Get to know our amazing team!

In celebration of gaining our B Corp certification, we would like to give you a peek behind the scenes and introduce our amazing team! This is our introduction series of our team members.

This week we would love to introduce our Business Development Manager, Matt.

When Matt is traveling he wants to be on his feet (or in the water) and he loves to explore new and exciting destinations.

In our interview with Matt, he shared his insights and wisdom about everything travel related. Read further to get to know more about Matt!

What kind of traveller are you?

I want to be on my feet (or in the water) and explore a new and exciting destination.

What is your favourite destination? why?

Galicia, Spain - unspoilt countryside, epic Caribbean-esque beaches, enchanting forests and the Galicians are vibrant people.

What do you wish people knew about your favourite destination?

Portugal = Port-u-gal = Port of Galicia. This part of the Iberian coast has historical significance in the development of Spain and Portugal, its Celtic past can be seen throughout its glorious countryside, it's one of the most underrated surf spots in Europe and it’s renowned for its formidable seafood.

You can learn more about Galicia and our experiences here!

What are your top 3 responsible travel tips? *

1. Always take hard currency (money that you can use immediately) -  you might be surprised by the lack of card machines at your destination. 

2. Try to make at least one restaurant reservation - a bit of pre-departure research will indicate some of the best restaurants at your destination...the last thing you want is to arrive in a huge queue!

3. Check out the Travel Matters Campaign to Make Travel Matter 'Travel Tips'.

How do you Make Travel Matter while overseas?

I think the most important aspect of holidaying in a destination is to integrate! Explore the local area and invest in local businesses...you will discover a host of new experiences.

What do you want to see in the future in the travel industry?

More government-subsidised green transport options - for instance, 'Renfe' (a Spanish national passenger railway company) have offered free & heavily subsidised options on 'select multi-journey tickets' during 2022 & 2023...the perfect way to explore Spain in a responsible manner (for the environment and your wallet).

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring with you?

The Azores - my travel sidekick

Anything else you would like to add?

The Travel Industry is dependent on you, the traveller. As a Travel Company, we take pride in promoting trusted businesses that will ensure an unforgettable stay. We need you to support millions of lives.

Psst. Look out for our next posts as we introduce other members of the team!

We have become B Corp certified!

In celebration of gaining our B Corp certification, we would like to give you a peek behind the scenes and introduce our amazing team! This is our introduction series of our team members.

This week we would love to introduce our Founder and CEO Karen Simmonds! She is an adventurer, who loves to discover new places and when founding Travel Matters she knew she wanted to produce bespoke travels, that help communities and clients experience the true wealth of responsible tourism.

In our interview with Karen, she shared her insights and wisdom about everything travel related. Read further to get to know more about Karen!

What kind of traveller are you?

I am an adventurer.

What is your favourite destination? why?

Tricky as I love discovering new places...hmm Scotland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Costa Rica. I enjoy getting out in nature and exploring the great outdoors.

What do you wish people knew about your favourite destination?

There are many inside tips I can share as having travelled to so many destinations over the world (over 80+ countries) I feel my knowledge is really valuable to anyone visiting for the first time.

What are your top 3 responsible travel tips?

1. Travel light.

2. Respect people & be kind. 

3. You are a visitor in a host community, learn some basics in the language of the country you visit.

How do you Make Travel Matter while overseas?

I like to treat people with respect. I like to ensure as much of my money is helping with their economy, dining out, supporting local businesses, and learning about the culture. I am careful to use as little energy whilst I stay in the properties, mindful of water consumption, electricity, and food waste. 

What do you want to see in the future in the travel industry?

I want all travel businesses to play their part in ensuring that we protect the planet and respect the people on it. I want an industry where we help one another to understand the importance of travelling responsibly for a sustainable future. That is why I set up the Make Travel Matter campaign and we are a B Corp business.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring with you?

For my next trip, I'd love to visit Ecuador, Galapagos or Argentina with either my husband or a great friend.

Psst. Look out for our next posts as we introduce other members of the team!

Travel Matters & Catherine explore Oman

If bling is not your thing and you’d like to try something different to the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean, then Oman may be just the ticket. With its low-rise buildings, architecture that blends into the natural surroundings and peaceful way of life, Oman offers an experience like no other.

On arriving at Muscat International Airport we were greeted by the warm smile of Azad - our driver and guide for the next few days. Knowing that you are in the safe hands of a reliable driver who is there to greet you at the airport is always a good start to a holiday if you ask me! I travelled with my partner and our 4 year old daughter (car seats are a legal requirement up to and including the age of 3 so make sure you take one with you or ask us and we can request this for you). 

Azad with Jasmine (she’s still talking about him!)

Despite the endless amount of experiences available to those with a sense of adventure, we opted to spend the first week taking some much needed time for R&R at the Shangri-La Al Barr Jissah. As we walked into the entrance we were met with the unmistakable fragrance synonymous with Oman – Frankincense.

During our stay in Muscat we visited the Sultan Qaboos Mosque – with its nine ton Swarovski crystal chandelier, it's a truly breath-taking piece of architecture and a must see for anyone visiting Muscat. Make sure to visit before 11am Saturday-Thursday, after 11am and Fridays are reserved for Muslim worshippers.

Sultan Qaboos Mosque

For culture vultures, there’s the state-of-the-art Royal Opera house featuring world-renowned artists throughout the year with prices that are surprisingly reasonable.  

After a week with the family in Muscat, I bid them farewell as I stayed on for a further week to explore more of what Oman has to offer. Here’s a taste of what you can expect to experience. 

A Night in the Desert

A few hours outside of Oman’s capital city, Muscat, you can drive off in to the desert, literally. If you’re comfortable driving through sand it’s possible to self-drive, personally I very much enjoyed the ride in the hands of a seasoned pro at the wheel. At first it doesn’t look like much, just dusty plains and a few ramshackle outposts, but soon enough you’re driving through vast swathes of undulating sand dunes. Then the real fun begins (if you’re up for it) with the roller coaster ride of ‘dune bashing’. For those of you that don’t know – dune bashing is driving at speed over the dunes – my piece of advice ‘KEEP YOUR WINDOWS CLOSED’! It may seem obvious but in the excitement of it all and wanting to capture it on camera, I’d opened the window – next thing I know I have a face full of sand and I’m still finding bits in my hair days later! It was great fun though and well worth it! 

On arriving at the Thousand Nights Camp, we were greeted with fresh juice and of course dates and Omani coffee (an acquired taste). Set deep into the dunes, I was surprised to see a swimming pool and full-blown restaurant, let alone power sockets and air conditioning – there's even WI-FI (granted it’s only accessible in the main reception area, perfect if you want an excuse to disconnect). Accommodation is in Bedouin style woven tents, all equipped with proper beds, AC, power sockets and private shower bathrooms. 

The highlights for me went from high-octane fun bouncing around the dunes in a jeep and the more peaceful experience of trekking up the sand dunes in the moonlight and lying under the stars. 

A Night in the Mountains

As soon as you walk through the doors of Anantara Jabal Akhtar you are transported to an oasis of calm with the most magnificent views of the Jabal Akhtar canyon. Anantara properties are famed for the tranquil surrounds and spa facilities, so you can rest assured that a stay here will leave you feeling restored... and in my case rejuvenated. For those of you with a sense of adventure and nerve, then the Via Ferrata experience is not to be missed. On meeting Hassan, my mind was at rest knowing that I was in the capable hands of an expert. We got kitted up and ventured out to the edge of the canyon where I began my adventure – traversing rocks over hundreds of feet, zip lining across gorges and ending the experience by crossing the middle-east's highest steel bridge just as the sun was setting – magical! It was an experience I’ll treasure forever, helped along by photos and videos captured by my expert guide along the way – thank you Hassan!

A Night on the Musandam Coast

To the northern tip of Oman is the beautiful Musandam Coast that bridges the Oman Sea and the Arabian Gulf. A stay at the Atana Khasab perched on a clifftop looking out to sea. A sunset cruise in a traditional dhow boat with a 400 step hike to the cross roads of the Oman Sea and the Arabian Gulf, the experience was nicely topped off by a swim in the azure waters of the Oman Sea.

We stayed at Atana Khasab, a simple boutique property perched on a low cliff overlooking the ocean, which was the ideal way to end a special trip!

To learn more about Oman, its holiday experiences or to talk to Catherine, please feel free to make an enquiry today.

(Catherine, a Travel Matters Travel Consultant, travelled to Oman in April 2023)

Travel Matters is always searching for new ways to reduce its carbon footprint and seek day-to-day sustainable alternatives, mainly through our Travel Matters Campaign to Make Travel Matter. Years ago we were inspired by Dale Vince and his business ‘Ecotricity Ltd’. Today, Ecotricity specialise in selling Green Energy to consumers that it primarily generates from its 87.2 megawatt wind power portfolio. In recent years we have been encouraged by their production of Green Energy from the Sun, particularly their Sun Parks in Leicestershire and Devon that use the latest bifacial solar panel technology.

Photo Credit, Markus Spiske

Upon further investigation we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Morocco is becoming a key global player due to its world-leading solar arrays. Did you know that Morocco has the world's largest concentrated solar power plant? The ‘Ouarzazate Solar Power Station’ is a huge 3,000 hectare solar farm that has been cleverly positioned at the gateway to the Sahara Desert, which enables it to produce 580 megawatts – thus, saving the planet from over 760,000 tonnes of carbon emissions! The irony, however, is that the countries who are most vulnerable to climate change and whose carbon emissions are tiny compared to industrialised nations, are leading the way as sustainability heroes! Morocco faces tough environmental challenges, like; scorching heat, soaring temperatures, droughts, coastal flooding and increasing food and water scarcity. However, all of this has not stopped Morocco, who now proudly produces renewables that make up almost two-fifths of its electricity capacity. Due to their impressive achievements to decarbonise, Morocco has seen overseas investment from the likes of ‘Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project’, which endeavour to deliver 8% of Britain’s electricity supplies. This will be achieved with a 3,800km cable that links Morocco with the United Kingdom and will be able to supply power for around 7 million homes by 2030.

Photo Credit, Antonio Garcia

Morocco’s commitment to sourcing alternates forms of energy was further rewarded in 2016, when the country became a host nation for ‘Formula E’. Since then, Marrakesh ePrix’s circuit, the ‘International Automobile Moulay El Hassan’, has been featured four more times in a ‘Formula E’ season.

Photo Credit, Fabrizio Russo

What does a ‘Formula E’ and electric cars have to do with Travel Matters Campaign to Make Travel Matter? Well, Travel Matters doesn’t have a particular interest in ‘Formula E’, but we are pleased to see more environmentally conscious variations on ‘Formula 1’. We have been championing the use of EV’s (Electric Vehicles) for a long time now – ‘Why Electric Vehicles (EVs) are here to stay’ and our collaboration with ‘Rolzo Ltd.’. In April 2023, Karen (our CEO & Founder) was contacted by Khalid Dahbi; a Chef, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur. Mr. Dahbi invited Karen & Travel Matters to be part of his ‘Kingdom to Kingdom Rally 2023’ – the first green rally of its kind, with the purpose of highlighting the necessity for EVs and for the use of green energy vehicles. The rally starts in London, with its finish line being in Morocco’s Red City, Marrakech (29th May to 3rd June 2023).

What Travel Matters wants to achieve is to highlight how electric vehicles can shape a greener future, as well as support Mr. Dahbi’s chosen charities, which he will be raising funds for during the rally. These include:

• ‘Association Dar Al Atfal Al Ouafae’ - for the mentally struggling, homeless children and youth as well as women in difficult circumstances

• ‘Ben Guerir Fondation Orient-Occident’ -its mission is to come towards the difficulties of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and to promote employability by setting up socio-educational and professional training structures throughout Morocco.

• ‘Marrakech- Alms of Africa’- charitable food distribution for poverty-stricken people in Marrakech.

• ‘Rabat Association Malaika’ - for children with Down syndrome in Rabat.

Photo Credit, Association Dar Al Atfal Al Ouafae

Photo Credit, Marrakech-Alms of Africa

Photo Credit, Ben Guerir Fondation Orient-Occident

As well as Karen, ‘The Kingdom to Kingdom Rally 2023’ has some of the following prominent figures supporting Mr. Dahbi; French Montana (Rapper & Musician), Graeme Souness (Former Professional Footballer & Manager), Kelly Brook (Media Personality), Lizzie Cundy (Philanthropist), Paul G. Andrews (Producer & Writer), Rhonda Parouty (President of ‘Empowering a Billion Women’), Roo Irvine (BBC Presenter) and many more…

We kindly ask that you take some time to learn a little more about ‘The Kingdom to Kingdom Rally 2023’ & Mr. Dahbi and consider making a charitable donation to his Just Giving fundraising page.

Photo Credit, Khalid Dahbi

Sri Lanka, the 'tear-drop' isle in the Indian Ocean is back on the map. The country has stabilised after its recent upheaval and there are no longer issues with food and fuel supplies.  After a few challenging years, Sri Lanka is very much open again for tourism but without the crowds and offers excellent value for money. I spent 3 weeks exploring the island this February combining Indian Ocean beach chilling with culture and wildlife.   These are a few of my favourite places to stay.

