A group of hardy Canadian travel agents battled through the snow on a tour of Wales, organised by Janet Redler Travel & Tourism on behalf of VisitBritain, following ExploreGB.

The Canadian travel agents enjoying their visit to Wales

The ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma, which caused chaos across Britain, threatened to derail the tour, but thanks to the hard work of Janet Redler and her team and some last-minute adjustments, the travel agents managed to get to Wales in the end. The only cancellation as the group travelled down from Newcastle was dinner at The Rams Head Inn in Saddleworth, high up on the moors of North West England, one of the worst affected parts of the country. The inn was cut off for several days because of the snow.

The tour of Wales began in Anglesey with a visit to Halen Môn, producers of Anglesey sea salt. The travel agents enjoyed the Halen Môn products so much that they happily stocked up on supplies to take home!

 Shopping at Halen Môn

The next stop was the quirky Italian-style village of Portmeirion, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis’s architectural masterpiece. The village is of course unique, and the travel agents enjoyed exploring the maze of pretty lanes and incredible buildings. Portmeirion is perhaps most famous worldwide as the filming location for the popular Sixties TV show, The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, which had its world premiere on Canadian TV in September 1967.

Exploring the fascinating architecture of Portmeirion

The following morning, the Canadian travel agents embarked on a heritage train journey on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway in the heart of Snowdonia, one of the UK’s finest scenic railways, and then enjoyed lunch at Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel, an award-winning country house hotel and restaurant overlooking the Mawddach Estuary in Snowdonia National Park. Lunch was followed by an interesting talk about coracles – the small, rounded, lightweight boats traditionally used in Wales.

Visiting the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway

The tour concluded with a sumptuous stay at the luxurious Llangoed Hall Hotel in the picturesque Brecon Beacons of mid Wales, where the travel agents experienced the very best of British hospitality. Dinner at Llangoed Hall, which prides itself on using as many local ingredients as possible, was an enormous success, as was breakfast, which included the hotel’s own eggs and honey.

‘Paned’ in front of the log fire at Llangoed Hall

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, who personally escorted the travel agents on their tour, said: “Despite the weather, the Canadians managed to experience the ‘best of Wales’ in their short trip and we were so pleased with their wonderful feedback.

“We were delighted to arrange the tour on behalf of VisitBritain and we would like to thank all the hotels and attractions who went the extra mile for us in such challenging conditions, providing first-class experiences and hospitality throughout.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made, luxury or personal tour of Wales, please do contact our friendly team today.