Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Travel

Family Holidays to St Barts

St Barts is a gorgeous Island in the Caribbean which just seems like a completely different world to me. It’s a place I am so keen to visit and explore all the beautiful landscapes, wildlife, beaches and that sea with crystal clear waters I could spend hours in. As a family we always look for holiday destinations that give us a real chance to explore, experience some luxury and give us the opportunity to relax in the sun. Visiting St Barts in the winter months really appeals to me, especially around Christmas time although it is known that accommodation tends to get really expensive this time of year thanks to the consistent temperature.

I think for our family a villa in St Barts would be ideal as it would give us lots of space and the freedom to get out and about whenever we wanted to. I do prefer it when we are free to make our own plans and timetable which is hard to do when in a resort. St Barts is a volcanic island with lots of beautiful reefs and a terrific landscape to match giving families lots of things to see and explore. It is one of the smaller islands in the West Indes and has French roots in it’s language, cuisine and culture. Getting to St Barts would require a little planning as flying direct is not possible. Instead, flights can be arranged to the neighbouring St Martens and then alternative transport such as chartered speedboat or ferry are available to connect. I imagine the travel with children might be a little offputting but seeing more of the beautiful Caribbean is very appealing and it’s a great chance to visit more than one island.

I can imagine a typical day for us as a family would start bright and early with a big breakfast around the table in our villa followed by a stroll to the nearby shops, perhaps in search of a local market to try some local cuisine. Lunch would be small and simple, before heading back to the villa to escape the sun before heading out to the beach to play and join in on some of the fun things that St Barts has to offer. You can read more about family villa holidays with My Gorgeous Boys.

Things to do in St Barts

There are plenty of beautiful, golden sandy beaches to visit giving you the chance to build sandcastles galore, relax and sunbathe. Perfect after all that travelling and I don’t think any family could visit the island without having a few days at the beach. A big blanket, beach snacks, sun cream and a bucket and spade will see you through. The beaches just look so beautiful and tranquil. What’s more, there are 14 beaches across St Barts to choose from so you’ve got plenty of opportunities to find your absolute favourite. Lorient Beach is a favourite with local families and a place to surf too, catering to all ages. Petit Cul de Sac is another lovely choice with relatively calm turquoise waters.

For those that want to see a little more underwater action then there are plenty of bays and reefs to snorkel in. It’s something I would absolutely love to do with my family in St Barts. Scuba Diving is also widely offered with plenty of diving schools throughout the island. I can just imagine capturing all those beautiful fish swimming around the waters and getting to see just a bit more. It’s a dream of mine to Scuba Dive in the Caribbean. Leading on from diving there are a few submarine trips available which would be a truly incredible experience and something I think many members of the family could enjoy without getting wet. St Barts is also a popular location for sailing and watersports such as Jet Skies.

St Barts is a quiet island and the nightlife is small which resonates with me so much more as a mother. I’m a fan of decent food and an early night now I’ve got children and I’m not really getting younger. A big nightlife scene is something I want to avoid and whilst St Barts does have some bars available, it isn’t known for its wild parties.

Food and Drink in St Barts

Food can absolutely make or break a holiday for us and knowing that St Barts is full of delicious options and variety is really appealing to us as a family. The island is incredible for those that are a fan of amazing restaurants and with plenty to choose from it’s doubtful, you would be disappointed. There are plenty of places to eat and drink along the seafront reminding you of the beautiful scenery and would make for some truly spectacular family photos. Restaurants will have plenty of wines and champagnes for you to try which will compliment your meal perfectly. French wine is my absolute favourite and it’s great to know that you can enjoy a delicious drink whilst sampling the food.

Much of the cuisine is traditional French with tender cuts of beef imported to the hotels and restaurants around the island. Ideal for families that are budgeting their spend when eating out, plenty of places offer a fixed price menu giving you a chance to sample a fair few dishes without a super steep price. Alongside this are plenty of fresh fish dishes and so much is served with freshly baked bread too. I know that rum is a popular drink across the Caribbean and it’s my favourite choice of spirit so trying a few of the local drinks.

