Floating in the turquoise depths of the Andaman Sea, Thailand’s Similan Archipelago is a pristine wilderness of giant granite boulders, lush jungle, and world-class diving. Here is what makes this protected national park one of South East Asia’s most captivating marine sanctuaries.

Hidden among glorious subtropical gardens near Falmouth, Hotel Meudon is one of Cornwall's best-kept secrets. Discover my review of this elegant luxury hotel with its own private beach, peaceful woodland setting and easy access to the beautiful Helford River.

Foreign places can grow in the imagination during a person’s formative years – we can nurture romantic and colourful ideas about a country or region and somehow they stick as you grow older. For example, mental images of the Middle East can be seeded and amplified by biblical stories. Then, perhaps, we may watch a classic movie like Lawrence of Arabia - and suddenly the hot dusty region takes on a whole new allure and fascination. What we see in our Arabian Night tinted imag

There are place names in the great European atlas that are enough to make the discerning traveller scuttle in the opposite direction – for example, having travelled to almost every corner of the EU in 30 years of writing travel articles, I’ve always managed to avoid the Algarve thinking it to be overcrowded and over-exploited. But one generalises at one’s peril. I am sure there are parts of Portugal’s southern coastline which are overbearing in certain seasons, but the south

It was a burning hot morning the day we visited this famous market situated in the heart of Provence. If I’m honest, I was beginning to dread facing the crowds and overheated streets, but then, I’d never been to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue before. The first thing I realised was that it features a great many cooling waterways, and these really did have the effect of reducing the sun’s heat. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a picturesque town which plays host to one of the region's most popul

Anhui Province, in eastern China, often sits in the shadow of its more famous culinary neighbours such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang. However, its cuisine, known as Hui cuisine (徽菜), offers a distinctive flavour profile that is said to reflect the rugged landscapes, abundant rivers, and rich history of the region. Anhui’s culinary traditions are deeply connected to its geography, drawing on local ingredients and time-honoured techniques that emphasise simplicity, freshness, and the

The ancient craft of Xuan paper making is one of China's most remarkable traditions. Join me inside Anhui's spectacular Xuan Paper Museum to discover how more than 180 painstaking processes transform natural fibres into the paper prized by artists and calligraphers for centuries.

I am in the process of writing a plethora of articles about a recent trip to Anhui Province in China - but some reason I can’t quite put my finger on I decided to knock out a quick piece about Chinese motorway service stations and the truly weird and perhaps not so wonderful food that you can find to help fuel you on your way. Curiously, at none of the service stations we stopped at was anyone - not a single soul - eating in the restaurants. They were open. They were big and

Not a sniff all summer… Strange, because in recent years there have been plenty of delicious edible fungi popping up in the South West thanks, perhaps, to the warm wet weather we get nowadays. At the time of writing, though, 2024 hasn’t been up to much. In our normally fungi-filled neck of the woods, I have only managed to collect a handful of chanterelles and a small basket of field mushrooms. A don’t know about mushrooms being magic - moody mushrooms would be more accurate

Madeira combines spectacular mountain scenery, a wonderfully temperate climate, superb food and one of Europe’s most charming capitals. Travel writer Martin Hesp explores Funchal, walks the island’s famous levadas and royal paths, samples Madeiran cuisine and discovers why this Atlantic island remains one of his favourite destinations.

There’s nothing quite like stumbling upon a location you’ve never visited before and discovering it to be surprisingly scenic and enjoyable. It is particularly rewarding for West Country folk when we come across some delightful corner of the coast outside our region, because we tend to be pretty much spoilt when it comes to having lovely bays and beaches in our own backyard. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t expecting too much when, for family reasons, we found ourselves heading

Many years ago I wrote an article about my father’s great friend, one Harry Horrobin, who was a well known figure with his wife Betty living in the village where Iu reside now. The article was published in The Guardian and recently someone sent me a cutting… He are the words I wrote, taken from a very old file of mine filled with old bit of copy paper… HARRY HORROBIN is a retired blacksmith who can’t resist a symbolic cut when he’s out snowballing. Once it’s done, he gives h

The West Country plum season is in full swing, although many trees (mine included) aren’t up to much this year. Plums grow well in certain parts of the region but, alas, many local varieties have disappeared. Which is a real shame because we hear more and more complaints about the blandness of the fruits on offer in supermarkets – products which often have travelled halfway around the planet to get here. How things have changed since the people of Truro used to turn out en

Sometimes you have to make your own luck in life. I wasn’t to know it at the time, but 25 years ago I made what seemed to be a fairly inconsequential decision while hiking high on the moors, and it changed my entire career. I was at a crossroads - flogging a bit of a dead horse running a media-based business - and on my wife’s birthday I was so broke I couldn’t afford to do anything special, so offered to take her on a nice scenic Exmoor walk. Walking in beautiful places is

People talk about an “embarrassment or riches” - a state of affairs which is not, for most of us, a phenomenon that occurs very often. But the phrase did come to mind one day recently after I’d arrived home laden with an abundance of edible goodies, some of them foraged from the wild, and other delicious items grown by vegetable gardeners of my acquaintance. There are times when you can only beam at nature’s bounty and admire the treasures which can come out of the soil. Of

Perry is one of Britain's oldest and finest drinks. Meet the people behind its remarkable revival and discover why traditional perry deserves to be celebrated alongside the world's greatest wines and ciders.

Some people have an incurable curiosity when it comes to the landscape. For example, if they see an interesting or picturesque place from afar, they automatically think: “Right… One day I’ll go to that place and see what it’s all about.” This article relates to exactly that sort of journey. But there was a reason why it took me so long to embark on the particular journey of discovery, even though I had several times found myself being attracted to an obscure corner of the So

The Bagni Di Pisa Palace and Thermal Spa is a very impressive indeed. The place is reminiscent of the sort of place Agatha Christie might have visited - if Poirot ever went anywhere to “take the waters” this would be the place. Actually, someone who did write something famous in this very hotel was Mary Shelley - who finished penning her story Frankenstein here after being partly inspired to write it back at home in Somerset’s Quantock Hills. I attended a wine class in the

Discover how to plan the perfect 3 to 4-day short break in Madeira. Explore Funchal highlights, scenic walks, local seafood spots, and top places to stay.

It’s amazing how things can stick in your mind, even if they are all to do with ancient history. I was thinking this recently when I snapped our photo of a Viking long boat on its moorings on a lake in deepest darkest Jutland and it reminded me of my childhood. Just opposite my old West Country school there was a field called Battle Gore, the legend of which used to fill us boys with wonder and awe. A huge battle was once fought right there in our own little village. Wow! And