Mount Everest: the view from the top
It feels like the apex of an immense white roof – the point at which three ridges to the top of the world finally meet and you can’t go any…
The Kronplatz – plan de corones holiday region in winter
On arrival, every guest will receive a travel ticket from their host (where the host is a member of the local Tourist Association). The HOLIDAY PASS entitles guests to use…
Best slopes are above 2,000m in Méribel
There has been a lack of significant new snow in the Alps but existing snow has held well in the relatively cold conditions. Last night 5cm of new snow was…
Skiing in Obergurgl, including the best runs, hotels, restaurants and bars
Obergurgl, one of the highest ski villages in Europe, set at 1,930m at the end of the Ötztal valley near the city of Innsbruck, used to trade on its reputation…
Val Thorens – the highest resort in Europe
Purpose-built Val Thorens is not only the highest resort in the giant Trois Vallées ski area that includes Courchevel and Méribel, but the highest in Europe. Its lofty altitude means…
Whistler: too much snow to ski? No such thing
‘It’s puking snow up here again today,” said Anton Horvath, Whistler’s avalanche forecaster, peering out of his office window on Wednesday last week. “If you took off your skis outside,…
Val d’Isère – skiing in best freestyle ski areas
Joe Harkess, freestyle coach, All Mountain Academy Tricksters inspired by Jenny Jones’s Olympic bronze medal should ride the snowpark at Bellevarde (under the Mont Blanc chairlift). It has jumps of…
Snow wonder
While your friends head to Spanish beaches and Italian hills, Chile – with its numerous ski resorts – is an adventurous alternative to the typical summer holiday. Andean skiing offers…
Skiing in the French Pyrenees: who needs the Alps?
It wasn’t the usual airport transfer. We bumped along in the back of a friendly stranger’s battered old jeep, the resident cocker spaniel having obligingly moved to sit on his…
Puy-Saint-Vincent, great little ski resorts
Pretty Puy-Saint-Vincent sits on the edge of the Ecrins national park in the southern French Alps, not far from the Italian border. The closest airport is Turin, less than two…
Oz-en-Oisans – a family-friendly ski resort with amazing slopes
Before I had kids, my dream winter break was all about mixing great snowboarding with a good après scene involving live music and big jugs of beer, while a powder-tastic…
Head for the hills, the snow’s finally here
This season, Europe’s slopes have been so barren there were practically tumbleweeds blowing across them, until thankfully a deep covering of snow finally dropped over the Alps last weekend. But…
Beautiful pictures as thousands of Thai monks put on incredible visual display for sacred full moon festival
These beautiful images show thousands of Thai Buddhist monks gathering to carry lanterns and venerate a statue of Buddha to mark one of the holiest days of the religious calender.…
Athens holidays
If the thought of exploring Greece’s ancient world makes your skin tingle with anticipation, you’ll struggle to contain your excitement on a holiday to Athens. The historical capital of Europe,…
Insider secrets of Rome
Heaping plates of light-as-air pasta. Art by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini. Some of the most entertaining people-watching on the planet. Rome is a city like no other. But as welcoming…
Autumn in Venice
Although there are days when tourists outnumber locals by two to one, Venice never loses its capacity to enchant. Summer brings some of the most daunting crowds, but there’s a…
Walking in Moscow’s winter wonderland
The best way to discover Moscow is on foot. It may seem unrelentingly urban, dominated by cars and towering skyscrapers, but to find the flowering courtyards, icon-filled churches and house-museums,…
Singapore finds its cultural feet with culinary renaissance
It is often derided as a cultural desert, but a younger generation of Singapore’s residents and expats is determined to bring an edgier side to the city. They are leading…
London travel tips
The English writer Samuel Johnson famously said, “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he…
Romantic Paris: fashion and lights
The City of Light draws millions of visitors every year with its unforgettable ambiance. Of course, the divine cuisine and vast art collections deserve some of the credit as well.…
Discover Rio’s arty side
It’s a balmy Saturday morning in Rio de Janeiro and, unlike everyone else in town, I’m heading away from the beach. Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon may be among the city’s…
Abu Dhabi – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Constructed between 1996 and 2007 at the request of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is…
Valencia and beyond
Eating out The most exciting new restaurant in Valencia is the Arrop Ricard Camarena, set in the spectacularHotel Palacio Marqués de Caro. The owners, Santiago Máñez and Luis Bellvís (the…
The best of Thailand
Every tourist board loves a major motion picture. Think Braveheart, think Scotland. Think Jean de Florette, think Provence. Similarly, if you go and see The Beach, you will be treated…
The Maldives baring your sole
They’ve stolen my shoes. After 13 hours on a plane, a smiling man has placed them firmly into a bag labelled “No News, No Shoes” and pulled the drawstring tight.…
Santorini, iconic of Greek islands
Your first order of business in Santorini is to hit the colorful beaches — the black and red sands make for a memorable visit. Next up, indulge in the archaeological…
It’s like stepping into a Bounty ad
The Seychellois love to make jibes at Mauritius. Their main competitor for beach-based tourism in the Indian Ocean is ribbed mercilessly, often with faint praise. ‘Mauritius has wonderful beaches, great…
Explore Croatia, enjoy Istria
We just had to pull over. On an overcast, sultry day the sun had yet to make an appearance, and the landscape around us, although verdant, felt a little dull.…
Bora Bora a paradise in the Pacific
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale – a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship. If ever you’re looking…
What’s new in Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca
If you’re in Menorca this weekend, head to Mahón to watch the inauguralMenorca Maxi (until 25 May), a superyacht regatta featuring top sailors including America’s Cup winners, round-the-world veterans and…