A guide to South Africa’s beautiful Cape winelands from top vineyards to gorgeous places to stay

The Stellenbosch/Franschhoek region of South Africa is ideal for viticulture. It’s where you’ll find the Leeu Estate, where husband-and-wife team Chris and Andrea Mullineux (above, with their children) make wine There’s no contest. Australia’s Barossa Valley, Margaret River, and Mornington Peninsula, Napa Valley in the USA, Marlborough in New Zealand — all spectacular but no match … Read more

Inside the Belmond British Pullman, the lavish train that will take you on a trip back in time

Money’s tight but yearning for a little luxury? Why a trip back in time on the lavish Belmond British Pullman train is just the ticket for a feel-good daycation Ben Douglas climbs aboard the Belmond train for a festive round-trip from London Victoria to Oxford He says that the train, the sister train to the … Read more

From Elvis’s diamond Omega to watchmaking lessons: The timeless joys of Switzerland’s ‘Watch Valley’

The streets in Geneva’s old quarter are busy with tourists enjoying some early-autumn sun. On the Grand Rue, one of the most prestigious of these streets, lies the Initium workshop where Fabiano Pericles is about to introduce me to his craft. The master horologer with an infectious passion for watch-making sets a daunting task. On … Read more

Inside the England World Cup team’s teetotal Qatar hotel – where rooms cost from £64

The demurely dressed woman at check-in makes herself clear. ‘This is a “dry” hotel, so there’s no alcohol at all.’ Then she hands me a brochure and says: ‘But we do have a spa with all these treatments.’ It’s hard to see how a spa stands in for a bar — and harder still to … Read more

The Inspector is impressed by Parador 44, a new boutique hotel in Cardiff that’s inspired by Spain

A slice of Spain… in the middle of Cardiff: The Inspector is impressed with a new hotel in the Welsh capital that transports him to sunnier climes The Inspector checks into Parador 44, which sits above the acclaimed Asador 44 restaurant in the city centre His top floor room is ‘neat and tidy’ and he’s particularly … Read more

Inside The Star Inn, a Michelin-starred pub in Yorkshire that has risen from the ashes after a fire

After roaming dreamy Rievaulx Abbey and the wild, winsome vales of the North York Moors, a good feed is near compulsory. And, luckily, this national park’s southern fringe hosts The Star Inn, a Michelin-starred pub with rooms. The village soundtrack in Harome may be of cockerels and the baas of sheep, but such peace now … Read more

Inside the Aman New York – Manhattan’s most expensive hotel, where rooms start at $3,900 PER NIGHT

The new Aman New York hotel has a gigantic spa covering 2,300 square metres across three storeys – and features a sensational 20-metre swimming pool. With firepits. The ultimate spot in Manhattan for alleviating stress? It turns out the entire hotel is the ultimate Big Apple stress-buster. A temple of tranquillity for generation zen. Even … Read more

Want to avoid the partygoing hordes on Cyprus? Then head east to peaceful Protaras

The darlings of Cypriot package holidays never fail to attract the hordes — think Paphos, Larnaca, Limassol and Ayia Napa. But head east to Protaras and it’s an entirely different story. Truly secret it is not — Fig Tree Bay, a golden beach with translucent waters sheltered by a rocky islet from seaborne gusts, features … Read more

Hallowed ground for Americans: Inside the Cotswold hotel that’s hosted kings and the Hollywood elite

Inside the 14th Century Cotswold hotel that’s hosted a glittering array of names from King Charles I to Elizabeth Taylor (no wonder it’s hallowed ground for touring Americans) Sarah Hartley visits The Lygon Arms, a coaching inn in the village of Broadway with ‘easy to devour history’ She finds the 86-room hotel has an unstuffy … Read more

Mail on Sunday reader offer: Enjoy the blooms of the Madeira Flower Festival with Christine Walkden

Exclusive for Mail on Sunday readers: Enjoy the blooms of the Madeira Flower Festival with Christine Walkden By Mail on Sunday Reporter Published: 13:19 BST, 5 September 2022 | Updated: 13:19 BST, 5 September 2022 Rising from the ocean floor 600 miles south-west of Lisbon, Madeira is a subtropical paradise that captures the hearts of … Read more