Holiday Masterchef - Don’t just book it, Cook it!

Cooking: Not as easy as it looks!

Looking forward to your holiday? Time to get some sunshine, relax on the beach and do your own cooking. Eh? Surely part of the idea of taking a holiday is to have somebody else cook for you? You wouldn’t muck in with Housekeeping to clean the rooms or do a stint at Reception so why would you want to do the cooking? 

Because food is the soul of a country and going to a cookery school as part of your holiday can be a very rewarding experience. And you get to eat your work afterwards. So whether you are challenged by egg boiling or think your dinner parties are overdue a visit from Mr Michelin, let’s have a look at some cooking themed holidays. 

Kitchens all at sea with sleb Chefs

If your idea of kitchen fun is being shouted at by Celebrity chefs then you need travel no further than Southampton to join P & O Cruise Ship Britannia which is kitted out with with 12 state of the art workstations in its Cookery Club. 

On selected cruises, learn from top chefs including Marco Pierre White and James Martin to see why they have Michelin rated restaurants and you do not. Fortunately you only cook for yourself not the other 4,300 passengers on board.

HOW: Join one of over 20 Food Hero cruises with P&O departing from Southampton. Classes cost from £100 and should be reserved well in advance.

Pinxtos: Basque in the glory of Spanish food

Statistically, if you want to learn from the best then head to San Sebastian in Spain. This Basque city has more Michelin Stars per head than anywhere else in the world. 

Visit the Beronia Cooking School to learn the art of making pinxtos (tapas), Basque cooking and the secrets from Michelin starred chefs. Then wash it all down at their Wine School with some local Riojas.




HOW: Fly to Bilbao or take the ferry from Portsmouth. It's 75 minutes away by road. Half day courses start at €155. Save some money to buy bigger clothes when you get home..   

Tuscany: Not all Ravioli comes in tins

Any self respecting chef would have to include France or Italy in their destinations. As France is probably on strike, head to Florence in Italy for an introduction to the food of Tuscany. 

Villa Pandolfini in the Tuscan countryside will sate your appetite with a selection of local speciality dishes. Enjoy with a few glasses of regional Chianti before being driven back to Florence.



HOW: Fly to Florence. Half Day introductory courses start at €140 and run year round. Transport to/from central Florence is an extra €10pp.

Goa way - and spice up your life 

Time to spice things up with a trip to India. The culinary skills in making a curry are often overlooked on a Friday night after the pub closes. Correct that with a trip to the excellent value for money beaches of Goa for winter sun and real Indian food. 

The Goa Cooking School has introductory one day courses blending spices to make your own curry for lunch.



HOW: Combine a beach holiday to Goa with a one day course for £75 including transport. Direct flights operate from UK airports to Goa between November and March.

You only get an OO with Thai Food

Our final culinary stop is Thailand - home to a huge variety of flavour sensations. The Evason Hua Hin offers a variety of spa treatments to break up the monotony of sitting on the beach. 

They also offer half day and full day Thai cookery courses making authentic Thai food using their own vegetable garden. Full day courses involve an ingredient shopping trip with the chef to the local market to see how haggling should be done.

HOW: Hua Hin is 3 hours from Bangkok. Combine a Spa, Cookery and Beach trip here with a few days in Thailand’s vibrant capital. There are multiple daily flights from across the UK to Thailand.

Thailand: nice and warm

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages, special requests or just some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my dedicated website: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk 

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

The proof of the Cooking is in the Eating!



David Sutherland
EyeLine Travel 

27 May 2016   

Busman’s Holidays - Reboot your Commute

A busy Friday night on the A3 

Commuting to work by Car or Train probably has its moments. But think about how many weeks of the year you spend doing this?

So when it comes to your main holiday of the year, the chances are that the last thing you want to do is spend your leisure time driving a car or sitting in a train.

Or is it? That really depends on where you do it. This week, let’s look at converting a mundane daily activity into something a bit more interesting..!

Standing room only on the 07.43 to Victoria

Fed up of being stuck behind the wheel in heavy traffic? No? Well try a week driving around Delhi or Bangkok if you really want to see traffic jams! 

On the other hand, if the open road is what you are looking for then head to the USA - home of the automobile. 