JETWING LAKE DAMBULLA

Jetwing Hotels has a collection of 31 distinctive hotels and villas spread across Sri Lanka with Jetwing Lake Dambulla being an excellent base to explore the Cultural Triangle. This region in the north-central plains of Sri Lanka was known as Rajarata (Land of Kings) but is now called the Cultural Triangle.  It encompasses the relics of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Anuradhapura, the later capital of Polonnaruwa and the revered cave temples of Dambulla.  Today the caves form the largest and best-preserved temple complex of their kind in Sri Lanka.  Surrounded by history and nature, Jetwing Lake blends contemporary, stylish design with a tremendous commitment to sustainability and the environment. Jetwing Hotels' Sustainability Strategy is adopted and actively practiced at all Jetwing properties. The strategy focuses on six key areas; energy and carbon, water & waste, biodiversity, community & culture, family and sourcing & production. There's a very useful Green Directory in every room explaining the six key areas and the way in which Jetwing Hotels embraces them including solar panels and biomass boilers, water conservation and wastewater management and the promotion of local culture #maketravelmatter. I possibly put too much focus on a hotel's swimming pool! but Jetwing Lake Dambulla's infinity pool was a definite winner, 93 m long, giving my regular pool Tooting Bec Lido a run for its money and more than enough space to do my lengths, and cool of at the end of a busy day of culture vulturing. Jetwing Lake is also ideally situated for one of Sri Lanka's must do and most iconic sights - Sigiriya Rock. Rising dramatically from the central plains, you'll need to climb a series of vertiginous staircases to reach the top of Sigiriya (Lion Rock) but well worth it, passing some remarkable frescoes and a pair of giant lion's paws carved into the bedrock along the way.

JETWING YALA

Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for a family holiday, with so much to amaze the whole family for such a small island. Top of everyone's wish list will be the chance to go on safari. Yala is Sri Lanka's most famous national park with the highest concentration of leopards in the world and serves as a tropical habit for elephants, sloth bears and deer, all of which can be observed through a pre-arranged safari. Jetwing Yala, right on the beach and at the doorstep of Yala National Park is a chic and modern choice in a beautiful location or for a more authentic safari experience, choose Jetwing Safari Camp. Located smack next door and using the same facilities. I stayed in the main hotel, families will love the groaning buffet with pasta and pizza for those not so keen on Sri Lankas's spicy food, although Sri Lankans cook up a storm both on the streets and in fine dining restaurants and the food was one of my absolute favourite things during my visit. A little aside, I befriended Fiona Shaw who families will know as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series, in the hotel swimming pool, so who knows you might spot along with the incredible wildlife!

JETWING UVA BEN HEAD VILLA

Sri Lanka's beautiful rolling hill country contains almost endless stretches of tea plantations (Sri Lanka is the world's third largest supplier) and a stay in a plantation hotel is an absolute must, to appreciate the ambience and enjoy tranquil walks. I stayed at a new Jetwing property, Jetwing Uva Ben Head Villa on the Uva Ben Head Estate near Welimada, with just two suites and a twin-bedded room. Sri Lankans are known for their hospitality, welcome and smiles. On discussing my trip, the three things that come up the most from others who have visited the island are the food, the scenery and the people. This cynical traveller was blown away by the genuine warmth of the welcome and none more so than at Uva Ben Head Villa. As a new property the staff went out of their way to look after me.  The villa is very private and if you're travelling with friends, I'd recommend taking over the whole villa.

CAMELLIA HILLS - DICKOYA

I loved the cooler climate of the highland tea region and Camellia Hills was a gorgeous boutique property, perched amongst tea bushes, high up on a hill near Hatton. Over-looking mirror still Castlereagh Reservoir which spans three miles of the surrounding valley, the hotel has five upscale rooms, two living rooms, a dining room and open terraces that overlook landscaped gardens and a 10m infinity pool. Most visits to Sri Lanka will involve quite a bit of touring the cultural triangle, Kandy and the hill country and Camellia Hills is an idea spot to recharge afterwards, drinking in the mountain vistas of the picturesque hill country, indulging in some fine dining and meeting your fellow guests. Sri Lanka has many remote villas and boutique style hotels that operate more like a house party as you swap travel experiences, naturally over a cup of tea or drink on the terrace in the evening. At Camellia Hills there was also a chance to partake in a cooking class, a tea factory tour, a tea trails walk, a boat ride on the lake, bird watching from the veranda and what did I do instead, climb 5,500 exhausting steps to the top of Adam's Peak! Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) is about an hour's drive from the property. At over 2000 metres high, the mountain has been a focus of pilgrimage for over 1000 years and is well known for the Sri Pada sacred footprint, a 1.8-metre-long rock formation near the summit.

THE FORT PRINTERS - GALLE

Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best-preserved colonial sea fortress in Asia. The Dutch Fort has fourteen massive bastions, a grid system of streets and is still bustling with life as it did when Galle was the main passenger port. It's everyone's favourite spot to visit with a line-up of little shops selling arts and crafts and cosy cafes, a perfect time-warp for the inquisitive traveller, reminding me a little of two other walled / fortress cities I visited last year, Dubrovnik and Cartagena. I highly recommend you stay within the fort itself, I stayed at Fort Printers smack in the middle and was able to wander at will straight from the hotel and enjoy the sunset from the fortress walls. I was also able to then nip back quickly in the heat of the day to cool off in the hotels charming courtyard pool. A stay at Fort Printers is a step back in history, dating back to the 18th century, the printers building has over the years served as college, later the home of a printing company and has now been restored into an elegant boutique hotel. My room was called "The Headmasters" located on the first floor, overlooking the famed Galle lighthouse with old hard wood floors and exposed antique wood beams. The in-house restaurant is one of the best in Galle.

Photo Credit, Shainee Fernando

CINNAMON LAKESIDE - COLOMBO

Most visits to Sri Lanka will begin and end in the capital Colombo, don't be tempted to simply pass through as the city has plenty going for it, especially if you're there like me for Navam Perahera, one of Sri Lanka's biggest and most flamboyant peraheras (processions). Held on the first full moon in February, the parade starts from Colombo's Gangaramya Temple. The Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, a 5-star resort hotel within the city was my Colombo base. A final word on swimming pools, The Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel has the largest pool in the city, so one happy swimmer. The hotel is also home to Colombo’s iconic and stylish watering hole, ColomBar with fabulous views over Beira Lake and the new brightly lit up Colombo Lotus tower. As one of the trendiest bars in town, ColomBar offers over 116 types of arracks (arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typical to Sri Lanka made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane). It was here that I savoured “Lantharum”, ColomBar’s signature drink made of local arrack in a smooth blend of cinnamon and tea, served in a lantharuma (lantern) shaped unique glass for a truly unique experience and memorable start to my trip. 

If local folklore is to be believed, Sri Lanka was the prototypical holiday destination.  It is alleged that Adam & Even took refuge here after leaving the Garden of Eden, exchanging one paradise for another. The island combines, nature, culture, adventure and wildlife with sun, sea, sand and sensational scenery, what's not to like! Also, unlike many other Asian destinations, Sri Lanka's climate really does make it an all-year-round beach holiday destination.  It's also a place that Karen and Zoe know well, so if you are still craving a winter sun break or a good value family destination for the Easter or Summer holidays don't hesitate to give us a call or to send us an e mail.

To find out more about Sri Lanka, visit the following Link. Petra travelled to Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan Airlines.

(This blog has been written by Petra Shepherd, Travel Matter’s Communication Officer. She visited Sri Lanka in February 2023. Photo Credits by Petra Shepherd.)

Many of you who know me personally will understand that I am obsessed with the healing qualities of water, especially the cold water. Having swum at Tooting Bec lido for the last 14 years throughout the winter months as well as the summer, I am convinced of the healing benefits of cold water. I created retreats by a Scottish Loch so I could share my passion of the water with others. This pastime has opened new doors for me, I have become a swim ambassador and volunteer for Mental Health Swims, I qualified as an open water lifeguard and more importantly I have made some new friendships from the global cold water swimming community.

Karen at the Guinness World Record attempt for under ice swimming in Norway

Amber Fillary is one of those new connections for me. Amber is an individual who too, understands the benefits of the cold water for wellbeing. As a recovered addict and someone who suffered with mental health issues, she is now a motivational speaker who too, wants to share her love for the healing qualities the cold water brings. In autumn 2023, we are partnering together to organise another retreat in Scotland. Amber is also a free diver (don’t try this at home!) and was attempting to break her own Guinness World Record on swimming under ice in a single breathe for over 100 metres. The attempt was in Norway this March.

The river at Kongsberg, Norway

I travelled to Norway to watch her. I flew with Norse Air, a new airline that offers affordable fares on long-haul flights, primarily between Europe and the United States. It has a service to New York from London via Oslo. From Oslo, I headed to Kongsberg by train. There is a train station directly at the airport for ease and an hourly train service to Kongsberg. The town of Kongsberg was very close to being the capital of Norway in the 17th century due to their wealth from the silver they mined. These days, it’s a small town of just over 26,000, lying on the mighty river Numedalslågen.

Amber Fillary by the ice hole, Norway

Amber’s attempted free dive took place just outside of Kongsberg in a lake. With ice holes dug out set 10 metres apart, the ice was over 50 cms in depth. There were scuba divers under the water and judges above as well as below the frozen lake. Sadly, due to a bad infected cut on her knee, which had got worse by the hour with swelling on her shin too, her body was unable to achieve her record attempt. Being under the water for over 3 minutes on a single breath whilst dealing with an infection meant that despite having trained and achieved the distance in the days before, her attempt did not  qualify for the officials. It was disappointing for her. The Guinness World Records are not easy and this extreme sport is dangerous. She is determind to secure her own record and will return to the lake in twelve months to attempt the record again.

After my time in Kongsberg, I returned to Oslo. I had several hours looking around the city by foot. Must see attractions are the harbour, the Akershus Fortress which is a medieval castle built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city, and the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden.

Opera House Oslo, Norway

Oslo has several ski fields around the city. Climbing hills in Norway is a natural thing to do. This seems to apply to a very special building too. The city’s iconic Opera House. You must climb the Opera House roof. Climb for amazing views of the fjord archipelago with small, traditional wooden summer houses. You get a great view of the saunas alongside the waterfront with cold water bathers enjoying a sauna experience with a cold dip in the icy waters of the fjord.

Saunas by the waterfront in Oslo Norway

I caught the 81 bus from Oslo centre to head to my final destination, a hotel that specialises in wellness. The Well is a all singing, all dancing Spa hotel. You can join in the spa rituals for a unique and exciting wellness experience. I participated in the magical sauna rituals, hot and cold baths, and felt the community with others. This can give you a real mood boost and strengthen your body and mind!

 With saunas, hammans, jacuzzis, pools – inside and outside, I could not think of a better place to unwind, to relax and become quite zen- like after the emotional rollercoaster of a weekend. I spent an hour or two dipping in and out of water and heating up my core again in a sauna before chilling off in the cold water. The Well attracts many locals who come to enjoy the spa, however the hotel has hotel rooms for guests wanting to stay overnight. The brasserie serves delicious meals where you can dine in your bath robe – no need to get dressed.  Their Signature rooms have large windows that let in both generous amounts of light, the clean air and the sounds of the forest.

Oslo fjord, Norway

Before you head to Oslo, I recommend downloading the app Ruter on your phone for easy access on the public buses and trams. Norway is a magical country to visit. I didn’t raise my expectations for a sighting of the Northern Lights – best to consider a Northern Lights sighting as an added bonus and not go in search of them. The countryside is naturally so beautiful this time of year– snow laden trees in frozen landscapes. When the sun shone, it is extremely white all around from the snow’s brightness. Don’t forget to pack sunglasses as well as thermals, a hat and gloves.

Karen travelled to Oslo and Kongsberg in Norway to support Amber Fillary – twice Guinness World Record holder for Apnea Swimming.

Exploring Wildlife and Empowering Communities through Tourism: Other National Parks, Amazing Places to Visit and Fabulous Conservation Projects

Important conservation efforts have been achieved everywhere in Rwanda, and Volcanoes National Park (NP) – which is probably the most internationally well known, thanks to its beloved and precious gorillas – is only the tip of the iceberg of what the country is accomplishing in protecting biodiversity and wildlife.

Let me take you around the country to visit all the other national parks, so you can see for yourself that there are plenty of reasons to visit and to support this mission.

Akagera National Park

Founded in 1934 strictly for research purposes, and open to tourism only at the beginning of the 1970s, Akagera NP is currently the largest protected wetland in central Africa and the only savanna region in the country. On the edge of being lost forever after the genocide of 1994, the park today is thriving under African Parks that from 2010, in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), is responsible for the management of the area.

After having successfully eliminated poaching in only five years, 45 lions were introduced from South Africa in 2015. This was followed by the introduction of black rhinos in 2017, while in 2021, 30 white rhinos joined them. Official statistics show that now, wildlife numbers have grown from less than 5,000 in 2010 to almost 12,000.

With these impressive numbers, I feel proud that Akagera was the place that hosted my first African safari. And although I didn’t have the chance to see any lions or rhinos, to my great excitement in the early hours of my first day, on the bank of lake Ihema in the southern part of the park at an altitude of 1,292 metres, I spotted my very first wild elephant.

During the game drive we encountered much wildlife: waterbuck standing as though they were posing for our clicks; many groups of quiet, light-brown impalas; zebras crossing the path of our jeep, almost unaware of our presence and; an entire family of warthogs with their littles ones moving quickly behind to catch up their parents. Moving slightly, on the surface of the water, we saw many pairs of ears belonging to some of the 885 hippos recorded as living in the park by the last census. Because of those numbers, Akagera continues to confirm its reputation as their ‘haven’.

Before leaving the park from the northern gate, after a few hours’ drive, we spotted in the distance a large black spot on the horizon, unrecognisable at first. As we got closer, the other options were dissipating and we soon realised that we were looking at a herd of buffalos, resting on the fresh grass, accompanied by their white companion birds on their back and with many giraffes in the background! Quite an impressive view.

