Destinations

The Southern Way is the name Tourism New Zealand has given to the network of routes linking the south of the South Island into one explorable loop. From Oamaru and Dunedin on the east coast, down to the Catlins and Stewart Island, through Murihiku Southland and into Fiordland before the icing on the cake of

This coming Saturday a couple from California land at Keflavík at a quarter to nine in the morning. They have nine days. They are not basing themselves in one town and taking day trips out from it. They are going all the way around the island, the full Ring Road, with their own guide and

I have been doing this since 1999. Twenty-five years. The telephone calls at two in the morning. The villa owner who said no, and then said yes. The yacht that needed a crew change forty-eight hours before departure. The table at the restaurant that had been fully booked for six weeks until it was not.

For many Avios collectors, 100,000 points feels like a significant milestone. It’s enough to turn everyday spending, credit card bonuses and a few flights with British Airways, Iberia, or any of the other Avios earning airlines, into something much more exciting: a long-haul adventure, a premium cabin experience, or even multiple trips across Europe. The

Kubili House is tucked into a seriously wild corner of South Africa‘s Thornybush Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger ecosystem. People who know luxury safari travel have always loved this place. But right now, things are moving fast behind closed doors as the lodge has changed hands. The new owners are keeping the original

With Summer now officially underway (it starts on 1st June each year according to the Met Office), there’s no better time to explore the UK‘s wonderful array of gardens open to the public. Regular readers will be familiar with some we have visited in recent years – such as the wonderful National Trust Crook Hall

Spend long enough in a good hotel and you start to notice what’s missing. You can’t wander into a kitchen at midnight for a glass of wine without putting on shoes. Dinner is whenever the restaurant decides it is. The terrace, if there is one, belongs to everyone. A luxury villa solves all of this

The couple had chosen Mykonos because they had been there the previous summer and fallen in love with a particular view from a particular terrace on the south of the island. They wanted their wedding at that spot. They had photographs. They had a vision. What they did not have, when they first contacted me

Most people’s Ibiza starts the same way. A villa somewhere inland, a car, daily trips to the coast, and a drive back each evening. It works. It’s also significantly worse than what happens when the beach is a short walk from where you’re sleeping. That gap matters more than most people account for before booking.

This August, something remarkable is going to happen over the Mediterranean. On the evening of 12 August 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep across Spain and the western Med, turning a warm summer evening briefly, dramatically, dark. The Balearic Islands — Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera — sit right in its path. They were already

Travelling by train is very different to other forms of transport. You could even say it’s a luxury of sorts. Unlike sitting on a plane, where you might gaze ahead at your route map or watch a movie, a journey by train is somehow quite different. It encourages you to look around a little more

Many people treat Palma as a stopover. They land, spend a night somewhere near the old town, do the cathedral, and leave for wherever they actually booked the trip around the island. Having now watched this happen many times, Privadia, which books private villas for guests in Mallorca, and has done so for years, would

The Amalfi Coast is one of the world’s most photographed destinations yet much of its real character remains hidden from the view of most travelers. Beyond the crowded ferries, winding cliffside roads and busy piazzas lies a quieter side of southern Italy — one that reveals itself slowly from the sea. Experiencing the Amalfi Coast

It’s for good reason that the Galapagos Islands appear on many a travel bucket-list. Nowhere else in the world can travellers expect to enjoy such intimate and unusual encounters with this staggering range of wildlife. Isolated from human society, the creatures of this volcanic archipelago show little fear toward their curious human visitors, facilitating close-up

The first thing that disappears in Yasuní is the noise. Not the obvious culprits — street traffic, cellphones, car alarms, or loud talking — but the persistent drone of first-world life implanted somewhere deep in you. In just a couple hours after leaving the Ecuadorian capital city behind, find yourself gliding by canoe through a

Durham is a city of sharp contrasts. You’ve got this towering, dramatic Norman architecture that sits alongside a chaotic, bustling student scene. During term time, the population of the city more than doubles. Similarly, the brutal hike up some of the city’s steep cobblestone streets contrasts with the lazy, winding River Wear below. Finding a

