Advice

Chicago is a huge city and a fairly popular one in North America; and though last year alone I transited through the city 14 times I had never actually set foot outside of the airport. So needless to say, I was quite curious and excited to grab a camera and have my cousin host me while

A dynamic city with a dedication to the table What would Bilbao be without the Guggenheim? The Frank Gehry masterpiece of a museum may have brought the city worldwide fame, but it remains just a single block in the Basque Country’s largest cosmopolitan area. Bilbao’s history as an industrial centre permeates its present, infusing the

The largest, the fastest, the longest, the flashiest… ski resorts tend to go big on superlatives, and Val Thorens goes bigger than most.  You may already be aware of some of its vital statistics: the highest ski resort in Europe, lying near the head of the Belleville Valley at 2,300m, it has lorded it over

We’ve been to Nashville twice – once for a family vacation and once for a business conference. While there are a lot of more upscale restaurants in the city, we think the casual places are where Nashville really shines. There’s nothing like Southern hospitality! If you’re planning a trip to Nashville, here are some fantastic,

A trip to Costa Rica is sure to introduce you to “pura vida”. The literal translation of the phrase is “pure life”, but it has become the country’s unofficial motto, as well as its tourist board’s marketing slogan. Pura vida is all about keeping calm – “tranquillo” – enjoying the simple things in life, and

Deb Campbell wins £250 and this week’s Just Back travel writing competition for her account of cultural challenge in a Tokyo cafe. Language was no barrier to ordering coffee in Tokyo, and as we escaped to a café where the old men sat drinking and smoking, we were offered an English menu that showed an

India has 22 official languages, namely Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. There are also hundreds of other less prominent languages like Tulu, Bhojpuri and Ladakhi that are the main spoken language of some places. Hindi Hindi, natively

Britannia Hotels has been rated Britain’s worst hotel chain for the seventh year running in research by consumer group Which?. Guests were 10 times more likely to award it a poor rating for cleanliness than any other hotel. At the other end of the spectrum, Premier Inn tied with Wetherspoon Hotels for top spot.  Britannia,

“Spellbinding!” said a voice beside us, “absolutely spellbinding.” Sarah and I were enjoying after-dinner drinks on the river cruiser Amália Rodrigues as we gazed at the red-tiled rooftops, towers and bright facades of the medieval city of Porto in northern Portugal.  This was the final evening of our seven-day journey along the river Douro. Darkness

Flights that last 8, 10 or 15 hours are exhausting, and if you’re not prepared for them boredom can creep up on you very easily. I don’t know about you but there is a limit to how many movies or tv shows I can watch back-to-back. Also, laughing animatedly with my travel buddy or even

An eerie mist creeps into the harbour. An owl hoots; a cat screeches; a door creaks. Welcome to the spooky village of Boscastle, the British equivalent of Salem, Massachusetts, according to one recent American travel guide. Today is no ordinary day in this mostly-sleepy fishing port, for soon the streets will come alive with music

Our rail experts suggest the best train journeys in Australia and New Zealand for 2018. 1. The Indian Pacific  This 2,687-mile (4,325km), four-day/three-night Perth to Sydney journey offers passengers a choice of excursions from the train: a tour of Kalgoorlie and its deep gold mine; wandering around Cook in the heart of the Nullarbor Plain

In May, I will celebrate 10 years of living in California.  For those of you who haven’t been to California, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world to visit. There are also several facts about California that you probably don’t know about. From the unique sights and sounds of San Francisco to

Some say Andy Warhol invented everything that defines us today: ephemeral celebrity, art as a product and an all-round obsession with documenting the mundanity of everyday life. In design circles he is considered responsible for a revived obsession with art deco. Before he started collecting pieces in the Seventies, the Thirties was an unappreciated era

Why not let someone else take the strain this year and enjoy turkey and all the trimmings in the comfort of a spoiling hotel? Christmas in London is a magical affair, with uplifting carol singing in its beautiful cathedrals and churches, streets decorated with Christmas trees and fairy lights and shop windows full of goodies,

Tourists from all parts of the world head to the Caribbean as it has some of the most pristine vacation spots in the world. The problem for the discerning traveler remains as to how to choose where to go, simply because each and every territory and island nation is stunningly beautiful in its own right.

There is authentic, genuine and welcoming hospitality; and a wave of new and affordable hotels along cobbled streets and flanking bougainvillea-clad squares, all of which brim with a sense of place. These hotels may be budget but they don’t feel like it. Apart from the Tryp Hotel for early airport departures, they are all converted

“Kids are inherently noisy. When they’re happy, they’re loud; when they’re not, they’re still loud,” says Samantha Foster, summing up why she prefers her holidays to be child-free. Foster, 33, from Sheffield, took her first adults-only break in 2016.  Working for the NHS, Foster’s days often revolve around children – travel is an opportunity to

When the summer days get too hot to handle, there is one thing sure to be the perfect treat: Ice Cream! In a city known for its gastronomy, there are an abundance of amazing shops offering the perfect dessert for every type of sweet tooth. Whether you like cones or cups, chocolate or fruity flavors,

It was once a Nazi bunker, built in Hamburg 1942 in using forced labour by concentration camp prisoners. Today, it’s being transformed into a futuristic hotel, trimmed with layered gardens. The 136-room ‘nhow Hamburg’, located in the central St Pauli district, is expected to open in 2021 and will inhabit only the top portion of the