“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”
Welcome to Sarah Lee travels, a blog for anyone with a passion for travel. Sarah is a travel journalist who writes for magazines and websites on destinations all over the world. She specialises in timeshare and fractional properties, luxury hotels, cruising and business travel.
Want more information on Sarah, or to find out about advertising on this blog, or to learn more about St Augustine, the originator of the quote above? Then click the links. If you want to hop straight on a virtual plane, scroll away and discover travel news, views and all round inspiration...
Latest posts
Hold the travel blog – there’s work to be done!
Writing a travel blog can be something of a labour of love. But it’s all worthwhile when you know people are reading your posts and actively engaged in what you’re writing. However sometimes labour of another variety can put paid to the labour you love. Earlier this year I embarked on a new work project. LiveShareTravel is an online travel and lifestyle magazine that takes a different approach to sharing travel ideas and inspirational features.
Facing the music at Benicassim
A glittering array of celebrity faces adorned the stage at this year’s Festival Internacional de Benicassim (FIB). But there were also many less famous faces happy to have the spotlight turned on them. Festivals are not just the stomping ground of the young and free, plenty of people looked like this wasn’t their first while the odd infant took their first rhythmic steps to the sound of Benicassim’s drums, under the watchful eye of a parent, proud to take their child to their first ever music event.
All aboard for a cruise giveaway
Are you planning a cruise? In need of a little inspiration? Then get to The Daily Telegraph’s Cruise Show in Birmingham this October to find out more about the latest ships and discover the hottest destinations. We know you love cruising – stories and videos on this blog on Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jade and Celebrity Equinox have garnered a lot of comments, so we’ve teamed up with The Daily Telegraph’s Cruise Show to bring you two incredible offers.
Confessions of a music festival virgin
Stepping off my flight to the eastern shores of Spain I knew I was in for a new experience. For the second time in a month I was about to lose my virginity. Just weeks earlier I’d attended my first Grand Prix in Valencia and now I was succumbing to the temptations of another racy lady. She was a lady of the night – dark, mysterious and very, very loud. Benicassim was the home of Europe’s music scene and for four nights she held me in a passionate embrace.
Benicassim – hot days, sizzling nights
It’s festival season across Europe so time to don wellies and prepare yourself for an avalanche of rain and mud. Or maybe not.
Ok so this year Glastonbury-goers experienced better weather than they’ve witnessed in years.
But if you really want to play in the sunshine, Spain’s Festival International de Benicassim (FIB) is the hot tip for music fans!
We’ve a World Cup winner!
We’ve been pretty remiss and can only apologise for not announcing this before but as you know we’ve recently been swept away on a tide of music at the Benicassim Music Festival. And with approximately a week spent in sunny Spain (where wifi was free but dismally slow at our hotel) we weren’t able to post about the winner of our World Cup score predictions competition. So here goes…
I love Benicassim!
This week we were at the Benicassim music festival in Spain, seeing a whole host of great performers including The Prodigy, Kasabian, PIL, The Specials, Ray Davies, Peter Hook, Dizzee Rascal, Gorillaz, Ellie Goulding, Ian Brown, Vampire Weekend, Leftfield, Calvin Harris, Goldfrapp, Ash and The Klaxons. We don’t usually go to festivals, so we asked the Benicassim crowd what they thought of it all…
Join us live from Benicassim
Just for the record, I don’t do festivals. While the masses are happy to lap up the mud and back-to-nature camping of the likes of Glastonbury, I watch the music fest from a safe distance in the comfort of my own home. So quite what I’m doing going to Festival International de Benicassim, in Spain this week is a little beyond me.
Five unmissable South African attractions
After Spain and the Netherlands battled it out to be World Cup champions (well done Spain!!) we’re reflecting on what a brilliant competition South Africa has put on. In honour of this incredible country we give you five of our favourite South African attractions. It’s difficult to choose just five so we’ve gone for something slightly more unusual than the likes of Table Mountain and Robben Island (though both of these are pretty good as well of course).
Just how useful are travel reviews?
I recently had the chance to sample Norwegian Cruise Lines’ latest ship Epic. I’ve just been reading through a fairly mixed bag of reviews of the ship – some saying it couldn’t be better, others quoting specific bad experiences and personal niggles. It’s made me wonder: how useful are travel reviews and do they say more about us than the hotel/ship/airline we’ve reviewed?
Can a wellness clinic make me a new man?
Hands up if you’ve been to my home town – the Midlands’ gem of Nuneaton? If you had you’d know you’re unlikely to find many men open to alternative therapies. When I was invited to the Sha Wellness Clinic, in Valencia, I felt I was a long way from home! The term wellness clinic suggested hallways thick with the smell of disinfectant, medical types in white coats and dormitory beds where lights out was by 9.30pm.
Savour a safari
If you’re in South Africa for the World Cup then you’ll clearly have football on your mind. But with its wild landscape within reach it would be a pity not to take in a safari. Indelibly etched on my memory is the country’s wildlife and in particular my first ever safari. From Bushwillow, a lodge set in a reserve near Hluhluwe Umfolozi in KwaZulu Natal, we had daily encounters with the wildlife that surrounded our accommodation.
Entertainment on an Epic scale
With today being American Independence Day its fitting New York’s Macy’s 4th of July fireworks are hosted by Epic, the new ship from Norwegian Cruise Lines. Entertainment is an intrinsic part of cruising and though it can amount to a few cheesy line dancing sessions it’s generally good – very good. But now Norwegian Epic is taking on-board entertainment to another level.
Costa conquered: the road trip that changed my view of Spain’s east coast
Don’t Stop Believing blared from the stereo. It was fittingly the original by Journey rather than the Glee cover, for this was a 4-Wheel-Drive into Spain’s hinterland and the wind was blowing through what’s left of my hair. On a Jeep safari you need good road music, happily our driver Richie, knew his job.
Epic’s solo Studios could change the face of cruising
There was a time when cruising was the domain of the newlywed and nearly dead. But Norwegian Cruise Line seems intent on changing cruising demographics with Epic, their latest ship being christened in New York this afternoon. NCL has done something daring in cruising – introducing 128 staterooms for solo travellers with no single supplement.
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