5 Japan Winter Festivals: Naked People and Sake
From naked men to setting off fireworks and lots of sake, here is our round up of Japan Winter Festivals ranging from the quirky to the strange. Matsutaki Festival…
11 Carnivals Around the World for 2024
Whether you call it the carnival, Mardi Gras or simply a fête, the approach of Lent brings with it a wonderful explosion of colour and exuberance. Travel Begins at 40…
Hospitality, Heritage and Northern Lights at the Tynemouth Castle Inn
On his first visit to Tynemouth and Newcastle upon Tyne, Mark Bibby Jackson receives a hospitable welcome at the Tynemouth Castle Inn. The recently refurbished, Tynemouth Castle Inn is a…
Things To Do in Latvia: Five Cities in Five Days
On his first visit to the Baltic nations, Mark Bibby Jackson visits Gulbene, Valka, Valmiera, Cēsis and Riga while discovering the things to do in Latvia in five days. Many…
Enjoying a Pleasant Verona City Break
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at Il Relais Castelvecchio while enjoying a Verona city break in Italy’s most pleasant city. With its majestic Roman amphitheatre hosting spectacular floodlit opera, its…
Six Reasons to Fall in Love with Verona Italy
On her recent visit to Verona Italy, Judith Schrut found much, much more to love beyond those star-crossed lovers. I love, adore and have a massive soft spot for Italy…
The Grand Brighton Review : Changing with the Tides
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Grand Brighton and really does have a grand time in the Palace by the Sea. The Grand Brighton hotel has always been a place…
Regenerating Culture in Durham: Barnard Castle, Auckland Castle and Headlam Hall
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Barnard Castle, The Auckland Project and High Force while staying at Headlam Hall Country Hotel & Spa, Durham. One of the most rewarding aspects of being…
Feeling at Home at Le Touquet on the Opal Coast
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the seaside resort of Le Touquet on the Opal Coast in the Pas de Calais, France and feels back home. In retrospect it is a tiny…
Slow Travel in Horsens and Kystlandet Denmark
After visiting Frederiksberg Copenhagen Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train to Horsens to explore slow travel in Horsens and Denmark’s Coastal Land, or Kystlandet. I have been a devotee of…
Romantically Local Frederiksberg Copenhagen
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Frederiksberg Copenhagen, a district with a very local feel, wonderful cuisine and a very special art space. Copenhagen has had the reputation for being a foodie…
Greece Island Hopping Holiday in Style
From backpacking to barefoot luxury, Maria Boyle retraces her first Greece island hopping trip in the Cyclades, this time with her family in tow. One of the best summers in…
Green Inspiration at the Biohotel Rupertus Leogang
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the Biohotel Rupertus Leogang, Austria and emerges totally reinvigorated. “To us organic is not a trend or a buzzword, rather it is a way of…
Local Tourism in the Saalfelden Leogang, Austria
The Saalfelden Leogang is noted for its cycling, but non-cyclist Mark Bibby Jackson explores the sustainable, local tourism opportunities in this amazingly green part of Austria. Climate change is a…
Salzburg City Break: All Roads Lead to Mozart
Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train from London to Austria, for a Salzburg city break in birthplace of a certain composer. Even if you wanted to, I think it would…
6 Unmissable Global Festivals in October
From two of the most important festivals in the Indian calendar, to sausage festivals in Lincoln and Weimar, October is a month full of fun. Here is our selection of…
Things To Do in Medellin Colombia
On his trip to Colombia, Mike East experiences the wonderful things to do in Medellin, a city reborn from its troublesome past. Located in the Western Andes, Medellin Colombia enjoys…
Le Phebus Hotel & Spa Provence Review
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise check in to Le Phebus Hotel & Spa in Provence France, a land of culture and beauty. To arrive in the heart of the…
Sri Lanka Train Ride, Tea Plantations and the Pekoe Trail
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an amazing Sri Lanka train ride, visits former capital Kandy, tea plantations and hikes along the Pekoe Trail. I first fell in love with train…
Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla and Elephant Safari in Sri Lanka
In the first of a series of articles covering his trip to Sri Lanka, Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an elephant safari, sees the wonderful cave paintings at Dambulla and…
7 UK Festivals in September 2023
To music on a Holy Island to Derby’s biggest street festival, read Travel Begins at 40’s round-up of the best UK festivals in September 2023. UK Music Festivals in September…
Drinking Cocktails in London with 40 Elephants
Mark Bibby Jackson tries out cocktails in London at the 40 Elephants, in the Great Scotland Yard Hotel Westminster, one of the best cocktail bars in London. In my early…
A Mini Break at Askham in the Glorious Lake District
Marion Ainge steams across Ullswater and savours a sumptuous afternoon tea while staying in Askham in the Lake District. The sunlight sparkles on the water as the historic Western Belle…
Cookery Course at Mrs Portly’s Kitchen
Roger Hermiston takes a cookery course from Linda Duffin of Mrs Portly’s Kitchen in Brockford, Suffolk. It seems that there’s a word for it – but I’ll wager you’ve never…
