Poperinge, a quiet little town a short drive from the Channel Ports, 175km from Brussels, is Belgium’s hops capital, and famously linked to WW1’s British war effort – it was well known to Allied soldiers who fought in the Ypres Salient. Other than its war memorials, the town also draws tourists for it’s Hops Festival each September.
The historical town square, surrounded by neo-Gothic mansions, has an assortment of taverns serving local brews and creative …
The world is full of beautiful beaches, but some places are better than others to spend your vacation. Think about what you really want to do on that trip before deciding where to go. You will find more to do than lying by the ocean at the best beach destinations.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Perfect blue water, white sand and beach beds (not just chairs) everywhere. It’s hard to match Punta Cana. There are many …
When many hear of a Smoky Mountain Vacation they may picture rustic cabins, hunting or animal watching, perhaps a lazy walking trail or two, and a whole lot of peace. While peace is plentiful in many areas of the Great Smokys, there is also a plethora of highly active entertainments that will leave you with a thirst for adventure long after you make your way back home.
If …
Rich in 18th century history, Colonial Williamsburg has much more to offer its visitors than just vast stores of historical knowledge. The lush landscape takes on a nearly tropical feel during the summer months and can make a visit to this lovely, educational vacation destination feel like more of a life experience than a quick vacation getaway. Family members of all ages will be able to find activities and entertainments to suit their desires …
Couples looking for romance, privacy, adventure and luxury in the Caribbean can take advantage of a number of excellent resorts. Several companies offer couples only resorts, but Sandals Resorts offers 14 different properties throughout the Caribbean and they specialize in weddings, honeymoons and romantic get-aways. From top shelf liquors, gourmet a la carte restaurants and your own private butler, the following hotels cover all the necessary luxuries for a discreet holiday for two. All inclusive …
A seven a.m. departure from Dover, a UK sea port, will have you across the English Channel in France’s Boulogne just over an hour later, giving us just sufficient time to freshen up, take in a coffee (and a patisserie) and plan our morning. This ferry service is run by LD Lines which delivers its passengers to the quay at the foot of Boulogne’s town centre in just over an hour (midweek crossings are cost …
Needing to escape the cramped, airless Mach-4 lifestyle of our giant anthill capital where nothing works properly and everyone gets in everyone’s way, I headed to Dover. I was reliably informed that other than the war-time tunnels beneath Dover Castle few outsiders ever willingly visited as the only other thing to do was board a ferry to France.
Apart from fortifications, galleries, gardens, restored structures, a nature reserve and discount shops on Wellington Dock, what …
Anguilla lies low on the horizon as you approach by ferry, a landscape at first suggesting less variety than her mountainous neighbors of St. Martin or St. Barths. But distant, outward appearances can be deceptive. Once you come ashore here, and make the easy drive up and down the length of her terrain, you also begin to encounter the color and character of an island and people with a distinct sense of identity.
In fact, …
African safaris are a dime a dozen, especially those in fenced in National Parks or Nature Reserves where tourists are taken on conveyer-belt type game drives. That’s as good as it gets, I thought, and as such lost interest.
That was until I recently discovered the Selinda Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta where game are free to wander across its 320,000 acres of unfenced wilderness. I’d heard much of Selinda ticking all the proverbial green …
Whilst on a tea safari in Holland Cindy-Lou Dale soon discovered the meaning of a cake hang-over.
I’ve heard much about the Dutch tea drinking culture, even more so about their idyllic afternoon tea shops. I saddled up my photographic assistant, Heather, booked a couple of Eurostar and Thalys train tickets to take me from London to Amsterdam (via Brussels) and sought accommodation advice from the tourism office there. A few days later, Heather and …
WINDAMERE HOTEL
The elegant Windamere Hotel, surrounded by tea and cardamom estates, is a gracious Colonial gem with grand views of the Himalayas.
Here old rituals of politeness and respect hold sway, where turbaned staff serve afternoon tea in cosy inviting corners in the library or front parlour where books and newspapers are strewn around. The deep Victorian sofas, immense gilded paintings and framed photographs of stiffly posing people is somewhat reminiscent of an elderly …
After a few false starts and many growing pains, Punta Cana on the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast, might truly begin living up to the hype of becoming the “new” ultimate tropical vacation destination. Over the past two years, ambitious plans for massive upgrades in existing accommodations, services, and amenities, plus the completion of many luxurious new resorts have successfully come to fruition largely thanks to enthusiastic European and American investors. Lately, the seascape has been …
The dream of skiing in St. Moritz, Europe’s winter glam capital, seems impossibly expensive to most of us. Yet this unbridled wealthy Swiss mountain village, where furs predominate, caviar is sold in supermarkets and snow-chained Bentley’s jockey with Porsche’s for parking, is affordable, very affordable – the trick is knowing where to look, and when to go.
From Zurich airport take the little red train, which gently threads through the Swiss Alps, gently clickedy-clacking higher …
