Funchal - Madeira's capital - has some fine restaurants but a "must" whenever we visit is the sublime Il Basilico. Owned by the successful PortoBay Hotels & Resorts, it's one of several eateries the group has in the city and, in our view, one of its finest. Situated on Funchal’s popular Lido promenade, this [...]
For many years, Hestercombe has been one of those “must go there one day” destinations. You know the kind of places: you drive by the signpost fairly regularly but have always got somewhere else you must reach and so it’s another “next time” moment. Well, a couple of weeks ago, my family and I thought [...]
Heading to Jersey and Guernsey? Fancy visiting a decent eatery which dishes up fab pizzas? If so, here are some of our recommendations... JERSEY PizzaExpress Any visit to Jersey must include a visit to this wonderful restaurant – in fact, I’d eat here just to enjoy the sumptuous view, for which it scores 10/10! [...]
I’ve been fortunate enough to stay at this wonderful hotel which is, quite simply, pure luxury. Whenever I return, I’m relieved to see that it has retained its timeless elegance, staff still firmly believe in service with a genuine smile, its location remains as enticing as ever and, well, I could list a long list [...]
This fabulous boutique hotel on the outskirts of Woolacombe in North Devon has recently been crowned Best Waterside Hotel 2024 by Condé Nast Johansen’s. As soon as you experience an overnight stay here, you’ll understand why. Paula and I were lucky enough to check out this four-star hotel which enjoys one of the finest coastal [...]
A bold proclamation to begin with: Paula and I don’t think we’ll eat a more delicious scone than what we had at these cosy little tea rooms near Bude. We cheekily asked the affable owner, Jill, for the recipe but, quite rightly, it’s a family secret! Never mind, it means a return visit will definitely [...]
A stone’s throw from Crooklet’s Beach in Bude is a family-run café serving up delicious diner-style food. Here, you can expect very generous portions, quick service and polite, helpful staff. We visited one evening while staying at nearby Wooda Farm Holiday Park. Despite it being very busy, there were no long waiting times or that [...]
If you’re ever in Funchal and fancy Italian cuisine, you’ll find no better restaurant than Mamma Mia. Owned by the Vidamar Resort Hotel - without question, one of the best (if not the best) hotels on the island - this contemporary designed restaurant edges the main road, just in front the hotel. I’ve had the [...]
One of the guarantees about visiting Madeira is that you’ll never be short of things to see and do. In fact, chances are a return will probably be on the cards to experience some of the attractions missed first time around. Here at Travellowdown, we recently enjoyed a five-day break on this beautiful sunny island. [...]
There are some great walking books around at the moment and one of my favourites is Great Scottish Walks by Helen & Paul Webster. As mentioned on the front cover, this guide spotlights the country’s best long-distance trails. In total, 26 walks are detailed within the 170-plus glossy pages. For me, this tome has everything. [...]
