Why 2019 is the year to explore Italy's art history

Why 2019 is the year to explore Italy’s art history

Italy’s contribution to our global cultural history is hard to overstate – the great painters of the Renaissance left a legacy that still shapes our understanding of the art world today. 2019 is a banner year for arts and culture in the country, with celebrations and exhibitions celebrating this artistic heritage and looking forward to…

5 May festivals worth travelling for

Is your calendar looking depressingly empty? When there’s no getaway planned and the summer holidays are still month away, it’s the perfect time to squeeze in a mini escape – and what better to reason than to experience a different culture in all its glory? Local festivals and events often present us a link with the traditions…

The surfer’s holy grail: a pristine break in the remote Marshall Islands

Experienced surfers looking for a pristine break are heading to a remote archipelago somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines. The Marshall Islands are hard to find and even harder to get to – and of course, that’s part of their appeal. Most of the 29 coral atolls that make up the Islands are unknown to…

Which art museums in Madrid should you visit?

Barcelona might get all the glory, but Madrid is where it’s at for art buffs looking for a serious culture fix in Spain. Paintings on display in the city range from the truly iconic (like Picasso’s Guernica) to the truly unsettling (Goya’s Black Paintings) with all major art periods well represented in between. Museum-hopping is…

Pyramids and human sacrifice: the top ancient sites in Peru

The traces of human civilisation in Peru date back some 20,000 years, to nomadic peoples who crossed into the Americas via the Bering Straight during the last Ice Age. From these beginnings to the Mochica and Nazca peoples living in the first centuries AD, to the famous Incas of Machu Picchu, today visitors can trace that history…

Four luxury camping experiences in Southeast Asia

Luxury camping, or ‘glamping’ as its also known, is on the rise. Once the preserve of high-end safari camps, you can now stay under canvas – with all the creature comforts – in destinations worldwide. In Southeast Asia in particular, a number of new luxury camping sites have been springing up over the past few years,…

Where to go for a winter escape in 2019

Late February… the time of year when it feels like Spring can’t come soon enough. Ease the transition through the last weeks of cold weather with a last minute winter escape to sunnier climes. We’ve chosen three options for you depending on how far you’re willing to travel for your sunshine. No plane required: a…

Athens in pictures: a visual tour

In a city so packed to the rafters with historic sights, planning a trip to Athens can be overwhelming when it comes to knowing what to see and what to skip. There are several ancient sights well worth the effort (including the Acropolis of course), but a lot of the city’s charm lies in cafe-hopping…

Spain in winter: a chance to explore the south’s historic cities

If a Spanish summer is all about sun, sea and sand (in other words, the beaches), winter in Spain offers the opportunity to explore the country’s many fascinating cities, especially those in Andalucia that become semi-unbearable ovens in the summer months. Temperatures in Cordoba and Seville regularly top 40℃ in July and August, but sunny winter days with…

Where to go skiing in France in 2019

If you were lucky enough to go on family ski trips in the 1990s you’ll remember the brightly coloured onesies, zinc sunscreen and impossible-to-undo salopettes that used to characterise skiing in the French Alps. Maybe you’ve been keeping up with the Joneses ever since, but if you’re planning your first ski trip in a while,…

The best places to visit in Portugal

Lisbon has been getting a whole lot of press recently, and visitors numbers are higher than ever. And while you really should visit Lisbon if you haven’t been before, there’s a whole lot more to Portugal than its capital city. For people looking a little further afield, we’ve rounded up some of best places to…

Why a winter holiday in Greece is a great idea

Picture Greece, and what do you see? Sun-baked white sand beaches, sparkling turquoise ocean and queues of overheated tourists queuing for ferries? You’re not alone. While the multi-island nation – spread out as it is across the Mediterranean – is undoubtedly a summer favourite, there’s a whole lot to explore in the wintertime too. Pack…