Community Benefits

As we were informed the day before the game drive – by Jean Paul Karinganire, Assistant Tourism & Marketing Manager at the NP – the current goals of the park are to educate 2,000 kids every year and to promote the engagement of the local communities, that reside around its boundaries, in the development of local projects financed directly by tourism –nowadays this amounts to 300,000 individuals. I was indeed pleased to hear that the projects are democratically chosen directly by the communities, according to their needs and priorities, following a long, horizontal decision-making process that happens at the grassroots level every year.

Another important goal of the park, I was told by Jean Paul, is to create new economies and income-generating enterprises, such as beekeeping and fishery.

Thanks to projects like the Gishanda Fish Farm, the country is progressing in the innovation of its aquaculture development, while the surrounding communities are benefitting through new employment opportunities and access to new skills and knowledge. Last but not least, thanks to the increased access to a high-quality source of protein provided at a discounted price, the project will also help to combat local nutritional deficits. 

In Akagera, you can also visit a traditional cultural village, a Community-Based Tourism project managed by Twema Tourism Business Group. Located in Nyankora, this is the last small village you cross before arriving at the southern entrance to the park.

Thanks to projects like Twema’s, tourism becomes a tool for sustainable development by providing alternative employment opportunities to the people of the region, that not only won’t impact the biodiversity, but will also contribute to the cultural conservation and education of responsible tourists.

Cultural performance at Red Rocks, Musanze.

Nyungwe National Park

In the south-western corner of the country, in Africa’s largest protected mountain rainforest lies Nyungwe NP, an area rich in biodiversity and endemic species and the home of 1,068 plant species, 322 bird species, 75 different species of mammals and 13 different types of primate.

It contains different ecosystems, from rainforest to bamboo, grassland, swamps and bog habitats. After the impressive results accomplished in Akagera, in 2020 African Park was invited by the government to start a 20-year mandate to also manage this park. The first actions taken are encouraging and, in fact, in 2021 1,277 hectares of indigenous forest regeneration were assisted through the removal of exotic plants.

I spent hours in this forest, which I deeply loved. I sensed an intense and old energy passing through to me from the huge, ancient plants. I stood in silence next to monumental trees, after looking at flowers and lianas hanging over my head, or enjoying the shapes and bright, moist colours of the mushrooms sprouting from the fallen branches on the path.

I visited the forest three times in three days: the first day was to attempt the 200 m long canopy walk at 70 m above the forest floor; the second day, with the help of our expert ranger and the support of my porter, I went back to follow a couple of not too timid chimpanzees among the trees; and finally, the third time I went back I felt surprised and breathless in front to the Ndambarare Waterfall.

Looking at Nyungwe NP map at the Gisakura Visitor Centre

Ndambarare Waterfall

On one on those days, while sipping a restoring cup of local coffee at Gisakura Visitor Centre after the forest hike, I had the chance to witness the early steps of a young black and white colobus learning to jump tree branches, under the concerned but vigilant eyes of his parents.

Colobus Monkeys

According to African Parks’ official information page, in Nyungwe NP over 6,000 community members and local leaders have been reached and engaged in community environmental awareness meetings. And in 2021 alone, 1,000 children visited the park.

On top of that, according to African Parks, 15 local guides have been trained to deliver the park’s tourism activities, thanks to a community freelance guiding project.

The Ranger that guided us points into the wilderness

Elisa on a Canopy Walk

Gorillas of the Volcano National Park

An important aspect of conservation in Rwanda is the protection of the wildlife, in particular of the mountain gorillas, whose world population and efforts for protection, the country shares with neighbouring Uganda and Congo.

Although the mountain gorilla is still considered an endangered species, according to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI), the overall world population in the Virunga mountains rose from 480 individuals in 2010 to 604 in 2016, and has currently reached 1,063 individuals.

Tourism has always played a key role in conservation efforts and following the successful examples of other pioneers of this model, such as Botswana, tourism in Rwanda has invested in a low-volume and high-yield approach, focusing primarily on high-end visitors.

This approach was intensified in 2017 by the decision to double the cost of permits to visit the gorillas from $750 to $1,500. This bold decision seems to have paid off and tourism is, overall, a growing sector. In fact, according to RDB official sources, Rwanda’s tourism revenues increased by 25% from $131 million in 2020 to $164 million in 2021, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Celebrating Wildlife

The Kwita Izina, the baby gorilla naming ceremony, is the annual celebration of all those efforts and the grandiosity of it proves the importance that conservation has in the country, as well as the trust and recognition that Rwanda has gained on an international level.

As every year, on 2nd September, many public figures and world celebrities – footballers, philanthropists, singers, sports champions, social entrepreneurs – were invited to name the 20 baby mountain gorillas born in the Volcanoes NP over the last year.

The then Prince Charles, now King Charles, was one of the well-known figures who was invited to choose a name for one of the recently born gorillas. The name he chose, Ubwuzuzanye – which is the Kinyarwanda for ‘Harmony’ – he wanted to serve as a reminder of the fact that ‘restoring harmony and balance between nature, people and the planet is the most critical issue facing humanity’.

Thanks to an invitation from the RDB, I had the chance to join an international delegation of journalists and travel writers to follow this uplifting event from the first row. I was very close to the more than 50,000 participants and I absorbed all their enthusiasm while singing along with the slogan ‘conservation is life’, jumping up and passionately waving their event flags.

Volcanoes NP is the only Rwandan park where the Gorillas live and, due to a series of specific conditions, here the human–wildlife conflict is felt with more intensity. In any case, regardless of the differences, the country has developed a system that seems to represent the key to the successful management of issues that relate to the conservation and human interaction.

A Successful Model for Protecting Wildlife

In 2019 alone, Rwanda received 1.63 million visitors, while the National Parks counted more than 100,000 visitors and collected $28.9 million from park entries.

After having developed policy guidelines, the RDB has implemented Tourism Revenue Sharing (TRS), a programme that we believe represents one of the keys to the resolution of the human–wildlife conflict.

Thanks to the TRS scheme, 10% of all tourism revenue is now invested in the communities that live around the country’s national parks. In 2017, the revenue sharing was increased from 5% to 10% of gross tourism revenues earned by the RDB.

 Since 2005, when the scheme was introduced, the RDB has invested RWF 5.34 billion (equal to $5 million) into the communities around the national parks.

This has translated into the implementation of 698 community projects that RDB, counting on the support of the local governments, has developed and delivered to, and with, the local communities.
The projects have built schools, clinics, family houses and water systems and supported the improvement of agricultural production.

The vision of the TRS is to guarantee the sustainable conservation of the natural environment but not at the detriment of the neighbouring communities.

Among the TRS’ objectives is compensation for loss of access and/or crop damage due to wildlife activity. It also provides alternatives to the overuse of park resources, such as wood, and options for income-generating businesses, including encouraging Community-Based Tourism (CBT) enterprises.

Local communities seem to play an active role in the process.

They are not only compensated if they suffer any damage caused by wildlife, but they have also been given the tools to build a healthy relationship with the park itself. Education plays a crucial role obviously, especially with the younger generation, but so do the tangible opportunities to invest in sustainable economic alternatives and to demonstrate other respectful uses of the park, that are beneficial to all parties.

During this short but immersive experience, we have noticed that while community responsibility grows in Rwanda, community members are increasing their sense of ownership of the land and their resources.

If this is true, then conservation here is happening through a system that consciously empowers its community members as part of the process.

 Thanks Rwanda, for the inspiration!

Murakose Chane! 

(This blog has been written by Elisa Spampinato, a travel writer & Community Storyteller, CEO & Founder at Traveller Storyteller. She travelled to Uganda in September 2022. Photo Credits by Elisa Spampinato)

Culture & Ethnicity in Rwanda: A New Perspective

Strong links never fade! 

I was introduced to Rwandan traditional culture many times and in many forms in the month that I spent there, earlier this year. These included an official visit to the King’s palace in Nyanza, in the Southern province, which is part of the so-called ‘Cultural Heritage Corridor’ and also attending the Kwita Izina ceremony in Kinigi, in the Northern province, by assisting with the dances performed by the group of entertainers by the stage.

Here, as well as on several other occasions, I watched the traditional way of using the calabash – a type of gourd – to produce butter called Beurre Ikimuri in the local language. I temporarily memorised the names and forever recorded the shape of other traditional utensils presented to me on several occasions, in my photographic memory.

During Kwita Izina ceremony – Man drinking beer from calabash

Woman holding calabash for butter making

Culture is usually associated with tangible artefacts and we think it is mainly made up of objects, whose memory continues to live on, at our dinner tables or in a cabinet in a museum. However, it is also made of intangible elements, like a story, a melody or a dance.

At King’s Palace Museum, in Nyanza

The dance moves I observed, closely enough to be brushed by their excited feet, as I chomped at the bit while crouching with my lenses and taking pictures from ground level, reminded me immediately of the rhythmic dances I had been learning during the previous two weeks from Marie Louise and the other women at the Red Rocks Initiative in Musanze, during the Cultural Festival.

During Red Rocks Cultural Festival – Local dancers

Although the music at the ceremony was modern and electronic, while the other was traditional and manually performed, the similarities were unmistakable.

There was something else though, beyond the steps, that the group of young performers in the media area and the community women had in common: besides the presence of the many muzungu (white people), both groups sparkled with genuine joy and they seemed to perform for no one other than themselves. They were having fun!

During Kwita Izina ceremony – Entertainers

The curious Sicilian observer started following the steps, captivated by the enchanting rhythm, and felt that ancient bliss that speaks about old circles of family reunions and community gatherings that have never been forgotten but just adapted, over time, to new musical rhythms.

Unity vs Labelling

Among the many remarkable messages that I found on the wall of the genocide museum in Kigali, one struck me more than others.

It was a reflection on that ‘obsession with difference’, that has been instrumentally emphasised by the western colonisers, and that has led – for the first time in the country’s history – to the classification of its inhabitants into anthropological groups and to the appearance of their ethnic credentials on their personal ID.  

That labelling exercise highlights the differences between people, rather than the similarities, obviously creating divisions rather than encounters. That has been strongly denied after the atrocities, so that today the response screams loud – even on the roads.

United we stand!

And if while walking down the streets of Kigali city centre or while exploring the rural areas of this diversely beautiful country, close to its forests, lakes, or mountains, you suddenly and uncontrollably want to play that diminishing labelling game, please restrain yourself from that temptation.

There is no need to classify the beauty admired on a woman’s face or in the shape of a man’s eyes with a name. Instead of asking ‘which group do you belong to?’, ask them their Kinyarwanda name, so at least you will learn one or two new softly spoken and musical words – because their names are beautiful and usually have kind and uplifting meanings.

This will certainly be a better way to interact on a more human, rather than ethnic and limiting, level.

Red Rocks Cultural Festival 2022 – Women from the local cooperatives

Too many impactful stories to tell

In Rwanda I found many more wonders and heart-warming surprises than one single article can contain. I found the feeling of a new country, enriched by a vivid conscience of the past, standing strongly and sturdily on its legs with fresh energy, and curiously open to the world.

Its energy is young and inclined to create space for innovation in many areas, including art and creativity. In fact, many are the local art galleries you can find around the streets of Kigali, like Inshuti . In these places, talented artists are usually prompt to invest in their ability and entrepreneurial dreams – here new generations of artists are encouraged to enjoy and perhaps pursue that path. In other examples, the relevant social work done in the community is embedded in each artwork, as in the case of the work done by a pair of local artists at Ikirunga Art Centre, in Kinigi, who consciously use art as a vehicle to empower disadvantaged and marginalised children that live in their premises.

Ikirunga Art Centre – Cleff showing his young student’s artwork

Around this small but mighty country, I encountered inspiring stories of women empowerment, arts, creativity, cultural preservation and responsible tourism, like in the case of Nyamirambo Women’s Centre in the capital Kigali, or the Urugo project in Kayonza district.

Nyamirambo Women Centre – local women working and tourists visiting during the walking tour

After two years of virtual meetings and chats, I have finally met Pauline, Bertha, Marie Louise  and the other women of the cooperatives at the Red Rocks Initiative in Musanze. There, I discovered the impressive multi-layered work that the historical and well-established local NGO is doing to link community empowerment, environmental conservation and sustainable development through tourism and cultural activities.

Women4Women – Urugo project - Local dancers welcoming visitors

Red Rocks Tree planting Initiative – Marie Louise and other local women preparing to plant trees by the river

The Next Chapter: The Conservation Efforts

Springing from lots of places, many stories have called for my attention, and I will certainly share them with plenty of details in the future.But for now, I would like to continue with a different chapter of my Rwandan adventure: my visit to the country’s national parks.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

After completing the Igishigishigi Trail in Nyungwe Forest NP

During those days in the wildness, I learnt about Rwanda’s impressive conservation efforts, and had the chance to encounter people, ask questions, and see some of the results and the effects of that work on the local communities as well.

My exploration of the national parks followed a clockwise circle, starting east from the capital. However, I would like to begin by talking about the youngest of them all and then move on to my more immersive experiences on the ground – and in the mud.

A Critical Sector

‘Tourism plays a major role in the country’s economy, contributing 10 per cent to the GDP and 8 per cent to “off-farm” employment’, says Eugene Mutangana, the Conservation Management Expert at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), in an interview in 2020.

With this important position in mind, it would be interesting to see what has been achieved through it and how Rwanda is becoming a global leader in conservation through tourism.
It is worth remembering that national parks cover almost 9% of the whole country, one of the most densely populated in Africa, and they represent a great attraction for international tourists thanks to their biodiversity.

Akagera National Park

Managing these areas correctly is particularly critical considering that the human–wildlife conflict is a real situation, which endangers not only the natural environment and the animals that depend on it, but also the life of the community members that live so closely to them.

