Not all castles are as they seem. Many have been transformed into hotels, where guests can live out their aristocratic dreams behind stone walls and high gates. These historic castles offer a stay you won’t experience anywhere else — plus the chance to be king or queen for the night.

Burghotel Auf Schonburg, Oberwesel, Germany

The moment you step inside this 1,000-year-old castle you can feel its storied history. There are 31 rooms and suites, each with its own design and antique furnishings, and several have balconies that look over the Rhine. Head to the interactive Tower Museum to learn more about how the castle defended itself against attacks, and stroll through the sprawling fairytale gardens for some quiet reflection.

Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Scotland

For more than 800 years, Dalhousie Castle near Edinburgh has welcomed royalty, poets, politicians and now, you. This is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland, complete with turrets, arched windows and red stone walls. In the Dungeon Restaurant, diners feast on contemporary Scottish cuisine, their tables surrounded by suits of armor and shields.

Dromoland Castle, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland

Upon arrival, you’ll immediately notice Dromoland Castle’s “legendary” porters and doormen, who carry your bags to your room with “cheery smiles and lots of stories,” said Condé Nast Traveler. Their excellent service is just one perk of staying at the property.

You’ll also enjoy “castle-appropriate” activities like falconry walks and candle-lit dinners with “white glove service” at the Earl of Thomond restaurant, said Condé Nast Traveler. Take time to explore the “maze-like” main building, where architectural details include stained glass windows and carved ceilings.

Hever Castle, Edenbridge, England

Spend the night where Anne Boleyn spent her childhood. Her family moved to Hever Castle in the early 1500s, and this is where the doomed queen “received letters from Henry VIII,” said Time Out.

There are 26 rooms in the “beautiful” castle, which underwent a complete restoration in the early 20th century, courtesy of William Waldorf Astor. Even if you don’t have a “thing for the Tudors,” it’s “impossible not to be impressed” by the property and its “superb” gardens.

Ozu Castle, Ehime, Japan

This meticulously restored wooden castle is one of only a few still standing in Japan — and the first to welcome overnight guests. It’s believed that the original fortress went up in the 14th century, about 200 years before the Kato clan took control of Ozu.

There’s a focus on ensuring amenities and items like sheets and tableware are made locally and that guests are introduced to the area’s history. One way is through the 1617 Sadayasu Kato Takeover, a reenactment guests can participate in.

Pousada Castelo Estremoz, Portugal

Built in the 13th century by King Dinis I for Queen Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, Pousada Castelo Estremoz offers “sweeping views” of the Alentejo region, said Condé Nast Traveler. Rooms and suites come with “gorgeous” canopy beds, and outside there are “manicured” gardens, a swimming pool and a terrace perfect for meditation sessions. The palace sits in the historic center of Estremoz, known for its white marble quarries.

Ghent is a little overshadowed in the Belgian city break stakes by Bruges. But as well as great bars, restaurants, sights and shops, Ghent, too, has canals, medieval buildings, cobbled streets, a belfry and castle. It isn’t swamped by tourists, as Bruges can be. And at three hours by Eurostar it’s half an hour closer to London St Pancras.

Through a discreet glass door on the cobbled Graslei quay by St Michael’s Bridge, a spot in almost every shot of Ghent, is 1898 Porter’s House. With three suites and one room, it opened in September 2026 after refurbishment by Geraldine Dohogne, who also transformed the adjoining hotel, 1898 The Post.

Why stay here?

All the rooms are different shapes, sizes and layouts, but all share inviting textures and deep, rich colours – cocooning décor that feels profoundly welcoming. Mine is dark blue, with solid wooden beams.

Above the vast bed, with impeccable white linen and tweedy headboard, is the TV, almost as vast, although you can watch it only from the bed, not from the velvet armchair – just one in a room undeniably designed for two. That comfy seat is a perfect perch for a cup of tea from the in-room supplies, which also include ready-mixed in-house cocktails – just add ice. The kettle and coffee machine are tidily housed in a drawer, plugged in invisibly.

Thoughtful touches abound, such as a warm throw, books – including a bespoke “500 Hidden Secrets of Ghent” guidebook, yoga mat and blocks, umbrella and flip flops. Just inside the entryway, there’s ample hanging storage – although not long enough for my midi dress.

The marble bathroom with underfloor heating is equipped with bath, twin sinks and a rainfall shower with overhead roses and handheld attachments too, stocked with citrussy Guerlain Impériale toiletries. The loo, classily, is separate.

Two of the suites have a plant-filled roof terrace. As well as sunloungers, a table and chairs, mine has a copper bathtub. At night this is lit by strung lights and lanterns, perfect for an al fresco dip above the urban buzz, while inside lamps cast a soft glow, and thick Roman blinds and bedroom curtains block out all light.

Eating and drinking

A short stroll along Graslei takes you to breakfast in The Post’s breakfast room, The Kitchen, which becomes The Cobbler bar by night. Although the buffet size is small, it’s densely packed with desirable ways to start the day: mini croissants, mini pains au chocolat, cheeses and meats, yogurt, granola, seeds, an impressive array of fruit, plus eggs cooked to order and power shots of ginger, turmeric, and lemon, orange and pineapple juice.

It’s easy to find more great food in Ghent. For elevated dining, head to Sensum, housed in a Louis XVI mansion – which won its Michelin star in 2023 – and try its simply described four- or five-course experience menu. As a vegetarian, it was strange to choose dishes with names like Gobetto prawn and French pigeon, but staff reassured me that my food would be meat- and fish-free yet focused on the component flavours. Service was relaxed, attentive and informative, each course explained on arrival.

The food was exquisite, inventively prepared and impeccably presented. Memorable mouthfuls include an amuse bouche of panna cotta made with smoked milk; beetroot roasted for 72 hours then rehydrated, served with sour cream mousse, and gooseberry granita, which appeared on the menu as royal Belgian caviar.

Near the Museum of Industry is the cool, contemporary interior and vine-shaded courtyard of Edgar Kaasbar, whose short menu focuses on cheese (kaas), from raclette and fondue to croquettes and platters, with suggested wine and beer pairings. My pungent plateful grew in strength from tomme to Shropshire blue, accompanied by crusty bread, fruit and nuts.

Don’t miss out on Belgian specialities, such as chips and mayonnaise, a classic now with heritage status (although here beef stew is the preferred topping).

There are plenty of fine chocolate shops; I took home a tempting trayful from Deduytschaever near the Belfort. At the other end of the taste spectrum: excellent Tierenteyn mustard. This Ghent condiment’s quality apparently results from a family feud.

Boasting Ghent’s biggest beer selection, at over 500, is Café de Dulle Griet (which translates as ‘mad Meg’, taking its name from a nearby cannon). To sample the house beer, Max, served in a long glass on a wooden stand, you must surrender one shoe to a wire cage on the ceiling, returned when you return the glass.

Café den Turk, popular with locals, is the city’s oldest bar, dating from the 13th century, but its simple approach doesn’t trade on that.

Sample jenever, Belgian juniper-flavoured spirit, at t’Dreupelkot, by the river at Groentenmarkt 12, which dispenses shots of over 200 flavours, including coconut, cactus, vanilla and chilli.

For a nightcap, stay close to home with a cocktail in The Cobbler, a cool hangout for both residents and non-residents. My Kintsugi, with gin, kaffir lime and ginger, was fragrant and floral.

Things to do

Get yourself a CityCard – at just €49 for 48 hours, with free entry to sights, plus free tram, bus, bike and boat travel. Orient yourself with an overview of the city – literally – at the STAM, or Museum of Ghent, with a vast aerial photo to walk across, among varied exhibits including 13th-century frescos. Turn left out of the hotel and walk along the river. To return, board the hop-on, hop-off boat with your CityCard for a 90-minute city tour (hopping off not obligatory).

Gain a bird’s-eye view atop the 12th-century Belfort (belfry), with an array of bells and clock mechanisms within the tower.

The fairytale 12th-century castle, Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) has enough battlements, turrets and crenellations to satisfy history buffs and small children. Inside, as well as the good city views, there’s a torture museum.

Fusing architectural styles is St Bavo’s (or Sint Baaf’s), the not-to-be-missed cathedral, boasting 22 altars, plus the world-famous “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” altarpiece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, the world’s first work using oil paints, in around 1432. Book the VR tour to better appreciate the glowing, vibrant figures and scenes in detail, and to learn its history, including multiple thefts – its return was part of the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. The Museum of Fine Arts is carrying out restoration work on some of the original panels, which you can watch until 31 December. (Van Eyck portraits are on show at London’s National Gallery from 21 November.)

The verdict

A truly welcoming environment, from the decor to the historic artefacts in the myrrh and vetiver-scented public spaces that encourage you to slow down, to the endlessly good-humoured and patient staff. As the hotel’s interior designer Dohogne said: “it’s a sophisticated space that respects the guests’ needs and builds a world around them.” Feeling completely at home, I was happy to inhabit this world, if only for a short time.

Adrienne Wyper was a guest of 1898 Porter’s House, 1898portershouse.com

“I love summer as much as the next person, but I have to admit that, once the calendar gets to mid-August, I just cannot wait for autumn to arrive,” said Alessia Armenise in Condé Nast Traveller. As the weather cools down and the “back-to-school atmosphere is in full swing” the “long-awaited autumn activities can finally begin”.

The season for apple picking is about to hit its peak, with orchards all around the country opening their gates for people to fill their baskets. Here are some of our favourite places for a wholesome day out.

Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire

This is the “perfect place to spend a full autumn day out”, said Condé Nast Traveller. September and October are prime months for apple picking, with plenty of other activities to keep you entertained. The abbey has its own cider mill, and you can learn about the site’s history of making its own apple juice and cider. Once you have enough apples, “you can visit the abbey, explore the grounds and indulge in an afternoon tea”.
ampleforthabbey.org.uk

Brogdale Collections, Kent

This south east gem is known for its “diverse array of fruits, set in a stunning natural setting”, said Lauren Hughes in Country Living. Visitors can opt for guided tours which run until the end of October, allowing you to “explore the grounds and sample seasonal fruit”. Most importantly, the orchard also runs “Pick Your Own Fruit” weekends until 1 November, with both apples and pears available to get your fructose kick!
brogdalecollections.org

Hillfield Nursery, Norfolk

More than 250 varieties of apple are planted at Hillfield, “meaning the season starts early in the summer and finishes well into autumn”, said Rebecca Seal in National Geographic. The William Crump and Ellison’s Orange varieties are “rare”, and just two of many “real treasures among the trees”. Apple aficionados can also broaden their horizons, sinking their teeth into “plums, quince and medlars”, with the latter “a wonderful fruit that’s barely ever cultivated and looks like a cross between an apple and a rosehip”. They can be “picked hard, sour and unripe in autumn and then stored inside until they become aromatic and sweet” when they are usually used to make jam.
hillfieldnursery.co.uk

Hawarden Estate, Flintshire

Apples, pears and pumpkins are all up for grabs in this Welsh haven, said Siobhan Grogan in The Times. After filling your punnet, you can head to the estate’s onsite bakery for more sugary sustenance. In the afternoon, expand your range foraging for mushrooms in the grounds: after the three-hour guided woodland walk, you’ll know your “shaggy parasols from your chanterelles”. The estate is also home to an “18th-century castle where the four-time prime minister William Gladstone lived”, so plenty for history buffs too.
hawardenestateholidays.co.uk

Mersey Vale Nature Park, Manchester

Further north, there is “apple picking in abundance”, said Emmeline Banks in Secret Manchester. Mersey Vale Nature Park is a “wonderful destination any day of the week”: the city’s traditional community-run orchards sit next to “two ponds with dipping platforms” and a “wildflower meadow”. It is “more of an informal experience” here, with members of the public free to “wander through the trees, taking in what nature has to offer, and pick the tasty apples for themselves, free of charge”. There’s a real drive to use the nature reserve to “educate and support locals in eating healthily and understanding the importance of local produce”.
stockport.gov.uk/community-orchards

It’s not surprising that a trip to the Galapagos Islands “tops many travellers’ wish lists”, said The Times. The “far-flung Ecuadorian archipelago” is home to “astonishing landscapes” and an array of rare wildlife from blue-footed boobies to marine iguanas and giant tortoises.

It is best navigated by a small ship, all of which are “strictly regulated” in order to protect the “pristine natural area known to have inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution”. These vessels are limited to a maximum of 100 guests, and travel with “resident naturalists” to share fascinating insights about the surroundings.

We took an early morning flight from Quito to Baltra Island in the centre of the archipelago before boarding the National Geographic Islander III, said Marc Shoffman in The Independent. With just 48 guests it’s an intimate boat: you won’t find any waterslides or ice cream shops, but my daughters were happy “snorkelling among the turtles, parrot fish and manta rays in the unseasonably warm waters”.

There are “a few rules” to follow. Guests must travel in groups of up to 16 and be accompanied by an expert guide to “keep crowds down”. You can’t take anything home with you, however tempting, and you must always stand six feet away from the wildlife. The reward is how close you can get to the incredible creatures that seem “unbothered” by human presence.

It’s worth getting up early to avoid the heat and “capture the wildlife at its calmest”. On South Plaza Island we were greeted by “sleepy sea lions and the region’s unique swallow-tailed gulls”, and on Las Bachas “rare birds such as the red-footed booby and shiny white Nazca boobies simply waddled by”. The best moment, though, was watching the “famous giant tortoises as they calmly ate grass at the Rancho El Manzanillo, unfazed by our gawping”.

If you love the water, Celebrity Cruises is a good option, said The Telegraph. During the seven-night itineraries guests have plenty of opportunities to “splash around with the archipelago’s diverse and diverting marine wildlife”. Snorkelling sessions are a great way to get close to sea turtles, reef sharks and, if you’re lucky, the “darting, bullet-like form of a Galapagos penguin”.

Or if birdwatching is more up your alley, try one of Silversea’s luxury expeditions exploring the Outer Loop. The first stop is Genovesa, dubbed Bird Island for its incredible variety of avian life including the “hard-to-spot short-eared owl” and magnificent red-throated frigatebirds.

Istanbul is a city that seamlessly blends old and new. One moment you’re standing beneath the soaring domes of an Ottoman mosque, the next sipping cocktails overlooking one of the world’s busiest waterways as sleek ferries weave between Europe and Asia. Few hotels capture the contrast better than The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul. Named the city’s best hotel in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards and ranked sixth in Europe, it occupies prestigious Süzer Plaza in the elegant Dolmabahçe district, away from the busiest tourist streets yet within an easy walk of Taksim Square and Dolmabahçe Palace.

With 239 rooms and suites, Turkey’s only Nobu restaurant, four further dining venues, a rooftop terrace with infinity pool and an extensive subterranean spa, it makes an ideal base for exploring one of the world’s most intoxicating cities.

Why stay here?

After a day negotiating Istanbul’s energetic streets, the rooms feel wonderfully restorative. Our partial Bosphorus view room is flooded with light thanks to lofty ceilings and large windows framing water, woodland and the city skyline. Soft neutral tones are lifted by a curved leather-and-wood headboard, striking blue wall art inspired by traditional Turkish textiles and elegant pendant lighting that gives the room warmth rather than hotel uniformity.

In the bathroom, white Turkish Afyon marble is paired with hand-painted Iznik tiles, tulip motifs and a handsome dark-wood vanity. A deep soaking tub, walk-in rainfall shower and Diptyque Philosykos toiletries invite an unhurried bathing ritual before dinner.

Guests looking to splurge can book the 120 sq metres Ritz-Carlton Suite, complete with dining room, whirlpool bath and panoramic Bosphorus views, or the Nobu Suite that combines Japanese minimalism with Turkish craftsmanship and features a private terrace with an onsen tub overlooking the water.

There’s much to tempt beyond the bedroom too. Descend to the hotel’s expansive spa where you’ll find a traditional hammam, treatment rooms, indoor pool and fitness facilities, or make straight for The Roof, where Istanbul unfolds beneath you. By day, guests recline on chunky loungers beneath towering palms and oversized parasols and cool off in the petite infinity pool; by evening, the atmosphere shifts as DJs take to the decks. Yoga classes and open-air cinema nights are also held in this appealing rooftop space.

Eating and drinking

The Roof is the perfect place to begin the evening. As the sun dips behind the skyline, cocktails arrive. My Lychee Tax – a deliciously fruity blend of strawberry rum and lychee purée – slipped down quickly.

The Ritz-Carlton is home to Turkey’s first Nobu, still one of Istanbul’s hardest restaurant reservations to secure. The celebrated Japanese-Peruvian menu delivers all the signatures that have made the brand famous worldwide. We began with buttery toro with yuzu and pulled beef tacos scented with truffle before moving on to Nobu’s legendary black cod, which lived up to its reputation, and perfectly steamed turbot bursting with clean, delicate flavours. Every mouthful was a surprise.

Breakfast and dinner are served at Atölye, a light-filled dining room delivering sweeping Bosphorus views. The menu celebrates modern Anatolian cuisine using regional ingredients and traditional recipes with a contemporary twist. Smoky aubergine atom, reminiscent of an elevated babaganoush, and black cabbage stuffed with walnuts and roasted peppers made memorable starters before beautifully cooked shrimp arrived alongside hibeş, a rich, spicy tahini dip. Exceptionally tender lamb Küşleme was served with crisp aubergine chips, and dessert took the form of an ingenious fig-shaped pudding that concealed flowing fig jelly beneath a white chocolate shell. Watching darkness settle over the Bosphorus as dinner unfolded made the experience all the more memorable, helped by attentive but discreet service.

For something altogether different, Limoré brings Italy to Istanbul. Bright, contemporary interiors provide the backdrop for handmade pasta, excellent pizzas and generous Italian classics. Bucatini cacio e pepe would satisfy even discerning Romans, and truffle risotto, osso buco and sole mugnaia round off a dinner that tasted just like nonna made it.

Things to do

One of Istanbul's greatest pleasures is discovering how effortlessly the city layers empires, religions and cultures. Although traffic is often gridlocked, the efficient tram network makes many of the major sights surprisingly easy to reach.

Begin at the Grand Bazaar, where more than 4,000 shops are packed in a labyrinth of vaulted passageways that have bustled with traders for over 500 years. Amid the calls of merchants selling spices, carpets, jewellery and ceramics, we stocked up on fragrant Turkish delight before wandering towards Sultanahmet, home to two of the city’s greatest architectural treasures.

The sixth-century Hagia Sophia remains one of the world’s most extraordinary buildings. Originally a Byzantine cathedral before becoming an Ottoman mosque and now an active place of worship once more, its vast marble interior, soaring dome and shimmering gold mosaics still inspire awe nearly 1,500 years after it was built. Just across the square, the Blue Mosque is equally magnificent. Its six slender minarets dominate the skyline, while inside more than 20,000 hand-painted blue Iznik tiles decorate the cascading domes. Between prayer times, visitors quietly share the space with worshippers, who gather at the fountains outside for ritual ablutions before entering.

For a change of pace, head to Balat, one of Istanbul’s most characterful neighbourhoods. Its steep cobbled streets are lined with brightly painted Ottoman houses, art galleries, vintage boutiques and second-hand bookshops, offering a more bohemian feel than the grand monuments of the historic peninsula. We paused at the delightfully quirky Velvet Café for cappuccino and a superb serving of rich Kaymaklı un helvası before visiting the remarkable Bulgarian Church of St Stephen, whose prefabricated cast-iron construction and dazzling gilded interior make it unlike any other church in the city.

Back near the hotel, Taksim Square marks the heart of modern Istanbul. From here, lively Istiklal Street threads through elegant 19th-century buildings housing international brands, cafés and historic landmarks including the Church of St Anthony of Padua. Don’t miss the compact but excellent Pera Museum, home to celebrated Orientalist paintings, Turkish ceramics and a café centred around a piano once owned by Maria Callas. Afterwards, head back through leafy Cihangir, where independent coffee shops, vintage stores and Istanbul’s famously pampered street cats provide a reminder that some of the city’s greatest pleasures are found on a quiet wander.

The verdict

Superbly located between historic and modern Istanbul, The Ritz-Carlton delivers polished service without pretension. Add beautifully appointed rooms, Bosphorus views, Turkey’s first Nobu, an excellent spa and one of the city’s finest rooftops, and it’s easy to see why it ranks among Europe’s most celebrated luxury hotels.

Vicki was a guest of The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul; ritzcarlton.com

Tucked into a dense forest in Trentino’s Val Rendena, Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti occupies an enviable position perched on the edge of the town of Pinzolo, one of the gateways to the UNESCO-listed Dolomites.

