End of lockdown: Half of Brits plan a UK getaway with Wales and Lake District topping the list April 24, 2021 More than half of all Brits are planning to book a UK getaway this year, with Wales and the Lake District being the most popular destinations, followed by Cornwall and the Scottish Highlands. On average, people that have already booked spent £353 per person on staycation bookings, according a new survey by American Express. Post-lockdown [...]
Rodrigues: The Indian Ocean’s hidden paradise April 17, 2021 As international travel appears to be close to resuming, we’re giving you inspiration for your dream post-Covid trip by republishing articles from our archives. Today we revisit out Life&Style editor Steve Dinneen’s trip to the magical island of Rodrigues. ••• Walking into Rodrigues’ Reserve François Leguat is one of those wild moments that will stay [...]
Too early to speculate on travel ‘green list’ countries, ministers insist April 14, 2021 The UK’s aviation minister has said it is still too early to speculate on the countries that will be on the travel “green list”, despite increasing calls for clarity from the travel industry. With just over a month to go before international travel is due to restart on 17 May, airlines and passengers alike are [...]
GoBoat lets you Charter your own pleasure boat at Canary Wharf April 14, 2021 As we return to work at Canary Wharf, it’s likely we’ll all see things from a slightly different perspective. But as of 17 May, you’ll be able to take a break and see things from a literally different perspective. GoBoat is bringing its eco-friendly pleasure boats to London’s finance hub, allowing up to eight guests [...]
Best of travel: Can hypnotherapy cure a chronic fear of flying? April 13, 2021 With the end of travel restrictions on the horizon, we’re republishing some of the best travel stories from the last few years. Today we revisit Dougie Gerrard’s article exploring the burgeoning industry trying to cure our fears of flying. ••• I haven’t always been an anxious person. In fact, I was an utterly fearless child, [...]
Jet2 cancels all flights and holidays until June 23 due to travel ‘uncertainty’ April 9, 2021 Holiday group Jet2 has this morning cancelled all of its flights and holidays until 23 June, blaming the government for the “uncertainty” surrounding the travel industry. In a statement, chief executive Steve Heapy said: “We are trying to run a business so that we can take customers away, but we need the Government to provide [...]
The Grove is a countryside escape just 20mins from London April 6, 2021 As we wait for the travel ban to finally lift, here’s a piece from out archives about The Grove in Hertfordshire, an amazing country retreat just outside of London. The weekend The Grove hotel and country retreat offers all the trimmings of a weekend getaway but without the Friday night journey from hell out of [...]
Best of travel: Mauritius is paradise, but not as you know it April 1, 2021 While we wait for the world of international travel to reopen, we’re reposting classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Steve Dinneen’s journey to Mauritius, the most unusual of tropical paradises. ••• Mauritius offers the cliched white sands and blue seas, but there’s more to discover at this most unusual of holiday destinations. [...]
Malta to welcome vaccinated Brits from June March 31, 2021 Malta has become the latest country to announce that it will welcome the return of British holidaymakers this summer. The Mediterranean island, which usually attracts around 500,000 tourists from the UK each year, said British travellers who have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine will be allowed to enter from 1 June. Passengers will [...]
Why Belgium may represent the next frontier in the whisky world March 30, 2021 On his first visit to Edinburgh, in the first pub he went into – Deacon Brodies Tavern on the Royal Mile – the first drink Tom van Gyseghem had was a glass of Caol Ila 18-year-old. It inspired him to become a distiller, set up Thistle Spirits in his home city of Brussels and, with [...]