26/07/16

Girls Holidays in the Sun

And Why You Need Time Away

I count myself extremely lucky to say I have a number of fantastic girl friends. Some are from my toddler era, some from my teens, others from my University days and of course a great amount from my blogging life. They are all extremely different with their own unique and beautiful qualities, but I guess they all share a similarity that drew me to them as someone I really wanted to be close to.

The last girly holiday I had was around 18 months ago in Barcelona with a group of my closest friends. It was to celebrate my besties Hen Party and we had the best week I’d had for months. That time away helped me relax back into a no-work-mode and some physical social interactions again and it was just what I needed after months of solid work.

Rewind to a few weeks ago, I was away with a group of gals once again and so thankful for some me time.

Time in the Sun.

With a break in our schedules, myself and five of my closest blogger babes, Tamara, Carly, Suzie, Em and Amelia, headed to Crete for 5 days to the luxurious Daios Cove Resort. I took charge of organising, seeing as I was probably the most desperate to get away for some girly fun in the sun, and booked us into a three bedroom villa. Complete with our own private pool, lounge and three large bedrooms and bathrooms, this was the largest villa on the complex and totally stunning. With a spa, indoor and outdoor pool, huge gym, outdoor bar and two restaurants to the body of the resort, this was a complex where you could happily spend a week just laid down. Built into a cove, the dreamy view looks out over the sea with a private beach and a sense of seclusion. And for five days, me and the girls just enjoyed being away from everything in our own private complex. No interruptions and a place to catch up whilst enjoying the sunshine.

Carly Rowena

We tried to be healthy, and in honesty you probably could stick to your diet fairly well, if you’re a fan of the Greek salad. But I would be lying if I said we didn’t also indulge in a lot of cake from the all you can eat buffet every evening. Having Carly and Em on the trip meant that we were all pretty inspired to be fitness bunnies, but it doesn’t always work out that way when chocolate pudding is involved. Breakfast was served to our villa once or twice, as was lunch, so we literally didn’t need to leave the poolside. Of course we could have done, but relaxation was at the top of our to do list. The food was delicious though, with a number of healthy, light or heavier options to choose from depending on our mood. But on the days when we wanted to spend time out, we headed down to the beautiful infinity pool overlooking the cove and ate in the buffet breakfast area. Complete with instagrammable tables and vanilla iced lattes.

Everything was seriously gorgeous and I could not recommend this more if you’re looking for a really relaxing break. Whether you’re a family, couple looking for some peace and quiet or a group of gals hoping to enjoy the sun. You can find more info on Daios Cove just here.

But it wasn’t just the resort that was wonderful, but the company. In honesty we all spent a lot of time working on this trip – taking time to shoot outfit posts, create beautiful flatlays and to film lookbooks and vlogs. I mean, we’re all bloggers at the end of the day. But working from a sun-lounger by a pool with a view of the sea is a damn sight more exciting than the view I have right now.

Girl Time.

I go away on trips with Alex every few weeks now. And it’s seriously amazing to be able to travel with your partner. But there is something so amazing about a trip with just you and the girls. If you have never been away with just your girl friends, I recommend it as your next break.

For a few reasons.

You can get everything off of you chest that you have needed to say. Generally speaking, women are more happy to listen to other women vent and organise their thoughts out loud. Plus, are more than happy to give advice and ideas where needed. Everything that has been bothering you for the last how many years or months, you can put to right by simply offloading your thoughts for your friends to advise on.

Your girls will always have the right piece of makeup, tampon, hair dryer, toothpaste, hair oil or brush that you have forgotten to pack. You will always be covered.

When you need a touch longer to take your instagram shot, your girls are definitely more likely to spend a bit more time waiting for you to finish. As the chances are, they too are trying to get the perfect shot. Or they’re just a tad more patient.

Your girls will likely have planned the next few days of your trip. Whether its a meal in a restaurant, an excursion or a place of interest, chances are that your girl mates have ideas and plans of how they want to spend their trip. So you can all work together to make it pretty darn dreamy.

Plus, more of you means more ideas, and more bodies on seats, more people to talk to, more people to catch up with and more conversation. And generally a little more fun. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my trips with Alex and we have the best time, but being with your girls, dancing and playing around in a bar or a club is a feeling that can’t be beaten very easily.

In this Photo

In this Photo

What is better than a huge girly catch up around a table with good food, good drinks and an amazing view?! I’m counting down the days until my next girls trip!