Opened in 2019, the resort cascades down the mountainside across nine levels, with contemporary architecture that complements the landscape rather than competing with it. While many alpine hotels lean heavily on knotty pine and chalet nostalgia, Lefay takes a more refined approach. The exterior combines locally sourced larch and fir; the interiors layer chestnut, oak, stone, leather and bronze in a palette that feels quietly luxurious rather than overtly rustic.

The soaring A-frame bar is the architectural showpiece, its timber ceiling echoing the jagged silhouette of the Brenta Dolomites beyond. As dusk falls, the mountains perform one of nature's great spectacles: enrosadira, the phenomenon that bathes the limestone peaks in shades of coral and crimson. It’s best enjoyed from a window seat with a glass of Trentodoc sparkling wine or a classic Negroni in hand.

Why stay here?

Accommodation comprises 88 suites and 23 private residences, all generously proportioned and designed with understated elegance. Our suite was a blend of alpine warmth and contemporary Italian design: chestnut panelling, buttery leather armchairs, oversized rugs and sculptural lighting softened by a calming palette of taupe, charcoal and cream. A spacious living area included a work desk, generous seating and a large television, while the bedroom featured a king-size bed dressed in crisp Beltrami linens, a second, swivelling, TV and huge sofa positioned to frame the mountain views. Two walk-in wardrobes offered space for ski gear and hiking clothes alike.

The bathroom occupied almost the entire length of the suite and felt more spa than ensuite. Grey marble lined the expansive walk-in shower, and a deep whirlpool bath comfortably accommodated two. A private Finnish sauna, twin vanity areas and Lefay’s signature horse chestnut and verbena toiletries completed the indulgent experience.

The resort’s centrepiece is its 5,000 sq metres spa – one of the largest in the Alps. Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and the changing seasons, it encompasses a series of thermal experiences including a Finnish sauna, salt grotto, tepidarium, hydrotherapy pools, plunge pools and sensory showers. Quiet relaxation rooms and outdoor terraces are focused firmly on the surrounding peaks, encouraging guests to look up rather than down at their phones. The heated indoor-outdoor infinity pool, complete with massage jets and bubbling hydrotherapy stations, proved the perfect perch for mountain-gazing.

Eating and drinking

Dolomia, the resort’s all-day restaurant, enjoys panoramic mountain views through floor-to-ceiling windows and centres around a striking glass wine cellar showcasing bottles from across Trentino-Alto Adige and beyond. Breakfast is particularly impressive, with fresh pastries, seasonal fruit, local yoghurts, eggs cooked to order and regional cheeses and cured meats. At lunch, hearty mountain dishes share the menu with lighter Mediterranean fare. Standouts included paccheri with slow-cooked white veal ragù, grilled beef entrecôte with roasted potatoes and a richly satisfying Caesar salad topped with prawns. A toasted sandwich filled with locally produced Fontal cheese and sautéed red cabbage elevated comfort food into something more memorable.

Dinner continues the regional theme, with beautifully executed northern Italian cooking. Buckwheat ravioli filled with Prà Fiorito cheese and Swiss chard celebrated local artisanal ingredients, while a refined chicken cacciatore demonstrated impressive restraint. Unmissable desserts included a subtle wild berry cheesecake on a chocolate cookie base.

The culinary highlight, however, is Grual, the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant named after the mountain that rises behind the resort. The intimate dining room evokes an alpine woodland at twilight, with deep teal walls, sculptural lighting and stylised tree motifs.

Chef Matteo Maenza builds menus around ingredients sourced from the surrounding valley, mountain pastures and high peaks. It offers tasting menus of eight or 12 courses, but ordering à la carte allows each dish to shine. Red turnip gnocchi paired with smoked ricotta and black tea delivered earthy complexity; rabbit ravioli with candied walnuts and local cheese struck a perfect balance between richness and finesse. A beautifully constructed cocoa millefeuille provided an elegant finale. Service throughout was warm and impeccably judged.

Things to do

The Dolomites take centre stage year-round. During summer, the Pinzolo cable car climbs to Doss del Sabion at 2,100 metres, where panoramic views stretch across the Brenta range and an extensive network of walking trails caters for everyone from casual hikers to experienced mountaineers. Winter transforms the area into part of the Skiarea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, linking the pistes of Pinzolo with Madonna di Campiglio and Folgarida-Marilleva for a combined 150km of skiing. The hotel shuttles skiers to the cable car.

Back in town, Pinzolo remains refreshingly low-key, with weekly markets selling local produce, clothing and handcrafted goods alongside independent cafés serving excellent cappuccini.

The spa treatments are central to the resort and deserve dedicated time in the itinerary. In a private chalet-inspired treatment suite, the Amongst the Forest ritual began with a shared soak in a handcrafted wooden tub before a couples’ massage using aromatic mountain herbs designed to ease tired muscles. The 80-minute Il Cerchio della Luna Anti-Ageing Facial combined Lefay’s botanical skincare range with deeply relaxing massage techniques, and L'Aurora nel Lago invited us to float for 40 minutes in a warm salt pool beneath a star-filled ceiling – unexpectedly meditative and wonderfully calming.

The verdict

Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti successfully reimagines the alpine wellness hotel for a modern international audience. The architecture is striking without overwhelming its surroundings; the food celebrates the region with confidence, and the spa itself is reason enough to visit. Whether your idea of a perfect mountain escape involves swooshing down the mountains, hiking through the Brenta Dolomites or simply watching the evening alpenglow from a bubbling outdoor pool, this is one of Italy’s most sophisticated mountain retreats.

Vicki was a guest of Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti; lefayresorts.com

A winding five-hour drive from Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, the Phobjikha Valley is one of the Himalayan kingdom’s most beautiful places, and also a prime spot to see black-necked cranes, said Ian Trower in DestinAsian.

With their striking black-and-white plumage and crimson crowns, these rare birds are “revered” by locals, who call them “birds of heaven”. Conservation efforts have helped boost global numbers from around 6,000 in the 1990s to more than 17,000 today, and each year several hundred overwinter in Phobjikha’s “farm-fringed” wetlands.

Their arrival is celebrated with a festival of folk music and dancing at the 17th-century Gangtey Monastery. Tour operators such as Ampersand and hotels such as the luxurious Gangtey Lodge offer bird-watching walks, and there’s also an exhibition at the valley’s “decagonal” Black-Necked Crane Information Centre. Go between November and mid-March, when the birds return to the Tibetan Plateau for the summer.

Hiking in the mountains of Bavaria

It’s not particularly popular with British visitors, but the Allgäu region of southern Bavaria is a lovely place for summer hiking, said Will Hide in The Times.

On a recent trip, I stayed at the Hubertus Mountain Refugio, a 66-room “wellness resort” with a big spa, an outdoor pool and friendly staff dressed in dirndls and lederhosen. The surrounding Alpine peaks rise above 2,600 metres and allow for lots of long, bracing walks through woods and flower meadows.

For lazier days, there’s plenty of cultural interest within easy reach, including Lake Constance (a 45-minute drive west), the picturesque historic town of Kempten, and Neuschwanstein, the “fairy-tale” palace built by King Ludwig II. Two of his other residences – Hohenschwangau and Linderhof – are also within striking distance.

A coastal walk in northern Cumbria

Few corners of the UK feel as on the edge of things as the north Cumbria coast, a low-lying strip hemmed in by the Lake District fells, said Chris Moss in The Guardian.

It is beautiful but “gritty” too, and scarred by industry in parts, as I discovered on a recent three-day walk along its portion of the England Coast Path. From Maryport (a pleasant town where L.S. Lowry liked to paint), I went south to St Bees Head, with its “spectacular” cliffs, a journey of 23 miles.

Highlights along the way included Workington (a friendly place that “looks as its name sounds”) and Whitehaven, surely one of England’s “loveliest” coastal towns – a former “industrial powerhouse” with “crumbling” grandeur in spades, but which also has a “striking” new hotel, The Edge, an angular, “rust-coloured” building by the sea.

Known for their mild climate and “sandy botany”, the four Charente islands lie just off France’s Atlantic coast. With their “preposterously pretty” harbour towns and great oyster beds and salt marshes, they have long drawn holidaymakers, said Antonia Quirke in Condé Nast Traveller.

But though they “jump with life” from early summer, they retain an “enduring tranquillity” and an “immaculately civilised” air. Best known is the Île de Ré – the second largest, at 33 square miles, and the smartest, favoured by wealthy Parisians and so “utterly Gallic” it feels “as if staged by set dressers”. Oléron – the largest, at 67 square miles – is busier and “less bourgeois”, but it too is “full of fresh air” and “good spirits”, as are Aix and Madame, which are tiny by comparison.

From La Rochelle, it’s a quick drive over the toll bridge to Ré. In its “stylish” main town, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, families stroll along the port and through the “stone-flagged” lanes, where bicycles are propped everywhere below “sun-blistered” shutters.

Equally lovely is the village of Ars-en-Ré, where locals queue for quiche and fruit tarts at the bakery in the main square. Honeysuckle “droops” down terrace walls, and scattered across the countryside beyond are whitewashed cottages “fringed in hollyhocks”. The landscape has a “timeless” quality, with its low horizons, pine forests and vast stretches of sand “the colour of apricots”.

Along the coast, shacks sell a half-dozen “world-class” oysters for a few euros, and there are some wonderful food markets in the towns. Ré has some of the archipelago’s best places to stay, such as Hôtel le Sénéchal and Hôtel de Toiras. But it’s worth spending time on Oléron too, an island that looks “especially astonishing” when approached by boat from Ré.

On a recent trip, I cycled around its “mesmerising” marshes, still “prowled” by paludiers, who harvest salt using wooden hand tools. I also visited the Île d’Aix, where you can tour the villa from which, in 1815, the British took Napoleon off to exile on St Helena.

Rising from the Kazakh steppe – a vast sweep of grassland so flat that the horizon seems to run in a perfectly straight line – Astana has few hills, forests or other natural features to interrupt the view. Yet the city itself is anything but understated. Giant pyramids, sweeping towers, an 150-metre-high tent and one of Central Asia’s largest mosques punctuate the otherwise level landscape, giving the capital a rather theatrical presence.

This is largely because modern Astana is a young capital. It became Kazakhstan’s capital, succeeding Almaty, in 1997, when it was still a relatively small northern city known as Akmola. What followed was a vast programme of construction – with architects from around the world brought in – that turned the northern steppe city into the political and administrative centre that it is today.

The result is a city of striking contrasts. Spend the morning having a look at the ambitious architecture, the afternoon walking beside the Yesil River, and the evening eating horse sausage in a hidden cocktail bar. There is plenty here that is polished and monumental, but some of the best experiences are considerably more ordinary.

Things to do

The best place to understand Astana’s architectural excess is Nurzhol Boulevard, the ceremonial spine of the modern city. The broad 2.5km pedestrian axis runs between the Khan Shatyr shopping centre and the Ak Orda Presidential Palace, passing some of Astana’s most recognisable buildings along the way.

The landmarks arrive in quick succession on a walk along the boulevard: the Presidential Palace, the sweeping headquarters of government ministries and the distinctive Northern Lights (Severnoye Siyaniye) towers – a trio of curving, blue-green glass skyscrapers that appear to lean towards one another. Baiterek Tower stands roughly in the middle, its golden sphere visible from much of the surrounding city. With a viewing platform at 97 metres above the ground and open to visitors, this is the city’s centrepiece, inspired by a Kazakh legend of the tree of life and the mythical bird Samruk.

At the end of the boulevard, it is difficult to miss Khan Shatyr. Norman Foster’s 150-metre-high structure looks like a gigantic translucent tent and is officially the world’s largest tent-shaped building. Inside, however, the concept is much less exotic. It is a shopping and entertainment centre with shops, restaurants, cinemas and an indoor amusement area.

You’ll also find Sky Beach Club here: an indoor beach with imported Maldivian sand, palm trees and warm water. It is a strange but rather enjoyable response to Astana’s climate. In a city where winter temperatures can plunge to brutal levels, the idea of going to the beach without going outside is difficult to argue with. Entry to Sky Beach is expensive, so unless you are desperate for tropical temperatures in the middle of the steppe, it may be enough to admire the architecture and move on.

For a more local scene, head towards the Yesil River. The promenades on either bank make for some of the city’s nicest walking and cycling, flanked by coffee, boba and ice cream shops aplenty. The Atyrau Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge built as a gift from the Atyrau Region for the capital’s 20th anniversary, links the two sides with a striking structure inspired by a sturgeon fish, referring to Atyrau region’s Caspian fishing heritage. During the summer, the river also becomes a cooling-off spot for the locals. The Gorodskoy Plyazh, or city beach, is a designated swimming area in Central Park, and on warm afternoons it fills up quickly.

For another reminder of the scale of the new Astana, visit the Nursultan Mosque. Opened in 2022, it is the largest mosque in Central Asia, with four 130-metre minarets surrounding a huge blue-and-white dome that can accommodate more than 30,000 worshippers. One of the minarets has a lift to observation decks at 90 and 110 metres, offering an unusually good perspective on the city.

Over the other side of the river, Saryarka, one of the older districts, is a useful antidote to the monumentalism of the new capital. The historic centre has an old square, fountains and a collection of low-rise buildings, including several former merchant houses, like that of Matvei Kubrin, built in the early 20th century and now occupied by a supermarket. Other buildings associated with the Kubrin family have been converted for different uses, their survival offering a glimpse of the commercial town that existed here before Astana became a capital.

The Holy Assumption Cathedral – one of the city’s major Russian Orthodox landmarks – is yet another reminder of Astana’s layered identity, bringing a very different architectural vocabulary to the streets. Meanwhile, the Wall of Peace is a small but interesting monument to the city’s role as a venue for international religious and diplomatic dialogue. Neither needs hours of sightseeing, but both help discredit the idea that Astana is simply a city of shiny new buildings.

Astana’s surroundings are considerably greener than the city itself. Burabay National Park, about three hours away by train, makes an easy day trip. Take an early train to Borovoe station and arrange a taxi to take you around the park. The landscape changes quickly and pine forests, granite hills and clear lakes replace the flat steppe around Astana.

Hike Bolektau Peak for views over Burabay and the Chebachye Lakes, go boating on Burabay Lake, or rent a bike to explore some of the area’s extensive cycling trails. In summer, Chebachye is also a popular swimming spot.

There are several stops worth building into the day. Aqmaral deer farm collects naturally shed antlers for use in traditional medicine, while Sokolov’s cheese farm produces around 38 varieties using Italian techniques, with wheels of mature cheeses including a 31-month-old Montasio ageing on wooden racks in a cool storeroom.

For lunch or breakfast, Tary Café’s signature breakfast – featuring qatlam, a flaky pastry filled with cheese, qazy horse-meat sausage, eggs, ayran cheese dip and tea made from zhide, or oleaster berries – is particularly good. The cafe overlooks the lake and pine forest, making it an especially pleasant place to eat after arriving by train.

Eating and drinking

Astana has a growing restaurant and bar scene, although it is still considerably smaller than Almaty’s. Qazaq Gourmet is a good introduction to contemporary Kazakh cooking in a polished setting with wine pairings. The restaurant’s menu combines traditional recipes from around Kazakhstan with modern techniques, and their 11-course Ómir tasting menu uses individual dishes to explore different aspects of Kazakhstan’s culinary and cultural traditions.

Line Brew has been part of Astana’s dining scene since 1997, and is best known for its house-brewed beer, with the line-up ranging from a straightforward premium lager to fruitier pomegranate, raspberry-lime, wild strawberry and blackcurrant brews. Its sprawling menu runs from Burgundian-style escargots, to steaks and dry-aged beef.

For cocktails, Temple Bar is considerably more clandestine. There is no obvious sign, and the entrance looks sufficiently like a janitor’s cupboard that you may wonder whether you have taken a wrong turn. Once inside, red velvet curtains open into a dim, living-room-like space furnished with mismatched sofas and lamps. There is no cocktail menu. Instead, the bartender asks what spirit you like, what flavours you want and how strong you want the drink to be. Ask for something spicy and sour with tequila and you might end up with a clarified coriander cocktail, suspiciously close to exactly what you wanted. The bar also serves zhaya, made from the salted, cured, and smoked or dried meat of a horse’s rump. Astana, it seems, is quite happy to be futuristic and traditional at the same time.

Where to stay

The Hilton Garden Inn Astana is a comfortable base for your visit to the Kazakh capital. It is centrally located, making it relatively easy to reach the main sights, while its rooms and service offer a level of comfort that feels more expensive than the rates suggest. The Russian and Turkish steam rooms are a welcome place to unwind after a full day of crossing Astana’s enormous distances.

Avantika was a guest of Visit Astana and Visit Aqmola.

Andy Burnham will give England’s mayors the power to introduce an uncapped tourist tax. This will be set as a percentage cost of accommodation – rather than a flat fee – at the discretion of regional leaders. Housing Minister Angela Rayner chaired a virtual meeting at No. 10 North today to discuss the tax.

The plans were initially announced under Keir Starmer’s government at the last Budget and outlined in the King’s Speech in May. In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham committed to starting the scheme towards the end of the 2027-28 financial year.

This tax could “raise hundreds of millions of pounds” for local public services, said The Guardian. But it could also be a “blow for the hospitality industry”, already “squeezed by tax rises and extra employment costs”.

Where would the money go?

A tourist tax would allow mayors to “prop up crumbling local authority finances and invest cash back into the area”, said The Telegraph.

Local authorities are already facing a financial “crisis”, with a “record 35 councils now relying on £1.5 billion of emergency government financial support to balance their books”. This would also allow the 14 regional mayors in England a new “revenue-raising stream”, especially when they are unable to raise council tax bills, which is still a council-level decision.

This is part of Burnham’s “wider devolution agenda”, said The Times. He has also been a long-standing supporter of overnight levies, implementing a “city visitor charge” in April 2023 while he was mayor of Greater Manchester. It consisted of a £1 per room per night fee, which was designed to “pay for measures aimed at attracting more visitors”.

Does this happen elsewhere?

A tourist tax, or overnight levy, already exists in some parts of the UK. After Holyrood passed a law permitting the levies in 2024, Edinburgh introduced a 5% overnight rate this summer, capped at five nights. Glasgow also has a 5% rate, while Aberdeen’s is 7%. However, these rates are at the discretion of local authorities, with no central cap.

In Wales, a capped levy of £1.30 per person per night will be introduced in April 2027. This is reduced to 75p for hostels and campsites. The cities of Manchester and Liverpool also have voluntary schemes, of a £1 and £2 per room per night charge.

Across the world, major cities such as New York, Amsterdam and Rome all employ variations of a tourist tax. Berlin also applies a 7.5% tax on accommodation costs, while Paris has a tax based on the type of accommodation. For an overnight stay in a two-star hotel, for example, there is a €3.25 (£2.86) charge, and for a four-star hotel the rate is €8.45 (£7.43). Lisbon, however, levies a flat rate of €4.00 (£3.52), up to a maximum of seven nights.

How will it affect the hospitality industry?

Implementing these taxes is “not going to be painless”, Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” programme. He claimed it would add roughly £100 to £120 to the average cost of a family holiday, and feared that by devolving only one tax-raising power, mayors would “pull that lever until it snaps”.

Simpson’s trade body also claimed the move would cost 33,000 jobs and cause a £2.2 billion hit to the UK’s GDP. Other global destinations with a cap on their tourist charges have much lower VAT rates than the UK.

New Conservative shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith said that an uncapped tourist tax would be “hugely limiting for the chances of the young people who might otherwise be employed in tourism and hospitality”. It would also be “utterly wrong” to use the funds for “propping up dodgy town hall finances on the back of even higher youth unemployment”.

However, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan welcomed the proposal, arguing that a “well-designed, modest” overnight visitor charge would “raise and invest funding locally”.

Sweden’s “second city”, Gothenburg, is less crowded than Stockholm and, thanks to the “icy, clean water surrounding the coast” is known for its excellent seafood, said Arielle Domb in The Independent.

Located on the country’s southwest coast, at the mouth of the River Göta, the city has been a “crucial” destination for the fish and shellfish trade since the 18th century. Its daily indoor fish market, Feskekörka, is still open today. Housed within a building that resembles a church with “pointed Gothic arch windows”, you’ll discover “vibrant fish stalls” selling everything from lobsters and crayfish to whole salmon. A two-day seafood festival “celebrating west coast ingredients” takes place every September, this year from 18 to 19.

