When it comes to dreamy Greek getaways, Elounda ticks all the boxes and Evie from Cockermouth Travel recently got to experience it firsthand. From luxurious resorts to breathtaking coastal views, her trip was filled with sunshine, style, and a serious dose of relaxation. Now, she’s back and ready to share why Elounda should be on your travel radar.

“Thanks to If Only and the beautiful Elounda Beach Hotel & Villas, I had the chance to visit Greece for the very first time and it completely won me over. I spent 3 incredible days in Elounda, Crete, soaking up the sunshine, the charm, and some serious luxury. I’m already thinking about my next visit!

Where I Stayed: Elounda Beach Hotel & Villas

This hotel nailed the wow factor. From the moment I arrived, it felt like I was being properly looked after. Think prosecco in hand as you check in, friendly faces everywhere, and a buggy ride straight to my room (which honestly felt more like a mini luxury apartment).

I stayed in a Deluxe Bungalow Suite Sea View. Super modern, with loads of space, and the kind of place where even the curtains open at the push of a button. High-tech and high-comfort!

Here’s what I loved most:

• Breakfast at Artemis was a dream. Fresh juice, hot food, fruit, pastries… everything you could want to start your day right.
• Dinner at Argonaut, the hotel’s Italian spot, was delicious. And Kafenion, just steps from the beach, served up proper Greek food in a super relaxed setting.
• I also had a spa treatment included. The spa lounge was gorgeous, and so calming, and I left feeling refreshed.
• In the evenings, the Veghera jetty bar became my go-to for drinks with a view. Great atmosphere and is the perfect way to end the day.

If you’re after a mix of laid-back luxury and proper Greek hospitality, this place delivers.

Things To Do Nearby

 

Elounda Village :
Only a short 12-minute walk from the hotel, Elounda’s old fishing village is peaceful, scenic, and full of character. A great spot to explore on foot.

Spinalonga Island :
A 25-minute boat ride takes you to this historic island  once a Venetian fortress, later a leper colony. It’s a unique and fascinating place to visit, and the views are stunning.

Agios Nikolaos :
Just a 15-minute taxi ride away, this lively little town is great for shopping, people watching, and grabbing a drink by the water. It mixes traditional Greek charm with a cosmopolitan feel.

Final Thoughts

Elounda is the perfect mix of culture and calm. It’s not overrun with tourists, and it suits all types of travellers whether you’re after relaxation, history, or a bit of both. Greece definitely made a great first impression, and I’ll 100% be going back.”

Ready to Plan Your Own Escape?

If Elounda looks like your kind of getaway (trust me, it is!), I’d love to help you experience it for yourself. Whether you’re after a luxury retreat, a romantic break, or just some sun and serenity, let’s make it happen.

evie@cmtravel.co.uk
Cockermouth Travel
Get in touch and let’s start planning your Greek escape!

Contact Us

The post Elounda, Crete – My First Taste of Greece! appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Our MD Paul has just returned from a “work” trip on the amazing Explora 1!

Explora Journeys are 974 passenger ships that are a cross between a super yacht and a 5 star cruise ship.

Paul has been travelling and visiting hotels and cruise ships since 1980 & says this was the most amazing and luxurious experience of his life!

“ even the most inexpensive cabins are sumptuous, the food was like dining in a really nice restaurant every night, the drinks menu was something you would expect to find in a five star hotel (the champagne comes from the same vineyard as Veuve Clicquot), the public areas are stunningly decorated & everything about the whole experience was luxurious”

The post Paul’s Voyage with Explora Journeys! appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Day 1 – Lucerne

After an early morning flight from Manchester to Zurich, we took the direct train to Lucerne, which is less then 1 hour!  We then checked into the Grand Hotel National hotel.

The room was amazing and spacious with it an amazing view over Lake Lucerne! In the evening we went for a city tour, and for traditional food at Restaurant Rebstock.

Day 2 – Zurich & Chur

After checking out of the hotel in Lucerne, we made our way to Zurich. In the morning, we had a tour of the city with a stop off at the famous Sprüngli coffee shop.  And after the tour we had a traditional lunch in an old guildhaus, before we took the train to Chur, where we stayed for 2 nights, in the Hotel Stern. For the evening meal, we went to Flavours restaurant Chur. The food was amazing!

Day 3 – The Bernina Express

We took the famous Panoramic train from Chur to Tirano. The Bernina express is one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys. Crossing spectacular Swiss mountains, lakes, and glacier scenery! After some Italian food in Tirano, we took the train back to Chur.

Day 4 – Chur & Thun

After an early morning, and a guided tour of Chur, we took the train too Thun to meet back up with everyone. We stayed in the Deltapark Hotel Viality hotel, which is in Gwatt (less than a 9-minute bus ride from Thun). They hotel was amazing, we even got to use the spa!!

