Travel

Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination on 4 April, Neil Davey takes a trip to Alabama, a key US state in the Civil Rights Movement.   Shall we get the obvious out of the way first? Because, yes, Alabama does not have the best reputation of the American states. In fact, it’s almost become shorthand for a particular type of American attitude, with a foot in some of the more disturbing aspects of American history. However,...

by Pat Levy Namibia, rarely featuring in news headlines, is a peaceful, settled country that finally shook off the blinkers of apartheid in 1990, and transitioned into constitutional democracy. 11 hours flight time with one stop, and a two hour time difference with the UK makes it a temping destination for the safari holiday you always promised yourself. For its size, the population is tiny and lives largely in urban areas, leaving vast desert-like tracts for small farmers with a...

This headache-inducing image puzzle brings a whole new meaning to the term, ‘brain training.’ Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of this station is a train and carriage going in the opposite direction to all the others - but can you catch it? Tracking down the train is no mean feat but there’s no need to feel railroaded into choo-choosing the wrong one. The brainteaser was created by Heathrow Express, whose spokesman said: “This puzzle is a bit of a...

Qantas is set to fly the first ever flight connecting the UK and Australia on Sunday, departing Heathrow Terminal 3 at 1:15pm. A 787-9 Dreamliner will fly passengers 14,498 kilometres around the World without stopping, taking 17 hours in total and becoming the second-longest passenger flight in the world. The new flight will operate through Qantas’ existing domestic terminals (T3/4), which will be upgraded to accommodate international flights. The airline’s current international services from Perth (to Singapore and to Auckland) will also move...

The paradisiacal region of Raja Ampat in Indonesia is now only a single stopover away for British travellers thanks to a new flight launched by Garuda Indonesia that will connect onto their London-Jakarta non-stop service twice a week. Indonesia’s national flag carrier, the operator of the only non-stop flight between the island nation and the United Kingdom, will launch a daily service between Jakarta and the city of Sorong in West Papua from 10 March 2018. The industrial city is...

If there’s a city in America that’s renowned for its incredible nightlife and atmosphere, it’s New Orleans. Known as the jazz capital of the world, this is the place to be if you’re looking for a trip full of life and excitement. Once you’ve applied for your ESTA via estaregistration.co.uk, the opportunities are endless! Therefore, rather than jetting off to the conventional New York City or Florida this year, we’d definitely suggest heading off to New Orleans, and here’s why....

With 27.2 million people expected to cruise this year, a million and a half up on last year, 80% of travel agencies expecting to increase sales and a total of 27 new ships scheduled to host their maiden voyage, it’s beyond contention that the cruising industry is going from strength to strength. With the cruising industry estimated to make a massive $126 billion in 2018, with an average of half a million passengers onboard a total of 449 ships throughout...

Hanging bats, bigger than legs of jamón, chatter above a peep of chickens casually pecking away at a bleached white sandy path, which meanders through Robinsons’s new Club Noonu resort. But there’s no hint of foul play. This Swiss Family Robinson-esque island, one of 1,200 in the Maldives, previously belonged to a chicken farmer. As part of the buy-out clause, the owner made sure his precious feathered friends (the ones too old to travel at least) would be well looked...

In a parallel universe where Lucy, Mr Tumnus and Aslan go skiing in Narnia rather than trying to vanquish the White Witch, Ruka in Finnish Lapland would be the perfect film set. The pines which dot the landscape are barely discernible, they look like huge, frozen cauliflowers and log cabins huddle together, ready to welcome chilly adventurers . Presented with such winter wonderland credentials it struck me as odd that Finland is still relatively unknown as a ski destination outside...