After visiting Canada’s party city of Montreal and its astonishingly beautiful neighbor, old Quebec, I was expecting to find Ottawa a little dull. I imagined the capital city to be dour and intellectual – a place with museums on every corner where you nod wisely at the artworks and debate…

Fairy tale-like Chester is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. The old town’s collection of quirky stores housed in Rows (a fully-functioning medieval version of a shopping mall) is reminiscent of sepia toned Grimm’s tale. What is truly striking about Chester is its dramatic architecture. It has a Victorian…

“We have lost only one man,” said Alpha Omega, our Devil’s Pool guide, a tall stick of a man, “and that was because he saved a guest who chose not to take his advice.” All the guides standing at the edge of the briefing room/cafeteria, considered this statement solemnly, their…

Moonlight Paddleboard Yoga, Greece The Skiathos Princess: Participants can awaken their senses by performing YOGAqua (Yoga on Stand up Paddle Boards) on the glistening, moonlit waters of Skiathos with stars sparkling overhead – a truly idyllic and unforgettable atmosphere. Days with a full moon are revered in the Ashtanga yoga…

From the Bahamas to the southeastern points of the Caribbean, small museums dedicated to special interests, people or significant events can become an engaging stop even on a busy itinerary. If your own interests at home include one of these categories, then consider including one of these noteworthy, smaller museums…

Miami is probably best known to tourists as a popular cruise port and gateway to the sandy beaches of greater Miami Beach. But over the last decade, the downtown area of the city has been transformed into a magnet with world-class arts, culture, architecture and entertainment. If you’ve never explored…

From Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo, hotels and restaurants are showcasing wine and spirit experiences. If your liquid memories of Baja, Mexico are limited to cheap tequila shots or six-packs of Corona, it’s time to return to Los Cabos and kick it up a notch. To match…

Napa Valley in California; Tuscany in Italy; The Rioja region in Spain; and….Michigan? While the aforementioned destinations are top of mind as a wine lovers paradise, don’t overlook this lesser known but beautiful hidden gem just 90 minutes out of Chicago. All up and down the southern shore of Lake…

For years the little island of Sri Lanka has been a place that lots of people wanted to visit but very few actually did. A devastating civil war was followed by the brutal 2004 tsunami. Now the country is rising above its past to become a holiday hotspot, with its…

I arrived at Parambikulam, a government run Tiger Reserve in Kerala, and paid Rs300 to gain access, Rs70 for the car, plus another Rs300 for my camera. At the main office, where I’m to book in for the night, I’m told I need to pay tourist prices, not the fee…

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…

Whilst eating my way around the square mile of Soho I got to meet some of its food heroes – the people who create the greatest food in the capital. Like a gin-infused meat pie at The London Gin Club, La Bodega Negra’s modern-day twist on tacos, the Spanish ham…

When most people think about going on a cruise, the first thing that comes to mind is the dreamy vacation onboard a luxury ship surrounded by the sea. Spending evenings watching the cabaret shows, having a posh dinner and walking on the deck under the moon and stars. There are…

The narrow window for visiting the Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse (in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands) is limited to eight weeks a year—between March and May. So flower-lovers, gardeners and photographers from all over the world convene at the Gardens at that time, coinciding with the season…