While Exploring Cultures

01/12/2021

Countryside produce is also at the top of the menu at any number of farm-to-fork restaurants that focus on the provenance of agrarian organic food, such as the gourmet restaurant Jakob in Rapperswil, the celebrated organic restaurant Tüfi on the outskirts of Zurich, and the self-sufficient Kartause Ittingen restaurant on the site a former monastery in Thurgau. Kartause Ittingen has its own dairy, butcher, bakery, gardens, and wine cellar.

01/12/2021

The moment was exciting but not surprising: the National Geographic Society had joined other cartographers in recognizing the Southern Ocean, a fifth ocean in the world.

What is surprising, though, is the way Geographer Alex Tait announced the news, speaking over twangy music on the social platform TikTok, reminding viewers that the news marks an opportune time “to update maps, textbooks, and pub quizzes.”

01/12/2021

A precarious exile: When the Mediterranean island of Elba couldn’t hold Napoleon, the Waterloo-defeated French leader was sent in 1815 to the isolated Atlantic island of St. Helena. He died there in 1821. Above, photographer Robert Ormerod captures the island’s capital, Jamestown, nestled between volcanic mountains.

01/12/2021

Wherever I go, I find Thoreau. That was certainly the case a year ago, when I made a sojourn to Walden Pond (pictured above), near Concord, Massachusetts. I hiked around the pond twice, and dropped into its crystal waters at numerous spots, searching for a transcendent soak.

“A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature,” wrote Henry David Thoreau in Walden. Long after the book’s publication, this study of nature—within us and around us— continues to inspire.

01/12/2021

The climax happens in his ultimate destination—a grand but slowly crumbling 200-year-old palazzo approachable only by gondola, backing onto a ruined garden, and staffed by two servants who “knew the difference between a Bloody Mary and a crème de menthe frappé.” The increasingly high style, the shady road trip, and the decaying palazzo mirror Ripley’s own twisted social climbing ambitions and crumbling brain. They are his sad, very boozy doppelgangers.

26/11/2021

That’s what we were told when we first moved onto SY Esper. So for years we hoisted our various tenders (from plastic inflatable to folding Portabote and smart Tinker sailing dinghy) up and over the guard rail to be stored on deck where they got in the way.

26/11/2021

If you’ve ever had any connection with boats, you’ll know that one of the biggest issues with living on one is the constant equipment failure. It’s the inevitable consequence of living in the corrosive marine environment

26/11/2021

Pixel and costume conversion features One of the biggest estuaries is where the Tuaran River hits the South China Sea around 15nm from Kota Kinabalu. We were on the lookout as usual, but we’d never seen the sea this colour before. The line between the sea and the river run off was so sharp it could have been drawn with a pencil.

26/11/2021

The sails are out and we are sailing and cruising west coast Sabah again!

Sailing days have been few and far between since you-know-what happened… and we are having a great time playing around in the blue, blue water.

23/11/2021

Bringing winter sun to travellers flying from Edinburgh, Virgin Atlantic's new route to Barbados puts the Caribbean island firmly on our list for 2022. The route from Scotland's capital to Barbados marks the first time Virgin Atlantic has flown international flights from Edinburgh in its 37-year history. It's also Scotland’s only direct flight to the Caribbean.

With Virgin flights from both London Heathrow and Edinburgh, we've got our eyes on the sun, sea and white sand of this Caribbean idyll for early and late 2022. What's more, a stylish new hotel has arrived in Christ Church, giving you a five-star all-inclusive retreat to experience when you get there. O2 Beach Club and Spa is set on 1,000 feet of the powder white sand on Barbados' south coast. It's the hottest new place to experience indulgent dining, top-notch pampering and a trio of pools.

23/11/2021

Fresh from its Olympic and Paralympic success, Japan is a dream holiday destination that should be firmly on your list for 2022. This year, however, it's time to go beyond Tokyo and explore the country's rural side. Japan's newest bullet train route, Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, is set to open between Nagasaki and Saga in autumn 2022. This will help speed up Nagasaki connections from the current Kyushu bullet train line that comes into Fukuoka from Tokyo.

