Win a luxury hamper or £250 holiday voucher

183 Responses

1. Turkey with my great friend. It’s an amazing country

   1. I had a great holiday this year in Southern Ireland along the West Coast. Scenery is fantastic.
      Really recommend.

2. Best holiday in 2023 was a trip to India with Wendy Wu and booked through Silver Travel Advisors.
   It was a solo’s escorted tour calling at Delhi and Taj Mahal as well as several other beautiful places.
   The Guide was amazing and we had the support of a member of staff from Silver Travel Advisors with us at all times
   As well as seeing some amazing places I met lots of new friends some of whom I am going on holiday with again next year

   1. NCL cruise from Athens to the Holy Lands, so lucky to do this before war broke out!

3. Just returned from Mexico where I attended my son’s Mayan wedding on a beach – absolutely brilliant!

4. My first and best holiday of 2023 is yet to come. My daughter has booked us an All Inclusive pre-Christmas holiday to Marrakesh leaving in 14 days! She told me yesterday
   I have wanted to visit Marrakesh forever and with the recent earthquake I didn’t think I would but we are going to support the locals, enjoy some much needed sun and relax.

5. A cruise to USA and Canada. Absolutely wonderful.

6. Walking holiday to Guernsey and Jersey which was fabulous. Stayed in lovely hotels and the weather was perfect

7. Definitely my best holiday in June 2023 was a Celebrity cruise to the Scandinavian cities- Copenhagen, Oslo, stunning Stockholm and unique Skagen. Also crossed Tallinn off my ‘to see’ list. All wonderful in their own way and the weather enhanced the holiday with a heatwave!

8. Our best holiday last year was a cruise to Alaska followed by a trip to Niagara Falls

9. best trip this year was to the Mount Himalaya Nepalese restaurant in Gandia in Valencia Spain. Food was superb, staff delightfully friendly and attentive, very reasonably priced and setting is clean and serene.

10. In April 2023 my husband and I went on a 10 day river cruise along the River Rhone with Riviera Travel. Although it had been about 35 years since we had visited some of the places like the Pont du Gard when we were camping in Provence with our 4 young children it was great to return and see what had changed. We remembered walking across it on our first visit. It is now fenced off. It was also very interesting to visit some new places such as Arles and learn about its connection with Vincent Van Gogh as well as visiting the Roman remains in the area. The ship was a very luxurious and leisurely way to travel with hotel-like rooms and excellent catering and first-class dining. The cruise director was very knowledgeable and did her best to ensure that everyone was well looked after. We are looking forward to trying out some of the other Riviera cruises in the future.

11. This would be a lovely treat for Christmas 🎅

12. New York as my now Fiance proposed to me there.

13. Rhodes as I found out I was expecting my first baby there 27 years ago.

14. My best holiday in 2023 was a cruise to Greenland – amazing scenery

15. My husband and I toured Ireland this summer – started in Rosslaire and drove around via Cork, Dingle, Galway, Sligo, Strangford Loch, Kilkenny and back to Rosslaire.

    Also had a wonderful holiday in Spain with our daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren. We stayed on a resort in Cambrils which was really lovely.

16. Just back from a Viking Transatlantic cruise. Was brilliant, relaxing and fun.

17. Family holiday to Cyprus, but would love a couple break for hubby and me

18. We cruised for the first time in February 2023 on Marella’s Explorer 2 in the Caribbean. Such memorable moments and highly recommend.

19. OMGoodness, this year I discovered Croatia. Many years ago I listened to a Johnny Morris travelog from an island in the southern Adriatic. In the Croatian region of Dalmatia, and the the town of Korčula was where he was talking from – one of the oldest settlements in Croatia and supposedly the birthplace of Marco Polo. The word picture that Johnny Morris painted was transfixing and I’d always fancied a visit. The endless blue visa from the highest point does make you wonder what is over the horizon. However, the fabulous weather, food and wine kept me riveted to the area. China can wait.

    1. Croatia is lovely – I can highly recommend Split / Trogir and Rovinj. Dubrovnik was lovely too but I imagine it is now overrun by cruise ship passengers – it was bad enough when we went over a decade ago!

20. Sadly not had a holiday yet but off to Malta soon & can’t wait. Good luck everyone x

21. I went to Santorini with my cousin. We stayed Akrotiri near the archaeological ruins. They are well worth a visit and you can see the frescoes from there in the museum in the main town. The main town is easily reached by public transport but can be very busy during the day when around 4 cruise ships discharge their guests onto its narrow cobbled streets.
    Everything on the island is brought in by ship – including the water for drinking etc. Olives and the Santorini tomato are grown locally though.

