Jono's blog posts

Small-ship cruises are a brilliant way to reach destinations without the hassle of overland travel. You also get some incredible vantage points from out at sea, not to mention the marine life you could see along the way.

If reality television has taught me anything (and I do appreciate this may be something of a stretch) it is that life is all about the journey.

This is something that came back to me during my recent exploration of Croatia’s southern coast and islands. The Adriatic coastline presents travellers with a stunning array of jaw-dropping destinations all within a relatively short distance of one another. Yet the highlight of my trip was not to be found amongst them…

Christmas might be over and the days might be getting colder but don’t worry there is plenty to get excited for in 2019! In fact, if the colder days have got you dreaming of sunnier climbs then here at Artisan Travel, we have some good news as some of our favourite sunny escapes are just around the corner!

Now, although we love all of the destinations in our Mediterranean collection and we would highly recommend a trip to Croatia, Gozo or The Azores, there is one destination that we are especially excited about this year – Madeira! With its winding levadas, luscious green mountains, exceptional coastline and amazing marine life, there is plenty to love about this sub-tropical island. However, rather than giving you a big long list of reasons to start booking your flights we have decided to let the photos do the talking! After all, ‘a picture paints a thousand words’!

Our Atlantic Islands include the varied and unique islands that make up Madeira and the volcanic Azorean archipelago.

Picture clusters of volcanic islands sitting in the mid-Atlantic, their jagged terrain criss-crossed with trails to explore, landscapes flushed with colour and the surrounding waters rich with marine life. This is the Azores and Madeira, and when you look at what they’re made of, it’s no surprise that there are some truly fantastic bucket list experiences to be had here. In fact, we’re still bemused that these archipelagos are not at the top of everyone’s travel list.

Our Atlantic Islands Collection is all about experiencing the best of these locations and, especially in Madeira, going beyond the usual tourism experiences. Moreover, the top of the must-do activities here often involve ticking incredible items off your bucket list. Here are a few of the experiences you can enjoy during your holiday:

Rugged volcanic terrain waiting to be explored, picturesque towns sitting quietly in sublime surroundings and some of the best places in the world to go whale watching. Our Atlantic Islands Collection is Europe, but not as you know it.

Europe, but not as you know it

Situated in the mid-Atlantic, two archipelagos stand out as some of the last places in Western Europe that still feel undiscovered. During a holiday to the Azores or Madeira, you’ll feel like you’re one of the first to explore these islands as you journey both on land and at sea.

With lush green vegetation covering towering mountains, volcanic terrain taking you up to incredible views and surrounding waters filled with marine life, our Atlantic Islands Collection is Europe, but not as you know it.

As a UK-based travel company, we know that Brexit is an issue of concern for all travellers.

That is why we have decided to answer some of the common questions to help explain what Brexit might mean for your travel plans after 29 March 2019 when Great Britain is set to leave the EU.

2019 is almost upon us and we think there’s no better way to help beat the post-Christmas blues than to start planning your next holiday abroad. You could even make a New Year’s resolution to start ticking off some travel experiences from your bucket list!

Did you know The Azores constitutes as a region of ‘Macaronesia’? In Greek, this means "fortunate islands" for those who live and visit them!

To inspire you to visit these ‘fortunate islands’ see our top five photographs below!