Day 5 – Thun & Back home

We had another early start this morning, with a guided tour of Thun, with a visit to the castle. We Then took the train to Interlaken, where we then sailed back to Thun with lunch onboard. After arriving in Thun, we made our way back to Zurich airport for our flight home to Manchester.

Throughout the trip, we had a Switzerland Travel Pass which gave us access to all trains, buses and boats throughout Switzerland, their systems are so quick and efficient!!

The post Evie’s Trip to Switzerland including the Bernina Express appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Just back from an amazing trip… first stop was Athens, we stayed in Piraeus & had days out visiting the Acropolis, the beautiful Palaka district & on the hot days we copied the locals & went to the beach. We ate in local restaurants & had some delicious food.

The first port on our Virgin Voyages cruise was Beautiful Santorini, I loved Oia but Fira was a bit too commercialised for me

Next stop on our cruise was Rhodes Town, a beautiful medieval World Heritage site & somewhere I would love to visit again someday soon

Our next stop was Bodrum where I had the full Turkish barber experience…the head waiter at dinner asked if I’d put my head in a microwave Dinner on the ship was in the amazing Test Kitchen (no microwave)

If you would like to know more about Paul’s trip on the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady give us a call or pop in the office!

The post Paul’s trip on Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Day 1…
A quick overview of what I got up to:
Checked into Atlantis The Royal
Cloud 22
Cocktail masterclass

3 course set menu dinner in Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant in the private dining room

Day 2 & 3…
We had a site inspection of Atlantis The Palm followed by some incredible food at the Food Marquet in The Royal. After dinner we had chance to sample a cocktail or two by the family pool before getting ready to eat at Jaleo in the evening.

The next day we had a private cabana booked at Aquaventure water park and a dolphin encounter in the afternoon. We ate at La Mar in the evening which is a Peruvian restaurant in Atlantis the Royal and we all agreed the food was outstanding

Day 4…

This was our last day in Dubai so we spent the day at Nobu By The Beach in our private cabana area and had the most amazing dinner there. In the evening we had our last meal at Milos which is situated right by the water and fire fountain show.

I really cannot recommend the Atlantis The Royal enough if you are looking for a luxury stay in Dubai!

The post Bethan’s Trip to Dubai appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Here is a picture of one of the first awards we ever won! Jackie and I are still going strong, John retired in 2006 and Lib owns the Floral Boutique in Market Place.

*Hairstyles may have changed slightly!!

The post Cockermouth Travel turns 40! appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

But here goes…

After a stress-free Emirates flight to Port Elizabeth, we were met by our guide who took us to our first accommodation – 4* plus Kariega Ukohzi Game Lodge. Our accommodation was a luxury safari lodge suite (have a peek on Google, the rooms are stunning).

The following day we were up before sunrise (04:45!) and off on our first game drive, we were so lucky to actually see Lions, Wildebeest, Elephant, Rhinos, Giraffes, Buffalos, antelope and many more beautiful animals. We also did a river trip to see the Hippos in their natural habitat. Our accommodation was a luxury safari lodge suite.

After 4 nights in Kariega, we were picked up by our guide who took us to pick up our hire car ready to go on the rest of our journey. We had a lovely scenic drive from Port Elizabeth to Plattenberg Bay which took 3 Hours which included a couple of leisurely stops to admire the views.

Plattenberg Bay is a picturesque beach resort renowned for its many fish restaurants and beautiful scenery. We spent two nights at the Hog Hollow Hotel, we enjoyed walking the Robberg Peninsula and visited the Birds of Eden Sanctuary.

Oudtshoorn was our next stop which was a 2.5-hour drive from Plattenberg here we enjoyed visiting the Cango Caves and an Ostrich Farm which Oudsthoorn is famous for. I found out an Ostrich egg would hold 28 Chicken eggs inside!  Poor mother Ostrich! We enjoyed 1 Night here as this was enough time to experience the area and was also great stop off point on our way to Franschhoek.

The following day was our longest drive we did on our whole trip. The journey took us through small towns such as Ladismith, Robertson, Worcester which were so nice to call at, have a coffee and a wander around. The Scenery was also incredible as we drove through mountain ranges.