22. being in our late seventies we have to look carefully at holiday places that are suitable for our needs but we booked a last minute to Majorca in October and ended up in a hotel where we were the oldest couple there but we had a blast the youngsters were great joining us in with everything and trying all the games the entertainers did we didnt win any of the winners certificates but had a few cocktails given.We were in the south of the island and because our motability is not that good did not see the north but we had a Choo Choo ride around neighbouring towns and with the help of the younger people never stopped laughing . A really good holiday we had and hopefully go again

23. A return to the Channel Islands after a gap of 50 + years. In some ways they had hardly changed and I found the house my Aunt used to live in after the war. The Shell beach on Herm didn’t have as many shells as I remembered though…

24. Trip in September to the Lake district.It was amazing week, stunning scenery with sunny weather everyday.

    1. An Alaskan cruise with Holland America. In June. Followed by a trip from Vancouver to Banff on the Ricky Mountaineer. Amazing!
       Highlights of the holiday were – tour of Butchart Gardens, trip on the White Pass railway to Bennett Lake in the Yukon, whale watching near Juneau and Glacier Bay where we saw a grizzly bear. Weather not so good on the Rocky Mountaineer trip but service onboard was fantastic.

25. Fabulous river cruise in July on the Douro with AMA Watereays. Dozens of magnificent locks, hundreds of acres of vines and lots of delicious wine and port.

26. Had a lovely relaxing holiday in Dumfries and Galloway region .

27. I have a tip for when you’re in a hotel abroad. Use an old store card to put in the electricity slot . You can leave the fan on low to cool the room .

28. I have been ill since last Christmas and unable to have a holiday this year but I have wonderful memories of a holiday in the Caymanne Islands. A fantastic time and would love to revisit, perhaps on a cruise this time.

29. Tennis holiday in the Algarve in October. Great bunch of singletons from 40s to 80s and a fab Tour Leader

30. my best holiday in 2023 was to Jordan, the people and food were fantastic and we did so much, desert, city, ancient ruins. It has everything. And the first glimpse of the treasury building in Petra as you approach via a long pathway is up there with the best moments

31. Skiathos and Skiathos again. My happy place.

32. My best holiday this year was a short break with 5 friends. We did a bit of sightseeing, ate lovely food and laughed a lot. Very relaxing.

33. My best holiday in 2023 was a trip to enchanting Venice – simply fabulous!

34. Visiting family in Ireland at Easter, very relaxing and we had a good long catchup.

35. Best holiday this year was a mid-week break in Edinburgh.

36. My best holiday this year was to New York with my 2 teenagers which included all the sights and. Grand finale of a helicopter ride which my son decided was a good idea! It was amazing !

37. Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire in the summer was delightful.

38. Best holiday ever was a trip to Taiwan. It’s an amazing country. We spent some time in Taipei and Sun Moon Lake. The Thermal Springs are also definitely worth a visit.

39. Our French trip to Marseille and Cannes via rail was super easy!

40. Amazing prizes! Thank you 😊.

41. I loved going on the Saga Spirit of Adventure to Skandinavia. Plenty of time in each port to get out and explore. Wonderful service on ship. Could not fault

42. A trip on the West Highland Railway line in Scotland – something I’ve been wanting to do for nearly 50 years!

43. Our best holiday this year was 5 days in Amsterdam. I had always wanted to visit and thoroughly enjoyed it. So very clean with very few cars, trams adn hundreds of bicycles. Had a look at the seedy parts too and that was an eye opener!!!!! Was a naughty “girl” and tried a cannabis brownie but it had no effect whatsoever!!!!!!

44. I whent a trip to ary . i had a lovely day had nice fish chips in a small restrant .

45. Stayed at a hotel near Kusadasi, in Turkey. Great location for Ephesus and shopping, swimming etc. and the food was fabulous. Looking to book again.

46. Haven’t had a “full on” proper holiday this year as only just moved to Devon so have been having plenty of days out to discover the area we now live in. Although this may not count as a holiday, it has been lovely to take our time getting to know new places and seeing some beautiful scenery both on the way and whilst there

47. Our best holiday this year was back in the chilly winter weather nearly 11 months ago when we went out the Excellence Riviera Cancun in Mexico – a truly 6* resort.

48. Cruising the Med on the wonderful Arvia. All that the ship and the Med offer and more English wine than we have seen before.

49. Wonderful trip to Portugal again. Stunning weather, beautiful beaches and friendly locals. Highly recommended.

50. My best holiday in 2023 was a cruise around islands of Gran Canarias food weather and friend staff and helpful met some lovely people.

