Destinations

by Alex Wright Mount Fuji may well be one of Japan’s most iconic images, but climbing to its 3,776-metre peak it is no easy task with altitude sickness and shortness of breath to contend with. To help you prepare as much as possible, ere are five lesser known facts you need to know before making the ascent. 1) Mt Fuji is an active stratovolcano (three separate volcanoes) But don’t worry - the last time Mt Fuji erupted was on December...

Hello, start of January. This first day back to work is a guaranteed drag after two weeks of full-throttle decadence, and a month of parties leading up to it. You know what makes that better? Thinking about all the dreamy possibilities of travel in 2019. Right about now, some sun, sea and sand wouldn’t be sniffed at – unlike the cold British weather. And while the Caribbean island of St Lucia is a sunny 28C – a temperature that’s consistent...

East Fremont is redeveloped into the city's hipster heartland.

A tour of Downtown - at sundown.

It’s no secret that Spanish cuisine is a key reason it’s the UK’s number one destination. Yes, there’s the beaches and weather too, but the tradition of nibbling on a tableful of tapas washed down with a glass (or two) of sangria is a big part of the lovely, lasting memory. While the Spain’s cultural capital Barcelona has earned a reputation for restaurants that are cut above the rest, the actual capital of Madrid is quickly catching up. The question...

Exploring America's 'Second City'  Timeworn fast-food joints sit shoulder to shoulder with fancy, Michelin-star restaurants. The ‘L’ (an elevated metro line) chugs, like a rollercoaster, as it navigates its way through an urban forest of towering, glass-front skyscrapers. People in sharp suits stomp along pavements, rushing to everywhere and nowhere. While tourists, aboard open-top buses, snap away at anything in sight. Chicago is a proper city. Perhaps best-known, at least to some of us across the pond, for its mafia...

Skiing in North Iceland; for the adventurers out there, North Iceland is dotted with picturesque ski fields that offer something very different.

Thanks to its towering, khaki cliffs, cinematic volcanoes and long, golden beaches, Hawaii is a filmmakers metropolis. And for that exact reason, this isolated group of 137 islands has been used as a captivating, tropical set in movies for decades - from Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean to 50 First Dates and Aloha. To celebrate 25 years since the creation of Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park, we picked out five of the most famous movie locations in Hawaii. ...

Caroline Howley takes in the sights, sounds and scents of the historical city of Porto. “Love: that deep feeling. It will bring you happiness or disgrace.”  After a night drinking altogether too much Vinho Verde, we’d stopped by Porto’s São Bento Railway Station to see, admittedly through blurry eyes, its famed azulejo tile frieze. Before long, my Portuguese guide Carolina had inexplicably dragged me towards a weighing scale on one of the platforms. But instead of telling me how many pounds...