The Holiday Artist

10/06/2026

Women-only safaris are often labelled as “empowerment travel”, but that misses what’s really going on.

Demand has grown by 230%+ in recent years, not because women suddenly want a different identity-led product, but because they want a different experience structure.

Less about who it’s for. More about how it feels. And that’s the shift the industry is still catching up with.

Images and text courtesy of ATTA - African Travel & Tourism Association

08/06/2026

I will always advocate for travelling as much as you can. Going as far and as wide as your budget will allow you.

When you can’t afford to get away though, there is beauty in staying local if you just look for it.

This is a picture I took of the sunrise over the North Sea whilst staying in a little seaside cottage in Walcott, Norfolk.

I've been quiet lately whilst I've been prioritising time with my parents who are currently visiting from South Africa. Working to create moments that matter for them whilst they're in the UK 🧡

27/05/2026

As an African tour and holiday specialist (thanks to our roots 🌱) this is a cause very close to our hearts. We've just donated thanks to Garron Music and his efforts in raising awareness. Keep being delicious! 🧡

Garron Noone's Hope On Wheels Fundraiser for Hope On Wheels CLG, created by Hope On Wheels CLG | iDonate.ie

16/05/2026

This is why we've been quiet this week...

Current POV Steigenberger Pure Lifestyle ☀️🌊🍷

Get in touch with us for bookings 👉

11/05/2026

This will be me tomorrow on our way to Hurghada 🙈

07/05/2026

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐛𝐥𝐮 𝐗𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢

Turquoise lagoons, white powder-soft beaches and cocktails with your feet in the sand… this Maldives escape is exactly what March should look like.

OBLU Xperience Ailafushi brings laid-back island luxury together with a fun, vibrant atmosphere, perfect for couples wanting an easy all-inclusive escape without sacrificing those dreamy Maldives views. And with speedboat transfers included, paradise starts almost as soon as you land.

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 & 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

✔️Depart 15th March 2027
✔️Checked Baggage
✔️Return Speed Boat Transfers
✔️9 Nights All Inclusive at 4★ Oblu Xperience Ailafushi in an Ocean View Room

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬:

✈️London Heathrow Flights £2,799pp
✈️Manchester Flights £2,869pp
✈️Edinburgh Flights £3,159pp

Secure with a £100pp deposit 💰

See comments for details on how to book 👇

ℹ️ 𝐓&𝐂𝐬:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘰𝘧 $12 𝘜𝘚𝘋 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭.
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 2 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. 𝘈𝘛𝘖𝘓 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥.

05/05/2026

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞

If your idea of switching off involves white sand, warm Caribbean waters and a cocktail that magically refills itself, you’re going to like this.

Nine nights in Jamaica gives you time to properly unwind. No rushing, no squeezing everything into a week. Just sunshine, good food, ocean views and that laid-back island rhythm that makes you forget what day it is.

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 & 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

✔️Depart 4th February 2027
✔️Return Flights from the UK
✔️Checked Baggage
✔️Return Private Transfers
✔️9 Nights All Inclusive at the 5★ Iberostar Waves Rose Hall Beach, Montego Bay in a Premium Ocean View Room

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬:

✈️London Heathrow Direct Flights £2,459pp
✈️Manchester Flights £2,719pp
✈️Edinburgh Flights £2,859pp

Secure with a £100pp deposit 💰

See comments for details on how to book 👇

ℹ️ 𝐓&𝐂𝐬:
*𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦.
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 2 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘈𝘛𝘖𝘓 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘈 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘈𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳.

04/05/2026

The Maldives can either be the best trip of your life…
or an expensive lesson in “I wish I’d known that before I booked.”

And guess what? Most people make the same mistakes. Not because they’re careless… but because they book too quickly and trust what they think they’re seeing.

Let’s fix that 👇

1️⃣ “It looked better online…” 📸
Of course it did. Resort photos are taken on perfect days, from perfect angles, with a little “creative enhancement” thrown in.

What you don’t see?
That neighbouring island. The seawall. The patchy beach. Or the bit they very carefully cropped out.

It’s not catfishing… but it’s not far off either.

2️⃣ The transfer that eats your holiday ✈️
That dreamy island might come with a 6-hour travel saga after you’ve already done a long-haul flight.

Speedboat. Seaplane. Domestic flight.
Very different vibes.

If you’re only there for 5–7 nights, spending half a day getting to your hotel is… well… a choice.

Not always the best one.

3️⃣ “We’ll just sort food and drinks when we get there” 💸
Ah yes. Famous last words.

The Maldives isn’t the place for casual budgeting.
Cocktails, excursions, spa treatments… they add up faster than you can say “another piña colada please”.

Sometimes all-inclusive isn’t a luxury. It’s damage control.

4️⃣ Not all snorkelling is created equal 🤿
“The Maldives has amazing snorkelling” is true.

But not everywhere.

Some islands have incredible house reefs just metres from your villa. Others? You’ll need a boat… or imagination.

And no one wants to pack fins for a “maybe”.

5️⃣ Paradise… with a view of construction 👀
Not every island is the castaway dream people picture.

Some face other resorts.
Some overlook local islands.
Some come with the gentle soundtrack of ongoing construction.

Nothing kills the “middle of nowhere” fantasy quite like a digger in the distance.

The Maldives is extraordinary.
But the difference between “once in a lifetime” and “slightly underwhelming for the price” comes down to the choices you make before you go.

And that’s where I come in.

📩 If you want the Maldives done properly (no nasty surprises, unless it’s a dolphin turning up at breakfast), you know where I am.

03/05/2026

Leopards are among the most adaptable of the big cats, found across Africa and parts of Asia. Known for their strength, stealth and ability to thrive in diverse environments, they are also one of the most elusive animals to spot in the wild.

A leopard sighting is a truly special moment for travellers, offering a rare glimpse into the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

This video was captured in Kenya, one of Africa’s premier safari destinations, where expert guides and diverse landscapes create exceptional opportunities for leopard encounters.

For travellers seeking something truly special, a leopard sighting offers a powerful connection to the wild and a story they will carry with them long after they return home.