The trains themselves will be called kamome meaning 'seagull,' following the popularity of lockdown video game franchise, Ghost of Tsushima, which is set on the stunning archipelagos surrounding the city of Nagasaki. Over the next decade, there will also be new bullet train lines joining Tokyo directly to traditional Fukui, snowy Sapporo and passing through the Nakasendo walking trails of the Kiso Valley. Japan is set to be one of the biggest rail holiday destinations of the future...

23/11/2021

If ever there was a year to visit the Netherlands, it's 2022 when the Floriade floral spectacle takes place, with its timely eco-theme of ‘growing green cities’. Held every 10 years, the Floriade Expo returns for six months from April to October and will bring an array of unique and fascinating exhibitions to Almere, near Amsterdam.

With a focus on imagining sustainable, city living for the future, you can expect inspiring gardens, workshops and exhibitions mixed with striking attractions and tasting sessions. The 150-acre site is also where 300 eco-homes have been built, with plans for the area to be turned into a green residential neighbourhood of 660 homes, so if you're after a sustainably-focused holiday destination for 2022, Holland is the place worth considering

23/11/2021

From major events taking place, to new flight routes opening up beautiful places and highly anticipated movie releases bringing Hollywood-worthy locations to our holiday wish lists, there are many reasons to get excited about travelling in 2022.

In sport, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar will put the Middle Eastern country under the spotlight - but with its ultra-modern architecture influenced by Islamic design and thriving arts and culture scene, you might wish to discover the destination before the football crowds arrive.

Closer to home, Holland will host the magnificent Floriade Expo. With its timely eco-theme of ‘growing green cities’ and fascinating floral exhibitions, we'll have six months to soak up the horticultural marvels at this once-in-a-decade attraction.

For beach-lovers, one classic Caribbean island has become easier to reach from the UK with a new flight route from Virgin Atlantic that winter sun fans will appreciate. In fact, there are two Caribbean beauty spots on our radar for 2022.

When it comes to hopping over to the continent for a city break, a new European Capital of Culture offers a photogenic destination you might have previously overlooked. Its tree-lined promenades and historic architecture are worth the low-cost flight.

Here on home soil, we’ve got our eyes on the foodie city hosting the Commonwealth Games. And there's countryside close to Edinburgh with a host of new openings and glorious coastal views.

25/10/2021

Trees are in bloom, love and sweetness are in the air. Spring is the perfect season to discover the most beautiful European destination in Greece, Portugal, France, Ireland, Croatia or Spain.

Winter is gone and sunny days are coming. Trees are in bloom, love and sweetness are in the air. Spring is the perfect season to discover the most beautiful European destination in Greece, Portugal, France, Ireland, Croatia or Spain. Here are your favourite destinations in spring

22/10/2021

If you’ve been thinking more and more about sustainable travel recently, and are wondering how you can combine your passions of travel...

If you’ve been thinking more and more about sustainable travel recently, and are wondering how you can combine your passions […]

22/10/2021

We're so ready to get back into travel, so here's a list of our fave 22 destinations for your 2022 villa holiday bucket-list.

22/10/2021

From lush tropical islands to majestic mountain ranges, breathtaking metropolises and fairytale small towns here are the top dream destinations in the world you need to add to your travel bucket list.

Here's the ultimate list of the most beautiful dream destinations in the world that you need to add to your 2021 travel bucket list.

22/10/2021

Instead of the travel hotlist we usually launch in January, writers across Europe pick the local spots they long to go back to when things open up

22/10/2021

Looking ahead to 2022, one thing seems clear: It is the year of the bucket-list vacation.

19/10/2021

We list our favorite budget travel destinations that don’t break the bank. Check out these budget-friendly travel ideas for your next backpacking trip this summer.

What are the cheapest places to travel in the world? Check out these budget-friendly travel ideas for your next domestic or international travel.

19/10/2021

Top 15 Sustainable Travel Destinations In 2020/2021 | me time away
If you’ve been thinking more and more about sustainable travel recently, and are wondering how you can combine your passions

If you’ve been thinking more and more about sustainable travel recently, and are wondering how you can combine your passions […]

19/10/2021

Want to find a cheap destination but don't know where to start? We've got you covered with the best cheap places to travel to around the world.

19/10/2021

A lot has changed in the world of travel in the last decade, and the pace of change is accelerating exponentially. Here are our top travel trends for 2021.