St Barts really does look and seem like the ideal place for a relaxing, food filled family holiday and it’s a place I’m convinced I need to add to my bucket list.

Packing for a Family Holiday to St Barts

The best time to visit St Barts is between December and April. This avoids the tropical storm and hurricane season between August and October. The sea is warm all year around meaning there is always time to swim. I can’t help thinking that St Barts would be a lovely place to go to spend February half term or the Easter holidays. The temperature is warm with an average low of 23 degrees and an average high of 29 degrees Celsius. This seems like the ideal climate for a family holiday and with an average of eight to nine hours of sunshine there would be plenty of opportunity to do all the things St Barts has to offer.

With weather like this I think layers would be the best option. Light, comfortable clothing, plenty of swimwear and something a little warmer for the evening like a light jacket. For young children a mix of light clothing that they can too dress in layers.

Other essentials would of course include suncream, medications, snorkel equipment, comfortable walking shoes and hats. I would also pack a few items of entertainment for children such as a magazine, colouring, crayons and a tablet and charger.

This is a collaborative post.

March 2, 2018
Golden Forest Club – Sequoia Lodge Hotel Review Disneyland Paris

If you are either shortly on holiday to Disneyland Paris or in the stages of planning then this is the place for you. Our stay at Disneyland Paris Sequioa Lodge Hotel was fantastic and I’d love to share more in this review. Staying in a Golden Forest Club Room really made a difference to our stay. It saves money and the room was gorgeous. It is a comfortable room and it perfect for a family of three.

Upgrading to a Club Room

Should you, if you can, upgrade to a club room in the Disneyland Paris hotels? My opinion, absolutely! Especially if it’s your first time and you’re not quite sure what to do or where to go. If you are trying to do Disney on a budget – the snacks and drinks can help save you a fortune. They are filling, and the drinks are available pretty much all day. We have just returned home from our four nights, five days stay in Disneyland Paris.

The upgraded hotel room, park tickets for both the Disneyland Park and Studios Park and breakfast each morning was £732 for two adults and one child aged five. For a holiday, I was happy to pay this price as we were able to book with a deposit through Thomas Cook and pay in our own time making it affordable over a few months. We didn’t ask to upgrade, that was the room available and we thought it was a great deal.

The Golden Forest Lounge in Sequioa Lodge Hotel

Benefits of Golden Forest Club Room

*Private Check In/Check Out – with chocolate coins
*Private Golden Forest Lounge
*Nespresso Machine in Room
*Complimentary hot and soft drinks from 12noon-10.30pm every night of your stay – however you can not make use on day of departure as check out is 11am
*Complimentary tea time treats from 4pm-5.30pm which includes savoury and sweet options. We enjoyed cakes, mini wraps, biscuits, sweets, canapes and fruit. We stocked up on this which saves money in the restaurants.
*Hot Food & Continental Buffet Breakfast
*Rooms are in the main building with fully working lifts
*Can get a Lake View room – we did, and we could see the fireworks every night from our room

The view from our lakeside room. You can just see the top of the Disneyland Paris castle in the distance and Hotel New York in the far right.

Checking In

I loved the cute toiletries we got from replenished in our room each day

You will find a clearly labeled Golden Forest Check In desk which saves you joining the main queue. Here you will get your park tickets and hotel fast passes. There was no programme or park guide/map which would be a really handy and helpful addition. At this point, we could hand in our bags of which we were asked, ‘Is this it?’ thanks to savvy packing and they were stored for us to save carrying them around. We went back around 3pm to collect our room keys and our luggage was brought to our room free of charge and no need to tip.