51. Had a great cruise on the P&O Azura in April from Malta to the Greek Islands and Turkey. Love the ship, 2nd time on it, and will definitely go on it again. Bit smaller than most new ships, but not too small, and still has everything you need for a cruise. The Greek Islands and Ephesus was lovely and even though it was April, the weather was perfect, not too hot, or cold. Just right for exploring on foot.

52. The missus and I had a wonderful time on a Saga holiday to Victoria Falls & a Botswana Safari. The Saga rep was very sociable (we’ve had reps who preferred thei own little cliques and forget the rest. Victoria Falls was the fulfilment of a lifetime dream for me, thanks for the idea Wilbur Smith! The Botswana safaris were fantastic. Plenty of wildlife (caught in the middle of one storm). Guides and rep really helpful. Even a theft from our room on our last night in Botswana, couldn’t spoil our enjoyment the lack of an apology from Hotel management and terrible flights with rude Ethiopian airline staff took some of the shine off.

53. Brilliant river cruise with Tui down the Moselle, great trip, great people. Small numbers mean it is just so friendly

54. We recently did a wonderful escorted tour of Albania with ‘Explore’ company and learnt a lot about the history of the country and its people. It was fascinating and really well organised. Totally recommend it.

55. My best holiday this year was a 14 night cruise around Iceland, with stops in Dundee, Lerwick, and the Faroe Islands as well. I had won the cruise with Ambassador as they were promoting their cruises to solo travellers, and I absolutely loved it. The food was all really good and the entertainment on board was fabulous.

56. Because of illness, most regrettably, trips to Istanbul and Bangkok had to be cancelled. So, my best holiday – and it was good – was a simple, relaxing with good food few days in glorious Somerset.

57. We had a wonderful Riviera Travel river cruise on the Douro in Portugal, followed by 3 days in Lisbon. We met some lovely people, the organisation was great, excellent local guides, and superb weather. Altogether highly recommended.

58. Best holiday of 2023 has to a cruise to the Alma Coast including a visit to Rome and Sardinia from Liverpool. It was mid September so the temperatures were lovely, not too hot at all but no chill in the evenings. It was a bit blowy at times to say the least that prevent d us from being able to visit Almafi itself because the small boats to take us in were being tossed about! We did make Capri and though it was a bit wet to start with it was still a lovely island to see. We met some really lovely people on board, one reason why we love cruising these days. Hopefully next years cruise to the Adriatic coast will be equally as enjoyable.

59. Have travelled a lot over the last 45 years.Europe is nice along with Africa,America and the Caribbean but l must say these countries have not improved much at all over many years in quality of service,food and accommodation.I have spent my last 3 holidays in Abu Dhabi and Dubai the difference in everything from airports,taxis and hotels is huge.Excuse the pun but Gulf between the Arab countries on holidays and vacation is considerable .And l can see that widening even further with new futuristic dream projects already getting built.The other countries do not even have a drawing board with ideas on yet.I would very much recommend to anyone that having a top quality vacation in Abu Dhabi does not mean higher costs in holiday budgets if you do your homework,but the top class service will be a very nice surprise.

60. A great 3 week holiday in the Charente area of France this summer celebrating my wife’s recovery from her kidney transplant. It was a great antidote to the terrible consequences of Brexit! It was lovely to see our French friends again and spend time relaxing with lots of fresh air.

61. Ibiza for my Partner’s 50th was amazing, we somehow got invited to one of the famous opening partied at Pikes <3

62. A Ruby wedding anniversary trip , island hopping in the Seychelles , a real once in a lifetime trip.

63. Staying in Suffolk for an Indian summer week in September. Several days in Southwold and two trips to the wonderful Beccles Lido.

64. Cracking prize!

65. We returned to Falmouth in Cornwall, what a great place, not been for quite a few years. Some great walks.

66. The best holiday this year ( 2023 ) was to southern Ireland with my husband. We were part of a coach trip with wonderful accommodation, food and company and with lovely trips out each day to see the gorgeous countryside and places to visit.

67. Costa Rica. Is truly a paradise. Pura Vida as they will say.

68. Fantastic cruise around the Caribbean in February with Princess cruises. Very well looked after.

69. August 2023 to Arles in the South of France for what I discovered is an annual international photography exhibition Les Rencontres de la Photographie. Famously connected with Van Gogh and Gaugin, the town centre with its small amphitheatre is stunning and the narrowness of the streets curbs most traffic, making it easy to walk around and visit the many many exhibitions housed in local municipal gardens, churches, factories and art galleries. Excellent restaurants and the well designed app for the photography programme make it easy to plan a comprehensive culture trip with the full access ticket for the whole exhibition programme being exceptional value. This is a real hidden gem for anyone who wants a shorter beak (3 or 4 days) that leans heavily on the arts and culture (and good food).

