Lifestyle

  • Make the most of your World Cup holiday
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    If you fancy a break from the football, there is plenty more to do, says Jon Couch
    SO, we know now where England will be based for this summer’s World Cup in June and July. Fabio Capello’s guys will set up their training camp in the small town of Rustenburg, 70 miles from Johannesburg and 60 miles from Pretoria. Aside from being a football haven come June with four World Cup stadiums in situ, this region of the North West province is also a tourist hotbed with plenty to do and see for parties of all ages. Here is our guide of the must-see sights, sounds and tastes around England’s base camp, whether you’re following the team or just in the market for a lovely holiday with... [Read more]

  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    CAITLIN NOLAN
    Plane Food’s healthy picnics Now the health-conscious jet-set can make sure they stay well fuelled on board. Stuart Gillies at Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food in Heathrow’s Terminal Five has created a... [Read more]
  • Lions and luxury in SA’s top resort
    Monday, 15th March 2010
    Just 40 minutes from Cape Town is a hotel paradise on the Indian Ocean, discovers Jon Faithorn
    IF the job of a hotel is to make guests feel at home, then you can’t really beat the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa. When the French football team arrive there this summer they will be greeted with a... [Read more]
  • Games, guns and gyrating girls in Sin City
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    Dominic Wells finds a way to jump the queues and does Vegas just the way the big boys do
    FAHVE bucks? Girl, for five dollars yew can take as many pictures as yew want. Come on over, and get yo’ man over heyah too.” This was Elvis talking. Yes, Elvis. Tinted shades, jet-black jumpsuit,... [Read more]

  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 8th March 2010
    Oporto, Portugal gains new luxury hotel This five-floor, sustainably-built hotel has been carved into the hillside using a terraced effect mirroring the vines of the neighbouring Douro Valley. Views... [Read more]
  • Luxury comes to Abu Dhabi’s glorious desert
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    A new resort lets you marvel at the sands and sip champagne too,
    Esther Shaw
    THE Liwa Desert is in the area known as the Empty Quarter, and is the largest uninterrupted stretch of desert in the world. This vast area, which extends into the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES – UK EASTER BREAKS
    Monday, 1st March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Cameron House, Loch Lomond Children can stay for free over Easter at Cameron House, one of the most splendid hotels in the British Isles. It occupies a grand 18th century country pile on the bonnie... [Read more]
  • OTHER LEADING CRUISES FOR ALL TASTES
    Monday, 22nd February 2010
    Silversea Seabourn’s only serious rival for luxury, it’s possible that Silversea even exceeds Seabourn when it comes to room design and service – the Silver Whisper ship, for example, has more space... [Read more]
  • New day, new port: a view of the world from a luxury cruise
    Monday, 22nd February 2010
    Zoe Strimpel sees the Med from a small but beautiful cruise ship
    WHEN Oasis, the world’s biggest cruise ship, launched last year in Miami with all the fanfare of a royal spaceship, I recoiled. The idea of a floating carnival/town/funfair/shopping mall/beach resort... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 22nd February 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Explore Tanzania African tour specialist Wild about Africa has added seven new itineraries in Tanzania, ranging from eight to 13 days. They focus on the quintessential quartet of Tanzania’s “... [Read more]
  • Where to take the family for a splendid Easter
    Monday, 22nd February 2010
    The holiday season is full of oppportunities to get out of London, writes Timothy Barber
    Sunny escape in the south of France Les Jardins de Saint Benoit is a beautiful riverside estate in the Languedoc region of the South of France, with vineyards, olive groves and renovated medieval... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 15th February 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Celebrate Caravaggio at Hotel Russie, Rome Art, luxury and culture come together with a package that revolves around Caravaggio’s 400th anniversary show at the Scuderie del Quirinale gallery. You’ll... [Read more]
  • HOTEL REVIEW: TEN MANCHESTER STREET
    Monday, 15th February 2010
    THE HOTEL: If you are staying in the West End, you can’t beat Marylebone. Manchester Street is a quiet Georgian number where the houses bear the discrete silver plaques of osteopaths and accountants... [Read more]
  • THE WILD ONE: OTHER CANADIAN ADVENTURES
    Monday, 15th February 2010
    Husky Adventure in the Yukon Learn the basics of mushing, and each day the trails through some of the most spectacular wilderness in Canada’s Yukon advance in difficulty. Relax in the evenings with a... [Read more]
  • Sore arms and seals in Canada’s beautiful waters
    Monday, 15th February 2010
    Nature and adventure go hand-in-hand on a kayaking trip off Canada’s coast, writes Laura Ivill
    Laura Ivill
    IT is a bright, warm and dazzling spring day and we are paddling our solo sea kayaks straight into the wind and sun. White diamond rays of sunlight bounce off the ocean; it looks like a carpet of... [Read more]
