After a busy first half of the year, my boyfriend and I decided to take a relaxing holiday away to St Lucia. Arriving at Almond Morgan Bay on the island’s beautiful north west coast we were met by ice towels and a fruit cocktail – much needed after a long flight!

We had booked an Ocean View room and this did not disappoint, with its stylish modern furnishing and fantastic panoramic views of the ocean and hotel pool.

For me I was most impressed with the variety and standard of food – there are four restaurants included in the all-inclusive plan and all were fantastic. There was such a selection to choose from, including Asian/Creole, international dishes, seafood and French Creole. Service in all restaurants was impeccable. If you book a Caribbean holiday at Almond Morgan Bay you will definitely not go hungry! I can also recommend the cocktails, all using premium branded spirits, so great if you fancy a ‘proper’ Smirnoff or Jack Daniels!

We spent the days relaxing on the beach and by the pool, but if you are feeling a little more adventurous you can take out the kayaks and pedaloes, ride the banana boat, or take a 20-minute sailing lesson. These are all included in the all-inclusive package so you will always have something to do.

Ask for Joy at the watersports centre. He took us on a wonderful boat trip up to the Pitons, the island’s unforgettable twin coastal peaks. We stopped and visited the volcano at Soufriere, swam in a waterfall and saw the botanical gardens, finally arriving at a secluded beach for a traditional beach BBQ. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and good food, Almond Morgan Bay will definitely not disappoint.

Jamie Spencer, one of Tropical Sky’s expert Luxury Holiday Specialists, recently spent his honeymoon in Thailand and was mightily impressed by the quality of the hotels he stayed at, as he explains…

Thailand is a country of real diversity and contrasts, and we decided to start our recent holiday to this beautiful country with a night in lively Bangkok before moving south to Ko Samet to begin the beach part of our trip. We also discovered that the legendary Thai hospitality and quality of service was very much in evidence at the hotels we stayed in.

On arriving at the Le Bua Hotel in Bangkok the check in procedure was simple and relaxing, as we were invited to sit on the comfortable sofas and listen to the grand piano playing in the background whilst the paperwork was completed.

La Bua is a five star boutique hotel that occupies the top few floors of one of the highest buildings in Bangkok. All rooms are above the 50th floor and have balconies with amazing 180-degree panoramic views of the city.

The Sirocco restaurant is really lively and definitely the place to be, along with the stunning cocktail bar, which is just amazing with its breathtaking views, especially at night. It was definitely a good idea choosing La Bua, it was a great hotel and perfectly located to get around Bangkok and see the sights.

After our stay in the city we then travelled onwards to Rayong pier (just north of Pattaya) for our boat transfer to Ko Samet where we would continue our stay at The Paradee Hotel.

Although our journey was delayed, to our delight hotel staff were at Ko Samet pier waiting for us in a beautiful private speedboat, which even featured white leather seats embossed with the Paradee
Logo. After the 20-minute boat transfer more staff were standing on the beach waiting for us with a warm Thai welcome.

We were introduced and taken straight to our rooms by Alex the Front Desk Manger for our in-room check in. As we arrived at our room a gentleman was already there smiling away with a wooden briefcase filled with an array of natural soaps of all fragrances for us to choose from, a lovely touch. I chose Lemon Grass and my wife went for the Oriental Tea.

The rooms were lovely, spacious and beautifully laid out and included a complimentary welcome bottle of red wine. At the end of the four poster bed was a window with a direct view of the sea.

The beach at The Paradee Hotel is perfectly manicured and treated every day, and the sand is like flour and bright white. There is a reef just off the beach and cordoned off from boats so you can snorkel away on your own and look at the wonderful fish and coral without any worries.

The staff walk around every now and then and hand you fresh fruit skewers. To my amazement mine and my wife’s had our Chinese birth year animal sign on the top, another example of the hotel’s superb personalised service.

All in all The Paradee was truly amazing, such a hidden gem. Stay there with absolute confidence and you will be back.

Escorted tours are a fantastic way to see the best bits of a country. Travelling with the experts, you are sure to visit the truly must-see locations and get all the inside local knowledge from your professional tour director.

The Polar Bear Adventure in and around Churchill, Manitoba, is one of the more adventurous tours, taking you into the wilds of northern Canada. Churchill is known as the ‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’, and is the best place to see these great white bears, the largest land predator, in their natural habitat.

You’ll take an exciting light aircraft flight north from Churchill to spend three and a half days at Seal River Lodge, where you will enjoy luxurious accommodation in a unique, utterly secluded location. Bears freely roam up close to the lodge, which has large viewing windows so you can observe and photograph them as they wander past. You’ll also have the chance to join local guides to trek on foot to see the bears in their natural habitat.

After your stay at Seal River Lodge you’ll return to Churchill, an attractive town on Hudson Bay, for a chance to spend some time exploring and maybe doing a spot of shopping too. Then it’s a day riding the Tundra Buggy – a custom-built vehicle designed to let you get close up and personal to the polar bears. Raised up and protected from the bears, the buggies can get right in among these beautiful creates. It’s a unique experience and not to be missed when you are in the area.

The great northern lights, or aurora borealis, are also visible from Churchill for a natural night time show to remember.

The six night Polar Bear Adventure is a fantastic opportunity to view the great Arctic bears around Hudson Bay. If you would like to find out more about the Polar Bear Adventure, visit Canadian Sky or call 0870 9040 930.