You could be forgiven for thinking that a simple request for a glass of tap water in a luxury hotel restaurant would be nothing more than a formality. Well… think again. It might not be as straightforward as you’d imagine. While many people will claim it’s simply a basic human right, one luxury hotel in

As all conversations suddently seemed to be leading to Uzbekistan, I felt it was time to take the road there – or rather the train. What I discovered was a country of interesting traditions and lasting legacies. My tour with Great Rail Journeys took me through four cities on the ancient Silk road. I started my journey

As the capital starts to heat up, an endless array of enticing entertainment awaits. Part of a new seasonal series, I share my favourite new finds for those looking to explore London.  Wellness at Ham Yard’s Soholistic Spa It’s a minute’s walk from Picadilly Circus yet wonderfully tucked away from all the buzz so that

For many families collecting Avios, there often comes a familiar moment of frustration. One parent has 22,000 Avios in the BA Club Account. The other has 18,000. Maybe the kids have picked up a few thousand points from flights over the years, if they’re older. Individually, those balances feel annoyingly small — not enough for

There are places where luxury seems so effortless – where there’s a quiet confidence that’s deeply rooted in the quality of the offering. Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is one such place. Situated just off the Crook Road that runs between Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere, the hotel enjoys a tranquil location among rolling fells on the

Once called the chimney town by renowned local poet Julian Tuwim the Polish city of Lodz has undergone such a dramatic transformation it is now part of the UNESCO network of Creative Cities and a UNESCO City of Film. A sensitive re-generation of the city of Lodz recognised and renovated the town’s historical buildings including those

Most first-time visitors to New Zealand’s South Island put Queenstown on the itinerary without much deliberation. It’s the world’s adventure capital – a title and a reputation deservedly earned and as such one of the headline ‘must-visit’ destinations in New Zealand. Most people will have heard of Queenstown even if they can’t tell you where

I have always thought New Zealand’s wilder places work best when people are given time to meet them properly. Not in a rushed, heroic sort of way, and not with the expectation that every hour outside has to become a story. More often, it happens quite quietly. Someone steps out of the vehicle in Fiordland

Privacy has always been the defining appeal of a private villa. The ability to close a gate behind you, to have a pool entirely to yourself, to spend a week without navigating shared spaces or other guests – that quality of seclusion is something no hotel, however grand, can genuinely replicate.  But something has shifted.

Deep house beats pulsate throughout luxurious, contemporary seaside venues offering Mediterranean views. Curated gastronomy. A lively atmosphere. And plenty of sun-soaked relaxation for a picture-perfect day at the beach. While staying at one of Privadia‘s luxury villas that we recommend, you may upgrade your stay with reservations at one of Mallorca’s premier beach clubs. Beach

Everyone has heard about Zanzibar, yet almost nobody knows its hidden gem called Mnemba Island. Located on the north eastern side of Zanzibar, you’ll find this tropical archipelago just a stone’s throw away from the hustle and bustle of the main island. And what a difference that distance makes! The welcome The welcome start from

Arriving at the Old Luxters Farmhouse at Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery this could be the Champagne region. Neat rows of vines growing on south-facing hills. Sun glinting on a white soil of limestone, marl and clay – with added minerality from 150-million-year-old oyster fossils. A chalky seam that swirls north-west from Chablis through the

A couple of years back, I guided five hikers along the Laugavegur. All of them were over seventy. All of them had been serious hikers their whole lives, the kind of people who knew what a multi-day trek was supposed to feel like. By the end of the trail, one of them had been pulled

It’s impossible not to be enticed by the dining scene in Kalkan, Turkey. Rich scents of mouthwatering dishes entice travellers whilst strolling narrow cobblestone roads. Patio-style seating spills out onto pedestrian walkways. And it’s not uncommon to be offered a sip of robust Turkish coffee whilst browsing family-owned boutique shops. Kalkan awakens the foodie inside