What to Do in Rotterdam

Hey Owlets,

I think I might have found a new favourite cruise ship port - something to finally over take Lisbon! Ever since Amsterdam introduced a tax on cruise ship passengers cruise lines have been looking for nearby alternatives - enter Rotterdam. Just over an hour from Amsterdam it's the perfect port for cruise lines to offer something for everyone - there's plenty of excursions offering to show you around the famous city, but for those who don't want to spend two hours on a coach then Rotterdam is an incredible city itself, full of history, unique architecture and plenty of attractions to visit during your stay. When I visited I actually ran out of time because there was so much to do so here's my list of everything you need to see while you're in the city, whether you're there for a day on a cruise ship or you've booked a weekend away.

Review: Radisson Blu, Birmingham

Ad - post created in collaboration with Radisson Blu

Hey Owlets,

One of the little things I love about travelling is getting to stay in so many places, see how each brand has chosen to design their hotels and getting to wake up in a different environment - but I have to admit I do love a bit of luxury. Last week Radisson Blu invited me to explore Birmingham with them before the launch of their new breakfast, so of course I had to give you a sneak peak while I was there! 

My Thoughts on RyanAir

If you're asked to think of a travel brand that everyone hates, I'm pretty sure RyanAir will be the first to come to mind. RyanAir is the airline that everyone loves to hate - be that complaints about strikes, baggage, rude staff, delays or cancelled flights - you can pretty much guarantee you're going to see them making headlines for the wrong reasons. 

Having never flown before I tried everything to book with a different airline; I was nervous enough about flying without it being on one of the UK's most hated airlines. Unfortunately RyanAir's cheap flights tempted me just like they do most people so I gritted my teeth, booked the ticket and prepared myself for three hours of hell on board the dreaded blue and yellow planes - what I experienced instead has left me a little confused.

Why You Need to Visit Timișoara, Romania

Content created from a press trip

Hey Owlets,

Timișoara has been announced as the European Capital for Culture in 2021. If you're like me your first thought was "where on Earth is that?!" closely followed by "why?" - I know when I saw the itinerary for my Romania trip both of those questions popped into my head in pretty fast succession. By the time we arrived I still had no idea what to expect, but Timișoara quickly became my favourite place of our entire road trip across Romania - here's why it should be at the top of your bucket list too.

Review: Llanerch Hotel, South Wales

*gifted stay

Hey Owlets,

If you've been keeping up with my Instagram you'll know that I've been doing a lot of travelling recently. While I love getting to explore sometimes you need a little quiet time in between to reset, so my boyfriend and I headed to Hensol to spend some time at Llanerch Vineyard. The beautiful five star hotel is tucked away in a quiet corner of South Wales in the kind of place that you would never find if you weren't looking for it.

Are Romanian Stereotypes True?

This content was created from a press trip to Romania, but all opinions are my own

Hey Owlets,

When I first told my family that I was planning to spend two weeks travelling across Romania they thought I’d gone mad - being totally honest I was wondering what on Earth had prompted me to say yes too. It wasn’t just my family being over-cautious though. Every single person I told about my trip replied with “why?”, “are you mad?!” or “it’s dangerous there!”. In fact, I’ve heard more about stray dogs, aggressive homeless people, orphans and pickpockets in the last two months than in the last two decades combined. 

If you’re not from the UK then maybe you’ve not heard any of these things, but if you’re English then I’m imagining you’ve probably heard every single one of these stereotypes at least once. By the time I’d heard them from everyone I spoke to I was so nervous I almost didn’t want to go. Since everyone in the UK seems to be terrified of the same things, I wanted to clear up a few stereotypes. 

A Lesson in Kindness from a French OAP

One of the things I love most about travelling is the huge variety of things you see- when you travel to another country yes you’re meeting local people but you’re also meeting other travellers from across the world and you almost always come away with unique memories that you’d never experience back home. But when you’re travelling by cruise ship you never quite know what’s going to happen. In some places you’re welcomed with open arms, hoping that you’ll open your wallet in return. In other places they’re sick of their hometown’s population growing by 4000 people for the day, and that attitude is unfortunately made known quite often, which means you probably won’t want to come back. 

If there’s one town where you could understand people not being so friendly it’s Cherbourg on the North Western coast of France. Receiving 9 ferries a week as well as multiple cruise ships you could forgive the residents for being less than welcoming but it was the complete opposite - I don’t think I’ve ever felt more at home. 

Review: Abbey Hotel, Bath

*gifted stay

Hey Owlets,

If you've been following my Instagram you'll know I've been pretty much living out of a suitcase recently. If I'm honest I absolutely love travelling this much and one of the best parts is getting to stay in so many different places. It's so inspiring to see how each place offers something different, the different decor, how hands on the staff are and of course comparing the food! One of my most recent trips took me to the beautiful Abbey Hotel in Bath. The luxurious four star hotel is laid out across three Georgian townhouses, just around the corner from the famous Abbey.