Travel in 2022: Exploring Far and Wide

As we reach the end of January 2023 (how did that happen), it’s only now that I have a chance to reflect back on an extraordinary year of travel in 2022. This time last year I wrote about my trials and travels of 2021 which you can read about by clicking here. In there I alluded to the fact that 2022 was actually a big year for me – one of reaching my Big-60 and one that I had many hopes for. Well I’m happy to tell you that dreams can come true and for me my 61st year on planet earth turned out to be one of the most surprising and widely-travelled ones of my life.

My 2022 in Numbers

Countries visited: 12

Towns/cities visited: 38

Flights flown: 35

I went to Spain and Italy three times each, South Africa and Greece twice each, France, Portugal, St Lucia and Turkey once each and visited Montenegro, Croatia, Canada and Malaysia for the first time. Between May and December I explored four continents – Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Phew and hooray!

The bulk of these trips was for work, I know great work if you can get it but I did have some delightful trips of pure holiday relaxation, too. And it’s fair to say I really know my way around an airport now…I can whizz through them in record time. Here is my happy travel story of 2022.

Two-time South Africa

The continent of my birth and one I always love visiting. Starting with an escape from the English winter where we basked in the warmth and joys of Cape Town, Franschhoek and Paternoster. Happy to be back in our second home for the first time in two years. Can you tell?

I then came back in November for a work trip to explore the Battlefields, Bush and Beaches of Kwa-Zulu Natal. I absorbed the brutal stories of the battle of Islandwana and Rorke’s Drift with a stay at Fugitive’s Drift, watched lions defending their patches with ferocity at Nambiti Hills and immersed myself in the utter luxury and undeniable class of Umhlanga’s Oyster Box Hotel. A fascinating time with accommodation of true luxury and great food. And one that rekindled my love for the elephants, lions and majestic giraffes of Africa.

Cruising the Magnificent Med

So my big birthday treat was a cruise from Athens to Barcelona, topped and tailed with a stay on the beautiful island of Crete and two days in Barcelona at the end. How I love a cruise and this was one of my favourite ever. We travelled with our dearest friends Jules and Richard, who we hadn’t seen for quite some time and it was all magical. Our beautiful selection of stops were  Santorini, Kotor in Montenegro, Messina in Sicily and Naples.

Santorini’s white villages appear to tumble down the slopes, though thankfully they never quite disappear into the turquoise sea below.

Tanned feet and sparkling blue water. Heavenly.

We spent my birthday in beautiful Kotor exploring and lunching (and drinking plenty of local wine). Here I am in all my birthday splendour – thank you Jules! I walked Kotor’s ancient streets with calls of happy birthday echoing through the air. Truly a day to remember.

My best birthday ever ended in spectacular style. We left Kotor to sail through the biggest one of the biggest fjords in Europe with the strains of the Loveboat claxon call echoing through the mountains. I had tears of happiness in my eyes.

In Sicily we explored the ancient streets of Taormina. From Naples we visited picturesque Positano and devoured pizza and vino in sunny Sorento.

I love a cruise so much I have to seriously pull myself together when I disembark. Seriously, I’m ready to burst into tears. This time it wasn’t so bad as we had two nights in Barcelona to look forward to. A city that never disappoints with its spectacular architecture, friendly people and the unforgettable Mercado de La Boqueria. The perfect ending to the perfect birthday celebration. Can I do this every year?!

Return to Italy

Two weeks after my day in beautiful Taormina, I was back on the island of Sicily. This time for work and to test out the two of the fabulous villas in the VillaTravellers portfolio. We sampled all the lovely local ingredients and wines and discovered what became one of my favourite towns in my 2022 travel year – beautiful Cefalu by the sea.

My trio of 2022 Italian visits was completed in October when I visited Tuscany on another work trip. Villa living deep in the Tuscan hills in a luxurious home high on a hill overlooking picturesque Siena. We went wine tasting, meandered around the cobbled hilly streets of Siena and chilled by the pool.