Tourism has been actively used to find new, alternative solutions for the sustainable development of the country, and the Rwandan model of conservation has shown good results and has proven that it is possible to achieve economic development through the protection of the natural ecosystems.

The Last Entry

Gishwati-Mukura NP is one of the most recent examples of national conservation efforts. Located in the north-western region, near Lake Kivu, the rainforest, once rich in biodiversity, has been highly affected by deforestation, soil erosion and landslides and it has already lost almost 98% of its original area, due to decades of illegal mining, forest clearing, cattle ranching and encroachment.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park Head Quarter

Gishwati’s trees (Photo credit: Dana Allen)

In 2015, the territory joined volcanoes Akagera and Nyungwe and became the fourth Rwandan national park, which officially opened to tourism in 2020, the same year in which it was also recognised as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve.

The intense work of restoration, though, started a long time ago in 2004, thanks to national and international collaborations. The National Park has 60 species of tree, including indigenous hardwoods and bamboo, and is divided in two parts, covering a total area of 34 square km, plus a buffer zone. Gishwati is home to chimpanzees and to golden, L’Hoest’s and blue monkeys. 232 species of birds also live in this side of the forest and 163 in the Mukura area.

To visit the forest, explore the nature walks and visit the waterfall, it is necessary to stay overnight. Today, the Forest of Hope Association (FHA) (a Rwandan NGO established in 2012 to continue working on conservation), in collaboration with RDB  and with the support and expertise of Wilderness Safaris, manages the new Guest House and Camp Site accommodation available to visitors. It aims to also attract domestic tourists, beyond the traditional high-end market that visits the country.

Chimpanzee at Gishwati-Mukura National (Photo credits: Hein Myers)

As well as the hiking, the bird watching and natural walks, tourists can also take part in a series of community activities which include cultural dance performances, handicraft workshops, beekeeping, tea plantation tours, and a meeting with traditional healers: a treasure chest of the knowledge contained in plants and herbs.

Visiting the recently born Rwandan national park will not only benefit the ecosystem and the wildlife present there, but will also represent an important contribution to the 46 villages that surround it. This is not just because of the community activities offered to the tourists, but also thanks to the general Rwandan response to, and long-term strategy towards, conservation. In fact, there is a system in place that aims to mitigate, and virtually neutralise, the community–conservation conflict and create new economic opportunities.

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Gishwati-Mukura NP is the most recent example of Rwanda’s approach to tourism and its role in conservation. This is also the only one that I have observed from afar, having only visited the headquarters and hearing its story from their rangers, without a personal stay or a full immersion in its wildlife, yet. I hope to have the chance during my next visit to participate in the chimpanzee habituation programme that the park is developing and to see some of the peculiar bird species that populate its trees, while trekking towards Kazeneza waterfall.

The results achieved so far, in terms of environmental protection, have been inspiring here and I would like to follow their progress over time – but most of all, I would love to get to know the community tourism products and to experience the new activities they have recently started to offer.

Leaving Gishwati-Mukura National Park Head Quarter

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In the next part of this article, I will share my first-hand experiences of the local wildlife and the great achievements I witnessed in the other Rwandan national parks that I visited last September, which will demonstrate the other elements of this winning strategy, particularly from the community perspective.

(This blog has been written by Elisa Spampinato, a travel writer & Community Storyteller, CEO & Founder at Traveller Storyteller. Photo Credits by Elisa Spampinato, unless otherwise shown)

Touching down at Santiago airport we were greeted with the beautiful views of eucalyptus, oak, chestnut trees – a wonderful variety of native trees as well as foreign. Galicia is a playground for nature lovers. I know this region has been called Green Spain – on arrival, it’s easy to see why. We drove a short 15 minute transfer to get to the Quinta da Agua  - “house of water” where we were staying for our short break. Quinta da Agua is a gorgeous Relais Chateaux boutique hotel lovingly restored since its 18th century origins by the Lorenzo Garcia family. It used to be a Paper Mill and the ancient granite walls amid the property give it character and a sense of place.

The hotel and gardens are beautiful. The owners have taken a decrepit rural building and turned it into a treasure. Our room was on the side which was close to the river, the River Sar – it was enchanting and equally mesmerising to lie in bed listening to the tinkering of the water across the riverbed. Heavenly!

The restaurant ‘Filigrana’ is on another level – popular with locals as well as guests, it offers a great seafood variety as well as delicious meats. Galician fish and seafood are renowned worldwide for their excellent quality and unique flavours. I was told that it was because the depth of the sea bed around the coastline; a fertile ocean offering finest fish.

People around the world have been coming to Santiago da Compostella since the 9th century to visit the shrine of St James. The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways – there are 8 in total. It was inspiring to see so many pilgrims in the city but also en route as we ventured around the Galician countryside. It left me feeling very curious to know everyone’s reason for walking the routes and understand their motivations.

We took a public bus to the nearby coast from Santiago. In Galicia, you can find countless beaches where you’ll enjoy coastal walks, clean waters and white sand. I swam in the sea which was cooler than I had expected. I’ll put that down to the deep shelving of the sea bed. The cool currents keep the water temperature fresh all year round.    

The highlight of our short break in Galicia had to be the river excursion in the interior of the region. We drove about 90 minutes to arrive at a winery on the Minho River. This is a magical and historic region, the Ribera Sacra.  It was fascinating to see how the vineyards are cultivated on the terraces stretching high alongside the river. Utterly spectacular!

We met Luisa of Quinta Sacra who was our host and captain of an inflatable 12-seater boat for the afternoon. She took us along the winding river to a waterfall where we climbed and dipped. There are many Romanesque churches and monasteries along the river. Luisa’s passion lies in protecting and preserving this glorious region for future generations. She’s writing a book about it.

Galicia is truly a picturesque region of Spain. You can enjoy its natural heritage as well as its historical and cultural heritage. I had the feeling I was travelling through a bygone era – inland villages with their communal clothes washing areas as well as plenty of stone granaries or Hórreo for the crops and maize, which are especially commonplace around this area of the Iberia peninsula.

You can visit this area of exceptional beauty any time of the year but if sun is important to you, bear in mind that the weather varies significantly between the coast and inland. Santiago de Compostela is reputed to expect a drop of rain over 300 days a year. Don’t let that put you off, take an umbrella! We travelled in October and were blessed with the autumnal colours as well as many variants of green. On the clear sunny days, we did what we wanted to do outside and on the wet morning we experienced, we amused ourselves exploring around the city in and out of the different churches, monastery buildings and museums, participating in a mass at the cathedral and enjoying a few too many tasty empanadas; the little pockets of flaky pastry with a hot filling inside accompanied with an Estrella Galicia beer.

 (Karen travelled to Galicia in October 2022)

“Let pleasure be the main organiser of your life”

Words from one of the medical consultants at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda. I’ve recently returned from participating in a 3 night Discovery Package by Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda. A stay that left me feeling truly rejuvenated as well as giving me the opportunity to re discover my true self, my emotions and how I perceived my overall wellbeing. (Take a closer look at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda’s sister property, Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti, on our Featured Stay page).

Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda is a magical property with wonderful staff. It overlooks the gorgeous Lake Garda, so for someone who thrives in being close to water, I knew I would not be disappointed. There is a special synergy between the mountain and the lake. This area is also known as the Garda Rivieria. Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda offers their guests a complimentary shuttle service to the lake shore throughout the day. I highly recommend a visit to the neighbouring village of Gargnano with its cafes, promenade and quaint shops.

Back on property, Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda has some impressive facilities for the guest. The property has a sense of connection to the surroundings with spectacular views across the lake which will fill you with a real sense of serenity and calm. Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda is divided into three areas the world of Water & Fire, including areas linked to the pools, grottos and small lakes, the Nature and Fitness area and In Silence and among the stars Trilogy in the air. The terraces around the hotel offer beautiful trails among olive and citrus groves as well as a large wooded area allowing total nature immersion. The Spa not only has swimming pools, a fully equipped gym, saunas and steam rooms, there are plenty of relaxation spaces to ensure you restore the balance between mind, body and spirit. 

Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda offers a health programme that is unique with programmes like the Discovery Programme helping you transform, change mind set and create awareness in yourself and your health. There are several programmes to help you relax and re balance. Their philosophy has always been associated with East meeting West using classical Chinese medicine with Western scientific research.  You will need to go and experience this for yourself under the expert doctors Dr Carlo Barbieri, Dr Stefania Doria or Dr Jader Tolja. Don’t take my word for it – try it out yourself!

Not to be missed is Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda’s restaurant Gramen. Gramen means grass or herb in Latin and the chef has worked with the doctors of the Lefay Spa to create an outstanding menu helping the guest to discover the surrounding nature through what is on their plate. This is sustainable cuisine at its finest.

Lefay Spa is the first spa in Italy to obtain a new certificate from the French organisation ECOCERT recognising the spa and its products within the wellness centre. They received and excellent rating for their unique quality of their Lefay Spa Method Health Treatments & Programmes with their commitment to the training and professional development of their staff, the exceptional comfort in the treatment rooms and the measures they have put in place ensuring sustainable management of the entire building.

The hotel is fully integrated into the local landscape. Inspired by lemon groves, traditional local buildings characterised by original stone and wood pillars it fits in with the landscape with minimal visual impact. The interiors use natural materials from the local area as well as producing its own electricity, heating and cooling through clean, renewable sources using biomass and solar panels.

I will be always grateful for the opportunity of self-care and attention to my personal wellbeing which I experienced at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda. I feel rebalanced and as if I have found myself again – it’s all really rather Zen.

Please enquire with Travel Matters for details of the Discovery Package and make your reservation with us. 

(Karen stayed at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda in November 2022 courtesy of our partners, Mason Rose.)

Somehow, I always visited the Caribbean out of season - be it summer or autumn and thus a hurricane season. The weather can indeed be mixed but we were always spoilt with plenty of sunshine and only occasional rains. It wasn’t any different on my recent trip to Antigua - I travelled mid-October for 8 nights and we only had two days when it rained for about 15 minutes. It seems that many families shared my love for out of season travel as I have spotted numerous Brits visiting Antigua for the October half term. In fact, one of the hotels where I stayed was at almost 100% capacity for the school holiday. I can certainly see the appeal - isn’t it immensely tempting to pay much lower rates that do shoot up from November/December?

Antigua is often called an island of 365 beaches (one for each day of the year) and together with the sister island of Barbuda they are known as authentic Caribbean. Having been to more developed islands like Barbados and Jamaica, Antigua did welcome us by unspoilt terrain and colourful Caribbean cottages. I think the beaches were some of the best we have seen anywhere in the Caribbean - sandy, with turquoise water, some in smaller bays and some going for over a mile. In addition to its stunning beaches, Antigua is also famous for its carnival, originally a celebration of the 1834 abolition of slavery, running from late July to early August. The carnival is all about tastes, music and vibrant colours.

Antigua’s sailing week has become one of the world’s most prestigious regattas with crews from all over the world partaking in the competition.

Ever a travel agent, in addition to some rest my goal was to visit some of the best resorts in Antigua and arguably in the Caribbean.

They were all different in character and amenities and it was so helpful to experience them first hand. At the end of the day we always strive to offer the best possible service to our discerning and well-travelled customers.

The first resort that I visited was the adults only eco retreat Hermitage Bay resort. A luxury boutique resort nestled on the hillside of a hidden, sandy bay. A true honeymooners paradise, so special and memorable. It is a real all-inclusive Caribbean luxury! The resort has only 30 suites, spread around tropical gardens or nestled on the beach - a luxurious, natural environment where mind, body and spirit can be nurtured and restored. Each suite has a luxurious large bath and an outdoor shower.

The resort is all-inclusive and the menu changes daily - even picky eaters will find something that will accommodate their taste buds. As the resort is so intimate, service is second to none - very personalised, with staff remembering names of guests and their dietary and other preferences. You feel like a part of large caring family.

The second resort I visited was the iconic Carlisle Bay - well-known across the Caribbean and a firm favourite with the British crowd. A luxury resort looking out over white sand and turquoise water with a backdrop of emerald green rain forest. This stunning 87 suite resort is a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World group. I loved the spacious and bright suites with floor to ceiling windows, most overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea. We were allocated a ground floor suite with a direct beach access while others, located above on the first and second floor had generous terraces housing a day bed as well as a coffee table with chairs. Whatever suite you get, you won’t be disappointed!

The beach at Carlisle Bay deserves a special mention - the sand is golden and so soft, with no broken coral or sea shells. Ideal for little feet and making sand castles.

When it comes to couples, do not be put off by the family reputation that the resort has - they very cleverly try to house families and couples in separate parts of the resort. In addition, there is an adults-only restaurant and bar called the Jetty Grill. This is an authentic restaurant serving Caribbean favourite dishes and the atmosphere is fantastic with tiki torches and waves lapping gently agains the beach. Carlisle Bay offers B&B with complimentary afternoon tea as well as All-Inclusive and you have four restaurants to choose from. A truly comfortable and classy resort with impeccable service!

Our last resort was Hodges Bay, a new property which only opened shortly before the pandemic. Very different from the resorts above with its casual, modern, and polished clean bohemian aesthetic. Our oceanfront suite was very spacious, sophisticated and contemporary with a huge terrace overlooking the sea. It was so enjoyable to sit there with a drink listening to the clashing waves and enjoying the sunset!

The resort is conveniently located only 10 minutes away from the airport yet there is no sound of aircraft. What I particularly liked is their Two, Three and Four Bedroom ocean front villas. A real home away from home option with plenty of space for everyone to spread out comfortably. Ideal for families or a group of friends staying together in a villa with resort facilities like a fitness centre, SPA, tennis courts, kids club and water sports. A very unique feature of the Hodges Bay is access to their private island - the Prickly Pear. A speedboat is running between the resort and the island regularly and the journey only takes 5 minutes. There is a bar, where you can enjoy a rum punch or a cold bottle of white wine and a light lunch. The water colour is absolutely stunning and the sand bank with the white sand reminded us of the Maldives. There is also a reef surrounding the island, so you can snorkel right off the shore. The island is available for exclusive hire to celebrate your special occasion!