Gothenburg is “brimming” with trendy restaurants and coffee shops. Bar Bulot is a lovely spot for natural wines and seafood dishes like “delicate halibut ceviche with thin slices of melon” or “oyster with a tangy tapioca mignonette”. For a really “exquisite” meal try Champagnebaren, where you can feast on “edible flower-decorated dishes that look like paintings”. And if you feel like a cocktail after dinner, head to the “stylish” bars Bruno or Unity Jazz, both “around the corner”.

If the city has one “must-see district” it has to be Haga, said Alicia Miller in National Geographic. Grab some salty liquorice at Lakritsroten to munch while you explore the “cobbled streets and cute boutiques”, and stop to browse in the antiques shops.

There is “nothing more Swedish” than fika – slowing down for the country’s cherished “coffee-and-cake ritual”. If you want to “feel like a local” go to “sip artisanal coffee” at da Matteo on the central shopping street of Magasinsgatan before buying a sourdough cinnamon bun from Alvar & Ivar to “nibble in Slottsskogen park”.

To “get to grips” with the city’s history, consider spending an afternoon at the Museum of Gothenburg which is “primely placed in the 18th-century former Swedish East India Company headquarters, on the banks of Stora Hamnkanalen” (Great Harbour Canal).

Perhaps best of all, Gothenburg is within easy reach of a “beguiling” archipelago, said Lizzie Frainier in The Times. Vrångö, the southernmost inhabited island, is just a 30-minute ferry ride from Saltholmen port. With fewer than 400 residents, it’s home to two “ruggedly beautiful” nature reserves, each with its own hiking trail. There is only one hotel on the island – Kajkanten Vrångö – where traditional boat houses have been transformed into pared-back “self-catering” accommodation that look out over the water. Order a seafood hamper from nearby Fiskeboa to enjoy the “sweetest langoustines you will ever taste”.

Home to the world’s largest Japanese diaspora, as well as sizeable Korean and Chinese communities, the Brazilian megacity of São Paulo is one of the best places outside Asia to enjoy Asian food, said Austin Bush in Travel + Leisure.

In the thriving Japanese district of Liberdade, where street lamps resemble torii gates, beloved old izakaya (Japanese pubs) rub shoulders with stalls selling Japanese-Brazilian street food such as hot rolls – breaded, deep-fried sushi.

The nearby district of Bom Retiro has a similar concentration of Korean bars and restaurants. And, in recent years, a new culinary wave has emerged, as chefs create bold fusion dishes or, more subtly, adapt Japanese recipes to uniquely Brazilian produce, from Amazon river fish to jambu, a tongue-tingling herb. Among the finest exponents of these trends are the “highly acclaimed” Kotori, Aizomê, Kanoe and Goya Zushi – restaurants as exciting and distinctive as any in the city.

A Croatian island without the crowds

Croatia’s best-known islands (Hvar, Korčula and so on) lie in its far south, but there are plenty of others, many of which are beautiful but much less touristy. Among them is Dugi Otok, said Mark Palmer in The Times – a verdant, 26-mile-long sliver of limestone that lies an easy ferry ride from the fascinating harbour town of Zadar.

Take a boat tour of the nearby Kornati National Park, an “otherworldly” wilderness of stark, arid islands criss-crossed with ancient stone walls. And be sure to spend some time in Zadar itself (I can recommend the Hotel Bastion), an elegant place with some lovely museums and architectural “treasures”, including impressive Roman remains.

A week-long walk in the eastern Alps

An “epic” 466-mile hiking path, the Alpe-Adria-Trail runs from Austria, via Slovenia, to Italy’s Adriatic coast. For anyone wanting to see the magnificent Alpine landscapes through which it passes, however, there’s an easier option, said Paul Bloomfield in The Telegraph: the Alpe-Adria Circular. This 83-mile circuit passes through all three countries, offering an intriguing sample of their overlapping cultures, and is usually done in a week (Walks Worldwide has a self-guided eight-day package, with luggage transfers, from £895).

Most walkers start in the Austrian town of Villach, from which the path winds through wildflower meadows and beechwoods to “chocolate-box” Alpine pastures, “teal-emerald” lakes and photogenic hamlets such as Borgo Lussari in Italy. The highest point is the 6,043ft summit of the Schwarzkogel, with spectacular views of the Julian Alps – including Triglav, the triple-peaked mountain that adorns the Slovenian flag.

A remote town of some 900 souls beside Hudson Bay in Canada, Churchill is known as the “polar bear capital of the world”. Every autumn, as the bay freezes, hundreds of these bears gather around it before heading out across the ice, and thousands of tourists come to see them. But Churchill also hosts another annual wildlife spectacle, said Oliver Smith in the Financial Times – one that attracts fewer visitors but is equally worth seeing.

Each summer, thousands of beluga whales migrate to the mouth of the Churchill River, to feed on small fish and nurse their young. These pale cetaceans, which grow up to 18ft long, look from a distance like countless “white-topped waves” in the river (which is more than a mile wide here), and visitors can safely kayak and paddleboard among them.

Churchill is inaccessible by road, so I flew there in a prop plane from Winnipeg, admiring the “vastness” below, where sunlight danced on rivers, and the forest gradually gave way to tundra. (You can also travel by train – a two-day journey.)

The “wind-harassed” town sits in pancake-flat surroundings studded with “landmarks of rust and ruin” – the wrecks of a cargo plane and a steamship, the remains of an old rocket research facility, and so on. I stayed at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, where lay visitors mingle with research scientists.

My six-day Belugas for the Bold itinerary included shared accommodation, guided nature walks, lectures on ecology and indigenous culture, and water activities. The town’s museum has beautiful indigenous artefacts, and on walks you will see lovely flora and might spot polar bears.

But most wondrous is the chance to see the belugas. Apparently, they are sometimes “mischievous” enough to tip paddlers into the water, but I felt a great sense of peace among them. So low to the water, I could “almost sense the stroke and whip of each flipper”, and every time a curious whale surfaced, I felt a “jolt of surprise, as though aquarium glass were fracturing”.

The trip costs from £2,075, excluding flights (churchillscience.ca).

When it comes to weekend breaks, a good location is essential. It doesn’t matter whether the hotel is perfect – if the surroundings leave something to be desired, you’ll find yourself longing to get home. Luckily, Woodstock is charming. Just eight miles from Oxford on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, the pretty market town is lined with traditional stone cottages, old pubs and bakeries.

On a quiet road close to the centre lies The Feathers. Tucked amid 17th-century townhouses, it looks fairly unassuming. But when you step through the doors, it’s clear that this is a swanky spot. Local property developer Daniel Ede bought the hotel in 2023 before carrying out a multi-million-pound revamp. Fast-forward to today and the hotel has an air of confidence: a collection of awards are proudly displayed on a chest in the reception area.

Why stay here?

The location is outstanding. We went for a short walk before dinner and stumbled upon the grounds of Blenheim Palace, where families lounge with picnics on the grassy slopes overlooking the lake.

Back at the hotel, the calming interiors encourage proper rest and relaxation. Our generously sized room – the Goldcrest Suite – had been carefully renovated with plush grey carpets, gilded mirrors and an enormous (and very comfy) king-size bed framed by flowing white drapes.

The layout felt a little unusual – a mini-sofa and TV were tucked awkwardly behind a semi-dividing wall, and the freestanding bathtub is in the main room, although you can pull across a golden chinoiserie-style folding screen for privacy. (There’s also a separate bathroom, with a shower, stocked with Urban Apothecary fig-scented toiletries.) This is likely due to the nature of the rambling Grade II listed building: the total of 23 suites and rooms vary in shape and size.

Thoughtful touches were everywhere, from the carefully selected tapestries adorning the walls to the tasty snacks laid out for our arrival including slices of lemon drizzle cake. Efforts have clearly been made to preserve the building’s historic details like the stone fireplace, while rooms have been updated with modern touches.

Eating and drinking

The Nest is a fun spot for dinner. Glowing wicker lamps sit atop marble tables in the bustling wood-panelled restaurant. Staff are attentive and knowledgeable but unobtrusive, and the cocktails are excellent. The menu changes with the seasons: we enjoyed a goat’s curd and parmesan tart bursting with sweet, juicy Isle of Wight tomatoes and flaky pan-roasted hake served with a decadent vadouvan curry sauce, tiger prawns and fennel shavings. Be sure to order a side of the crispy potatoes and the zingy herb salad. The Cotswolds sourdough rolls with whipped butter were a nice touch, too. If you’re looking for something more casual, head to The Aviary bar and outdoor terrace for pizzas and small plates.

Breakfast is served at The Nest. There’s a selection of fresh juices, pastries and muffins, alongside heartier classics like the full English, or smoked salmon sourdough crumpets.

Things to do

You won’t find a gym, spa or pool at The Feathers, but there’s plenty to do nearby. Keen walkers can set out on foot into the grounds of Blenheim Palace to soak up the stunning scenery. Afterwards, head back into Woodstock for ice cream at Alfonso Gelataria on the high street.

Oxford is a short drive away; consider a day trip to the historic city to wander through the colleges, go punting along the River Cherwell, or while away an afternoon in one of the many pubs or cafes.

The verdict

The Feathers ticks a lot of boxes for a weekend break. It was a cool, calming refuge when we visited during one of the many summer heatwaves, but come autumn it will be cosy and inviting. This is the type of place you leave feeling exactly as you should: well-rested, refreshed and relaxed.

Irenie was a guest of The Feathers, feathers.co.uk

Midnight sun is a simple enough concept in theory, but it’s oddly disorientating in practice. I was almost a thousand miles north of Iceland, closer to the North Pole than to Reykjavik, and I knew the summer days would last all night. But my eyes or mind (or maybe even my soul) just wouldn’t stop waiting for dusk.

On overcast afternoons, the sky often brightened as the evening wore on, as if the world were turning in reverse. Sometimes, long after a sensible bedtime, the sun would break through the cloud for the first time that day. I took photos, but they didn’t capture the weirdness. They couldn’t, of course, because the sense of weirdness came from within – from my body clock and its sense of how the world had always worked, until that moment. Now, thrillingly, it seemed that all bets were off.

Under the skin of the Arctic

It’s a soulful place, Svalbard, all rock and ice and sky. The peaks are dark and snow-capped, the valleys deep and glacial. Sometimes photos come out black and white even when you take them in colour. The sea, rarely out of sight, has many moods: near the glaciers, it is flat and milky from the minerals released after centuries trapped in ice. Further out in the fjord, it is black, glossy and angular. Our guide steered skilfully through the swell and we pitched, rolled and occasionally crashed our way through the white-frothed waves.

We were on our way to Isfjord Radio, a historic communications station that directed transatlantic shipping and air traffic from 1933 until GPS rendered it obsolete in 1999. The historic buildings once occupied by radio operators now house guests of Basecamp Explorer, which runs a range of Arctic adventures on Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard’s islands. Rugged exteriors and simply furnished rooms are warmed by the exceptional hospitality of the Basecamp crew, who conjure up sophisticated tasting menus featuring Arctic fish and game. Reindeer tartare with fig and black sesame was one of the highlights; a smoky seal yakitori was another.

I had spent the previous two nights at Nordenskiöld Lodge, the most remote of the three Basecamp Explorer properties, and indeed the world’s northernmost commercial accommodation. You are totally off-grid here, relying on solar panels and a log-fired stove (and sauna). Home-cooked meals are prepared by your hosts, whose responsibilities also include taking a dinghy out to the nearby glacier and hauling in boulder-sized chunks of ice to melt down for drinking water and cooking.

A Svalbard safari

Every visitor wants to see a polar bear, but only a few will be lucky. I almost was, which felt unluckier still: the day after I left, a mother and her two cubs wandered past Isfjord Radio. (The day before that, one member of my group had spotted a whiteish bear-shaped object, some distance away, amid a field of dark gravel and moss. “I cannot be certain it’s a rock,” our guide said, lowering her binoculars. So maybe I had been lucky after all.)

They may be hard to find but polar bears are common enough, and dangerous enough, that armed guides are compulsory anywhere outside Longyearbyen, the archipelago’s largest town (which is not that large – its population of 2,100 is outnumbered by the bears). In the town itself you may see Arctic foxes, patrolling the lower slopes of the valley, and dozens of geese. At sea, eider ducks are common, puffins slightly less so, but you will see them from time to time, flapping alongside the boat. They seem to work hard to stay in the air, unlike the elegant Arctic terns that soar high above.

We saw seals, too, lounging on little icebergs, and reindeer, both from the boat, as they meandered along the shore, and on land, as we hiked to a walrus colony. Our most memorable encounter was with a pod of minke whales. We had, in theory, finished sightseeing and were motoring back to the lodge when a gyre of gulls caught our guide’s eye. Soon we saw fins, and then a whole head lurching out of the water in front of us, its throat swollen with seawater and fish. We spent an hour with them, watching them dive and then surface again in some unexpected place. The backdrop was spectacular too: black hills in the distance under billowing clouds.

A seasonal adventure

Summer and winter deliver two different Svalbards. In one, you will cross dark, frozen seas by snowmobile and race through valleys with a pack of huskies. In the other, the dogs pull a wheeled cart rather than a sledge, and you have to stick to gravel tracks – but you can kayak in the shadow of a glacier, dodging the remnants of the pack ice.

One constant is the promise of a sauna (and an icy plunge) at the end of the day. The other, at Nordenskiöld Lodge, is the glacier. Just a few hundred metres from the cabin, it’s your constant companion – and impossible to ignore. Sometimes it was the creak or rumble of ancient ice that caught my attention, but I was drawn to it when it was quiet too. Each time I looked it seemed a little different: the packed snow deeper blue or brighter white, the ice cliff more or less forbidding.

Hiking high on to its plateau revealed previously hidden textures. Crags barely visible from the ground reared up above us, and deep crevasses fell away below. With spikes strapped to our boots and icepicks in hand, we climbed ridges, followed frozen streams and rested by an eerily blue lake.

The sun was obscured by leaden clouds, but the glare was strong. Night would not return to these slopes until the first, fleeting sunset of the autumn, six weeks later. By then the glacier would have received a fresh coating of snow, the sea temperature would be falling again and the residents of Svalbard would be readying themselves for the long polar night.

Holden Frith was a guest of Basecamp Explorer. The company’s seven-day signature summer adventure is £7,450 / $10,090 per person, based on two people sharing, including all meals, activities and boat transfers.

Great Yarmouth’s Britannia Pier bagged the top prize at the National Piers Society’s annual Pier of the Year competition – and it’s easy to see why. With a rich history dating back to 1858, the pier has recently undergone a serious renovation and now features two on-site pubs, food stalls, various rides and one of the country’s few surviving pier theatres. But there are plenty of other piers for a fun family day out. Here are some of our favourites.

Llandudno Pier, Conwy

Last year’s Pier of the Year winner was this “splendidly Victorian” structure in north Wales, said The Sunday Times. Stretching 2,295ft into the Irish Sea, it “takes a fair bashing” from the elements. There’s a Ferris wheel at the landward end and benches dotted all along it for visitors to contemplate the “beauties of the bay on one side and the massive limestone headland of Great Orme on the other”.

Clevedon Pier, Somerset

If it’s beauty you’re after, head to Clevedon Pier in north Somerset. Opened in 1869 “to receive paddle steamer passengers from Devon and Wales”, it’s England’s only Grade I-listed pier made with “discarded wrought iron railway lines shaped into eight arches” almost 15 metres high, said The Guardian. “Clevedon without its pier would be like a diamond with a flaw,” the then poet laureate John Betjeman said during a campaign to save it from demolition in 1980.

Southwold Pier, Suffolk

Southwold remains “delightfully unspoilt”, said Cambridgeshire Live. Expect “colourful beach huts”, a working lighthouse and an Edwardian pier stretching into the North Sea that’s “packed with entertainment, shops and eateries”. It’s perhaps one of the UK’s “most eccentric” piers thanks to the arcade of “wacky” slot machines designed by inventor Tim Hunkin that provide “endless seaside fun”.

Blackpool piers, Lancashire

Blackpool is the “proud home” of three piers, said The Guardian. The oldest surviving is the Grade II-listed North Pier, which features an “art-deco theatre, a two-tier carousel, bars and an arcade”. On the Central Pier you’ll find the big wheel and a bar with live shows, while the South Pier promises a “high-octane funfair” with a rollercoaster and reverse bungee ride. Just watch out for seagulls when you stop for fish and chips.

Set beside the “cobalt” Moray Firth, a half-hour drive east of Inverness, Nairn is “arguably Scotland’s finest seaside town”, says Robin McKelvie in The Telegraph. Its beaches are beautiful, with their “starched white” sands, and its high street is “as elegant as any in the Highlands”. It is “alive with independent businesses” including bijou galleries, “old-school bakers” and “Instagram-friendly” artisan cafés.

Try the ice cream at James’s (the “creative” flavours, such as almond croissant, are a delight) and the Scottish seafood at Strathnairn Beach Café. The “classiest” place to stay is the Golf View Hotel – “a Victorian palace where time stands gloriously still”. And there’s much to see nearby, including Cawdor Castle (of “Scottish play infamy”) and wild places such as Culbin Forest, where scenes from Christopher Nolan’s recent “The Odyssey” were shot.

A wild coastal walk in New Zealand

At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island lie the Marlborough Sounds, a maze of deep, jagged ocean inlets and forested peninsulas. Tracing the length of one of these wild, winding promontories is the glorious, 46-mile Queen Charlotte Track, says Helen Pickles in The Times.

It’s one of the country’s most spectacular long-distance hiking paths, and the only one on which tour operators (such as Wilderness Guides and Marlborough Sounds Adventure Co) offer daily luggage transfers, typically included in a four-day package with nights in lovely, remote lodges. There are some steep climbs, but the highest point is only at 475 metres, and it’s all worth it for the “breath-catching ridge-line views”, sense of isolation and “dazzlingly empty” beaches along the way. Go between October and April, but note that the weather is always “capricious” – so pack sturdy waterproofs and plenty of spare clothes, including shorts and T-shirts.

Brescia’s amazing Roman remains

Long known mainly as an industrial city, Brescia isn’t touristy – but it’s a handsome place, says Mia Aimaro Ogden in The Sunday Times, and worth visiting especially for its “extraordinary” Roman remains. They include amazingly vivid temple frescoes and one of the finest surviving Roman bronzes, the 6ft-high “Winged Victory of Brescia”.

While in town, be sure to see the frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo (son of Giambattista) in the church of San Faustino, and the “marvellous” Santa Giulia history museum, which occupies a monastery dating back to AD753. Stay if you can at Lenel, a stylish new boutique hotel housed in a “surprisingly lovely” old electricity substation; eat at El Licinsì, an excellent osteria; and note that Lake Garda lies only 15 minutes away by train.

I’ve never been as excited by fossilised monsters as I am by living creatures, says Ruaridh Nicoll in the Financial Times, but my four-year-old son is crazy about dinosaurs. Not only can he tell an Opisthocoelicaudia from a Micropachycephalosaurus, he can actually pronounce their names. So I decided to take him on holiday to Utah. With an array of “major dino-sites”, this state is arguably the best place on Earth to entertain a “dinosaur-mad” child, and it has enough glorious wild places to keep most parents happy too. We flew in to Salt Lake City, in the north of the state, and drove three hours east to Vernal, which sits at the top of the Dinosaur Diamond – a roughly diamond-shaped, 486-mile highway loop that passes close to all the places we wanted to see.

In Salt Lake City, we visited the Natural History Museum of Utah, where Santiago was thrilled by some “Tyrannosaurus gnashers” and a whole herd of Allosaurus skeletons “bringing down a massive, similarly unfleshed Barosaurus”. And Vernal itself was fun, with big fibreglass dinosaurs in front of half of its cafés, petrol stations and hotels, including our own, the Dinosaur Inn & Suites. More thrilling, however, was the Dinosaur National Monument, a reserve 30 minutes’ drive away through the foothills of the Uinta Mountains, “a rubble world glistening with every mineral colour imaginable”. Here, in 1909, the palaeontologist Earl Douglass dug up more than 350 tonnes of fossils, including Diplodocus and Stegosaurus, but left many more: there is a covered gallery where 1,500 bones “still poke from the dirt”.

At nearby Green River, we spent an idyllic hour paddling in the cool mountain water, then went kayaking and fishing at Red Fleet Lake, where we saw the footprints left by a Theropod on the rocky shore. Among other highlights were the Utahraptor State Park, the Prehistoric Museum in Price and – my favourite – the wonderfully remote Nine Mile Canyon, where ancient petroglyphs depicting animals and “spooky trapezoidal people” adorn the towering rocks.

The sight of a white cloud-like trail streaming behind a plane “set against a bright blue sky creates a romantic image of aviation”, said Aerospace Global News. But their existence “also represents the darker side of flying”.

