Need a travel companion? Icelandair is offering a free buddy to transatlantic travellers stopping over in Reykjavik April 1, 2016 Iceland has done an incredible job of positioning itself as a Tolkien-esque tourist destination, making sure everyone knows about its vast, elemental landscape – fit for frost giants – and its storied Viking history. But how to get the most out of this varied country? Why not try ice climbing, or knitting or dining on [...]
Best place to stay in Chamonix: Amazon Creek has it all from hot-tubs to a dedicated chef March 7, 2016 The hot tub outside my huge Chamonix chalet has disco lights that make it look like a b-movie time machine. I’ve got a flute of Bollinger in my hand, and can hear the crackle of a log fire from indoors as I gaze through the steam across snowy peaks. This, I venture, is how one [...]
Further growth forecast for hotel industries in London and other European cities after “bumper” 2015 March 7, 2016 Growth in the European hotel industry is set to continue this year but will not reach the levels of a "bumper" 2015, new research suggests. PwC's European hotels forecast suggests a robust outlook for European travel will continue to drive the industry this year and next. The report also noted that 2015 saw an almost 30 per [...]
We visit one of the last luxury chalets to be built in Courchevel March 3, 2016 Perched high up in the Tarentaise Valley in France’s Rhone-Alpes region, Courchevel 1850 has long reigned as one of Europe’s most expensive and glitziest resorts – ranking top on both Knight Frank and Savills’ prime and ultra prime ski resort indices. Set in the vast Three Valleys area – the largest ski location in the [...]
Off The Beaten Track: Explore the secret(ish) Mayan ruins of Tulum, Mexico’s hidden gem February 29, 2016 Where? Cancun is as close to tourist hell as I can imagine – like if Portugal’s Algarve had sex with Las Vegas and put a sombrero on the child – but if you drive two hours south, you will find the pristine beaches, jungles and hidden Mayan ruins of Tulum – and not a spring [...]
All aboard the Royal Scotsman: An epic four day train journey through the Scottish Highlands February 29, 2016 An oil baron from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where typical party wear is a stetson and cowboy boots, stands on the platform at Dundee dressed like Bonnie Prince Charlie. “I can feel my inner Braveheart surfacing,” he says, adjusting his sporran and sliding a kirk into his tartan socks. He hasn’t an ounce of Scottish blood in [...]
Channel your inner Attenborough with a trip Australia’s Great Barrier Reef February 22, 2016 “Look, over there – a bull shark.” My guide, Mark, points out the sleek, contoured shape with its distinctive dorsal fin and bluntly-shaped head – one of the most dangerous of its kind in the world – lazing idly in a sun-dappled patch of translucent, turquoise water. My heartbeat accelerates slightly, but thankfully there’s no [...]
Zanzibar for adventurers: Stay in Dr Livingstone’s palace off the East African coast February 4, 2016 I wandered into Dr Livingstone’s old quarters in Zanzibar, overlooking the indigo Indian Ocean, where he planned his journey into the dangerous heart of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. It was an ill-fated trip, and within weeks his assistants had begun to desert him; some even returned to Zanzibar and reported [...]
Is Parma ham really bad for you? We sent someone to Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region to eat as much as they could January 29, 2016 W e had only meant to stop for a light lunch. But in a quiet square in the tiny town of Piacenza, waiting staff at the Taverna In busied themselves bringing plate after plate of unbearably delicious looking fare. There was a platter of cheese featuring crumbly gorgonzola, fat chunks of salty parmesan and creamy, [...]
Can a family friendly ski school in the Austrian Alps transform your kids into tiny champions? January 25, 2016 The trouble I’ve found with family ski holidays is, without wanting to put too fine a point on it, my family. Actually, that’s a bit harsh. They aren’t bad skiers. We’ve been able to ski red and blue runs together for two seasons, but always at the pace of my youngest, the five-year-old, which as [...]