Destinations

There is something rather romanticised about the notion of travelling alone. So when I was invited to a wedding in Florence, I excitedly booked my flight and extended my trip for some solo ‘me’ time. If Julia Roberts could do it, then why the hell couldn’t I? But as the trip finally came around, I realised travelling alone was a journey that we’re never really prepared for. After a three hour flight I was glad to switch off from the...

By Joey Tyson The smell of a volcano is impossible to forget. Something between rotten eggs and a dodgy car exhaust, the stench of sulphur gags, clogging your throat for a second until the breeze blows over you. In short, it stinks. “Don’t spend too long down wind of the smoke,” our guide Jose sagely advises. Stepping out of the smog to catch my breath, I take in the view for the first time. From that height, everything looks blueish....

You might remember the tropical Thai island of Koh Samui from its bygone bohemian days, when it was a mecca for backpackers in search of the fabled beach that inspired Alex Garland’s cult novel The Beach. But visitors to Koh Samui’s shores will find the island much changed since then - barefoot beach shacks have given way to uber-luxe hotels, an upscale culinary scene and seriously sumptuous spas. With a host of luxury resorts offering palatial pool villas alongside scenery...

By Jay Williams  “It’s a press trip,” I pointed out when asked to sign for our room.  “I know,” replied the receptionist.  “It’s just in case, you know, you throw your telly out of the window or something.  You are in Brighton, after all …” I felt a flush of pride that she thought my hell-raising days were not behind me.  Or perhaps she had spotted that I was indeed a fifty-something, osteo-arthritic teetotaller and she was just being kind....

Rated as one of the best courses in the Caribbean, we took a day out experiencing one of the “most idyllic rounds of golf imaginable”.

If London wasn’t so inherently historic in itself the prospect of visiting a royal peculiar chapel, occupied castle and great park within a half hour trip would surely be too much to resist for most urban dwellers. Sat on the River Thames adjacent to Eton and within a stone’s throw of the rowing lakes of Dorney and the locks of Boveney Windsor is a town steeped in historical importance and regional hot spots. Named from the Anglo Saxon Windlesora –...

By Will Robinson For those of you who have seen the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' you'll have some understanding of the enormous and ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor in the metropolis of Mumbai which is depicted in the film. Mumbai (Bombay to locals and your granddad) is the richest and largest city in India, with over 20 million residents. Of this number, approximately 62 per cent are currently living in slums according to government figures. Despite this, Mumbai has...

Review By Anna Power The rough poetry of a no frills easyjet flight could not be in starker contrast to the tranquil, sumptuous streets of Paris’ Latin Quarter and the urban-chic boutique hotel La Lanterne, nestled neatly within its winding cobbled streets. Peppered with independent bookshops, art house cinemas and Parisian markets, it’s impossible not to be swept off your feet by the sheer romance of this most picturesque, effortlessly cool part of Paris. La Lanterne could almost be missed,...

The idea of going to a spa has always filled me with dread. Walking around in a robe with my bare feet on display, quietly shuffling in slippers five sizes too big, while a stranger prods at me with their bare hands? The whole thing gives me the heebie-jeebies. It's everything I stand against – luxury, relaxation, and calm. But I'm 28 now, and decided it was time to grow up and learn how to be at peace. Travelling from...