Best All Inclusive Hotel in Europe AND The World – 10 reasons to visit Ikos Olivia

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I thought I had better update this post, as Ikos Olivia can no longer say it’s the 2nd best all inclusive hotel in the world. It has been voted THE BEST all inclusive hotel in not just Europe, but THE WORLD too. When I heard the news, which was announced on TripAdvisors 2018 Travellers’ Choice Awards, I was thrilled for all the staff at Ikos Olivia.

Ikos Olivia

When I wrote this post last year, we had only been to the hotel once. We returned last April and the service, as you would expect from a hotel that is crowned best in its category, was impeccable from start to finish.… Continue reading

2017 – Looking back at our year of travel

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I love writing this post which gives me the chance to look back at our travels for the past year. In 2017 we managed 14 trips of 1 night or over. 2 of the trips have just been myself and the husband, 1 has been a girlie night away, 9 trips with the family, and the kids have enjoyed 2 school trips.

2017 - Looking back at our year of travel

February

Our first trip of 2017 was to the beautiful city of Bath. Staying in a luxurious 3 bedroom lodge at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat, it was the perfect base to explore the city. We enjoyed visiting the Roman Baths, wandering around the stunning Bath Cathedral, and enjoyed a bus tour around the city.… Continue reading

Our 2nd visit to Ikos Olivia

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I am a creature of habit when it comes to holidays. Yes I know there is a huge world out there to explore, but if you give me the perfect holiday then I am going to find it very hard not to return. And this is how I felt when we got back from our first visit to Ikos Olivia in April 2016.

Olive tree at Ikos Olivia

We pretty much experienced the perfect holiday last year, no mean feat when you are travelling with a teen and tween. Add to this that Ikos Olivia won the best all inclusive hotel in Europe (AND second in the world), and I knew that I would be hard pushed to find another hotel that would match the Ikos service.… Continue reading

Little Loves – Summer Clothes, Cocktails and Greek Luxury

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I have had a complete break from blogging over the past fortnight, and whilst it has been nice to switch off, I am now itching to get back. If you follow me on instagram you may have noticed we have been in Greece. We returned to Ikos Olivia which is in Halkidiki, the most amazing 5* resort. We were treated like family when we arrived at the hotel, and we spent the week relaxing, eating and sampling the huge cocktail menu they have. The lovely Sarah from Extraordinary Chaos is there at the moment, and I am gutted our holidays did not cross over.… Continue reading

Our travel plans for 2017

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When I look back at 2016 and our year of travel, I love how many adventures we managed to fit in. Some trips were taken just me and the husband (ah blissful lie ins and child free times). Some were with girlfriends, where there was lots of chatter and far too much gin. But the majority were me, the husband and the kids. With Morgan turning 15 this year, I am under no illusion we are on borrowed time with family holidays. And whilst on one hand that makes me sad, it also makes me determined to pack as much travel and adventure in as we can.… Continue reading

2016 – Looking back at our year of travel

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At the start of 2016, I was inspired to join in with the Take 12 Trips challenge after reading Karen from Mini Travellers post. The idea is simple, to take 12 Trips over the course of the year, which was thought up by blogger Clare from Need another holiday. I have taken a total of 14 trips during 2016 (1 night or over), of which 2 have been girlie weekends, 4 trips with my husband and 8 as a family.

January

15 days into the New year and we were off on our first trip of 2016. It was a double celebration at Centerparcs, with Katie and I celebrating our birthdays whilst we were there.… Continue reading

Finding luxury cuisine at Ikos Olivia

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Ikos OliviaOver the past few years when we have travelled abroad, we have opted for all inclusive. Having a hungry teenager and a 10 year old that loves ice cream, it is the perfect option for us.  Ikos Olivia in Greece goes above and beyond the all inclusive experience, and offers ‘infinite lifestyle’. The hotel promises mouth watering dishes from Asia, Italy, France and of course Greece, most created by Michelin starred chefs. Dining out is a huge part of any holiday we go on, and we were all looking forward to trying out the different restaurants. We managed to dine in all of them, plus we used the Dine Out service that Ikos offer.… Continue reading

Finding the perfect holiday at Ikos Olivia

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Ikos Olivia

When I booked our annual holiday abroad back in September, I knew Ikos Olivia was going to be amazing. I had read every trip advisor report and countless blog posts, and had fallen in love with the hotel even before we got there. I wrote a post here about what we were looking forward to at Ikos Olivia.  Fast forward to the 4th April, just 4 days after the hotel reopened for its 2016 season, and we were on our Easyjet plane heading to Greece. From the minute you arrive at Thessaloniki airport, you are treated to the most amazing service that went above and beyond our expectations.… Continue reading

Little Loves – Girl on the Train, Little Mix and Sunshine in Greece

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Despite me saying that I was going to link up with Little Loves every Friday, I have totally failed for the past 6 weeks. I love reading the Little Loves posts, so I am going to try and join in again as much as I can.

Ikos Olivia Grounds

We returned from our amazing holiday on Monday, and thankfully the kids are still off until next week. We went to Ikos Olivia in Halkidiki in Greece, and over the next week I will be sharing our adventures from this truly amazing resort. Since coming back Katie has had an exciting week. She was very lucky to see 2 of her favourite bands at the Liverpool Echo Arena.… Continue reading

Looking ahead to our stay at the Ikos Olivia Resort

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Ikos Olivia

Do you ever read a blog or review, and wish you were at the place the person is writing about ? That is how I felt when I read Katie’s post from Mummy Daddy Me, all about her wonderful trip to the Ikos Resort in Greece. Katie and a group of other wonderful bloggers had stayed at the Ikos Oceania hotel. They also got the chance to visit the brand new Ikos Olivia hotel, which at the time was not open to the public. It opened in May 2015, and since its opening I have been dreaming of visiting this stunning new hotel.… Continue reading