Ria Elaina Travelling in Style

Ria Elaina Atkins

A Mum’s Life

Hello and welcome to my very first Surrey Rocks Magazine column. Let me introduce myself – I’m Ria, Mum of two, married to my handsome hubby. I’m born and bred in my beloved Surrey and spend most of my time between here and London. I’m a handbag and shoe addict and lover of all things luxe.

To find out more about Ria’s luxe lifestyle follow her on Instagram @ria.elaina TRAVELLING IN STYLE

Olá from sunny Portugal where we are currently holidaying. Like many people this has been the first time we have been abroad in about a year and a half, boy does it feel good!

Before kids, holidays would consist of lie ins, lounging by the pool, dinners and cocktails. With young children, this proves to be somewhat tricky. What I’ve realised is you can make it work if you want to. Life is short and the memories you create are all worth the blood, sweat and tears!

Talking of sweat and tears (no blood thankfully!) getting to Portugal was a rather interesting experience. My husband had a stag booked so I met him out there with our 1 and 3-year-old. Flying solo was not easy, but we made it.

Here are my top tips:

Pack a spare outfit. You don’t want your little one to be wandering around topless like a hooligan (yes that happened to me).

Be clever with the toys you choose - they don’t need much, and no tiny pieces that you will end up picking from all over the floor. Something new is always entertaining. A big hit for us was a kids camera I bought on Amazon for £11.99.

Sticker books - what kid doesn’t love stickers?! iPads and headphones are a must. Yes, I was one of those people that prior to kids said I would never let my child have an iPad. That is now in fact, me. On a plane I will do just about anything to keep them quiet.

Snacks, lots of snacks. Whatever you think you might need, triple it!

I would consider myself a hotel snob, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. My absolute favourite group of hotels has to be Belmond. I just love everything about them, the location, history and of course, the food. My top picks would be Le Manoir, Grand Hotel Timeo and Splendido Portofino. When the kids have grown up I would love to ride the Andean explorer to Peru.

Somewhere that has a special place in our hearts is Dubai. I have been going to Dubai for the last 17 years. There’s something about the Arabian charm that lures you in. My favourite hotels are the One & Only Palm (without kids) and Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf. Staying in Madinat Jumeirah is a great option because there is so much to do. You can get around in traditional Abra boats which is so fun. There is a multitude of restaurants and kids under 4 eat free.

In contrast to the glitz and glam of Dubai, we love heading to Scotland. The beauty of the land speaks for itself. The road that takes you to Glen Etive is a must as it leads to the most stunning views where they filmed part of Skyfall.

Wherever you are in the world, the feeling of togetherness and family bonding, is something very special. Look forward to catching up with you all next month.