Hey guys! As many of you know, I have been giving a few hints about an exciting project I have been working on recently. I AM DELIGHTED to finally be able to tell you all about it. I am so exciting to team up with Redfm on a very exciting project. Yesterday, we launched a BRAND NEW TRAVEL SHOW together called ‘RED TRAVEL‘. It is an online travel tv show where I will bring you on adventures from home and abroad. I’ll be sharing my experiences, adventures and travels each week with you. Allowing you to explore with me on RedTravel. We will be sharing a new episode every Wednesday at 9pm on Facebook, YouTube and over at Redfm.ie/RedTravel. You can following our adventures on location shoots each week on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram @RedTravelShow.
This week, we are very excited to share with you our first ever episode of RedTravel. We have a very busy show lined up. We started off the adventures with Eoghan in Ballyhass Lakes. Eoghan gave me a wake boarding lesson. I honestly thought I wouldnt get the hang of it at all but it wasn’t long before I got up and was flying along the water. I was hooked… I honestly didn’t want to get out of the water. All sessions at Ballyhass are coached one on one and last aprox 15 minuteS. Never wakeboarded before and 15mins sounds short? Trust me you will be wrecked after your 15min sessions. A beginner session for adults costs €25pp and €15 for under 18. I also got to try out their new Aquapark. What a fun way to spend the morning. The aqua park costs €20 for adults and €15 for under 18s. It is the perfect activity to try with a group of friends or even family. Lots of different packages available with a range of activities over at Ballyhasslakes.ie
We then went to meet Aisling and all our cute friends in the Donkey sanctuary in Liscarroll. The donkey sanctuary in Liscarrol is home to over 1800 donkeys, many of which have been abandoned and secured. Opened all year round. Monday – Friday from 9:30am – 4:30am and Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays between 10am – 5pm. It’s free admission and free parking as well and a 40 minute drive from Cork city. You can also make a donation if you wish or even better adopt a donkey which makes for the perfect unique present for someone.
We ended the day touring the orchards of Longuville house with William who gave us a tour of the orchards and filled us in on their famous apple cider. For a most unique tour experience, and a chance to learn about Irish cider making make sure you book a group tour – An educational tour of our apple orchards, crush house and distillery followed by a tasting of Longueville House Cider. So if you have a group of people who would love to learn more about the cider making… be sure to contact Longville house.
In the second half of the show, we went to explore the South of France. Our goal was to find you a hidden gem in the South of France and we most definatley accomplished our goal with the medditerranean jewel of Collioure. Our French adventure began by flying direct to Perpingon from Dublin airport with Aerlingus. AerLingus offers 4 weekly flights from Dublin to Perpignan from April to September. Prices can range from €150 upwards depended on your travel days. After a short two and a half hour flight, we arrived in Perpingon – a city steeped in history. We decided to meet a local lady Cicile who took us on a stroll through historic city. One of our favourite things was the Palace of the Kings of Majorca – A palace and fortress with gardens overlooking the full city of Perpignan. With an admission fee of just €4, it is well worth the visit.
We then drove to the picturesque fishing village of Collioure. Although we drove, you can also get a train which costs just €6 and takes only 20 minutes. What can I say… Collioure is a Mediterranean jewel just waiting to be discovered. Situated on the rocky coastline of the Cote Vermeille in the very south of france. We strolled through the quaint streets of this picturesque fishing village before heading for some tapas. We got our first taste of the traditional dish of anchoivies – a must during your visit! One of our top things to do while in Collioure is to head out on the water! We hit the water with Kayak Mer for a beginner kayaking lesson along the Cote Vermielle. An hour a a half on the water costs just €20pp or a half day on the sea with underwater exploration costs just €30pp. After an evening stroll, we watched the sun set over the village.
The following morning I got up early to make the most of the day and started with a refreshing swim. Another top tip is to make time for either a morning swim or a sunset swim… trust me, its worth it!! Another activity to add to your bucket lists is the little train of Collioure – It took us on the adventure thorugh vineyards, along picturesque roads and to admire the wonderful views. It’s a 45 minute excursion and costs just €8 for adults and €5 for children. Departing every hour from 10am – 7pm. Our last adventure of the day was to explore Fort St. Elme. I would highly recommend going up to the top. On one side you have fantastic views of Collioure and the other side you have breathtaking views of the vineyard. This is the spot you need to visit for the best view of Collioure… trust us!! The last activity was wine tasting and I got to meet two local wine makers and learn a little about their wines. Afterwards I had some tapas before heading back to the airport.
Collioure is the perfect place for a break away. It is perfect for a few days away or if you are lucky… even longer! With a short flight and quick transfers, you will be in the sunshine in no time at all.
So there you have it… our first episode of RedTravel. We hope you enjoyed it. Coming up next week we are heading East. We will be paying a visit to the Clock tower in Ardmore, going on a tour of the River Blackwater with Tony of Blackwater cruises and cycling the newly opened greenway in Waterford. We will also sharing our experience in Croatia and chatting to John of SailAweigh.ie about island hopping in Greece.
See you next week,
Steph