The freedom of the open road with cheap fuel and (away from the cities), light traffic. Choose where to stay the night on the way (avoiding motels called ‘Bates’)

Golden Gate: more maroon really 

Try the classic 500 mile Pacific coast highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles and experience the Big Sur, Carmel and Santa Barbara. 

Add a 300 mile detour with a (summer only) trip to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. 

Yes Sur - it’s quite big

If you find you have brought too much money with you, head for Las Vegas via the Grand Canyon and/or the delightful sounding Death Valley.




HOW: Fly to San Francisco and back from Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Spend city time at the beginning and end with 7-10 days car hire - Convertible advisable.

Clickety Click: The famous route

If that’s not iconic enough, then how about hitting legendary Route 66. A 2,000 mile epic in two weeks from Chicago to Los Angeles. 

Take in St Louis, Oklahoma, New Mexico (Area 51 country), Texas (you can stop in Amarillo if you can find out which way it is), the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas amongst many others. 

What you spend in Vegas, stays in Vegas

What you drive is up to you but I would suggest an upgrade from the standard 2 door compact rental for this one!


HOW: Fly to Chicago and back from Las Vegas or Los Angeles with 14 days car hire plus city time at either end.

The Rocky Mountains - mountains with rocks

Banff: Get the Salmon before the bears

If you prefer letting somebody else do the driving, are bored of the scenery around Clapham Junction and like obvious naming conventions, then Canada does trains and scenery very well. 

Cross the country in comfort on the Canadian from Toronto to Jasper in the Rocky Mountains via Winnipeg and Edmonton (not the one with IKEA riots)


Then take the scenic Rocky Mountaineer from Banff to Vancouver. This is real wilderness country that includes bears (outside the train). Even these trains can’t run all through the winter so go in the summer and explore the spectacular landscape.

HOW: Fly to Toronto or Calgary and back from Vancouver. Allow 3 weeks for the full journey and bolt on a trip to Niagara Falls as well as allowing city time.

Swiss Alps: The Toblerone Range

For something closer to home and scenery to more than match, how about a trip through Switzerland using a Swiss Rail Pass. 

With trains that run more accurately than many clocks, this is a great way to see the stunning alpine views and chocolate box villages (not actually made with chocolate) without driving off a cliff.

Swiss Trains: as reliable as their clocks

Travel at your own pace from Geneva to Interlaken, Lugano, Lucern and Zurich with discounts on cable cars and ferries across the lakes. 

Go in the summer to see the Matterhorn and the Jungfrau region or go in the winter to ski Wengen, Zermatt and Verbier. And don’t forget to buy lots of chocolate.

HOW: Fly to Geneva and return from Zurich. Or the other way around. Long distance trains run to both airports.

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages, special requests or just some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected.

For holidays to Thailand, please visit my website dedicated to boutique holidays in Thailand:  http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.

Thailand: very nice

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk 

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Hit the road. Or track.



David Sutherland
EyeLine Travel 

20 May 2016   

Thailand: Probably the best holiday destination in the world

Thai Beaches: just like Brighton without the pier

Thailand. If you have been there then you’ll understand. If you haven’t, then you should go. The country has evolved from a backpacker rite of passage to a world class destination with something for everyone and new experiences each time for those who return. Same same but different.

So is it the best holiday destination in the world? Let’s look at the evidence in a Thailand special this week.

Bangkok: don’t tell webuyanygold

Most visitors arrive in Bangkok and there is plenty to see and do here. The Thai capital has transformed into a modern Asian metropolis complete with world class hotels, designer restaurants and endless traffic jams. 

Avoid the latter by using the arctic cool Skytrain monorail to get around and using the river boats for the best views. For shopping enthusiasts, there is not much you can’t buy here. Thai Airways and Emirates both offer a 30kg luggage allowance in anticipation.

Tuk Tuk: Possibly the fastest taxi in the world

TOP TIP: Get an authentic Thai massage at the Wat Pho massage school next to the Grand Palace -  1 hour for about £9.

A few hours by road from Bangkok will get you to the coastal resort town of Hua Hin. This the place to come for spa retreats, yoga camps and Thai cookery schools. The beach isn’t bad either. 

