From Sani to Sligo, city breaks to cruises, I look back on my highlights and top travel blogs from 2022.
14 trips and 100 travel blogs published – travel certainly came back with a bang this year! I am delighted that my website received 1.5 million views, and that I have almost 100k social media followers. A massive thanks to you to all of you who read, commented and shared my posts, I really do appreciate it.
I had so many great travel experiences this year, so it wasn’t easy trying to pick the highlights, but I narrowed it down to eight favourites. I have also listed my most read travel blogs this year, just in case you missed any 😉. I hope they will help you plan your next trip away, and that there are lots more exciting adventures in store for all of us in 2023.
My travel highlights from 2022
Easter in Orlando, Florida
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Bringing Luke and Alex to Florida for the first time was an amazing experience. They were at the perfect age, 11 and 14, and we were able to make the most out of Orlando’s amazing theme parks, as well as visiting Kennedy Space Centre and taking a short cruise to the Bahamas.
There were so many highlights from this trip, but visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios, and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Walt Disney World were up there with our best family holiday experiences of all time.
Read: 35 things to do in Universal Studios – my top tips and tricks
Read: Top things to do in Disney World Florida with teens
Celebrity Beyond Taster Cruise
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I was fortunate to be asked on the launch of Celebrity Beyond in Southampton. It was only a two-night taster cruise, so you may be surprised to see this on my list. However, I was so impressed with Celebrity Beyond.
The decor, design and facilities are superb, and I went with Cormac for the short break without the kids – something we rarely get to do. I can highly recommend Celebrity Beyond, I’ll have to cruise on it for longer next time though!
Read: My cruise guide – how to choose the right cruise for you
Family holiday at Sani Resort, Greece
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If you have been following me for any length of time, you will know I fell in love with Sani Resort a few years ago and couldn’t wait to go back with my family. We finally got a chance to visit this year, and it was even better than I expected. The setting, service and facilities are second to none. Sani Resort is one of the best family resorts in the world, read why here:
Read: The Ultimate guide to Sani Resort
Summer weekend in Sligo
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I loved exploring places in Ireland too, and spent four days in Sligo in June. We stayed two nights at the Clayton Sligo Hotel, before moving on to the Lighthouse in Enniscrone. – a place that was on my Irish bucket list!
We stepped inside the Caves of Keash, strolled along Strandhill, Streedagh and Rosses Point beaches, drove across to Coney island, around Mullaghmore Head and Gleniff Horseshoe.
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We also took the kids to Eagles Flying – one of Ireland’s top family attractions. There is so much to see in Sligo, I need to write a blog post on that too! See my highlights on Instagram and read my Irish bucket list post here:
Read: Irish bucket list, luxury stays in Ireland
Sky Princess Mediterranean Cruise
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I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to spend a week cruising the Med on Sky Princess this summer. I had a fabulous time on board as well as exploring the Cinque Terre, Marseille and Sardinia with my friend Ita.
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The Cinque Terre had been on my bucket list for many years, and the full day excursion with Princess Cruises was a great way to experience it – it has given me an appetite for a return visit, which I believe is exactly what cruises should do.
I was pleasantly surprised at the level of service and dining options on board Sky Princess, especially when you consider Princess Cruises great value price point. You can read all about my experience here:
Read: My Sky Princess Review
Discovering Malaga and the Caminito del Rey
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Despite visiting the Costa del Sol on many occasions, I finally got around to staying in Malaga city this year. I loved Malaga and would highly recommend it for a city break. Ed Finn and myself also got a chance to walk the Caminito del Rey, something that has been on my bucket list for a few years now. You can read all about my trip here:
Read: My Malaga Travel Guide, top things to do and where to stay
Read: Top tips for walking the Camino del Rey
Read: Top city break destinations for 2023
A Family Weekend in Rome
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We booked a great value family trip to Rome over the October mid term break this year, and it couldn’t have been better. We took a Vespa tour of the city as well as Vatican and Colosseum tours, and enjoyed some fabulous meals.
Airfares are great value with lots of flights available from Ryanair and Aer Lingus. I fell in love with Rome all over again, maybe you will too!
Read: Where to stay in Rome, my top picks fo 3, 4 and 5-star hotels
Read: My Rome travel guide – top things to do in Rome and restaurant recommendations
The Christmas Festival at Winterval, Waterford
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I had to include Winterval in Waterford on this list as it was such a surprise! Winterval celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and I was blown away by the amount of activities and events for people of all ages. It was a short 24 hour visit, but we just about managed to see most of the highlights.
We went to the Circus, enjoyed fun fair rides, the Glow Garden, the Big Wheel and the Christmas markets – but the most memorable were the illuminations, where artificial snow blasted from canons during a music and light show. Winterval was a great way to kick off the festive season, I urge you to put it on your list for 2023.
Read: The best Christmas markets in Ireland
My Top 10 travel blogs in 2022:
1. The Best luxury family resorts in Europe
The latest travel trends see travellers swapping far flung destinations for places a little closer to home, as well as a massive increase in families looking for luxury hotels.
With this in mind, I hand-picked some of the best luxury family resorts in Europe, and it proved to be my most popular post, with over 30,000 views this year.
2. 50 hotels with lodges in Ireland
With staycations still popular this year, having the freedom and space of a lodge, with the added benefits of hotel facilities on site, is a win-win for families. This has been one of my most popular posts for many years and I have no doubt it will continue to do so.
3. Best family campsites in Europe
Considering I’m not much of a camper, I was delighted to see this post receive over 20,000 views! A big thanks to the great family bloggers, writers and travel agents who helped me compile this post.
4. My Irish bucket list – luxury hotels in Ireland
This was one of my most popular posts during Covid so I was delighted to see it is still in my top 10! I have luxury hotels, beachfront Airbnbs, lighthouses – there is even a treehouse on this list!
5. 40 hotels in Ireland that allow dogs
Pet-friendly hotels were in huge demand over the last few years and considering over 28% of our population are dog owners, this trend is likely to continue.
Over 20,000 of you loved this post, as well as this one on dog-friendly Airbnbs in Ireland – another one to bookmark if you have a pet in the family. If you want to bring your pet abroad, check out my top tips for travelling with pets.
6. The ultimate guide to the Amalfi Coast
I am delighted to see that my travel guides were so popular, I plan to add many more to the website this year. The Amalfi Coast was one of my most read blog posts, it features the top attractions as well as the best places to stay. A big thanks to fellow travel addict Christine Callinan for her help on this one.
7,8,9. Family travel blogs:
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The next three most popular blog posts are all geared towards families. I’ve got the best family holiday destinations in the Algarve, and Lanzarote, as well as Europe’s best water park holidays. If you are planning a family trip to the sun next year, check out these family travel blogs for inspiration:
7. Read: Family holidays in Algarve – my top picks on where to stay
8. Read: Family holidays in Lanzarote – my top picks on where to stay
9. Read: The top Waterpark holidays in Europe
10. 25 bucket list holidays to inspire your next big trip
This post on bucket list holidays is the ultimate in travel inspiration. From Maldives to Machu Picchu, Antartica to the Amalfi Coast, if you missed this one, grab a cuppa, this is one of those travel blogs that will give you serious wanderlust.
Thanks again to you all for reading my travel blogs and guides, I really appreciate all your support. I’m planning lots more great trips next year so I hope you will continue to follow along!
