Helen Bateman

There comes a point, usually somewhere between GCSE revision, endless football fixtures and teenagers disappearing behind bedroom doors, when you realise family holidays are changing. The years of finding a shallow pool and a kids’ club are behind you. Your children are old enough now to remember trips properly. To engage with places, cultures and experiences in a completely different way. And if we’re honest, there are only so many family holidays left before they begin making their own...

Last weekend we went to Jerez de la Frontera in sunny Spain, for the Sherry Marathon. Jerez is under 90mins from Seville by train. Think cobbled streets, whitewashed & yellow buildings, deep purple jacaranda and hot pink bougainvillea in full bloom. Jerez is the home of sherry, the famous Andalusian white horses and lively flamenco. There is also a sense that life should be lived at a slower pace. A couple of assumptions I made a couple of assumptions that didn’t quite work out for this trip,...

‘Isn’t it dangerous?’, worries my mam when I tell her I’m heading to Honduras for the Central American Travel Market. I’ve heard this before, but this was once the case for many, now-popular destinations. A Caribbean coastline with world-class diving, zip lining & rafting amongst lush jungle, elegant cathedrals, cobbled streets and brightly coloured rural towns, Honduras has much to offer, yet it’s rarely spoken of. I wonder how Honduras compares now to its popular neighbours like Guatemala...