Haute retreats clinches top honors for best luxury villa rental and accommodation service in Europe, 2023

Ask people to name the places they’ve visited in the Caribbean and Bequia isn’t the first name you’ll hear. That’s an advantage — especially when you want all the beaches, beauty and local charm of an island vacation without feeling like you’re surrounded by more tourists than sand. And for the ultimate escape look no further than the newly opened Grenadine Villas overlooking Friendship Bay Beach, from the island’s top resort Bequia Beach Hotel.

On the coast of the western Mexico state of Nayarit, the Pacific Ocean meets the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains. The lush, sand-cushioned shoreline, dependably blue skies, and warm weather offer an ideal—and idyllic—winter pause. Perfect for swimming, surfing, humpback whale watching, and multihued sunsets, the lush and hilly peninsula of Punta de Mita (also called Punta Mita) is home to a slew of luxury resorts, private real estate, and white sand beaches. Its close proximity to many other coastal spots on the Riviera Nayarit means there’s plenty to explore.

Warsaw has just moved closer to Munich, Berlin nudged towards Paris, and Aachen slipped nearer to Salzburg. These are just three examples of city pairs that are newly linked, as of this week, by direct night trains. None of these city pairs currently has direct daytime trains, so the overnight options create a web of opportunities. As always in December, rail operators across Europe are introducing new schedules, along the way creating tantalising links where none existed before.

Finding the best walking shoes for travel can be tough. You want something comfortable enough to get you through a full day of wandering around, but not so comfortable that it screams “I'm a tourist!” And since nobody wants to tote around a bag (checked or otherwise) filled with shoes, the ones that do make the packing list cut need to be versatile enough to wear with multiple outfits.

Standing astride a bike on a sunny morning in Austria, I waved goodbye to the AmaSonata, the river cruise ship I’d been on for the last few days, as it continued sailing west on the Danube River.

Poland’s landlocked capital has a complex history that has seen the “Phoenix City” bounce back from conflict over multiple conflicts. Modern Warsaw is a mishmash of restored medieval structures and cutting-edge skyscrapers among which stands Varso Tower – the tallest building in the European Union.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has challenged the Ministry of Tourism to work closely with tourism partners to significantly boost tourist arrivals and strengthen linkages with other sectors, in particular agriculture. “The impact of tourism goes beyond the confines of the industry itself; it ripples through various sectors creating a web of opportunities for people. Jobs created by tourism extend into agriculture, entertainment, attractions, communications and transportation, to name a few,” noted Prime Minister Holness.

With its expansive views, vast national parks and small towns that offer a glimpse into local life and culture, Kenya is the perfect place to take a road trip.

I recently put caviar on an extra-toasty Cheez-It, and I’m obsessed. I took my inspiration from Alexis Cervasio, proprietor at hip Boston market EBO & Co. and proponent of putting caviar on everything,

The aroma of a tapas bar is an incongruous sensation when dressed in ski kit, but it’s the end of a long day on the slopes, and plates of grilled squid, spicy patatas bravas and plump green olives are on offer, along with a bargain glass of Rioja (€3.50/£2). It’s 6pm and the lifts have only just shut in Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly ski resort. The mountain town in Andalusia enjoys lots more sunshine than most ski areas in the Alps. This, admittedly, is accompanied by a fairly functional assortment of accommodation spread along a steeply winding road. Unless you’re staying right in town, walking home while carrying your kit takes quite an effort at this altitude. The resort’s hub, Pradollano, sits at 2,100 metres, while the ski area’s 65 miles of pistes extend up to 3,398 metres: the chilly summit of Veleta, Spain’s third-highest mountain. 

We’ve gathered the 7 best ways to learn basic Spanish, with the aim to make it easy and enjoyable for you to build a regular language habit.

The second London SELECT Marketplace at the Rosewood Hotel – brought over 80 of the top-producing advisors from across the relevant UK business units to meet with key partners and suppliers.