Maryna had a fabulous time in Antigua visiting the above resorts - all very different and beautiful in their own way. Give her a call to book your holiday!

Maryna, Travel Matters Senior Travel Consultant, travelled to Antigua in October 2022

(Photo by Rick Jamison and Simone Maschellari on Unsplash)

When my trip to East Africa was approaching in July-August, some simple questions arose -

Why do people travel to East Africa and who are these people?  

I truly believe that no question is too obvious, and that even the simplest query can trigger the remembrance of a long, old story, or perhaps, start a brand new one. I knew that I was preparing the ground for – I hoped – some stimulating storytelling opportunities in the field.

What follows are the preparatory reflections that my trip to East Africa prompted, before I disappeared from the radar in mid-August, and immersed myself in this new adventure from which I have just emerged.

Photo Credit, SplitShire (Pixabay)

My Africa

My reasons for embarking on a visit to the region again – but for longer this time around – were a mixture of personal and professional ones, whose seeds were planted at the beginning of the pandemic thanks to one of those meaningful connections established in those weird times when we were locked away.

In my mind, personally, Africa as a concept has never been that far away. Perhaps because my Sicilian roots closed that gap before I was born; perhaps because I have always felt the strong cultural connections that link the Italian island to the extremely close northern coast of Saharan Africa.

But, I must admit, there are some parts of the continent that feel closer to me than others. For example, I feel very close to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt, because that cultural affinity is also reflected in the music and sometimes in the language I grew up with; I feel familiar with West Africa too, being the land of origin of many of my friends and acquaintances not only in London, but also in Italy when I was young; there is South Africa, which I know of as another kind of Africa, associated with white dominance and the fight for freedom. And then there is East Africa which, beyond my brief visit to Ethiopia earlier this year, remains an undiscovered territory, which I can only understand through the images I receive from that region or from the world around.

Africa on the Tourism Map

When tourism talks about Africa, the first pictures that immediately emerge are undoubtedly associated with safari, wilderness and, very likely, the Great Migration.

Mara River at Serengeti National Park - Tanzania. Photo Credit, Jorge Tung

This spectacular movement of more than 1.5 million wildebeest, following a loop heading northwest between Kenya and Tanzania, is recognised as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Natural World’.

In this land you can find the Big Five, those majestic animals, usually encountered during safari where people venture into the animals’ territory, escorted by rangers and trained guides.

Thanks to Liz Langley, from the pages of National Geographic, I discovered that this was a term, coined in the late 1800s during Africa’s colonial period, referring to what trophy hunters considered the most challenging and dangerous animals to hunt on foot.

I have never yet taken part in a safari but, honestly, I quite look forward to seeing a lion in its natural habitat, also an elephant and most definitely a wild buffalo, which would be the first of the Big Five that I would ever have seen in real life.

Undeniably, Africa is a destination for people interested in experiencing impressive and rich wildlife, and it offers fantastic opportunities to experience unique encounters that will be, I can predict, quite impactful.

However, from my frequent walks among the stalls of the international tourism fairs, the sparkles that hit my senses most vigorously in the African sector mainly come from the luxury travel providers.

The Missing Part 

When approaching this part of the continent, it forces my attention to focus on certain questions, perhaps triggered by those sparkles found in the glossy magazines or on the stalls and boards, and which also link to the main reason why I am moving closer to the centre of this part of the world in the first place.

I notice that there is something missing from the bigger picture of Africa that I am receiving from the tourism industry, perhaps only with the exception of Kenya!

Where are the people of this land?

Where is the Culture? (Or better said, the ‘Cultures’, in plural.)

It seems a common thread in our sector; communities often disappear from the stage, like the effect of a cruel black-magic spell.

I am challenged by the mission of finding out which grassroot corners they are hiding in, and what they say about the industry they are not part of, and also about their relationship with wildlife and, especially, with those tourists in the safari car. Were those cars made just to protect the high-end tourists from the lions and the wild beasts, or also from the locals, in some unfortunate circumstance? I want to find out. I can see though that communities are very visible wherever conservation is concerned. But, I am curious to know on what terms. Time to get even closer!

The Imperfect Conservation Model 

Talking about the role of the tourism sector in East Africa, the first association that comes to mind is the one with conservation. The conservation model that instrumentally uses tourism to conserve the natural environment, both plants and wildlife, from the risk of disappearing, seems to produce results, but not without issues.

Since the 80’s, when wildlife started being in real danger and threatened by illegal poaching for products like ivory and also bushmeat, the work of the national governments intensified, and tourism appeared to be a suitable option that would provide a deterrent but also offer concrete alternatives in terms of income and job opportunities.

Although there are still many endangered species in Africa, the numbers show a clear improvement and the conservation model based on high-end tourism continues to predominate. Some of the countries I am about to visit, like Rwanda, have been recognised as strongly leading the new trend.

Unfortunately, however, this doesn’t come at no cost!

Photo Credit, Dan Sudermann (Pixabay)

The main problem experienced in the region is the so-called human-wildlife conflict.

However, this model, which is sometimes referred to as ‘fortress conservation’ and addresses  the separation between people and animals, presents limitations if observed from the point of view of the land rights of the indigenous people living there. 

I believe that the realities in each of the countries of East Africa are different, but I can see how a model based on division and exclusive use of the land has its limitations and undermines the harmony of any potential cohabitation. 

Community and Conservation is an important pairing for the future of the planet and for a fair tourism industry. It is often presented as one concept but, based on the kind of news streamed, you can easily deduce that the level of friction can be high. The pairing, rather than a concept, seems more a laboratory for field testing!

I am curious to see how the delicate balance is managed in each of the three countries I am about to visit.

Cultural Invisibility  

Communities intrinsically are representative of the culture of the place, so another way of asking about communities is asking about the local cultures.

How much of this is preserved and supported through tourism?

Cultural tourism has been addressed by the World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) as a light during the dark times of COVID. Among the recommendations contained in the ‘Inclusive Recovery Guide on Cultural Tourism’ that the UNTWO has published about the sociocultural impacts of COVID-19, is some clear guidance on ‘Supporting culture as a win-win for tourism destinations’ – we find this one particularly interesting. Inspire travellers to re-discover their local culture and creative industries. Create new experiences that feed in the tourism offer to re-engage with local communities.

Samburo Woman. Photo Credit, Eti (Pixabay)

And I ask myself, what is happening in Africa? Beyond safaris and wildlife, is Africa presenting itself as a cultural destination at all? Very rarely. Is this because Africa doesn’t have enough culture to share? [Hilarious] Of course, we know that this cannot be the case. The immense variety of ethnicities, languages and cultural traditions that populate the African continent is something that we are all familiar with. We see that, in some cases, culture is the reason why people are attracted to visit a specific country. I’m thinking of Egypt, Morocco, and also Senegal, perhaps. In any case, though, it feels that often the cultural identity of a particular country is somehow squashed under the pressure of the false need to present a homogenous image to future visitors, to try to help with understanding and making sense of the variety.

However, simplification kills diversity and diversity means uniqueness of the place, the essence of a destination, also so crucial from a marketing perspective. 

I did an interesting experiment, and typed ‘indigenous tribes in Kenya’ into my search engine, and an astonishing 47 came up. However, when I decided to include the word ‘tourism’ in my search, the number I found shrank to a couple, the most predominant being the Maasai, especially in the imagery. 

The Maasai, of the Mara but also of the north, for different social, economic and historical circumstances, have become the cultural representatives of Kenya, although they are not even the most numerous ethnic group in the country, which is actually the Kikuyo, a Bantu group and another of those 47 peoples of Kenya, with its own language, traditions and celebrations.

Life is not homogenous – very rarely is this the case – and the work that Responsible Tourism does is exactly about getting closer to those local realities, to try to get a more authentic glimpse of them, whatever that might mean.

In Travel Matters: Responsible Travel Tips, number six invites you to respect the local culture and traditions, not only to dress appropriately and maintain appropriate behaviour, but also to take a proactive approach and look for that information yourself, by actively asking your travel representative or host at your accommodation or even having a quick search online.

Elisa’s Suitcase

I still have many questions that are rising in my mind -

What was the impact of the COVID pandemic, for example?

How has domestic tourism changed, if at all?

How are the people and the places reacting to the challenges of climate change?

Have any new ideas, models, and suggestions for us to learn from arisen from this land in the last three years?

I am ready now to embark on that plane. I have my luggage with my clothes and another bag full of open questions and blank notepads. Empty your cup, open your mind, connect your ears. Ready, steady, GO!

(This blog has been written by Elisa Spampinato, a travel writer & Community Storyteller, CEO & Founder at Traveller Storyteller)

I wade through thick mud, startling unseen fish and turning the loch water the amber of whisky. The October cold seeps in slowly from the feet up until, waist deep, I take the plunge and join the fleet of coloured swim caps and woolly hats moving through the water ahead. Whoops and cheers follow in my wake as others, too, push off and feel the icy shock of immersion.  

As I swim out into the dark ribbon of water, I take a duck’s eye view of my surroundings. The early morning rays highlight zig-zags of pine trees on far side of the loch, raptors circle on thermals above, and a rainbow momentarily paints far-away clouds. It doesn’t seem long before the call comes to ‘get out wanting more’ and, reluctantly, we swim back to the shore to wriggle into dry clothes.

 I’m taking part in a four-night wild swimming and writing retreat in Scotland facilitated by Founder of Travel Matters Karen Simmonds, and actor, writer and Channel swimmer Doon Mackichan. Our base is Stucktaymore, a grand Edwardian lodge set in gardens and woodland overlooking Loch Tay. The idea is that invigorating daily cold-water dips in the loch will help to concentrate the mind and encourage creative writing.

 In total, there are 17 women on the retreat, with differing experiences of swimming and diverse writing ambitions. Rosanna Machado is an event producer with her own blog, who overcame a fear of putting her head under water to participate in a 22-mile relay swim across the English Channel. Barbara Jennings, another accomplished swimmer, is seeking post-retirement inspiration for a novel. And Julie Tucker-williams, a bespoke jeweller and regular sea swimmer is interested in writing about how we ‘curate the dead’ as we sort through loved ones’ possessions after their departure.

Life soon falls into an easy rhythm. Each morning we gather at 07.45am for the half-mile round-trip walk across fields of grazing sheep for our first dip of the day. Then, back at the lodge, there’s time for a quick warm-up in the hot tub, and a shower, before we gather around pine tables in the breakfast room to eat. Satiated, we then each find a cosy corner of the lodge in which to sit quietly and write, using paper and pen (no phones or laptops needed here).

During the three days, we’re encouraged to work on our own projects but Doon provides us with some simple ideas in case we’re lacking inspiration. One is simply to use the title ‘Should’; another is to build on the sentence ‘It was a wooden door, with yellow glass panels inset’. After two hours of creative labours, punctuated by a quick coffee break, we get together to share what we have written about and our experiences of doing so. Doon provides feedback, helpful direction for anyone who needs it and a lot of laughs.

In the afternoons, we’re free to do as we choose. Possible activities include bagging a munro or two in the Ben Lawers range; visiting the famous Falls of Dochart in nearby Killin and having a wee dram in the Falls of Dochart Inn; joining a birdwatching hike; or simply wandering the grounds at the lodge, stopping to sample a fresh apple or pear from the laden fruit trees in the orchard. And for those who are seduced by the rejuvenating effects of cold water, there’s always the chance for a second swim in the loch.

In the evenings, we get together for a drink by the fire in the snug before sitting down at a huge rectangular table in the dining room for a candlelit feast catered for by former Scottish Chef of the Year Kevin MacGillivray of Velvet Cuisine. It’s a time for swapping tales about the day, forging new friendships, and on one occasion, helping a disoriented bat to flee the dining room into the starry Scottish night.

The regular swims, the beautiful scenery, the sumptuous surroundings of Stucktaymore and the luxury of spending two hours a day simply thinking and writing creates a very special atmosphere in which we all readily connect. On our final day, this spirit of sharing comes to the fore as Doon invites us all to read something that we’ve produced during the writing sessions. We settle on sofas in the snug and listen as those who want to read aloud their work.

Barbara starts off the proceedings with a lively extract from a novel about a witch and her cat that she’s been able to make headway with during the retreat. Rosanna reads a moving poem about her late Mum, prompting tears around the room. And Julie recites a narrative in which she envisages threads connecting us with the possessions we inherit – which can be left attached or knotted and cut to cast off what we have no need for.

I decide to share a piece inspired by my first dip in the loch. The experience had, surprisingly, taken me on a journey in my mind back to when people had first settled around the loch at the close of the last ice age – helping me understand that cold-water swimming is engrained in us through the activities of our forebears. I take a deep breath, then begin to read. As if buoyed by the deep, cool water of the loch itself, the words flow readily off the page and into the room.

(By Carolyn Fry; author and journalist specialising in science, conservation, natural history and adventure travel. Carolyn attended Travel Matter’s Wild Swimming & Writing Retreat in Scotland between 29th September to 3rd October 2022)

The city of Lisbon won a World Travel Award in 2019 as Europe’s Best City Break Destination, so I’ve been curious to visit and explore what the city is all about. Over the last few years there’s been a rise of trendy shops, cafés, coworking spaces and rooftop bars, turning once dilapidated spaces into lively, vibrant social venues. However, Lisbon somehow manages to balance the old and new, the vintage and the modern. For history lovers, Lisbon makes for a fascinating trip, as it’s the second oldest capital city in Europe, next to Athens. You can easily get lost in its untouched hilltop neighbourhoods of Alfama, Castelo and Cathedral districts, with labyrinth like streets, fortified ramparts, castles and walls that have been preserved for centuries. In addition, there are colourful houses and beautiful tiles everywhere you turn.

