Travel

When I told my friends and family I was going to Turkey the overwhelming response was, “don’t go”. Granted I was staying 40 miles north of the Syrian border and 40 miles west of a civil war in an area of Turkey that all Western Governments had advised against “all but necessary travel” to, but my gumption was that Turkey is safe for tourists despite all that is going on around it. I was, however, undeniably anxious about visiting Gaziantep,...

By Georgette Culley After 10 years living in the inner spokes of the big city wheel, I find myself craving the tranquillity and peacefulness of the countryside. So when my boyfriend suggested a romantic getaway out of the city, I couldn’t wait to go. We set off from north London on the A1/M1 and in just over two hours we had arrived at The Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel and Country Club in Derbyshire. The four star hotel dates back to...

by Rosie Benson, travel writer Thought Scottish cuisine stopped at haggis and deep-fried Mars bars? Think again. In recent years Scotland has been transforming its culinary culture, with Glasgow, its largest city, leading the way. This year sees the launch of Glasgow’s first restaurant festival; a month long celebration of local produce and businesses, giving restaurateurs the chance to showcase their most mouth-watering creations. At TLE, our epicuriosity knows no bounds, so we went to see what was on offer. If it’s fresh ingredients with a local feel that you’re after, drop in to The Ubiquitous Chip or ‘The Chip’ as everyone refers to it. Here we sampled the brasserie evening menu, with starters costing between £5-£7 and...

Sean Sheehan finds superb accommodation in likely and unlikely places To many people, Japan seems a strange and unknown land. But nothing is more assuring than its hotels where the consummate grace and practised politeness of customer service is rooted in the country’s culture. The Park Hyatt, the location for the film Lost in Translation, begins on the 41st floor of Shinjuku Park Tower and climbs steadily upwards to a rooftop swimming pool. Bicycles are available, complete with maps, packed...

If you're looking country pubs, plenty of walks and good grub in a charming setting, you could do a lot worse than Cookham. The Place A mere 39 minutes train ride out of Paddington, Cookham is a picturesque village tucked in to the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire. Crowned as Britain's second richest village in 2011 by The Daily Telegraph, its modest commercial quarter is populated with quaint restaurants and a smattering of historic pubs, which makes it an ideal base...

By Harry Bedford  As one of the five remaining communist countries, Laos is very much a victim of its political history. The domino that fell along with Vietnam in the 1970s is only just starting to pick itself back up - much to the delight of the tourist. Laos is the country nestled between Thailand and Vietnam, landlocked by Burma and China to the north and Cambodia to the south. Buddhism, French colonialism and centuries old Laotian traditions come together...

KLM passengers can now check-in with Facebook after the social media giant signed up its first airline to use its popular chat app Messenger. Facebook has been looking in to turning Messenger into a more than just a chat service for some time, and this announcement could illustrate what the future looks like. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will now give passengers the option to use Messenger when booking a ticket. The airline will then start up a chat thread, where it'll send booking...

Never mind the chocolate, the best thing about Easter is the four-day weekend - for travel fiends, it's like Christmas has come early. To make the most of the extra-long weekend, we've compiled some of the best value deals going both home and abroad - that way you can indulge for a little longer, for a little less. Café Royal, London Combining their forces with the world-famous Hamleys - just around the corner on Regent Street - Cafe Royal will...

One of the best ways to enjoy an authentic holiday experience is to hit the road and see what sort of gems are hidden just around the bend. While being at the wheel can be stressful when you’re grappling with unfamiliar rules, regulations, etiquette - plus the dreaded right-hand-side driving - an expansive survey has revealed the countries we find to be the safest places for road revellers. So according to rentalcar.com's survey of 1,000 UK holidaymakers, these are the...