I set off on my dream journey from London to Beijing in the halcyon days of 2019. It’s a trip that seems unimaginable today. Travelling overland, I wanted to experience the transitions between cultures, to understand more about what connects us. I was also interested to see the legacy of …
Read More »It’s oh so quiet: silent whale watching on Iceland’s first electric boat tour
‘Look! Look! Over there …” The boat listed dramatically as 50 passengers raced to its starboard side. Seconds earlier someone had spied the distinct blow – a spray of airborne water – that signalled a whale was about to emerge. A silence fell over the crowd as we waited, patiently. …
Read More »England puts 12 destinations on Covid ‘green list’ for trips from 17 May
Portugal and Israel are among a dozen countries which have been placed on England’s first ever “green list”, allowing people to go abroad from 17 May and return home without the need to quarantine. Announcing the first easing of tight restrictions on foreign travel in months, the transport secretary, Grant …
Read More »10 British forests getaways – with great places to stay
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire Mysterious and atmospheric, the Forest of Dean combines dense pine woods, rolling hills and the glistening ribbon of the Wye river, with plenty of family attractions dotted throughout. The big draws are Puzzlewood – a natural theme park – and the Clearwell Caves, while the Perrygrove …
Read More »Send a tip on water sports places in the UK for the chance to win a £200 holiday
Spring has arrived, lockdown is easing and the pull of getting out on the water is strong. We’d love to know where your favourite spots are for water sports – with places to rent equipment close by. From kayaking or paddleboarding on a tranquil river, to windsurfing or kitesurfing from …
Read More »12 of the UK’s best independent bookshops, chosen by readers
Winning tip: Deep thoughts and homemade cake, Derbyshire Scarthin Books in Cromford, Derbyshire, is a tall, thin bookcase of a building. Its many rooms, stacked one on top of the other, have new books, old books and every sort of reading matter in its nooks and higgledy-piggledy crannies. You can …
Read More »15 UK market towns you’ll want to discover
Ludlow, Shropshire As one of the country’s celebrated foodie hubs, Ludlow will become a battle zone for outdoor table slots now that lockdown has relaxed. In a region famed for its wealth of local produce though, even low-key venues pack a flavour into every dish. Opt for takeaway salad boxes …
Read More »Our Devon holiday park is full of smiling faces: the beginning of the end of lockdown
One night in January, I was at a low ebb in a period of particularly low ebbs, when a friend messaged to say she’d booked a caravan in Croyde for the last week of the Easter school holidays. She and her husband had crunched the data on vaccine distribution and …
Read More »A floating cabin break on the Broads
“Mum! I’m taking the boat out …” For a fraction of a second I hesitated … it would take more than a few days to shake off my city-dweller nerves about letting my child roam free. But that was exactly why – after the first lockdown – we’d come to …
Read More »‘I was connected again to those I love’: writers on meeting up with friends at last
Picnic in Greenwich park by Elise Wortley It had been months since the six of us had got together for our weekly after work drink, typically in a crowded central London pub, where we’d be shouting to hear each other above the noise. Nervous with excitement, and desperate to see …
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