These innocuous-looking trails “are one of the most urgent yet solvable climate challenges facing aviation today”, said Google, which is taking part in a £5 million trial known as Operation Blue Skies headed by the UK government. Together, they are looking to explore whether tweaking flight paths could address this problem.

Heat trappers

The streams are known as “condensation trails”, or “contrails”, said Google, which is partnering with the government, the Met Office, air traffic control provider NATS and researchers from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.

These trails form when aircraft engine emissions encounter extremely cold air found at high altitudes, causing tiny ice particles to develop. They often fade soon after they appear, but very cold and moist atmospheric conditions can allow them to linger and spread. Over time, they may contribute to cloud formation that traps heat that would otherwise radiate away from the Earth.

Contrails are sometimes known as “vapour trails” but they’re different to so-called “chemtrails”, which conspiracy theorists claim are secret chemical or biological agents being sprayed on purpose for weather and population control, or geoengineering projects.

Trails ‘persisted and widened’ 

In 2019, around 40 million scheduled passenger flights took place, adding up to around 38 billion miles of travel, said The Economist. And more than 40% of these flights left contrails behind them for at least part of the journey. Many were “ephemeral”, but in more than 5% of the total distance flown – “comfortably enough for 10 round-trips a day to the Moon” – they “persisted and widened”, becoming cirrus clouds. “In doing so they warm the planet.”

Operation Blue Skies is based on a theory that if scientists, using artificial intelligence, can predict the areas of the atmosphere where contrails are likely to form, jets would be able to avoid them.

The trial will focus on the Shanwick airspace in the eastern half of the North Atlantic corridor, which accounts for around 5% of global contrail warming. Using satellite images and flight data to identify where planes have previously produced contrails, and combining these with weather patterns, Google will forecast where the conditions for new contrails are most likely to occur. Air traffic controllers will then direct pilots to avoid those areas.

But far from “dramatically changing” the route of a flight, the aircrafts’ altitude will only change by around 2,000ft. This is the same sort of re-route that occurs already to “avoid turbulence and bad weather” so passengers are “unlikely to notice”, said the BBC.

The data centre question

Testing will take place during evenings and nights in the winters of 2026-27 and 2027-28, when the volume of air traffic is lower. Approximately 10,000 flights are expected to pass through the airspace during the trial periods.

Changing the altitude of an aircraft “can mean it burns more fuel”, which raises the “obvious question” of whether avoiding contrails “simply” creates additional carbon emissions elsewhere. Paul Hodgson, Google’s technical lead for the operation, said the “CO2 penalty is in the order of less than 1%” and that is outweighed by the climate benefit of preventing a warming contrail.

Questions have been raised over Google’s involvement in the project. It is “one of many big tech companies spending billions on new data centres – the giant, power-hungry banks which power AI” and have serious implications for climate change.

Most people who visit Ireland head straight for Dublin or Galway, said Andrea Bussell in National Geographic. Even some locals aren’t familiar with the “great green valley that stretches through County Tipperary” in the heart of the country’s “Ancient East”. But, tucked between the Galtee Mountains and a “forest-clad sandstone ride known as Slievenamuck”, the Glen of Aherlow is the perfect place for a “slower, nature-centric” holiday.

Here, “tall emerald mountains” rise from “cattle-grazed pastureland flecked with miles of trees” and “scattered rural villages”. To get to know this stunning landscape and discover its “most sacred corners”, explore the Heritage Trail. Along it, there are many artefacts and landmarks to visit, including the “striking, well-preserved” remains of Moor Abbey on the banks of the River Aherlow, and St Pecaun’s Holy Well between Bansha and Cahir, where people have visited for centuries to pray and drink the “therapeutic waters”.

County Tipperary is known as Ireland’s equestrian capital and a visit here “wouldn’t be complete” without taking a riding lesson; Ballyhoura Trekking Centre and Hillcrest Equestrian Centre are good options.

“For me, nothing beats an evening by the water at Garrykennedy,” said Vic O’Sullivan on Lonely Planet. This tiny village on the eastern shore of Lough Derg is a “sublime” setting, with an “old stone harbour” and bobbing sailboats moored at the pier. Enjoy “hearty pub fare” and a pint in the Larkins’ beer garden before wandering down to Ryan’s to listen to live music and watch as “sky and shoreline darken to an inky blue”.

Sports fans should visit Thurles’ Semple Stadium to catch some hurling. Watching this native sport with a roaring crowd is a “thrilling cultural immersion”: “even if you don’t know the rules, the speed and passion of the game will leave you hooked”.

Travelling by car is the best way to soak up the area’s “magic” and reach the villages where buses don’t go. Before you leave, be sure to pay a visit to the Rock of Cashel. Perched on a “limestone outcrop”, the medieval ruins are home to a round tower, a 13th-century cathedral and Cormac’s Chapel, “where faint Romanesque frescoes still survive”.

For every traveler who wants to kick back and relax on their vacation, there’s another who refuses to sit still. These seven hotels and experiences are for the active voyager who is never too far from their golf clubs, knows where all the best tennis courts are and is always game for a new sport.

Play padel at Adare Manor, Ireland

Pickleball had its moment, and now it’s padel’s time to shine. A mix of tennis and squash, this racket sport is growing in popularity, and Adare Manor has the perfect spot to learn the game or hone your skills.

The Padel Club houses two custom-built padel courts, with instructors on hand to teach newbies and a selection of racquets to borrow. Once the ancestral home of the Earls of Dunraven, the grand Adare Manor sits in a “secluded” area, and its many activities on top of padel, like fishing and falconry, are “fit for Irish nobility,” said Forbes.

Hit it out of the park at the rooftop batting cages at ‘Alohilani Resort, Oahu

It’s all swings, no misses when you have a view like this. The rooftop at ‘Alohilani Resort is part of the property’s fitness hub, and guests can gaze out at Waikiki Beach and feel the Pacific Ocean breeze while practicing their hitting in the batting cages. An open-air TRX gym and red clay tennis courts are also located on the recreation deck, which often hosts yoga classes and other wellness events.

Pick up polo at Coworth Park, England

It’s “hard to imagine a more pleasant setting” than Coworth Park, tucked away in the Berkshire countryside, said The Telegraph. There’s a lovely meadow filled with wildflowers, lake with swans and polo fields where you can take customized lessons through the Guards Polo Academy. Learn to properly swing a mallet and glide across the field, or for the more confident rider, enjoy a day out playing with polo club members.

Get your heart pumping at Miraval Arizona, Tucson

At Miraval Arizona, you’re encouraged to take a flying leap and go out on a limb — safely, of course. While on the property’s Challenge Course you can also swing through the air, climb up a giant ladder, cross a tightrope and elevated platforms and zipline.

The course “encourages you to step out of your comfort zone, both physically and mentally” and is “designed for personal growth,” said Condé Nast Traveler. The Sonoran Desert spreads out around you, a “stunning backdrop” to your adventure.

Hang 10 at Nobu Ryokan Malibu, California

The Pacific Ocean is your playground when staying at Nobu Ryokan Malibu. The 16-room property is right on Carbon Beach, and through its new surfing program, guests can ride the waves on a custom surfboard during a private lesson from Malibu Fit Concierge. Afterward, put on your best bathing suit for a two-hour water photo session with celebrity photographer (and former competitive surfer) Steven Lippman.

Try wing foiling at Oil Nut Bay, British Virgin Islands

Water sports are a big deal at Oil Nut Bay. This beautiful property provides “pure laidback luxury,” and that extends to its activities, said Travel and Leisure. Tubing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, kiteboarding and Hobie Cat sailing are all offered (with instructors and experienced drivers), plus two more unusual options: wing foiling and Seabobbing. Wing foiling is developed from windsurfing and kitesurfing, while a Seabob is an electric underwater scooter.

Explore the trails at Río Perdido, Costa Rica

The outdoors is your gym at Río Perdido. Hike, run, do yoga or take a peaceful stroll on the property’s 1,500 acres.

Guests have access to a vast network of solid rock trails for mountain biking that twist and turn through dry forest and a thermal canyon, and can spike their adrenaline by whitewater rafting on the Tenorio River. This proves to be “both intense and exhilarating if the rapids are strong,” said Condé Nast Traveler. Wind down in the property’s naturally heated thermal river and mineral pools, covered by a canopy of lush tropical foliage.

Baros Maldives is the grande dame of resorts in the archipelagic country. A tiny island located near the capital Malé, it’s been open since 1973, one year after the first hotel appeared in the Maldives. It channels many years of experience to provide flawless service as well as one of the most easily accessible house reefs teaming with colourful fish.

Why stay here?

It takes 25 minutes by speedboat to get to Baros from Malé – no waiting around for a seaplane transfer after you land. The atmosphere is low-key but looks-wise the island is a showstopper – it’s surrounded by a beautiful aquamarine lagoon with stunning beaches and vibrant marine life.

You can walk around the whole island in 10 minutes. It was peaceful and quiet during my visit. I didn’t see any children even though it’s not explicitly an adults-only resort (kids over eight are welcome).

The most impressive thing about the resort is the house reef, with abundant fish, just a few metres from the beach. I saw colourful schools of fish flashing neon as they whizzed past me, a stingray bobbing along and a small shipwreck on the seabed, with coral nurseries threaded through the withered remains. Night snorkelling is also available and you’ll often see people floating on by, illuminated by their torches in the darkness, as you eat dinner on the terrace at one of the restaurants.

Beach and overwater villas are styled like traditional cottages, while the interiors are decorated in greys and beiges with colourful patterned rugs. The terraces come with a large outdoor sofa, sunbeds and an infinity pool for guests to do laps as they gaze out into the startlingly blue sea. The look is understated rustic chic that is simple and unobtrusive.

Eating and drinking

Lime Restaurant is located by the pool with sea views. At the breakfast buffet you’ll find plates of freshly cut fruit, sushi, several types of Maldivian curries, dumplings, cold cuts, salads, cereal and pastries galore. There’s also a fantastic à la carte menu, which includes eggs benedict, a chia mousse açai bowl and a Japanese breakfast set, which comes with grilled salmon and miso soup.

For lunch, there are two options – Sails Bar on the beach or Cayenne, the grill restaurant overlooking the sea. They both serve the same menu at lunch. At Cayenne, I ate delicious tiger prawn skewers covered in olive oil and punchy garlic with the tastiest chargrilled flatbread. I returned for dinner one night and enjoyed a perfectly grilled whole lobster with steamed vegetables and their zingy signature salad with mixed leaves, avocado, plump mangosteen and hazelnuts.

The Lighthouse is a fine dining restaurant that serves up French cuisine with an Asian twist – the bar upstairs is also the perfect spot to watch the sunset. I ate a tender wagyu steak with a tasty peppercorn sauce, crisp potatoes and artichokes. Around me, other guests opted to have dishes cooked at their table. I saw a lobster bisque being flambéed from a cart – this is classy dining with dramatic flair.

Things to do

It’s hard to beat a sunset cruise. As I floated along on their traditional boat Nooma, I enjoyed non-alcoholic champagne and canapés. The roof is padded so you can sit down comfortably while taking in the views. Watching the sky turn orange and pink while surrounded by the sea was really peaceful. Dolphin-watching and sunrise fishing trips as well as other excursions are also on offer.

Baros has a piano deck – a wooden platform shaped like a piano – that sits in the middle of the sea, where it’s the dreamiest shade of aquamarine. It’s only reachable by a short speedboat trip and once there you can eat a sunrise breakfast or have a romantic dinner during the sunset. It’s an intimate and novel destination for a cosy meal with an endless expanse of the sea cocooning you.

The verdict

Even though it’s close to Malé, Baros is incredibly tranquil. This is the resort to come to if you want to while away your days watching sea chickens scuttling across the sand or herons flying on to your pool in the early hours. Many of the guests are repeat visitors who come back year after year and it’s easy to see why – this intimate island is an oasis of calm.

Ann was a guest of Baros Maldives;you can plan your Maldivian journey with the experts at Angelfish Travel

With tourists starting to be deterred by the frequent heatwaves and soaring prices in the Mediterranean, Lithuania has been growing in popularity as a beach-holiday destination. It is generally cooler and more affordable than the Med, and it doesn’t lack for natural beauty, said Sarah Rodrigues in The Guardian.

On a recent trip, I visited the beach resort of Palanga, “kitsch” and “rowdy” in parts, but I loved its 19th-century Tiškeviciai Palace and “uncrowded” sections of white-sand beaches, where the sea is shallow for a long way out (making them perfect for families). And the Curonian Spit – a forested sandbar more than 60 miles long – is magnificently “untamed”.

I stayed there at the “basic, comfortable” Hotel Nidus, cycled along some of the spit’s wild trails, climbed the 220-metre-high Vecekrugas Dune, and particularly enjoyed eating smoked fish with fresh tomatoes and drinking cold beer at one of the lagoon-side shacks in the village of Preila.

New York’s real Little Italy

There aren’t many Italians living in Manhattan’s Little Italy these days, just a lot of “mediocre” Italian restaurants, aimed at tourists. For the real deal, New Yorkers will tell you to head to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, said David Farley in The Telegraph – accessible on the B train. A century ago, this low-rise street was known as “the Italian colony” for its community of Italian labourers, and it is still packed with restaurants, delis and bakeries selling produce from the old country. Don’t miss the pinolate biscuits in the 108-year-old Madonia Bakery, or Pace’s Italian Market, which has 100 varieties of Italian cheese. But you should explore the side streets too. They are full of Balkan and Mexican stores and restaurants, the fruits of a new cycle of immigration that began decades ago: “This is America”, after all.

Luxury boltholes in the wild Algarve

Known as the Costa Vicentina, the southernmost stretch of Portugal’s west coast is famed for its towering cliffs and “pristine” surfing beaches. Much of it lies within a protected natural park, but a couple of boutique hotels have recently opened on the site of old farms, said Amelia Duggan in The Times – ideal for travellers who “prefer their wilderness to come with a high thread count”. Set about five miles back from the sea near the medieval town of Aljezur, the Vale Palheiro Earth Resort nestles in an “emerald” valley, its “vast” villas built with rammed earth. And further north, closer to the sea near the village of Odeceixe sits Amaria, a “white farmhouse complex”. Its suites have a “pared-back, contemporary aesthetic”, with walls of glass, “diaphanous” drapes and freestanding baths.

I’ve never liked camping, riding or group travel, so I wasn’t an obvious candidate for a group camping and riding trip in Kyrgyzstan, said Rachel Johnson in The Sunday Times.

I hadn’t reckoned, however, with the “adventuress and entrepreneur” Alexandra Tolstoy, a distant cousin of Leo, who has spent years guiding visitors through this landlocked Central Asian country on horseback (past guests have included the actor Dominic West, the “pie magnate” Charlie Bigham and the late satirist P.J. O’Rourke).

She’s a “natural saleswoman” who made the prospect sound “irresistible” – and thus it was that I found myself on a Turkish Airlines flight to Bishkek in May, to join her and some “yummy mummies from the Cotswolds and Chilterns” for a six-day, 120-mile trek among the “jagged”, snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan, or Celestial Mountains.

We were accompanied by five Kyrgyz horsemen and a support team who moved our camp daily, packing our tents and the two “plastic thrones that served as our khazis” into former Soviet army trucks and transporting them along sheep tracks. A cook prepared “slap-up” breakfasts, lunches of plov (rice with “gobbets” of lamb) and good dinners (including freshly baked cakes), and I soon found I was enjoying myself – even falling “in love” with riding, camping (“you sleep so well in a snug tent by a rushing river”) and the “nomadic life”.

What helped most, of course, was the “indescribable” beauty of the surroundings – a mountain range that rises above 7,000 metres, and is “Edenic” in the late spring, its green valleys alive with wildflowers. We rode through walnut forests, skirted villages where boys on donkeys herded sheep, and watched a game of kok boru – polo with a goat carcass for a ball (the “tenderised” flesh is then cooked). But honestly, there were “too many highlights to list”, from swimming in “swirling” rivers to galloping beside magnificent lakes to siestas in verdant glens.

The Ultimate Travel Company has a 10-night trip from £7,215pp, excluding flights.

“Hi there. I have received your email. I have printed it off. I’m now using it to light flaming cocktails for the entire bar. Best, Lucy.”

That was an ‘amusing’ out-of-office reply from a British Airways holiday advert a couple of years ago, said Country Life, but there is more to the “philosophy” of these emails than just trying to be funny, said The Atlantic. They can be a “rote obligation or an opportunity to make a grand statement about work and life”.

For some, it is a “simple one-line email”, while others use it to “apologise profusely” for being away or “highlight their indignation at being tied to work or the internet in the first place”. Selecting the right tone requires adhering to a hidden etiquette of rules. And needless to say, ”transitioning between vacation and regular obligations can get complicated”.

‘Cry for help’

It can be frustrating to be hit with a “barrage” of out-of-office (OOO) responses to a group email you have sent, said the Financial Times. You may think your colleagues are “lazy good-for-nothings, slacking off while you toil through the long summer”, but their replies can tell you “so much more”.

Someone who says they will be “checking their emails intermittently” is almost certainly on holiday with their in-laws, and “wants to reply to your email within 17 minutes rather than the usual six”. Then there are those who are even more addicted to being permanently on call, claiming to have “no access to internet”. If they do get access, they say they will have smashed their phone, laptop and smartwatch and “thrown them into the ocean”. This is a blatant “cry for help”.

Then there are the jokey ones. “I am currently out of the office, trying to return home after a successful conquest involving a large wooden horse. It may take me some time.” This person has not checked their company policy and will “shortly be unemployed”.

I went through a phase of setting “funny” out of offices, said Sophia Money-Coutts in Country Life. But I “shudder with horror now” thinking about it. “Life’s too short; time is too precious to agonise” over what you write. “Straightforward is the way to go for everyone involved.”

That said, the “aggressive approach” is by far the worst. Some people not only declare they will be away, but that “all emails will be automatically deleted during that period”. How “irritating”. This would make more sense if they were on a sabbatical or maternity leave, but “it’s quite self-important if you’re only hopping to Mallorca for a week”. And setting an OOO saying you’re off for a “mere afternoon”? A “touch pompous”.

Keep it short, said Forbes. “Your OOO is not your Instagram. Skip the mojito emoji and ‘Off to South Beach, baby!’ Nobody wants your travelogue.”

Another big mistake is not fully shutting it off when you’re back. Doing so the night before logging back on is usually best. “Don’t be that person who leaves the OOO on until three people have reminded you to turn it off.”

‘Set expectations’ before you go

There are some clear “dos and don’ts” when it comes to out-of-office messages, said BBC. And getting it wrong can have “more serious consequences than you might think”.

The optimum reply is “polite and concise”, gives a “specific return date” and at least one other point of contact if appropriate, said the etiquette consultancy Debretts . “Virtue signalling” – or going into too much detail about your time off – is another big “no-no”: it can come across as boastful, “smug”, or that you’re “trying too hard”.

It’s not really about the out-of-office message at all, said Stylist. The most effective team members “set expectations before” they go, outlining how “online” they will be, if at all. This stops colleagues of whatever seniority “second-guessing whether they should follow up” or being confused over what “contactable in an emergency” actually means.

Even sharing good news – whether from your desk or on holiday – can be a detrimental form of “presenteeism”. This can throw someone else into work mode, confuse the boundaries you have set or subliminally pressurise others to follow your example.

Most importantly, it is vital to just “trust your team. We all like to think the place will fall apart without us, but this is a damaging view that will only stop you from fully enjoying your time off.” Planning ahead of time and handing things over properly removes most of the need for communicating while on holiday. Many people forget this but “really, most things can wait”.

All the signs that summer is winding down are here — kids heading back to school, the days getting shorter and Halloween decorations taking over stores. Before giving in to fall’s arrival, celebrate the end of summer by going on a seaside escape. These six destinations offer one last beachy thrill.

Hampton Bays, New York

A weekend in the Hamptons is a summertime ritual for many New Yorkers. There are nearly two dozen hamlets and villages to spend time in, each with its own personality. Hampton Bays, part of the town of Southampton, is a relaxed option.

Set up shop on Ponquogue Beach or Meschutt Beach, and enjoy frolicking in the water and listening to the waves. Spend the night at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages, a “laid-back” waterfront property where the rooms are “well decorated and cozy” and the summer programing, like free outdoor yoga classes and concerts, “shines,” said Condé Nast Traveler.

