From wine tours in Lanzarote to my thoughts on some of the best restaurants I’ve visited across the world, find out my thoughts on some of my favourite holiday experiences!
Happy exploring!
From Jeep safaris up winding mountain roads, venturing into beautiful caves, jumping off pirate galleons in the Mediterranean Sea and chasing sunsets, to witnessing traditional village life, sampling the best in Turkish cuisine and meeting some of the friendliest people on the planet. We really packed a lot into three days.
My first visit to Turkey was in April this year.
When I was researching routes from Milan Malpensa airport to Lake Como, it became clear this was a route taken regularly by people with large budgets. Yes, there are trains and buses, but they aren’t particularly direct to the main tourist towns in the centre of the lake. The simplest way to travel – by car. I decided to test out one of the transfer services on offer, to find out if it was worth splashing the cash.
I’d recommend reading my guide to travelling from Milan to Lake Como for other ways to reach the lake. Plus if you don’t want to splash the cash, be sure to check out my guide to visiting Lake Como on a budget.
I booked my transfer with Lake Como Transfers – a company with an impressive set of Trip Advisor reviews. In fact, they’re rated number one of things to do in Menaggio. The email exchange with Jenny on the concierge team was friendly, and although I was booking just a few days before my trip, they had availability and my transfer was booked with ease. With everything confirmed, I was informed my driver would be waiting at the airport with a sign.
I was met in arrivals around 6.30pm by Lorenzo, a young, impeccably dressed Italian holding a sign saying “Mrs Chloe”! He wore a suit and instantly reached for my luggage and wheeled it out of the terminal. He was very welcoming and spoke perfect English.
Paradise… where would you say it is? While everyone will have their own personal paradise, there are plenty of places on the planet that I’m sure we can all agree on. While I’ve been lucky enough to tick off a few, there are plenty more still waiting to be explored. Time to check out 9 of the world’s most amazing beaches.
1. Whitehaven Beach, Whitsundays, Australia
Well and truly on my bucket list… FreeImages.com / Gili Fahima
2. Bioluminescence Beaches, The Maldives
This glowing phenomenon is caused by microscopic organisms called bioluminescent phytoplankton. The microorganisms glow when stressed. I’ve seen glow worms, but these glow waves are a whole other phenomenon! 
FLICKR / S.R.
3. Isla Mujeres, Mexico
I was lucky enough to visit the Isla Mujeres last year, and wow are these islands beautiful. The water is crystal clear, and there are plenty of tropical fish to see once you’ve got a snorkel on.
A very grand overnight cruise transported our Busabout group from Stockholm to Helsinki. 41 EUR gained us a two-hour feast in the Grand Buffet (including wine). We gorged on everything from smoked salmon, to roast beef to chocolate mousse! Delicious! After dinner, we checked out the on-board entertainment, before dancing the night away in the nightclub!
Check out Part 2 of the video of my Scandi-Baltic Adventure now, and scroll down to read all about my time in Helsinki.
On arrival in Helsinki there were a few sore heads, but with little over 24 hours there, we were all keen to explore the city.
Being so fond of Stockholm, I expected to love Helsinki too, but it had a very different vibe. As most of the city burned down in 1801, it was redesigned from scratch in a Neo-Classical style – full of big boulevards and grand buildings.
One of my favourite discoveries was Signora Delizia – a cute Italian café in Katajanokka, just around the corner from Moomin creator Tove Jansson’s childhood home. It used to be a tobacco store, and was full of quirky charm, plus the coffee was excellent.
