Abigail
About Abigail
Posts by Abigail Harris:
Rixos Premium Dubrovnik: A view to leave you speechless
Being a control freak, I usually never loosen the reins when it comes to finding and booking a hotel for a holiday, but on my most recent family trip I left it up to my dad and wow, did he impress.
If you are looking for a luxury hotel where you can relax by the ocean and easily explore Dubrovnik’s Old Town, this is the one I recommend. Honestly, I think I’d go as far as saying this hotel had the best view of any place I’ve ever stayed.
Rooms
We were lucky enough to be in a superior room for our trip, and I’m so glad we splurged. Typically, I’m a standard room girl, but the balcony and sea views here made the upgrade worth it.
Whilst the décor is on the simpler side, it is modern, charming and well-appointed. The bathroom was large, with a huge mirror and tons of surface space – perfect for me and my sister and our plethora of beauty products. There was plenty of storage space, and the beds were incredibly comfy. Housekeeping was great; the room was spotless when we arrived.
Hotel Facilities
The main reason my dad booked this hotel? The gym. He’s a gym lover so finding a hotel with a good fitness center was a priority – and this one delivered. There were loads of weights and cardio machines, and even at peak times we only found maximum five people using it.
If swimming is more your thing, you’ve got plenty of options, the hotel offers ladders into the ocean (which is stunning to swim in) plus an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. We often found the indoor pool always to be very empty, which was great if you fancy a quiet swim.
Unfortunately, we found the sunbed situation at this hotel a bit of a downside. Though this is quite a problem for many hotels in Europe. There was not enough sunbeds for the number of guests staying in the hotel. On our first day, we couldn’t find any available, and quickly learned that people reserve them early (before 8 am and then did not show up until after 1 p.m). I really dislike this kind of thing and feel it could be better managed. Eventually, we had to play along and reserve early too, but I wish hotels would enforce a time limit on unattended loungers.
The hotel also offers a spa (which looked gorgeous, though I didn’t get time to try it), car rentals, boutiques, a kids’ club, a sports bar, and ping-pong tables if you fancy a quick game.
Restaurants
We chose half board, which I was slightly nervous about because dinner is a buffet every night, and I worried it might get repetitive. I’m happy to report it wasn’t. The food was outstanding, with a different theme each evening. Here was the lineup during our stay:
Monday – East Mediterranean
Tuesday – White Evening / Gala Night (Beef Wellington!)
Wednesday – BBQ
Thursday – Italian
Friday – Sea to Table
Saturday – Istanbul
Sunday – Latin and Italian
Everything was delicious and high quality. I actually felt quite healthy eating here, which I never normally feel on a holiday. Breakfast was also lovely, with extras like chia pudding and fresh juices that made my morning.
Location
What set this hotel apart is its stunning location. Set on cliffs overlooking the ocean, the views took my breath away. From the lobby, restaurant, rooms and pool area, you are treated to the most gorgeous view. I would say it is the best view of any hotel I have been too.
The location is also super convenient with only a 20 minute walk to the Old Town. Just far enough so you can have the facilities you wouldn’t get in the old town but close enough so you can easily pop in whenever you need to.
Final Thoughts
The stand-out pros to this hotel are:
- Gorgeous views
- Amazing and beautiful location
- Delicious food
- Kind and helpful staff
- Incredible pool area
The cons to this hotel are:
- Lack of sunbeds
- Issues with Wi-Fi – this was quite an issue during our stay, however, these things happen and could just be an issue that happened during our stay.
This hotel is beautiful, relaxing, and the perfect base for a more laid-back trip to Dubrovnik. If you’re looking for luxury, views, and a bit of everything, I truly don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
An Itinerary for Porto, Portugal
Are you looking for a city break with stunning architecture, amazing food, and fewer crowds than Venice and Paris? Then look no further than Porto.
Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal and is situated on the Douro River. It is also where the drink Port is produced.
I went to Porto, and I can not recommend it enough. Ready to book your trip? Here is an itinerary for a three-night trip to Porto.
Day 1:
Depending on what time you arrive in the beautiful city of Porto I recommend strolling around the city with no real plans to get your bearing and see what hidden treasures you come across.
After you have had an explore I recommend getting ready and going for dinner at Rio’s tapas bar. This is a small restaurant but has some delicious food.