The Room

The room in itself was not much different from others except we had a mini fridge and Nespresso machine. Two double beds made it comfortable for the three of us and the rooms are a good size. Television has some English channels including Disney Channel which is handy in the morning or if you want an early night. There is always a film on at 7pm, which was great on our first night after all the travelling and a bad night sleep the day before. You will also find a shower over bath, iron and ironing board, safe, kettle and complimentary toiletries. Everything is cleaned and replenished daily. The room has plenty of storage in the sink area and the main room. Having a fridge is handy for keeping our drinks cool throughout the day.

These are the types of snacks available for free in the Golden Forest Lounge

The Lounge

The lounge is a lovely perk and nice to sit in when you want to relax. It gets busy when the snacks are available however you can go in and collect drinks throughout the day to take back to your room. You can then take these into the parks or have a drink in the lounge. Afternoon snacks include sweets, cakes, brownies, marshmallows, mini sandwiches, fish and cheese canapes and mini wraps. It’s replenished throughout the two hours and again is self-service. Having free drinks saved us so much money and we had a few left over in our fridge which was very handy to take back when travelling home on the last day.

Disneyland Sequioa Lodge hotel

Breakfast

The Breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge is really tasty

Breakfast is delicious. The hot options include bacon, eggs, pancakes and veal sausages. There were plenty of hams, cheeses, cereals, toast, croissants… a huge selection constantly refilled and kept nice and hot. We also had fresh and dry fruit available as well as yoghurts. Drinks included coffee, chocolate milk, orange juice, apple juice, still and sparkling water. Breakfast in the Golden Forest lounge is 7am until 10.30am which is plenty of time before or after the extra magic hours and there’s no need to book a half hour slot, hardly any queues and very tasty.

Overall we had an amazing time and having a club room saved us so much money in drinks and snacks. We didn’t have to eat out as many times as we thought thanks to the snacks we just weren’t as hungry! It really made our hotel amazing and actually made our Disney holiday fairly relaxed!

The hot chocolate was absolutely delicious – a must have to try.

FAQ’s about Sequoia Lodge and The Golden Forest Upgrade

Should I upgrade to a Golden Forest Room?

Yes, it made our holiday so much more enjoyable. As long as it’s affordable for you it’s an excellent upgrade and can really make a huge change to the type of holiday you have. Especially when it’s colder outside.

When are snacks served for the Golden Forest rooms?

Snacks are like afternoon tea and served between four and six. They include mini cakes, sandwiches, sweets and savoury bites. Having access to these meant we didn’t feel the need to have a big meal every night.

When are drinks available in the Sequoia Lodge Golden Forest lounge?

Drinks are available from 12pm-11pm. Soft drinks are cans and can be taken away to the park or into your room. Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate can also be taken away. The tea is not very nice.

Does Sequoia Lodge have a swimming pool?

Yes it does, its a medium sized pool with water slide and jacuzzi. There is also a sauna. Only guests at the hotel are allowed to use the swimming pool.

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January 7, 2018
A Beginners Guide To Cruise Holidays

We’ve had the pleasure of sailing to Bruges and Norway and that has totally converted me to cruising. I remember booking my first cruise and not having a clue what to expect. It was quite daunting actually as it was going to be my first holiday abroad as an adult. I had to take care of insurance and passports and do other adulting tasks like paying for it. We decided on a cruise because it seemed like a faff free way to holiday and after speaking to a travel agent and how passionate she was about cruising we were absolutely sold. I was also inspired to cruise because of my grandparents who had cruised along the Fjords and loved it. I wanted to visit Norway and this seemed like an ideal way to visit the country and get a real taste for the scenery. I’ve now been on a couple and they are my preferred way to travel. I don’t particularly like flying, I don’t get seasick and I like the fact that as soon as you’re on the boat you’re on holiday.

Choosing Your Cruise line

There are so many cruise companies out there it’s really hard to choose who to cruise with. I would advise considering one that depart from the UK for your first cruise. P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean both cruise from Southampton which cut down our options a lot. We went with P&O as we liked the fact that everything on board was in £’s and that was what was recommended to us. P&O are a good company to start cruising with, I think, and have a great range of amazing holidays. Do your research before hand and find a company that has everything you need on offer for your party. Travel Loving Family have posted some amazing tips for cruising with kids that is worth reading when considering who to cruise with.

