Hotels
Tigmi Tacchedirt Lodge
Our first impression of the lodge spreading across the lower parts of North Africa’s highest village, Tacchedirt, was one of relief as we’d just climbed to it from the valley floor after… […]
Latest Articles
Africa
Seeing the Light in Marrakech
By day, the lamps reflected the sunlight in a thousand glints of colour and by night they turned even the poorest of stalls into a stage worthy of Shahrazad himself to weave another story beneath their magical light. […]
Essaouira
Surviving the Harbour at Essaouira
The contrast between the chilled out vibes of Place Moulay Hassan in Essaouira, Morocco, and the frenzied entrance to the harbour area via a gate in the town wall comes as a bit of a surprise. One second you’re… […]
Africa
Riad Merstane, Marrakech
A stunning 200 year old riad, beautifully restored and impeccably maintained in the residential area of the Marrakech medina, a ten minute walk to the souks and 25 minutes to the famous Jemaa El F’na square. Riad Merstane is hidden away in a maze of alleys and entering from the medina is like walking into a perfumed and tranquil oasis. […]
Marrakech
First Impressions of the Red City of Marrakech in Photos
A wacky races of mopeds and bicycles weave around pedestrians in narrow alleys. The trick to negotiating them is not to move out of the way of the traffic; let the bikes do all the work. In some ways these are more interesting than the trinket and treasure laden souks […]
Travel Talk
Am I Missing Something Obvious About Google Maps?
What really confounds me, however, is the number of times I read about travellers who find their way around using Google Maps as I find Google Maps to often be incredibly inaccurate and misleading… […]
Food & drink
A Sunday Stroll Around Ullapool
One of the first things that strikes me about Ullapool, apart from its Local Hero location, is that every establishment seems to have won, or been short-listed for, some sort of an award… […]
Food & drink
Three Classic Peruvian Recipes, Clausa, Ceviche & Papa Rellena
The food was wonderfully diverse in both appearance and taste and, as devout foodies, we decided, using tips from our generous Peruvian hosts, to recreate three of the dishes that had wowed our taste-buds. […]
Asturias
The Monster of Avilés
It occurred to me that in our guide to Avilés I made reference to the monster of Avilés and then didn’t include a picture of said monster. To rectify this and avoid imaginations running riot, here’s Doña Eugenia Martínez aka ‘La Monstrua’. […]
Costa Brava
Fish Heads & Wine From the Seabed in Cala Jóncols
A bottle of wine sighs on the table and a rich stew bubbles on the hob, sending legions in aroma form to tease a restless army that’s eager to launch an attack and reduce it to a memory… […]
Asturias
Discover Avilés, the Northern Soul of Asturias
With cobbled medieval streets, modernistic architecture, industrial heritage, hearty gastronomy, cider bars galore and a grotesque monster, Avilés offers visitors a kaleidoscopic mix of ingredients. […]
Asturias
The Curious Tale of San Pedro’s Fish
Two things strike you when see the pez de San Pedro in fish markets in Costa Brava. The first is that as fish go, he’s a real loser in the looks department. This is one ugly fish… […]
Benidorm
Love-Locked in Benidorm
“These locks have been put here by lovers,” says Juan, pointing to what I had taken to be a piece of modern sculpture. “They write their names on the lock, seal it and then throw away the key. It symbolises the permanence of their love.” […]
Asturias
The Sleeping Lion of Covadonga in Asturias
I had no idea where I was, but from the towering spires of a grandiose church, glowing golden in the sun’s last rays, it was obvious that this was no ordinary hamlet in the forest. This was, I was told in almost reverential tones by our guide, Covadonga.
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Asia
Yangtse River Cruise Part 2, Life on the River
The weather was grim and the limestone cliffs rising up from the river were often shrouded in a grey mist that drained the colour from their slopes, whilst the waters swirled a murky brown. There were sampans on the river… […]