By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi Not so long ago, train travel was considered to be the very height of luxury, and to board the Orient Express, which first ran from Paris to Constantinople in 1883 was the ne plus ultra…
Browsing Category
Travel
By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi As an Italian, I can tell you honestly that Venice, arguably the most enchanting place on Earth, has recently been ruined by tourists. Once a grand architectural and mercantile destination, this lovely city is now…
By Jody McCutcheon Air travel: it’s both liberating and stressful. It often means we’re going somewhere exotic and exciting, but it also presents factors of inconvenience and danger. Nonetheless, with our proclivities for tourism and business, it’s no wonder…
By Nastassja Salem Away from the wine, cheese and sweet idleness of authentic Italian culture is a completely different version of relaxation. Nestled in the Alps, you’ll meet a Dutch idea, translated by a Scottish meditation expert, and delivered…
By Chere Di Boscio Buenos Aires is internationally renowned for quite a few things: tango, football and steak, for example. But when you think of the Argentine capital, one thing that rarely comes to mind is ‘vegan living’.…
By Jacqueline Dreyer Located off the southeastern coast of Australia, New Zealand is a verdant wonderland, one-third of which is made up of National Parks. With only around 4.8 people scattered across 268,021 square kilometers, it’s one of the…
By Chere Di Boscio Sick of your daily commute? Dream about quitting the 9-to-5 rat race and travelling to distant lands? Despite what anyone tells you, it IS possible – I know, because I’ve done it – several times,…
By Natalie Malan It’s the trip we make every few years to visit my grandmother in the town of Bethlehem and cousins in Ramallah. Ever since I was 6 months old, I’ve been visiting my grandmother in the town…
By Diane Small While most people absolutely love to explore new cultures, cuisines and sights through travel, not many enjoy the ‘getting there’ part of it. With increasingly heavy airport restrictions, currency exchanges and different languages, it can be…
By Chere Di Boscio Stepping back in time in Cusco is easy. After all, it is the oldest living city in the Americas – in fact, Cusco has been inhabited for over 3,000 years. And it’s been through a…
By Paradise Harichian Twenty years ago, ayahuasca (sometimes also called yage) was barely known by Westerners – but this powerful plant medicine had been revered by those peoples living in the Amazon for millennia. They knew this brew could…
By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi We predicted last year that Transformative Travel would be a huge ‘thing’ in 2016, and we were right – no longer is it sufficient to take a holiday that involves throwing yourself on a beach…
By Jessica Armstrong and Alexandra McGowan South Africa is famous for its amazing wildlife, safari excursions, and unbeatable nature views. But now, there’s a new attraction drawing people to this beautiful country: glamping. In case you’re unfamiliar with the…
By Arwa Lodhi Imagine the scene: you wake up, go for a swim. Eat a super healthy breakfast, then bask in the sunshine on the beach before heading off for a 1 to 1 Pilates class. You grab some…
By Charlotte Lynham Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe it. Having ripped my knee to shreds in Austria while skiing last year, the notion of returning to that country for yet another ski trip filled me with trepidation. Would…
By Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi What is Italy all about, really? Is it sleek design and architecture? A passion for living? A love of tradition? These are the questions I ask myself as I head towards my destination: a castle…
By Robyn Gravestock An increased awareness in the importance of sustainable tourism has caused more holidaymakers to seek out hotels that are caring more for the environment. Fortunately, the result of such demand is that the leisure industry has…
By Tara Nolan I’m in a van cruising along a lone highway through the Karoo; my knees are bobbing and hands shaking as I type. We’re in the middle of nowhere on a bumpy road south headed for the…
By Chere Di Boscio Machu Picchu is a bucket list destination for many, but arriving to the famous site is also something of a mission: you have to land in Lima, then take another plant to Cusco, then drive…
By Denise Teh Introvert or extrovert, Type A or Type B; we all know which camp we belong too. But how many of us are aware of our fitness personality? Studies by the American Council on Exercise have shown…
By Alicia Erickson The car bumped along the verdant highlands, curving around hills to reveal sweeping views of lakes and silhouettes of volcanoes. We began our ascent into the mountains, carving our way through rugged green hills. I was…
By Adam Attew For most people seeking pampering in luxury, Belgium isn’t their first port of call. However, La Butte aux Bois, a plush country estate hidden in the Hoge Kempen National Park, will radically change that opinion. Originally…
By Amma Aburam Has it ever hit you? The amount of noise in our lives. Our phones are buzzing with news, conversations and updates on our best friend’s latest holiday pics. In the city, we hear traffic passing by,…
By Chere Di Boscio Feeling stuck in a rut is a common complaint: wake up, work, sleep is the sad cycle that many of us fall into. Even on holiday, that barely changes – just replace ‘work’ with ‘eat’.…
By Bertie Lawson After two generations of despotic military rule, the country which now calls itself Myanmar is opening itself up to the world once more. For many, the new name may still be unfamiliar. ‘Burma’ however, continues to…
By Marina Sergeeva We all love a good escape from time to time, but more of us are beginning to understand the potentially negative impact our holidays can have, and are seeking more sustainable ways to see the world.…
By Alexandria Beyer The indigenous wisdom the Q’ero people of the high Andes carry may be ancient, but as I discovered, it’s just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. In case you’re not familiar with…
By Arwa Lodhi Having a second home in an exotic location is a dream that many aspire to. But the truth is, it’s not very sustainable having more than one house, and for most of us, it’s not very…
By Diane Small The azure seas and white sands of Thailand’s Koh Tachai, one of the most famous diving destinations on earth, has been closed to visitors indefinitely since May 2016. Due to pressure on the ecosystem and coral…
By Chere Di Boscio I remember hearing their stories: friends returned from Peru exuberant; cheeks flushed with health from the pure air of the Andes, eyes flashing with enthusiasm for what they’d seen. They raved about people who spoke…
By Chantal Brocca In 1639, three young Augustinian nuns pursued a perilous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on the orders of their French King to go and heal the bodies and souls of the inhabitants of New France, a…
By Lora O’Brien Ever been standing in the middle of a city, finding yourself desperately wanting to be someplace else? Ever wished that the world around you moved at a slower pace, and that there wasn’t quite so much…
All reviews by Jody McCutcheon, Chere Di Boscio and Wendy Altschuler It’s that time of year again–in the northern hemisphere, at least–when the weather is warming up and you just want to spend every minute you can outside. There…
By Chere Di Boscio Urbanites often dream of escaping to the Algarve, to shop for ceramics, enjoy fresh seafood, and of course, luxuriate in the constant sunshine on one of the region’s many beaches. But what only a privileged…
By Chere Di Boscio I’m lying on a massage table bed in the spa at the stunning Vilalara Longevity health resort in the Algarve. I’m not at all unwell, but I’ve recently become fascinated by unusual healing techniques like…