Choosing Your Cabin

A lot of companies allow you to choose a cabin when you book a cruise. Sometimes you have to pay a bit more for this. P&O have a ‘select’ price option which enables you to choose your exact cabin so you know your cabin number before you board. I find this very handy as you can easily locate it on the ship when you book. You can have a flexi option where you’ll be given your room number a few weeks before you sail. Cabins choices are inside, outside, with balcony or suite. We love a balcony as it gives you a little more space and it’s so nice to relax privately. However those on a budget, do not let an inside cabin put you off. You can easily get a breathe of fresh air 24 hours a day being on deck and there is a lot of seating and plenty of places to relax. Those with children, choose a ship with a kids club which will give you all a bit of extra breathing room. With P&O the kids club is free, but it’s important to register early on in the cruise.

You can also select if your cabin will be at the Aft (back) Forward (front) or Midship (the middle). Apparently those that worry about seasickness a midship cabin that’s lower to the ground is your best best.

What’s Included?

Most Cruise Ships come with Full Board which basically includes all the food. P&O include Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate at meals and with room service. Juices and Water is also easily accessible. All other drinks need paying for however most ships operate by using a cruise card. This is swiped when you make a purchase and you may at the end of your holiday. You can usually purchase drinks packages prior to sailing. Some of these include premium coffees, soft drinks and wines. Other cruise liners offer more complete drinks packages to include cocktails, beers and spirits too. Buying a drinks package can be a great saving.

Evening entertainment, cinema screenings, swimming and the gym are all usually included in the cost of your cruise. I quite like the evening shows to be honest. I especially like a comedian and on our cruise to Norway we saw two who were very funny. The dance and music productions are pretty good too, if a little cheesy, but a fun way to pass the time in the evening. Some of the kids clubs operate until a little later too with movie nights to give you a chance to enjoy some time as adults.

What isn’t included?

Excursions – these an be booked in advance or during sailing

Tips – you can pay in advance for this with some companies and each company usually has a different policy. If service is not satisfactory you can remove tips from your account or choose to tip individually. With Royal Caribbean you still need to pay tips with any drinks even if you pay tips in advance.

Premium Dining – this is usually bookable prior to sailing or on the ship and includes a cover charge per person. It’s usually very fine dining and a great chance to try lots of different food.

Spa Treatments – again, companies include packages you can prebook or you can pay with your cruise card on the ship

Dressing for Dinner

Dressing when cruising is always a topic of conversation, you want to know what to pack! Every cruise will usually have at least one formal occasion evening where you are given the chance to dress up. I really like this actually especially when sailing from Southampton where there is no baggage allowance. I believe Norwegian Cruise Lines do not have a dress policy as they feel this is more family friendly. Children are fine in smart casual dress. Men will be required to wear shoes and jackets. I think women have a lot more freedom on these formal occasions to be honest. On our 2 night cruise there was one formal night and one smart casual night. On our 7 night cruise there were 2 formal nights. One was a Captain’s Gala and the other was a black and white theme which was a lot of fun. Annoyingly you don’t know the theme until you’re on board.

Adam and I 2015

Cruising is a really lovely way to travel and has many perks. I hope this has helped you prepare a little for your first cruise and you have a wonderful time.

I’d love to hear any top cruising tips you have?

August 16, 2017
Bournemouth by Bus & TGI Fridays Food

I live in a bit of a weird place, right on the border of Wiltshire which basically means I can get to Bournemouth Beach by bus. It’s longer but way cheaper than going by train and sometimes you just want to go to the beach and it not cost a fortune. That being said we went to TGI Fridays for lunch so it ended up being much more expensive than we anticipated. Still it was a nice date day that Adam and I deserved as we haven’t had one in a while. I do like a quick day city break and we have so many wonderful, beautiful cities close by. We especially love heading over to Salisbury. It hasn’t been all that long since our holiday in Cornwall but let’s be honest when you have kids you need a break after a holiday with them!