70. Actually volunteering an a wonderful animal charity in Luxor. Caring for the animals and meeting fabulous people along with a bit of sightseeing – just perfect.

71. Visiting Dunster Castle water mill and surrounding villages. The area was absolutely magical. It took our breath away.

72. Our one and only holiday this year was to Rethymnon on Crete – lovely town , less crowded than Chania. Plenty of excellent restaurants to choose from.

73. My best holiday in 2023 was a whole family stay in the Lake District – 13 of us ranged in age from 3-71!

74. My best holiday this year was 5 days in a static caravan at Bellochantuy on the Mull of Kintyre in late September. Weather was not the best but the air was bracing and pure. The adjacent Hotel was superb.

75. Side in Turkey was my holiday of choice, good value and great place to explore.

76. Spent a wonderful week with my hubby of 35 years for our Anniversary, in our newly acquired second hand Motorhome exploring and staying in Ardnamurchan peninsula in West of Scotland. Absolutely fantastic. Stunning scenery, wildlife, geology, history, lovely people, amazing food, even lucky with beautiful weather! Downside, not long enough!

77. I went on a Fred Olsen cruise to Iceland and Greenland which was just magic. The scenery was unbelievably beautiful especialy sailing tnrough Prins Christian Sund . we saw lots of whales and even spotted a sea eagle Fred Olsen cruises are always good, I only ever cruise with them, but this was something really

78. Cunard cruise on the majestic Queen Mary from Southampton to Sydney. 60 days originally seemed a very long time but would happily do another long one again. A truly relaxing experience with no need to rush to do or eat anything as if we missed something we had another few weeks to do it. Some amazing lecturers/speakers and varied entertainment. Sydney wonderful and the ship is moored between the opera house and bridge which must make it one of the best Berths anywhere.

79. I had a wonderful holiday in the USA this year, stayed with my Son and family in Oregon for 2 weeks, then we all flew to Chicago for my oldest grand daughters Wedding, my oldest Son flew over for the weekend, so we were all together, lots of good memories.

80. Best holiday was a cruise through the Panama Canal in February. What an amazing trip and a fantastic informative commentary as we transited the canal.

81. Here now in Fuerteventura. Sun, perfect location and perfect apartment. Absolutely no complaints at all. Never been able to say
    that before. Guess I’ve found what I was looking for. Now to find a way to keep hold of it 😊

82. I think the best holiday of 2023 for me has to be the tour of South America getting to visit such places as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, The Falkland Isles but especially Mach Pichu.

83. Just returned from South Africa. Such a beautiful country. We went to the Western Cape – wineries, wildlife and wide open spaces. Recommended.

84. Best holiday was to Lapland to enjoy the Christmas fun and lovely snow. Great for skiing and tobogganing. Also met the real Father Christmas !!!

85. My partner is a stroke survivor and a wheelchair user. This year we tried out different cruise holidays to decide which was the best for us. Fred Olsen came out tops. We sailed from the Tyne. So close to home, much easier than a long long drive down South. The staff were very helpful getting Michael off and on the ship. Everyone on board were friendly and helpful. We booked to travel with them again.

86. Had a few holidays in 2023 but the most surprising one was Northern Ireland. Belfast was gritty but very interesting to understand British/ Irish history better. The Antrim coast is simply stunning. Landscapes are gorgeous and really worth visiting. Overall, highly recommend a trip to NI.

87. My best UK break 2023 was a coach tour to the Isle Of Man. Its somewhere Id wanted to visit for a long time and we had a great time seeing the many sights and beautiful scenery. So lucky with the weather we got to the beaches too.

88. A trip to Ullapool, amazing landscapes and stays light forever in the summer!

89. This would be a marvellous treat to beat the January blues.

90. Trip to Turkey, great food and views

91. In November I had a fabulous 80th birthday treat visiting The Galapagos Islands on a Hurtigruten Adventure Cruise. It has been on my “bucket list” since I was 13. Well worth waiting for. I saw all iconic animals and birds, even a little penguin. With friendly and helpful staff and tour guides and very friendly cruisers, I couldn’t have had a better holiday.

