My 2016 travel roundup
Friday, 30 December 2016
This year has been a bit of a big deal for me when it comes to travel. I didn't start it any different to usual but coming to the end of it now, I have well and truly caught the travel bug. I booked my first Kuoni holiday which totally changed my outlook on terrible travel agents, I went on my first press trip and I managed to squeeze in a few European city breaks as well! I posted my first travel post in May and from there I was hooked and this year, I travelled more than ever before and I loved writing about it here afterwards! Now I'm set on seeing the world in any way I can!
Madrid
In May, I went on a little city break with Andrew and his family. We visited Madrid for two days with his parents and his sister (who lives in France) and her fiance. They split off for a few days of exploring the parks and other attractions whilst Andrew and I headed into the center and spent most of our time on the hunt for some of the best hotels and rooftop bars in the city. We did hop on a tour bus for a couple of hours as well which was fun! We've done a few red buses together now.
Magaluf
Next up was our, whats becomming, annual trip to the ME hotel in Mallorca at the end of June. We've done this short trip twice now and I would do it again in 2017 because it's a holiday that we know we both love. On our first day, we usually buy a giant rubber ring and spend most of our time there chilling in the sea with it. The rest of our holiday is then, in a bikini, split between eating paella (yes, every night) and drinking cocktails at the hotel bar.
Stena Line Blogger Trip
The week after we got back from Magaluf, I was off to Holland on my first press trip. I had a fabulous weekend away with the girls as we drove between Germany and Holland, sampling lots of local delicacies and staying in a brand new hotel. On Monday morning at 6.30am, we got off of our Stena Line ferry and hopped on the train straight to work!
In May, I went on a little city break with Andrew and his family. We visited Madrid for two days with his parents and his sister (who lives in France) and her fiance. They split off for a few days of exploring the parks and other attractions whilst Andrew and I headed into the center and spent most of our time on the hunt for some of the best hotels and rooftop bars in the city. We did hop on a tour bus for a couple of hours as well which was fun! We've done a few red buses together now.
Magaluf
Next up was our, whats becomming, annual trip to the ME hotel in Mallorca at the end of June. We've done this short trip twice now and I would do it again in 2017 because it's a holiday that we know we both love. On our first day, we usually buy a giant rubber ring and spend most of our time there chilling in the sea with it. The rest of our holiday is then, in a bikini, split between eating paella (yes, every night) and drinking cocktails at the hotel bar.
Stena Line Blogger Trip
The week after we got back from Magaluf, I was off to Holland on my first press trip. I had a fabulous weekend away with the girls as we drove between Germany and Holland, sampling lots of local delicacies and staying in a brand new hotel. On Monday morning at 6.30am, we got off of our Stena Line ferry and hopped on the train straight to work!
Hotel Gotthard Press Trip
July was a little bit crazy because three days after that, I was off to the airport to catch a plane to Switzerland and then drive to The Hotel Gotthard in Lech, Austria. It was an adventurous three days that pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to experience lots of new things. After cold days out exploring the mountains, each evening, I enjoyed retreating back to my warm, cosy hotel room and taking a long hot bath!
July was a little bit crazy because three days after that, I was off to the airport to catch a plane to Switzerland and then drive to The Hotel Gotthard in Lech, Austria. It was an adventurous three days that pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to experience lots of new things. After cold days out exploring the mountains, each evening, I enjoyed retreating back to my warm, cosy hotel room and taking a long hot bath!
Hong Kong
After a couple of months spent enjoying an amazing summer in London, it was getting closer and closer to our big trip. Andrew and I fell in love with Asia after our trip to Thailand and couldn't wait to go back and see more. This time, we flew to Hong Kong and spent three days there before getting back on a plane to Bali. In Hong Kong we had a few very busy days exploring the temples and street markets, navigating the underground and spending the day at Disney; all fueled by lots of delicious Chinese food.
Ubud, Bali We spent our time in Bali between Ubud first and then Seminyak. Ubud is the most amazing place and although we were only there for one day, I think it was my favourite location of the year! It was such an amazing cultural place and incredibly romantic, I was so pleased to be there with Andrew. I wish we had stayed longer although we certainly made the most of the one day we had.
Seminyak, Bali
Semintak was the last stop on our holiday this year and was mostly a chance to relax. We stayed at another amazing villa with a private pool meaning we had lots of slow mornings by the pool followed by a chilled out afternoon exploring the town and looking for the best places to eat lunch and a couple of temple visits too. I think my highlight here was the in-villa BBQ that we had one afternoon - actually, all of the food we had here was incredible!
Malaga Press Trip
My last trip abroad in 2016 was to Malaga with the Spanish tourism board. I've never been away for a bit of winter sun before but I really enjoyed taking a trip later in the year when it was cold and miserable here. Our days were full of exploring towns, taking far too many photos, non-stop eating and lots of laughter. I still have a few more posts on this to go up in early 2017!
After that, there were a couple of domestic trips before coming back home for Christmas.
Southampton
Soton was first and we drove down after work on a Friday. After a burger in the car (classy, I know) we were ready to hit a club as soon as we arrived! Andrew and I stayed in a Premier inn so we went back to a lovely big bed afterwards while the rest of the boys slept on the floor at our friends house. The next day the football was on so whilst they headed to the pub, I took the opportunity to explore the Christmas Market there and do some shopping at The West Quay - which is a pretty amazing shopping center might I add! It was huge.
Birmingham
aaannd my last trip was to Birmingham for the Christmas market. It was a lovely weekend and kind of inspired me to explore my own country a little bit more in 2017!