Globalista reports, written by passionate travellers like yourselves, help you find exactly what you need to make the most of your trip, wherever in the world it may be.
When I mentioned to a fellow writer in Paris that I was off to Dakar for a long weekend, she assumed I was attending, or participating in, the Paris-Dakar Rally. It raised a smile; the image of me roaring through the desert, risking my life, burning up fuel. I think not, but it was a reasonable observation. Dakar, capital of Senegal, is known for little besides its renowned off-road raid, in spite of the fact that for the past two years, due to security issues in Mauritania, the race has been run in South America!
Although direct flights fly on odd days, Tangiers is a wonderful destination for a weekend escape. The city is far more laid back than Marrakech, with fewer tourists and fewer touts. As it is right on the sea, there is a constant refreshing breeze, so you won’t get the stifling heat of Marrakech in the summer either.
During the late 60s, the Labour Premier of Tasmania, the Honourable Eric Reece, nicknamed ‘Electric Eric’, made the observation that ‘tourists come to the state with one shirt and a £10 note and leave having changed neither’. I don’t suppose such a comment did much to improve the state’s profile; it was already deemed, in the eyes of many, to be a backwater that not even the dingo had bothered to cross to. Today, Tasmania has gained from those ‘backwater’ years. It does not have the international nightlife or wide range of restaurants that Melbourne has to offer; it cannot claim Sydney’s harbour; it is not situated on the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a diver’s paradise but, make no mistake, Tasmania is astounding and its resorts and restaurants are catching up fast.
I'm sped from the airport by a James Bond-style driver dressed all in black. He plays New Age dolphin music, the sort that normally goes with massages and crystals. Is he getting me into the mood for the Sha Wellness Spa, the world's first five-star macrobiotic spa, on the 50 minute drive from Valencia, Spain? Soon the spa looms like an ocean liner stranded among the Sierra Helada mountains, with the Lego tower blocks of Benidorm in the distance. Outside, one of the first of its endlessly solicitous staff welcomes me with a hot flannel. Then we enter the 28,000 square metres of white marble, water features and calm...
Fernando de Noronha is a group of paradise islands just off the North East coast of Brazil. Consisting of 20 small islands and one larger one, the archipelago lies 340km from the mainland coast and covers an area of only 17 km2. On land, there are 2100 residents; the crystal clear waters surrounding the islands are equally occupied, with 230 varieties of fish, five types of shark, two species of sea turtles, 15 coral reefs and, unique to here and the South Pacific, the Spinner Dolphin.
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If you hate hot holidays, stick a pin in Antarctica. It’s a vast, alien landscape of mountains, icebergs and nature: think -70C temperatures and winds of 200mph in winter. During the summer season (November to February), February is popular as the whales are frolicking and the penguin chicks look cute. Any itinerary is dependent on climatic conditions and can alter at the drop of a barometer. But a more beautiful, wild and thrilling adventure would be hard to imagine.
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Banff is a busy little town in Canada’s beautiful Banff National Park. In 1883 the transcontinental railway reached the Rocky Mountains and workers came upon the natural hot springs bubbling from the base of Sulphur Mountain. Pioneers went on to build grand hotels for summer visitors. Today it is a sought-after destination for good skiing in three different areas within the park. The town has its own small area of Mount Norquay, but Lake Louise and Sunshine Village are the main ones. Lake Louise lies 56km away across the park and consists of little more than a handful of hotels. Most important of these is the splendid and cavernous Victorian structure, Chateau Lake Louise, in its dramatic glacial setting. Sunshine Village, little more than a ski area base with a small amount of accommodation, is sandwiched between the two - 16km from Banff and 24km from Lake Louise.
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Cobbled streets and charming open spaces, views of the freezing Forth of Firth and rows of granite-grey tenements, Edinburgh ticks so many boxes. The geography is breathtaking and the sense of history palpable; the primeval landscape and Castle, volcanic Arthur’s seat and imposing Calton Hill. But there's another side to Auld Reekie too – the tartan has been discarded and in its place is a shiny bright city. In art and architecture, food and theatre, Edinburgh excels.
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Magical, magnificent and steeped in history, Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its fairytale spires, clock towers, churches, cobbled streets and opera houses create a captivating cityscape. Behind the historic façade thrive innovative restaurants, fabulous museums and sleek hotels. Parts of Prague are a stag weekend nightmare, but much of the city is still enchanting. Come in winter when proper snow leaves the whole place looking like an exquisite wonderworld Narnia.
Where to throw a memorable house party for a landmark birthday with an invitation list to accommodate parents, godparents, a clutch of recalcitrant teenagers, another clutch of turbo-charged pre-schoolers and the demands of a bunch of high-achieving closest mates. Does such a villa exist anywhere in the world that will be large enough, special enough and flexible enough to live up to such an occasion?