Kwai Bridge: they should make a film about it 

A similar distance inland will bring you to Kanchanaburi - location for the Bridge over the River Kwai supporting the infamous death railway to Burma. Visit poignant WW2 memorials to the Allied servicemen who perished here and take a trip on the Death Railway to Nam Tok. 

TOP TIP: Eat at riverside cookery school Blue Rice by Apple & Noi.

Khao Sok: Swap your pool villa for a tent. 

In the north of the country, second city Chiang Mai is a great base for exploring the northern hill tribe areas and the legendary Golden Triangle from smaller Chiang Rai. Trekking and rafting trips can be arranged here. Visit an elephant sanctuary for a spot of feeding and washing. Them not you.

Clouded Leopard: he can out run you

Alternatively in the south, nature lovers can enjoy getting wet in the rainforest of the Khao Sok national park by trekking or canoeing whilst looking out for the shy and not as friendly as it looks clouded leopard.

TOP TIP: Visit Chiang Mai in April for the wildest Thai New Year - Songkran- celebrations which involve water fights lasting 4 days in 40c heat.

Koh Phi Phi: Nicer than the name suggests

Then there are the beaches. And they take the country to a whole new level. From the limestone cliffs of Krabi to international resort style in Phuket. From the serenity of Koh Lanta and Koh Yao to the impossibly picturesque Koh Phi Phi. 

Hang out in Krabi

You could spend a lifetime visiting the beaches here. And that’s just the western Andaman coast!

TOP TIP: Find your very own beach around Krabi by hiring a long tail boat and driver for about £50 for the day for two.

Chaweng Beach: Samui’s busiest. Really.

On the eastern South China Sea coast, you have big and developed island Koh Samui. International standard hotels and a direct air link to Bangkok, Samui also has many small and luxurious beach front hotels close to the action but fashionably removed with prices comparable to a night at your local Travelodge. If you have ever wanted to stay in a pool villa without remortgaging your house then this is your country. 

Bottle Beach: What Full Moon?

TOP TIP: Visit the nearby Ang Thong Marine park for diving, snorkelling or lazing on yet more white sand beaches.

Smaller neighbour Koh Phangan is remoter and wilder (especially during the monthly Full Moon Parties). Stay in high class comfort in north eastern Thong Nai Pan - reachable by boat from Samui. With few paved roads, there is a sense of adventure here as you tour in search if your own perfect beach. 

Phuket: Even the airport has a beach

And to get there? Due to it’s location in the heart of south east Asia, there are multiple daily flight options from around the UK to Bangkok including twice daily with national carrier Thai Airways and seven daily connecting flights with Emirates.

In addition there are one stop flights to Krabi, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai with multi stop and open jaw permutations. It’s easy to get there, much harder to leave!

So are you convinced yet? Powder perfect beaches, sumptuous accommodation, mouth watering food, vibrant or chill out night life, trekking, diving, snorkelling, rafting, wellness, exploring nature, revisiting history. Or just relaxing on the beach or in a private pool villa. All at excellent value for money in the country known as the Land of Smiles.

Thailand is a year round destination with three climatic seasons. Hot, Very Hot and Very Wet. The country even lays claim to the current Premier League football title with Thai owners of Leicester City who have just completed what must surely rank as the second greatest footballing achievement in the East Midlands.

I have been visiting Thailand for nearly 30 years. Much has changed and much has remained exactly the same. It is like no other destination on earth and if you haven’t been yet, what are you waiting for? Is Thailand the best holiday destination in the world? In my opinion, it’s in the Top One.



To find out more about holidays to Thailand, please visit my new website dedicated to boutique holidays in Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk and visit the Facebook page of the same name for current offers.

Standard low cost packages are bookable through my multi destination EyeLine Travel website. 

For tailor made packages, special requests or just some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected. 

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk 

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Same Same but Different



David Sutherland
EyeLine Travel 

13 May 2016   

Mad Summers Day - Where to go in June

Glastonbury : The Great British Summer

Next month will be June. The start of Summer. Half way through the year. Already. The month of the Summer Solstice, The Longest Day and festivals galore. The UK offers much during this time. If however you didn’t get tickets for Glastonbury, don’t have enough stripy clothing for Henley or can’t face queuing for three days to get into Wimbledon, here are some alternative events happening around the world in June. Be warned - the mid summer sun has a strange powers! 