We’re currently trying to save around £5,000 which is a grand sum but the truth is we are considering relocating. It’s a year off plan and kind of depends on a lot but we figured having some money saved up to move, pay upfront rent and just get new things would be a good idea and £5k is a nice round number. Sort of. I just think its a good aim. Anyway, so we’re trying to save money and we’re trying to do things on a bit of a budget and we wanted to have one last naughty meal before getting back with our fitness and health plans.

Bournemouth is beautiful. I love it, it’s a lovely city and the beach is glorious. There’s so much to do, see and buy there. There are beautiful gardens to walk through, entertainment galore, arcades and toilets that require a 20p donation. We left at 7.35am Saturday morning to get the bus to Salisbury which took an hour and a half but going through my old home village I was pointing out places of nostalgia along the way. We changed buses at Salisbury to head to Bournemouth which was another hour and the bus had tables. I was amazed at this, not only did it have tables and really comfy seats but also USB chargers for your phone. Buses have upgraded and I am happy about this change. We were able to get an Explorer ticket each for £8.60 which I believe gets you pretty much wherever you want to go in Wiltshire and Dorset. It also gets you to Andover. Not saying Andover is a place anyone wants to visit, it’s very dull, but it gets you here. More importantly it gets you away from here.

We enjoyed strolling through the gardens and people watching on the pier. Sitting by a little river and bandstand before having a little stroll through the centre. We headed into Lush where I treated us to a bath bomb each and the Rub, Rub, Rub Solid Scrub (for me, not sharing – buy it, it’s the best) and a sample of Boom! toothy tabs which is charcoal activated and I haven’t yet used. If you’re curious we also went to Holland and Barrett to take advantage of the penny sale and buy some drinkable Aloe. That’s a dedicated health kick right there because drinking Aloe is absolutely vile but it stops me feeling bloated and crappy so I persevere.

TGI Fridays was the highlight and we had a super three course lunch and cocktails there.

Adam was of course craving boneless hot wings with scorpion sauce and I opted for a Chick Cone which was a take on chicken and waffles. However, there wasn’t actually a lot of chicken.

There was a lot of cheese. Cheese Cones is probably a more accurate name actually. Then for our mains we had burgers followed by a sharing Toffee Popcorn Sundae. To finish I had a lovely Red Velvet martini which was the perfect mix of sweet and sour. Adam had a Mud Slide which is basically and adult chocolate milkshake. It gave him brain freeze!

We finished the day by the long bus ride back home and ended up getting home around 5.30. It was nice, sunny with a bit of drizzle and the food was tasty. It was nice to just talk and have some adult only time together. The last time we went to Bournemouth on the bus was just before Christmas 2012. Again it was just Adam and I and he was a little on the crazy side after just working the Winter Ball and having not slept. It was cold and rainy but it was absolutely one of my favourite dates way back in the early days.

August 10, 2017
A Visit to St Michael’s Mount, Marazion, Cornwall

I think it was the sunniest day of our trip to Cornwall that we were lucky enough to visit St Michael’s Mount. St Michael‘s Mount is located in Marazion which is about 40 minutes from Helston by bus. You can get the number 2 bus towards Penzance from the Blue Anchor stop in Helston. If you just want to visit the village at the bottom or stroll across the causeway, there’s no need to pay. When tide is high you can get a boat over which is a few pounds. We were able to walk there and back on the day we visited in July 2017. We walked across the causeway to visit the Mount which opened around 10 o’clock. It only takes around 10 minutes to walk across the causeway over there are a lot of cobbles so it’s not very accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. St Michael’s Mount is closed to the public on Saturdays to give the residents on the mount and the family living in the castle a day to themselves so it’s wise to plan your visit accordingly.