Day 2:
One of my favourite things to do in a new city is a Tuk Tuk tour. It gives you a good overview of the city while learning from an informative guide. I struggle with walking tours, especially when it is hot, but with a Tuk Tuk tour, you get sat down and covered by the sun. We really enjoyed our Tuk Tuk tour, and I have linked the one we went on here
On the Tuk tuk tour, we went to:
– Miradouro da Serra do Pilar
– The Porto Cathedral (I did not go inside, however, I wish I did)
– St Lawrence Church
– São Bento Railway Station
– The Chapel of Souls
I recommend crossing Dom Luis I Bridge in the afternoon and seeing the fantastic views. Once you are here, get the funicular, lift or walk down to the riverfront and stroll along Vila Nova de Gaia.
This is an area where all the Port Wine Tasting Houses are. While here, I recommend doing a wine tasting. The best ones are Graham’s and Cockburns; however, there are so many different ones, so research and see which interests you the most. Make sure you do book in advance.
Once you have finished, you can get the Gaia cable car to return to Dom Luis I Bridge.
For dinner, we went to Cumplice Stake House, which was lovely. We got the Tbone; the service was excellent here, and I recommend coming here on a trip.
Day 3:
I highly recommend doing a boat tour this morning. We did a private one, which I have linked here. However, I also found some good group tours, which I have linked here.
On a boat tour, you see the six bridges, Riberia and Gaia, from the water. Which has stunning views.
After doing this, I recommend returning to Vila Nova de Gaia, but this time exploring the opposite section, Cais Da Riberia. This area is absolutely stunning and a great location to walk.
I recommend going to check out Clerigos Tower. We went up this and enjoyed it, but it is an additional charge. I then recommend going to the Church of Saint Ildefonso.
For dinner we went to the restaurant Blind this was actually in our hotel. Something that was super high up on my bucket list was to have a tasting experience, and this one was delicious and really cool.
This tasting menu is all about your senses. For one dish, we had a truffle butter candle that melted in front of you for you to then dip your bread in, one dish we were blindfolded and one where we ate and listened to music. It was quite an expensive experience and was the most we have ever spent on food; however, I truly believe it was worth it as it was such a unique experience. We had ten courses and it was truly delicious.
That is my itinerary for Porto. I truly highly recommend going. Please let me know down below your favourtie places to visit in Portugal.
Hotel Xcaret Mexico Review: The Ultimate All-Inclusive Resort In Mexico
I discovered this hotel ages ago, and I remember being absolutely mesmerised. A hotel with eco theme parks, with everything from ziplining to gorgeous cenotes. The moment I saw this hotel, I knew I had to visit. After much saving, I finally booked the trip and can’t rave about this hotel enough. Even writing this now makes me feel emotional because I want to go back.
So, what is Xcaret? It’s a luxury all-fun inclusive hotel in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, offering luxury, adventure and nature.
What is all fun inclusive?
When Xcaret says they are all-inclusive, they mean it. With your room rate, you get transfers to and from the airport, food and drink (they are not stingy with the drink), and unlimited park access.
The only things that aren’t included are certain alcoholic beverages (to be honest, I don’t know what is and isn’t, but we had quite a few cocktails, and all these were included), a few restaurants, and some activities in the park.
Rooms.
We stayed in the standard room, which was massive. It was easily the largest room I have ever stayed in. Everything felt oversized from the shower to the bed (I forgot I brought my boyfriend with me at one point). The room came stocked with complimentary drinks and snacks. The housekeeping was excellent. My favourite feature was the balcony with a hammock and an outdoor bath.
Hotel Facilities
This hotel has amazing facilities. They have manmade rivers and inlets where you can kayak, paddleboard or swim. They have some kid pools and pools with swim-up bars. We never struggled to get a sunbed, even if we came mid-afternoon.
The one issue some people may have with this property is the beach. The beach is tiny and you can’t really swim in the water. There are a few deck chairs we used this in the morning to watch the sun rise. This didn’t bother me as the pools in this property make up for it, but if you are really into the beach, then it is something to consider.
The gym is the best I have ever seen in a hotel. There are three on-site, and they are huge. Whenever we went, they were super empty. My dad is super picky with gyms, and when I sent him a video, he said it was one of the best he has seen at a hotel. They also have tennis and paddle courts. As we are from the UK, we struggled with a bit of jet lag and found ourselves waking up at 5 am, and we would always do a walk around the resort at this time, and as it is super large, there are loads of areas to walk around.