Sweden: The ABBA Tribute band are warming up

June is an important month in Scandinavia as daylight extends for 24 hours in some parts and the temperatures regularly make it into double figures. Sweden celebrates in style over the weekend of Mid-Summer’s Eve (June 24th this year). Get an invite to one of the islands in the archipelago around Stockholm and you can expect parties to last all night (or all weekend) fuelled by plenty of schnapps and herrings. And plenty of self assembled furniture to sit down on.

HOW: Fly to Stockholm Arlanda and make friends with somebody who owns a boat. Or fly to Stockholm Skavsta or Vasteras and miss everything because they are nowhere near the City.

The Arctic Funkys: in the Chill Out Zone

Head over the border to Norway and keep going until you get to Bodo inside the Arctic Circle. The nearby island of Vaeroy hosts the Midnight Sun Festival starting on 29th June. A week long electronic music and nature festival. With 24 hour daylight, don’t expect glow sticks, strobe lighting or a view of the Northern Lights. 

HOW: Fly to Bodo via Oslo. Take a ferry through the Fjords to Vaeroy. Wind your watch back to the 1960s.

Iceland: So cool it’s actually it’s freezing.

For an even cooler music festival, head to Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik between 16-19th June for the Secret Solstice. It doesn’t seem that much of a secret as they tell you where it is and who is playing (varied live acts including Radiohead). Quite literally the coolest event is a (secret) top DJ performing in a glacier on top of a mountain. For something a bit warmer, 20 VIP tickets are available at £1,400 each for an acoustic performance inside the magma chamber of a volcano reached by helicopter. Eat that Glasto!

HOW: Fly to Keflavik for Reykjavik. Bring a thick coat and a bottle of vodka and stop off at the Blue Lagoon thermal spa for a bath on the way back to the airport.   

Bordeaux: You’re going to need a bigger glass

To warmer climes and the French city of Bordeaux hosts its annual Wine Festival from 23-26th June. Expect plentiful opportunities to sample some of the finest wines in the world on the 2km long wine route through the town. Meet wine makers and enjoy the fruits of their labours under the Girondin sun.

HOW: Fly to Bordeaux from across the UK. Don’t hire a car and take a card with the name of your hotel before hitting the wine route.

Rioja: Bottoms Up - and all over the place 

If you prefer wearing your wine as well as drinking it, Festival stalwart Spain comes in with the Haro Wine Festival on 29th June. Taking place in Haro in the Rioja region around 100km south of Bilbao, it is known as La Batalla del Vino - the Wine Battle. Basically throw wine at everybody else, before being chased by bulls followed by a big wine and tapas street party long into the night. Don’t try this in Bordeaux!

HOW: Fly to Bilbao then it’s 1h50 by train to Haro. Take old clothes and a good sense of humour.

Cusco: an Inca-ling of impending pan pipes 

Finally, if you are still keen on the winter, head to Peru for the Winter Solstice on 24th June in Cusco, home to the recreation of the 9 day Inca Festival of the Sun or Inti Raymi if you prefer. Colourful celebrations with entertainers, street food and plenty of Peruvian music all now without the traditional Alpaca sacrifices. In the area, there is plenty more to do around Cusco including of course the Inca city of Machu Picchu.

HOW: Use the new direct BA flight from Gatwick to Lima and head uphill to Cusco. Bring warm clothing. And ear plugs if you’re not into pan pipes.

Thailand: it has boats, sea and sun

If you need further inspiration, please visit my Websites and Facebook pages and follow me on Twitter. 

For an exotic twist, why not visit my new boutique thailand website.




Standard low cost packages are bookable through my EyeLine Travel website. For tailor made packages, special requests or just some information, please Contact me and I will do the hard work for you. All holidays that I arrange are ABTA/ATOL protected. 

EyeLine Travel: http://eyelinetravel.co.uk 

Thailand: http://boutiquethailand.co.uk

david@eyelinetravel.co.uk
020 8123 2569

EyeLine Travel Facebook 

boutique thailand Facebook

Twitter (@eyelinetravel, @bouthaique)

Summer Festivals - no wellies required!



David Sutherland
EyeLine Travel 

6 May 2016