Terri’s Travels

30/01/2026

The most terrifying and exhilarating experience of my life. Launched from the top of 170m high building across Dubai Marina. All to raise money for the charity CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young.

27/01/2026

I’ve never been a fan of going back to the same place for holidays, I know some people love it but for me personally I can’t imagine anything more boring than returning to the same place year after year, seeing the same people and eating at the same restaurants when there is so much of the world to see and experience. BUT…..given that I have the opportunity to accompany my husband on two business trips a year to Dubai, I’m prepared to make an exception to my own rule and now declare Dubai as a ‘bit’ of a second home.
Whilst I am constantly seeking out new things to do, today Cam & I returned to an old favourite ‘Miracle Garden’. We last went 3 yrs ago so not too much of a repeat, but definitely worth a second visit - and there are flowers and smurfs to what’s not to love??!!! 💕 💙🌺🌼🌹
It’s only open from September through to May as peak summer months here are basically too hot to do anything outside, but definitely worth a visit if you are here during those months.

26/01/2026

Today we discovered something new in Dubai - The Green Planet, which is a fabulous indoor rainforest (well unlikely to be outdoors in the middle of the desert isn’t it! 😂). It’s not huge, but full of fabulous bird life, and we got up close and personal with the lemurs who just leap around and mingle with the public.
Then Simon came down to join us after his meeting and we found a gorgeous little Italian in Citywalk for lunch. It felt good to be eating al-fresco in January ☀️
Tonight Simon has gone out for a posh dinner on a private yacht with one of his clients, so Cam & I were going to be cheap skates and hit the food court in the Mall, but he fell asleep at 7.30pm so no dinner for us - just as well I’m on a diet 😂

26/01/2026

25/01/2026

Arrived in Dubai late last night, or rather very early this morning. Felt lucky to get here, despite the flight re-routing as many flight cancelled due to increasing tensions in Iran.
Our first ‘holiday’ of 2026, which is actually a work trip for Simon, but Cameron and I decided to jump on for a bit of winter sun (well it’s rude not to when someone else is paying for the accommodation!). At 14 Cam’s really too old to share with us now and always moans about having the put up bed in the corner of a hotel room, so we managed to find this fabulous 2 bedroom apartment on the Marina via AirBnB. It’s super spacious, 3 balconies all over looking the marina, and just a stones through away from lots of fabulous shops and restaurants.
With Simon working in Dubai twice a year, we have pretty much done all the main touristy things, so this week I intend to just stop, chill and relax.

23/01/2026

This is just depressing 😢, thank goodness the 2026 season of Terri’s Travels starts tomorrow ☀️🌴

27/12/2025

I love flying, I love cruising - but just for a little while I’m using a slightly rarer method of travel for me… ‘Shank’s Pony’. I’m walking the South Downs Way from Wi******er to Eastbourne to raise money for C.R.Y. Cardiac Risk in the Young . It’s chuffing cold, but the views are incredible and so far I’ve enjoyed every single step (despite not being able to feel my face or my fingers and having VERY achy calves 😩) A long stretch ahead tomorrow and I am currently 49% of my fund raising target, so if anyone has just a few pennies they could spare to help save lives via this incredible charity, then it will make the next stage of my walk tomorrow all worthwhile 🙏🏻. I’ll pop the link in the comments below ⬇️

02/10/2025

Remember those old TV’s that they used to wheel into the school classroom in the 1970’s??! That’s where I remember first watching a programme about Japan when I only was around 7-8, being fascinated by the culture,and desperately wanting to go one day. Despite that, it’s taken me until the age of 54 to actually get there. My best friend Kathie’s daughter has lived out there for the past 8 yrs and I finally got around to tagging along on a trip with her.
First we spent 3 days in Dubai as my hubby was working there and after his emergency gall bladder surgery at the Iranian Hospital in February I wanted to make sure he was behaving himself and not causing any drama this time!!
Then it was on another flight to Tokyo. Japan has truly exceeded all my expectations, it’s a country not only to be seen but to to ‘felt’, and it’s totally blown me away. From busy city’s to peaceful shrines and beauty spots; the colour, the culture, the food, the way of life, the respect, the discipline, the transport systems, the technology…oh, and did I mention the heated loo seats??!!
We’ve taken the bullet train, the metro, ferries, speed boats, street cars and internal flights, taking us to Mount Fuji (which was in the clouds!) Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara, before we flew up to Sapporo in Hokkaido (North Island) to spend time with Kathie’s family.
Every day has been AMAZING. Today we are flying back down to Tokyo for our last 30 hrs before making our homeward journey back via Dubai.
I’m blooming exhausted but have loved every moment and I’m taking home a million memories, and feel genuinely changed (for the better) for this experience. I’ve no doubt this won’t be my final trip to Japan, I’m already aiming to come back for the Sapporo Snow Festival in 2028, but for now it’s time to go home and work my butt off to save for it. Thank you Japan (and Dubai), I have loved every second and shall live a little better for having been here.

