I went up a mountain in Sri Lanka to meet a reclusive mystic and here is what I learned September 14, 2017 Somewhere high up in the hills surrounding the town of Kandy in Sri Lanka, there lives a man called Rahju. An artist, spiritualist and musician, Rahju practices meditation while riding along coastal roads on his motorcycle. His paintings are inspired by the writing of Buddhist philosophers and the intergalactic observations of the Hubble Space Telescope [...]
Want some of the best Chinese food in the world? Go to Taiwan September 8, 2017 Seeking the best in Chinese food and culture, but feeling pressed for time? Skip the mainland and get it all in one place. Go to Taipei. In 1949, after years of civil war, the nationalist forces of the Kuomintang withdrew to an island in the South China Sea, leaving the communists in control of the [...]
Could the secret to a long and healthy life be hidden in a remote part of Costa Rica? We set out to meet the tribespeople who live beyond 100 years old September 5, 2017 The town hall in Nicoya, western Costa Rica, is one of the few colonial buildings left in the country. Given that the town was about to host a “congress of international centenarians”, it seemed like a good place to start my investigations into longevity. Unfortunately, no-one in the building seemed to know anything about it. [...]
From food and hotels, to where to find the best jenever, here’s our guide to the perfect long weekend in Antwerp August 18, 2017 Antwerp is the largest city in Flanders and a cultural Pandora’s box. It’s home to the largest diamond district in the world, whose official language of trade was Yiddish until the 1930s. It is also in this city that the printing trade was invented, and where artist Sir Peter Paul Rubens lived and worked for [...]
What to do in Amsterdam when it’s very, very wet outside August 4, 2017 Two things you should always pack for a quick city break: good shoes and a waterproof. Most cities are best viewed on foot. What interesting little side streets can a double decker bus tour ever take you down? There’s nothing better than being able to duck unplanned into a cheese shop, or a bar (or [...]
There’s more to Chinese culture than willow-patterned plates or Ming vases; we explore Beijing’s fast-growing contemporary art scene July 28, 2017 Picture the likes of London’s White Cube, the Saatchi Gallery, and the Serpentine, all transported to, say…Hounslow. Would you be as inclined to head there of a weekend to take in the latest exhibition by Damien Hirst, or Tracey Emin? Serious collectors from around the world as well as art-loving Chinese investors are doing something [...]
A new Leica masterclass at Gleneagles invites you to brush up on your camera skills between rounds of golf July 21, 2017 Perfect your portraits and learn from renowned landscape photographer Colin Prior at his masterclass run in conjunction with Leica. Set in the grand hotel of Gleneagles in Perthshire, nearby lochs and heathlands give ample opportunity for the habitual wildlife photographer to improve their skills. How do I get there? Fly to Edinburgh or Glasgow, they’re [...]
Sailing the Faroe Islands in a 60 foot round-the-world racing yacht, with zero experience July 21, 2017 This is a monumental step-up. Six months after a blissful family sailing holiday in Greece, I am climbing into a Fladen survival suit on a 60 foot round-the-world racing yacht in Torshavn harbour, which you will of course recognise as the capital of the Faroe Islands. I’m wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I [...]
Exploring the lost coastlines of Mozambique, one of Africa’s fastest growing tourist destinations July 14, 2017 The southern African nation of Mozambique boasts one of the continent’s longest coastlines. It stretches for two and a half thousand kilometres along the Indian Ocean and is dotted with some of the best beaches on the planet, like the spectacular manta ray meeting point of Tofo and the coral reef enclosed bay of Pemba. [...]
Six Senses Zil Pasyon: The Seychelles island resort that’s reintroducing native wildlife to the surrounding environment July 7, 2017 Two of Felicite island’s landscape gardeners wave as they scoot past me in their electric tractor, and I am caught, yet again, intently photographing giant boulders. I’m becoming obsessed. I’ve been on this Indian Ocean island hideaway a few days already, but still I’m captivated by its ancient rocks. They have the all the drama [...]