Luxury Winter Escape: Discover The Samling Hotel in the Lake District After a recent newspaper column about words ending in “-ist,” I received several messages from readers haranguing me for admitting I was an “area-ist” . People can get snooty about where they live, and I have long been guilty of writing things like: “Why bother visiting any other national park when we have glorious Dartmoor and Exmoor on our doorstep?” “You must be mad!” retorted one reader. “Dartmoor and

Funny how things you conceptualised as a kid can linger for the rest of your life. That’s the way feelings about the county of Dorset have developed and remained for me, thanks to my father and the works of Enid Blyton . Enid Blyton, Dorset, and Childhood Impressions My neighbouring county has always felt vaguely like a distant land to me. Why? Because my dad, in his literary way, detested the works of Ms Blyton (who loved and wrote about Dorset ) and, most unlike him, he b

Few of us ever put the places we visit into categories, but if we did they’d probably come under headings covering the locations we have to visit, like local supermarkets, shops, dentists, hospitals, whatever, and destinations we really like visiting, such as favourite holiday spots, theatres, cinemas, hiking locations etc. There’d be another category for me entitled, “Places I cannot resist visiting when I’m on my way somewhere else”. The Irresistible Charm of Appledore, Dev

There will be many people reading this newspaper who love their own patch; the place where they were born and bred or the location where they’ve chosen to spend their lives. The problem is that you can become a bit snooty about other areas, like I did as a youngster when I had difficulty in understanding how anyone could feel any kind of affinity for any other part of Somerset. Childhood Memories and Early Misconceptions About the Somerset Levels I lived - and still live - in

Experiencing the Contrast: Historic Homes Versus Modern Natural Light There’ll be plenty of people reading this newspaper who live in older houses - which, in the mainly rural South West, might well mean homes with thick walls, smaller windows, and so on. Before modern wonders like double glazing and thermal insulation came along, dwelling spaces had to keep folk warm and dry any way they could, which basically meant shutting out the great outdoors. What the builders of yeste

The antidote I needed to a few hot and busy days in Ho Chi Minh City was supplied by Les Rives, a company that provides thrilling speedboat journeys down the Saigon River to the Mekong Delta. This unique experience offers travellers a glimpse into a different side of Vietnam - one that is as fascinating as it is sobering. From the water, you can witness a stark contrast to the modernity of the city centre as the boat speeds its way past canals lined with sprawling slums. The

Travel is a concept imbued with boundless ambition. With so many places and experiences available on our amazing planet, creating a bucket list becomes an essential exercise in capturing the most remarkable moments life has to offer. One such experience is driving Highway One along the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco—a journey I had wanted to enjoy since reading Steinbeck's Cannery Row as a young boy. Now that I have completed this iconic route, I can say it

For those of us who grew up in the rural West Country decades ago, vacations were modest affairs — they often involved camping in tents or staying in caravans. These holidays were enjoyable in their own way, but certainly lacking in luxury or sophistication. Watching television programs like the early Saint series or adaptations of Agatha Christie novels, I became aware of an entirely different world — a world of smart hotels and elegant lifestyles, far removed from the cons

Tenerife is not all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it’s far more than that. No place in Europe is more cracked, ravaged, thrust asunder, or cleaved apart. Forget the crowds of lobster-pink sun-seekers who cling to its shores—just one word truly defines Tenerife, and that word is volcanic . This Canary Island is a testament to the forces of nature, covered in vast solidified lava flows, carved by impossibly deep ravines, cloaked by lush forests, and crowned by its omnipresent

We were on a walking tour of Menorca a while ago and our final hike was an extensive coastal trek to explore what is arguably the island's most untamed region. Parque Natural de s'Albufera des Grau, located in northeastern Menorca, encompasses 500 hectares of diverse ecosystems, including wild olive groves, wetlands, secluded coves, islands, and coastal dunes. This remarkable natural reserve is one of Menorca's most remarkable landscapes, featuring unique flora and wildlife.

