Hello, Sunshine

For Christmas I went to Mauritius with my (very extended) family...that is, my dad, my elder sister, my two younger half-sisters, my ex-stepmum, her new boyfriend, and their two-year-old (whom I consider my sister). See, I told you it was complicated.

The view from my sun lounger

Because of all the snow in London, we nearly didn't even make it there, which would have been an absolute disaster, but has luck would have it, it stopped snowing for just long enough so we could make it out of the country...we were the first flight out to Mauritius for five days! Phew...Christmas would have been lame if we hadn't been able to go - we'd already done Christmas dinner and presents and everything, so that we wouldn't have to carry extra stuff on the plane.

Anyway, after a long 12 hour flight, we arrived in hot and sunny Mauritius and quickly sorted ourselves out in our rooms at the Sugar Beach Hotel on the west coast of the island and were soon lying on the beach, soaking up some rays. It was beautiful, with white sands and blue sea, a book in my hand, and music in my ears. What more could a girl ask for?

Family Lunch

Over the week, we did nothing and everything. Everyday we'd eat ourselves silly at the buffet breakfast then play in the pool and lie on the beach before having an incredible lunch of sushi, noodles, salads, burgers, grilled sandwiches, fish...we ate it all! After all that food we thought it would be best to do some exercise, so we'd all go off to the watersports hut and go sailing or kayaking or on a pedalo. And about halfway through the week I got a quick wind-surfing lesson and went out on the sea for a few hours, using every muscle in my body to pull up that hefty sail. It was so much fun, I didnt want to stop, but when a big fish decided to sink it's teeth into my foot I thought it was time to call it a day!

Sunset over the South Pool

In the evenings we'd go for dinner in one of the hotel's three restaurants - at the main buffet they had a different theme every night, so one night it was oriental food, one was Lebanese, and of course there was Christmas dinner on the day itself. After stuffing ourselves to excellent sufficiency, we'd head over to Tides bar for some cocktails and dancing. Well, I say dancing...but I really mean that Thalia (the 2-year-old) had the time of her life dancing to the live band, while the rest of us watch on, thinking how cute she was! On some nights there were also live dance shows, ranging from belly-dancing to a traditional Mauritian dance display on our last night, a fantastic way to end our stay.

So, if anyone fancies a Christmas getaway, I would definitely recommend Mauritius. It's got everything you could want and more. But most importantly, it's not cold, grey and wet, like England!

Home At Last

Mykali Bay. You can see Turkey off in the distance.

I'm back in London after my (almost) month of travels and I have to say it's been a pretty sweet summer so far. I went down to the south of France for a few days before catching a plane (or three) to Samos Island, Greece. Samos is pretty much the furthest you can get from mainland Greece before you're in Turkey...I mean, I probably could have swum across it's really that close (have a look at the photo and you'll see what I mean).

Our room at the Sandalis Hotel

If you're ever in Samos and you want somewhere fairly cheap to stay, go to the George Sandalis Hotel in Pythagorio. It's only 30 Euros per night for a double room with en suite bathroom, balcony and little kitchen area (with fridge). It's clean and tidy, and the old couple who run it, Angelo and Maria, are awesome!

For the first few days we went to a little beach to the right of the harbour (where the sun loungers cost 3 euros each), which was nice, if not a little busy. After that, we found Pythagorio Beach, just a 5-10 minute walk back along the main road out of Pyth. It's a much longer stretch of beach, the sun loungers are only 2 euros 50 cents, and the sea is nicer to swim in.

Pythagorio Beach

We also visited a friend of mine who is working as a sailing instructor (among other things) in Mykali Bay, a beautiful beach area, where the sea is a perfect blue and has a sandbank that stretches for what seems like miles (see photo above). There are also kayaks, jet skis and other water activities available to try.

At night time, Pythagorio really comes alive and the many many many bars and restaurants that line the harbour front are always buzzing...I would recommend Zephyrus for their crepes and delicious milkshakes (and free wifi...just ask for the code when you buy a drink), and Thomas Bar for the most comfortable chairs in the world. No joke. They're incredible.

Zephyrus Bar (it was usually busier than this!)

Samos is a great place to just chill out and get some sun. However, if you're the type of person who needs activity then there are loads of daily boat trips to other beaches around the island and plenty of car/moped/quad-bike hire places if you fancy doing a little exploring.

Sadly though, all holidays come to an end...there's always next year!