Travel

Burma Beckons (Part 5)

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However, Mandalay is a really outstanding destination mainly because of what lies immediately around it: the ruins of much older cities and religious sites sit decaying in an antique landscape. We took a boat trip 10 km up the Irrawaddy to Mingun, gliding past a timeless scene of bullocks ploughing a tapestry of fields on … Read more

A Suitcase Full Of Memories (Part 1) – Inside the Arctic Circle

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From the romance of the African veld, to the awe-inspiring ice-scapes of the Arctic and the red sands of Jordan, three writers go in search of the holiday of a lifetime. Inside the Arctic Circle Midnight sun and polar bears – Nicola Davenport takes an unforgettable trip to the frozen north ‘Walk in a straight … Read more

Burma Beckons (Part 4)

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As in other parts of Burma, visitors are welcome at the local pagodas and monasteries. Indeed, part of the charm of any trip to the country is the inclusiveness of the form of Buddhism practiced there and the fact that today you often join happy groups of Burmese travelling to these religious sites from far … Read more

Lower Zambezi National Park Zambia

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Michael K Malunga of the Zambia Wildlife Authority writes of an amazing scenario in the Zambezi Valley. It was a hot day along the Zambezi River near Kulefu Camp. As we sat the shade of an acacia tortoise tree, taking respite from the scorching sun during our day patrol, a female elephant suddenly appeared with … Read more

Burma Beckons (Part 3)

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Ethnic Burmese account for more than two-thirds of the country’s 56 million people. A bewildering number of other groups make up the remaining third (from the Atsi to the Wa and the Zo, some say there are 100, others say it’s more like 200). Most of these minorities want independence from the central government or … Read more

6 Ways To Stay At Coorg

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1.     Ecology – luxury Orange County If you want to be friend with nature but still stay in luxury, this is one of the first-ranked resorts of this area with Kodava style architecture. Besides English-style breakfasts and BBQs, chefs can offer you the curry, or local pork. This is the ideal of sustainable travel: wind … Read more

Burma Beckons (Part 2)

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As a result, I subsequently returned several times, to write a book, to report, to visit friends, and my experiences were of a Heart of Darkness land, fascinating, picturesque and heart-rending in equal measure. Life was laden with a profound sense of unease. There was an incipient look of fear behind people’s eyes. The last … Read more

Madrid – Around Town : Downtown Madrid (part 1)

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Central Madrid began to take on its present appearance in the mid-19th century with the modernization of Puerta del Sol. This busy intersection was the first to have electric street lighting, trams and, in 1919, Madrid’s first underground station. Meanwhile Calle de Alcalá was becoming the focal point of a new financial district as banks, … Read more

London – Around Town : Westminster, the South Bank and Southwark (part 3) – Shopping

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Shopping Parliamentary Bookshop Buy the day’s political reading, plus parliamentary-related prints and other souvenirs. 12 Bridge Street SW1 Lower Marsh Once London’s longest street market, stalls sell inexpensive music, clothes, hardware and food. Open mornings Mon–Fri. Lower Marsh SE1 Llewellyn Alexander This art gallery has changing, quality exhibitions, notably in the summer. 124–126 The Cut … Read more

Beijing – Around Town : Greater Beijing

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Beijing is vast. Although you could spend all your time without ever straying too far from the area around central Tian’an Men Square, you would be missing out on a lot. Way out in the northwest of the city is a cluster of sights that includes the unmissable Summer Palace, with the almost equally intoxicating … Read more

Beijing – Around Town : Western Beijing

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Xicheng, which in Chinese means “West City”, is the central district west of the Forbidden City and the lakes. Beijingers think of this area mostly as a seat of money and learning – both the Financial District and the Haidian University are located here. Western Beijing is best experienced as a series of half-day expeditions: … Read more

Berlin – Around Town : Tiergarten & Federal District (part 2) – Hidden Treasures

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A Day Out Morning Start your tour of Tiergarten at the Reichstag . Explore the government district from here starting with the Bundeskanzleramt (the Federal Chancellor’s Office, diagonally opposite). Stop at Restaurant Käfer (see Käfer im Reichstag) in the Reichstag for breakfast. Via John-Foster-Dulles-Allee you will pass the Carillon and the Haus der Kulturen der … Read more

Berlin – Around Town : Tiergarten & Federal District (part 1)

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In 1999, Berlin’s green centre became the government district. Around Tiergarten, Berlin’s largest and most popular park, stand the Reichstag, the Bundeskanzleramt and Schloss Bellevue, seat of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. Tiergarten itself is a great place for strolling and cycling, and it also boasts the Neuer See, the Spree River … Read more