Travel

What is Van Life? Or rather, what is #VanLife? Some of the more ardent Instagram users will probably already know all about #VanLife. But for the not-so-social-media-aware, Van Life is a community of people - often slim, attractive, bohemian-looking, millennials - who document their nomadic journeys around the world, in converted vans, on Instagram. Search #VanLife on the photo-sharing media platform and you'll find over 2.6 million posts - mainly of VW campers parked in front of eye-wateringly-beautiful sunsets, pristine mountains...

By Pat Levy In The City and the City, one of China Miéville’s most metaphorically suggestive novels, two cities with totally separate identities  share the same physical territory. Citizens of each domain recognise their own spaces and ignore – to the point of  mutual invisibility – streets, buildings and neighbourhoods  which belong to the Other. Johannesburg, like Miéville’s city, has for too long been a schizophrenic metropolis and while the racial divisions have certainly not gone away they are been...

Feeling inspired by the Winter Olympics? Think you could become the next Billy Morgan? Annndd relax... it's not as easy as it looks. Hitting the slopes for the first time is far from a piece of cake. Unless you are some kind of sporting maverick, you'll probably spend most of your time on your backside. But it's loads of fun and with a bit of practice, you'll be flying down the slopes like a pissed-up Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards in...

A Transavia flight from Dubai to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency airline when a passenger wouldn’t stop farting. According to reports that have blown up in the Dutch press this week, the man’s constant wind wound up two fellow passengers who demanded he stopped blowing off. The men got eggy with his constant egging especially when crew on the low cost airline insisted they could not intervene to stop the flatulent passenger quacking. When he refused to stop...

What's 33ft wide, 23 tons, up to 1,000 years old and is the highlight of any trip to this beautiful corner of England? If that’s left you stumped, it’s the Major Oak - better known as Robin Hood’s tree and was voted Britain’s favourite in 2002. The magnificent oak is a must see when you visit Sherwood Forest, immortalised in the legend of Robin Hood, his merry men, Maid Marion, green tights and that. The tree provided shelter for the...

China Southern Airlines has launched a new route from the UK to China, with flights between London and Wuhan taking off in May 2018. The new route will be the only non-stop flight operating from London to the Central Chinese city and will fly three times per week, from 30 May 2018 with fares from £377 return, including all taxes. The historical city, which once consisted of three smaller cities – Hanyang, Hankou, and Wuchang – is the capital of...

Eco-conscious Akaryn Hotel Group announces its new hotel, akyra TAS Sukhumvit Bangkok, will be the first single-use plastic-free hotel in Asia. On the back of David Attenborough's Blue Planet II documentary series, which highlighted the extreme level of plastic waste in the ocean, a continuing number of businesses have begun banning single-use plastic - including the BBC and several well-known retailers. Akaryn Hotel Group is the latest company to mark its commitment to tackling sea pollution after announcing its new hotel will become single-use plastic...

Virgin Hyperloop One today announced the Indian State of Maharashtra’s intent to build a hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai beginning with an operational demonstration track. Sir Richard Branson announced the Framework Agreement in the presence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis to begin the development of the route. In a statement, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the hyperloop route could have the same impact upon India in the 21st century...

Perched on top of a hill, The Celtic Manor could be mistaken as a fortress rather than a world class golf resort. The former Ryder Cup venue is situated just off the M4 in Newport, South Wales, and is easily accessible form London, The Midlands and the South West of England. On arrival guests will be amazed at the grand modern hotel building which is situated alongside one of the three championship golf courses on offer. Upon entering the hotel,...