Deo the barman greets me with a big beer and an even bigger smile. ‘Jambo!’ he says, handing me an icy glass of Kilimanjaro beer. In front of me, jade-coloured water slides onto the sand and I can feel a lunchtime snooze at Zuri Zanzibar beckoning. The resort, on the north-west shore of this bewitching … Read more
Where I live and write in Bath, heavy traffic shakes my building. Family, work deadlines, my bank account and, yes, Brexit all conspire to make me feel hemmed in. ‘The essential test of freedom asks how far in any direction we can move from where we now sit without deviating or meeting obstacles,’ wrote the … Read more
Last Easter in Venice’s Guggenheim Museum, my daughter Deia, then aged 13, announced she’d had enough culture for one morning, was fed up with my ‘selfishness’ and wasn’t prepared to do what I wanted a minute longer. ‘I want to go shopping,’ she insisted mutinously. So we trudged to a grimy area near the station … Read more
Every week our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week he finds out how to cut the cost of a holiday flight. What’s worse than being squeezed into a middle seat on a packed flight? Finding out that … Read more
A Bulgarian coastal resort has been named as the best value destination for a European beach holiday for Brits for the sixth year running. The Post Office Travel Money Holiday Costs Barometer, which compares costs in 20 European beach resorts, found prices in Sunny Beach have plunged – despite the pound’s volatility. Other cheap locations … Read more
Camping that’s out of this world: The Lake District tents suspended in trees 10ft up that appear to float like UFOs Two tents are suspended in trees at the Low Wray camp site close to the shores of Lake Windermere, Cumbria A stay in one of the tents starts from £100 per night and guests … Read more
On the edge of death: Heart-stopping pictures show daredevils somersaulting on precipices and dangling from cranes without a harness This gallery of images includes a daredevil who dangled his feet over the side of a skyscraper in Times Square Another shows a newlywed bride hanging off the edge of a cliff in New Hampshire wearing … Read more
Standing up on planes moves a step closer to reality: Manufacturer hones its design of an upright seat passengers have to stand to use An Italian seat manufacturer has unveiled a new prototype for a seat that passengers have to stand up to use The design will enable carriers to fit 20 per cent more … Read more
After nearly 1,000 performances of Robin Hood at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, I was becoming weary of pulling on my green tights each night. I come from Stoke, so I’m biased in favour of its attractions, but I realise abundant winter sunshine isn’t one of them. After a long panto season, I was ready … Read more
Amazing spiral treetop walkway inside a 148ft-tall observation tower opens in a preserved forest in Denmark The tower has opened in the Camp Adventure Climbing Park, one hour south of Copenhagen The winding 650-metre-long (2,130ft) ramp includes looping pathways and bleacher seating It has 10 climbing courses that all vary in height and visitors can move … Read more
From ruin to redemption: Incredible before-and-after images show how abandoned buildings have been given stunning new leases of life The images are included in a brand new book called Ruin and Redemption in Architecture by Dan Barasch It charts ruined spaces from around the world and the extraordinary designs that have transformed them They include a former … Read more
This family lives in an off-grid shack with a composting toilet – and the parents home school five of their children so they can ‘stay connected to them’. Mother-of-seven Jasmine Kosach, 31, from Tasmania, Australia, grew up with an appreciation for all things nature, due to her mother and grandmother being gardeners. Jasmine and her … Read more
Game of Thrones HBO studio tour to open in Northern Ireland, allowing fans of the show to see where many of its iconic scenes were filmed The 110,000-square-foot interactive experience will open at Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland Fans will be able to visit from next Spring and discover real life sets that … Read more