Bangalore: India’s most livable city and the fast-track to its vibrant tech-filled future May 17, 2015 If Old Delhi is the crumbling emblem of India’s imperial past and Mumbai is the pounding heart of its contemporary popular culture, Bengaluru (anglicised as Bangalore) and Chennai are the country’s fast track to the future. The former, and less often the latter, are nicknamed the Silicon Valley of India on account of their thriving [...]
48 hours in… Porto May 17, 2015 WHERE TO STAY Stay in the heart of the theatre district in the equally showy Hotel Teatro. Known for its striking black and gold interiors, it’s also home to a Portuguese fine-dining restaurant and an impressive selection of port. From £102 a night. Hotelteatro.pt WHERE TO EAT Housed below the stock exchange, Bull & Bear [...]
A guide to Ibiza for grown ups: What the White Isle offers the more discerning clubber with a budget May 11, 2015 What do you do when you’ve just suffered a humiliating election defeat that virtually nobody on the planet predicted? Why, you board the first flight to Ibiza, of course. Right now, at 6am on a Tuesday morning, Ed Miliband could well be gurning on the terrace of a beach club, stripped to his chinos, glow-sticks [...]
Tobago: An eco-lodge is a great way to experience this Caribbean isle May 10, 2015 “Trinidad and Tobago” suggests two islands of roughly equal size, but the former is 16 times bigger than the latter, its population 1.3 million compared to Tobago’s 60,000. As is often the case in nations divided across two separate land masses, stereotypes dominate each side’s thinking about the other. Ask a Trinidadian about Tobago: “lazy, [...]
48 hours in… Poznań May 10, 2015 WHERE TO STAY City Solei Boutique Hotel features 22 individually designed rooms based on cities from around the world, from Venice to Beijing. It’s stylish, affordable and a great spot from which to explore the city. citysolei.pl WHERE TO EAT Racja Mięsa is a bit like a Polish St John, with bare walls and a [...]
The ultimate foodie safari in Sabi Sabi: Michelin-starred chef Eric Chavot brings Mayfair flair to South Africa’s Earth Lodge April 26, 2015 The streets of Mayfair may seem a world away from the remote South African bush, but for discerning gourmet travellers the metaphorical – if not physical – distance between the two has just become smaller. A new initiative at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve invites some of the world’s top chefs into the kitchen at [...]
48 hours in… Granada, Spain April 26, 2015 WHERE TO STAY Set within the citadel of the Alhambra palace, Hotel America oozes rustic charm with antiques in the rooms, wooden beamed ceilings and fountains in the courtyard gardens. Rooms from £68 a night, hotelamericagranada.com WHAT TO DO You can’t go to Granada and not see The Alhambra, a palace and fortress that was [...]
Totally Mexico! Cancun’s burgeoning luxury hotel scene proves it’s not just for lairy students on Spring Break April 19, 2015 I recently read a book about what the Americas were like before Columbus, Cortes and a load of other Europeans made their way across the Atlantic in the 15th and 16th centuries. In short, the author – Charles Mann, an American journalist – argues that it was considerably more populated and advanced than most of [...]
48 hours in… Vancouver April 19, 2015 WHERE TO STAY L’Hermitage is the best boutique hotel in Vancouver. Located in the heart of the city’s shopping and entertainment district and only blocks from its financial centre, it offers convenience and luxury. Rooms start at $279 per night, visit lhermitagevancouver.com WHERE TO GO Just a 25 minute drive from the city centre, Grouse [...]
Have a whale of a time beside the Sunshine Coast in the real Australia April 12, 2015 Everyone knows it’s a long way to Australia, but I don’t think people really compute just how claustrophobic a 24 hour flight is until they’ve done it. When I touched down in Brisbane, a small child jubilantly ripped her seatbelt off and cried, “I’m free, Mummy! I’m free!” I was right there with her. If [...]