Category: Travel Miscellany

Recipe of the week: Parsnip and maple syrup cake, and clotted cream ice cream

Recipe of the week: Parsnip and maple syrup cake, and clotted cream ice cream

Inspired by the humble vegetable, this luxurious dessert is full in flavour yet surprisingly light. Served with clotted cream ice cream, the cake is laced with citrus flavours from the grated apples, orange juice and zest without losing the spicy sweetness of the parsnip. The maple syrup helps blend the eclectic mix of flavours to
Short stay: Table Bay Hotel, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa

Short stay: Table Bay Hotel, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa

The 5-star Table Bay Hotel, a Sun International property set on the breakwater wall of Cape Town’s historic Victoria & Alfred waterfront, is a contemporary architectural treasure with 329 rooms that either overlook the bay to Robben Island, where Nelson Madela was for a long time famously imprisoned, or – as in the case of
Charleston's top 3 decadent dining experiences

Charleston's top 3 decadent dining experiences

It’s southern hospitality at its very finest. Spoken with a soft southern drawl, luring you in with irresistible temptations just sinful enough to delight all the senses. This is Charleston, jewel of the lowlands and capital of culture south of the Mason-Dixon line. Voted top city in the world by Condé Nast Traveler for three
Recipe of the week: Giant jaffa cake

Recipe of the week: Giant jaffa cake

This giant jaffa cake has been designed by two Michelin star chef, Michael Wignall in collaboration with Café Football’s executive chef, Brendan Fyldes. The dessert is perfect for football-themed birthday parties or for those who simply love the delicious combination of sweet orange jelly coupled with the crunch of bitter dark chocolate. Enjoy! Ingredients Orange
News from A Luxury Travel Blog

News from A Luxury Travel Blog

It’s been a while since I updated you all with any news about the site so I thought I’d just take this opportunity to provide a few updates. We’ve had a recent flurry of trips lately, some of which you may have read about – a mountain bike / island hop adventure in the Scottish
A few sacred places in Paris where you can listen to music

A few sacred places in Paris where you can listen to music

There are only a few sacred places in Paris where you can only occasionally listen to some music in a historical surrounding. La Sainte-Chapelle, located under the Conciergerie, where Björk gave once a live performance, usually hosts concerts during the New Year period and it’s a very good occasion to enter this mystical place during
Top 5 wine farm stays in South Africa

Top 5 wine farm stays in South Africa

Wine lovers are spoilt for choice with accommodation in South Africa’s winelands. From 5-star hotels and luxury guest houses, to Cape Manor houses and boutique style lodging, the following establishments offer the highest standards of service, quality, and comfort. You’ll also find superb attractions such as restaurants and spas, and, of course, some of the
3 superb boutique accommodations to enjoy in the UK

3 superb boutique accommodations to enjoy in the UK

Restaurants with rooms are great, offering relative luxury, peace and quiet and top-notch food.  We have learnt recently that this is a superb way of taking a weekend break in the UK without breaking the bank but ensuring really good R&R time in very comfortable surroundings and without too many other people.  To get a good
Top 5 South African Winelands boutique hotels

Top 5 South African Winelands boutique hotels

For many who love wine and food it is Italy or France which call them in year after year – the Winelands in South Africa has so many benefits – firstly it will be far more economic even with the long haul flight to book a winelands tour in South Africa because of the current
Fishing for piranhas in Brazil

Fishing for piranhas in Brazil

Ever wondered how to fish for piranhas? Here a girl demonstrates how it can be done with your bare hands and a piece of meat. Piranhas are an important source of food in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil and this is actually a practical way of catching them because their teeth can destroy fishermen’s nets
Tempt your tastebuds at these October wine and food festivals in Paris and London

Tempt your tastebuds at these October wine and food festivals in Paris and London

With October approaching and the days becoming shorter, food and wine enthusiasts will enjoy both the culinary delights and the festival atmosphere that are offered at two distinctive annual events – the Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival in Paris, and the London Restaurant Festival. Read on to learn more… Montmartre Grape Harvest Festival, 8th – 12th October
8 reasons to love Lech

8 reasons to love Lech

I have skied in Lech since I was a child, and it is the resort that I keep returning to. Lech fuses tradition and modernity perfectly. In the 25 years or so that I have been going, its charming character has remained reassuringly constant; strict planning laws means that expansion and development is virtually non-existent
A luxury par 3 in Scotland

A luxury par 3 in Scotland

Whether an independent country or part of the United Kingdom, Scotland has plenty to offer the luxury traveller. It has breathtaking scenery, rugged coastlines, a proud culture, centuries of heritage and this year is the Year of the Homecoming – a year long programme of events and activities that shows off all that Scotland has
Recipe of the week: Baby octopus tempura

Recipe of the week: Baby octopus tempura

Served with fruit tartar sauce and creole coconut chutney, savour this feather-light battered, baby octopus tempura with a unique flavour. Imagine the lightest, and crispiest coating of flavours enveloping the tender octopus and this would be it. Octopus, is a low calorie, lean seafood making it a good way to get your protein without adding
6 of Spain's best Cava tours

6 of Spain's best Cava tours

A little bit like “the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain”, so does the Spanish version of Champagne. Cava, which was considered for a long time to be the poor person’s Champagne, has increased dramatically in popularity over the last few years. Of course there are differences between Champagne and Cava, that both
Short stay: Carloft, Berlin, Germany

Short stay: Carloft, Berlin, Germany

Carloft is an apartment with a difference in the Kreuzberg region of Berlin, on the corner of Liegnitzer Straße and Reichenberger Straße. As its name implies, this is an apartment where you can park your car in a lofty position – right outside your apartment, irrespective of which floor that might be on. The car (in