Category Archives: Holidays

Travel review: New Joisey

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Last summer, dad and I introduced ‘future mom’ to our usual USA trip itinerary. Dad would work a whole day and we’d dash to Heathrow after work to catch the late flight to the USA

We’d start our trips on the east coast as that late flight would get in late the same evening due to the time difference. Then, we’d be in the USA the next morning, all ready to start our holiday

I’ve written New Joisey deliberately as that’s the parody that that’s how the locals pronounce New Jersey. New Yorkers look down on those from the wrong side of the Hudson River and in general, the state isn’t held in the highest regard by other Americans Continue reading →

Travel review: America – a land of surprises

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Over all the last decade, dad and I have travelled extensively in the USA. Once you’ve worked your way through the laborious visa application process, they are generous in giving a 10 year multiple entry visa as standard

The USA is a land of many faces, both in the people and the landscape. Having seen the variety of natural beauty available in their own country, dad and I aren’t surprised that so few Americans have a passport because they can see so many aspects of the Earth’s wonders right home, from the icy glaciers of Alaska to the white beaches of Florida, from the arid desert of Death Valley to the forests of soaring redwoods in Northern California Continue reading →

Travel review: Heathrow airport

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London is served by 4 major airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and City) though Easyjet is trying to dupe unwary foreign flyers into believing that Southend on the east coast is in London

Heathrow still retains the cachet for foreign airlines and most fly there though a few now do also use Gatwick

Belying its military airfield beginning, Heathrow’s position in the middle of a dense residential area has limited its expansion over the years and the government are about to decide on which London airport gets a new runway. If it’s Heathrow, expect many years of disruption with building work Continue reading →

Travel review: Virgin Atlantic Airways

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Virgin Atlantic is my and dad’s trans-Atlantic airline of choice. Dad has the Virgin Atlantic credit card, so he collects miles for his purchases. If he spends enough in a year, he gets extra rewards like a free companion flight (yay for me!)

These miles can be used to get reductions in fares (only 2000 miles required for this) as well to get upgrades in class or even for ‘free’ flights. I’ve put parentheses around the word free because you still have to pay the taxes, which is about half the cost of the ticket. It is also very important to realise that there are limited numbers of reduced / upgradeable / free seats on any individual flight, so it’s important to book these seats early Continue reading →

‘Future mom’ treats dad to a day at SenSpa, Careys Manor Hotel in the New Forest

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Firstly, just a quick clarification. Dad and ‘future mom’ are getting married in August, after which she becomes my official mom!

‘Future mom’ had a little surprise for dad last weekend. To kick off their wedding year with something special, she had arranged a spa day for them both down in the New Forest

The New Forest is located in the south of England adjacent to the English Channel, giving it a nice mix of low lying forested areas, the sea and some charming villages. It’s also famous for its free wandering wildlife like ponies and pigs Continue reading →

Ted travels to Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean part 3

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Welcome back to the last part of my travel review to Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean. In part 1, I gave a little tour of the wonderful, romantic cabin at Forest Holidays and in part 2, I shared some sights close to the holiday site

In this last part, dad and I wanted to share some information about the dinners that we ate. Dad likes his fine dining and researches food options as an important part of his holiday planning

A couple of closer Michelin starred places were unfortunately closed the weekend that we visited. So, dad looked at the nearby Welsh foodie town of Abergavenny, which was about half an hour’s drive away Continue reading →

Ted travels to Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean part 2

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Welcome back to my review of Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean. In part 1, I covered the wonderful romantic cabin at Forest Holidays

In today’s posting, I shall share the fun activities and restaurants that dad, ‘future mum’ and I found around the Forest of Dean. The Forest of Dean lies right on the border between England and Wales with easy access to the Cotswolds to the east and the Brecon Beacons to the west Continue reading →

Ted travels to Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean part 1

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Dad wanted to take ‘future mom’ on a long weekend to celebrate her birthday. Just by chance, he saw an advert by Forest Holidays on TV, which looked fun

Forest Holidays offer nature-friendly holidays similar to CenterParcs but with fewer facilities. They have camps around England but dad chose the Forest of Dean on the English/Welsh border to make it seem like a proper trip away

Coming west along the M4, there’s a choice of route. Theres a longer route along bigger roads but the satnav took us cross country through small country lanes, which was a shorter route but a little more stressful for dad, who was driving. Having paid the toll to cross into Wales on the old Severn bridge, dad was then perturbed to find that we were staying back in England! Hehe Continue reading →

Video Proof that Teddy Bears love going on holiday

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Before I post my first travel review later this week, I wanted to say that we teddy bears love to travel. Anything to keep our mums and dads company and make them happy. I think this video sums it up beautifully

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6kMlGymb8jY

I look forward to sharing my first travel review with you in a few days time

Teddy bear holidays in Lapland

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Being indoor animals, we teddy bears don’t hibernate unlike our outdoor cousins. So, when the festive season comes around, we’re available for holiday travel

It’s the perfect time of year to make a magical visit to that most Christmas-sy of holiday destinations, Lapland. Well, fellow teddy bears, you’re in luck!


A Finnish travel agency, Teddy Tours Lapland, is offering tours to remote Lapland but only to teddy bears. Your host to Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle is none other than Continue reading →