Oh – and a once-in-a-lifetime experience – I went up in a hot air balloon. I have an illogical (and somewhat random) fear of heights but couldn’t pass up this experience. Okay I was terrified most of the time but the views were jaw-droppingly gorgeous and the complete peace and silence unique. We landed to prosecco and a platter of Tuscan pastries and prosciutto. Worth facing the fear.

More Spanish heaven

Visiting Barcelona for the second time in two months I headed straight to the Costa Brava for a stay at Hostal de la Gavinia. My love for Spain is well-documented and this trip could only reinforce it. A hotel that oozes class and style set in the land of spectacular scenery, expansive beaches and azure seas, sublime food and Spanish artist royalty Salvador and Gala Dali. Take me back there soon, please.

And then of course there’s La Manga. A place we have been visiting the region for over 25 years now. Every year we discover more about the stunning areas surrounding the resort and our Spanishness slowly expands. Love the towns of Cabo de Palos, Mar de Cristal, and the extensive La Manga strip as well as nearby Los Alcazares. Take me to a chiringuito (beach bar) and I’ll be happy forever.

Sexy, Spectacular, Sumptuous – the South of France

Nothing oozes glitz and glamour or natural beauty quite like the South of France. I’d forgotten this until I arrived at Airelles Gordes La Bastide built into the cliffside overlooking the Luberon valley. Everything was gasp-inducing – the views, the food, the wine, the beautiful rooms and bathrooms, the spa. And just when I thought nothing could ever get better the second half of our trip was to Saint Tropez and the spectacularly beautiful Chateau de la Messadiere. I’ve never stayed in such a breathtakingly stylish room with a mini bar bigger than some delis I’ve shopped in and a bathroom so big a small family could happily make it home. Not to mention my terrace which was half the size of my garden at home (and I don’t have a tiny garden), the world-class restaurants and the beach club…oh the gorgeous beach club. Gosh! How can anything ever compare ever again?

Living my best life in St Tropez. Who’d have thought?!

The Bluest of Blues and Sunshine on Rhodes

I discovered Greece late in my travel journey. Kicking myself for that! I have been to Rhodes before but it was a brief visit so when a work trip came up I couldn’t resist. I stayed half the time in Lindos Village and the other half in Rhodes Town. What food (Greek salad will never be the same again), what fun and what shopping opportunities! I’m not really a shopper but I got properly stuck in at Rhodes Old Town!

Finding Paradise: Sugar Beach St Lucia

Terry and I got married on the beach in St Lucia –  a long, long time ago (32 years to be specific). For some reason we have never returned to this gem of a Caribbean island. So I grabbed the (work) opportunity for a stay at the uber-luxury Sugar Beach Resort & Spa. Why had it taken me so long to go back there? It’s such a stunning island with lush jungle-like vegetation, balmy calm seas and the ever-dominant Pitons standing proudly on guard. At Sugar Beach I had my very own one-bedroom villa complete with several terraces, a plunge pool and stunning views. And the food…in my opinion the Caribbean generally is not noted for its exceptional dining opportunities. Well, Sugar Beach is, take my word for it.

So now we’re coming to the end of August. Yes, only August. Are you keeping up? I’ve got used to quick turnarounds between trips and have banished all thoughts of jetlag from my mind. I focus on the time wherever I am and go to bed early if I feel tired. Sometimes wake up mega early in the morning but it’s always in a beautiful place and I always have writing to do, so that’s a bonus really. I’m ready to continue exploring.

Exploring Lisbon and Chilling in Comporta

So it’s off to Portugal. This was a work trip organised by The Luxury Travel Book and I stayed in two stunning villas, one in Lisbon and one on the beach in the relatively undiscovered seaside resort of Comporta. We explored Lisbon in sidecars (so much fun), ate at trendy restaurants and enjoyed time relaxing at our beautiful house. The next day we took the short ferry trip across to Comporta and checked in to seaside heaven. Two days of chilling, visiting fabulous local wineries and restaurants and walking along the expansive white sandy beach (a mostly empty one, too). Only my second visit to Portugal and I feel I’ll be back.

