Can a trip to the Douro Valley convince Emma Bullimore that port is palatable? March 1, 2019 Does anybody drink port? Maybe it’s just me, but the red stuff seems a bit redundant. I don’t even remember the last time I saw an advert for it. Whisky is everywhere, it wouldn’t be Christmas without brandy, even sherry is making a comeback. Port, on the other hand, is generally consigned to the back [...]
Akyra Thonglor is the perfect hotel from which to explore Bangkok’s most happening entertainment district February 22, 2019 Often viewed by travellers as a mere stopover point on the way to discover Thailand’s tropical islands or Chiang Mai’s Golden Triangle, Bangkok should not be missed out as a destination in its own right. It’s currently experiencing an exciting renaissance with an abundance of forward-thinking hotels and innovative restaurants opening their doors, not to [...]
Villa la Massa hotel review: Laura Millar leaves the crowds behind for a suite spot just outside Florence… February 22, 2019 It’s the romantic destination you pick when you want to avoid the cliché of Rome, but Florence has just as much history, culture, and amazing food, frankly. However, it can get a bit crowded. The solution? Stay a little outside the city, where it’s cooler, quieter, and you can have easier access to some of [...]
Holiday Homes: Head to Samoens in the French Alps to suss out new ski homes that allow you to resort hop at no extra cost February 18, 2019 Families wanting to buy a ski apartment without the hefty price tag of the best-known French resorts are finding smaller ski areas like Samoëns are a breath of fresh mountain air. An hour by car from Geneva, Samoëns is described by the French as one of their monuments historiques – that just happens to be [...]
Setting out on a two-day city break in India to see how many temples, tours and thalis I could fit in in a week February 8, 2019 The buzzing financial capital of Maharashtra as well as the heart of the Bollywood film industry, Mumbai is home to 24m people. It’s hard to get your head around but, like any big city worth its salt, Mumbai is a mass of contradictions and conflicting realities, the city of dreams that India’s most wealthy citizens [...]
Cheval Blanc St Tropez offers Michelin-starred meals and modern glamour on the Cote d’Azur February 8, 2019 So your superyacht’s currently in dry dock, but you still want a taste of the action in St Tropez? Languid lunches at Senequier, liberally doused with Provencal rose; late-night grooving at Les Caves du Roy, next to George Clooney or Beyonce; the possibility of spotting reclusive former sex goddess Brigitte Bardot (or BB, as she’s [...]
The Long Weekend: A child-friendly country house just half an hour from central London January 28, 2019 City life can be tough, especially if you have a toddler intent on destroying every moment of peace and quiet in your so-called “spare time”. Frazzled urban parents may be left without the energy to plan a faraway escape – and this is where Stoke Park comes into play. Jump on a fast train from [...]
Holiday Homes: The best places to snap up a ski home in Austria before Brexit restrictions apply January 25, 2019 Ski resorts are rapidly discovering that it is actually the summer months that keep the cash tills ringing. This is why those offering year round Alpine appeal are proving to be the winners in the fickle property market, too. The Austrian Tyrol is no exception and while many of Europe’s ski resorts lie empty once [...]
Island Hopping in NYC: How the Big Apple’s revived ferry service kickstarted an unlikely glamping craze January 21, 2019 In the UK, a diamond-mesh fence tends to signify you’ve arrived at the perimeter of a day-release prison or, perhaps, a scrapyard. Not so in America. And especially not in New York: a goodly portion of its waterfront is lined with the stuff. But somehow the Yanks manage to put these utilitarian barriers to use [...]
From igloo glamping to glacier kayaking, the frozen landscape of the Pemberton Icecap has been transformed into a tourist hotspot January 18, 2019 Outside, the sun is blazing hot, a white glare cast across a vast expanse of snow. Inside the ice cave, it’s one degree above freezing; a gleaming cool blue cut through with a trickling lake of glacial water. Centre stage is a moulin, a frozen “straw” of ice that glows as the sunshine above ground [...]