This stunning building, which took 35 years to make, is among Brighton’s premier tourist attractions – and it’s easy to see why. Classed as a “pleasure palace”, it was built for King George IV and possesses an exotic oriental style, inside and out. It’s long been part of the city’s fabric and tourists from around [...]
On the hotel’s website the general manager makes two bold statements: the Seattle is all about “great hospitality wrapped up in a little piece of Brighton” and that the staff are a “big part of what makes the Seattle experience so unique”. They’re brave statements because all too often staff-visitor relations are where hotels let [...]
Sitting in your air-conditioned capsule, 50 metres above sea level and listening to an informative commentary by comedian Steve Coogan, a ride on the magnificent Brighton Wheel is the ultimate way to admire Brighton, Hove and the splendid Sussex coastline stretching far into the distance. Situated next to Brighton Pier’s entrance, the wheel has 36 [...]
What an intriguing hotel this is. Take its location for starters: it clings to the edge of steep cliffs, affording fine views of not just Ponta do Sol, a tiny village sitting within a deep ravine on the island’s south coast, but along the rugged coastline as well; then, of course, there are the breathtaking [...]
Although Madeira, save Funchal during the rush-hour, is an oasis of calm and tranquillity, there is a little spot on the southern coastline which is, believe it or not, even more peaceful and relaxing – and that’s Faja dos Padres. It’s no wonder that this place is so tranquil because it can only be reached [...]
After staying at English Lakes’ sister hotel, Low Wood Bay, an incredibly child-friendly place just up the road, Waterhead had a lot to live up to, I thought, as I arrived with my wife and two kids, aged five and eleven. Just a short stroll from Ambleside, my favourite town in the Lake District, the [...]
Madeira has been attracting British holidaymakers for decades and it’s easy to see why. Take the weather: after one of the UK’s worst summers on record, I was in need of some reliable sunshine – and I got that during my few days on the island, dubbed the “Floating Garden in the Atlantic”, thanks to [...]
Bristol Zoo, which opened in the 1830s, will always have a special place in my memories thanks to the popular ’60s children’s TV programme, Animal Magic. It was here that the late Johnny Morris, dressed as a zoo keeper, filmed many of the scenes for the long-running series. Situated within minutes of Brunel’s famous Clifton [...]
I’ve visited many castles over the years but somehow Warwick Castle, which sits alongside the River Avon within 64 acres of rolling landscaped grounds, slipped through the net. Thankfully, I rectified the matter a week ago when I packed the car and headed up the M5 and M40 with my wife and two children (ages [...]
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better setting for a wildlife park in the UK. The Lake District Wildlife Park, just ten minutes from Keswick, has a backdrop of mountains, including the impressive western side of Skiddaw, the fourth highest peak in England. The air of peace and tranquillity emanating from these high peaks [...]
