Inspiration

Ideas and travel inspiration for new trips and travel by The Professional Traveller

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Southerness Things To Do – Cute Cafes, Wonderful Wildlife & Sandy Beaches

Are you planning on visiting Southerness? Want some ideas of things to do in the area? Great then check out this list of things we did during our week long stay in November 2021. (If you want to check out the holiday cottage we stayed in have a look at Southerness Self Catering, which includes a video tour inside the property) Southerness Things to Do Streetlights Cafe, Castle Douglas Streetlights was one of the first cafes we visited during our holiday and it was fabulous. It was a dog friendly cafe, which we didn’t know at first but we went… Read More »Southerness Things To Do – Cute Cafes, Wonderful Wildlife & Sandy Beaches

hotel sol e mar albufeira the professional traveller

Hotel Sol E Mar Albufeira – Fab Hotel With Amazing Location

Are you looking for a great hotel in Albufeira? Right on the beach? With great facilities? Well fab. You are in the right place. Check out my review of a 4 night stay at this lovely beachfront hotel. Hotel Sol E Mar Albufeira – 4 Night Stay We chose the Hotel Sol E Mar Albufeira because we liked the location – right on the beach with easy access into Albufeira itself. Given we were not hiring a car it made it easy to explore what we wanted to from the hotel and we enjoyed exploring each day on foot, although… Read More »Hotel Sol E Mar Albufeira – Fab Hotel With Amazing Location

vidamar resort algarve the professional traveller

Vidamar Resort Algarve – Fantastic Resort Hotel in Fab Location

Are you looking for a great resort styled hotel with everything in one place? Then check out my review of a 3 night stay at the Vidamar Resort Algarve. It’s a lovely hotel, with great rooms, plus spa facilities, beach access and a choice of restaurants.  Vidamar Resort Algarve I stayed at the Vidamar Resort Algarve with a holiday group that I was taking on a trip through Portugal. I was the group Tour Manager and this was the first time I had stayed at the VidaMar Resort hotel We flew into Faro airport and transferred to the VidaMar resort… Read More »Vidamar Resort Algarve – Fantastic Resort Hotel in Fab Location

vilamoura holiday the professional traveller

Vilamoura Holiday – 2 Great Hotels & Things To Do

Are you considering a Vilamoura holiday? Well that’s great to hear – it’s a lovely destination. Check out this post which includes things to do in Vilamoura and reviews of two lovely hotels in Vilamoura as well. A Vilamoura holiday is a great idea – it’s a quieter resort than it’s nearby neighbour Albufeira with a little more greenery and space around it. It’s a great base for exploring everything the Algarve region has to offer and it is within easy reach of Faro airport. Keep reading to check out my review of two Vilamoura hotels plus things to do… Read More »Vilamoura Holiday – 2 Great Hotels & Things To Do

loch ness tour the professional traveller

Loch Ness Tour – Fab Views, Cute Cafes & A Great Drive

Thinking of visiting Loch Ness? Why not drive the complete way round it on this circular easy one day Loch Ness tour. Most people have heard of Loch Ness. It’s one of the most visited places in the Scottish Highlands. What many people who visit the area don’t know is that the Eastern side of Loch Ness is much less visited than the Western side but the views are stunning, plus there are plenty of things to see so it is well worth a visit. Here is an itinerary for your own Loch Ness Tour – a beautiful circular drive… Read More »Loch Ness Tour – Fab Views, Cute Cafes & A Great Drive

australia tours the professional traveller

Australia Tours – 4 Top Tours Compared Side by Side

Are you looking for Australia Tours? Considering the trip of a lifetime to this wonderful country? Great! Then I have something that might help finding your perfect tour a little easier. I’ve compared Australia tours from 4 of the biggest operators, giving you detailed information on their itinerary to help you find which tour might suit you best. Tour itineraries do change and this article is meant to help you narrow down your choices for further research of your own – after all you know what you are interested in and what a tour that suits you needs to include.… Read More »Australia Tours – 4 Top Tours Compared Side by Side

azores island hopping the professional traveller

Azores Island Hopping – In Depth Guide to a Great Tour

Are you looking for an Azores Island Hopping holiday? Do you want inside tips and information about the itinerary from someone who has been? Great! You are in the exactly the right place. I have taken 5 or 6 British groups on holidays to the Azores Island Hopping and it is somewhere I really enjoy visiting. If you haven’t already read it I would recommend my Azores Holidays Guide . This gives you a detailed overview of the main hotels, the main places visited, excursions and much more – it’s everything you need to know about the Azores, what to… Read More »Azores Island Hopping – In Depth Guide to a Great Tour

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Azores Holidays – A Great Hidden But Accessible Gem

Things to Visit in Ponta Delgada Gruta Do Carvao If you want to get inside of a lava tube you can do this quite easily by visiting this cave. It is in what seems to be an odd location because now a road has been built nearby. You visit this cave with a guide who gives an explanation of what you are seeing. I have had a few guests do this and they enjoyed it, saying it took no more than 45 minutes. Some took a local bus and walked and some walked from the hotel to the upper part… Read More »Azores Holidays – A Great Hidden But Accessible Gem

birmingham city break the professional traveller

Birmingham City Break with Vintage Cinema & Coffin Museum – Bostin!

Considering a Birmingham city break? Want to know a bit more about what this city has to offer? Great! Then check out this review of a weekend trip to Birmingham with details of things to do and places to visit. Getting to Birmingham City Break from the Highlands I flew from Inverness to Birmingham. There used to be a regular service operated by Flybe. There is a service between Inverness and Birmingham which is now operated by Loganair. Check my article on getting to the Highlands if you are interested in travelling the other way. Birmingham City Break Travelling from Birmingham… Read More »Birmingham City Break with Vintage Cinema & Coffin Museum – Bostin!

grasmere lake district

Grasmere Lake District – A Little Gem With Lots to Enjoy

Looking to visit Grasmere Lake District? It’s a super cute village with some interesting places to visit and lovely views. Check out my guide to what to see and do. Grasmere Lake District – What To See and Do I have been lucky enough to visit Grasmere Lake District several times with groups over 2019 and I have to say it’s one of my favourite stops along our tour. That may because I am a country girl at heart and I prefer villages. Whatever the reason spending a couple of days in the country is always a treat. Grasmere Lake… Read More »Grasmere Lake District – A Little Gem With Lots to Enjoy

istanbul city break the professional traveller

Istanbul City Break – What It Was Like As Solo Female (Challenging!)

Thinking of taking an Istanbul city break? If so check out my guide based on a stay near Taksim Square and using public transport. Here is my review of a 3 night stay that I took, travelling on my own as a solo female. Istanbul City Break Getting To Istanbul From Inverness I booked my outward and return flights with British Airways from Inverness to Istanbul. I booked them about 5 or 6 months in advance. In that time period British Airways cancelled the return leg of the flight from Istanbul to London as they stopped operating that flight. They… Read More »Istanbul City Break – What It Was Like As Solo Female (Challenging!)