Travel

Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed plans to charge the most polluting vehicles in London £24 a day when driving through the city centre. His efforts to influence promote eco driving and to combat the green impact of vehicles in the city centre are due to come into effect in October 2017. But what impact will this increase in the congestion charge have on transport and vehicle based businesses and business owners in London? Eco driving measures target businesses with vehicle...

By Joey Tyson The smell of a volcano is impossible to forget. Something between rotten eggs and a dodgy car exhaust, the stench of sulphur gags, clogging your throat for a second until the breeze blows over you. In short, it stinks. “Don’t spend too long down wind of the smoke,” our guide Jose sagely advises. Stepping out of the smog to catch my breath, I take in the view for the first time. From that height, everything looks blueish....

You might remember the tropical Thai island of Koh Samui from its bygone bohemian days, when it was a mecca for backpackers in search of the fabled beach that inspired Alex Garland’s cult novel The Beach. But visitors to Koh Samui’s shores will find the island much changed since then - barefoot beach shacks have given way to uber-luxe hotels, an upscale culinary scene and seriously sumptuous spas. With a host of luxury resorts offering palatial pool villas alongside scenery...

By Prof Mary Mellor This AA four star, 1 Rosette hotel and spa is in a dramatic setting on the side of Lake Windermere a few miles from Bowness. It has spectacular, panoramic views of the lake. It was a pity that on the night of the visit it was pouring with rain as it was not possible to fully explore the extensive gardens, but you have to expect a bit of precipitation in the Lakes! The gardens include a...

Do you ever feel like you need another holiday to recover from your holiday? Well, according to new research it takes Brits just 29 days after they return from their jollies to feel like they need another one. Just over four weeks after your last holiday or mini-break has been identified as the point where fatigue starts to set in, work performance starts to slide and we feel the need to get away from the daily grind. Eating more comfort...

A luxury travel company has launched a virtual reality holiday service for executives too busy to get away. The concept, dubbed "A Journey around my room", has been designed for people who struggle to achieve a work/life balance, providing all the benefits of travel without any of the inconveniences - such as the hassle of preparation, fear of flying and jet lag, not to mention the language barriers, unusual foods and people when you get there. The company begins by confirming hotel reservations -...

London might not have the large-scale cycle culture of other cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the best in the world to explore on two wheels. The city’s central boroughs offer relative compactness and with public transport on the pricey side, getting on your bike could mean discovering a new side of the city and saving some cash to boot.​ ​ Hiring a bike is easy in London While dedicated cycle lanes are...

By Jay Williams  “It’s a press trip,” I pointed out when asked to sign for our room.  “I know,” replied the receptionist.  “It’s just in case, you know, you throw your telly out of the window or something.  You are in Brighton, after all …” I felt a flush of pride that she thought my hell-raising days were not behind me.  Or perhaps she had spotted that I was indeed a fifty-something, osteo-arthritic teetotaller and she was just being kind....

Rated as one of the best courses in the Caribbean, we took a day out experiencing one of the “most idyllic rounds of golf imaginable”.