Islamorada, Florida

South of Miami and north of Key West, Islamorada is the “perfect blend of Old Florida charm and salty barefoot luxury,” said Travel and Leisure. It’s known for excellent sport fishing, a vibrant arts enclave and the “state-of-the-art” Florida Keys History & Discovery Center. Learn about the area’s “complex” history through exhibitions on “Indigenous peoples, Spanish treasure fleets, Henry Flagler’s railway and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane.”

Kennebunkport, Maine

If you’re looking to experience “iconic” and “charming” New England, head to Kennebunkport, said Condé Nast Traveler. This historic town is filled with beaches and opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding and lobster-boat cruising. Those who prefer to enjoy the water from land can walk around Dock Square, visit the Seashore Trolley Museum and hit up the Lobster Roll Trail for a taste of local seafood.

Pacific Grove, California

Spend any amount of time in Pacific Grove, and you’ll likely start daydreaming about living in this idyllic town. Victorian homes dot the landscape, and the views of Monterey Bay and its wildlife — otters, whales and seals — can’t be beat. Lovers Point Park is a great spot for swimming and picnicking, while Asilomar State Beach gets you close to tide pools.

Pacific Grove has a quaint downtown with cute shops like The Quill, a fabulous stationery and gift store, and beautiful boutique hotels. The historic Seven Gables Inn is right above the bay, and each charming room has windows you can open, letting in the sound of the waves.

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

With its surf, sand and “perfect spots to relax and watch the sunset,” this walkable town is a “beach lover’s heaven,” said Southern Living. Take the paved 2.5-mile Loop path to explore the area and soak up the scenic water views, or veer off for visits to Wrightsville Beach Park, the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History and Wrightsville Beach Arboretum. If the farmers’ market is happening, pick up some locally grown produce or handmade crafts.

Yachats, Oregon

Forget about racing around, trying to pack a ton of activities into your visit. Yachats is all about slowing down, connecting with nature and enjoying the scenery.

The best place to do this is at Cape Perpetua, where the forest meets the sea. Go for a hike through the giant spruces or stay at the overlook and stare at the Pacific. Nearby is Thor’s Well, a collapsed sea cave also known as the Drainpipe of the Pacific. Take caution when walking around here; the rocks can be slippery and waves have swept people out to sea.

Lisbon, Portugal’s beautiful capital by the sea, mixes pastel buildings and pretty tiled churches with incredible restaurants and quick access to beaches and mountains. Andaz Lisbon is the newest addition to the city’s hotel scene. Located right in the heart of central Lisbon, staying here is like being blasted with a rush of dopamine – its quirky and fun design choices make it a must-visit for style-conscious travellers.

Why stay here?

Andaz Lisbon is a maximalist’s colour-drenched fantasy bursting into life. Housed in a former bank – with the original doors intact – there’s nothing staid or corporate about this glamorous new hotel. If you’re a fan of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, you’ll love the hotel’s pick ’n’ mix clash of colours and patterns that are emblazoned on every corner.

When you first walk in you’re greeted by the original marble staircase decorated with Joan Miro-esque vases by Sofia Kruz. The hotel’s design delights in making everything big and bold with giant murals as feature walls in public spaces like the hallways.

Rooms are warm and inviting. A bright orange velvet armchair, pale blue-grey sofa and abstract 3D art on the walls provide pops of colour. There’s open shelving for your clothes with a floor-length mirror. The decor is a modern take on mid-century cool. There’s also a small mini bar with snacks – the first round is complimentary, which is a nice touch.

The bathroom is sleekly decorated with burgundy tiles and matching walls, beige marble, and bronze fittings, with Byredo Eleventh Hour toiletries on offer.

Eating and drinking

With its views out to São Jorge’s castle, an abundance of plants and a patchwork of clashing patterns, rooftop restaurant Luzzi is achingly stylish and brightens up your day instantly – and that’s before you even get to the food. For breakfast, it offers a well-curated buffet with crispy artisan bacon, homemade hash browns, a selection of cold cuts and cheeses, a mini salad station, and coconut pastries and plump doughnuts in their sweet corner. There’s also an à la carte menu where you can order fluffy pancakes or eggs however you like them.

Andaz Lounge downstairs pays homage to the kiosks you find dotted around Portugal offering casual light bites. It’s the perfect spot for lunch – try the cod and sweet potato fritters and the smash burger with port-caramelised onions. Then sink into one of the squidgy bouclé sofas with a tipple – all of the wines offered by the glass there are made by female winemakers.

At night, Luzzi is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner or group party – chef Bruno Alves has created a menu with nods to Portuguese heritage so there are Brazilian chicken coxinha, a doughy snack, and Peking glazed duck rice, which draws inspiration from Macau’s Portuguese heritage. The standout dish is lobster acorda, juicy chunks of charcoal-roasted lobster served with a soup made of bread, garlic and olive oil, infused with a rich seafood flavour – and it’s a hearty enough portion for two. For dessert, try serradura, made from cream and crushed biscuits. Luzzi’s heavenly version is layered with almond, fig, honey and bavaroise.

There’s also a bar with colourful checked walls, comfy low chairs decorated with geometric cushions, and little outdoor terraces – be sure to bag the one closest to the view of Rua Augusta Arch. With its marble tables and dedicated DJ booth, it’s like an upscale club without the sticky floors. Make sure to check out the loo at Luzzi – there’s red (yes, red) toilet paper, which somehow works with the rest of the decor.

The staff are uniformly kind and attentive – at breakfast one day I mention I won’t be staying long as I have to rush off for a day trip and someone brings me a takeaway box and cutlery, with a bag to carry it all in, so I can pack a lunch from the buffet.

Things to do

The hotel’s location right in the heart of Lisbon makes sightseeing a breeze. The iconic – and enormous – square, Praça do Comércio, and the riverside are just metres away. Take a walk around Baixa Chiado, marvel at the Santa Justa outdoor lift connecting the lower areas of the Baixa with the higher Carmo Square, and head to the ruins of an old church at Carmo Archaeological Museum. Don’t forget to grab a pastel de nata – egg custard tart – from the famous pastry shop, Manteigaria.

The verdict

Andaz Lisbon makes a welcome change from the stark minimalism that seems to be the default decor of many luxury hotels. It’s bold, loud and proud, catering to guests who care about good style, and offers an avant-garde twist and fine dining in a trendy new space. Don’t be surprised if it starts popping up on your Instagram feed very soon.

Ann was a guest of Andaz Lisbon

Katendrecht was “once at the heart of the world’s busiest port” and home to a “lively sailors’ quarter”, said Pat Riddell in The Guardian. But this “thin peninsula” on the south bank of the Nieuwe Maas River in central Rotterdam has undergone a dramatic transformation.

The regeneration of historic warehouses has seen the former red-light district turn into one of the city’s “most vibrant” spots, with craft breweries, boutique shops and galleries popping up everywhere. Last year, the opening of the Fenix museum of migration gave a boost to the “formerly downtrodden” neighbourhood’s “lively cultural and arts scene”.

Set within a “century-old warehouse”, this “showstopper” of a museum uses art to portray migration “not as an abstraction or headline, but as a shared human experience”, said Karen Bershtein in Time magazine. Inside, a “mirrored, double-helix steel staircase” winds up to “sprawling views of the River Maas” and the city. Contemporary works include the “Suitcase Labyrinth”: a striking installation “assembled from thousands of donated pieces of luggage”. And “don’t miss the Nederlands Fotomuseum” where you can see a vast collection of Dutch photography, said Derek Robertson in Time Out.

Evenings are easy to fill at the Theatre Walhalla: an intimate venue that hosts an eclectic programme of over 300 performances each year. It’s also worth checking to see whether you can catch a family-friendly show at the youth circus school, Circus Rotjeknor.

When it comes to food and drink, Delistraat is “buzzing from morning to night”, said Riddell in The Guardian. Here you’ll find “flaky pastries” at Jordy’s Bakery, a “huge range of whiskeys” at Café de Ouwehoer, and the “small but perfectly formed fine dining establishment”, De Matroos en Het Meisje, which offers a daily changing menu of four to six courses.

Consider booking a room at Hotel New York where you’ll find luxurious suites in the “former offices of the Holland-America Line’s directors”, or check in at the “permanently moored” former cruise ship, SS Rotterdam, which has been turned into a 254-room hotel. With much of its original decor preserved, it feels like “stepping back in time”.

This is the way to enjoy the British summertime. Battered fish and salt-and-vinegar-seasoned chips have been a staple for hundreds of years, best paired with stinging seaside winds and spray. Wherever you are in the UK, there will always be a handful of chippies vying for your order. Here are some of the best seaside establishments, giving you decades-crafted favourites, and some newer twists on tradition.

Anstruther Fish Bar – Fife, Scotland

“My heart belongs to Anstruther Fish Bar,” said Gordon Thomson in The Telegraph. Edinburgh has “salt and sauce”, a “piquant brown-sauce-and-vinegar combo”, and in Glasgow, the “mighty ‘fish supper’ reigns”, but fish on the east coast of Scotland is something else. Once you’ve navigated the queue under the “watchful eye of the mannequin fisherman”, you settle down into an “old-school caff table”. Last time I was there, I had haddock, with the “most incredible chips – perfectly crisp and yet fluffy inside – and mushy peas, all washed down with white wine and a craft beer”. Truly “award-winning fare”.
anstrutherfishbar.co.uk

Aldeburgh Fish & Chips – Aldeburgh, Suffolk

“The Cooney family and their faithful tribe of fryers have been frying in beef dripping on Aldeburgh High Street since 1967,” said Chris Haslam in The Times. There are actually two spots on the high street to pick up your supper, and you’ll get the “same shatteringly crispy battered fish” at both. Above the second location, the Golden Galleon, there’s a small dining space, but Aldeburgh’s “windswept sand and shingle beach is an unbeatable picnic spot”. I’ve even known a seal to have “bobbed along to say hello”.
aldeburghfishandchips.co.uk

Whelan’s Fish and Chips – Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

Whelan’s has been visited by some esteemed figures in the culinary world – such as Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein – and yet it primarily “remains a favourite with the locals”, said Delicious. It was established in 1937, and “since it started, not much has changed and for all the right reasons”. They source fish from “sustainable stocks, they use local produce (wherever possible)” and you are always looked after by “welcoming” staff. Of course, you can’t go wrong with something traditional, but keep your eyes peeled for one of the “gourmet fishcakes which often feature as a daily special”.
whelansfishandchips.co.uk

Ainsworth’s – Bridge Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd

Now this is a “treasure trove of a place”, said Joanna Whitehead in The i Paper. Naturally, “no two chippies are the same”, and each place is “dazzling with individuality”: a “gratifying phenomenon in a homogenised world of chain eateries”. It is hard to beat cradling a “box of their glowing offering under your arm” and heading “to the waterfront to eat between bay and castle”.
ainsworthscaernarfon.co.uk

The Rockfish – Dartmouth, Devon

If you need convincing, look no further than celebrated chef Mitch Tonks’ “65 awards”, said Food and Travel Magazine. “Set overlooking the bucolic River Dart with its fishing boats meandering up and down with the ebb and flow of the tide, you can almost taste how good The Rockfish’s wares are going to be before they arrive.” In winter, the restaurant’s log burner is the perfect antidote to “long yomps across the moors”. There are a few West Country change-ups from your classic chippy menu: the “South Coast calamari with aïoli” and a “South Devon crab roll, served with pickled cucumber, Marie Rose sauce and lashings of sweet white crab meat” are fan-favourites.
therockfish.co.uk

Set midway between Amsterdam and Groningen in the northern Netherlands, the village of Giethoorn is the kind of place that should be prescribed for depression, said Gavin Haines in The Telegraph. With its thatched houses and “manicured” gardens, it’s “almost too perfect to be real” – but what makes it particularly “idyllic” is that it’s built largely around canals. Its charms are no secret: it receives about a million visitors a year (roughly a third of them from China), and the central waterway is often gridlocked.

Still, one local said he wasn’t much troubled by the crowds: the village still feels peaceful thanks to the absence of cars, and most of the visitors are daytrippers who leave around 5pm. If you go, book a B&B in advance, and hire a canoe or rowing boat to explore the wetlands in the nearby Weerribben-Wieden National Park.

The timeless charms of Tinos

A relatively quick two-hour ferry journey from Athens, Tinos is one of the more “wild and untouched” of the Cyclades, said Francesca Angelini in The Times – an “otherworldly” place with towering mountains, “frills-free” old chapels and gorgeous beaches. For a family holiday, I rented a “chic, understated” villa through The Thinking Traveller on the “sheltered” west coast, a 15-minute walk from the sandy beach of Kalivia.

From there, we visited other beaches (Kolymbithres was lovely), went on some good hikes, and explored several enchanting villages. I loved “mystical” Tarampados, with its medieval, Venetian-style dovecotes (“ornate” two-storey stone structures), and Volax was wonderful, with its “bizarre” rock formations (boulders which were apparently “hurled down by Zeus in a moment of rage”) – but most “spectacular” was Kardiani, a “maze” of whitewashed houses on the “precipitous” hillside above our villa.

A cookery and craft retreat in Japan

The little Japanese mountain town of Yamanaka is known for its hot springs, traditional crafts and food culture, all explored in Water, Wood, & Wild Things, by the American writer Hannah Kirshner. For those keen to experience them first-hand, Kirshner runs a biannual four-day retreat, Foodways and Craftways, said Jessica Kozuka in DestinAsian.

Guests stay at the “venerable” Hanamurasaki ryokan – an inn founded in 1902 with a rooftop onsen bath – and take part in cookery and craft workshops at Mokkei, a renovated 100-year-old house with an open kitchen. The programme also includes foraging trips, tea ceremony classes at one of the town’s tea schools, and traditional pastry lessons at a fifth-generation confectionery.

The Yucatán Peninsula is Mexico’s prime tourist hotspot, but most visitors stay in the north, around the “mega-resort” of Cancún and the stretch of Caribbean coast known as the Riviera Maya. The south of the peninsula is a different world, said Martin Symington in The Times – a vast, sparsely populated region which is relatively little visited by holidaymakers.

The distances involved in exploring it are considerable (the Yucatán, which stretches into Belize and Guatemala, is nearly as big as Great Britain), but so are the rewards. As you head south from Cancún, low forest and scrub give way to “deeper, darker” forest, and hidden away among it are some “magical” places, including one particularly “stupefying” sight – the ancient Mayan city of Ichkabal.

In the north, I stayed at Belmond Maroma, “a peach of a beach-fringed hideaway”, and visited the old colonial town of Valladolid, as well as the spectacular Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá – “an archaeological honeypot up there with Petra or Giza”. Ichkabal feels very different. Its biggest pyramid, at 40 metres high, is taller than Chichén Itzá’s, and stands beside a “stadium-sized” central precinct surrounded by other monumental structures. All are half-covered in vegetation, and set in an “impenetrable” rainforest that stretches further than the eye can see.

This city reached its zenith between AD200-600, and was later abandoned and – incredibly – only rediscovered in 1994, when archaeologists working on another project “stumbled” upon it. Last year, it was opened to visitors, and yet – while I came across several jungle creatures (including a crocodile swimming in one of the city’s original reservoirs) – I saw only a handful of other tourists. Other unmissable sights include the Lagoon of Seven Colours, a narrow, 60km-long lake. Its water is wonderfully clear – great for snorkelling – and there are some “tranquil” boutique hotels on its shores, including the Habitas Bacalar.

The British Museum and the Natural History Museum tend to steal the headlines when it comes to an educational day out. But the UK is also home to many more eclectic offerings. Here are some of our favourite museum oddities across the country.

The Crab Museum, Kent

This Margate museum bills itself as “Europe’s first and only museum dedicated to the decapod”. It’s also one of the UK’s “most bizarre institutions”, said Amy Houghton in Time Out. Founded in 2021, the space is “crammed with crab trivia” and “hilarious tongue-in-cheek information panels”. The exhibits not only celebrate crustacean culture, but humans too. “For instance, there’s a slipper lobster dressed as a suffragette” and a “spotted reef crab dressed as a trade unionist in a diorama depicting the 1926 General Strike”.
crabmuseum.org

British Lawnmower Museum, Southport

“The grass is always greener in Merseyside”, said Etan Smallman in The Telegraph. In this Northwest museum, lawnmowers are “honoured as the revolutionary gadgets they truly are”. Visitors can walk through the history of the machine first patented in 1830 – English engineer Edward Budding tested the prototype at night to avoid the ridicule of his neighbours – and a “plethora of Victorian and Edwardian models”. One of the highlights is the “ever-expanding” showcase of “Lawnmowers of the Rich and Famous”. Old contraptions owned by King Charles, Princess Diana, Alan Titchmarsh and Brian May all feature.
lawnmowerworld.co.uk

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Cornwall

In Boscastle for more than 70 years, this has been “one of Cornwall’s most popular museums”, said BBC Countryfile. Look out for signature exhibits including a “bellarmine jar found hidden in a house near Plymouth – complete with hair, nail clippings and pins”. You can find out about occult practices from British folklore and around the world, and “investigate examples of curses, spells and charms”. At a safe distance, of course.
museumofwitchcraftandmagic.co.uk

The Morbitorium, Wales

This certainly makes for a “peculiar day out”, said Lizzy Reece on Rest Less. It may only consist of three rooms but it is packed with a “huge range of oddities and curiosities”, spanning everything from “antique lobotomy tools and Ouija boards to mummified cats and Victorian sex toys”. There are special “after-dark” tours, and the site offers workshops and you can book a “private tarot, oracle, or rune reading”. “It’s sure to be unforgettable!”
morbitorium.co.uk

The Dog Collar Museum, Kent

This museum is devoted to “canine neckwear, not canonical uniform, by the way”, said The Londonist. Located within the grounds of Leeds Castle, near Maidstone, the museum is home to the largest collection in the world, though it would be hard to imagine “too much competition”. It displays more than 130 collars, spanning an “impressive” range from five centuries.
leeds-castle.com

There is no need to cram yourself into a tasting room in Napa or Burgundy like a wine-thirsty sardine. The globe is increasingly loaded with notable wine-making regions and traditions that offer boundless surprises: bottlings made from unique indigenous grapes, topographies you could never imagine that squeeze out wine, and calm, personalized vineyard tours. So put down the beefy cab sauv and start exploring.

Bolivia

Perhaps nowhere is as surprising a wine destination as this landlocked South American country. It has “grapes that shouldn’t grow” and a “rocky, punishing terrain,” said The New York Times. There are both 500-year-old forest vineyards in the Cinti Valley and Tarija’s “mountainous vines,” which are “among the highest elevation vineyards in all of the Americas” and produce 90% of the country’s wine, said Wine Enthusiast. Many of the grapes grown here, like negra criolla and tannat, have a European legacy, understandable being that Spain colonized the area.

The country’s wine-making boom has coincided, intentionally, with a tourism push, one that birthed the Ruta del Vino Bolivia. It is a “relatively under-the-radar” wine trail, said Wine Enthusiast. Travelers can expect “authentic, uncrowded experiences” that include half-day winery tours and a multiday tour that takes you to six wineries and a variety of local attractions. It’s all to experience a region that’s “both closer to the heavens and deeply connected to its roots,” said the Times.

China

There are many Chinas, with the country being 3.7 million square miles. Likewise, China’s wine boom comprises many styles across a “dozen distinct wine regions,” said Wine Enthusiast, including north-central “Ningxia, where vines are buried in the winter to stave off the extreme cold, to more temperate coastal and southern regions, such as Shandong and Yunnan.” Ningxia, by volume, is the winemaking hub: In less than 30 years, the region went from 200 hectares of vines to almost 39,000 hectares, an “area comparable to the entire vineyard surface of New Zealand,” said the drinks publication SevenFifty Daily.

Ningxia is known as the Bordeaux of China, so it tracks that some of the notable grape varieties grown in the area are famous grapes of Bordeaux, like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Still, Ningxia is carving a wine space of its own, too, with grapes like aging-friendly marselan (a cross between cabernet sauvignon and grenache) and soft-edged cabernet gernischt. Treat a visit to Ningxia like you would a trip to Napa or, yes, Bordeaux: Make winery visits the centerpiece of the experience. They tend to be grand encounters in the wine-making heart of China.

Essex, England

At the International Wine Challenge in May, English wines won 25 awards, 15 more than the country won in 2025. One of the areas on the rise is Essex’s Crouch Valley, a region that was “identified by researchers as a location that could soon bear even sweeter fruit for wine producers” courtesy of a warming planet, said The Guardian.

England was once known only for its capabilities with sparkling wine. Essex has shown its particular suitability for “ripening Burgundy’s hallmark grapes chardonnay and pinot noir,” said Elite Traveler. So much so that winemakers from Burgundy are “scoping out plans to buy land in the valley,” said The Guardian.

