A late landing at LAX and an early start to collect our rental car were followed by a relaxed drive along the coast towards Santa Barbara. It was a pleasure to have swapped the cabin air for the warm climate of Southern California but we were too early to check into our accommodation, so we […]

Tucked within a secluded acre of manicured gardens in Santa Barbara, Simpson House Inn has long set the benchmark for American hospitality. Built in 1874 for Scotsman Robert Simpson, this Eastlake-style Victorian manor made history in 1997 as the first bed and breakfast in North America to earn AAA’s coveted Five Diamond rating — a […]

There is a case to be made that nobody should visit Ibiza in July. Not because July is bad, but because the island saves its best self for later. Come in the back half of August and on into September and you find the version the regulars quietly keep to themselves. The sea is at […]

As a series of heatwaves unfurled across the capital, residents ventured out of their warm homes in search of exciting and cooling summer experiences. With the season coinciding with my mother’s first-ever visit to London, I too put on the thinking cap to arrange a series of enticing activities. Tai Chi: Kew Gardens With my […]

Ask most people when they’d book a villa in the Mediterranean and you’ll get the same answer: August. Sometimes July, if they’re trying to be clever about it. Almost nobody says September, which is odd, because September is when the whole thing actually starts to work properly. I say this every year to clients who […]

Most people think of a superyacht and picture the obvious things. A huge boat. Expensive interiors. A crew waiting around. That’s only part of it. Modern superyachts have become surprisingly sophisticated spaces. They are built for entertaining, relaxing, exercising, working and, of course, getting away from everyone else. The yacht itself almost becomes a private […]

New Zealand’s food story is worth travelling for. People often ask me what New Zealand food actually is, and I never have a tidy answer. France has a cuisine. So does Italy, so does Japan. Say the name and a whole tradition arrives with it, based on centuries of tradition and culture, and instantly recognisable. […]

The South Island of New Zealand is not a fly-and-flop destination, and Wānaka least of all. If you’re planning a significant trip together, a honeymoon or a milestone anniversary or simply the kind of holiday you’ve been putting off long enough that now’s the time, then the default templates of a beach resort, city break, […]

There are luxury holidays, and then there are journeys that truly immerse you in the culture, cuisine and character of a destination. A cruise aboard La Belle Epoque, European Waterways’ elegant hotel barge on France’s Burgundy Canal, firmly belongs in the latter category. Carrying a maximum of just 12 guests, this beautifully restored vessel combines […]