92. After 20 years of trying to persuade my husband to come to Egypt with me, he finally agreed and we visited in January. I worked there for over 30 years, and it was a joy to share all my favourite experiences with him. We took a Nile cruise and a hot air balloon trip over the Valley of the Kings, and in Cairo we rented a 1920s houseboat on the Nile. We dined beside the Pyramids and in the bazaar, listened to classical Arabic music at the Opera House and watched Sufi dancing in a medieval caravanserai. Best of all was the amazing hospitality we received from my old friends and colleagues. I don’t think he’ll be so hard to convince next time!

93. My only holiday in 2023 was a small group (11 people) safari in Kenya and Tanzania – countries I hadn’t visited for over 50 years when I worked in Uganda. Good weather, plenty of wildlife, LOTS of tourists compared to the early 1970s! My favourite part was a few days in Zanzibar where we learned a lot about the slave trade that didn’t cease until 1873, though was not abolished in East Africa until 1909. We visited the cramped underground cells where the slaves had been kept in chains. Above them now is a Christian Cathedral, with a magnificent spire. Just along the road is a similarly imposing Mosque. A few days on the beach rounded off a fascinating trip. My former partner would have loved the wildlife, but I’m still coming to terms with losing her suddenly over six years ago now.

94. My best holiday in 2023 has got to be the tour of Costa Rica. This is a trip that should have taken place in 2020 but was deferred several times due to covid.

    Costa Rica is a beautiful country with lovely people. I was travelling solo but as part of a guided tour. I met some wonderful people on the tour and made new friends to do adventurous things with.

    Bring on 2024 and more adventures.

95. Tour of Tuscany, great guide, fascinating sights, and food. Friendly helpful people

96. Best holiday in 2023 was an independent campervan and cycling trip to France, travelling down the eastern side through the Alps and culminating in a cycle ride up the iconic Mont Ventoux in Provence.

97. Best holiday this year was our annual week away at Butlins in Minehead. Our grandsons loved it.

98. Our best holiday in 2023 was a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam

99. We visited North Cornwall this summer and it was beautiful. Many days out to Tintagel, Port Isaac, Bodmin Moor and so many more lovely places.

100. We had a lovely 17 days in Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice and Lake Garda. The scenery, sights, weather, food and drink were all fabulous.

101. 2023.
     The Year of No Holidays At All.
     The Husband had actually “bought” extra Holiday Days from work this year, as we hoped to get a lot of long weekends and midweek breaks slotted in here and there.
     However all our plans were parked.
     My 96 year old Dad had a bad year health-wise, and eventually moved into a care home.
     To pay his fees, we had to prepare his house for sale.
     So long weekends were spent clearing out his house. The Husband’s extra Holiday Days were spent there, stripping wallpaper and repainting the walls and ceilings.
     As the year comes to an end, we’ve accepted an offer on the house, and hopefully the sale will be finalised early in 2024.
     So we are hoping that 2024 will be the year that 2023 should have been, The Husband will be “buying” extra Holiday Days (again!), and maybe the money we saved by not going away this year will mean a little extra for upgrades and luxuries this year!

102. Turkey for the first time post 2020 was amazing.

103. A few frosty days in Edinburgh with a beautiful blue sky. Magical.

104. This year was our best ever holiday – on Corfu. Totally chilled thanks to lovely people, great weather, and of course beautiful beaches. Great for all generations.

105. Motorhome travelling in Scotland with hubby and doggy and with no agenda at all.

106. Rome is just the place to immerse yourself in history

107. My sons wedding in The South West of France was the standout holiday of 2024

108. Stuck on a surgical waiting list for the moment, but I was fortunate enough to have a sister living in the Far East for many years, and visited her in Hong Kong and Thailand.
     Inspired by the extraordinary images from Singapore during the Earthshot awards last month, that is my dream destination when I am sorted out!

109. All these holiday s sound fabulous just had a really great week in Majorca excellent

110. We had a fantastic all inclusive holiday in Crete. The hotel was out of this world with 8 fantastic al la carte restaurants. Toured the island which is very beautiful. We will definitely go back.

