Unyoked lets you escape to the British wilderness in a chic cabin April 3, 2023 Unyoked lets you get away from it all in a chic cabin in the woods within easy travelling distance of London. Steve Dinneen takes a genuinely rejuvenating break in the South Downs. WHAT IS IT? The idea of getting away from it all and disconnecting from your job/social media/the relentless news cycle has been part [...]
Inside the £10,000 BVI retreat teaching ethical capitalism March 27, 2023 There are certain moments in life that you will always remember. For me, one of these is paddling out to sea at night in a transparent, glow-in-the-dark kayak, while looking up at the stars off the shores of a private BVI island. Back on land, a banquet was taking place on the beach – everyone [...]
Cork is the drinking-man’s city break a short hop from London March 21, 2023 There’s a video doing the rounds of Cillian Murphy being asked where’s the best city to go drinking. Without hesitating he replies ‘Cork’. Filled with rickety old pubs that seem to grow organically from the city’s architecture, like some alcoholic Hogwarts, it’s ideal for a weekend of enthusiastic bar-hopping. Getting there With Cork’s airport a [...]
Peace and serenity in the Italian capital of Rome March 17, 2023 THE WEEKEND: No matter how many times you have visited Rome, the Eternal City lures you back. This time for something a little different though: the plushest new swimming pool in the city centre, a rare find in the Italian capital. Sightseeing offset by sun lounging? Tell me more… THE STAY: Situated in the shadows [...]
Checking into Prince William and Kate’s getaway, Cheval Blanc Randheli Maldives March 16, 2023 THE HOLIDAY: Over-water villas and white sand beaches? Meh, I’ve heard it all before. The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives can feel so clichéd, it takes a seriously swish hotel to stand out from the rest. Enter Cheval Blanc Randheli, a very French take on the postcard-pristine tropical idyll, owned by luxury goods house [...]
Why Kalkan on the Turkish Riviera is your next luxury retreat March 13, 2023 Kalkan on the Turkish Riviera is a slice of laid back luxury. Oliver Bilgutay plucks olives from the trees and eats the cuisine of his dreams The images of Turkey that were splashed across news channels in the wake of one of the worst earthquakes in recent memory make a stark contrast to pictures of [...]
Trekking for snow leopards – and the Yeti – in Ladakh, India February 27, 2023 We’re high up in trans-Himalayan Ladakh in India – dizzyingly high – and oxygen is hard to come by here. To reach the tiny village of Ulley, where we’re holed up in a local homestay, we’ve already passed through thundering mountain ranges, following lines of army trucks coiled like sunbaking snakes. We’ve motored up the [...]
The Fairmont Royal York Toronto: The business traveller’s dream February 25, 2023 One of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in Toronto, the Fairmont Royal York has a discreet “hotel within a hotel” complete with private check-in, executive lounge and butler services. Here’s everything you need to know. THE HOTEL: Located across the street from the CN Tower and Union station, this landmark property opened in 1929 [...]
Can The Maldives cure me? I went to find out February 20, 2023 “The first dedicated wellness retreat in the Maldives,” they said. “Nonsense,” I said. Every Maldivian island and their dog has “well-something” splashed across their website. Once you’re done petting dolphins, what else is there to do but be tended to by therapists promising repair, realignment, reconnection, restoration and revitalisation? “I’m not having it,” I thought. [...]
Paris on Valentine’s Day a cliché? Not at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée February 13, 2023 THE WEEKEND: Long-stemmed Jacqueminot roses. Flutes of fizzing Feuillatte. Boxes of bonbons by Belgian chocolatiers. A romantic weekend in Paris. You may call it cliché, but I call it classic. Besides, everyone knows Paris is a good idea—especially now, when there are new reasons to pay a visit to the City of Love. THE STAY: [...]