escape

We all have our own holiday stories where our lack of nous with the native lingo has landed us in tricky situations. From struggles with deciphering road signs in St Petersburg to inadvertently ordering an ashtray instead of dessert from your waiter in Shanghai, the pitfalls are endless. But there’s nothing to make you feel … Read more

We know tourist boards are introducing a range of emergency measures. But they’re also coming up with emergency slogans. Madeira’s is ‘Safe to Discover’. Clever, that. Flatter the visitor that they are the intrepid types, yet reassure them that the island (actually, an archipelago of islands) is as COVID-free as any holiday destination. Which it … Read more

Here’s a property for sale that’s bound to spook the market – Loftus Hall, Ireland’s ‘most haunted house’. The asking price is 2.5million euros (£2.2million) – and you can even view the rooms virtually, if you’re brave enough. The 14th-century mansion’s reputation as a spine-chilling abode dates back to the mid-1700s, when the Devil is said … Read more

Forget going on holiday in paradise – own it instead. A stunning private island resort in Belize has hit the market for £3.3million ($4.5million). And it comes with mesmerising white-sand beaches, five beachfront cottages, spa facilities, a seafront restaurant and four boats. Royal Palm Island off the coast of Belize, which covers 6.5 acres and … Read more

Whether it’s Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea or Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, efforts to land a big catch have always inspired stirring tales. But you don’t have to head to the deepest oceans to bag your own fish. The UK’s lakes and rivers are ripe for anglers of all skill levels — and … Read more

An early airport pint and the blast of hot air when you get off the plane: Britons reveal the best bits of a holiday (and that they’re missing even the bad parts, like hanging around departures) Researchers have drawn up a list of Britons’ 25 most exciting holiday moments  Survey shows 64% say making memories is … Read more

Since the Titanic sunk over a century ago, only 140 people have made submersible dives to see the wreckage first-hand, two miles down on the Atlantic Ocean seabed. But a small number of explorers will be adding to that tally next year and you could be one of them – if you have a spare … Read more