If you'd like a mix adventure and wildlife from a river cruise, a sail along the Nile or a safari cruise on Lake Kariba could be the answer. Alternatively, there are many voyages in the Americas taking in culture, natural wonders, wildlife and a diverse menu. Here we round up some of the best cruises to try in Africa and the Americas for 2019. Africa Return to the Nile Scenic celebrates renewed demand for the destination with a luxury holiday that pairs five nights in Cairo including a visit to the pyramids with four days’ sailing from Luxor to Aswan. The cruise is on Sanctuary Retreat’s Sun Boat III, and includes tours of temples in Dendera, Kom Ombo and Aswan, a felucca ride and excursion to the Valley of the Kings. An early-morning flight to Abu Simbel reveals the temple of Rameses II – moved to escape rising waters caused by the Aswan Dam. A 12-day Treasures of Egypt holiday costs from £4,995 per person, departing Nov 1 2019 (0161 236 2444; scenic.co.uk). … [Read more...] about The best river cruises in Africa and the Americas for 2019
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Come for the food, stay for the night: inside Bless Hotel, Madrid’s latest hipster hang-out
It is not immediately clear, at the moment I step through the entrance of the Bless Hotel, that I have walked into a place designed for slumber. The broad thoroughfare of Calle de Velázquez outside, and the refined purr of traffic along it, has confirmed that I am in Madrid – in the well-to-do district of Salamanca, no less, with its chic boutiques, pricey real estate and easy access to the green lung of El Retiro park. But beyond this, in the warmth of what I expected to be the lobby, the visual clues are rather more confusing. Directly in front of me, a circular bar is weighted with bottles of spirits; the ceiling above it adorned with numbers, boxed into alternating squares of red and black. Away to the right, a second bar is similarly stocked for action – although not, in this case, attempting to impersonate an upside-down roulette wheel. And all around me are tables where young urbanites are contentedly picking at plates of picoteas ("nibbles") – … [Read more...] about Come for the food, stay for the night: inside Bless Hotel, Madrid’s latest hipster hang-out
Everything you need to know about visiting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is a place that generates superlatives – but instantly transcends them. Rated as one of the seven wonders of the natural world, it stretches for 2,300 kilometres (1,430 miles) along the Queensland coast – from Bundaberg to the Torres Strait. In addition to being the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, this World Heritage Site is also the planet’s largest protected marine area, supporting 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. Apart from a phantasmagoria of tropical fish, the reef is also home to whales, dugongs, turtles, reef sharks, dolphins and is an important bird habitat. For the past 50 years, the Great Barrier Reef has been a magnet for divers, sailors and people who dream of finding their own South Sea paradise. The reef, therefore, has a remarkably well-developed tourist infrastructure. A number of islands, such as Lizard, Bedarra and Hayman, have their own self-contained luxury resorts … [Read more...] about Everything you need to know about visiting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
The best river cruises in Asia for 2019
Asia's rivers open up a vast swathe of cities to visit. A cruise on the continents waterways might take you temple hopping through Cambodia and Vietnam or a voyage on the Yangtze could be combined with panda watching in China. Here are the best cruises in Asia for 2019. Mekong Towns and temples Experience life in the slow lane during an ox-cart ride in Cambodia while cruising on Emerald Waterways’ new river ship Emerald Harmony. The vessel, the line’s first in Asia, sails seven-night cruises between Prek’kdam in Cambodia and My Tho in Vietnam. The itinerary includes visits to temples and a bird sanctuary as Harmony calls into villages and towns along the river. In Phnom Penh, passengers will learn about the dark days of the Khmer Rouge on a trip to a former torture prison and Killing Fields at Choeung Ek. Emerald pairs the cruise with hotel stays in Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City where tours visit Angkor Wat and the Cu Chi underground tunnels where the Viet Cong … [Read more...] about The best river cruises in Asia for 2019
Spice up your life: 14 of the most authentic cookery courses in Marrakech hotels
Cooking is taken seriously in Marrakech: where emphasis is placed on fresh produce from local souks and markets, and every multifarious grain of spice counts. Hotels, especially those with destination restaurants, are a popular choice of venue for cookery courses; learning the art of traditional Moroccan cooking from a resident chef is seen as authentic and a skillset you take home. Many of them offer tours around the markets too. From earthy tagines to spicy slow-cooked stews, here are some of the Red City's best hotels in which to hone your culinary skills. Riad Noir d’Ivoire The real show-stopper at this grand sandstone-coloured riad is chef Youssef Jbari’s modern-Moroccan dining menu. In a town that tends to favour heavy meat dishes and spice-filled flavours, his exceptional, unfussy cooking is a revelation, and there’s a 3,000-bottle wine list to match. If you’re feeling inspired you can book one of their private cookery sessions which begins with a trip to … [Read more...] about Spice up your life: 14 of the most authentic cookery courses in Marrakech hotels