Discovering Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle at Uga Ulagalla
On the first leg of their whistle-stop tour through Sri Lanka, Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Uga Ulagalla in the island’s Cultural Triangle. The teardrop of India, or the…
48 Hours in Bratislava Slovakia in Winter
Mark Bibby Jackson spends 48 hours in Bratislava Slovakia to see why this underrated European capital is a winter wonderland. My previous visit to the Bratislava Slovakia was in 1994…
Return to Merida, The Lake District of Venezuela
It has been six years since Mark Heath was last in Merida. Despite the political upheavals, he found the city and surrounding area even more enjoyable; especially with the resurrection…
Celebrating Christmas in Carinthia Austria
Mark Bibby Jackson travels to Klagenfurt in Carinthia Austria to be re-inspired by the magic of Christmas. Sometimes in the uber-commercialised world we live, it’s easy to forget the magic…
Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House Review
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the Montigo Resorts Somerset at Charlton House, a beautiful Georgian country house that has been given a fresh spice of life. Sometimes I find myself…
Escapism and Conservation at Gili Lankanfushi Maldives
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise discover their inner Robinson Crusoe at Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives, a very eco resort. It will read like the most overblown set of…
Seal Watching at Winterton Beach Norfolk
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a short break in Norfolk where he makes friends with some seals in total isolation on Winterton Beach. When people ask me what’s the favourite place…
Christmas Markets in Europe and the UK
From the original December market to the city that created stollen, the source of mulled wine and the first Christmas tree, let Travel Begins at 40 guide you through some…
Travelling through Malta Like a Local
Malta has never been a place high on my non-existent travel bucket list. I was put off it by tales of a family holiday there to which I was excluded…
10 Best Things to Do in Malta: Your Ultimate Travel Checklist
Welcome to the beautiful island of Malta, where history, culture and adventure await. If you’re planning a trip to this stunning Mediterranean destination, you’re in for a treat. From the…
Cruising the Danube River in Double-width Style
If you are thinking of cruising the Danube river – and with itineraries mixing big-hitter capitals such as Budapest and Vienna with beguiling scenery and fairy-tale towns, perhaps you should…
Buckingham Palace and The Cadogan Hotel Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Buckingham Palace on their London stay at the Cadogan Hotel If its walls could talk London’s Belmond Cadogan Hotel would have some mighty colourful…
Nothing Else Like It : Andres Carne de Res Chia Review
From humble beginnings in Bogota´s dormitory town of Chia, Andres Carne de Res has rapidly become a Colombian cultural phenomenon. It mixes tasty, filling food with a Carnivalesque energy and…
Nantes: France’s Queen of Green
Something’s going very green in the French city of Nantes, as Judith Schrut discovered on her recent visit to this welcoming and eco-friendly gem on the western banks of the…
Exploring Green Graz Austria
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Graz Austria, a green city with a visionary view for our future. It was on a visit to Iași in Romania a few years ago that…
Chateau de Candie : An Appetizing Getaway in the French Alps
Our first glimpse of the Chateau de Candie, a historic small luxury hotel near Chambery in the heart of Savoy, France, was picture postcard perfect. A winding road skirted a field…
A Walk through Pittsburgh : a Surprising, Green City
The previous few days had challenged my pre-formed opinion of the Rust Belt. Buffalo and Cleveland were both interesting and lively cities with plenty of architectural gems and lots of…
Montserrate, Bogota’s Mountain, Colombia
At 3,152 metres, the mountain of Montserrate dominates the high plateau (already at a height of 2,640 metres) on which Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is built. It is a…
Monkey Island Estate Bray Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise review Monkey Island hotel and Estate on the banks of the Thames near the village of Bray. It is just a small, seven-acre island in…
A Tour of Brutalist Architecture in Washington DC
World class cities are like good friends, it doesn’t matter how long it has been since you last met, there is an instant familiarity. Also, just like really good friends…
Saint Lucia : a Community United in Music
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, and discovers the secret behind its popularity as a holiday destination. There are times when I feel most fortunate to…
Congham Hall Hotel and Spa Review
There are hotels you go to for their destination and hotels that become destinations in themselves, Congham Hall Norfolk is both. Set in glorious countryside just outside of the Sandringham…
Creating New Heritage in Newcastle and Gateshead
Mark Bibby Jackson visits some of the industrial heritage in Newcastle given new life. One of my particular likes when travelling is to see how industrial buildings can be transformed…
Tracey Emin, Sex and Afternoon Tea at the Walpole Bay Hotel
“This is the room where Tracey Emin says she had her best sex,” Jane Bishop informs me as she as she hands me the key to room 302 at the…
