At Polo Valley, a converted farm house in Sotogrande, you can try your hand at one of the oldest team sports in the world November 4, 2019 The last time I was this near a horse, the beast in question decided uncharitably, if not without logic, that the easiest way to get rid of me was to veer sharply left beneath a low hanging branch. It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I stood before Nevadita (Snowy) during my first polo lesson. [...]
What Thomas Cook’s collapse tells us about the power of disruption November 4, 2019 | City Talk Whilst the failure of UK holiday firm Thomas Cook was sudden and a considerable shock to many, the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Driven by technology and specifically by the advent of online booking and reservation systems, the travel industry has long been undergoing a radical transformation across each of [...]
The Long Weekend: How to get the most out of a trip to Lake Como November 1, 2019 The weekend: Lake Como is one of the original modern holiday destinations, a place where well-to-do Victorians would flock to enjoy the combination of crisp Alpine air, picture-perfect lake views and low rainfall year-round. Today it’s a Mecca for young couples splashing out on expensive weddings, and a home-from home for the super-rich, with the [...]
In search of India’s Silk Road, the centuries-old trading route crossing the Himalayas October 31, 2019 Standing on top of Khardung La, I was higher than I’d ever been without flying. An enterprising clutch of soldiers had set up the world’s highest tea shop, and as a brisk wind blew across the Himalayan peaks, I was grateful for the steaming cup of chai in my hand. A group of bikers were [...]
How a Lexus mid-life crisis led to a £3m yacht and a car that outshines Jaguar and Porsche October 30, 2019 A few years ago, at the prestigious Pebble Beach concours in California, the president of the Toyota Motor Company was holding court and pressing flesh. Akio Toyoda, 63, is the grandson of Toyota’s founder and so, you can imagine, he takes enormous pride in its products, and none more so than its luxury off-shoot, Lexus. [...]
Where to find the best massage in Marrakech – we put four hammams through their paces October 30, 2019 In Morocco a weekly hammam bath is a must, an integral part of life that is about so much more than simply having a wash. It’s a way to decompress and purify the body before going to the mosque for the Friday prayer, and a form of mindfulness in itself. In the countryside and remote [...]
On the right track: We take the world’s slowest express train linking the plush ski resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz October 23, 2019 You could almost feel our compartment teeter over the edge of the crossing as the whole carriage readied cameras and phones to capture the iconic photograph. The Landwasser Viaduct on the Swiss rail network’s Glacier Express is the pièce de résistance of the journey between swish alpine resort towns of Zermatt and St Moritz. And [...]
Farnborough Airport sales soar to £80m ahead of Macquarie buyout October 15, 2019 Farnborough Airport has revealed that its revenue rose 23.2 per cent to a record £80m last year fuelled by a boost in business travel which saw nearly 4,000 more flights take off and land there than in 2017. According to its accounts for the year ending 31 December 2018, there were 30,729 take offs and [...]
Bruce Springsteen turned 70 this year. We visit the downbeat seaside town in New Jersey made famous by the Boss… October 4, 2019 On the boardwalk of the small seaside town of Asbury Park is a fortune-telling booth, which has been owned by the same family of psychics since 1932. When I visit at ten in the morning, it’s shut, with a phone number pinned to the window instead. Surely they should have known I was coming. This [...]
The Vintage Hotel & Spa, Lisbon review: A slice of mid-century modern luxury living in the heart of Portugal’s capital October 2, 2019 The five star Vintage Hotel & Spa in Lisbon underwent a dramatic renovation earlier in the year, and has emerged as a monument to mid-century interior design, the kind of place you’d expect to spot Don Draper nursing a whisky. The striking vintage aesthetic was achieved by Quiet Studios and begins the moment you step [...]