26/07/2025

Simon and I rarely give one another ‘stuff’ for birthdays and Christmas, we prefer to give one another experiences and make memories together. Problem is we then get so busy that we never get round to using them! Yesterday we put time aside and headed into London to use up last years birthday and Christmas presents from him. An afternoon at Battersea Power Station, cocktails in Control Room B, a trip up the chimney in Lift 109, then gorgeous dinner at the Cinnamon Kitchen.
After a beautiful night spent at The Rafayel Hotel & Spa right on the Thames, we headed into Covent Garden for lunch, and rounded up by watching The Book of Mormon at The Prince of Wales Theatre.
A perfect 24 hrs with my love.
So so lucky to live in a very quiet rural village and yet still have all of this just an hour from home. Oh, and I’m so lucky to have such an incredible husband too ❤️

16/07/2025

In March 2023 Cameron and I did a 5 week cruise around South America from Buenos Aires to Fort Lauderdale (the long way round and via the Falklands Islands, and through the Panama Canal - which were two major places on my bucket list). We saw some of the most spectacular scenery in the world as we traversed Patagonia and the Chilean Fjords, we saw massive glaciers, and incredible wildlife.
But - due to bad weather we were unable to sail around Cape Horn, and when we landed in Ushuaia and saw all the smaller expedition ships, and met with a friend who had just disembarked one, it ignited a spark in me to want to do a full on expedition trip to Antarctica myself and I have subsequently spent over a year researching, and dreaming.
Not going to lie it is ridiculously expensive to do, and more than I would ever usually spend on one trip, but I know it will be a once in a lifetime experience which I shall never forget. I can’t afford to take Cameron, and I’m not sure it would be 100% appropriate for him at this age anyway, but he doesn’t want to go anyway as doesn’t feel he could hack the Drake Passage in a small ship, a sentiment very much shared by my husband who claims to get sea sick on the Isle of Wight Ferry, so absolutely no way he would handle the Drake Shake. So with their blessings, I have booked a solo expedition visiting Antartica, South Georgia and the Falklands. It’s not until 2027 which gives me the time I need to save for it, and hopefully have a few photography lessons during that time as well, but I am massively excited and going to work my butt off to make this dream come true, follow in the steps of Shackleton, play with the penguins and glide amidst the icebergs. A small ship with only 100 passengers, BIG tick ☑️ on the bucket list in the making.
Booked with Nong at Travelnam, phenomenal service and matched the best price I had found online. Thank you 🙏🏻

18/06/2025

Life - Work - Home/World Educator is ever evolving, and ever changing, trying to find the balance which works for everyone. I have been lucky to have already travelled to some fabulous places this year, but when we weren’t travelling then I was quite literally drowning in work, and this meant Cameron’s Home Education was basically being stuck in his bedroom, glaring at a computer screen all day, which wasn’t healthy and was never the way I intended his home education to be, in addition to this I needed a home & family life too, which wasn’t happening and as a result anxiety had not only crept into my life, it was beginning to engulf it and take over.
I realised that regrettably I had taken on too much, and had to make the very difficult decision to take a step back from working in Travel in order to give Cameron the attention that he both needs and deserves to thrive on a daily basis, and for me to have a work/life balance where I can survive.
These past couple of weeks we have decided to explore some of the beautiful places which are close to our home, and so far have visited Englefield Gardens, Bucklebury Deer Park, and Beale Park - all just 15 minutes from our front door in West Berkshire.
To be outside in nature just 2-3 hrs a day, but close to home has done us both good, given us both a ‘breather’ but also allowed us to study and work as well.

08/06/2025

Today we ventured up from Chattanooga to Pigeon Forge in the Smoky Mountains (about a 2 hr drive). Wow, what a find this place is - so much to see and do, and unfortunately we are only here for 24hrs as Cameron wanted to see the Titanic Museum, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I have been to several Titanic Exhibitions including the big museum in Belfast, but I would definitely say this one is the best. The outside is a 50% scale model, but the central staircase is 100% exact replica.
Would highly recommend anyone come up to this area if visiting Tennessee, we will definitely return next time Cameron comes to rail camp, and next time we will stay for several days to take full advantage to both the man made attractions and those created by Mother Nature.