Three years after Covid began, Japan is welcoming tourists June 5, 2023 Just hours after arriving in Japan from London, a geisha girl is teaching me a drinking game. She sings a lilting, nursery rhyme-style tune as we take turns tapping the small wooden box between us, trying to catch each other out by whipping the box away so the other person must lay a closed fist on the [...]
I have a fear of flying – could easyJet’s Fearless Flying course cure me? May 24, 2023 First, a confession. I have my dream job, but recently it’s started to feel more like a nightmare. As a travel journalist, I’m in airports every month to write articles about destinations all over the world. Yet somehow in recent years, I’ve developed a fear of flying. True, I still get on planes regularly and [...]
Checking into Prince William and Kate’s getaway, Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives March 16, 2023 THE HOLIDAY: Over-water villas and white sand beaches? Meh, I’ve heard it all before. The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives can feel so clichéd, it takes a seriously swish hotel to stand out from the rest. Enter Cheval Blanc Randheli, a very French take on the postcard-pristine tropical idyll, owned by luxury goods house [...]
A-List Cotswolds hangout The Lakes by Yoo has new cabins – here’s what they’re like August 22, 2022 THE WEEKEND: The Lakes by Yoo offers the chance to get back to nature without sacrificing creature comforts, just 90-minutes from London. Spend days roaming woodlands, swimming in freshwater lakes and cycling for miles, but there’s no need to rough it by night. Think gourmet breakfast deliveries, spa treatments and alfresco cocktails. You’re on holiday [...]
Why locals prefer Aspen in the summertime July 5, 2022 Even from the air, it’s obvious Aspen isn’t quite like any other town. Situated at an elevation of 2,438m and surrounded on all sides by the snow-topped Rocky Mountains, this remote enclave even requires special pilot training to land at its tiny airport, dubbed one of the most dangerous in the world thanks to its [...]
Jet off to where well-heeled Athenians summer in Porto Heli, Greece May 9, 2022 THE WEEKEND: If you’ve done Crete, Corfu and Kos, follow royalty, billionaires and inthe-know A-listers to the Greek Riviera. Located on the eastern Peloponnese, pretty Porto Heli is known as the Hamptons of Greece and has been the holiday of choice for wealthy Athenians for years. It’s the ideal twin-centre break if you have time [...]
Colourful, hip Copenhagen is a city that’s always changing March 28, 2022 THE WEEKEND: The original Scandi city break, Copenhagen is straight out of a fairy-tale. Royal palaces, looming church spires, cobbled streets and higgledy-piggledy rainbow-bright houses punctuate the serene canals. Yet there’s nothing old-fashioned about the Danish capital, which is always changing. This hip, seafront city is as contemporary as they come, with futuristic architecture, a [...]
Complete immersion in Belize March 22, 2022 There is a human skull half-submerged in the mud at my feet. Through the damp gloom, I can just make out other bones, scattered across the floor. Luckily, I haven’t stumbled upon a gruesome murder scene, but the truth is almost as chilling. This is an ancient Mayan ceremonial cave, buried deep within the jungle [...]
Babington House in Somerset is a corner of Soho outside of the city March 14, 2022 THE WEEKEND: When you’re craving fresh air and green fields but aren’t quite ready to ditch London’s glamour and 24-hour convenience, Somerset’s Babington House is the ultimate rural idyll. It’s the original chic country retreat from the Soho House Group, the hotel and member’s club which celebrated its 20th birthday in 2018 and remains a [...]
Villa 1870 in Corfu: A villa with benefits on the Greek island February 18, 2022 The weekend: There is so much more to the verdant Greek island of Corfu than its postcard-perfect beaches. While most Brits opt to fly and flop at seafront resorts, visitors who leave their loungers will discover stately palaces and museums, tranquil mountain villages and rugged mountains blanketed in pine trees. All this and one of [...]
