Finding a family balance in Kefalonia

Refusing to accept that a small child might not be looking for the same in a summer holiday – rural idyll, utterly remote, uplifting view, tavernas frequented only by elderly locals – my husband booked us an (admittedly beautiful) utterly inappropriate villa in Kefalonia. Having a beach to oneself is one thing as a couple, but quite another to a single toddler desperately seeking friends to share a bucket and spade with.

Fiscardo, Kefalonia

It wasn’t going well when, almost a week in, we were intrigued driving past a boutiquey hotel on the outskirts of Fiskardo*, and risked popping in for an early-evening drink with our morose minor. A design property, all minimalism and a mostly coupled clientele, we were amazed to see in its literature it described itself as a family hotel. Well, the remainder of our holiday was spent by the hotel’s two enormous infinity pools – one very shallow which meant hours of water-winged wading – overlooking an expanse of sea, and Ifferker (as it became known). We stretched out on smart sun-beds, lunched by the pool on tasty club sandwiches and fresh melon, and although the pleasure cost us around 45 euros a time (for lunch and poolside drinks), we were just thankful that, by chance, we’d achieved a family-friendly holiday without having to venture into kids’ club territory.

* Emelisse Grace Hotel

Cuba Diving Holidays – Top Five Sites

Diving in Cuba is one of the biggest draws to the island, and hundreds of scuba
enthusiasts travel with us every year to see the best coral reefs and the most
exotic fish! It’s no wonder, with an average annual temperature of 24 degrees
and an average visibility of 98 feet, Cuba is amongst the best diving hotspots
in the world. Additionally, the lack of strong currents and variety available
makes the island the perfect training environment for Cuban diver virgins. But
where’s the best place to dive on the island? Here’s our top 5 Cuban diving
sites…

The beach at Maria la Gorda, a dive enthusiast's paradise

Cayo Largo

In the south of the island, Cayo Largo is the obvious choice for diving in
Cuba. With virtually untouched beaches and coral reefs, this is a great place
to feel isolated from the world at large. It’s also a great place for beginners, thanks to the huge nearby coral reef, there are no strong currents.
If all of this sounds perfect, except for the location, you’ll be pleased to
hear that although this is 177km from Havana, there are local domestic flights
between the two, meaning you can be there within an hour!

Maria la Gorda

To the west of the island, Maria la Gorda is a stunning dive spot right in the
heart of nature – it’s one of the least developed areas of the island. Within
the Guanahacabibes Peninsula is the dive site itself – a world biosphere
reserve with two dive zones. When you get beneath the surface, you can see
black coral walls, 18th century shipwrecks and plenty of flora and fauna. For
more experienced divers, there are caves and caverns to explore and night trips
for the thrill seekers. At four hours from Havana, serious Cuban divers need
only apply – but the trip is most definitely worth it!

Cayo Levisa

If you want something a little closer to Havana, Cayo Levisa is a great choice.
An hour outside the capital on the north west of the island, this Cuban dive
site is home to sponges, black coral and some of the larger tropical fish.
Alongside these are some of the more memorable shipwrecks of the 17th and 18th
century. If diving is the whole purpose of your trip, then you may want to stay
at the Hotel Cayo Levisa which allows Cuba’s divers to stay in its 40 rooms for
the duration of their visit.

Playa Giron

Playa Giron can be found near the Bay of Pigs, and is renowned for its shelf
diving, as well as the trips to local caves in the region. The area has sheer
drop offs near the shore which make for some great swim-throughs. Over four
hours away from Havana, this is one for the determined, but its well worth the
trip – indeed, dedicated divers may wish to stay at the Hotel Playa Giron.
Cuban divers love this one – in 1994 a new ship was deliberately sunk to give
the diving population more to see!

Faro Luna

If you want to take underwater photography, you simply cannot beat Faro Luna.
Why? It has some of the cleanest water in Cuba, and a good variety of sea life
and environments with a variety of ship wrecks and stunning coral reefs in its
28 dive sites. The coral formation barriers are so high that you can actually
see them on the surface. This really is our pick of Cuba’s dive locations!

Spa Holidays in Asia

Asia is known for its beautiful scenery, leisurely way of life and its mystical healing remedies. This is why spa holidays in Asia are extremely popular, with countries such as Thailand, Bali and Malaysia all offering relaxing spa holidays for you to unwind, recuperate and lose yourself in the beauty of the landscape.

All of the spa hotels offer ancient Asian healing techniques with their spa holidays, meaning that you can lose your stresses and pains as centuries old healing remedies cure your mind, body and soul.

You can try such spa techniques as the Malay hot stone massage, which is practiced at the Tanjung Rhu Resort, or if that sounds too exotic you could opt for the soothing water shiatsu, which you’ll find at the Mactan Resort in Shangri-La.

Once you’re suitably rejuvenated from the spa holidays in Asia you can set about exploring the spectacular sights of the area, but don’t forget to visit the stunning country that is Vietnam while you’re there.

Holidays in Vietnam are becoming more popular now than ever as the country has barely been touched for decades, but is now becoming a major tourist destination. Vietnam is one of the last unspoilt countries in Asia, so be sure to see it now as it’s changing rapidly.

Once you’ve visited Asia and experienced the different pace of life you’ll be ready to return to your own life, but you might not want to.

First Time Traveller’s Guide to Morocco

Morocco, located in North Africa, is a very densely populated country with around 32 million inhabitants.

Morocco is a popular destination for holiday makers because of its warm weather, historical architecture and bustling market places. Anyone visiting the city of Marrakech will enjoy shopping in the markets, where haggling is not only allowed, it’s expected. A holiday in Morocco isn’t complete without a tour to the markets.

You should also be prepared for the weather in Morocco as it can get very hot and the country is prone to the occasional drought, which is far removed from the weather here in the UK.

When staying in Morocco, you have a choice of different types of properties, but you should always try to stay in one of the many riads. Riads are traditional Moroccan buildings that feature indoor gardens, often with waterfalls.

Communication in Morocco shouldn’t be too much of a problem for the experienced traveller as French is one of the most spoken languages in the country. A strong grasp of the French language will come in handy when you’re haggling in those markets!

Travel to Morocco is never complete without sampling the local cuisine. Moroccan cuisine is very distinctive, with many spices used in all of their food.