Captivated by Croatia

It’s September and time to visit a country I’ve never been to. I’ve seen pictures, I’ve talked about how much I want to go there and I’ve been told by many a friend how beautiful it is. High expectations then. We flew to Dubrovnik for a stay in the luxurious Excelsior Palace where I luxuriated in a suite four times the size of my first bedsit in London. I was astounded at how beautiful the country is and how they have adapted and developed so incredibly well considering they were war-torn in fairly recent times. I ate oysters straight out of the sea in Ston, did a cookery course on a traditional family-farm (best chicken dish ever) and gourmeted at several restaurants, all with breathtaking views. And that was the work bit.

After that was over I hopped on a catamaran and headed to Korcula one of Croatia’s many islands. There are over 1,000 of them and as luck would have it, I’d chosen a gem to visit. Really chilled with a beautiful old town which I stayed on the margins of and views that can’t be beaten.

My final stop in Croatia was Cavtat (pronounced Savtat). My kind of place with restaurants and bars lining the bay and stunning blue horizon views from my balcony. Croatia rocks!

O Canada you’re so fine

Another first-time for me. Toronto in Canada. I’ve never had any desire to go to Canada and boy was I wrong. Toronto blew me away. It’s such a beautiful city set on the shores of Lake Ontario with an incredibly diverse population of some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Because of the diversity, the restaurant scene is astounding and we went from Japanese to Middle Eastern to American to European cuisine to traditional Canadian barbecue. I experienced live games (not matches) of basketball (fun, noisy and fast) and football (less fun, less noisy and pretty slow), went to the theatre to see Mean Girls (how I laughed) and fell in love with this tremendously friendly and welcoming city. Definitely on my list for returning. I know, another one.

This is my view from my picture window at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel overlooking Lake Ontario. Not too shabby!

Dazzling reflections on Toronto.

Turkish Delight Exploring Vibrant Istanbul

Probably my biggest leap across timelines in this jet-setting ’22 year was flying back from Toronto,  a few days at home in London and then hopping on a plane to head east to Istanbul. It had to be done. We were staying in the Shangri-La Boshporus. Never turn down the opportunity to stay in a Shangri-La. Trust me. And Istanbul has so much to offer – the only capital city in the world to straddle two continents – fabulous food, beautifully diverse architecture and such a positive energy. We breakfasted on a yacht while sailing the Bosphorus, ate in exceptional restaurants, shopped in the Grand Bazaar and visited historic sites that go back so far in time it’s hard to imagine.

Holiday Time in Magical Malaysia

Well that was quite a working year travelling the globe. Just to prove how much I love travelling I then embarked on a holiday tour of discovery of Malaysia, another first for me. We started in Kuala Lumpur, progressed to Penang beachside and then Georgetown and spent our final week on Langkawi. Another fabulous country. It’s such an amalgam of Indian, Chinese and Malay with a bit of British thrown in and a mix of myriad religions as a result. This makes for a fascinating country with delicious and varied food. Oh and the beaches are heavenly. The perfect way to see out an astounding year.

So to Summarise

In 2022 I cruised the Med in style and celebrated my 60th birthday in Montenegro. I lived the high life in the South of France, soaked up the sun on Greek Islands, absorbed the Spanish spirit in cities and chiringuitos. I wandered the streets and beach of my new favourite Italian town (Cefalu) as part of my trip to Sicily, and took to the Tuscan skies in a hot air balloon. I explored the streets of Lisbon in a side car and walked the spectacular beaches of Comporta. I fell in love with Croatia’s charms, spent dreamy days in the shadow of the Pitons in St Lucia and absorbed the innate style of the Costa Brava. I communed with lions and elephants and explored the beaches and the winelands in South Africa, cheered on the Raptors in Canada, shopped in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and explored the food and culture of Malaysia. What a year. Here’s to 2023…let’s see what you hold.