There is a spa and a kids’ club. However, we didn’t use either of these facilities, so I can’t comment. I also know they have loads of new facilities such as slides, nightclubs, and teen clubs opening soon.
Restaurants:
Las Playas (no extra charge) – This casual restaurant in the pool area is great for a poolside snack. They do ceviche, tacos, tostados, pizza, salads and fish for lunch. For dinner, they make soup, pasta, and meat. You can also get some nice cocktails here.
Teatro del Rio (no extra charge) – This is a dinner show with music and dancing. You also have a tasting menu, we had octopus tostado, ceviche, surf and turf and chocolate cake with sorbet. This was so much fun, the only downside is you are seated with other groups as the tables are pretty big, but considering this is included in the all-inclusive, I thought it was excellent.
Teatro del Rio (no extra charge) – This is a dinner show with music and dancing. You also have a tasting menu, we had octopus tostado, ceviche, surf and turf and chocolate cake with sorbet. This was so much fun, the only downside is you are seated with other groups as the tables are pretty big, but considering this is included in the all-inclusive, I thought it was excellent.
Xin Gao (no extra charge) – This is a restaurant that serves Asian cuisine. When booking, you have the option of Teppanyaki, Sushi or Fusion. We did the Teppanyaki experience, which was good. However, I wish we had done Sushi or Fusion so we could have chosen our dishes. (Reservation Required)
Cantina Los Faroles (no extra charge) – serves Mexican food. The food is delicious.
Here are some other restaurants the hotel has, but we didn’t go to:
Ha’ (extra charge)– This is a Michelin-star restaurant with a 9-course tasting menu.
Chibali – Buffet style restaurant.
Las Cuevas (extra charge) – Steakhouse and buffet set in caves.
Fuego (extra charge for dinner) – Mexican/Italian Restaurant
Bio (no extra charge) – Plant-based restaurant
Trajinera (no extra charge) – Seafood/Mexican restaurant.
New restaurants are set to open in 2025, so there may be more options now. One regret I have is not going to more restaurants for breakfast. Due to jet lag, we woke up at 5 am, so by 7/8, we would be starving and go to the first place that opened for breakfast. Having researched for this blog, some of these restaurant menus look really good, and I wish we had gone there.
The fantastic thing about this hotel, as well, is that they set up stations throughout the day with little treats. We had a crepe, an ice lolly and a burger.
Parks:
Xcaret – This is the main park and is super large. It is set in the jungle with underground rivers, cenotes and the ocean. Xcaret showcases the history of Mexico, including Mayan villages, a Mayan ball game court, and archaeological sites. They also have a ton of water activities like snorkelling. Their show Xcaret Espectacular is a representation of Mexican history. It includes traditional Mexican dancing and reenactments of Mayan games.
As a hotel guest, you get free transportation to the park (we took the boat and walked, as it is only a 24-minute walk). Food isn’t included, but as it was super close, we returned to the hotel for lunch and some drinks.
Xel-Ha – This natural waterpark has a gorgeous inlet, rivers and cenotes to explore. The main activity in the park is to wade through the mangroves on a rubber ring or by snorkelling to get to the inlet. To get to the mangroves, you can bike, take a train or walk. In the mangroves and the inlet, there is plenty of fish and fauna, and it is truly a stunning place to snorkel. However, you can also zip line and cliff jump in the inlet if you are more adventurous. They also have plenty of areas to relax, a jungle walk where you can explore cenotes and caves, and some waterslides (I cannot comment on the waterslides as I am terrified of waterslides, so I did not dare to try them).
There are quite a few activities that you can do, which are at an additional cost, such as a speed boat, snorkelling and a manatee encounter. We didn’t do any extra activities as none really stood out, but we still managed to fill our day.
This is quite a bit further away from the hotel than the other parks (about an hour and a half), so you must spend all day there. We picked up at 9:30 and the bus departed Xel-Ha at 5pm. We didn’t feel that the day dragged; the park is also all-inclusive, so you do not pay extra for food and drink.
Xpolor/Xplor Feuego – This park was 100 percent our favourite. Oh my god, did we have fun there! So once you arrive at this park, you will walk into these amazing caves, and a lot of this park is actually set within caves. It is so stunning and really cool. The activities in this park include:
- Ziplining (I was terrified to do this, but it felt super safe here, and we didn’t experience any stopping mid-way, which can happen at some ziplining places). They also let you go as a pair on some of the ziplines, which was super fun. There is a good amount, and some end up in the water.
