A Morning with the Elephants at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
When visiting Thailand I knew I wanted to see the elephants. They are a national symbol, included on the Thai flag until 1917 and a rich part of the country’s culture and history. However, seeing the elephants in the best way was a dilemma for me. I felt strongly that I didn’t want to be […]
Le Petit Trianon, Versailles
During my recent stay at Airelles, Le Grand Contrôle, another out of hours tour I had the privilege of enjoying was of Le Petit Trianon (literally ‘the small villa’). In 1758, Louis XV decided to build a new palace in the middle of his gardens for his long term mistress Madame de Pompadour, and Le Petit […]
The King’s Apartments, Versailles
During my stay at Airelles, Le Grand Contr?le, a hotel within the grounds of The Palace of Versailles, I was so privileged to be able to go on an after hours tour of The King’s Apartments within the Palace. The Palace’s history is inextricably linked with Louis XIV. Although the location existed for centuries before […]
Hvar day trip from Split: Everything you need to know
Finally concluding my jaunt around Croatia is a day trip to Hvar island. Hvar is one of the most famous islands in the whole country and if you love beautiful architecture, a quaint old town and dramatic coastlines, then it’s a stop you have to add to your Croatia itinerary. Whilst Hvar has become known […]
Klis Fortress: A Game of Thrones Filming location in Croatia
Back we head to Croatia, and our next stop is Klis Fortress – an incredible medieval fortress situated high on the cliffs looking out over the sea, near the city of Split in Croatia. Many visitors to Split don’t visit Klis, though it has seen more visitors ever since it was featured in Game of […]
A review of Airelles, Le Grand Contrôle at Versailles
Dédié à ma grand-mère. Dedicated to my Granny, who loved all things French, all things history and all things royal. I’ve never stayed anywhere *quite* like this hotel. It offers something truly special and unique – after hours access to the Palace of Versailles – whilst staying in the epitome of sumptuous luxury in a hotel […]
Christmas at Anglesey Abbey
It’s nearly Christmas again and I’m not quite sure how another year has gone by. Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, and as always my last post before the main event is a little bit of festive, little bit of reflection. I’d planned a couple of Christmassy trips prior to the big […]
The Best Things to See & Do in Split
Continuing on with my Croatia series, we’re now heading to the second base of the trip – Split (having already taken you on visits to Dubrovnik, Trsteno, Peljesac, Lokrum and Lopud). Split is the second largest city in Croatia after the capital Zagreb, and sits nestled on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, spread […]
How to visit the DMZ from Seoul
How to visit the DMZ You can’t visit the DMZ on your own. You have to go on an organised tour from South Korea, and I chose one with Get Your Guide which was really well run. Tours last half a day and cost around ￡45 per person and you must remember to take your […]
A Guide to visiting Trsteno Arboretum, Croatia
Ahead of visiting Croatia, we’d seen photos in a guide book of a gorgeous leafy garden with incredible views out over the Adriatic sea. So of course we had to fit it in to our itinerary and see it for ourselves! Given it is just 20 miles outside of Dubrovnik, we decided to use one […]