Not only is Lisbon one of the oldest cities, but it’s also one of the sunniest, enjoying approximately 300 days of sunshine annually. When you ask both locals and tourists about what they find special about Lisbon, often they have this answer in common – the light. It’s the first thing you’ll notice as soon as you land in the city, that dazzling bright light that reflects across the pastel-hued walls, the white limestone pavements, the colourful tiles and the shimmering blue Tagus river, which further reflects light inland.

How would a city break work with a 2.5 year old daughter Islay in tow I wondered?  Friends had said Lisbon was one of the best places to visit in Europe with toddlers. And they were right - it is an affordable, safe and family-friendly city and here are some of the highlights of our 5 day trip in August 2022.  

Taking a tram

The trams make up part of the public transport system in the city, so you can easily use them to get around – buy a pass or ticket for each trip, such as for your journey from Lisbon to Belem. However the 28 tram Lisbon route is a little different, acting more like a tour route with the added style of small traditional yellow trams. Heading from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique, it passes through the popular tourist districts of Graca, Alfama, Baixa and Estrela along the way and it’s a fantastic way to see Lisbon and soak up the atmosphere. We loved it!

It is very popular though, so do expect to queue if you want a seat (or to be squished into standing if not). It’s also well known, sadly, as a haunt of pickpockets so keep an eye on your belongings. If you buy a ticket on board, it’ll also cost a lot more than picking it up in advance at a metro station – a day pass costs approximately double a single ticket bought on board, and you can use that for unlimited journeys during 24 hours and with plenty of things to do in Lisbon with kids, it’s definitely one to keep on your family travel radar.

Afternoon in the Aquarium

With more than 8,000 sea creatures and 500 different species, Lisbon’s aquarium – the Oceanario Lisboa – is one of the most incredible and largest in Europe, and ideal if you are visiting Lisbon with kids and to escape the midday heat. As you approach the impressive building you realise that the only way to get in is through a footbridge, and as you walk over the water, you get the impression that you are boarding a ship.

The aquarium sits over two floors, with an enormous central 5-million litre tank, that is the home to a variety of marine creatures including black tip sharks, sting-rays and  huge ocean sunfish. Then get ready for jungle-action on a rainforest tour, where kids can walk over a wooden bridge and explore a variety of exotic trees and fish. The perfect tie-in with the Oceanário? The cable car ride is located just behind the aquarium (kids under 4 go free) and is a really great value activity to do with little ones and very exciting for them albeit scary for me! The place can get super busy, so buy tickets online before you go. You can just go straight in and show your printed ticket or the PDF on your phone.

Sand, sea and sandcastles

Lisbon is located on the Iberian-Atlantic coast. This means sandy beaches are just a short ride away from the city. Once you’re in the main terminal in Cais do Sodré, the railway trains will take you along the shimmering Oeiras, Estoril & Cascais coast, with plenty of popular and lesser known beaches to pick from. Either you’re into lounging on the beach or if you want more fun activities then the beaches of such Carcavelos, Cascais and Guincho offer sailing, kayaking, surfing. Furthermore, across the bridge, is the 30km pristine beaches of Costa da Caparica, which is a mere 20-minute Uber ride away and where we spent a lovely afternoon in the water and building sandcastles.

The Fado Museum (one for the adults when the little one naps)

The Museu do Fado is one of the must-visit places in the city. Besides representing one of the region’s most important cultural legacies, it also has a restaurant and a themed shop where you can spend some time catching the spirit of saudade (nostalgia). Totally devoted to fado and the guitar, it has a permanent exhibition and also temporary ones, alongside a document centre and an auditorium with regular events and a very interesting programme. With songs by the greatest Portuguese artists demonstrating an art form that Portugal gave to the world, the museum’s artistic quality will surprise you and we loved listening to the haunting melodies whilst Islay slept in her pushchair.

Tasty food and wonderful wine

The Portuguese love eating and drinking and their culture is so associated with food that every celebration means an opportunity to celebrate life with eating, drinking and being merry. There’s a great variety of restaurants in Lisbon, offering delightful dishes of seafood, grilled or stewed meat, pickled vegetables and rustic concoctions. Expect bacalhau (codfish), mouth-watering sausages and cheeses, paired with excellent wines from Lisboa or Douro regions. Lisbon folk certainly know how to live well.

 Visiting Lisbon was one of the most enjoyable city breaks we have had -  beautiful parks and playgrounds, sunny beaches, trams and ferries to ride, scrumptious food, and interesting streets and alleys to explore. Lisbon is truly one of the best places to visit in Europe with your little one.

Zoe and her family travelled in August 2022 to Lisbon on a 5 day city break.

After two years or travel restrictions we were definitely craving getting away to somewhere a little bit more exotic - with a drastically different landscape, culture and flavours. We have found this and more during our road trip in Mexico.

We knew that the coast wouldn’t provide an authentic experience we were after so our plan for two weeks was a multi centre holiday visiting four different states with two domestic flights in between. 

Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas by Girl in Red Hat on Unsplash

We started our adventure at Cancun airport where we picked up a car for 10 days. Roads in the Yucatan peninsula were generally fantastic, with a choice of paid motorways and paved side roads. 

To get over jet lag we made a decision to treat ourselves to some beach time and luxury boutique hotels. First stop was Playa Del Carmen and the very unique Palmaia, The House of Aia - a secluded sanctuary with oceanfront swim up suites, jungle spa and gourmet restaurants overseen by chefs who have trained in Michelin starred restaurants from around the globe.

We loved that rooms were very modern with state of the art amenities yet outside we were greeted by nature in all its glory - wildlife, abundant greenery and turquoise sea.

Beach at the Palmaia House of Aia

The uniqueness of the resort lies in the fact that it includes several sessions/rituals per day with their Architects of Life. You get healed not only physically with nutritious food and indulgent treatments in their jungle SPA but also on a mental and spiritual level with the activities like Tai Chi, Soul Reading, Pranayama breathing and meditation.

Highly recommended for those busy bees and city mice!

Colourful streets of San Cristobal De Las Casas by Guido Nh on Unsplash

Our second eco boutique resort was beautiful Jashita. With only 30 rooms this gem has an ideal location for exploring Tulum which has become very popular in the recent years. Surrounded by peace and quiet of the Soliman Bay Jashita is only 10-15 min drive from Tulum with its nightlife and trendy restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, the best food we had on our trip was at the Jashita’s famous restaurant Pandano. Best pastas outside of Italy courtesy of the hotels’s Italian owners! But for those craving local food, there is a selection of Mexican dishes also. 

Pool area at the Jashita

We loved our spacious suite and really appreciated our huge terrace with a plunge pool! The hotel never feels busy - even at full occupancy there is plenty of space around its three pools and the beach!

Never able to stay in one place, we then continued on to the less developed island of Holbox famous for its sand banks and opportunity to swim with manta rays and whale sharks as well as to the more known island of Cozumel - part the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier reef in Australia and apparently favourite place for diving of Jacques Yves Cousteau himself!

Cozumel by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash

What holiday to the Yucatan peninsula goes without visiting the legendary Chichen Itza - one of the 7 New Wonders of the World? I highly recommend taking a local guide as otherwise we would have missed some very special sound effects this place is capable of as well as learning fascinating facts about the place. Although Chichen Itza without a doubt is the most known Mayan monument in Mexico, it is not the largest - don’t be afraid to go off the beaten track and explore! 

Chichen Itza by Flip Gielda on Unsplash

After 9 nights it was time to bid good bye to this part of Mexico as we boarded a flight to Chiapas - called by some the most beautiful state of Mexico! Nature is very different here - resembling of Europe even in some places with its mountains and lakes. We even had to put some layers on as temperatures there were noticeably lower than on the coast. Bordering on Guatemala, Chiapas boasts of waterfalls, gorges, lakes and authentic colonial towns with indigenous population. We even took an opportunity to cross into Guatemala for a short wander around - there is no need for passport control and one can cross without a hustle on foot!

Cascada El Chiflon in Chiapas

The highlights of our stay were our trips to Cascada El Chifflon and taking a boat down the river at Sumidero Canyon. Saying that visiting the very colourful town of San Cristóbal de Las Casas was undeniably another one. There are very few places in the world left that managed to retain the level of authenticity that Chiapas offers. We only had three nights in Chiapas and didn’t have a chance to explore all its wonders, including Mayan ruins of Palenque that are far less visited than Chichen Itza.

Lakes of Chiapas

As we were flying back from Mexico City, our next domestic flight was to the capital of the country. Mexico City is the largest Spanish speaking city in the world and the scale of it really is impressive. I was surprised to find out, that it is in the second place in the world by the number of museums after London! We have certainly visited some ourselves - I can particularly recommend Museo Nacional de Antropología housing a large collection of artefacts from various periods of Mexican history. As I have been the biggest fan of Frida Kahlo for years, visiting her Blue House was a must for me. Do book in advance - you simply won’t get in if you show up on the day.

Personal items of Frida Kahlo

And finally if you are into fine art Palacio de Bellas Artes is the place to visit for its fine murals by the likes of Diego Riviera. Also, who knew that my first paintings by Salvador Dali will be seen in Mexico City and not in Spain! 

Mexico City is also a gateway to the ancient city of Tenochtitlan famous for its large pyramids of the sun and the moon. We were supposed to have a hot air balloon flight over this incredible site but sadly it got cancelled due to the weather. Speaking of the weather, Mexico City requires a completely different wardrobe choice than the coast - do bear this in mind if visiting both on one trip. 

And the last but not the least, Mexico City is the place to enjoy food - from unbelievably affordable street food stalls to the restaurants sitting among the top eateries in the world.

This for sure was a trip to remember! And we did not even cover half of the country! I encourage you to explore Mexico - do not just stay in an all-inclusive hotel.

And if you need us to help you planning your trip - do get in touch!

The Maldives is made up of 1192 islands that stretch over 298 square kilometres. However, the country’s great expanse of water accounts for 99.6% of the Maldives, making it the ultimate Seafaring Nation!

This Archipelagic State of the Indian Subcontinent is encompassed by 26 Atolls, which are defined as ‘a ring-shaped reef, island, or chain of islands formed of coral’ and represent what us Brits know as counties. With an average elevation of 2-metres above sea level, the Maldives attracts visitors who are mainly fascinated by the marine life.

During our recent visit to the Maldives we learnt a lot about the Resort Histories, their Sustainability measures, how they conduct their service and how the Maldivian Government supports the trade and its workers.

Global Pandemic & Pulling Together

As of 2020, Tourism was the Maldives’ largest sector of the economy, providing more than 28% of GDP and 60% of foreign exchange (GlobalEdge). Faced with an international embargo on travel, it was time for the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism to provide a solution to its greatest financial output. And on the 15th July 2020, the Maldives started to welcome international guests into its country again! Fast forward to 2023 and forecasts suggest that the Maldives is predicted to gain strong economic growth, with GDP anticipated to grow by 10.2% (The World Bank).

So, what did the Maldives do correctly?

Firstly, the topography of the Maldives invites the opportunity to be in isolation – an aspect that in the past has made the destination so popular amongst the likes of Honeymooners who want to experience intimacy in paradise. If we consider that around 200 of its islands are inhabited and the nation already has a small population (540,542, in 2020), it might be fair to say that the Maldives had been practicing social-distancing for some time. 

Perhaps the most impressive & important milestone in this country’s recent history was its vaccination rollout. In 2021, tourism authorities confirmed that as soon as the native population had been fully vaccinated, project ‘Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation’ would be in operation. This saw tourists being welcomed to the Maldives with a syringe & needle! The scheme worked and thousands of excited tourists packed their cases and headed toward the Indian Ocean.

Whist visiting a handful of Resorts in May, Travel Matters learnt more about the efforts & sacrifice that the islanders had made. During a candlelit-beach dinner with the Resort Manager of Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, we discovered how testing this period of uncertainty was, but how the fruits of their labour were the sweetest of all pleasures. Ahmed retailed how strict the training and measures were, but how his Resort benefitted from subsequent repeat bookings. Although Ahmed admitted that he & his staff didn’t sleep much during the first few months, they all grew closer as a team and as friends –

‘There were times when I looked at my phone and it was 22:00. The next thing I knew it was 04:00 in the morning and my inbox had grown by another hundred emails.’

Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi

Fuelled by adrenaline and the intuitive need to serve their guests, Hudhuran Fushi and other Island Resorts persevered. Ahmed later confessed that he had no pleasure in quarantining his staff, as he knew that someone else’s workload would double. He jokingly boasted about having not contracted COVID-19 whilst he was working, but bitterly remarks about how he was eventually struck down by a watered-down variant upon returning to his home in Sri Lanka for a well-deserved break. His epilogue was perhaps the most poignant moment of our evening! Upon polite (but desperate) requests from guests, the staff at Hudhuran Fushi used their initiative and conducted the necessary due diligence that saw them contact guest’s national Embassies and the Maldivian Government. Medical workers were given their instructions and began to vaccinate permissible guests.

Top-Tier Service

Whilst everyone else was in isolation, Service workers in the Maldives were perfecting their craft!

Many Service Economies were shut-down all across the world. Even today, we are still experiencing a lack of Hospitality workers and what many would deem as an unsatisfactory level of service. Maldives reopened its borders in July 2020, meaning its lull in powering its service management delivery was minimal. In fact, due to the challenging environment of hosting guests during a global pandemic, the service quality grew. Sought after roles quickly become coveted and this competition may have bred a new era of customer perceived quality. The Maldives Government continues to incentivise roles in tourism and many of the workers in this industry prove how grateful they are to hold such a sought-after job.

