Adventure beckons in the Amazonian rainforest. From zip lining above the forest canopy to jungle trekking, canoeing and fishing for piranhas, exhilarating excursions await during an Amazon River cruise. Here are six to consider. Spend a night in the jungle If spending a night deep in the rainforest is on your bucket list, you can tick it off by joining the ‘Amazon Ecopark: a Night in the Jungle’ excursion from Manaus, Brazil, offered by Holland America Line. You’ll stay in the ecopark’s Jungle Lodge, with six miles of jungle trails, savannas and creeks at your disposal and the chance to spot a variety of rare animal and plant species. You will be taught survival techniques and visit the homes of local residents to learn about their traditions and jungle life. The tour also takes you to Monkey Jungle – a rehabilitation centre where primates can be observed during feeding time. Back at the lodge you’ll get your own taste of Amazonian food, as … [Read more...] about How to have adventures on your Amazon cruise
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Cruise to the ports that inspired the world’s greatest authors
When you sail into ports that have inspired some of the world’s greatest authors, it can feel as if you are entering the pages of their books. From Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and James Joyce to Agatha Christie and J K Rowling, there’s always a thrill in gathering your own stories while exploring their fascinating literary haunts from a cruise. Six-toed cats steal the show Imagine the sound of Ernest Hemingway’s typewriter keys cutting through the humid air at Hemingway House, in Key West, where he wrote some of his best work between drinking in Sloppy Joe's bar and sea-fishing for marlin. Guests on cruise ship Norwegian Sun’s tour will find the Hemingway Home and Museum oozes glamour – a beautifully furnished French Colonial-style house with wraparound veranda in a tropical garden. But it is the dozens of six-toed, or polydactyl, cats that steal the show; the author of For Whom the Bell Tolls was given a cat by a ship's captain and it is thought every rather … [Read more...] about Cruise to the ports that inspired the world’s greatest authors
Book it: Four glorious self-catering staycations in the UK, from a stunning seaside suites to countryside cottages
Spring has well and truly sprung. So pack up the car, round up the family and choose from these gloriously British self-catering staycations Chalet Saunton, Saunton Sands, Devon Best for… minimalism (with a view) The low-down: Come rain or shine, the beach views from all seven of the apartments in this ultra-chic aparthotel are wondrous. Inside, the décor is crisp and minimal (with scented candles, marble bathrooms and a wine-cooler fridges) and the space vast, making it ideal for groups. Children can go free-range with direct access to the beach via a rugged path, plus there are local eateries and ice cream stalls nearby to satisfy post-sandcastle-building hunger. The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed for a fry-up – locally made bread, salty butter, eggs, bacon, mushrooms and avocados (of course). Out and about: There’s world-class surfing on your doorstep – Walking on Waves shop and surf school caters to all levels and its staff are great … [Read more...] about Book it: Four glorious self-catering staycations in the UK, from a stunning seaside suites to countryside cottages
Kate Humble: the magical corner of India that tourists are yet to invade
The long, blue train pulled out of the station at Delhi, left behind the shacks and camps beneath the bridges and along the sidings, and carved its way through neatly ordered green fields, guarded by scarecrows and cattle egrets. At Agra it stopped and the other 20 or so foreign passengers in my carriage got off. But I stayed put for another hour until the train had crossed into the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and pulled into the station of a town called Gwalior. Gwalior does not make it on to many tourist itineraries, which is extraordinary, given that is has one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. And I have seen the Taj Mahal. It is a city of 1.5 million people – small by Indian standards – spread across a flat plain, and overlooked by a high ridge of red sandstone. Look up to the ridge from anywhere and you see that it is encircled by a crenellated wall. A magnificent stone gate, big enough to ride an elephant through, leads from the … [Read more...] about Kate Humble: the magical corner of India that tourists are yet to invade
How the ‘blue-rinse brigade’ saved Llandudno
I’m on the hunt for William Windsor’s family. So naturally, I’m scrabbling around in tangles of gorse on top of a limestone outcrop known as the Great Orme in North Wales. Well, where else would you go to find such an esteemed drove of goats? I’m too late to meet William himself, so my guide Amanda, a North Walian native of Llandudno, informs me. He’s currently in retirement at Whipsnade Zoo after a controversial stint as official military mascot of the Royal Welsh regiment. Here on this wild outcrop overlooking the coastal town below, a great national military tradition takes place. Dating back to the time when a wild goat walked onto the battlefield during the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about How the ‘blue-rinse brigade’ saved Llandudno