- Atv’ing, we had such a laugh doing this, it felt like we were in Jurassic Park. You get to go through caves and puddles.
- Underground expedition – This tour takes you through the waters of underground rivers. They also have a little obstacle course and a slide in parts of it. It really feels so cool, and the scenery is stunning. It was utterly unique, unlike anything I had ever done before.
- Swimming in the cave is where you swim/float through the cave. This was really relaxing and super enjoyable.
- Rafting through the cave – On your way to this activity, there is a sign joking about couples divorcing after doing it. My boyfriend and I laughed when we saw this, thinking it won’t be us. Oh my god, it almost was! Rafting in the cave is tough, and we both definitely got stroppy with each other. It is a fun activity, though, once you get the hang of it! Maybe go separately!
This hotel is all-inclusive again, so all food, snacks and beverages are included.
Xplor Fuego is this park in the evening, we didn’t do this; however, I can imagine it is amazing.
Xenses – We thought this park would be the least exciting to visit. However, we really enjoyed this one. It is a half-day park. It is all about your senses and has loads of optical illusions. It also has a Xensatoriam which is where you go in the pitch black and explore different ecosystems. I lasted ten seconds, then felt so scared and walked right back out! My partner enjoyed it, though. They also have a wet area with a mud pool, salt float and zip line.
Xavage – We did not go to this park as we didn’t have enough days, and it looks to be temporarily closed at the time of writing this. However, this is the most extreme and adventurous park the Xcaret group has. It has a splash zone with slides, a pool, kayaking, white rater rafting, and high ropes.
Tips for visiting:
- Bring water shoes
- Make sure you have reef-safe sunscreen. Please don’t wear if you don’t
- Contact Xcaret a month before your trip to book parks and restaurants (I believe you also need to book the shuttle).
- Download the Xcaret app so you don’t miss anything.
- Research the hotel and park so you know everything you need to do. We missed some things, so I really wish we did more research.
- Make sure you have enough time. We squeezed our trip into 4 days, and I would love to go for a week if I went back. That way, we could have done everything at a more relaxed pace.
Overall, Xcaret is a great hotel, and I can’t wait to go back with my kids one day. It is such a well-oiled machine, and everything is organised from the shuttles to the check-in process to the housekeeping. Honestly, I can’t give this hotel enough praise. If you are going to the Riviera Maya, I highly recommend checking it out.
A Guide to Obergurgl – The most gorgeous ski resort
If there is one thing about me, I am the most uncoordinated person to exist. I am also the world’s biggest baby and won’t even ride a bike downhill out of fear I will go too fast. So, when my partner’s family invited me on a ski trip, I was apprehensive, to say the least. All of my family were a bit nervous I was going to come back with broken bones and a hatred for skiing.
I am pleased to confirm, however…. I broke no bones, and whilst I did not enjoy the skiing side of a ski holiday, I truly fell in love with the rest.
As a non-skier, I never understood what a ski holiday entailed or how on earth you plan one. So, I am going to break it all down for you.
Contents: Arriving In Obergurgl
Arriving in Obergurgl
For this ski trip, we went to Obergurgl in Austria. We flew into Innsbruck, about an hour and a half away from London Gatwick. Let me tell you, the view landing at this airport is absolutely breathtaking. I had never seen a mountain range before, and I was spoilt with this being my first. It is absolutely breathtaking. Once we made it through customs and got our bags, it was time to go to Obergurgl. We had pre-booked a taxi, and it was a super quick transfer time of about an hour and a half (I know some ski destinations can be quite far from the nearest airport, but Obergurgl definitely isn’t one). The views on this transfer were insane, with luscious green hills and mountains, but when we got higher up, it turned into gorgeous snow.
Where to stay
We decided to stay in Hochfirst, a ski-in ski-out hotel, for our trip. I have a more detailed review here, which I recommend checking out.
However, some other hotels to take a look at are:
Edelweiss and Gurgl – A ski-in, ski-out hotel, close to the gondolas and a bunch of intermediate runs. They have their own equipment shop, making renting gear super easy and convenient and a locker room to stash all your skiing equipment. There’s also a pool and a spa which is perfect for winding down after skiing.
Hotel Jenewein – More of a mid-range option right next to the gondolas. The rooms look modern, spacious, and comfortable, and there is a restaurant at the hotel.
Like all ski resorts, hotels in this region are quite expensive; however, they seem quite a bit cheaper than some other resorts I have looked at.