  • Slope back to the mountains one last time
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    There’s a chance for another ski trip this season, so make it good, writes Jenny Forsyth
    ­­­IT is around this time of year that the travel negotiations begin in earnest. At Christmas time, in our house anyway, the trading begins with: “I’ll see your night out with the boys, and raise you... [Read more]
  • BANG GOES THE BONUS
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    Even with those pesky bonus caps, surely there’s room for a little celebration. And if you’re looking for luxury, you could do worse than visiting the banker’s paradise of Zermatt in Switzerland. As... [Read more]
  • OFF PISTE AND PARTY
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    There’s no doubt package holidays are easier to arrange – book it and it’s all organised for you. But for flexibility on dates and sometimes (though not always) price, it makes sense to head off the... [Read more]
  • THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    For the real high flyers, a day (or two) heliskiing offers the ultimate adrenaline rush. And of course there’s no problem finding virginal top-of-the-mountain snow for the very best of late season... [Read more]
  • ALL IN THE FAMILY
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    Unless you have pre-school aged children (or an accommodating school) you’re bound to go skiing the weeks of half term (February 13 departures) or Easter (roughly the first two weeks of April).... [Read more]
  • SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    Too many hours in the office… not enough time on the slopes. Luckily Ski Weekends has the answer for time-poor City workers. If you’re looking to cram as much ski and après-ski as possible into three... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 8th February 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Top Diver at Amanyara Turks and Caicos’s sexiest resort will be adding sessions with the world’s best diver, Tanya Streeter, to its attractions. Streeter holds several world records and is considered... [Read more]
  • Antigua has a touch of Caribbean class
    Monday, 1st February 2010
    The newly opened Jumby Bay resort is a James Bond-style winter sun paradise
    Lucie Greene
    GREY London Februaries can be hard to bear, which is why Antigua’s sun, sea, sandy beaches – and direct flights – make it a regular haunt for Brits in search of winter sun. This year there is a real... [Read more]
  • A resort that leaves you feeling brand new
    Monday, 1st February 2010
    Esther Shaw swaps cocktails for yoga, meditation and healthy eating. Well, some of the time anyway eating and ditches holiday cocktails. Well, nearly
    NESTLING in warm Caribbean waters, sun-kissed Antigua washes over you, covers you in sunshine, and leaves you feeling as laid-back as the locals. The island is a prime wedding and honeymoon... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 1st February 2010
    Jeremy Hazlehurst
    Venice for Valentine’s Still looking for a romantic getaway this Valentine’s Day? Kirker Holidays is offering four nights for the price of three at the four-star superior Liassidi Palace in Venice, a... [Read more]
  • A hotel that’s fit for a king
    Monday, 25th January 2010
    When it comes to romance, you just can’t beat the George V,
    Christian Sylt
    ON walking into the lobby of Paris’ George V you can tell it’s a grande dame, but it has a twist which makes it immediately memorable. There’s the immaculately designed wrought-iron door frame, 17th... [Read more]
  • We’ll always have Paris
    Monday, 25th January 2010
    Lucie Greene hunts out the boutiques, restaurants and hotels that make the world’s most romantic city buzz
    NOBODY does romance better than the French. Paris might no longer be the centre of world when it comes to business or culture, but in terms of places to spend Valentine’s Day nothing comes close. The... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
    Monday, 25th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Fall in love in New York You and your partner can enjoy some top quality pampering and fabulous food, along with the best of the Big Apple, at New York's famous slice of Upper East Side luxury, The... [Read more]
  • Embark on an unforgettable winter journey
    Monday, 18th January 2010
    Earth’s northern reaches make for spectacular snow-bound advenures,
    Zoe Strimpel
    SITTING under a palm tree on an idyllic beach starts to sound almost pedestrian when you consider what adventures lie in store for those willing to embrace snow and ice. It’s cold, but winter brings... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 18th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Astrology in Hampshire Astrologist to the stars Shelley von Strunckel will be offering “astrological first aid” at the beautiful Four Seasons in Hampshire on Sat 23 Jan and Tues 26 Jan. A group... [Read more]
  • Cooking up an idyllic holiday
    Monday, 11th January 2010
    Esther Shaw grabs herself a slice of Polynesian perfection in one of the remotest places on earth
    Esther Shaw
    THERE’S no getting away from the fact that it takes a long time to get to the Cook Islands. Located between Samoa, Fiji and Tahiti, they are as remote as it gets. The flight from London is over 20... [Read more]