While you’re in the area, explore how “gold-green fields roll to stone churches with lopsided Norman towers” and the coast is “fretworked with cockle-shell beaches, salt marshes and mudflats that trill with migratory birds,” said The Telegraph. Quaint villages, sublime restaurants, hidden fossils — Essex is primed for all kinds of jaunts.

Morocco

The most popular areas of this North African country, like Marrakesh and Casablanca, can be overrun with tourists. Not so with Morocco’s wine-making regions, like Meknes and Essaouira. A wine-centric trip can be a respite from big-city medina mayhem.

Native grapes, like the “crisp and floral Faranah,” said Wine Enthusiast, are inching their way back into production. There is also the local favorite vin gris, a “pale rosé made from minimal skin contact.” But the bulk of the country’s wine is currently made from European grapes. “The Syrah grape variety is, I think, very well adapted to our terroir, our climate and our way of doing things,” said winemaker Stephane Marriot to Grape Collective.

In the city of Meknes itself, you can marvel at the splendid Bab El Mansour gate and tune into the history of “diverse” Moroccan music at the National Museum of Music, said Lonely Planet. Or head to Essaouira for a sharp 180-degree flip. The coastal city is a liberal town with a surfer mentality, a city that “doesn’t take itself too seriously,” said Afar.

North Carolina

A lot can happen in two decades. In about 20 years, the Tar Heel State went from having a few dozen wineries to now boasting more than 200. The state’s first American Viticultural Area (AVA), the Yadkin Valley, was created in 2003. These days, the AVA “includes more than 45 wineries within 45 minutes of Winston-Salem,” said Food & Wine.

The state’s varied topography has birthed three growing regions: the Blue Ridge Mountains, the central Piedmont and the Coastal Plan near the Atlantic. “Wines are made in every style,” said Wine Enthusiast. Out west is optimal for European grapes like cabernet franc, and sauvignon blanc. The surprise is the way the coastal region handles the sweet, thick-skinned native grape, the muscadine. The best of the area’s cutting-edge wines harness the “musky aroma of muscadine wines without the treacly taste,” said Food & Wine.

Choose your travel destination based on your weather wants, alongside your drinking preferences. Asheville in the western mountains, Raleigh in the Piedmont or Wilmington and its environs for an ocean, muscadine breeze.

Slovenia

Slovenia has “long been a secret whispered among wine lovers,” said the wine publication Winera. But now the good word is out about the eastern European country. Slovenia, however, still hums barely audibly among the wine-tourism blips and pings that zero in on places like Tuscany and the Napa Valley.

The wines in Slovenia taste like they could be made nowhere else, even though they are influenced by the country’s neighbors, Italy and Austria. The diversity of winemaking is startling. The Vipava Valley is the “perfect place” to encounter the native grapes zelen and pinela, said Winera. Stajerska’s “rolling” hills are home to “expressive” sauvignon blancs and sparkling wines that “rival Champagne.” Brda, a municipality in the country’s west, is sometimes called the Tuscany of Slovenia and bottles “full-bodied wines from indigenous varieties like Rebula.”

The Vipava Valley sits a short drive from the capital, Ljubljana, and boasts a “magical combination” of “dramatic” karst landscapes and “medieval castles towering over pretty villages,” said CNN. If it is summertime, go for a hike. If it is wintertime, consider it the ideal excuse to hunker down and be subsumed by the top-tier eating and drinking.

The Maldives has become synonymous with luxury travel. Its hard-to-reach location and proliferation of private island resorts mean that, for many holidaymakers, the price point is out of reach. But while Maldivian beaches are stunning, there are many other destinations that make for equally picturesque getaways. Here’s our list of the best ones to consider when planning your next holiday.

Rangiroa, French Polynesia

When it comes to French Polynesia, Bora Bora is the first spot that springs to mind for many, but the popular island tends to “mirror the Maldives in price”, said Travel + Leisure. Luckily, the nearby island of Rangiroa is more of a hidden gem with “many of the same elements”, founder of Perfect Honeymoons Jim Augerinos told the publication. Travellers can expect to find the usual “overwater bungalows, electric-blue lagoons, white-sand beaches and that isolated island feeling, often at a noticeably lower price point”.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

If you’re after a destination with “escapist appeal” but don’t want to lose out on “cultural edge”, Zanzibar is the place for you, said Lauren Dana Ellman in Travel + Leisure. The rich “Swahili history” is a huge draw as well as the Unesco-listed Stone Town and local spice farms. It also delivers the quintessential “brilliant blue water” and “sugar-sand beaches”. A holiday here comes at a “far lower price point” but still offers “polished luxury”. Travellers can opt for “boutique stays” and choose from several romantic beachfront resorts without the “ultra-exclusive” price tag.

Sumba, Indonesia

This Indonesian island is “more untouched” with “only a tiny fraction of the tourists” found in Bali, said Robert Jackman in The Telegraph. Complete with “gold sand” beaches, this destination is perfect for those looking for their “own private paradise” away from any bustle. The island is “an hour’s flight from Bali” but definitely worth the longer journey.

Comino, Malta

This European country is “ideal for a budget break”, said Ellie Hutchings in Metro. Its “colourful marine life” is a huge draw for travellers wanting to get “up close and personal with sea creatures”. The “crystal clear ocean” provides “excellent” underwater views. It’s home to the “famous” Blue Lagoon that allows you to experience “bright blue depths” akin to the Maldives. As if the “sparkling azure water” wasn’t enough, the lagoon is also surrounded by “rugged cliffs peppered with gorse”.

“The klop, klop of water under the bows of a small boat will cure most troubles in this world,” wrote Arthur Ransome in his 1934 novel “Coot Club” – and, after my recent solo sailing trip in the Norfolk Broads, I have to agree with him, said James Stewart in the Financial Times.

Ransome’s book is set in this network of tidal rivers and shallow lakes, which “cumulatively snake” for 125 miles through the east of Norfolk. The lakes are medieval peat diggings that were flooded by rising seas in the 14th century, and long plied by cargo boats known as wherries.

The Victorians “reimagined” the area as a holiday destination, and operators began renting small yachts to visitors. Motorboats are now far more numerous, but sailing boats are still available to charter. Founded in 1932, Hunter’s Yard in Ludham has a fleet of yachts from “the golden age of Broads cruising”, some with cabins sleeping two to four. Renters must know how to sail, but novices can sign up for a “Learn to Sail” week.

The 90-year-old yacht I chartered, Hustler, was like “an Edwardian gentlemen’s club shrunk to a Wendy house”, with “lustrous” mahogany panelling and a Royal Doulton sink. And it had a “secret weapon”. Most motorboats won’t fit beneath the medieval bridge at Potter Heigham, and so are restricted to the southern Broads. But yachts can lower their masts to squeeze through, into a world where “the throb of boat engines” is replaced “by birdsong in sibilant reeds”.

I found the Broads “surprisingly social”. Dog walkers and fishermen waved, and a canoeist kept pace for a chat. The birds were wonderful, too, from kingfishers to marsh harriers and cranes “like dowager flamingos”. But mostly there was just me, the sound of creaking ropes, and the “low bosky horizons” stretching “beneath heroic skies”.

This was “landscape as serenity”, particularly in the dusk at Horsey Mere, reminding me “how sailing could still be” – “an interlude in which everything else can fall away, a momentary back eddy in the restless tide of the world”.

A southwards-pointing peninsula in the northern Adriatic, Istria lies mostly in Croatia today, but Slovenia also has a small chunk of it – which provides the entirety of that country’s 29-mile coastline. It is a lovely area, said Laura Coffey in The Guardian, with green hills, pretty villages and “colourful” seaside towns.

The largest and most “beautiful” of these, 25 miles south of the Italian city of Trieste, is Piran, known for its medieval Venetian architecture. Nearby lies the Strunjan Landscape Park, with a gorgeous beach, Moon Bay, and Izola, another “vibrant” historic harbour town. I can recommend the DeGrassi hotel there (“supremely comfortable”), as well as Kmetija Medljan, a simple farm stay in the hills. And I enjoyed visiting some artisanal wineries and food producers, including Korenika & Moškon, where the belica olive oil has a “powerful kick”.

Hiking the ‘Great Wall’ of Seoul

Hiking is South Korea’s most popular sporting activity – and thanks to the forested hills that reach far into the city, you can even do it in Seoul, said Oliver Berry in National Geographic Traveller.

Trails rise to 836 metres in the Bukhansan National Park, a little way out of town, but there are smaller peaks next to Seoul’s historic centre, traversed by the city’s medieval battlements (“Seoul’s answer to China’s Great Wall”). I walked along the wall’s northern section, passing three of the original city gates and climbing the “dome-shaped” summit of Inwangsan, which is only 338 metres high, but “punishingly steep”. The path was fragrant with juniper and mountain pine, and shaded here and there by cherry and maple trees – and there were “sweeping” views across downtown Seoul.

Doing Route 66 by train

It’s 100 years since the opening of Route 66, the “legendary” highway between Chicago and LA. Plenty of people are celebrating the centenary by driving it, but I made the 2,000-mile journey west by train instead, said Adrian Bridge in The Telegraph – which allowed for “leisurely contemplation” of America’s “stunning” landscapes, as well as plenty of “convivial” dining-car conversation.

A sleeper train, the Southwest Chief, does the route in 45 hours – or you can break up the journey, as I did. Among the highlights were St Louis (“the city of Miles Davis and the Blues”), Kansas City (where the Beaux Arts railway station is “an absolute gem”), and Flagstaff, Arizona (a “key” Route 66 staging post, full of “1950s-style diners”). But nothing could beat sunset at the Grand Canyon.

A great vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. Stretch your vacation dollars at these seven budget-friendly destinations where affordable food, attractions and accommodations can be found around every corner.

Albania

Albania’s coastline is its “main event,” with Sarande, Vlore and Himare all known for “stunning seaside scenery,” said Time Out. Hikers can hit several trails in the Albanian Alps, like the popular Blue Eye Trail through rugged terrain, while those seeking a more cosmopolitan experience make the trek to the “lively” capital, Tirana, a “vibrant whirl of traffic, consumerism and unfettered fun,” Lonely Planet said. A highlight is Bunk’Art, a Cold War bunker turned contemporary art museum that shares the modern history of Albania.

Dominican Republic

Close your eyes, think of the Dominican Republic, and “delightfully tropical” white sand beaches and “lush” rainforests will likely come to mind, said Fodor’s. The island offers more than a beachy escape, with ample opportunities for activities like horseback riding, ziplining and exploring historic areas like the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo.

Because there has been such heavy investment in tourism, the Dominican Republic’s infrastructure is “designed to accommodate large volumes of visitors.” So, hotels and all-inclusive resorts “compete aggressively on price” to fill their rooms year-round, Travel and Leisure said.

Estonia

The same culture and stunning scenery you’ll find in more expensive locales like Prague or Stockholm are also in “under-the-radar” Estonia, said The Washington Post. Tallinn, the country’s “storybook” capital, is filled with cobblestone streets, medieval walls, palaces and castles and trendy restaurants and shopping.

The city is a few hours away from “national parks, seaside villages and peaceful islands,” including Saaremaa on the Baltic. Book a day at one of the many affordable spas and enjoy saunas, indoor and outdoor pools, mud baths and body treatments.

Kenya

The “geographic diversity” of Kenya means visitors could be “admiring rhinos one day and lounging on an Indian Ocean beach the next,” said Travel and Leisure. It also means your “safari dreams can come true” because visitors can book trips inside Nairobi National Park, an affordable alternative to visiting remote reserves for multiple days. For the best prices, go during the off-season November through March, when the weather is dry and warm.

Malaysia

You’ll want to see all of the sights in Malaysia, but the hands-down best way to “dive into the culture and history” is by eating your way around the country, said Lonely Planet. Malaysia is at the “crossroads of China, India and dozens of Southeast Asian maritime kingdoms.”

The melting pot cuisine — tender beef rendang, rich nasi lemak, crisp roti canai and steaming bowls of laksa noodle soup — is “budget-friendly, plentiful and delicious.” By visiting local establishments and hawker stalls, steering clear of tourist traps and skipping alcohol, it’s likely you could eat for under $20 a day.

Poland

Sticking to Poland’s smaller cities and more rural areas offers visitors a “fabulous value,” said Time Out. Once an industrial center, Katowice is now one of the country’s most “innovative” cities, known for its festivals and vibrant musical scene, and “gorgeous” Poznan, Wroclaw and Lublin are home to an “arresting” mix of Art Nouveau, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Bring your appetite to Gdansk, where you can “fuel up” on pierogi and zapiekanka, the Polish take on pizza, and relax on the “sandy sweep” of Brzezno Beach, said National Geographic Traveler.

Vietnam

There are opportunities for multiple types of trips during one visit to Vietnam. Head to the country’s eastern side for “palm-lined beaches and islands,” then go to “bustling” Ho Chi Minh City for cultural activities like water puppet performances and architectural tours, said Afar.

The central and southern countryside is “impossibly beautiful,” with “rice paddies extending in every direction” and highlands shrouded in mist. Train service is “dependable” and a wallet-friendly way to get across the country, and because of the “relative cheapness” of taxis, that transit method is optimal while in bigger cities.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is exciting, eccentric and entirely bonkers. The energy that takes over the Scottish capital every August is utterly infectious, from street performers plying their trade to newbie comedians promoting their first shows. There is a reason why around three million people hit the Scottish capital for the festival every year.

But this popularity brings its own challenges. The Old Town’s famous lanes are packed with impenetrable crowds, prices shoot up to crazy levels, and it can all become a little overwhelming. But don’t worry, Edinburgh is a city of multitudes, and there are plenty of places to catch your breath.

Leith

The setting for Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting”, now 30 years old, Leith has seen a transformation over the past decades and become a real foodie hub. This port district has no fewer than three Michelin-starred restaurants alongside others serving food of the highest quality. The recently opened Browns of Leith is a former engineering works that is now home to several eating and drinking options. The Royal Yacht Britannia is moored here, offering refreshments in the Royal Deck Tearoom or for something stronger, grab a cocktail or two on the riverside in The Shore area. Check out my favourite eaterie Eleanore, whose head chef Roberta Hall-McCarron is known locally for her bold flavours and inventive menus.

It is connected to the centre by the 1.2km Leith Walk, a lovely softly descending stroll on a sunny day and the perfect place for a pub crawl or spot of shopping in the one-off boutiques.

Portobello

There’s nothing more peaceful than a day at the seaside, and the Victorian town of Portobello – a 25-minute bus ride – offers two miles of golden sands and the perfect escape from the city. Take a dip with views of the Firth of Forth (check Sepa's water-quality index after heavy rains), grab an ice cream from award-winning Oscar’s Gelato, or enjoy a walk in nearby Figgate Park. The Portobello Bookshop is a lovely community-owned spot, and The Velvet Easel Gallery hosts contemporary Scottish artists.

Morningside

This suburb to the south of Edinburgh is packed with quirky things to see. Try to find the hidden Wild West lane, an alleyway decorated for an advert by a cowboy enthusiast some 30 years ago, which has stayed unchanged. The Dominion is a 1938 Art Deco cinema, a good spot when it's raining, and for walks, Corbie’s Crag is one of the lesser-known spots with sweeping views over the city. The nearby Royal Observatory Edinburgh also hosts talks on selected Tuesdays between November and March.

Stockbridge

This leafy, affluent neighbourhood is the kind you might look at in an estate agent’s window, picturing a new life. It has long been the bohemian village within the city, and there’s lots to see. You can easily spend a few hours discovering the delights of the Royal Botanic Gardens, founded in 1670, and housing one of the largest plant collections in the world. Or head to Raeburn Place, where you will find independent bookshops and cute little cafes, and if you're visiting on a Sunday load up on local produce at Stockbridge Farmer’s Market.

Cardinal, from chef patron Tomás Gormley, is making waves in the area with its divine tasting menu and fabulous, unpretentious service. Finish up with a walk along the Waters of Leith towards our next stop…

Dean Village

Just half a mile away is historic Dean Village, an adorable neighbourhood that was once home to 11 working mills. Sights include the arts and crafts Well Court, built in the 1880s, and a great spot to take some snaps, and St Bernard’s Well, which was built in the 1700s when locals believed the waters of the natural spring had medicinal healing properties. Dean Cemetery is beautiful when the leaves turn amber, so grab a hot drink from The Dean Coffee Shop and wrap up warm. Nearby is The National Galleries: Modern One, an impressive contemporary art museum.

Jaymi was a guest at Cardinal and Eleanore

While on vacation, eating a comforting hotel breakfast helps start your day off right. Plates of house-made pastries, lavish egg dishes and pancake stacks and a tall glass of freshly-squeezed juice will fuel you for hours of sightseeing, shopping or hanging out at the pool. A breakfast worth getting out of bed for awaits at these 10 properties.

Casa Angelina, Praiano, Italy

When it comes to breakfast with a view, Casa Angelina takes it to the “next level,” said Forbes Travel Guide. This stunning Amalfi Coast boutique hotel overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, and guests can enjoy their complimentary meal on a serene terrace. Expect a full spread of homemade breads, tarts and cakes, smoked salmon, charcuterie, salads, fruit and coffee freshly brewed and prepared by a master barista.

Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro

This celebrated resort strikes the perfect balance between being “undeniably grand” and “supremely relaxed,” said Condé Nast Traveler. Breakfast is served in the colorful Pérgula, one of the hotel’s three restaurants. The flavors of Rio shine through every dish, with guests feasting on “everything from turkey-filled tapioca crepes and açaí topped with grated coconut to omelettes and pastries.” Pérgula is just steps from the “irresistible” half-size Olympic pool.

The Federal Inn, Maumee, Ohio

Breakfasts at The Federal Inn are as eclectic as this charming B&B’s decor. No two meals are the same; each morning’s plate depends on what is fresh and at its seasonal peak.

Eggs might be served with homemade brioche and bacon hot from a cast-iron pan, or as part of a breakfast pizza crowned with Boursin cheese and edible flowers straight from the garden. Guests who check in on Friday and Saturday also rave about the flaky pastries baked every weekend. After breakfast, pick up a book from the inn’s library, or choose a record from its curated collection to spin.

Hotel Nesslerhof, Grossarl, Austria

Breakfast by Ness is a signature amenity at the luxe Hotel Nesslerhof, a meal that showcases the regional specialties of this gorgeous stretch of the Austrian Alps. At the buffet, fill your plate with local cheeses, breads, muesli and cured meats like Schopfspeck prepared by the on-site butcher, or order from the à la carte menu and watch as the chefs prepare each dish in the open kitchen. The hotel has a Happiness Concierge Team to ensure you’re delighted with the food and every other aspect of your stay.

Ibiza Gran Hotel, Ibiza, Spain 

You’ve never experienced a morning meal like the one at Ibiza Gran Hotel. The Grand Breakfast buffet is a “thing of Ibiza legend,” with more than 350 items to try, said The Telegraph. Take your pick from a “multitude of stations” serving made-to-order eggs, crepes, churros, cured meats like Ibizan sobrasada, artisan cheeses, freshly shucked oysters and cakes.

Sit in the garden, and flag down the roaming mimosa and caviar carts. It would be easy to “spend all morning here,” if not for the “unfortunate concept of getting full.”

JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, Mumbai, India

If you want it, they’ve got it at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu’s expansive breakfast buffet. The Lotus Cafe’s Sunday Brunch is known around the area for its impressive spread and exceptional service, but the hotel goes all out during weekdays too.

While it specializes in the flavors of India, there is also a substantial Western section, and it’s not unusual to see plates piled high with stuffed parathas, idli, dosa, sausage, bacon and eggs Benedict. Fruit, pastries, meat and cheese platters, cereals and a fresh juice bar complement the hot offerings.

Le Meurice, Paris

At the opulent Le Meurice, a “deliciously, indulgently Parisian” breakfast is served every morning in a “gilded” salon inspired by Versailles, said Condé Nast Traveler. Piping hot coffee is delivered to your table in a silver pot by a bow-tied waiter, pairing perfectly with chef Cédric Grolet’s “eye-rollingly divine” croissants and pain au chocolat. Round out your meal by ordering toast with knobs of French butter, berries and “cloud-fluffy” scrambled eggs.

