Tag Archives: Holiday

Travel Diaries Discovering- Sierra Leone

Greetings from Sierra Leone. I have always wanted to explore Africa and I have started in SL. 

I had so much anxieties about going to an African Country other than Nigerian.  Only God knows why I chose Sierra Leone but am here now. 

Can I just say that I have met some of the nicest people here. Everyone has been so helpful and just NICE.

Sadly, there are direct flights here. So I made a stop at Amsterdam on a KLM flight.  

I loved that the airport had LIGHT and was air-conditions. … yes we count the little things too.  To top things off all my luggage arrived.

My biggest shock came when I learnt that we need to use a speedboat to cross to the mainland. Scared is an understatement.

I didn’t come out here to die! 

What would my mother say. At this point I couldn’t go back so I braved it. I could hardly see where I was going. Clenching my friends hand and prayers in my heart, one step at a time I made it over the long shakey bridge and onto the speed boat.   There was AC … I live for AC in Africa and entertainment.

We were offered refreshments which helped to make the 45 mind ride go quick. This was verthe bumpy ride. Not for those who suffer from sea sickness.

I was so impressed by the way they carried all our luggage from the airport to the mainland.  Nothings went missing.

I really can’t help but compare Sierra Leone with Nigeria.  A part of me things that they are better organised here. I had to remind myself that this is barely day one.  I will keep you guys posted on how I get alone.

The internet is not great. I will do my best to write and post as much as I can.  

Follow me on Instagram for regular updates

 @ijayheavens I post there regularly. 

See you soon. 

X

✌&❤

Travel diaries – Protecting your Jewellery on holiday.


Hey lovelies, I thought I would share this  blog post following my own experiences when traveling with jewellery.

Jewellery definitely adds something special to holiday outfits. However, I was quick to learn that if you do not take care … you could end up in a hot tangle.

1. Store your jewellery in a small bag or pouch when travelling. This somewhat minimises tangling.

2. If your idea of a good holiday involves laying on the beach soaking up the sun. You may want to consider taking off all  jewellery in the sun as they can get pretty heated.  This will also reduce the chances of any unsightly tan lines.

3. Avoid exposing your jewelleries to sun lotion, chemical and salt water.  This can speed up the oxidation process. No body lies tarnished jewellery.

4.  Finally, should you decide to travel with your priced gems, be sure to use the safety deposit box , if this is available in your hotel room.

Thanks for reading to the end.  Please feel free to leave any further suggestions on ways to protect jewellery when on holiday in the comments box below.

Connect with me @ ijaykheavens

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Travel diaries- Destination Birthday

My love for traveling has multipled over the years. I love getting to see different parts of the world;the foods, the people, art and culture. 

I have been privilaged to spend another birthday in a different country. In all honesty… this is by far the longest birthday celebrations. It seems as though I have been celebrating since I got here on Monday 19th of September  and I am sure the celebrations will continue long after the 23rd. 

Birthdays are not quite right without cake. I went back to the Fontanella tea garden for some delicious cake and breathtaking views.

I ended the day with dinner by the yacht marines. Had the most delicious salad. I did not know that salads could be so tasty. 

See you soon.  X
Connect with me @ijaykheavens 

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Travel diaries -Blue Bardot dress

It’s so frustrating when dresses that are supposed to be knee length come up so short that you dare not wear it without tights or leggings. 

This is even more annoying when the dress is labelled as ‘Tall’…. why wasn’t some additional length added? 

I spotted this dress and was drawn to the cut-out detail and embroidery. The  bardot style was a added bonus and total trending.  

I didn’t feel exposed by this length and accessorized with gold accessories. 

I absolutely love the scolloped edges on this dress.. so pretty. 

Let me know about dresses experiences. 

TALL Cutout Bardot Dress- Topsham

Black sandals- Hobbs

Sunglasses – Matthew Williamson

Gold chain bag – Micheal Kors


Stay connected with me @ijaykheavens 

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Why you all need a Harem jumpsuit this summer.

All year we have seen comfy fashions dominating. We all want to look and feel great with as little effort as possible.

This Mc hammer 90’s trend offers just that.  Can’t explain just how comfortable and breathable this outfit was in the 30 degrees heat.

You are in luck because this Harem jumpsuit is not only on sale,but it’s available in tall and regular fits .

I can see this going from a day to night look with a quick shoe change.

Let me know what you think of this quirky outfit.  Thumbs up or not.

This is probably my first EVER a harem  pants.  I can totally see myself buying more.

 

 

Blue patchwork print harem jumpsuit -Newlook

http://m.newlook.com/shop/womens/tall/tall-blue-tile-print-drape-jumpsuit_381390549?productFind=search

Black mules – Next

Cross body bag -Zara.

Ok. See you soon.

@ijaykheavens -Go Follow.

How to get a hotel upgrade!

If you have been following my blog you will know that I recently got back from a very lovely holiday.  I really did my best to take everyone with me on this trip by uploading lots of pictures and keeping you all updated on my movements.  Sharing is caring and you can thank me later.😋😋😋

If you missed this you can still catch up by looking through my travel diaries category.