Just a note about hotels in this region, you do need to enquire about rooms instead of being able to just book it. Some hotels also have minimum stays over the winter period as it is so popular due to the skiing. However, our hotel let us stay for four days in early April as it is quieter around this time. They also book up far in advance, so contact the hotel as soon as possible.
How to get around
To get from Innsbruck to Obergurgl, we had a taxi included with our trip. A taxi or private shuttle is the easiest way to get to Obergurgl; however, this can be quite expensive. I struggled to find a super convenient bus from the airport to Obergurgl. The only ones I could find had quite a few stopovers, but it might be worth checking with the hotel you want to stay at as they might offer an affordable shuttle. My partner said he would drive between Innsbruck airport and Obergurgl as it was short and mostly on main roads; however, the conditions were very mild when we went.
Once you are in Obergurgl, transportation will be easy. Everything was so close to each other that we walked everywhere (obviously, we did use the gondola if we wanted to go up the mountain). There are also so many shuttle services. Where we got our ski equipment from offered a shuttle service to help take the equipment back to your hotel after you collected it. Many hotels have a shuttle service that can take you wherever you want to go in Obergurgl. There is also a public shuttle service, which is pretty constant and can take you all over Obergurgl, specifically to different ski lifts. This isn’t necessary if you are popping out for lunch but is super convenient when you have all your ski stuff on. If you want to take any day trips to other ski resorts, there is also a ski bus that will take to resorts such as Solden.
Skiing
Obergurgl is one of Austria’s highest and most reliable ski resorts for snow. The season usually runs from mid-November to late April. We went at the beginning of April. Our instructor advised us that the conditions weren’t the best; however, there was still quite a lot of snow. There is a good beginner area with a great range of slopes at various levels. They have a range of lifts such as a button lift, gondola and a chair lift.
Lift Passes:
The lift passes are around 225 euro (depending on your exact dates) per adult for three days and can be brought here. You need this to give you access to the slopes and the lifts. However, you will not need a pass on days you won’t be skiing (or don’t plan to go to any restaurants using the gondola).
Lessons:
They have a great ski school, which I have linked here. As there were two of us, we got a private lesson, which wasn’t that much cheaper than a group lesson. You can also do adult and children ski school where you learn with a bigger group.
Apres-Ski
If you are anything like me, then the Apres-ski is what you want to know about the most, and it was exactly how I expected it to be. We only did one afternoon of Apres, but it was definitely the highlight of my trip. We went to Nederhutt which, when I went did live music on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The band is excellent and they do about three hours. Everyone is drinking, dancing on the chairs, and having a great time with a great view of the mountains. It is a super fun time, and I highly recommend it. To get to this restaurant you need to take the gondola by Edelweiss and Gurgl up (if you have a ski pass then this will be included if not you need to buy a ticket which I think was around 20 euros) and then it’s a short walk to the restaurant. If you aren’t drunk after the apres-ski, you can ski down, but for those who drink a bit too much, they let you go down on the skidoo (snowmobile). I highly recommend going here if you are in the area.
Restaurants:
- Ice Q – This is in Solden, not Obergurgl, but is super easy to get to using shuttle buses. This was a filming location for James Bond (I believe Spectre). I didn’t get the chance to go here on my trip, so I will definitely add to my list when I return. They have two restaurants up here, both pretty expensive, to be honest. One is a wine and tapas lounge, and the other is a gourmet menu.
- Schonwieshutte – this restaurant is in the middle of nowhere and involves either hiking for about an hour and a half or arranging a skidoo transfer. The menu looks stunning, and it has excellent reviews
- Hohe Mut alm – This restaurant is super high up on the gondola but is absolutely stunning views. A great place for a drink or lunch. They also do fondue nights with live music on Wednesdays. There is a set cost for fondue nights at 85 euros per person.
- Hochfirst – We had a half-board package and all our dinners here. The food was excellent and super good quality. If you are not staying here, you can go to the Sun Terrace for lunch. This is a great outdoor spot with great views of the beginner slope.
Other things to do:
- Tobogganing
- Ice skating
- Cross country skiing
- Snowshoeing
Skiing was something super high on my bucket list, and whilst I found it scary, I still loved my trip. Obergurgl truly is gorgeous. I had a wonderful time and have found myself already dreaming about returning. I hope you guys found this blog post useful. Let me know down below if you have been to Obergurgl and what you thought!
