My best advice to anyone travelling to a new destination is to pick up a guide book or two before you go and read up on the culture, events, restaurants and what to see and do whilst you are there. Now, this doesn’t have to add to the cost of the trip. Far from it! Just pop down to your local library where they’ll no doubt have a large selection of travel books ranging from the Rough Guides and Lonely Planet to Berlitz and Insight Guide. At most libraries, books can be taken out for a month, which leaves plenty of time to read up on the destination before you go and use it whilst you are out there. Some books even include foldaway maps so you can navigate yourself around easily. The most recent editions now quote website addresses as standard, which means you can check out events and restaurants before you go – and even book ahead – especially useful if you really want to impress the person you are travelling with!

Tropical Sky also offer some great advice in an easy to read format to help you prepare for your journey overseas

If you are travelling through Mexico or the Caribbean and are looking for a restaurant or bar that oozes life then check out the Mexican-themed Carlos ‘n Charlies and Senor Frog’s. Don’t go to either venue for a romantic dinner for two. Instead be prepared to let your hair down and expect the unexpected! Be entertained by the restaurant staff as they play out sketches in front of your table and don’t be surprised if they drag you on to the dance floor between courses to tango or salsa! To see your neighbours dancing on the chairs and tables is a regular occurrence, as is singing very loudly into microphones when they are placed in front of you - and watch out for the waiter with the tequila bottle offering free shots – he’s lethal! That said, the food is excellent, offering a mix of international and Mexican cuisine and, despite the raucous exterior, they are family friendly; that is until the sun goes down!

A night at Carlos ‘n Charlies or Senor Frog’s is like being at a school disco on the last day of term (and the music is pretty similar too!). It will certainly make you smile - even if they have to hold you down and tickle you!

Swakopmund, just two hours drive from Windhoek, is the adrenaline capital of Namibia and so I thought I should get fully involved and try out the different white knuckle activities on offer. As we came into the town there was a big sign post for Skydiving! – Ok, here we go….

I’ve never really wanted to do a skydive before but here I was and it seemed like a good idea at the time. After a sleepless night, I woke early and the bus came to collect us from the hotel. The 10 min drive to the sky dive centre couldn’t last long enough. I decided to do a tandem jump and my instructor had completed over 5000 jumps so I thought he must know what he’s doing! We had a full briefing and were then taken to the plane, again more instruction on jumping out and certain positions and we were then up up and away.

This is where my bravery suddenly left me, I began to shake like a leaf and felt physically sick. We climbed higher and higher (in a plane with no door!!) and I shook harder & harder. Finally we reached the required height of 10,000ft and I decided to go first, it was a case of first or never! – my recollection is getting to the edge of the plane and thinking what on earth am I doing – then we fell, I screamed a lot! – WOW – the freefall at 220mph is such a peculiar feeling, not sure an enjoyable one but amazing. This lasts for about 30 seconds but feels like a lot longer and then suddenly the parachute was pulled and I experienced a sharp sudden jolt upwards….followed by complete silence and we found ourselves gliding – now, I began to relax, what a fantastic view – sand dunes, swakopmund and sea. The parachute part was amazing, now I know what it feels like to be a bird!

We then landed, all too soon and I couldn’t believe it, I had done it and survived!!! - what an amazing experience!!!