  • Stars and spas in California’s flashy south
    Monday, 11th January 2010
    A beautiful coastline is the ultimate place for golf, glamour and pampering,
    Laura Ivill
    THE Southern California sunshine danced on the ocean off Newport Beach as we stepped aboard the boat where we would be eating our lunch. We opened the champagne, tucked into the picnic, and took it... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 11th January 2010
    Zoe Strimpel
    Winter offer at Cap Maison, St Lucia To celebrate its first birthday anniversary, this clifftop paradise is offering a winter package to entice you to sunnier climes, with a free night and free meals... [Read more]
  • The river views in Istanbul are fit for a Sultan
    Monday, 4th January 2010
    Allister Heath
    IF you have never been to Istanbul, then this is the year to do it. the Turkish capital is one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2010 it is sharing the privilege with Pecs, in Hungary.... [Read more]
  • Stuck in London for Christmas? Hole up in a luxury hotel
    Monday, 21st December 2009
    There are far worse fates than spending the holiday in the capital
    Zoe Strimpel
    OH dear. A bit of snow, as we had on Thursday, and London goes into panic mode. Flights are delayed, cancelled and rearranged, and with the threat of a BA strike only tenuously averted, getting out... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 21st December 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    Snow-shoeing on Etna For something off the beaten (snowy) track, try a winter adventure set against Sicily’s most stunning scenery. Snowshoe on Europe’s largest active volcano, Mt. Etna, with the Bay... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 14th December 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    A winter wonderland break in Prague Try a visit to central Europe’s most beautiful city for New Year’s, where fairytale gothic spires, golden rooftops and plenty of beer are sure to delight when the... [Read more]
  • Sun, sea and Hinduism all come together in Mauritius
    Monday, 14th December 2009
    Friendly, hot and beautiful, this is the perfect winter escape
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    THE first thing that you notice about Mauritius is that it is a real place. By that I mean that it is a contrast to its holiday competitors in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles and Maldives. They are... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 7th December 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    Spa retreat in TaiwanSituated in Taipei’s scenic hot springs district of Beitou, Villa 32 is one of Taiwan’s most stylish and modern spa retreats. Offering five deluxe Japanese and... [Read more]
  • The best places in the world to celebrate New Year's Eve 2010
    Monday, 7th December 2009
    There's still time to book a great getaway to see in the new decade
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    HOGMANAY IN EDINBURGHEdinburgh’s Hogmanay may not be quite the vast free celebration that it was when the city established itself in the Nineties as the New Year’s Eve capital of the... [Read more]
  • Copenhagen isn't just about climate change
    Monday, 7th December 2009
    As world leaders descend, Jeremy Hazlehurst discovers the pleasures of Denmark's capital
    JEREMY HAZLEHURST
    THIS week, the world and his carbon emissions reduction adviser descend on Copenhagen, where they will try to save the planet. In between meetings, though, they will also be able to enjoy the city.... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    Have an American adventureEmbark on a journey through the great outdoors with one of TrekAmerica’s Great American Adventures.  Trip offerings include a 10-day Appalachian Trail walk, a... [Read more]
  • FINLAND
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    FINLAND, being a mostly flat country, isn’t known particularly for its skiing – unless, cross-country skiing is your thing. But it does have its moments, and the thick pine forests and... [Read more]
  • SPAIN
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    THOUGHT southern Spain was all about sun, sea and sand? Think again. The Sierra Nevada mountains – which you can see from the beaches of the Costa del Sol – provide Europe’s... [Read more]
  • SLOVAKIA
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    SLOVAKIA is perhaps the most up-and-coming location for European skiing. The past decade has seen considerable investment in the area’s tourism, which means an increasing number of top-quality... [Read more]
  • ANDORRA
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    IT may be Europe’s sixth smallest nation with a population you could fit inside Wembley Stadium, but Andorra, thanks to a vast investment programme in recent years, is fast becoming one of the... [Read more]
  • LEBANON
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    Lebanon’s beautiful snowy valleys were first tapped for their skiing potential in 1913, when intrepid sportspeople headed to the hills near the Aley region of Mount Lebanon. In 1923, occupying... [Read more]
  • Hit a different piste this winter
    Monday, 30th November 2009
    It's not all about the Alps and the Rockies when choosing where to go skiing