During our 2-night stay at Heritance Aarah, we were assigned our Butler – Kunal. Originally from India, Kunal had worked in Hospitality all his life and possesses a Masters in Hotel Management. It was apparent from the get-go that this man had hospitality coursing through his veins. His affability and product knowledge was nearly as sharp as the piece of coral I trampled on just days before (Travelling Tip: I’d never found a use for Complimentary Hotel Sewing Kit until now – the needle was the finest object I could find to remove two pieces of fine coral in my foot) Kunal greeted us in a golf buggy and took us on a tour of the Resort, during which time he informed us of the Resort’s impressive facilities and only interjected to detail amusing personal anecdotes of his professional journey. Upon being delivered at our Beach Villa, Kunal presented us with his mobile number so that we could contact him at any time, with any request. There was never an instance that we weren’t tended to, but always in a subtle manner. Being modern and already having a fierce reputation, Heritance Aarah has cherry-picked some of the best Hospitality talent within this region of Asia. Over a thousand 5-Star Tripadvisor reviews is testament to all their hard work.

It’s easy to ramble on about the phenomenal service we experienced, but we were not ready for the first-class cuisine that was prepared for us! Indulging in traditional Japanese dining, tasting menus (paired with wines) and traditional Maldivian dining were certainly another highlight. Perhaps the most striking example of this was at Adaaran Select Meedhupparu. Shashika, the Front of Office Manager, introduced us to Meedhupparu’s idea of ‘Island Life’ - a seamless & soothing model that all his staff exudes onto guests. This Resort had the perfect balance of rustic beach life, merged with attentive service. On our first evening, we were invited to their Indian restaurant, which asks that female guests respect the traditional & rural practice of using a Sari to cover their shoulders. If you do not have one, the restaurant has its own clothes rail with a rainbow of different Saris that guests can borrow. We were seated at our table (that stood upon a sandy floor) and indulged in an excellent meal where the stars of the show were the Coconut Sambol and Mater Paneer. This is a destination that will fulfil the cravings of the most demanding of Food Critics!

During our final stay, we were whisked off the resort of Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, who is renowned for their 50 Sea Villas (think iconic Maldives Villas on Stilts). This island is only 2.5 Acres in size, so you get an incredible sense of togetherness…the perfect setting for Honeymooners! This time, we had the pleasure of Abdul acting as our Butler. A personal highlight was witnessing Abdul take time out of his busy day to teach non-swimmers how to snorkel, whilst being in the water himself. Every day Abdul would greet us with new & wonderful photos from the House Reef’s residents.

The Maldives isn’t just a destination to indulge in perfect beaches and witness a pod of dolphins breach alongside your boat trip. It’s a holiday experience that humbles and makes you realise the importance of a human exchange.

Kunal & Matt in discussion, during a site inspection.

(Matt, Travel Matters Business Development Manager, travelled to - Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi, Adaaran Select Meedhupparu and Heritance Aarah in May 2022)

We are reaching the end of another Plastic Free July, an initiative started by the Plastic free Foundation in 2011 with the goal of creating a world free of plastic waste. 

We want to support its mission and celebrate the 140 million people who have decided to ‘choose to refuse’ plastic for the entire month, with the hope that these new habits will be carried on beyond the thirty-one days and will be incorporated in the everyday challenge.  

As responsible agents of the tourist industry, we cannot avoid asking some questions about the role and responsibilities of the sector with regards to reducing plastic waste.

Photo Credits @Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

How is the Industry doing?  

We all know it is a huge problem on a global scale, and although is often accompanied by an overwhelming feeling, the urgency to act on it is an undeniable imperative.  

Echoing the existing widespread appeals, we want to reinforce the message: the time to act is now, because as frightening as it might be, the situation gets worse by the minute, with data showing an extremely sad and catastrophic path for our planet and its species. 

The tourism industry carries big responsibility regarding the production of waste and other kinds of pollution. In fact, this sector is not only responsible for creating up to twice as much solid waste per capita as local residents, as reported by the IFC Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines (2007, Washington D.C.), but it also generates a large amount of single-use plastic waste. According to Plastic Oceans, the waste created by tourism represents half of our global annual plastic production, which in turn contributes to climate change and puts further pressure on our environment.

Photo Credit @Gary Chan

Photo Credit @EU Environment on Twitter

We need to hold the sector accountable, because even though the tourism industry cannot solve the global plastic problem on its own, it can drastically reduce its contribution and impact.

 Many initiatives are taken worldwide to reduce, substitute, and replace the single-use plastic in different parts of our industry. Solutions like LRSU Toolkit by Travel without Plastic, focus on the manageable actions that every single hotel can take, multiplying the effect across regions and countries.

However, beyond the individual, valuable responses found and pursued independently, there is a factor that could drive real exponential change.

Influence and Engagement

We believe that the biggest innovation we can cultivate is the monumental power of influence that the tourism sector has in determining the speed and the course of change, especially in terms of mindset.

Leading by example is only one aspect of it. 

Engaging guests and customers by implicitly inviting them to embark on the plastic reduction journey with us has proved to be very effective in terms of accelerating behavioural changes, while also being profitable from a business perspective.  

However, if we want to boost our impact and effectiveness across the sector, we should start including our whole supply chain in the process. 

Asking our business partners (both locally and globally) the right questions, will make everyone realise that we face the same problems, which will provide space for new collaborative solutions. A combination of local skills, unexpected engagement, and the right political influence could provide the necessary boost to support the shared mission and set incremental goals that are achievable.  

While reducing pressure on the environment, asking these questions seems to also have the advantage of improving the quality of our relationships with our partners and strengthening the grassroots networks.

Consideration of the environmental impact across the whole supply chain appears to be one of the most effective solutions we can choose, and the following cases show interesting ways of doing this; their success proves that, with the appropriate collaborative mindset, we can go well beyond plastic reduction.

 We needed a Boat made of Plastic to see the Circle

 A dhow – a traditional sailing boat that in the past has taken merchants to Arabia and India – has been built out of 33 tonnes of plastic waste found on the 10 km beach of Lamu, a small town on the northern coast of Kenya. 

The Flipflopi Project – the East African movement responsible for the building of the boat, is a brilliant initiative that has found a way to visualise the problem and the solution at the same time.

Photo Credit @The Flipflopi Project

Since 2019 the boat has travelled to local coastal communities to raise awareness about the issue, working with schools, and involving media, local government representatives, and also artists and scientists.

Looking at the pillars of the circular economy, we can re-imagine the new life that a product can have, and it is suddenly clear that what the innovative economic approach suggests is a more balanced and harmonious way of looking at the potentially never-ending cycles of creativity.
We don’t need to produce new items, we can reuse, repair, recover, even re-gift what we already have.

Although the circular economy might not be the ultimate solution – because we obviously still need to reduce and refuse the use of plastic to avoid creating more waste down the line – a great benefit of the Flipflopi project is to show us the circles we are all in, the ones made of weak links that need to be strengthened, but also the potential ones we are yet to explore.

A strong community is made of strong connections between the individual activities, the economic hubs, the civil society organisations, the local government, but also its artists and skilled entrepreneurs.

The need to learn how to collaborate and engage with and within the local communities we operate in as a sector in the search for solutions that maximise the positive benefits and minimise the impact we leave, becomes even more compelling when facing the plastic issue.

New Grassroots Trends

The City Council of the town of Cumberland, a western suburb of Sydney, Australia, has discovered that the local community has the skills and the ability to find appropriate solutions, and that it is worth asking for its collaboration.

‘Through creative thinking and productive partnerships within the community’, they have been able to engage marginalised women to promote new sources of income for them, and ‘the Bags from Banners’ Project has been reducing the amount of waste needed to be disposed of and processed, and, at the same time, educating its citizens about the issues related to waste and plastic.

Sometimes, it is just a matter of receiving the invitation to participate.

When people are asked to come together, they are moved by a new sense of community, new solutions are found, and social and economic development can be achieved much more easily.

Photo Credit @PlasticFreeJuly_ ‘The Bag from Banner’ Project

Photo Credit @everdrop GmbH

However, to achieve a more structural change, we suspect that we need to move beyond simple participation and re-think the management system of our societies.

Marta Muslin – an Associate to Equality in Tourism and National Coordinator of the Indonesia Waste Platform (IWP) – was invited to participate in one of the ‘UNEP Seminars’ (see video below) that addressed how to integrate gender equality in tourism operations, and was moderated by Travel Matter’s founder Karen Simmonds.

Marta presented an interesting grassroots response to the problem of waste in the eastern regions of Indonesia. What is today called the Komodo Model, started on the island of Komodo in 2020, as an organised answer to the COVID pandemic and the lack of tourism-related jobs.

Defined as a ‘community-based waste management system’, the ‘Komodo model’ is an opportunity to tackle an ongoing waste problem for Indonesian coastal regions, and provides local sustainable development led by local women and young people, while also reducing the pressure on the natural environment caused by traditional frequent burning of waste.

The key to success relies on what is more than simple collaboration. The community-led development project, which is tailor-made to adapt to the different local circumstances is, in fact, based on the involvement of both the central and local government, as well as local non-governmental actors and the Indonesian recycling sector; but also, very importantly, it ‘advocates community engagement in decision-making and management, with a goal of using communities’ local knowledge and resources’.

Moving to New Collective Solutions

By reaching the end of another Plastic Free July, we hope that all the new opportunities to collaborate have lightened the pressure on our environment and reduced the amount of plastic we use.

However, what we hope for the most, is that people become aware – directly or indirectly – that we are all active parts of the solution, and knowing that we are not alone in the challenge, we can realise the immense power we have to transform our own societies.

The plastic issue, as well as the bigger issue of the climate crisis, creates precious opportunities to come together as an industry, and reinvent, redefine, and re-establish how we do tourism. The old practices need to change and make space for new habits.

Photo Credits @WeForum.org

(This blog has been written by Elisa Spampinato, a travel writer & Community Storyteller, CEO & Founder at Traveller Storyteller)

Click, click, click … or snap, snap, snap!

Regardless of how digital the noise might sound, this is undoubtedly the typical soundtrack of the majority of our trips.

Beyond the familiar feeling of pleasant satisfaction, taking travel pictures often opens up deep ethical questions about the morality of the shot.

Beyond the Voyeuristic Shot

When we see something ‘exotic’, interesting, curious, unusual or simply beautiful to our eyes, we want to click. Because something, for any reason, attracts our attention, we decide to absorb the information through a lens and on the sensor of our machine, and store it for future reference or nostalgic moments of sharing.

However, when the shots involve other human beings, the level of the moral questions we ask ourselves should rise, obviously.

Photo Credits @MUF - Museu de Favela

How to avoid the risk of an empty Voyeuristic exercise?

How to avoid the risk of an empty voyeuristic exercise? How can we make sure that our shots are embedded with local meaning and, above all, that they are respectful of the people and aware of the moment and the place in which they are taken?

Beyond the necessary moral questions, sometimes the exercise also becomes culturally dangerous.

When we travel without proper knowledge of the place, for example, we tend to reaffirm our biases and stereotypes through the pictures we take.

As shown in the findings of the research that I conducted on Slum Tourism in Rio de Janeiro between 2008 and 2009, the act of visiting a favela with an external tour operator, who has no connection with the place, doesn’t usually add any valuable new information to the visitor’s experience; in addition, the images that are shared on social media afterwards only reproduce the initial perceptions of the place: the local social issues, poverty, degradation.

Our eyes can only see what our mind processes and currently considers to be the reality.

In the same research, I also analysed pictures taken by guests who had chosen to go with a local tour operator, or directly with a CBT project, and they looked totally different. These images showed different people engaged in different activities; the scenes portrayed were also different, as different as were the corners of the streets, the views, the surroundings, even those in the same favela.

Not only did the people appear to be in places that were almost unrecognisable, and not automatically associated with a favela, but also their relationships with the guests seemed different; amazingly, sometimes you would have to look closely, and pause for a while, before identifying who is the tourist and who is the resident.

Photo Credits @Rocinha Original Tour

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

Travel Matters has created a useful list of tips about responsible behaviour when travelling as guests in other people’s homes. It suggests questions, attitudes and a critical mindset towards the unusual reality we face, and it can be used as guidance for travellers on ethical behaviour. 

Given my personal passion for photography, I would like to complement Travel Matters record of responsible actions with some thoughts and recommendations about photography, because it is a powerful tool, which, if used without awareness, can also be powerfully destructive.

Start asking new questions!

The ethical questions should lead the way, for sure; however, we believe that there are other, new questions that could be included on the list.

Have we ever asked, for example, what that shot really means or represents for local people?

A picture is just a picture, some might say.

But is it, really?

I have seen the joy of little kids, excited to see themselves on the screen of my iPhone, which my guide was using while I was interacting with them.

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

I have seen the pride of the older boys, performing in the streets of Harar, showing their acrobatic skills to the foreigner visitors. I have also seen the shyness of the children and the welcoming kindness of the women of rural communities. I have seen women discovering their beauty on the screen of my camera…

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

…while others, of all ages, were mischievously smiling at it. And I have, finally, seen women sharing their beauty with my digital lens, whilst being quietly proud of it.

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

Inspiration from the past to share the future

Although for this writing trip I want to remain on this side of the camera and have them – the local community members – on the other side of the lens, as a Community Storyteller I feel deeply that giving the camera to them is the other part of the tale that we should soon start to write together within tourism.
A symbolic gesture of such power that we cannot always foresee, an invitation to silence our busy minds and listen to local narratives: to reverse our gaze and open up an unwritten path to transform our perspectives by finally including new narratives – theirs.