On arrival in Franschhoek our first impressions were of a Colonial Town with lovely Georgian buildings. Our guesthouse for the next couple of nights was the Maison Chablis staff here were so helpful and friendly giving many recommendations of places to visit and eat. They could not have done anymore to make our stay any more enjoyable. Franschhoek is well known for being in the wine region of South Africa and off course we had to sample many different tipples to find our preferred one! On our second day here, we had an early breakfast and ventured off on the Wine Tram which I thought was one of the best ways to experience the vineyard’s, breath-taking scenery and world class cuisine. Our First 6 wines were sampled by 10am ooppps! Franschhoek has a very laid-back feel about it, the streets were lined with cafes, shops and wine bars & it’s perfect if you like People watching and taking in the local atmosphere and ambience.

Our final stop was Cape Town, which we planned the whole itinerary around.  Obviously making sure we would be there for New Year Celebrations and equally important to witness Cockermouth’s very own Ben Stokes performing with the rest of the England Cricket Team at Newlands Cricket Ground; which we were there for two of the matches. Not sure if I’m a member of the BARMY ARMY yet but the atmosphere was amazing!

Our accommodation in Cape Town was the Victoria and Alfred Hotel which is directly on the V&A waterfront. The property was originally a warehouse dating back to early 1900’s still with many original features.

New Year’s Eve was an experience we will never forget.  Fireworks lit up the whole Waterfront and the party atmosphere was fantastic.

While we were here we hired a private driver for the full day which we took in Cape Point, Simonstown, Boulder Beach Penguins, Camps Bay.  We also did the trip to Robben Island in which an ex prisoner gave us a tour around and told us all about his experience of being an inmate and how they were treated and the education they received.

For anyone visiting Cape Town I would highly recommend the Red Sightseeing Buses these work out around £30 each for 2 days but you can access the main points of interest and also take you as far as Cape Point and there is an optional Wine Tours Bus too.We had planned to go up Table Mountain just our luck the only day it was full of cloud was that day. You need to keep time free to visit Table Mountain the cloud can come down within minutes and visibility is impossible.

Cape Town has something there for everyone whether you want shopping, beaches or history!

The post The Garden Route by Leanne appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

(Lots of customers worry about the food when visiting India but I have now been twice and managed to escape “Delhi belly” – as long as you avoid the street food you should be fine and in every hotel the dishes, I tried were superb & there were always western options.)

Next stop was Udaipur, one of India’s most picturesque and romantic cities. We took a cruise on the beautiful Lake Pichola and explored the City Palace complex before checking in to Fateh Niwas Palace – it’s worth a google or have a look on our Instagram, my room was amazing!

Days 3 & 4 were off the main tourist trail exploring rural Rajasthan, we travelled to Narlai for a 2-night stay at the heritage resort of Rawla Narlai (again amazing). On route from Udaipur we stopped at Ranakpur to see the spectacular Jain temples. While staying in Narlai we walked around the village visiting local families learning about the lifestyle,food, customs and traditions of the region. I could have spent a week here; the area is beautiful and teeming with wildlife! Some of the group saw a leopard and cubs while I had to make do with families of monkeys feeding in the trees next to my room. The highlight of our stay was dinner at the hotels16th-century stepwell, illuminated by hundreds of oil lamps.

Next, we headed to my favourite Indian city (so far) Jodhpur which is bustling and chaotic but very friendly and we were guided through the markets and bazaars which are fantastic places to pick up a bargain or ten! Jodhpur has some amazing architecture & the formidable Mehrangarh fort.

After a fantastic 2 days in Jodpur we set off to drive to Bikaner in the heart of the Thar desert for an overnight stay at the magnificent Narendra Bhawan, a stunning property that was home to the maharajah of Bikaner (for anyone interested in Interior design Google this hotel – the public areas and rooms are stunning, probably the most beautiful I visited on the whole trip) .After a long but interesting drive (best people watching ever) we arrived at  the hotel where were serenaded by a bugler (I’m guessing he’s not popular with the neighbours!) then it was in to 4 x 4 jeeps for a safari into the desert to witness the spectacular sunset over the dunes.

Next morning we set off to Jaipur via a visit to Bikaner Fort where we walked straight in to a celebration of world tourist day! Indian bagpipes and drums were played and we were all given garlands of local flowers, then decorated camels arrived along with press photographers who took pictures of us with dignitaries and a local gentleman with a moustache so long he kept it in a hair net.  Within seconds we were given the spectacle of him unravelling his moustache, passing it along us on both sides, until it was fully extended to around 6 meters long (interesting but weird!).

Then back to our road trip to Jaipur and more people watching – crops being picked by ladies wearing brightly coloured sari’s , markets with fantastic displays of fresh fruit & veg, colourful very overloaded lorries carrying everything from livestock, sacks, crops – some with people balanced on top. Camels, donkeys, water buffalo all pulling carts, motorbikes carrying up to 5 people & their shopping.