111. Best trip of2023 was a November trip to Jordan. Booked before the troubles and it was absolutely wonderful. Petra and the Dead Sea were highlights and to visit without tourists was unbelievable Every hotel we stayed at were telling us how many cancellations they have had and we were so sorry for them as there is no trouble there only a fantastic welcome

112. Our holiday of a lifetime to South America (part land/part cruise) including Iguazu Falls which were amazing.

113. Although I was lucky enough to have several holidays in 2023 the best one was a coach tour to Scotland. I went with a small group of friends from the U3A to Fort William. It was in early April with a real mixture of weather – Snow one day followed by bright sunshine the next! The journey to Scotland from Nottingham was long but seemed to fly by although the return trip was the best as we could see the wonderful scenery! The hotel is a few miles out of Fort William situated on the shores of Loch Linnhe but there is a reasonable bus service into the town. I did set off to walk there but soon turned back when I realised it was a step too far!
     We had trips to Loch Ness, Inverness, Oban and the Isle of Skye but the highlight was a ride on the Jacobite train to Mallaig. The views were breathtaking!
     A group holiday is nearly always fun as we all meet to eat together at night and chat or play games.

114. My best holiday of2023 was to the Isle of Wight. Not able to travel abroad for the moment due to a medical condition my wife and I chose “Vectis” as we had never visited before. The island is quite charming and friendly with lots of things to do and places to see. A highlight for me was a trip on the island’s railway system which uses refurbished London underground carriages! Also of great interest was Carisbrooke Castle, a huge rambling place. An ancient building there has the room where Charles 11 got stuck in the window bars when he tried to escape to freedom. It is not for nothing that Wight garnered the top slot in a recent travel award ceremony.

115. We had a nice visit to the Amsterdam. For such a small country, there is so much culture to explore, from the world renowned art and historical museums to an impressive collection of fine art. Amsterdam is called the “Venice of the North” and with all the canals, cafes and various neighbourhoods, it does live up to this reputation.

116. New Zealand, south island first while the north island had floods. Then up to north and magnificent weather. We timed that perfectly.

117. We had a nice visit to the Netherlands. For such a small country, there is so much culture to explore, from the world renowned art and historical museums to an impressive collection of fine art. Amsterdam is called the “Venice of the North” and with all the canals, cafes and various neighbourhoods, it does live up to this reputation.

118. A trip to Cockermouth and Keswick in November. We had a one of those glorious crisp autumn days with clear blue skies, a perfect background for the purple and brown velvet hills and gold and russet autumn leaves. We had an excellent meal at one of our favourite Turkish restaurants and our usual cheese and onion pie and chips in Keswick. We at least walked off some of the calories.

119. My husband and I went to York for the first time this year, we stayed in a cottage, just a 10 walk from the city centre. We visited the Jvork Viking Centre, the Christmas market, thoroughly enjoyed a festive afternoon tea, at the stunning Grand Hotel and did the Original Ghost walk. There is still so much we missed, so are planning to return next year. By the way, the German Christmas shop is a must visit.

120. 4 days in the snow in Krakow. Had a great time including the Christmas market/

121. Kefalonia, walking and just taking it easy. Yamas.

122. I had a few holidays with friends in 2023 with Wroclaw in Poland and Dalyan in Turkey being the pick of the destinations.

123. Just back from 5 glorious weeks away. A two week tour of both islands in New Zealand, then 2 weeks with my son in Auckland; I was on my way there in March 2020……got as far as Bangkok, and New Zealand closed the border the following day, so I had to come home (very tearfully). I hadn’t seen my son for over 4 years, during which time he had found himself a lovely wife. New Zealand has the most spectacular scenery in both South and North Island (very different but equally magnificent), and such a great tour of the highlights of that lovely country combined with an emotional reunion just made my year! Plus a stopover in Singapore on the way back home with a free upgrade to Business Class – the icing on the cake to a wonderful holiday. Hopefully now an annual event (the holiday, not the Business Class though I can always hope)!

124. Best part of the end of the year is organising holidays for the coming year and beyond!

125. I visited Egypt on a small group tour with Explore and a fun and knowledgeable local guide Mo … wow what a country. The culture, the fabulous hotels, the people and the food were just amazing and together with the November climate what a great start to the British winter!
     Highly recommended

126. A Princess cruise to Norway with my eldest son and his family. A wonderful experience which created many memories.

127. My best holiday this year was a Mediterranean Cruise with P & O. I need to be waited on like that more often!

128. We travelled to Iran with my husband. Had a splendid holiday. From Tehran we drove to Esfahan and Shiraz. Got some lovely jewellery from the turquoise mines and recipes of Fesenjoon, Ghormeh Sabzi, Saffron rice with Tahdig that I’m cooking since. Always felt safe and whole-heartedly welcomed.

129. My best holiday this year was in April to Dalaman in Turkey. I went with 3 friends for a week. One day I took the ferry across the river and spent the day in a rural idyll.. I walked for miles amidst Pomegranate trees and chestnut forests. The beauty was breath taking and deeply healing.

