Travel

‘Tonight there will be you and me and the goats,” my guide Vassia Mastrogianni explained as we began our car journey into Crete’s White Mountains. At the wheel was Antonis who, ominously, Mastrogianni had just introduced as “a very good driver.” It wasn’t long before I could see why, as …

Food Our food scene revolves around Les Halles de Narbonne, a splendid covered market and architectural gem from the late 19th century. It is open every day and is everyone’s favourite meeting place. More than a market, it has wine bars, bistros and tapas counters, plus fishmongers where you can …

White-water rafting on the Snowdonia River, north Wales A exhilarating, breath-catching ride over cascading rapids that sends the inflatable boats hurtling downriver, white-water rafting is a great choice for those looking to get the adrenaline going. One-hour taster sessions are available, with two-hour experiences offering the chance to have four …

The Cross Guns, Wiltshire A honey-stone exterior gives way to beautiful gardens with panoramic views of the River Avon, fringed with weeping willows. There is an impressive range of local ales, cider and weekly changing guest beers, as well as locally made cider. Drop in at the weekend to visit …

The Floathouse Amelie, Cornwall This three-cabin houseboat on the Penryn River near Falmouth aims to be a supremely relaxing perch for its guests. The top deck is ideal for morning yoga while indoors there’s a pitched roof, sofas and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of the river. Falmouth is a …

Garden party in Birmingham PoliNations is a garden party, but not as you know it. This free festival in Birmingham’s Victoria Square on 2-18 September showcases cultural diversity through the lens of horticulture. In the shade of a forest of giant architectural trees, the festival will begin with a mass …

The Hidden Hut, Porthcurnick, Cornwall It’s well worth the walk across a stream and over uneven terrain to reach this secluded food hut, less than a mile from the fishing village of Portscatho on Cornwall’s Roseland peninsula. Wooden benches look down on sandy Porthcurnick beach, backed by grassy cliffs, where …

Despite its name, Midgehole, the starting point of this walk, is rarely enveloped in clouds of the little pests, while any you do encounter will be left behind once you get up on to the moors. And this is a walk that, thanks to the stiff climb from the National …

A distinctive sweet smell wafts through Fisherman’s Village night market on the Thai island of Koh Samui, drifting up between the sticky mango rice stalls and bucket cocktail vans. The Samui Grower cannabis stall is doing swift business tonight. A table is laid with glass jars, each displaying a different …

Winning trip: Artistic highs, Esch, Luxembourg The European Capital of Culture 2022 Esch-sur-Alzette (or simply Esch) is full of beautiful urban art. Some of it refers to the city’s industrial past, some of it to its modern cultural development and local heroes. Many of them are as high as the …