Prince Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawai‘i

It doesn’t get fresher than this. 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar at Prince Waikiki works with fishers, farmers and other purveyors from across Hawai‘i to present diners with just-caught seafood and produce picked hours ago. The breakfast buffet features Japanese items like vegetable curry, onsen eggs, natto and miso soup, along with fluffy taro pancakes topped with coconut or guava syrup, quiches and local fruits. À la carte options are also available, like a made-to-order omelette and açaí bowl. Snag a table outside to enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean and Ala Wai Yacht Harbor.

Southall Farm & Inn, Franklin, Tennessee

The breakfast menu at Southall Farm & Inn depends on what’s being harvested that day. There is a working farm on the property, and a “majority of ingredients on the plate are grown on premises,” said Condé Nast Traveler. Heirloom produce, honey and eggs are picked and collected right outside your window and become part of the buttermilk biscuits with house honey butter, brisket hash with jalapeño hollandaise and greenhouse lettuce scrambles. At the center of Southall is The Jammery, a zero-waste preservation kitchen where guests can enjoy weekend breakfast and learn more about canning, pickling, curing and fermentation.

Yukairo Kikuya, Izu, Japan

Whether you choose Yukairo Kikuya’s traditional Japanese breakfast or the Western option, it’s going to be a winner. Both come with an outstanding assortment of dishes, tailored to the time of year. The menu often changes, but the Japanese breakfast might include tuna sashimi, fried fish, pickled vegetables, soup and a steaming mug of green tea, with the Western meal featuring a fried egg, sausage, cooked salmon, salad and a croissant. After eating, take a walk around the nearby bamboo forest path, then return for time in the onsen.

The Okavango to Tsodilo Ultra-Trail run, through the wilderness of Botswana, is billed as a great adventure for visitors who “don’t just want to see” this part of Africa, but to “feel it underfoot”, said Simon Mills in The Times. Organised by the safari company Desert & Delta, and now taking place every April, the 60-mile route links two Unesco World Heritage Sites – the Okavango Delta and the ancient Tsodilo Hills. It takes three days and four nights (spent in lodges and camps), and I found the pace pretty “easygoing” (this isn’t a race), leaving time to take in the surroundings. A support vehicle was quickly on site to rescue me when an elephant came alarmingly close. And we ran alongside local people, which made for a deeper sense of connection with Botswana, as did the chance to see the amazing cave art in Tsodilo.

Ancient and new attractions on Lewis

There’s no more impressive sight on the Isle of Lewis than Calanais, said Helen Ochyra in The Times. This neolithic stone circle is a mighty thing, with menhirs up to 4.8m tall, and though it’s smaller than Stonehenge, it’s rather more atmospheric thanks to its setting – all “emerald and russet moorland, glassy lochs and vast hill-rumpled horizons”. Yet it’s far from the only reason to visit the northernmost island in the Outer Hebrides, which has seen several appealing developments since my last visit a decade ago. Among them are new art galleries, restaurants and “cool” cafés in Harris; a new visitor centre at Calanais, with plenty of things for children to do; and Uig Sands, a restaurant with rooms beside the beach of the same name, which is one of the most magnificent in the world.

Inspiring design in the Arizona desert

Built in a piecemeal, “experimental” fashion from 1937 as his winter home and studio, Taliesin West is one of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces, said Jonathan Thompson in The Telegraph – an object lesson in the power of design to make us feel “happier” and “more creative”. A low-slung complex set in the desert outside Phoenix, Arizona, it seems to melt into the “rust-coloured” mountains behind it, and its “dramatic” sunlit rooms all feel connected to their natural surroundings. From “ingenious” geometric furniture to acrylic roofs that work as “giant light diffusers”, and “tight” hallways leading into grand open spaces, the “design tricks” Wright used are fascinating. I particularly loved the building’s “prow”, a triangular vantage point that extends over the desert. I left feeling “joyful” and inspired.

In the 1970s, the Costa Brava was “a bright and breezy British holiday favourite”, a package tour favourite that was often confused with the Costas Blanca and del Sol, said Paul Richardson in Condé Nast Traveller. Yet most of Catalonia’s “Wild Coast” has never conformed to this “manufactured” sun, sea and sangria image. Stretching from Blanes, an hour north of Barcelona, to the French border, it’s a “complex jigsaw” of “craggy headlands” and “jewel-like coves”, much of which is too “rugged” for “wholesale tourist development”. It has a history of attracting “artists, actors and bohemians”. And recently, it has seen another “vibe shift”, with a new wave of stylish restaurants and hotels.

Lloret de Mar, in the south, is “the Benidorm of Catalonia”, with its “great sweep of urban beach”, but the further north you go, the wilder – and less built-up – the coast becomes. There are “pleasant” harbour towns such as Palamós and Palafrugell, and then comes the great Bay of Roses, “like a vision of the Mediterranean in its pristine, pre-touristic state”. Beyond that lie lovely Cadaqués and Portlligat (where Salvador and Gala Dalí converted a fisherman’s house in 1930 “to live out their bonkers lifestyle”), and yet more “perfect” little bays, all with sandy beaches and “cerulean” waters. It’s well worth heading inland, too. This region – the Empordà – is known as “the Spanish Tuscany” for the “luxuriant beauty” of its landscape. Set among its olive groves and cork-oak forests are “somnolent” medieval hamlets, such as pretty Madremanya – and also, of course, the “delightful” city of Girona.

The region is known for its “experimental modern cuisine”, and has 15 Michelin-starred restaurants including El Celler de Can Roca, a “world-beating gastro temple” in Girona. Its owners, the Roca brothers, have also opened an “extraordinary” hotel, Esperit Roca, in a fortress nearby. And there are plenty of other pleasant hotels besides, including Palau Fugit, in Girona, and the “glorious” Hostal de la Gavina, in S’Agaró.

Get the kids out of the house and keep them entertained this summer with these fun, memorable activities around the UK.

Bat punting, Cambridge

Although bats are associated with Halloween, the best time to see the nocturnal creatures “fluttering around” is actually in the summertime, said The Guardian. One of the “most atmospheric ways” to see bats is on the Bat Safari Punting tour along the River Cam. Catch a trip with a local wildlife guide on a Friday or Saturday evening until the end of September for a chance to hear the “clicks and squeaks” of the pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats. In late July and August, you might even spot “mothers and pups in tandem flight in the night sky”.

Family tickets from £63 (50% of ticket sales goes to the local Wildlife Trust)

Dolphin watching, Moray Firth, Scotland

For marine life lovers, the Scottish Dolphin Centre in Spey Bay is a great place to spot the “hardy bunch” of bottlenose dolphins who live in the waters north of Inverness, said The Guardian. In the summer months you are more likely to spot them “throwing fish and leaping from the water”. The centre, a former fishing station, is also a “hub of marine learning” offering tours of the old ice house, an interactive exhibition, summer “river rambles” and “nature-themed holiday clubs”.

Entry is free

Winnie the Pooh celebration at Tatton Park, Cheshire

This summer, Tatton Park is celebrating 100 years of the “whimsical world of Pooh and friends”, said The Telegraph. Visitors of all ages will be “charmed” by the garden story trail and the accompanying exhibit. Look for Christopher Robin in the maze before popping into the secondhand bookshop.

Tickets from £12 for children aged four-15; £20 for adults

West Midlands Safari Park, Worcester

If you’re looking to push the boat out with an overnight trip, consider staying in the “stunning” lodges at West Midlands Safari Park, said Stylist. A night here is “unfiltered magic” that “layers nostalgia with science” and “theatre with husbandry”, said The Standard. You can still see rhinos, meerkats, elephants, and more at the park even if you just decide to visit for the day.

Day tickets, £17.40; lodges from £500 per night

World of Beatrix Potter museum, Cumbria

For anyone who read Beatrix Potter’s beautifully illustrated books as a child, or who reads them to their own children or grandchildren now, this museum brings “Peter Rabbit’s world to life”, said The Telegraph. The attraction also offers themed afternoon tea and live shows.

Summer saver tickets from £6.83 for children aged three-16; £11.03 for adults

Crabbing, Cromer, Norfolk

For a “quintessentially British day out” go crabbing at the “gorgeous” Cromer beach in Norfolk, said Stylist. There's no better place to “pull up a chair and sink your bait” than the “home to the world championships of crabbing”. For even more fun try visiting in August to catch the Cromer Carnival that’s “old-school bucket-and-spade fun”, said The Telegraph. It’s a “gloriously traditional seaside” event with a “funfair” atmosphere. The best part? Taking part is free.

If navigating an airport with your partner has caused an argument, an airport divorce may be the right kind of divorce for you. Contrary to the name, an airport divorce is not a divorce or breakup.

Rather, it is when a couple decides to go their separate ways in the airport to tackle preflight activities and tasks before reuniting to fly together. The separation can keep stress to a minimum and allow both people to regulate their emotions before a trip.

See you later

At the airport, “we transmute, werewolf-like, into unrecognizable beings,” journalist Huw Oliver, who coined the term “airport divorce,” said in a column for The Times in 2025. Airport divorces are ideal for people who travel differently. “One traveler wants to browse every shop, while another seeks a quiet seat. One arrives hours early, the other prefers last-minute entry,” said Yahoo. “In that pressure cooker, minor disagreements can quickly spiral out of control.” Instead opting to separate, “couples can avoid friction before it begins, and each party retains control of their airport experience.”

Despite its name, airport divorce is “remarkably domestic,” said Travel Noire. Giving each other “space during the part of a trip that exposes every difference in timing, hunger, anxiety and tolerance for crowds” can make travel more peaceful.

The science supports it. One person’s tension and stress can spread to the people they are with through “interpersonal physiological synchrony,” which can lead to the “coupling of autonomic nervous system signals such as heart rate,” said a review article in Nature Reviews Psychology.

Reassuring a partner also “compounds the problem rather than solving it,” said Forbes. “Calming an anxious partner draws on the same limited pool of attention and patience a person needs for everything else that day, and that pool depletes with use.” Instead, going separate ways, temporarily, allows both people to stabilize their nervous systems before the flight. Both partners “arrive at the gate having actually rested rather than one having spent the wait managing the other’s nerves.”

Carrying the luggage

While there are benefits to an airport divorce, it may not be for everyone. It works best for “experienced travelers who communicate well and understand each other’s habits,” said Travel Noire. It can also “solve practical mismatches when one partner has TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and the other moves at a different pace.” There are many cases, however, in which splitting up is less beneficial.

Ideally, a “successful airport divorce divides responsibility as well as physical space,” said Travel Noire. “Parents managing children, first-time flyers, couples carrying shared medication or documents, and anyone needing mobility support may gain more from staying together.”

Airport divorce, in addition, often “exposes invisible labor when the same person still tracks boarding, carries the passports and sends every location update,” said Travel Noire. Both partners should be capable of keeping track of their belongings and the time independently.

Those skeptical of the arrangement argue that being unable to maneuver an airport with your partner does not bode well for the rest of the relationship. Those in favor emphasize the importance of space in relationships and not strictly while traveling. “People love to consciously uncouple,” whether it is going to bed at different times or taking part in activities separate from your partner, said PureWow. “In that stretch between check-in and takeoff,” said Yahoo, “sometimes a separation is the key to appreciating each other’s company again.”

Look closely and you’ll notice a tiny imperfection inside the freshly refurbished Oliver Messel Suite at The Dorchester, on London’s Park Lane. A hairline crack, less than an inch long, is just perceptible in the corner of a mirrored door leading through to the drawing room. But that isn’t because the five-star hotel has scrimped on the restoration work – far from it.

Dreamt up by master theatre designer, Oliver Messel, in 1953, the breathtaking suite is Grade II listed, which means nothing can ever change. Specialist decorators have spent thousands of hours painstakingly refreshing the paintwork, reupholstering the furnishings, and replacing the silk wall-hangings with fabric that matches the designs from over seven decades earlier.

Tearing out an entire mirror, however, isn’t possible. So you’re left to ponder which of the suite’s famous guests could be responsible for this miniature flaw… could it have been Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton during a fiery outburst? Or did Kate Moss knock against the door during a wild party in the 1990s?

Whoever it was, it’s a charming reminder of how time has stood still here. And really, that’s the suite’s key draw: whether you’re getting ready for the evening in the gilded bathroom or lying in bed staring up at the yellow canopy, you can’t help but feel like a Hollywood star.

Messel’s playful design details

You know you’re staying somewhere exclusive when all of the other rooms on the floor are numbered, but your door is embossed with gold lettering proudly announcing The Oliver Messel Terrace Suite. But the most memorable moment comes as you step inside for the first time and catch a glimpse of the Regency-era inspired reception room with its thick red carpet and floral chairs. Beyond it, the long white corridor beckons and you wonder: how big is this place?

Enormous, it turns out. Exploring our lodgings in amazement (I brought my mum along with me), we discover the corridor leads to a bright, spacious drawing room. Decorated in shades of green, yellow and pink to mimic an English garden, there are gold details at every turn, an imposing marble fireplace and freshly cut roses in a vase on the mahogany dining table.

Everything has been carefully curated by Messel himself, from his own 18th-century-style landscape paintings that decorate the walls to the playful shelf of leatherbound book spines that turn out to be a mirrored cabinet filled with glassware for entertaining. There are subtle modern additions too, including a flatscreen TV hidden beneath one of the paintings.

The drama doesn’t end there. Curved French doors open onto your own private terrace (curated by English designer Luke Edward Hall) that wraps around the suite and looks out over the city’s rooftops. Up on the seventh floor of the hotel, it’s so peaceful and quiet that it’s hard to believe the busy thoroughfare of Park Lane is just below. My favourite detail of the space, dotted with pots of flowers, shrubs and garden furniture, is the reclining green wicker chair topped with yellow cushions: you can imagine Marlene Dietrich lounging in the sun here with a whiskey sour.

Hollywood glamour in spades

A knock on the door turns out to be our butler, Richard. Anywhere else this would be completely surreal but here, in this lavish setting, it almost feels as if you’ve been expecting him.

Charming and fun, he instantly puts us at ease, telling us about the suite’s distinguished guests (Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Prince, to name a few), sharing fascinating historical titbits, and even helping us to open one of the windows. “Every last detail is exactly the same as it was all those years ago,” he says with a grin, and then he leaves as discreetly as he arrived, telling us his team of butlers is at our disposal any time day or night.

By the time we venture into the bedroom, we’re both at a loss for words. Dreamlike and cosy, almost everything in sight is a warm, golden yellow, from the curtain tassels to the imperial yellow Ottoman silk canopy above the enormous (and very comfortable) king-size bed. Framed costume designs by Messel line the walls, and the skirted dressing table is topped with a vintage perfume atomiser with a puffy spray bulb and, of course, a bowl of yellow roses.

The Hollywood glamour spills into the bathroom next door where you’ll find a bathtub with gold-plated taps in the shape of a stylised dolphin, a green marble shower, and a dizzying infinity mirror. You can feel how much fun Messel had here. His trademark mischievous touches are everywhere: the gold Rococo toilet seat shaped like a giant scallop shell is sure to raise a few eyebrows – which is exactly the point.

London is filled with luxury hotels. But this felt different: spending the night in the Oliver Messel Suite isn’t just about extravagance (which it is – very much so!). This is a rare opportunity to step back in time and escape, just for a few hours, into the whimsical world of a stage designer. There is nothing else quite like it.

Irenie was a guest of The Dorchester; dorchestercollection.com

If you have watched Christopher Nolan's adaptation of “The Odyssey” and feel inspired to embark on an epic journey of your own, consider visiting these stunning locations where key scenes of the movie were filmed. The director and his crew shot in six countries to bring Odysseus’ voyage to life, from the sand dunes of Morocco to the rugged cliffs of Scotland.

Italy

Begin your journey where it started for Odysseus, at his home, Ithaca. Instead of filming on the actual Greek island in the Ionian Sea, Nolan chose to shoot the scenes on Favignana, off the coast of Sicily. Known as the “butterfly island” because of its shape it’s an “easy” ferry ride from Sicily’s Trapani port, said Wanderlust.

The 15th-century “ruined fortress” on the top of the hill “made for the perfect stand-in” for Odysseus’ palace. It had the “most epic landscape” where you could “see the water everywhere you were and the ships [used for filming] could pull up”, said the film’s production designer, Ruth De Jong, for Condé Nast Traveler. However, getting these shots of the water and ships required a 30-minute hike. Despite the “daily challenge”, the crew soon “got into it”. The actual interior for the film’s palace was a set in Los Angeles.

Greece

If you’re reliving a Greek epic, a visit to Greece is, of course, a must. For those feeling brave, visit Nestor’s Cave in the Peloponnese region, which was the filming site for the Cyclops sequence. The crew had to “haul a 60-foot animatronic monster” up to the cave every day because of Nolan’s “aversion” to using green screen, said Wanderlust.

The homecoming of King Agamemnon was filmed in areas outside Messenia and near Athens where the windiness “worked well” with all the flags and the banners in the sequence, De Jong told Condé Nast Traveler. The area gives visitors a holiday that “blends history, mythology, nature and luxury”, with “dramatic beaches” and “ancient palaces”, said Travel and Tour World.

Morocco

Next stop were the “undulating sand dunes” and “mud-brick buildings” of Morocco, said British Vogue. The country brought an “authentically ancient atmosphere” to the film, with the Unesco-listed village of Aït Benhaddou, used as the city of Troy. The group of “earthen buildings surrounded by high walls” has been a “desirable” filming location for many other historical blockbusters including “Gladiator” and “Lawrence of Arabia”.

Scotland

Even though Odysseus “would never have gone to Scotland”, the location “just happened to have the look that we liked”, De Jong told Condé Nast Traveler. The “craggy rocks” and verdant cliffside just outside Cullen in the Highlands, were the perfect place for the witch Circe’s home. And the “atmospheric ruins” of the Findlater Castle, by the Moray Firth, became the backdrop for one of the “most unnerving scenes” of the film when Circe “turns Odysseus’ crew into gluttonous pigs”, said Wanderlust. Visitors can see the site by walking the Moray Coastal Trail. Consider heading west to the sprawling Culbin Forest, too. Although you won’t encounter Laestrygonian giants, you can still enjoy the “wonderful views” and “biodiversity”.

Iceland

This was the one country Nolan knew he wanted to “shoot in from the jump”, said Condé Nast Traveler. The “black sands” and caves of the Hjörleifshöfði mountain were perfect for the “remote” and “otherworldly scene” where Odysseus “journeys to the underworld to consult with the blind Theban prophet, Tiresias”, said British Vogue.

When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team.

A good coffee table book can spark infinite conversations, and this is especially true when the focus is on travel. Guests connect over destinations they’ve visited or dream of seeing, sharing memories and tips, and the spectacular photography might also encourage them to pick up a camera and better document their future trips. Stack these books in your living room, and see how they inspire.

