No longer merely a Georgian cottage, this boutique hotel is now a fine-dining destination drawing foodies from afar. Earlier this year the 1919 Restaurant, at The Cottage in the Wood, received the accolade of a third AA Rosette. A reward for the passionate creativity of Rob Mason, Head Chef. Moreover, the superlative quality of the […]
Three hours south-east of Kandy, Gal Oya Lodge is the gateway to a National Park that includes Sri Lanka’s largest lake, Senanayake Samudraya. It is the only place in Sri Lanka where you can take a boat safari to see elephants swimming between some of the lake’s 47 islands. Beyond mobile phone reception, beyond wi-fi […]
Days of Raj elegance live on behind the white picket fences at the Stafford Bungalow. The roads to Ragala snake, writhe and wriggle forever upwards through the tea fields of Sri Lanka’s central region. A mile above sea level, in Sri Lankan hill country, sits the Stafford Bungalow. A luxury boutique villa with full service. […]
Review: Rosyth Estate House, Kegalle, Sri Lanka By Michael Edwards on Oct 16, 2023 in Accommodation, Asia, Featured, Hotels, Regions, Resorts, Sri Lanka Colonial charm meets Vogue tropical-photo-shoot-style at Rosyth Estate House. Two hours north of Colombo airport, Rosyth Estate House is the perfect soft-landing spot for a Sri Lanka arrival. Owners Farzana and Neil […]
Review: Brook Meadow, Near Market Harborough, Leicestershire, UK By Michael Edwards on Oct 01, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Regions, Resorts, United Kingdom, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe Brook Meadow provides lakeside holidays on a working farm. An idyllic collection of luxurious lodges and exciting glamping options provide peaceful rural escapes along the Leicestershire / Northamptonshire […]
Review: The Grand, Brighton, Sussex, UK By Michael Edwards on Sep 20, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe This palace by the sea has the ultimate wish-you-were-here location: overlooking a buckets-and-spades beach and sat between Brighton’s two piers. Opening in 1864, The Grand combined Italianate-style with aspirational Victorian architecture. Since […]
Rivieria’s voyage around Corsica on the Star Clipper By Michael Edwards on Sep 08, 2023 in Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Featured, France, Regions, Speciality Travel, Western Europe Sailing south-east from the glamour of the Côte d’Azur – the glittering trio of Nice, Cannes and St Tropez – the Star Clipper leaves one of France’s […]
Review: The Biarritz Hotel, St. Brelades Bay, Jersey By Michael Edwards on Sep 05, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Jersey, Regions, Western Europe High above the eastern end of St Brelades Bay, the gleaming white Biarritz Hotel looks down on clean white sands. A private pathway provides quick access to the beach below. Jersey […]
Review: Riviera’s French Riviera and Corsica aboard Star Clipper By Michael Edwards on Aug 25, 2023 in Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, France, Italy, Regions, Speciality Travel, Western Europe But the French Riviera and Corsica is only half the story. Throw in Elba and Rome too. Seven nights on the sails-billowing Star Clipper are wrapped […]
Review: Brocket Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, UK By Michael Edwards on Jul 26, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe Back in the 19th century this vast Hertfordshire estate was the home of two British Prime Ministers, Lord Melbourne and […]
Review: The Talbot Inn, Ripley, Surrey, UK By Michael Edwards on Jul 14, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe Passengers often wrote their will before undertaking a stagecoach journey. Not only were the flinty roads dangerous, but they were also beset by ruthless highwaymen. There has been a coaching inn in […]
Review: Riverside Mozart, Treasures of the Danube Eastbound By Michael Edwards on Jul 10, 2023 in Austria, Cruises & Boat Travel, Eastern Europe, Europe, Featured, Hungary, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel, Western Europe “Best ship on the Danube”, announced a veteran of countless cruises, both ocean and river, as he sat at the cocktail bar. […]
Review: Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, Vienna, Austria By Michael Edwards on Jul 04, 2023 in Accommodation, Austria, Europe, Featured, Hotels, Regions, Western Europe Sixteen storeys of the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere soar into the Vienna sky. Towers perched on 9 metres stilts are linked by futuristic glass enclosed walkways. Back in 2021, when the hotel […]
Review: The Balcony Studio, St Ives, Cornwall, UK By Michael Edwards on Jun 19, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Regions, United Kingdom, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe With its listed balcony hanging out over the sea wall walk, this blue-washed waterfront retreat is almost on the beach. Pole position for exploring St Ives’ charms from dawn […]
Review: Penmarlam Lodge Retreats, Near Fowey, Cornwall, UK By Michael Edwards on Jun 14, 2023 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Regions, United Kingdom, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe High above the yacht-dotted River Tamar, the road west crosses from Devon to Cornwall. If many Cornish people, waving their black and white cross flags, had their way we […]