Photo Credits @Morrinho

Photographer and Photographed: Subject and Object

So, today, for the sake of our reflections, we keep our camera hanging from our neck and pointing forward. On this path, since a predominantly ethnocentric attitude and lack of awareness has traditionally been the major source of problems concerning photography and travel, we should continue to ask ourselves uncomfortable questions. 

Am I doing the right thing?

Is this morally right?

Is taking this picture an ethical act? 

However, I am perturbed by the fact that in this discussion of ethical versus unethical photography, what is good and bad is still assessed mainly from the perspective of the traveller’s benefit, while the locals are still seen as being the passive objects of the action.

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

My last trip to Ethiopia added an additional layer to the matter, and it helped me to see another reality.

Since then, another kind of question started to arise in my mind.

Do we stop and reflect on what a picture means to someone else rather than to us?

What a picture means to them?

I want to leave aside, for now, the pre-pandemic discussions about what a picture can do to a place, and all the controversial correlations between the sudden spreading of pictures of paradisiacal beaches and the swamping with visitors of previously deserted locations, and the new over-tourism trends and threats.

On this occasion, I thought, I want to draw attention to what effect a picture has on the people on whom, for a moment, we want to sharpen our focus.

 Pictures as a gift

After spending time filming and interacting with the local inhabitants of Wajela community, my female guide Workeye and I were no longer surprised, and were a little amused too, to hear the same question being produced after each new person agreed to pose in front of my camera.
“When will you send me back this picture?”

This is what we do, as tourists: we go to places and we take in the beauty, we leave carbon footprints and, hopefully, something positive too, but hardly ever a picture.

And, although the locals can see the beauty of the fields and the mountains around them, a simple picture of themselves is something they don’t have access to.

Considering also that seeing themselves clearly reflected in a mirror is not a common experience for most inhabitants of rural villages, imagine what it could mean to them to see themselves on shiny glossy paper, or just on the screen of a new generation of device.

The whole experience of being photographed can represent something big and relevant in their lives.

When one of the old priests I met in the backyard of a church asked me if he could receive that picture with a frame, I admit that I burst into a loud and incredulous laugh, astonished by the request.

But in the exact same moment ‘the penny dropped’ and suddenly I could see the frame that he was asking me to bring, placed in a corner of his modest thatched residence. For a long, intense second, I felt what he was feeling while looking at the image of that framed picture, the simple pride, the recognition, his special mirror. All the reasons to laugh vanished in the next second, then I crouched and shot his portrait, my knee brushing the ground, holding my breath, click.

Photo Credits @Elisa Spampinato

For a moment I felt that my camera had become more than a storage for visual memories, or a tool for an artistic creation, and it had transformed into a selfless bridge builder to serve, for once, the person on the other side of the lens.

That moment represented more than just giving back, to me – it was a silent cultural connector, playing its role quietly but effectively. Helping me to make him be seen.

**

Who are you taking that picture for?

Is it just for yourself, or to share your memories with your family and friends? 

Perhaps that photograph can help you to open a dialogue with another human being, a dialogue that will not only help to dismantle stereotypes, but which also has the potential to become an opportunity to create an equal and non-monetary exchange between two usually distant universes, momentarily stroking each other’s edges. 

** 

Conclusion

As travellers, even if we have no aspiration to become a photo reporter or a visual blogger, the simple thought of considering who is on the other side of the lens, and what a picture might mean to them – at every single shot – can help us to become more respectful and conscious.

Photo Credits @Rocinha Original Tours

A photograph can be used as a bridge builder between distant people and cultures, and it can play the strategic role of human and cultural connector.

When the end goal is not the picture itself, but an experience, we can aim to connect with other human beings through our camera.

Especially because we shouldn’t rely on a photo to store our memories.

Sometimes the precious moment that you hold in your heart is the picture that was never taken – the one you wanted to, but knew you shouldn’t take, or the resonant laughter that rung out before or after the click. That is what will make your heart swell when your mind travels back to that place.

Rocinha Original Tours

(This blog has been written by Elisa Spampinato, a travel writer & Community Storyteller, CEO & Founder at Traveller Storyteller)

I hadn’t been to the island of Crete since a childhood holiday in the 80’s, so I jumped on the invitation to explore the prestigious Elounda Penninsula All Suite hotel in early May and make new memories.

Geographically speaking, Crete is unique being equidistant from Europe, Asia and Africa. It is Greece’s largest island measuring 260 kilometres long and anything from 12 to 56 kilometres wide. It is mountainous in parts and offers huge variations in both landscape and climate. Olive groves and vineyards are interspersed with short mountain ranges, and the north of the island’s inviting bays and ports contrast with the more rugged coastline of the south.

Spring in Crete truly begins in April, when the island is awash in flowers. Temperatures aren't too hot at this time, making it a great season for hiking and cycling. By April the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. Summer is almost pure sunshine in Crete and often warm temperatures, as heatwaves from Africa  can cause the mercury to rise.

We flew into Crete in early May and it was so easy with regular flights from London Gatwick to Heraklion with EasyJet during the day and evening. The flight time is a mere 4 hours.Arriving in the evening at Heraklion airport we were escorted from the airport terminal to a luxury mini-van with its cool air conditioning and chilled water. The whole process was effortless and a quick transfer of around 45 minutes meant we were soon warmly welcomed by staff at the Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel.

 The hotel is located in Eastern Crete is also just a few miles north of Agios Nikolas and very near to the town of Elounda. I was intrigued to experience staying here as it is one of the most exclusive hotels in Greece and “Europe’s top seafront luxury hotel” according to Conde Nast Traveler, with 59 suites and villas. Positioned on a peninsular stretch of land, it enjoys an outstanding location overlooking the Bay of Elounda, Mirabello Bay, and the Aegean Sea. The view is blue as far as the eye can see and the water crystal clear. The hotel is reached by a private road that leads to the reception area on the top floor, with expansive verandas making you feel like you are on the bridge of a ship.

Additionally, I learnt the hotel is designed so that all rooms have a sea view and privacy balcony, some also include a plunge pool or pool. The complex looks like a charming Greek Village complete with stone walkways and vibrant vegetation and it is just delightful to wander around.

The Elounda Peninsula Hotel has All Suite attached to its name for the reason that all their accommodations are luxury suites: the Junior Suites Sea View, the Peninsula Collection Suites, Beachfront Junior Suites, Peninsula Grand Villas, Presidential Suites, Presidential Villas, Diamond Residences, Royal Grand Suite, and the Peninsula Residence. (Seafront presidential suites have exclusive access to the sea)

The VIP treatment started from the time I stepped into the hotel. Each of us was welcomed with a refreshing glass of bubbly and a ‘Peninsula Welcome Treat’ and surprise courtesies were left out every day during our stay. Checking into my Junior Suite did not disappoint. A spacious room, jaw dropping views of the bay and gorgeous furnishings. A luxurious bathroom complete with all the bath amenities you could think of. Comfort is not in any way compromised– they provide feather pillows which are hypoallergenic and a huge and comfortable bed. From the bedsheet up to the tiniest details such as the marble tiles in the bathroom, their rooms certainly exceeded all my expectations.

The luxury doesn’t stop when you leave the main hotel since the resort has its own private beach for the exclusive use of Elounda Peninsula guests, set around a stunning tranquil cove where the staff are constantly on hand to bring cold water, fresh fruit, cold compresses or anything else that takes your fancy. You can swim, snorkel, relax and just watch the world go by.

Guests can use the extensive family facilities offered at the adjoining Porto Elounda GOLF & SPA RESORT, just a couple of minutes walk away, with the animal-themed kids club and creche. Children can enjoy indoor and outdoor play areas, and 2 supervised shallow pools. There is mask making, cookie baking and treasure hunts, as well unique activities like mini Olympic games and growing tomatoes in the garden. Even 6-month old babies are taken care of, freeing up some valuable time for parents. There is also AstroTurf tennis courts, a movie theatre for private screenings and 9-hole golf course within the resort.

And, for those who prefer water-based activities, there are multiple boats for water-skiing and wakeboarding, with instructors available to teach beginners or help you improve your skills.

No account of the resort would be complete without mentioning the outstanding quality and variety of the restaurants. From Asian cuisine to Authentic Greek Culinary Experience, Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel has has a wide array of options.

The gourmet restaurant Calypso, delivered culinary delights in an exclusive ambiance, next to a turquoise pool that seems to overflow into the sea. My favourite was the Greek degustation evening at the seaside Odysseus restaurant complete with live Bouzouki, Greek meze and a wide variety of speciality dishes.

 The impressive Kelari wine cellar, home to a truly remarkable selection of labels spanning decades offers private tasting conducted by an awarded sommelier, as well as private dining for up to 8 guests. Koh Pan-Asian Restaurant, located just above sea level at the very tip of the peninsula, offers a magical setting in which to enjoy culinary delights from the Far East.

Don’t miss the Cretan night – a traditional Cretan feast full of local flavours and delicacies accompanied by music and traditional dance in which guests can participate in the square. Meat and poultry are cooked in a Cretan way only using the finest ingredients and the best extra-virgin olive oil that Crete is famous for. Of course, a meal wouldn’t be complete without the oh-so-yummy Cretan Desserts!

For those seeking something a little more sedate, a visit to the Six Senses spa is a must on any visit to the hotel; a winner of multiple awards, it overlooks the hotel complex so enjoys stunning views over the cove and across the bay. The spa offers a comprehensive range of treatments with talented therapists and I loved having a chance to relax with a full body massage.

The two mornings I was there I also attended the morning yoga and pilates group class held on the beach with private instructor, followed by a morning dip in the refreshing sea. What a delight!

One of the highlights of our trip was an afternoon excursion by boat across the blue waters to the island of Spinalonga. Nicknamed as the island of the living dead, Spinalonga, lies at the natural harbor of Elounda. Despite being a small barren island of 85 acres, it carries a long history and holds a special place in the Greeks' hearts, while it preserves its beauty notwithstanding its dark past. It was used as a leper colony from 1903 to 1957, and the fascinating aspects of its history are explored (and made famous) in The Island by Victoria Hislop.

The outstanding facilities at the Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotel combined with the wonderfully attentive and welcoming staff, scrumptious food and sublime location are just some of reasons why I am looking forward to a return visit soon. 3 days wasn’t long enough!

Zoe travelled in May 2022 courtesy of Flospitality and the team at the Elounda Peninsula All Suite Hotell

I am BIG on self-care. It’s an important part of my daily life and I weave it into the fabric of my being daily. And, unless you have been living under a rock recently, you will also be familiar with the concept of self-care and just how important it is becoming in this life when we are constantly being pulled in a thousand directions.

Intentional self-care is all about taking the time to check-in with yourself physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually to ensure that you are healthy and functioning at your best. It’s about creating a better body, mind & soul for yourself and it has real short and long term effects. 

And I recently discovered a new form of self-care. The supernova of self-care acts - if you will - in the form of solo travel.

The simple fact of the matter is that after the last few years many of us are feeling mentally and emotional battered and just utterly exhausted. For me, it didn’t matter how much Yoga, meditation, walks in nature or long baths I had, I was still feeling utterly depleted.

Then I went on a solo trip to the hills of Bologna, Italy, as Travel Ambassador for Travel Matters and discovered the power of solo travel as a form of self-care. I was only away for two nights, but let me tell you - it was the most empowering, liberating and mentally rejuvenating two nights I had experienced in a long time.

With that said, today I want to share with you how fantastically wonderful solo travel is a very much needed form of self-care:

1. Learning about and reconnecting with yourself

When you are travelling by yourself, it can take some time to get used to being in your own company, but although strange at first once you relax into it you really do start to enjoy the solitude and the sweetness it brings. 

Solo travel is a great way of spending a serious chunk of time by yourself, and is a great way to reconnect, know and trust yourself, your abilities and your intuition.

2. It’s all about you

How often do you get to do exactly what you want and when you want on holiday? In my personal experience, that is almost never because usually, I am trying to accommodate the want and needs of my family.

When you’re travelling alone you get to do exactly as you please, when you please. You can put yourself above all others, because there are no others! 

3. Dedication to recharging your batteries

Solitude brings an unparalleled opportunity to recharge your batteries, in peace and quiet. You can be as lazy as you want, sleep as long as you want, stroll through nature as long as you want, lie by the pool as long as you want. You get the picture!

4. Being you - unapologetically

Are you blighted by the modern-day infliction of selflessness? Over time, selflessness can seriously deplete your energy levels and sense of self. Solo travel is the perfect opportunity to redress the balance. The beauty of solo travel is that you are free to experience your destination and fulfil your desires. You do not need to wear a myriad of hats - partner, parent, boss, employee, friend, confident. You are just 100% you, and 100% in control, and that is incredibly empowering.,

5. Seeing the world with fresh eyes again

So often when I go away with the family, I come back from a holiday needing another holiday. But with solo travel, you leave all the burnout and overwhelm behind, and are so well rested that you come back seeing the world with fresh eyes again, and in technicolour. You have a newfound gratitude for all that is in your life, and that is nothing short of priceless.

So as you can tell, I am a firm advocate of solo travel! It was the first time in 15 years I had experienced it, but now I’ve had another taste of it, I can’t wait to do it again. I’ve realised what a precious form of self-care it is, and how beneficial it is for our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. If only our GPs would prescribe it! But failing that, why not talk to the team at Travel Matters about how you can get your dose of solo travel self-care here.

(Talya, Travel Matters Travel Ambassador, travelled in May 2022 to Palazzo Di Varignana. She is the proud Founder of Motherhood: The Real Deal and 40 Now What)