On a romantic break in Manchester, you can spend your days checking out some of the city’s exciting cultural venues and exploring its vibrant central neighbourhoods, dipping in and out of shops, bars and cafés as you stroll. In the evening, watch an up-and-coming band in an intimate venue, enjoy a show in one of…
‘Tsk tsk.” How our guide, Neycer Pizango, heard the teeth-sucking call above our skiff’s outboards, I’ll never know – for even with engines cut, I struggled to identify anything beyond birdsong and clicking cicadas. Then a shadow moved, and a tiny, maned primate leapt, tutting, into a spondias tree’s boughs. “It’s a pygmy marmoset: the…
The best spa hotels in Europe
Considered an eyesore by Parisians when first built for the Exposition Universelle of 1889, Gustave Eiffel’s iron tower is now the ultimate emblem for the French capital. With its elegant latticework and twinkling lights, it still has the power to take the breath of even the most cynical of visitors. If you opt to stay…
The plaudits keep coming for Bristol: the happiest city in the UK, best place to live for under 25s (outside of London), top food destination, vegan hotspot and Britain’s first-ever Green Capital. A creative spirit and irreverent independence are in Bristol’s DNA, so it’s also little wonder that it has produced artists such as Banksy,…
As well as its mainstream reputation for a being a hedonistic hangout, Ibiza ( or the ‘White Isle’) is very well known for its bohemian roots and restorative holidays. As such, there are some seriously stylish places to stay, from working farm houses where vegetables and herbs are plucked up for your dinner, and exclusive,…
All too often regarded as an extension of London or a throughway to the Continent, Kent rarely benefits from recognition as a destination like Devon or Cornwall. However, the Garden of England offers bucolic countryside dotted with medieval pubs, distinctive seaside towns like Whitstable and Margate, and the historic cities of Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells….
From gracious old farmsteads and magnificent manor houses to an ancient coaching inn creaking with Tudor character, the top luxury hotels in the Cotswolds combine a wonderful sense of history with contemporary style and outstanding modern British cuisine. Whether near picturesque Broadway in the north of the region or close to Bath in the south,…
The UAE is most famous for its glamorous city skylines defined by gleaming rows of skyscrapers, some twisted, some illuminated, and one that wins the accolade of being the tallest building in the world – you really can’t miss Burj Khalifa. Most visitors drive past these megastructures as they journey from the airport, mesmerised, eyes gazing…
On a business trip to Cairo, I arrived late at night expecting a driver to meet me. Nobody was there. Time to make a call. I’d made the arrangement through my guide using WhatsApp messaging so that seemed the easiest way to get answers. I flicked mobile roaming back on and sorted the problem out….
This stylish boutique bolthole, set in a tall creamy Regency townhouse, is a stroll up from the seafront Peace statue and ideally situated for easy access to the city’s main attractions. Lashings of style with funky furniture, gorgeous plum colour schemes, furnishings made from old kimonos and walls adorned with works by local artists, this…
Lisbon, with its narrow-cobbled streets, bougainvillea-clad squares, sea views and seven steep hills which yellow trams rattle up and down, suits small boutique properties which maintain a sense of character and a feeling of a home not a hotel. Lisbon, unlike so much of the world, has not gone global: it remains resolutely Portuguese, looking…
There is no better spot to eat in Spain than San Sebastián. It’s a brash statement, but if anyone can make it, it’s the food-obsessed Basques that populate this dazzling coastal town. With the second-most Michelin stars per capita and a respectable claim to the title of most bars per person, this is a glutton’s…
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean, Sea Cloud Spirit lolled in the Pacific – its 32 magnificent sails untroubled by the slightest breath of air. We were becalmed. Unlike the Ancient Mariner we, of course, had engines – silent, diesel-electric ones – and no shortage of libations on board. But that…
Wilder and less trammelled than the rest of Devon, the north of the county has a comfortingly old-fashioned, low-tech feel. Prices are, on the whole, cheaper than the more chi-chi resorts of south Devon, so it’s a great option for extended families, large groups and those on a tight budget. Hotels generally focus on honest…
Know before you go Local laws and etiquette • French law requires that you always have personal ID about your person, so keep your passport on you. • If driving, you must have a fluorescent yellow bib in the car. It’s to be put on should you break down on a busy road and need…
Cities bursting with priceless art? Florence, Lucca, and Siena fit the bill. Spectacular hill towns with gentle rhythms and sweet piazzas? Bagno Vignoni, Monteriggioni and Massa Marittima are only the start of a list of villages that will steal your heart. Add in top notch-spas focusing on local treatments alongside natural thermal waters, outdoor pursuits…
Love them as you do, just occasionally your children’s idea of holiday fun fails to marry up with your own. It is tricky, for example, to play tag while also drinking a cocktail. So thank goodness for those UK hotels stepping into the breach with truly world-class kids clubs. Some are set far, far away…
Dubai is designed to keep kids enthralled. Its family-friendly hotels feature mini check-in desks, crèches and kids’ clubs, dedicated children’s menus and restaurants without curfews for youngsters, spa treatments for little ones and big-ticket facilities that stretch far beyond basic playgrounds. The best water parks are directly linked to hotels. Hit the slides at Aquaventure…
Somerset’s landscapes are steeped in legend, from the lush fields of ‘Avalon’ to Cheddar Gorge and the wilds of Exmoor. The winding, country lanes hold secrets: a spectacular gathering of birds at sunset; a cave filled with fertility symbols; a farm taken over by huge sculptures. The local food scene is flourishing, involving everyone from…
Some might say Perth’s a late bloomer; others may suggest that she’s simply been biding her time. For locals, the secret is most definitely out. Direct flights to Perth from London have thrown quite the spotlight on the Western capital, revealing a metropolis that basks in more sunlight hours than any other major Australian city,…