Our last full day in India was in Jaipur so we crammed a lot in with visits to the stunning Pink Palace, the Astronomical gardens which were built in 1734 & have huge sun dials and pillars all accurate to the second. Nest was a visit to Amber Fort a huge hilltop, pink sandstone building, with lots of Moghul minarets, pillars, courtyards, gardens.

All in all India was spectacular, yes they often drive the wrong way down a dual carriage way & are constantly swerving to avoid a cow, pig or water buffalo but it all part of the fun! The food was fantastic & if Indian food isn’t to your taste all the hotels will do western food and Delhi belly seems to have been flushed away with much improved health & hygiene!

One hotel I forgot to mention in the last edition was Mihir Garth a really special place & a favourite destination for Madonna. It was exquisite, each room individually decorated, some with private plunge pool – great place special occasion or honeymoon.

The post Paul’s Return to India appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

Vancouver is a fantastic family friendly city. We had a picnic in the beautiful Stanley Park, which is in Downtown Vancouver, walked the Pacific Sea Wall and looked at the First Nation Totem Poles. The waterfront at Canada Place has fantastic views where we watched the sea planes take off and land. Downtown transport was convenient and easy to use to see China Town, Gastown and we hopped on the Aqua Bus to see Granville Island. The public Market is a hub of activity with artisan crafts and food. I can highly recommend the gelato!

We then headed an hour north to Squamish. On our last visit over 20 years ago, it was a small logging town, now Canada’s centre of outdoor activities and sports. A giant granite monolith, The Squamish Chief, stands just on the edge of town. Here there is hiking for all abilities, including 8 year olds, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and kite surfing on the Howe Sound. They have a fabulous Ale Trail too, so I’m told!

The journey to Vancouver Island takes an hour and a half from North Vancouver to Nanaimo. As we left the mainland, the ferry had superb views of the Downtown skyline. We headed for the Pacific Coastal towns and beaches. First though we headed for Victoria. This beautiful laid back city really does feel like you’ve reached “island time”. The inner harbour area with the majestic Parliament Building and gardens and sea front places to eat is the best place to start. China Town here is the 2^nd oldest in North America.

We had pre-booked an Orca Whale watching trip. We chose a zodiac boat which only seats 12 people and is much more fun than the larger boats. Nothing will ever compare to a 30 foot killer whale slowly gliding past our stationary boat with her calf.  We then made our way up the west coast of Vancouver Island which is a mix of quaint towns like Ucluelet, “Ukee” to the locals, where we had a sea kayak trip, walked the Wild Pacific Trail and explored the beaches and surf. Tofino is full of local craft shops and First Nation galleries, and the Pacific Rim National Park where we visited the spectacular rain forests and walked the boardwalk style trails.

I would highly recommend this part of Canada for an active outdoor family adventure!

The post Barney’s Canadian Family Adventure appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.

 Once we arrived in Hanoi we checked in to The 5 star Pan Pacific Hanoi (wewerespoiled.com!). The next day we got up nice and early and went out on vintage motorbikes for a tour of the city, our drivers showed us  some amazing sights inaccessible to cars and buses and I loved trying the local food from the street markets. After the motorbike tour we went for a walk through Hanoi’s old quarter where we saw the famous Train street (Google it!) This has a busy railway line running down the middle of a really narrow road. It was pretty surreal to see locals sitting on their doorsteps going about their everyday lives – washing dishes, hanging up laundry, cleaning their motorbikes and even playing with babies, right on the train tracks!

After 2 nights in Hanoi, our next challenge was to experience an amazing cruise around Hạlong Bay, which is known for its turquoise sea and hundreds of rainforest covered Islands. Our first day was spent kayaking followed by a leisurely afternoon chilling on a private beach. The next morning we got up at dawn for a Tai Chi lesson on the top deck during sun rise followed by a guided nature walk through caves. Then after another relaxing night on our cruise it was back to Hanoi for a Vietnamese cookery course hosted by a lovely (Not at all Ramsey like) local chef who taught us to cook some delicious healthy Vietnamese dishes.

Next stop was Dubai where we stayed at the brand new Caesars Bluewaters Dubai for 2 nights. First we had a tour to discover the different areas of the resort venues. They have 3 different parts of the complex – Caesars Palace Hotel, Caesars Resorts and The Residences at Caesars Palace. There is a great choice of restaurants from Japanese, Pan Asian, Mediterranean and Hell’s Kitchen which I can highly recommend! The next day we had a city tour, we visited the Dubai museum & then took a traditional Abra (water taxi) over Dubai Creek to the Deira side to wander through the famous Spice and Gold Souks. On the last night of the trip we had a meal at Cove Beach Club followed by a party to end an amazing trip!

The post Vietnam & Dubai by Bethan appeared first on Cockermouth Travel.