Andrew Brittain, Author at Footsteps Family Travel Inspiration

25Oct 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Driving to Sa Calobra

Sa Calobra is possibly Mallorca's most-unique beach, set between two enormous cliff faces at the mouth of the 'Torrent de Pareis' which is a gorge that cuts through the mountainous terrain of the Serra de Tramuntana to the north-west of the island. The winding mountain road to Sa Calobra The beach at Sa Calobra itself and the incredible scenery of…

20Oct 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Cala d’Egos: Hiking Trail Near Port d’Andratx to Cala d’Egos Beach

Mallorca

If you're looking for a hiking trail near Port d'Andratx, where you can hike through a stunning cliff-side forest down to a wild and otherwise inaccessible cala beach, then the hiking trail to Cala d'Egos on the western side of Mallorca is for you. Cala d'Egos, near Port d'Andratx, is a remote beach in a secluded cove that is completely…

14Aug 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Best countries to visit in the Middle East in 2024

Middle East

The Middle East has been renowned for its authentic charm, timeless elegance, rich culture, historic monuments, modern tourist attractions, and delightful cuisine. Let us browse the fascinating Middle-Eastern countries that guarantee a splendid holiday experience. United Arab Emirates (UAE) Starting from the humble beginnings of a fishing and pearl village, the UAE has transformed into a modern metropolis that is…

13Jul 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Grecotel Luxme White Palace Hotel Review

Greece

Our review of the Grecotel Luxme White Palace hotel in Crete - a luxury five-star all-inclusive hotel, where we stayed for a week… One type of holiday we haven’t done before is the relaxing, beach / pool all-inclusive hotel stay. Our usual holidays are normally full of activities and excursions, with the accommodation generally being just somewhere for us to…

13Jul 2024 by Andrew Brittain

How to Find Kourtaliotiko Gorge in Crete

Greece

We had heard that there was a mountain gorge in Crete with a river that leads to a hidden waterfall - called Kourtaliotiko Gorge, so after several days doing something we rarely do on holiday (just laying by the pool and beach at our hotel) we decided to take a trip out to find the gorge waterfall in the Crete…

26May 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Doha City Tour by Taxi

Qatar

Having visited a couple of parts of Doha close to our hotel on our first day in Qatar, we were aware there was a lot more to see a bit further afield, but weren’t sure of the best places in Doha to visit and in what order, given our limited time in the city. But then, whilst taking a taxi…

25May 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Day Trip to Banana Island, Qatar

Qatar

Banana Island is a luxury 5-star hotel and beach resort on a purpose-built island that sits about a 20-minute boat ride from the coast of Qatar. We were staying in a city-centre hotel in Qatar, so thought it’d be good to spend one day away from the city at a quieter, more relaxing beach venue - as we had tours…

22May 2024 by Andrew Brittain

4WD Desert Safari, Doha – With Qatar International Tours

Qatar

The highlight of our stop-over in Doha, Qatar was a 4-wheel drive desert sunset safari that we booked with Qatar International Tours. It was fun, interesting and a chance to see the nature of Qatar beyond the built-up city region. Our car for the 4wd desert safari with Qatar International Tours We were met at our hotel at about 2pm…

21Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Travel Center Review: Our Family Holiday to Thailand with Travel Center UK

Thailand

On almost all the holidays we go on, we like booking our own accommodation, travel and excursions ourselves independently. However on our family trip to Thailand we decided to use a travel agent called Travel Center, who would arrange the whole trip for us - all the flights, accommodation, transfers, excursions - virtually everything was organised for us by Travel…

20Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Bangkok ‘Your Thai Guide’ Tour Review

Thailand

Bangkok is a massive city full of attractions and sights to see - and getting around is definitely not straightforward. The public transport is difficult to navigate, the traffic is horrendous - and it’s boiling hot, hectic and generally a difficult place to find your way around if you’re not familiar with the city. We only had limited time in…

17Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Ban Sainai Hotel, Krabi – Review

