Travel

Ireland’s not short of incredible spa hotels, from the luxury retreat of Monart to the high-end, welcoming Cliff House to the well-designed Aghadoe Heights. So it was with pleasure and intrigue that I ventured northwards, to the four-star spa hotel of Galgorm Resort, ostensibly to try out its new Quartz spa treatment. Expectations were high: my Northern Irish friends swore it was their favourite retreat, and their promise of an outdoor thermal village gave it a draw that few in...

Young Brits in the UK are at a record high when it comes to employment rates, with more apprenticeships being completed and more young people in employment than ever. This hard working mentality is one of the things that the millennial generation are not quite given enough credit for, and now with the summer rolling in and university deadlines coming to an end, it’s time for these young Brits to consider taking a holiday that will help them to relax...

Of all the ways to be roused on a Sunday morning I can think of plenty worse than the dulcet tones of leather on willow emanating from the local cricket field, chirping birds outside the window or the rustle of thick Sunday newspapers next to your bed. Mixed with the homely aromas of freshly ground coffee and cooked English breakfasts it puts Balmer Lawn Hotel and Spa in the New Forest in the running for most serene weekend wake-up in the...

Mentor Tashi kissed by sunset in the shala, built in the mountains of Amieira, Oleiros.     © Gareth Iwan Jones Where did I go? Vale De Moses, Portugal 1. My favourite yoga class involved no yoga. I am the most competitive yogi in the room. You think you’re competitive? I’m more competitive, I win. I’ll never reach enlightenment because I want to be the best and enlightened yogis aren’t running constant competitions in their heads. Expecting to learn how...

Millions of Brits are fulfilling their travel aspirations through friend’s and family’s posts on Facebook, according to new research. Four in ten UK adults admit they are ‘social tourists’ - experiencing an average of 14 countries through friend’s and family’s social media updates every year. However the typical respondent has visited just nine countries in reality – although over two thirds have been inspired to travel more widely after seeing social media posts. While around a fifth of people admit...

Germany’s certainly not short of cute towns oozing culture, history and charm. Small cities like Munich and Cologne are straight from a fairytale book, with incredible gothic architecture mixed with well-kept town squares and gingerbread houses on the outskirts. Factoring in the fascinating differences between the former east and west Germany, there’s so much to discover about the country one can’t help but feel it’s an overlooked destination. To discover more of this wonderful country (and attempt to bump into...

Spacious, clean, comfortable and ruddy fast to boot.

Are you looking to head abroad this summer? While the weather in England is beautiful at time of writing, we all know that a rainy day is set to be upon us at any moment. This is why so many British tourists make their way to a huge number of destinations around the world, and with the school holidays from July to September, there’s no better time to head abroad than in the summer. While the British summer time means...

Wake up, grab your phone, check your emails, and log in to Facebook, before you’ve even brushed your teeth. This is an everyday reality for most Brits who live a life dependant on technology, but what if all that scrolling is bad for our health? According to a recent study, “the average young Briton aged 16- 24 spends 27 hours per week on the internet”, that’s almost the same amount of time as the average working week.   Fatigue, stress and...