‘African Adventures: The Greatest Safari on Earth’ by Aline Coquelle

Let photographer Aline Coquelle show you Africa through her eyes. The book is split into four experiences: seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Great Migration in Kenya and the silverback mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

“African Adventures” features “epic” wildlife photos of baby elephants learning to walk and protective lionesses with their cubs along with snaps of the “most beautiful” boutique lodges, said Condé Nast Traveler. Coquelle’s “stunning” photography also offers a “deeper exploration” of each area’s “talented contemporary artists, artisans and conservationists.” ($120, Assouline)

‘Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places’ by National Geographic

“Destinations of a Lifetime” combines the breathtaking photography National Geographic is known for with helpful insider information on how to visit like a local and the histories of each spot. Chapters include “Sea and Shore,” “Mountain Majesty” and “Town & Country,” showcasing different locales and pulling together itineraries that allow you to see as many of these connected places as possible. If you’re stuck on the next country or city you want to visit, flip through “Destinations of a Lifetime,” pick any page and you’ll be booking a plane ticket in no time. ($21, Amazon)

‘Dream Trips of the World’ by Lonely Planet

This comprehensive guide explores 100 spectacular travel opportunities, including witnessing the Northern Lights in Norway, cruising down the Nile River and visiting Bhutan’s monasteries. Each trip featured is accompanied by a detailed itinerary on where to go and what to see, tips on places to eat and how to pack, beautiful photography, and comments from local residents and travel experts on ways to best approach the destination. ($45, Lonely Planet)

‘Gray Malin: Dogs’ by Gray Malin

Welcome to the whimsical world of fine-art photographer Gray Malin and his model pups. Malin took his canine muses on his travels, capturing the dogs as they relaxed poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel, took a ski lift in Aspen and explored the streets of London. Use this as inspiration for places to go with your own pooch. ($50, Barnes & Noble)

‘Great Maps: The World’s Masterpieces Explored and Explained’ by Jerry Brotton

This collection of 64 highly detailed maps spanning “continents and centuries” is a “pleasure to peruse,” said Reader’s Digest. Historian Jerry Brotton digs deep, explaining why each map was created and who its audience was. The two-page spreads bring the illustrations to life, and anyone who enjoys “maps, data, visualization and history” will spend hours poring over the book. ($21, Amazon)

‘100 Hikes of a Lifetime U.S.A.: The Country’s Ultimate Scenic Trails’ by Stephanie Pearson

When choosing which quests to feature in her book, Stephanie Pearson selected some challenging ones that will test your mettle. She also included “incredible” opportunities that “aren’t necessarily long and difficult,” letting hikers of all abilities “see migrating birds, walk in the footsteps of ancient humans” or learn a “little-known slice of American history,” she told Outside. You’ll find extreme adventures, like the 6,800-mile American Discovery Trail from California to Delaware, alongside day hikes families can accomplish together. ($29, Amazon)

‘Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection’ by Slim Aarons and Shawn Waldron

After spending World War II as a U.S. Army photographer, Slim Aarons vowed to only take photos of “attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places.” He stayed true to his word, famously shooting the “playgrounds of Gstaad and Mallorca, Bali and Beverly Hills,” said Vanity Fair. “Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection” features hundreds of his renowned portraits of “socialites and literary lights, royals and moguls, ingenues and artists,” and his focus on “tiny design elements” give “each frame an extra layer of texture, color and nuance.” ($121, Amazon)

‘There and Back: Photographs from the Edge’ by Jimmy Chin

Mountaineer and “Free Solo” director Jimmy Chin doesn’t shy from extremes, and “There and Back” is filled with “jaw-dropping imagery” from his adventures around the globe, said Condé Nast Traveler. The “soaring formations” of the Ennedi Desert in Chad and “frozen expanses” of Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land are some of the “thrilling” natural wonders featured in the book, which is “sure to inspire” the “adventurer in your life.” ($21, Amazon)

‘Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America’s National Parks’ by QT Luong

Every U.S. National Park shines in “Treasured Lands.” More than 600 vivid images show off the beauty of each spot, from the tight Slot Canyons of Zion to the jagged Grand Teton peaks reflected in the Schwabacher Landing pond. Photographer QT Luong took the pictures during all four seasons and in all kinds of weather, and explains in captions how and when each stunning visual was captured. ($90, Amazon)

‘Walk With Me: New York’ by Susan Kaufman

Everyone knows what the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge look like. In “Walk With Me: New York,” photographer Susan Kaufman captures a side of the city that postcards miss, turning her camera toward colorful stoops, charming park corners and quaint storefronts. It’s a fresh look at one of the world’s most photographed places. ($26, Amazon)

“This place literally changed the world,” says guide Zach Ozburn as we tour Sun Studio, standing on the spot where Elvis Presley was discovered, where Johnny Cash recorded “I Walk the Line”, where B. B. King recorded “3 O’Clock Blues”, and where a collection of other globally influential artists made some of their earliest recordings in the 1950s (among them Ike Turner, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins). “Together, these artists transformed music – in less than 10 years.”

Elvis recorded his first hit single, “That’s All Right (Mama)”, here in 1954, Ozburn tells us. “It was so popular, notorious DJ Dewey Phillips played it on his radio station more than 10 times in one session,” he says. “Elvis was signed to a three-year contract, then sold to RCA Records for $35,000 (£26,000) 17 months later.”

Under the helm of record producer Sam Phillips, this now-legendary studio got itself a name as the “birthplace of rock ’n’ roll”, the first home of Elvis and a pioneer in blues, gospel, country music and beyond.

Today you can see the original microphone many of its artists recorded on, browse memorabilia from its 1950s heyday, and hear the tracks recorded in the building, and it’s genuinely fascinating. But it’s just one of the many sites I discovered during an eye-opening trip to Memphis, Tennessee, “home of the blues”, where history and heritage sit on literally every corner.

The Elvis effect

Elvis moved to Memphis with his family when he was 13, and traces of “the King” are still found across the city. On a visit to Graceland, I explore the mansion he lived in for 20 years after buying it in 1957. It houses a string of eclectic rooms – among them “the den”, decked out in a whimsical jungle theme, and a downstairs bar and lounge area where bright yellow and navy tones shimmer beneath a mirrored ceiling.

Elsewhere, elaborate chandeliers dangle above palatial furnishings, while an adjoining museum showcases many of Elvis’s once-worn costumes – from his renowned gold lamé jacket to the American eagle jumpsuit he wore at his Hawaii concert – alongside his suite of giant cars and motorbikes, not least the famous pink Cadillac.

Beyond Graceland, there are plenty more reminders of Elvis’ legacy. At the historic, diner-style Arcade Restaurant downtown, I tuck into stacked-high pancakes in the booth he reportedly used to sit at (“near the back, so he could come in the back entrance and escape if fans started to go wild,” in the words of my waitress).

On a music-themed circuit of the city with Backbeat Tours, I visit Overton Park Shell, the outdoor amphitheatre where the star had his first big public performance during a concert in 1954. (“His knees were shaking from nervousness and he thought the crowd was booing, when they were actually screaming”, our local musician-guide, Davy Ray Bennett, tells us, as he regales us with humorous tales.)

Later in the tour, we pass the home Elvis and his family lived in before he became famous – a small apartment in a modest block – and the high school Priscilla went to after moving here.

Beale Street blues

It was Beale Street, of course, that gave “the King” much of his inspiration. Running through the heart of downtown Memphis, this is where artists including Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters and B. B. King performed in late-night bars during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, developing the Memphis blues sound that was first pioneered here by musician W. C. Handy.

The street fell into disrepair and was largely abandoned in the late 1960s and 1970s, but it was revived in the 1980s; today, it’s the historic hub of the city and a major tourist hotspot, with neon-lit bars and blues clubs once again lining the strip, live bands playing in almost every venue from the afternoon through to the early hours.

Back in the day, Beale Street wasn’t just a spot for music, though; on a guided history tour of the city’s African American culture with local company A Tour of Possibilities (ATOP), I learn more about the street’s significance in the first half of the 20th century.

“This was known as the country’s main street for African Americans,” says our guide, Devon. “It was a pro-Black street during the era of segregation, where African Americans could enter through the front door, not the back door, with Black-owned shops, clubs, restaurants and businesses forming a vibrant hub.” It was also the home of Ida B. Wells’ anti-segregationist newspaper, Free Speech, housed in a church built for the community.

A complex history

But beyond the more positive stories, Beale Street has a complex history. I learn this is where sanitation workers marched on 28 March 1968, led by Martin Luther King Jr, in the fight for better wages and working conditions. When a group of participants began looting, violence erupted as police attacked with tear gas and shot and killed a 16 year-old amid hundreds of arrests.

King returned to Memphis six days later on 3 April to lead a second, non-violent march, delivering the famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech that was to be his last. The following day, he was shot from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, where he was staying.

The National Civil Rights Museum now stands on the spot where King was assassinated, and traces the history of the civil rights movement – from slavery through to the civil war, abolition and the ensuing Jim Crow laws that enforced segregation in the Southern states.

Its displays provide in-depth context to the music and culture that developed in a cotton-rich city which was at the heart of the slave trade during the mid-1800s – when enslaved people were freely bought and sold on its streets, travelling along the Mississippi River – and it’s a moving, eye-opening portrayal of the country’s struggle for equality which is, in many ways, still ongoing.

But it’s also a reminder of the power of art and music in uniting. “Music kind of transcends everything,” said Ozburn on my tour of Sun Studio, and he wasn’t wrong. Memphis’ music scene broke down racial barriers at a time of extreme division in the wider American South, integrating Black and white artists and audiences in a way that many argue was epitomised by Elvis – who took Beale Street blues for his inspiration – and also by WDIA, the radio station started by white founders for an African American audience (and drawing a mix of both Black and white listeners).

The Stax story

Perhaps nowhere was this unification better showcased, though, than at Stax Records, the storied studio that empowered Black and white artists to write and record together during the 1960s and 1970s.

Established in 1957 by founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton in a predominately African American neighbourhood, unity and inclusion were the ethos here; house band Booker T. & the M. G.’s brought together black and white musicians, while songwriting duo Isaac Hayes and David Porter also bridged the racial divide, composing around 200 songs here together (among them Sam & Dave’s iconic “Soul Man”).

While Stax is no longer an active recording studio, it’s now the site of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music – an ode to the label’s history, complete with an exact replica of the original studio and control room where the likes of Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd and Carla Thomas all once recorded. (Redding recorded “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” here just a few days before his sudden death in a plane crash.)

Wandering around, I have Ozburn’s words in my head about how Sun Studio “changed the world”, but it wasn’t only at Sun. Across the city, stars broke down barriers and left their mark. The struggles continued, but musicians found a parallel, underground world that didn’t differentiate, and they gained a global audience in the process.

To visit now is to walk in the footsteps of those who shaped the face of modern music and challenged the status quo on a grassroots level. This is a fascinating, many-layered city that definitely deserves your time, not only to trace the legends of the musical greats, but also to learn how their art intertwined with the battle for civil rights in a complex story that still resonates today.

Where to eat

Beyond the music and civil rights history, Memphis is home to a thriving culinary scene; here are some of our favourite dining spots if you’re heading to the city.

The city is world-renowned for its barbecue – specifically pork, slow-smoked over hickory wood and dry-rubbed with spices or doused in a tangy-sweet, tomato-based sauce. For a casual, unpretentious spot where you queue at the counter to order, head to Central BBQ downtown and try the acclaimed pulled pork sandwich, served with classic sides that range from BBQ beans to mac ’n’ cheese.

Once a 1950s salon where Priscilla Presley used to get her hair done, The Beauty Shop is well worth a visit – expect a quirky, modern-meets-retro vibe where the likes of sugar & spice duck with roasted black grapes, pork & pickled peach with mustard fennel dust, and honeynut pumpkin with salsa macha are served at booths set beneath old-school, Belvedere hooded hair dryers.

Memphis has a generous handful of fine-dining restaurants and among the stand-outs for me was Amelia Gene’s, where I tucked into asparagus panzanella with morel mushroom, a rich, buttery bucatini with salt & pepper sauce, and scallops with grits and bacon. Elsewhere, Michelin-recommended Felicia Suzanne’s was also a standout, offering a high-end twist on Southern classics (from short ribs to fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits) and scarlet chairs and chequered floors for décor.

Where to stay

Set in the heart of downtown and a 10-minute walk from Beale Street, Arrive Memphis is a vibrant hub with an eclectic design – think exposed brick walls, jazzy black-and-white patterned bathrooms and chic light fixtures. There’s a bakery and bar in the lobby, while live music bar Earnestine & Hazel’s, the spot where Aretha Franklin, B. B. King, Tina Turner and Ray Charles all used to hang out, in classic Memphis style, is a two-minute walk away.

Laura French was a guest of memphistravel.com

From the moment you come through the gates of La Bastide, you know you’re in for a treat. Set in extensive gardens 10 miles south of St-Rémy-de-Provence, this striking old French country house is the location for one of Stirred Travels’ extraordinary culinary adventures – a fantastic luxury holiday where you can master the art of cooking simple, delicious French food with a renowned chef.

On arrival we were greeted with the warmest of welcomes with drinks and canapés – a chilled glass of champagne, homemade parmesan shortbread and tapenade crostini, an amuse-bouche of what was to come – on the charming terrace, under the shade of the huge, ancient plane trees.

We were introduced to our fellow guests, who had come from far and wide – Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland and Britain – a fascinating and eclectic mix of people, all with a shared passion for food; and of course the charismatic chef, Neil Borthwick, of The French House in Soho, who would be sharing his extensive knowledge with us during the week.

To whet our appetites, we were given a bound recipe book of the dishes we would be helping to prepare, plus the itinerary for the week, which struck the perfect balance between hands-on cooking and restorative down time, interspersed with interesting trips to local markets and the best restaurants and artisan producers in the area.

The location

With thick stone walls which keep it cool, the house has 11 en-suite rooms, all air-conditioned, and original stone staircases and fireplaces. There are numerous places to sit and read a book, or compare tasting notes with fellow Stirred travellers.

Outside, you can relax on a sun lounger by the pool, borrow a hat from a basket under the pergola next to it and take a stroll around the lovely gardens, or have a glass of wine in the dappled shade of the wide terrace, which is bordered by a flowerbed filled with spectacular hydrangeas with flowerheads the size of bowling balls.

Patrick Obert, who co-founded Stirred Travel in 2016, seeks out extraordinary European locations for the company’s unique culinary escapes, matching acclaimed chefs with exceptional regional food, in a relaxed house-party atmosphere. Between 12 and 16 weeks a year are hosted in luxury properties in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, with a selection of notable chefs including Spanish chef and restaurateur José Pizarro, Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis and Jake Simpson, former head chef of Bocca di Lupo.

The cooking

Our fabulous chef Neil, who is married to the Michelin-starred celebrity chef Angela Hartnett of Murano, was a brilliant teacher, ably assisted by fellow chef Carolyn, creating delicious French food using simple ingredients, cooked well. Despite being a protégé of Gordon Ramsay, Neil is patient, calm and relaxed, and was happy to let us crack on with his recipes, each guest tackling a different part of the menu for one of the following meals, with a little gentle, positive guidance along the way.

There is no pressure; guests can do as much or as little as they want, but Neil’s passion for food is infectious, as is his respect for the ingredients. Time flew by as we chopped and stirred, listening to entertaining anecdotes of his life in busy kitchens with an array of different chefs. Every dish has a history, where he learnt to cook it, the mistakes he made along the way, which all adds to the flavour.

There is a real sense of achievement as you sit down to lunch at the long table outside the kitchen after a morning cooking, and tuck into the most wonderful baked sea bass en papillote with artichoke barigoule, a traditional Provençal recipe cooked in stock, followed by a light but chewy pavlova, which we all had a hand in preparing.

Following a relaxed afternoon by the pool and a siesta, we were invited to sit at the long bar in the open kitchen in the evening and watch, or help, Neil make dinner, a drink in hand courtesy of charming Finn, who looked after all the guests so well. He told us that a fabulous wine we enjoyed with dinner one night was made by a former fireman who learnt viticulture by watching videos on YouTube.

Every meal was delicious, without exception, and despite wolfing down everything from an incredible lobster salad or rabbit with mustard sauce to steak tartare on crostini (which I was dubious about but actually thoroughly enjoyed), thanks to some clever alchemy from Neil, you never felt uncomfortably full.

Like the holiday, the menu was perfectly balanced, with so many wonderful vegetables, beautifully cooked to bring out their full flavour; I discovered that traditional French food needn’t be rich and heavy, it can be clean and light, too.

We also learnt how to make bread, pissaladière – a fabulous caramelised onion tart – chicken liver parfait and gazpacho. Puddings were a real highlight: we made choux pastry for Paris-Brest, brioche, savarin soaked in cassis, and lemon tart. I can’t wait to recreate all the dishes at home for family and friends.

Out and about

It’s not all about the cooking though. The itinerary is carefully planned with excursions to villages such as Eygalières and Ménerbes, local artisan producers and the best eateries, including the famous Le Bistrot du Paradou.

We also went to the bustling market in the pretty town of St-Rémy, which sold an array of goodies from linen clothes and block-printed tablecloths, olive-wood bowls and lavender to fantastic fruit and vegetables, truffles, jewellery and pottery. There was enough time to peruse the vibrant stalls, have a coffee and watch the world go by, before visiting a local goat farm, where we met the cheeky livestock, learned about the family-run business and sampled amazing fresh goat’s cheese.

En route to a lovely lunch at the popular Edú restaurant in St-Rémy, our knowledgeable local guide told us about the legend of the mistral in Provence – the strong winds that follow the rain and are key to agricultural productivity as they prevent mould forming on crops. The mistral is reflected in everything from the landscape (with cypress trees planted as windbreaks) to the architecture (the houses face south with no windows on the wind-facing north side) – and even the art, as depicted in Van Gogh’s swirling clouds and wind-bent trees in works such as “Starry Night”.

The verdict

Several of the guests were solo travellers, and many were return customers. I can see why. Stirred Travel has perfected the recipe for culinary holidays: a decent dollop of cooking, a sprinkling of relaxation, a handful of conviviality, a slice of luxury and a spoonful of charm. Whether you’re a serious foodie, or just keen to brush up on your cooking skills in a relaxed and spoiling environment, with great, like-minded company, Stirred Travel’s culinary breaks will leave you hungry for more.

Xandie Nutting was a guest of Stirred Travel; stirredtravel.com

South Korea has some wondrous ancient sites, and none are more important than those around Gyeongju, says Oliver Berry in National Geographic Traveller. Set among forested hills a couple of hours by high-speed train from Seoul, this historic town is a lovely place to wander, with its leafy avenues and traditional hanok houses and gardens.

But the height of its glory came more than 1,000 years ago: from 57BC until AD935 it was the capital of the kingdom of Silla, and for some time, one of the largest cities on Earth. The “most obvious legacy” of that time are the royal tombs “dotted around” the town – more than 100 mounds like giant “molehills”. Several of these have yielded extraordinary treasures, many of which are on display at the town’s dazzling National Museum.

Alongside Baekje and Goguryeo, Silla was one of three kingdoms that ruled the Korean peninsula together for hundreds of years, until the late 7th century when, with the help of Tang Chinese forces, it defeated the others. Many of Gyeongju’s treasures date from before that victory – including the 11,000 items found in the Cheonmachong (or “heavenly horse”) tomb, believed to have been created in the 5th or 6th century.

Today, visitors can enter the mound itself, where golden crowns, jewelled caps, suits of armour and gilt-bronze sandals sit under spotlights in the “inky” darkness. The most famous item is a birch-bark saddle emblazoned with a prancing horse – the design from which the tomb takes its modern name.

Several other sites around town also have roots in the Silla period, including the Woljeonggyo Bridge, a recent reconstruction of a structure built in AD760. Flanked by “ornate” gatehouses, and spanning 60m, it is the country’s largest wooden bridge. Grander still is Bulguksa Temple, set on the slopes of Mount Tohan, nine miles from Gyeongju. Although restored and altered many times over the years, the temple retains various treasures from the 8th and 9th centuries, including stone pagodas, and gilt-bronze statues of the seated Buddha.

Forming part of the border between Oregon and Washington State, the Columbia River Gorge is fabulously grand, said Chris Leadbeater in The Telegraph – and you need only drive for 20 miles from central Portland (an “unfailingly hip” city) to see it. Even the first view you get of it, from Crown Point, is worth the journey – and from there, the gorge stretches for 80 miles to the east, reaching depths of up to 1,220 metres. Interstate 84 runs its entire length – a “noisy man-made intrusion”, but dwarfed even so by the surroundings; and there’s a quieter option, the Historic Columbia River Highway, for those with time to spare. Stop to see the gorge’s towering waterfalls (the tallest is Multnomah Falls, at 189 metres); and head into the Hood River Valley for “dazzling” views of Mount Hood, a “vast” volcano rearing to 3,429 metres.

A long walk in 1066 country

The Bayeux Tapestry has arrived in the UK for the first time in a millennium, and can be seen at the British Museum from 10 September – making this a good year to do the 1066 Country Walk, said Pamela Petro in The Guardian. This 31-mile route across East Sussex begins at Pevensey, where William the Conqueror landed that September, and passes through Battle, the “probable” site of the Battle of Hastings, en route to Rye. We walked it in four days. The claim made for the walk is loose – it crosses “countryside that witnessed the Norman Conquest” – reflecting the limits of the historical record. Tent Hill is a place where one army or other – “no one knows which” – is said to have camped. But I loved it even so. This is a beautiful part of England (including the High Weald National Landscape), and the scenery often “calls the distant past to mind” – even sharing the tapestry’s “russet, sage and ochre hues”, when I walked it last September.

An elegant Breton seaside resort

It was “aristocratic Britons” who first made Dinard fashionable as a sea-bathing place in the mid-19th century, but today it is more popular with Parisians “eager to escape the ever-increasing heat and glitz of the Côte d’Azur”. This resort town on Brittany’s north coast is a delight, said Kate Maxwell in the Financial Times, with its “elegant” Belle Époque architecture, quiet sandy beaches and “superlative” seafood. It’s easy to reach from the UK, too – a quick ferry ride across the Rance estuary from Saint-Malo – and sits near other charming coastal spots such as Saint-Briac-sur-Mer. You might stay at the “handsome” Grand Hôtel Dinard, built in the 1850s, try the excellent savoury galettes at the Breizh Café, and visit “the sweep of the Plage de l’Écluse”, which was the inspiration for several of Picasso’s “Bathers” paintings.