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    FOR many of us there’s nothing to beat the feeling of whizzing down a slope at full pelt – skiing can provide a rush unlike any other. Having said that, queuing for ages to get near a... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 23rd November 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    Discount family trips to AsiaTravel Indochina is offering a free place for one child when a family of four books any family tour this November for departures in January, February or March 2010.... [Read more]
  • Trekking with condors and canyons makes the Wild West unforgettable
    Monday, 23rd November 2009
    Diana Preston explores the natural beauty of one of the world's greatest wildernesses, just a short hop and a skip from Las Vegas
    DIANA PRESTON
    COMPUTER-controlled fountains rising out of an artificial lake on the Las Vegas Strip cavorted to the strains of The Pink Panther. Later we joined the midnight crowds singing along to Don McLean... [Read more]
  • Get your hands dirty in Sardinia
    Monday, 16th November 2009
    Lucie Greene goes foraging for mushrooms on the Italian island
    THESE days, you can hardly turn on a television without seeing somebody rummaging around in hedgerows, or cooking a meal with something they have just picked or plucked from a tree. Foraging is in.... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 16th November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Private music studioTurks & Caicos’s most secluded villa resort, Amanyara, has just launched an Artist Villa, complete with its very own private recording studio. It’s already... [Read more]
  • When crossing the Atlantic, getting there is half the fun
    Monday, 16th November 2009
    You can fly to New York on a jet, but it's far better to take your time and spend six
    CHRISTIAN SYLT
    It is a glorious morning in New York. The sunlight is sparkling on the skyscrapers as I look out over Manhattan island having just arrived in the United States. I couldn’t be more relaxed after... [Read more]
  • Berlin is still emerging from the shadows of the past
    Monday, 9th November 2009
    As the city celebrates the anniversary of the fall of the wall, it has yet to fully reconcile its dark recent history
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    WHEN you walk across the joint expanse of Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz in central Berlin, you’re surrounded by futuristic architecture, vast advertising hoardings, neon-lit brand names... [Read more]
  • The best Christmas markets in Germany
    Monday, 9th November 2009
    BerlinThe German capital is also very much the country’s Christmas market capital, with over 50 taking place – and there’ll be extra festivity this year as the city marks the 20th... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 9th November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Le Grey brings designer luxury to BeirutThe Paris of the Middle East with an edgy local twist, Beirut now has a luxury boutique hotel from the group behind One Aldwych and Duke’s Hotel in... [Read more]
  • TRAVEL NOTES
    Monday, 2nd November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    De Niro opens Locanda Verde in NYCRobert De Niro has opened a new Italian in Tribeca, located within his hotel, The Greenwich. The idea is a “family style” taverna, with a starry twist,... [Read more]
  • Sun, sea and Arabian Delights
    Monday, 2nd November 2009
    Now is a perfect time to enjoy warm weather and luxury in Dubai,
    ALLISTER HEATH
    THERE are many parts of the world about which I am pessimistic but Dubai, despite its recent economic woes, is not one of them. Nobody else in the Middle East has pulled off what Dubai has achieved:... [Read more]
  • An oasis in between all the skyscrapers
    Monday, 2nd November 2009
    Allister Heath
    Like the Atlantis, Dubai’s One & Only Royal Mirage, one of the emirate’s more established luxury resorts, is owned by Sol Kerzner, writes Allister Heath. But its setting and layout... [Read more]
  • Ski season classics
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    The world's best ski resorts have it all: the glamour, the hotels, the nightlife and, of course, lots and lots of exceptional snow
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    IT’S a favourite debate among snow nuts – which continent lays claim to the best skiing? When you’ve got the multi-valley likes of Val D’Isere and Verbier up against Rocky... [Read more]
  • VAIL, COLORADO
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    After Whistler and Blackcomb near Vancouver, Vail is the biggest ski resort in north America – seven miles wide, with 5,289 acres of “freeride” terrain. It’s been voted best... [Read more]
  • LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    Where rich Californians go to play, the Sierra Nevada range surrounding the crystal clear Lake Tahoe on the border of California and Nevada is arguably the most beautiful ski area in the US. The lake... [Read more]
  • WHISTLER, CANADA
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    In terms of sheer intensity and choice of skiing, Whistler Blackcomb rules north America and quite possibly the world. About 100km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, the two valleys add up to 8... [Read more]
  • SESTRIERE, ITALY
    Monday, 26th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Sestriere is perhaps the most famous Italian resort – a place with history, style and fantastic slopes. With its neighbouring resorts it is part of the “Milky Way” ski circuit,... [Read more]