St Michael’s Mount is a national trust site so it’s free for members to visit and for those that are visiting from the day you can buy tickets from the ticket office. There are family discount tickets available. We made our way up the steep climb towards the castle after collecting our tickets. On the day we visited there was story time on the lawn every hour, on the hour. You can take a look at the website for more events happening on the Mount.

On a sunny day like it was on our visit, storytime would be the perfect way to enjoy the scenery before the climb up to the castle or to help recover after with an ice cream. I feel I need to exaggerate the climb towards the castle a little bit because it is incredibly sleep. The climb is relatively steep so wearing proper walking shoes is ideal. You might even want to consider a trekking pole. Hiking and walking activities happen all over Cornwall so it’s something you could use throughout your holiday.

There are handrails all the way up to the top however the path is full of broken stones and cobbles. I wouldn’t recommend this climb to those who are not fully mobile. Any babies or young children that may struggle with the walk will need to be carried as you will not be able to get pushchairs up this hill. There is a buggy park at the bottom. I think I struggled more on the way down than on the way up but I am aware I’m very, very clumsy so falling over is a frequent experience for me. There are gaps in the cobbles and it’s quite easy for small toes to slip between and cause slips and trips. I can imagine walking up these cobbles after it’s been raining can be a real challenge. I feel St Michael’s Mount is a place to visit on a dry day.

St Michael’s Mount is located in a really unique setting. I really enjoyed walking across the causeway to visit the mount. During high tide there is the chance to get a boat ride back however we were still able to walk back. You can easily check the causeway opening times on them St Michael’s Mount website. I would definitely suggest having a look at the website to help plan your visit. You need a few hours to visit the mount to fully enjoy and appreciate everything it has two offer. There are a few shops and places to eat we enjoyed lunch in the sail loft.

As well as being a national trust site the castle is a residential home and there are parts of the castle that are off-limits. You can get a ticket to include visiting the castle and the gardens surrounding the mount. The tour through the castle is a one way walk and it can get very busy and crowded.

I feel we enjoyed the sites and scenes and had enough time to appreciate everything the castle had to offer.

My daughter also enjoyed taking part in the children’s treasure hunt which led to her getting a gold medal. She was very pleased with herself. After exploring the castle we Took a slow walk back down towards the Sail Loft. Here we had a delicious lunch for £29.95 this included a ham and honey mayonnaise sandwich a new Lynn crab sandwich and a children’s lunch bag. For this type of attraction I think the food was good value as it was very tasty. The staff at the Mount were incredibly helpful and made for a pleasant trip.

I think the best thing about St Michaels Mount is the stunning scenery which can be seen from all angles. The castle is very high up and you can really get a gorgeous view of Marazion bay.

After our lunch we took a stroll down to the village with our ice creams which were really tasty. Evie enjoyed a chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone, Adam had mint with chocolate chips and I enjoyed raspberry and white chocolate. You can get ice cream just outside the sail loft. The ice cream was so lovely and we really enjoyed them sitting just on the grass outside the ticket office watching other people paddle in the sea. We also got to try the passionfruit sorbet which was really delicious and would recommend this option if it’s particularly warm to cool down, it was quite sweet but very, very refreshing and I really recommend it.! The two boys working in the Ice Cream hatch were very friendly and great at recommending flavour choices. On the way back we enjoyed a stroll along the beach paddling in the sea before catching our bus.

Our trip to Cornwall has been really lovely and a very special family holiday. We have enjoyed lots of sites and St Michael’s Mount has been a real highlight. For anyone that is visiting South Cornwall particularly close to Helston or Penzance then I really recommend a trip to Saint Michaels Mount particularly if you’re already a national trust member.

Disclaimer; we received three tickets to Saint Michaels Mount Castle and vouchers for ice cream in exchange for this review. All opinions remain my own.

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August 1, 2017