You may recognise Kieron as a regular voice at the end of the phone or email when contacting the office. He joins us at many of our overseas events and festivals chatting to customers at the travel desk and enjoying the live music in his downtime.

He combines a love of music with visiting new destinations and exploring fabulous cities. With India and Sri-Lanka amongst his favourite holiday destinations he’s keen to help you discover new places and experiences of your own, so if you’re in need of some holiday inspiration, look no further…

Majorca

For me, Majorca will always hold a very special place in my heart. Growing up, my parents loved going away but my dad’s fear of flying stopped us in our tracks. We first went to Majorca in 1999 and totally fell in love with the island, so much so, it became our preferred holiday destination for many years. We tried different places over the years, but nothing compared to Majorca, and we always ended up back there. The people, the Spanish culture, the Spanish food, the Spanish weather…..

We’ve stayed all over the Island from the north in Port de Pollenca to the southwest in Santa Ponsa, where we actually have a t-shirt pinned to the ceiling in Celts Well Irish bar, featuring the names of our family members. We were never happy sat around at the beach or pool so we would walk and get the bus and walk some more. I remember once we stopped and looked around and had no clue where we were, but we saw the most beautiful sights along the way.

With Majorca only being a 2-hour flight from the UK, it makes it a much-loved destination for many and certainly my family. Oh, how I long for the days when my parents actually paid for my holidays… Mum, Dad, when are we going again?

India

March 2017, I was just finishing up my final days at college when one day my friends asked me if I wanted to go to India, without hesitation I said erm, yes! We booked it there and then. I went home and told my parents I had booked my first holiday without them… for 2 weeks… to India… you can imagine their reaction!

When we arrived in India the culture shock got me and I thought ‘what have I signed myself up for?!’, but a few days in, and I was smitten. The food, the hustle and bustle, the people! Our first week we were based in Calangute, Goa, where we were footsteps away from the white beaches, staying well fed by the lady selling watermelons, and well-watered, drinking Limcas.

For our second week we flew to Delhi, unbeknownst to us we had travelled during the Holi festival, the ‘Festival of Colours’ which made me fall in love with India even more. Being covered in all these vibrant colours made the 4am wake up call for the Taj Mahal all worth it.

Sri Lanka

In November 2017, after only being with my boyfriend for few months, we decided to go on our first holiday together and what better way to test our relationship than to fly half way across the world together! Swathed in lush rainforest, rice paddies and tea plantations, Sri Lanka is a tropical island gem that captivates visitors with its idyllic beaches, abundant wildlife and wealth of ancient Buddhist and Hindu architecture. We stayed in Kalutara and from our hotel we hired a tuktuk driver Francis (who still sends us pictures now!). He picked us up whenever we wanted and took us to some of the most beautiful and untouched places we’ve ever seen. 
 
We visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa (The Temple of the Sacred Tooth), a turtle sanctuary where we watched baby turtles hatch and set them off into the Indian Ocean, and our favourite stop of the trip was the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which has the largest herd of elephants in the world, opening in 1975 as a home for 5 abandoned baby elephants, its still going strong today.

P.s, my boyfriend and I didn’t kill each other (yet) and are also still going strong today!

Vietnam/Cambodia

In January 2023, I was given the most amazing opportunity to guide a group around Vietnam and Cambodia with my colleague Lauren for our Show of Hands Mekong Cruise. I started my journey at Manchester airport travelling with one of our customers Marjorie, we stayed together until we boarded the plane, when she turned left, and I turned right.… 16 hours later, Marjorie and I were reunited in Ho Chi Minh City. We arrived pretty late but driving through the city seeing all the lights and markets made me really excited for what we were about to experience. It wasn’t long before we met up with the group and were all on our way to our ship to begin our musical journey upstream to Siem Reap, Cambodia. During this trip we explored so many hidden gems and villages and got to meet so many families and take part in different activities and traditions. Pandaw’s ships are smaller and able to get to some of the ‘less touristy’ areas which enhanced the trip, the experience was really special.
 
We took a local rowboat and sailed down the mangroves and bamboo forests of My Tho, visited Phnom Phen and got a city tour by ‘Cyclo’ and visited Silk Island where we saw the entire silk making process from worms to weavers. We ended the trip with a very early start to see the most spectacular sunrise at Angkor Wat. On our return from Siem Reap, Marjorie and I arrived at the airport ready to come home, when I was plucked out of the boarding queue and escorted halfway across the airport. Apparently a bullet had been found in my bag! Shocked and confused I went along with it, only to find out that the souvenir bullet was in Marjorie’s bag and not mine! After many questions and nearly missing my flight, they escorted me back on board and it was time to come home.  In case you’re wondering, Marjorie was also allowed to travel home with me!
 
Andy and Angie, I think its time for another Mekong trip soon??

Mexico

Known for its rich culture, ancient ruins, incredible food and my favourite drink … Tequila! In December 2018 my boyfriend and I travelled to Mexico for some winter sun and it did not disappoint. It’s one of those places where you can order a Margrita at 9am and it’s perfectly fine, (not saying I did that of course! …).

You can also enjoy some of the most amazing, thrilling experiences. All in one day, we visited Chichen Itza, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. We then went on Cenote Selva Maya in the lush jungle of the Yucatán Peninsula, a deep sink hole with spring waters from the underground rivers. You can either walk down the wooden steps into the water or you can take the plunge and dive in from the platform. And of course we ended this incredible day by tasting all local made Tequila’s… I think I remembered that correctly, or it may be it’s the tequila talking!