130. I went to Barcelona with my family and visited all the iconic landmarks, it was great.

131. I have had several short breaks to visit family & friends and what a joy that has been after the years of restrictions because of Covid.

132. Finland is amazing in both summer and winter, but I especially like the winter as it is simply beautiful. Saunas and hots tubs in snowy surrounds is just the ticket 🙂

133. We had a lovely two week stay in Tavira at the eastern end of the Algarve – much more laid back & less touristy than many other parts of the coast and great trains and buses to get around. Tavira is a charming town and Faro, Loule and several seaside places were within easy reach. Just a few stops down the rail line is Fuseta where there is a superb brewery (only open weekend evenings) two minutes from the Fuseta A station

     Highly recommended!

134. The NW of Argentina – simply stunning landscapes

135. CMF. Fantastic rambling holiday in the yorkshire dales great guide . Travelled with Grand Uk coach holidays sadly not in the 2024 brouchure . WHY NOT … ? when every body had such a fantastic time.

136. Staying in an Airbnb in Devon with my family and our dogs (including a recent rescue on his first holiday!). Despite the weather we had an amazing time

137. Great weekend back in June to see Andri Rieu in concert In Liverpool what a fantastic entertainer such a talent

138. Antwerp – difficult to beat the great bars, beer, and architecture.

139. We took our grandson aged 5 and our daughter to Disneyland in Florida in October 2023. Seeing Disney through the eyes of a 5yr old was just magical. Nothing beats his excitement when he saw Mickey Mouse in the parade nor his delight that Chip – or was it Dale, high fived him!

140. My best holiday was this year as i took my teenage children to New York in the summer, we did all of things on our bucket list, saw all the amazing sites and even went on a helicopter ride it was fantastic

141. Lovely holiday to Cala Bona, the hotel was really lovely with lots to do during the day and night. Food was great (even managed to put a few pounds on – tried not to but failed miserably) Staff were very helpful. A great time was had by my wife and myself.

142. Best holiday this year was in Rhodes and the highlight was visiting the beautiful walled old Rhodes town.

143. I didn’t go on holiday in 2023 due to bereavement but I’m hoping to get away on holiday soon!

144. Fingers crossed i am lucky enough to win this fab prize

145. Belfast – weekend trip, EasyJet to travel, then visiting the Peace wall during a very informative city bus trip. Stopped mid trip for pint of Guinness and later a very enjoyable visit to a gin distillery and a later trip to the Titanic Museum which was enjoyable but emotional.

146. Our best holiday was Australia and New Zealand. So much to see and do. Looking forward to our next adventure. Xx

147. Discovered Montenegro this year really worth visiting.

148. I’ve been to South Africa this autumn and what a wonderful time I’ve had. From Zimbabwe which was fabulous with the river trips, to beautiful Botswana with safaris and more river trips. Loved seeing all the elephants, crocodiles, giraffes, hippos, lions and many more. Such a relaxing place to visit. From here life sped up as I went to Cape Town. Visits to vineyards, Robben Island and Good Hope to name but a few. A fantastic trip.

149. I recently had a great trip to Greece. 4 days in Athens seeing the sights and then ferry trips to Paris and Naxos for 4 days on each island.

150. Kefalonia, Greece set out the red carpet and a really magic holiday had by all.

151. A few days to Norfolk with friends in August where I was able to scatter my husband’s ashes.

152. My best holiday was actually going to Plymouth and discovering all that the county of Devon has to offer.

153. Sadly we didn’t get a proper holiday this year as we were on extended grandparent duties due to a close family member having a serious illness, thankfully fully recovered.

     However, we have been fortunate to have several lovely holidays in the past. My favourite must be the safari to Kenya to celebrate a joint 40th a few years back. Ok, many years back! It was magnificent, seeing nature and the wildlife up close and personal, when you would normally only see it on an Attenborough programme.
     The most incredible and long lasting memories for me, however, were (i) sat in a campsite kitchen with a few other Brits and local kitchen staff, watching England play in the World Cup on TV, and (ii) walking around the campsite early one morning and seeing Mount Kenya above the jungle and plains on the horizon. I felt quite humble and fortunate and recall thinking that I was so lucky, as a west London boy, to be there and having that experience. Those memories will live with me forever.

154. I visited Lake Tahoe in Nevada and California, massive lake , lots of mountains , pine forest, great place, oh did i mention lots of hungry bears visit some of the towns. Brilliant!

155. costa rica tour. fabulous wildlife, scenery and people.

156. I would love to get on the plane for a day visit to the USA

157. We had a great trip to Mexico this year, Riviera Maya. We have been previously, but this time our son was able to swim with dolphins for the very first time, and we got some great photographs of this.