Thailand

Our review of Ban Sainai hotel in Krabi, Thailand, close to the town and beach area of Ao Nang. We stayed at Ban Sainai in Krabi for four nights on our travels around Thailand and thoroughly enjoyed absolutely everything about the resort - it’s a superb, beautiful hotel and one we would very highly recommend for a family stay in…

16Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Elephant Hills, Thailand: Review

Thailand

Elephant Hills is a jungle adventure camp in Khao Sok national park, Thailand. They call it a ‘soft’ adventure, which I think is a good description of the balance they’ve created of spending time in the beautiful natural environment of the Khao Sok jungle, but in a way that’s comfortable, suitable for families and people of all ages and abilities…

15Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Phi Phi Islands Tour from Krabi, With Sea Eagle Tours

Thailand

Many of the most beautiful parts of coastal Thailand around the Phang Nag bay lie on islands which require boat trips to visit. There are many such boat trips available - a huge selection to choose from whether that’s on the travel websites like Tripadvisor and Viator, or directly with local operators and agents that have stalls around the main…

14Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

James Bond Island Tour With Crystal Sea Marine

Thailand

During our stay in Krabi we had loved seeing the islands of Phang Nga Bay from boat trips, so having arrived in Phuket we were keen to see more from the other side of the bay, so started searching for full day boat tours from Phuket. We ended up picking one from the holiday tours website Viatour with a Phuket…

14Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Ao Nang 7-Islands Sunset Tour Review

Thailand

After a superb day visiting the Phi Phi Islands with Sea Eagle Tours, we decided we wanted to see more of the islands around Krabi and Ao Nang, but this time at a different time of day, with the sun setting in the late afternoon and early evening. At one of the kiosks in Ao Nang promoting boat tours, we…

13Apr 2024 by Andrew Brittain

Is the Phuket Big Buddha worth visiting?

Thailand

From all around the west coast of Phuket you may get the feeling of being watched over by a figure sat high on a hillside above you - that of the Phuket ‘Big Buddha’ statue. After a day exploring viewpoints around Phuket town, we decided to take the trip up the hillside to view the Big Buddha up close. The…

24Dec 2023 by Andrew Brittain

P&O Arvia Caribbean Cruise Review: What to Expect on a Caribbean Cruise on P&O Arvia

Caribbean

We booked a two-week Caribbean cruise with P&O on its newest ship Arvia, having been amazed the previous year by its almost identical sister ship Iona in the Norwegian Fjords. What we hoped for was to get away from the dreadful British winter weather and to see a part of the world we’d not visited before, in a way that…

24Dec 2023 by Andrew Brittain

P&O Arvia – Tortola to Virgin Gorda Independent Excursion

Caribbean

Our first port of call on our P&O Arvia Caribbean cruise was the British Virgin Island of Tortola. We hadn’t booked a P&O excursion in Tortola, as we’d read that it’s easy enough to visit the Virgin Gorda baths yourself independently, so we decided to make our own way over to Virgin Gorda from Tortola by ferry. The beautiful P&O…

24Dec 2023 by Andrew Brittain

P&O Arvia Caribbean Cruise Excursion – Escape to Saona Island, Dominican Republic

Caribbean

For our second shore excursion on our P&O Arvia Caribbean cruise, we’d picked to do the P&O excursion to Saona Island in the Dominican Republic. It promised a full day with all the things we’d hoped for on a day trip in the Caribbean - boat rides, snorkelling, all food and drink catered and remote island beaches - and we…

24Dec 2023 by Andrew Brittain

P&O’s Rocklands Estate Ultimate Thrill Zipline Excursion, St Martin

Caribbean

With most of our shore excursions on our P&O Arvia Caribbean cruise being beach-based, we wanted to pick something a bit different for our excursion in St Martin, so decided to do the zipline excursion at Rocklands Estate, booked direct through P&O. Rocklands Estate is a kind of adventure park set in the forests of St Martin. A view of…