Browsing: Sightseeing

There’s a quiet culinary uprising catching on in Norway; a new-found pride and a change in attitude towards food traditions. This has given rise to the production of local and organic produce which people in the know claim is the result of their climatic conditions and landscape. To find out what makes fjord food so distinctive, I sought the advice from food producers, chefs, artisan bakers and farmers.

From Cheese…

Following a brief ferry trip …

Read More

If you are bored with the uniformity of five-star hotels and prefer personalized treatment, a daily gourmet food experience, sport followed by wellness to recover, you want to read on.
The 89-roomed Grand Park, with its understated elegance and obliging service staff, is Bad Hofgastein’s only five-star hotel. Its location is perfection, in the midst of the Alps, the gateway to world-class hiking and skiing. The hotel itself, Georgian in style, is located well for …

Read More

Fifty-two miles south of Salzburg, surrounded by the imposing Austrian Alps, with their broad slopes and wide runs, is the piste-perfect ski resort of Grossarl – an idyllic winter sports mini break in a picture postcard setting.

The hotel to call home is the 4 star-superior Grossarler Hof, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. They opened in 2009 and already have a host of awards and accolades.

Committed to nature

Read More

In the 19th century, Flachau was Austria’s regional centre of iron smelting. Now though, it’s one of the largest ski resorts in Ski amadé with 270 lifts and 760km of slopes, snowboarding, tobogganing, tubing, cross-country and downhill skiing. The village has combined technology with top-class ski facilities and has modern lifts sweep skiers above manicured slopes, whisking them to the top of the mountain. Long quiet runs cater for everyone – from beginners, to connoisseurs, …

Read More

Considered the jewel of the Austrian Alps, the Gastein Valley lies an hour south of Salzburg, in the heart of the majestic Austrian Alps. Other than the fantastic thermal spa and panoramic views of the Hohe Tauern National Park, the mountains surrounding Gastein are what it’s all about.

From the west side of the valley, cable cars rise two miles to the summit of Stubnerkogel. From there, a variety of ski runs and several lifts …

Read More

Austria’s Ski amadé is a sensory experience; a colourful explosion of blue sky, white snow and emerald green trees; interspersed with aromatic aromas of local cuisine and the silken taste of Austrian wine (their secret weapon!). It sharpens your senses – it’s chaotic, intoxicating, raw, in-your-face and utterly exciting.

Like the perfectly groomed pistes which give you access to viewpoints such as the Kraftorte recovery point, where nature comes into focus and opens up unexpected …

Read More

Now is the time for wine and nature lovers to rejoice; not only do Sussex vineyards produce beautiful wines, they also provide opportunities to sample, tour the vineyards and meet the Vintners.

Fizz On Foot, who offers guided walk and wine tasting tours, combine the great outdoors with walks through great British wine country. From a one-day buffet lunch and wine-tasting tour to a four-day, several vineyards trek, you’ll see the spectacular Sussex countryside as …

Read More

EUROSTAR

Forget short-haul flights, delays and the rigorous security inspections that come with it – take the train instead! Train travel is not only environmentally friendly but pleasurable and remarkably quick too. It’s easier than flying and you get to see the country you’re traveling through.

Eurostar is the high-speed passenger train from London to Brussels and Paris via the undersea Channel Tunnel. Eurostar trains leave London St Pancras station almost every hour for the …

Read More

WALES & LOTUS

Wales is home to Tom Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta Jones, the world’s oldest language and more castles per square mile than any other place on Earth. It’s an old and fastidious land of charmed, dreamy landscapes; farmhouses and snug villages tucked away amongst deep woodlands in the most inaccessible lush places.

At Heathrow Airport, Bespokes Car Hire handed me the keys to a Lotus Evora, a 3.5-litre V6 missile. With its …

Read More

It’s summertime in Seattle, Washington. Hit the water now that the rain subsided and the gray clouds turned into white cotton. Raise a glass of craft beer, cider, wine, or spirits. Check out the city’s varied outdoor festivals.

Pike Place Market Expands

This summer marks a major expansion for Pike Brewing Company. This  Seattle landmark based in Pike Market led the way for the Seattle craft brewing scene. They will be opening Tankard & Tun, …

Read More

People from all over the world tend to seek out vacations where they can bask in the sun and enjoy a climate that’s much hotter than then they are used to on a daily basis. But how about you double your pleasure by visiting your chosen destination when they celebrate carnival? Carnival around the world is one of the biggest street parties at any given destination. People flood the city streets in colorful costumes that …

Read More

It’s Saturday night in Montreal, and I’m determined not to slink back home until at least 10pm; I don’t want my two young Airbnb hosts to think I’m such a social failure  I can’t find anything to do in Canada’s self-proclaimed party city.
Montreal prides itself on being the fun and festive heart of Canada, a country that’s generally seen as rather dull. This city-on-an-island is having none of that, and celebrates about 110 festivals …

Read More

Visitors in the Seattle area looking for a quick getaway might want to check out Whidbey Island, one of the most scenic and accessible destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Within an hour of leaving North Seattle, travelers can arrive on this island via a 20-minute ride from the Mukilteo ferry landing.

Upon debarking in Clinton, visitors should start their travels at the town of Langley. Pick up a cup of coffee at Useless Bay Coffee; …

Read More

Dozens of dabbawallas congregate under a tall Banyan tree; more arrive every minute. I watched these tiffin carrying deliverymen sort out the lunch boxes at a frantic pace, then load the steel tiffins onto their bicycles and push carts. Soon groups of three or four dabbawalas push carts laden with hundreds of tiffins along the middle of the road. They’re all clad in long cotton loincloths called dhoti’s, loose cotton shirts and white wide-band Gandhi …

Read More