We tend to over-use superlatives like "world's best footballer" or "nation's favourite dish." Can we ever really know what’s the absolute best? On this one occasion, I’m willing to make an exception. After spending a couple of nights at Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate near St Ives , I genuinely believe it to be one of the finest hospitality locations in the UK. The stunning setting, the top-notch service, and the feeling of absolute comfort make it a place I won't forget. Carbis

We recently visited Huangshan City, located in the southern part of China’s Anhui Province. We weren’t there for long - and it was a very hot day so walking about the old streets was probably not a good idea anyway. The area is renowned for its mountains, often enveloped in fog, and they attract countless visitors - but the city itself is a treasure trove of heritage, art, and history that deserves attention. A Stroll Through History: The Old Streets of Huangshan City 🏮 Tunx

Introduction to Samos Years ago, I travelled to the Greek island of Samos to take part in a walking week organised by Rambler’s Worldwide Holidays. The experience, filled with much laughter, unforgettable meals, natural beauty and cultural exploration, remains etched in my memory, largely thanks to the remarkable guide who led us on one particularly challenging and memorable hike. His name was Rupert Mostert, an unforgettable character with a charisma that left a lasting impr

Explore the Hidden Gem of Crete: The Lasithi Plateau Years ago we drove up into the mountains of central Crete and were amazed to come across a dead flat plain among the peaks. What was so surprising about this place was the number of windmills used for helping to irrigate the rich soils. I am told that many of these have since disappeared, but that some still survive. I hope so. It was one of the most magical places I have visited in the Greek islands…. Crete, the largest of

The Arrival of Slavery in North America and Its Strange West Country Echo It was 400 years ago that the first African slaves arrived in what was then colonial North America. This grim anniversary resonates in an unexpected and uncomfortable way in one of the most remote bays in all of the West Country: Beady Pool, on the southern shores of St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly. In all my UK travels, this beach - remote in the extreme - is one of the most haunting places I have ever

A short break in Marbella—a surprisingly wonderful town on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Surprising, because to many of us, it has a name for hen parties and that rather boozy world of short breaks which, in reality, is often exaggerated. There’s plenty of that in evidence, but Marbella also has a lot of laid-back charm.  It also has a lot of very good food. Dining on the move in the tapas joints is, of course, one of the town’s must-do activities, although it is a tradition that ha

Many years ago,actually nearly half a century ago, I visited the town of Nafplion in Greece. That’s how we pronounced it but I see that you leave the final “n” off the name when you’re writing it in Greek. Anyway, we loved the place. And it’s easy to explain why. We had driven from England in 1977 in an old Renault 16 which had broken down a few times along the way. It is a very long way from the English Channel down to Greece via what used to be known as Yugoslavia. We had t

The Journey to the Iban Longhouse in Borneo 🏝️🌴 After an hour of travelling, some of which was at high speed, we reached the longhouse where we’d be staying as guests of the local Iban people. Even before our arrival, I could hear the welcoming bell echoing through the lush jungle. A woman and a child came down to the riverbank to greet us, and we were ceremoniously marched up the ancient steps, carved from a single log, that led to the entrance of the longhouse. I was the

It’s pumpkin time in the UK. All across the Northern Hemisphere, in fact. For 25 years, it was my job as a feature writer to track down various pumpkin farmers around the South West region of England so that I could write newspaper articles all about what kind of season it was… Were this year’s pumpkins bigger than ever? Were there new varieties that were tastier than ever? You know the sort of thing. Anyway, thinking about pumpkins caused me to remember the most pumpkin-ish

A Nostalgic Dream Come True A great many of us grew up dreaming of tropical islands, often inspired by books like "Robinson Crusoe" or perhaps the glamorous travels of James Bond. As a kid in the 1960s or 70s, visiting a sun-drenched island fringed with white sandy beaches and azure waters seemed like the stuff of fantasy—unless you were Princess Margaret. Fast forward to today, and those dreams can become reality in the form of a luxurious adventure to the small, private Car