The Serenity of Cruising
“We were setting off on that time-honoured jaunt round the Mediterranean that only a cruise can provide in true splendour and comfort…” Larman and his ‘newly-affianced one’ embrace the comforts of ocean travel…
Browsing: The Explorer
Congham Hall
As a gardener is despatched for a cucumber to dress a guest’s Pimms, Angela Clutton finds there’s more than one notable moment that makes this country hotel stand out…
Thailand in Four Seasons: City
“As we turned into the throng of the city I was aware of the juxtaposition of the ultra-modern with the elemental.” Larry leaves the green jungle to enter the grey in the conclusion of his Thai adventure…
The Ritz Madrid
“The welcome is generous in its warmth, drinks are poured and recommendations proffered as you go over the check-in details.” Noah visits the Ritz Madrid…
Little Girl in Big China: Beijing
“I awake to a hazy city scene blanketed in smog, like a particularly foggy Lowry painting, a subdued contrast to the flashing brilliance of the animated adverts of the night before…” Like a modern day Alice, Gabrielle arrives in Wonderland…
The Cosseting Cotswolds
“If ever there was a day to be out in the British countryside, it is this day. Early-August and baking – the hottest day of the year.” Noah reminisces on a trip to the Cotswolds…
Thailand in Four Seasons: Jungle
“I have arrived in the most extraordinary place. As I write I am sat in a wooden treetop bar, straining against candlelight, the distant hills of Burma sporadically illuminated by streaks of lightning.” In Part 2 of his epic adventure, Larry enters the wilds of northern Thailand…
It’s a Swiss Life, Dear Daughter
“My father spent much time in Geneva…and suggested that I spend some time there in the calm and tranquil surroundings of classically approved beauty. But what did I care for such things?” Lavinia Blundell-White savours a Swiss idyll…
Liquid Treasure Island
“While traditionally associated with red trouser-wearing old men, Cognac has undergone a welcome transformation.” Lucy Shaw finds gold in a glass off the coast of France…
Thailand in Four Seasons: Cuisine
“A warm orange sun burned through the haze that diffused the Doi Suthep mountains and, instinctively, I heard the theme to ‘Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence’ in my head – until I realised it was coming from the stereo in the bar behind me.” Larry begins an odyssey across Thailand…
The Danieli, Venice
“At breakfast, under a blue August sky, an equally blue lagoon stretches out before you, busy with morning traffic. This must be the only place on earth where watching traffic is beguiling.” Anna Selby uncovers little-known delights in Venice…
A Tourist in the Arab Spring
Sian Boyle talks to The Times’ travel writer, Tom Chesshyre, about his book A Tourist in the Arab Spring and asks, ‘When thousands were leaving, what made him go…?’