Review: The Atlantic Hotel, Jersey

‘I could move here.’ We’ve all said it. You’re on holiday, drinking in the sun’s rays and (most likely) a cold one from the local brewery. And whether it’s the unfamiliar warmth from the skies kissing your cheek, the undeniably impressive views, or the rich abundance of fruits de mer on offer, you’re suddenly dreaming…

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Review – Hotel Edelweiss, Zurs, Austria

Watching the progress of our journey on my phone map and looking up towards our destination, Zürs, it was difficult to imagine how our transport would manage the near vertical ascent to our hotel from the valley floor. The traverse of twists, turns and tunnels brought us up and over the Flexen Pass and to…

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Review: A Car-Free Adventure to Carlisle

  The cathedral city of Carlisle may not be your first thought when planning your next weekend away, but the small border city has much more to offer than as a refuelling stop on the way to the Lake District. From its Roman beginnings and royal connections to its hundreds of years of skirmishes with…

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Searching for Sugarlandia – The Philippines with Don Papa Rum

I’ve always been captivated by the stories behind Scotland’s whiskies. Tales of illicit stills, brave pioneers, families working together and on occasion tearing each other apart, have always been whispered on the wind that sways the fields of barley and in the rushing rivers that provide the crystal-clear water that make Scotch whisky. Today, they…

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REVIEW: Viking Cruises,Treasures of the Rhine

I’ll be honest. I never thought I’d embark on a cruise. The very concept was enough to raise the blood pressure. Tacky entertainment, screaming children, unimaginative food, and the inability to find five minutes’ peace? For the sake of sanity, I’d rather stay at home. But that was before I was introduced to Viking Cruises,…

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Review: Leukerbad, Switzerland

There are three main reasons for visiting this achingly scenic ski resort in the Swiss Valais region: the thermal springs which the town claims are the biggest in the Alps, an eight-hour Via Ferrata which is the scariest I’ve ever seen, and access to some quite amazing ski touring. Skiing This is a small resort…

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Review: Leukerbad, Switzerland

There are three main reasons for visiting this achingly scenic ski resort in the Swiss Valais region: the thermal springs which the town claims are the biggest in the Alps, an eight-hour Via Ferrata which is the scariest I’ve ever seen, and access to some quite amazing ski touring. Skiing This is a small resort…

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Review: Champery and the Regions Dents du Midi

Champery in the Swiss Valais region is part of the cross-border Portes du Soleil ski area, which means that it has direct access to almost 600km of pistes spread across 307 runs and twelve resorts. A traditional picture box perfect Swiss resort, this venerable little 150-year-old town is quieter and quainter than most of the French resorts…

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