along the coast of Brazil, we headed 1000 miles north, visiting the picturesque resort of Buzios - with its cobbled streets, turquoise water and lovely beaches. Salvador was the next stop, home to where it all began in Brazil, circa 1500's the first part of Brazil that was discovered by the Portuguese. This colourful town has a huge Afro-Brazil vibe and it is vibrant, full of energy and packed with history. Our cruise then sailed to the North Beaches of Brazil where we enjoyed a day on a paradise beach just north of Maceio before heading back to Santos with a couple of sea days for us to relax and enjoy the ship. On disembarking the cruise we had a full day before our late evening flight home so we took a private tour of Sao Paulo's city, taking in Bat Man alley - with it's colourful street art, visited the Monumento as Bandeiras, Ibirapurea Park and views of the city from the Museum of Art roof top. Travelling to Brazil from Manchester the flights operate via Lisbon with Tap air it is 3 hours to Lisbon then 10 hours from there. Brazil is the only Portuguese speaking country in South America and English is not widely spoken ( google translate became our best friend ). The country is so diverse, the people extremely happy, friendly and always dancing !! We loved every minute of this trip and it was a great way to celebrate my son's 18th Birthday. One for the memory bank !
Cindy and Julie recently travelled to Budapest for a cruise conference and enjoyed a 2 night stay on board Ama waterways river cruise boat AmaMora. This beautiful luxury river boat has 70 cabins, it is decorated throughout in lovely pastel pink colours. On the first evening they were invited to the fine dining restaurant at the back of the ship called Chef's table, this was a 7 course meal paired with a wine for each course, it was an incredible experience, it is included free of charge for each guest on board at least once per their cruise. They enjoyed a walking tour through Budapest's Jewish quarter in the afternoon and in the evening the boat sailed down the Danube past the stunning Parliament building. Day 2 - cruise conference day, they joined our cruise partners for a full day of product knowledge and networking. They had presentations from Virgin Voyages, Ambassador Cruises, Princess Cruises, Riviera Travel, Scenic / Emerald Cruises, Explora Journeys, Oceania Cruises, Azamara, NCL, Star Clippers, Cunard and Royal Caribbean Cruises. When you stay on board a river boat they are able to dock in the city centre. It is a great way to experience may different cities and stunning landscape in one holiday. Ideal for those wanting to see lot's of different places while only unpacking once. A river cruise holiday can be as relaxing or as busy as you choose. Cindy had never been on a river boat before and absolutely loved it.
