Striped lighthouses, whaling ports, white churches and the fledgling days of modern America right up to the space race and beyond.Give Massachusetts two weeks on the open road and she will give you a salty-aired, wide-eyed look at America, with a serving of clam chowder on the side.After this road trip from Boston, America may […]

Venice has a tempestuous love affair with the world. Millions of adoring fans visit La Serenissima each year, lured by the sirens of the Adriatic. Perhaps I’ve spent too much time squashed on the London Underground, but…

Beautiful and unusual things to do in Sarasota  Florida’s overlooked Gulf Coast sweeps from live oaks and manatees to white sand and art routes. But it was the variety of things to do in Sarasota that made me rethink fly-drive travel in general. Instead of driving from A to B and on to C, stop for a […]

Usually, I manage to find something beautiful, something that moves me wherever I go. But last night, in Petra, that didn’t happen.

The Osprey Transporter 120 promises to be the adventure-proof wheelie (in other words the adventure option for those who like their adventure with creature comforts.) Here we put it to the test. First, a bit about bags. Then read on for the full Osprey Transporter review. A Rolling Transporter I’m going to be honest with […]

What should you do once you’ve seen the classics? With Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and

Does history matter An Important Point in Utah I was dozing in the front seat, the scenery slicking from arid Nevada to salt ‘n’ violet Utah on the journey from Mustang Monument back to Salt Lake City. The early morning sun seemed breathless, as though struggling to keep up with the pace of our speed and my friends […]

Ah, beautiful Graz. A city that’s worth falling in love with for so many reasons, but it’s the Graz restaurants that will have you falling hard and fast.

Even though I knew that Caribbean Islands each have a different character, I was still surprised by the number of unique things to do in Aruba when I got there. Finding Unique Things to do in Aruba Aruba has great beaches, of course. When it comes to dazzling blue water and all-inclusive resorts, it has […]

Despite the stillness of the water, there’s no sound of silence. Insects skim across the reeds with a soft buzz and woodpeckers…

The Grand Central Hotel Belfast is back on the scene, reopening after a £53m refurbishment. So what’s it like? And how does the rest of Belfast look as part of a relaxing weekend away?

This article on the best hikes in the world comes from people who should know: certified mountain guides who do this for a living. Lace up your boots!

Sparks hissed from the fire where we clustered beneath the stars. The group fell silent, waiting for Hussein to finish his story. He sat cross-legged, wearing the traditional thawb and keffiyeh, his deep eyes lined with kohl.

“My darling,” he said, fixing his eyes on the girl in front of him. “Forget the astronomer. Come with me. I’ll show you the stars in the day.”

  Daunted by your first flight with a baby? You needn’t be! Things have changed but it’s easier than people make out. Here’s my collection of tried and tested tips for flying with a baby. So that you can both relax, enjoy yourselves, and see the world!Tips for Flying with a Baby: what you need to […]

 Visiting Namibia, the World’s Oldest Desert, and Climbing Dune 45Fifty-five million years. It’s a long time, no matter how you look at it. For 55 million years, particles of sand, in shades of blood red, caramelised orange and an exhausted, jaded rust have sifted one over the other in this part of the world. I stand […]

Expert ski journalist Mary Novakovich brings us her experience-based, tried and tested round up and hand-picked selection of the best ski resorts in Europe.

Drumroll please…

Sargadelos and the Authentic Side of Spain They say to really get to know a place, you need to know its ceramics. Well, alright, perhaps they don’t say that, whoever or whomever “they” may be. But in my experience, local food and handicrafts shine a spotlight on a place’s culture in less time than it […]

I love the Hague. I’m a travel writer and I have a favourite city. One I enjoy returning to again and again. There, I’ve said it.

Close your eyes at the top of Mount Subiaso and you can hear the call of the owls. Their birdsong drifts through the windows with the early summer breeze, lifting the logs that crackle on the hearth and making the floor-length curtains sigh.

Pilgrims used to stay here on their way towards Assisi, climbing uneven stone stairs and watching the same stars dazzle at night, vivid and free from city light suffocation.

Yet “here” isn’t camping in the rough and it isn’t the latest gimmicky trend. “Here” is Le Silve Hotel in Italy, where slow food defines the local experience.

England’s stunningly honey-stoned Cotswolds bask in their reputation for combining muddy walks with roaring fires and great food at the end of the day.

And while these are great things to do in the Cotswolds, they aren’t the only things.

When it comes to the top attractions in the Cotswolds, you’ll often be guided to the world of Jane Austen and the UNESCO World Heritage Roman Baths in Bath. 

And with good reason. Bath remains one of my favourite places to visit in England and, well, the idea of Mr Darcy continues to swoop and swoon around the world.

But that’s not what many who live in England think of the Cotswolds, even if it may be technically true.

If any two words have come to symbolize the full weight of international justice and global condemnation they are The Hague.

War crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity hang in the balance here, as the world’s brightest lawyers look evil in the eye beneath the tree blossom and tiered brick gables of canalside houses in this part of the Netherlands.

Or so I thought. But like pretty much everything else in life, it’s a little more complicated for that.

If travel teaches you anything, it is this: that one man’s hangover-inducing, paint-stripping, memory-erasing spirit shot is another man’s artisanal specialty. Take tequila…

From the peeling paint of countryside farmhouses to the sweet sugar of macarons, the bright lights of dazzling Paris to the snow-powdered wooden chalets that speckle around the ski resorts, it seems there are plenty of reasons why more people travel to France than any other country in the world.

Tendrils of smoke curl and float past scarlet pillars. Fingers fold white paper into prayers. Heads bow, hands wash in water, and the soft, sonorous chime of a gong, flecked with gold, reverberates through the crowd.

This is the Asakusa Shrine, or Sanja-Sama (the shrine of the three gods,) in the heart of pulsing Tokyo. And right around the corner, I found worship of a different kind.

Heads bowed, sirens blazing, flickering lights in fuchsia and fluorescence.

This is the whir and buzz, the whizz and blaze of Pachinko: a Japanese pinball arcade where silence is forbidden and tranquillity long since forgotten.

Marsh’s Library, Dublin As a child, I dreamed one day of owning, or perhaps just prowling around, an overtowering library. Shelves would reach beyond my eyes, with creaky ladders required to reach the top. Sunlight would shimmer through dust and romance, and science and wild adventure would swim between the thick, creamy pages where black […]

Best Places to visit in AfricaWhere are the best places to visit in Africa? The Best Places to Visit in Africa Beyond Cape Town and The Big Five When it comes to talking about travel in Africa, many people still think about this:   Possibly this: Or maybe even this: Africa Beyond Safaris And while […]

Indulge in this Cotswolds weekend itinerary to enjoy one of England’s richest treats: cosy honeyed villages and sweeping stately homes, gentle landscapes to muddy your boots on and literary links to add culture to the great food and great spa treatments all rolled into one.

What is homeWhat is home?My weekend foraging for firewood while glamping in beautiful West Wales has me musing on a topic that returns to me again and again over the years.Just what is home? And is it up to us to define it?The Emotional Meaning of HomeThis week, I was supposed to be travelling. But […]

It’s probably fair to say that I am one of the world’s worst sleepers. A dog barks outside, I’m awake. A baby cries, I’m up for the rest of the night.

It was Pablo Picasso who said “art washes out the dust from everyday life.”

But it was Florida who turned that from a laundry chore into bathing in an iridescent sea.

Here’s a beautiful art route through Florida…