So, we all know that I love a bargain ( better yet, some freeness).I am always on the look out for ways to get the most out of my money.  We had booked to stay at what I thought was an already beautiful hotel.  According to booking.com a 5* hotel. On arrival it was great but we randomly got offered an upgrade to a newer, more luxury resort hotel which belonged to the same hotel chain.

Interestingly, we had considered this luxury resort hotel while booking but did not want to pay the price🙈.  With the offer of a free shuttle to the new hotel, we accepted !

On arrival to out new hotel, I was gobsmacked at the views and still could not believe the free upgrade.  We were offer champers on arrival at the reception… the life.  I do not want to go off track so a Full reviews of this luxury hotel is to follow. Please stay tuned.

After a few nights of trying to understand why the free upgrade, IT HIT ME.  I literally had a secret escapes moment.  ” Even the most luxurious hotels out there don’t like having empty rooms…”  I noticed that the hotel was probably not as full as it could have been.

We booked the holiday for the first week in June.  This is probably not the busiest time of the year for hotels.  It’s not quite summer holidays and schools are still in session.

So I  guess that is how to  get a hotel upgrade.

  1. Book your stay at off peak times when it is not busy.  You stand a better chance in getting a room upgrade if the hotel is not busy and the rooms are vacant anyway.
  2. If you do not ask, you may not get.  In this instance we did not need to ask and it was simply offered because we had great smiles( lol).  But the Asking principle has worked wonders for me in the past.  Especially with airlines.
  3. This is most likely to work with hotels with chains. The idea is that they upgrade you to a hotel within their chain with better rooms, a better location or just more luxury… yes we like luxury .  Alternatively, you can also try this with room upgrades.
  4. Finally, having a great time on holiday is best upgrade anyone can ask for.  Make sure you enjoy your vacations.  Whether you get a hotel upgrade or not.

The idea of luxury hotel not wanting to have empty rooms is one which Secret excape uses to get you and I luxury hotels for a cheaper price. Therefore this was not a fluke or luck. IT WORKS.

Disclaimer -results with the above can’t be guaranteed as each hotel has its own policies.   These are only my suggestions 

    Ps- Do not forget to come back and let me know how you get on.  Or if you have any other tricks up your sleeves on how to get hotel upgrades please share.

    ( Comments below)

     Sharing is caring.

    Before you leave, lets connect- Follow for more travel and holiday tips.

    Lets also be friends on instagram

    @ijaykheavens

    https://www.instagram.com/ijaykheavens/

    Airport outfit return home – Holiday blues

    All good things have to come to an end. Fashion is very much a way of expressing ones self.What do I wear home? Something that caputures my mode well.  I love wearing the classic denim on denim trend.  It’s a trend that never dies or gets old.

    I find that the Topshop Joni jeans are great to travel in because they have lots of stretch. The high waisted cut means that I do not have to worry about my jeans riding down.

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    You could definitely see that I have the holidays blues with this colour combinations.
    I can not complain, I am well rested and ready to face my reality.

    Hope you have enjoyed my travel diaries.
    I shot some great looks while on holiday.  Can’t wait to share them with you.
    I am also considering where to go next. All suggestions will be welcomed.
    See you soon.
    ✌ & ❤

    Connect with me on instagram @ijaykheavens

    Travel diaries- Sleeveless high neck with ripped jeans

    This is my go to look for when am getting ready in a rush. Whether with a skirt or with jeans high neck tops neve let me down.

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    I could have completed this look with a pair of heels and it would have been a totally different ball game.

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    Navy high neck top -Newlook
    High waist Jeans – Topshop
    Orange Sandals – Dorothy Perkins
    Clutch bag – Topshop

    Follow more of my travel diaries right here. 
    See you soon.
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    Stay connect @ijaykheavens

    Travel diaries -Cold shoulders meets Wide leg trousers

    This is probably summer 2016’s hottest trend . I could not get enough of it this holiday.

    I pair my cold shoulder top with my printed palazzo wide leg trousers.
    I was absolutely over dressed for the trek today but I sure looked good while doing it.

    It was a victorious moment when I made it to the top of the acropolis.
    The views made it all worth while.

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    I swept my hair to the side to show off my statement earrings. I hope to write a blog post statement earring so keep an eye out for it.

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    Read more on the different want ways I styled this cold shoulder top here http://wp.me/p64TYL-gA

    Cold shoulder blouse – Marks and Spencer
    Palazzo trousers – Dorothy Perkins

    Mini City bag – Zara
    http://m.zara.com/uk/en/woman/bags/mini-bags/mini-city-bag-c712008p3711682.html

    Sandals – Hobb

    Travel diaries – Pleated Maxi skirt

    The night was airy with a very cool breeze. We dined at a sea food restaurant over looking the sea….. (sigh)…bliss

    I must say… the dessert was to die for.
    This maxi skirt has a sown in underskirt that keeps riding up. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the feeling of flying as skirt blew in  the wind.
    I am totally in la la land.

    On a side note.. my feet at are still very swollen.  Really struggling to wear most of my footwear. Any suggestions to reduce the swelling.

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    Vest top – Asos
    pleated maxi skirt – Marks and Spencer
    Slider mules -Dorothy Perkins
    Clutch bag – Topshop.
    See you soon

    ✌ & ❤