England’s Medieval Festival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, which is about an hour and a half from London or 45 minutes from Brighton. It claims to be the best medieval festival in England – a bold statement when it takes place not so far from the famous Loxwood Joust in West Sussex
Tag: Travel inspiration
Street food heaven in Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter
Xi’an is a city of seven million people, famed as the Gateway to the Silk Road and for the nearby Terracotta Warriors, an unmissable World Heritage site. But its history as a trading centre which welcomed people from across the world is reflected in the wide range of street food on offer. If you’re looking…
Celebrating Carnival in Palma de Mallorca
Being in Palma for the weekend of their famous carnival was a happy coincidence, but one that meant we could see the Sa Rua parade in all its glory. It may not be on the scale of Rio, but there’s colour and dazzling outfits as far as the eye can see in the 90 minute…
Summer days in Sardinia
Sardinia is a great place to slow down. We often pack our holidays full of things to do every day, but sometimes it’s just nice to relax. So a four-night break in June was perfect to unwind a bit. We stayed on the east coast of Sardinia at Arbatax for three nights, filling our time…
The magic of Forodhani at Eid (a Stone Town sight you shouldn’t miss)
“At Eid, everyone wanna go Forodhani”. The words of our guide rang in my ears as we surveyed the sea of joyful families and friends spilling out of the gardens and into the road along the seafront. An Eid night celebration at Forodhani Gardens in Zanzibar is something to behold. Dazzling colours, peaceful crowds picnicing…
Why you should visit Herculaneum instead of Pompeii
Staying in the Naples or Sorrento area during a trip to Italy? The region is home to two fascinating archaeological sites in Herculaneum and Pompeii. But if you only have one day to spare, which should you visit? We visited both last year and although it’s amazing to see such a famous site as Pompeii,…
Five landscapes you have to see on your South American trip
South America isn’t short of spectacular landscapes, many of which I’ve been lucky enough to visit over the past ten years. Stunning salt flats, dramatic table-top mountains, thousands of waterfalls and snow-capped volcanoes, there’s something for everyone. Not to mention the world’s longest river, the Amazon which drifts through thousands of acres of primary rainforest….
Flamingos, llamas and salt lakes – a Salar de Surire photoblog
Salar de Surire is a dazzling small salt flat in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, about halfway between Iquique and Arica. Although not as large or impressive as Salinas Grandes in north-west Argentina (which remains one of my favourite-ever travel days), it’s home to a large population of three species of flamingo, including the…
Visiting Parque Nacional Lauca from Arica, Chile
Snow-capped volcanoes, lots of alpacas and vicunas and the bluest of skies – all things you can expect to see if you make the journey up to Parque Nacional Lauca from Arica in Chile. Read on for more about this intriguing but little visited corner of Chile. There’s a place on the Arica-La Paz highway…
Four places to relax in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is a vibrant city that wears its heart on its sleeve and lives its life on the street. Thousands of people will surround you everywhere you go, but what happens if you want to escape the crowds for a while? Luckily Rio has plenty of options when you want to relax for a moment,…