Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Extreme Adventure Clothing And Accessories

Every day at 11:11am there is a ritual: we make a wish. And every day at 11:11am, we have been wishing for this year’s most over-the-top, extraordinary and extra-plus travel experiences (and luggage).

For fans of Christmas festivities, London has some of the best activities and events in the world. The iconic landmarks and streets are lit up with dazzling displays, there’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, traditional Christmas markets offering unique gifts and seasonal treats and ice skating at beautiful venues like historic Somerset House. Here are a few suggestions if you’re visiting London this month.

Europe’s airports are regularly ranked from best to worst to help travellers make informed choices.

A few years ago, at a reception at the Polish embassy in Bern, Switzerland, an elderly Jewish man pulled the ambassador aside and relayed an unbelievable story. They were standing on holy ground, the man said, a place where near-secret acts of heroism played out during World War II. Intrigued, the ambassador, Jakob Kumoch, tasked his staff with looking into the man’s claims. Soon, an incredible history emerged.

To reach the top of the Waldspritz sledding run above the village of Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps, I hiked 90 minutes into the backcountry, dragging a small runnered sled by a rope to roughly 7,400 feet.

The addition of the four new destinations comes in response to continued demand from customers and independent travel agents. The additions provide them with even more choice when it comes to booking a sunshine holiday or city break in Summer 24 and Summer 25.

Jamaica’s feature within 007: Road To A Million showcases the captivating beauty of Kingston and the richness of Jamaican culture on a global stage.

Jamaica has a long association with the James Bond film franchise - it has provided a plethora of iconic locations, such as Doctor Kananga’s underground lair in Live and Let Die (1973) at Green Grotto Caves, and the waterfall from the first Bond film, Dr. No (1962), at Ocho Rios’ Dunn’s River Falls. Now, from the producers behind the James Bond films, comes the thrilling television series 007: Road To A Million.

LVMH luxury travel company Belmond is expanding its presence on the rails from Scotland to Singapore and South America with more lavish accommodations, top chefs and new itineraries ahead of rival Accor’s launch of a competing product in 2024. The moves are designed to take advantage of well-heeled travelers' desires for unique experiences, according to Belmond executives speaking to the media during the International Luxury Travel Mart.

From wild seas and paradise beaches to selkie sightings and rutting stags, the Scottish islands are a must-visit destination this autumn. The midnight sun of summer has been replaced by mist and mellow fruitfulness, the holiday crowds have all gone home, and there’s nothing standing between you, the tranquillity of the scenery and a wee dram of whisky. Read on to discover what’s awaiting this autumn …

Edinburgh is like a scene from a storybook, its spiky turrets, soaring towers, grand squares and cobbled streets every inch the sort of places dragons and princesses would inhabit — not to mention, of course, one particularly famous boy wizard. The city was J K Rowling’s home while she wrote most of the Harry Potter books, and it’s not hard to see the spark of inspiration for her world of magic. Kids’ imaginations have been known to run away with them as they wander the higgledy-piggledy medieval streets of the Old Town up to Edinburgh Castle or march through regal Holyrood Park to the extinct volcano hilltop of Arthur’s Seat, which towers above elegant Georgian streets in the east of the city centre.

Even during the height of winter ski season, you can still hear the rhythmic pop of a tennis ball hitting a racquet around Stanglwirt, a decades-old luxury resort in the Austrian Alps near the tony mountain town of Kitzbühel. While Stanglwirt is now known for its laundry list of world-class amenities (including a fantastic wellness program), tennis is in fact what put it on the map. Through tennis management firm Peter Burwash International, Stanglwirt expanded its entire tennis program in the 1970s and 1980s, including building more facilities to accommodate tennis camps—a novelty at the time.