Marie Kimber

My Personal Travel Experience

Whenever asked what my favourite holiday or destination is, I scratch my head and shrug. Everywhere I’ve been has been uplifting, stimulating and relaxing.

I love a flop-and-drop holiday as much as the next person. I’ve spent my fair share of time lazing by a resort pool in Bali, strolling on a sandy beach in Thailand, and sunning myself on a boat cruise in Vietnam.

I was enthralled by the knowledge and information shared by Tour Directors on Coach Tours through Italy, Sicily, Malta, France, and Switzerland. I also came home with newfound friends with whom I still catch up.

From my balcony stateroom, I watched flying fish launch and glide, defying the spray and wake of a 3000-passenger cruise ship sailing the Pacific. I thought flying fish were only in fables. Who knew?

As our cruise ship navigated the six locks of the Panama Canal, I marveled at the technology and mechanisation of the early 1900s.

Diving off the rocks in Dubrovnik, Croatia, I swam in the cooling waters of the Adriatic Sea during a stop on a Mediterranean cruise.

After hiring a quad bike on the island of Mykonos, I drank local wine and ate sun-dried octopus with the freshest Greek salad at a secluded taverna.

With cicadas clicking in the background, I floated in the infinity pool at a private villa on the Greek island of Paros, before picking tomatoes from the garden. Teamed with fresh crusty bread and local olive oil our simple breakfast was soon ready.

While I do like to relax, Active Travel is also a passion of mine ~ Starting in Le Puy-en-Velay in south central France, I spent 13 days hiking the Camino covering 260km to reach Figeac. With no set plans, we found albergue accommodation and often enjoyed dining on local produce cooked by our hosts at the end of the day. Cheese never tasted so good as that provided at one farm stay where the owners ran a fromagerie (cheese factory).

From Figeac, we took a bus to Cahors and a train to Toulouse before cycling the 240 km Canal du Midi to Sete on the Mediterranean Sea.

Italy holds a special place in my heart. I visited six times in five years, often travelling solo. Booking flights in and out of Rome, I made plans as I went along, taking trains to wherever I fancied.

Breathing in the cool mountain air of the Dolomites, boating on Lake Como, a casual lunch overlooking the azure waters of the Riviera, laughing with locals in the Cinque Terre villages, tasting Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic Vinegar in the Emilia Romagna region, drinking chianti in Tuscany, soaking up the history and vibe of Roma, sparing a thought for the inhabitants of Pompeii, looking every bit like I belonged on the back of a boat cruising around the Isle of Capri, to swimming in the cool Ionian Sea at Giardini Naxos, Sicily, with Mt Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, steaming peacefully in the distance.

I feel very privileged to have had a vast array of experiences through travel.  But with everything in life – you have to make it happen!  That’s where I’d be honoured to help you.