2nd June 2016: I've been to Orlando many times before, but I keep coming back because it is just so much fun. We experienced plenty of the main parks, lots of shopping and places where we could eat and drink far too much!
Hard Rock Hotel
We decided to try something a little different this time, so we stayed on site at Universal Studios, in the Hard Rock Hotel. This is a fab hotel, in a great spot, right in the heart of the thrilling theme parks and nightlife. It is quite an up beat hotel with music playing constantly and modern décor, which really suited us. They also offer a free boat shuttle service across to the parks and City Walk, which was a fun experience, even if it took more time than actually walking.
Discovery Cove
My husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary whilst in Florida and we couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate than Discovery Cove. Here we swam with Dolphins and had the most perfect day. We even had a dolphin swim up to us and deliver a personalised buoy wishing us a Happy Anniversary, a memory to treasure forever. This park is a little haven of paradise in a big bustling city.
Clearwater
It was time to head south to Clearwater in style, where we thought we would treat ourselves by hiring a Mustang for the last few days of our trip - a bright yellow one! Trust me, driving this down the highway was great fun. A very easy 1 hour 45 minute drive brought us to our final stop – The Sandpearl Resort and Spa.
This hotel was stunning and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It was located directly on the beachfront and pure luxury. We were lucky enough to stay in a one-bedroom beachfront suite and one evening we were sitting on our balcony over looking the ocean and we saw dolphins just off the coastline. Simply amazing! The hotel is in a great location, walking distance to shops, bars and restaurants. It even has its own section of private beach. One side of the hotel is the pristine white sandy beach leading to the crystal clear and warm Gulf coast, while the other is the Clearwater Marine. It's safe to say I did not want to leave this place.
As always Orlando never fails to disappoint us, we had a fabulous time and some really great weather. It was now time for me to part with the Mustang and fly home, where our flight back to London Gatwick was superb with BA. Of course we had to end this trip in style so after chatting to the steward on board, we had constant refills of champagne the whole way home to celebrate our belated honeymoon - Thanks BA!
If you're considering a holiday to Orlando do give me a call or pop in for a chat. I can tailor make the perfect Florida holiday for you.
Meg Gardiner, Travel Specialist