158. Just back from Malta- what history, what people. Went with my husband and my 19 year old son, but plenty to interest all of us – from neolithic times to WW2.

159. My best and only holiday in 2023 was a cruise to Norway. A bit hairy in a force 10 gale coming back but
     a bit of excitement added to a great holiday.

160. Greenland. Stunning scenery. Glaciers, icebergs and amazing wildlife.

161. My best holiday in 2023 was a trip to Antarctica with G Adventures. It was quite a small boat so there was a great atmosphere and although the Drakes Passage part of the voyage was really hairy, it was an incredible trip. The sights of whales, seals and penguins (so many penguins!) was stunning and climbing up the snowy hillsides to look at the penguin nest’s was really a once in a lifetime moment. I have been lucky in my life and have had a lot of a “once in a life time” holidays but this one was absolutely stunning!

162. my best holiday this year was a week in November in Lanzarote, it was a last minute one with my husband, sister in law and brother in law. the weather was fab as was the appartment

163. North Yorkshire was wonderful in June. My friend and I walked, visited small town and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Brimham rocks were fascinating, as was Ilkley moor.

164. Seabourn cruise from Lisbon to Barbados last month !

165. My friend Debbie and I signed up early in 2023 for the Riviera Travel Christmas Market river cruise from Budapest on December 7. We eagerly anticipated this trip all year long. The cruise exceeded our every expectation. We were met at the airport in Budapest and guided to our bus to the boat, the William Wordsworth, on the Danube, just a short stroll to the Christmas Markets. The other ports were Bratislava and Vienna, each offering a unique perspective of their countries’ Christmas traditions. The services aboard the longboat were superb. Theresa from Silver Travel left an introductory letter in my mailbox. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet her. Going forward, we’re looking forward to our next Christmas adventure with Silver Traveler.

166. I had a wonderful holiday on Dartmoor. We stayed in a self catering property right on the edge of Dartmoor. It was ideal for us and the dogs. We were not far from Tavistock which is a lovely town with some independent shops offering lots of local goodies. Of course there are the wonderful Devon Cream teas which have to be sampled as do the gorgeous local pasties. The walking helped to work off all the great food.
     I would say it is an ideal spot to do your own thing with friendly people and lots to do if you want to.

167. Our best trip this year was St Lucia – perfectly relaxing holiday with the friendliest of people

168. A week in Pembrokeshire exploring the stunning beaches with an aunt and uncle. We were based in St. David’s which is a beautiful little town with city status thanks to the magnificent cathedral. We took their dogs with us and they thought they were in heaven – a different beach each day on which to play ball. The people were lovely and the dogs were welcomed everywhere. The weather cooperated which made walking on the coast path less dangerous.

169. 28 day tour throughout INDIA with Mercury . Wonderful experiences .

170. To mark a milestone birthday this year, my husband and I went travelling around the world for nine weeks…started with a cruise up the Mekong with Emerald, then five nights in Bali before flying onto the east coast of Australia for a cruise to Tasmania, then onto Auckland for a cruise down the east cost of New Zealand. Then on to Fiji for five nights, and and a flight to Honolulu for a cruise around the islands of Hawaii. From there we flew to Los Angeles and then back to the UK. We made many happy memories that will live on with us for a long time!

171. trip to Armenia. Capital Yerevan and surrounding regions. Very historic and friendly people there.

172. Armenia – beautiful in October. Yerevan a vibrant capital.

173. Our best event of 2023…..
     was to move home….
     so we never had a holiday…

174. Jordan – a better experience than I could ever have imagined! Beautiful country full of amazing historical sites. Petra exceeded my expectations but Mount Nebo was also a spectacular attraction. I am so fortunate to have visited this beautiful country before the current troubles. Would return there without hesitation in the future.

175. We had an AMAZING Coronation Cruise on board QUEEN MARY 2 in May this year. A wonderful trip to Liverpool. Lots of wonderful memories.

176. ‘Heaven in Devon.’ A short holiday at Hope Cove with a picturesque bedroom window sea view, delicious food and and walking along windy little roads with thatched cottages enjoying the natural cultural beauty.

177. We went to Sark for the last time this spring – we love the island and its people, but are getting too old and wobbly to get around it any more.

178. Oman with my husband in September – perfect weather – wonderful hotel – total relaxation

179. First holiday abroad since covid,daughter took us to Ibiza which would not be my choice of a destination.What a nice surprise lovely hotel,good food,good time.

Comments are closed.