‘I had times when I forgot my condition – I felt like a traveller’
After I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I was unsure I would ever travel again, but Limitless Travel has made adventures possible for me
There’s always apprehension with anything new I do in my altered life. I hadn’t travelled for four and a half years. First came the pandemic, and then two years ago I was diagnosed with MS, and things have been different ever since.
I have travelled extensively in my adult life – I spent 10 months travelling the world in 2016. I missed doing that and I wanted to push myself to have those experiences again.
Working in travel, I was aware of the award-winning Limitless Travel, and felt like they could be a good option for me. But I didn’t want to overthink it – there aren’t many options providing that level of support.
I was really struck by how receptive and helpful they were, right from my first enquiry. I had lots of questions for them, as the departure date drew nearer, and they really helped me prepare psychologically and practically for the trip.
Our group met at Gatwick, when Limitless Travel staff, working in tandem with the airport’s Special Assistance teams, helped us navigate the airport. I use a rollator when I walk, and I found the security staff to be very patient and helpful.
We were the first to board the plane and the last to disembark. I was able to take my rollator to the plane door, when it was checked into the hold, and I was given a wheelchair the other side until I was reunited with the rollator.
It takes a village
The transfer, in a specially adapted vehicle, was provided by our hotel, Kikki Village, just outside Modica in south-east Sicily. There’s an interesting story to the history of the hotel, which inspired the accessible-friendly design of the property – it has gentle inclines instead of steps, and lots of wide berth routes. There was a humility ingrained in all the staff, and they were so friendly. I really admire the glass half-full outlook of the Italians.
All the rooms have adapted wet rooms; I had requested a chair, for ease when showering, and that was already in the bathroom when I checked in. The swimming pool also has ramped access and a special chair for hoisting wheelchair users into the water. You forget you have a condition when you are in a pool, and that’s lovely. Before I had a disability, that physical and mental escapism was necessary to my travel experiences. And that is just as important (if not more so) now!
When we all sat down for dinner at the hotel, waiting staff really took control, so there wasn’t a crush of mobility scooters around the table.
Over the course of these meals, I really bonded with the other group members. When you’re confronted with other people’s realities, it helps you gain a balanced perspective that you’re not alone in having a condition. I was inspired by how others approached their situation, and how that hadn’t stopped them enjoying life and travel. No one was judgemental – we all had our own conditions, and we all wanted to be there, enjoy the experience, and look out for each other. Some had travelled with Limitless before, and you could see how much they valued the support. Limitless can even assign staff as dedicated carers if needed, sleeping next door to their charges, and taking charge of medications and so forth.
Our days alternated between exploring the area and relaxing in the hotel. One day, we took the adapted minibus to explore Mt Etna. I may not have been able to hike over the lava, but we were still able to soak up the incredible views and learn about the mountain with the help of a very knowledgeable guide.
Living in the moment
We also visited the town of Pozzallo, which has a sandy beach with a ramp for wheelchairs. I made it into the sea with the help of Limitless staff, and that felt amazing. It was a real personal achievement and that was the moment when I thought: ‘I’ve done it, I’m travelling, well done Jason.”
Holidaying in Sicily with Limitless helped me to be really present and I had times when I forgot my condition. I was able to replicate the feelings of being a traveller. Some things were different, some things were the same, like meeting the locals and soaking up the energy of a destination. How I travel now is different, but the feelings are the same and the rewards are still there.
The biggest compliment I could pay Limitless? Two days after returning from Sicily, I booked another holiday to Italy with the operator next year. The holiday is called Coastal Italy, and I’ll be staying in a purpose-built, accessible hotel near the beach in San Felice, which will be a base to explore Rome and Pompeii. My plan is to focus on short-haul for now, build my knowledge and confidence, and then I’ll get braver about going further afield. I can’t travel as instinctively as I used to, but I still want to relax, see things, learn, and be adventurous… within reason!
Book it: Limitless Travel offers the eight-day Escape to Sicily, from £2,349pp, based on twin-share on a half-board basis, and £2,499pp for solo travellers, with six departure dates between May and September 2025. Flights cost extra. Limitless Travel pays 10% commission for agent referrals; limitlesstravel.org
A Italian resort without barriers
Kikki Village was the first four-star resort in Europe that is fully accessible and family-friendly. Inaugurated in 2011, the hotel was inspired by Giovanni Lo Trovato (also known as Kikki), who was born in 1963, with a serious disability. His father Francesco fought to overcome the physical, mental and cultural chains that wanted children born with disabilities to be hidden away in their homes. His efforts prompted the founding of the Sicilian Rehabilitation Consortium, which built the hotel.
The partnership between the hotel and the consortium helps introduce young people with disabilities into the workplace, allowing them to learn tasks in the tourism and hospitality sector, such as reception duties, garden care, food service and waiting tables. Many of the fresh ingredients used in the Sicilian dishes served at the hotel come directly from the hotel’s own garden. Meanwhile the paintings that colour the walls of the hotel are created in artisan workshops, that provide a creative outlet for disabled artists.
kikkivillage.net
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Jason Winter
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