Building sandcastles on the beach has got to be one of the quintessential childhood memories for many of us. Fill a bucket with damp sand, turn it upside-down, bash it on the end with a plastic spade, jiggle the bucket and lift, keeping fingers crossed it will come out perfect...

Pembrokeshire Coast – Stackpole And the winner is … jaw-droppingly gorgeous Pembrokeshire. It possesses a glorious, beach-strewn coastline; the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path has been ranked by National Geographic as one of the great hiking paths of the world. It also won BBC Countryfile Holiday Destination of the Year 2018. Medieval castles...

The smell of freshly-baked bread mingles with the enticing aroma of chocolate, almonds, coffee and fresh flowers. I’m sitting by the window in the Three Hares Café in the little town of Sedbergh, just 10 minutes off the M6 in Cumbria. I’m on the first stop on a day following...

‘Stand still and this policeman will arrange the sash.’ Possibly one of strangest instructions I have ever been given, but somehow in keeping with the surreal experience of taking part in Bun Pha Wet Fair. It’s one of Thailand’s lesser-known and very colourful festivals and happens every year in Roi Et...

The sound of seabirds calling echoed across the scrubby grass towards Fleetwood and Blackpool. A pale sun glimmered round the drifting clouds, casting a pewter glow across Morecambe Bay, A dog barked with delight as it dashed across the rocks to splash into the shallow water. I was parked at...

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

Hello. My name is Oxley. I’m a red squirrel and live at Underscar near Keswick. Now and again I’m taken out for the day by children who come to stay in this wonderful place and they write about our adventures together. This time I was lucky enough to accompany Zoe, the...

“No offence, but I want to be THERE, not here.” This was the response from Amber, a participant in one of my recent ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’ Workshops. The group had been given a table covered in travel magazines and I was asking them what had made them choose the one...

The Toy Train to Shimla As we clattered along the narrow track, the mountains gradually emerged like shy ballerinas peeking out from behind a curtain of lush green foliage. Glimpsed intermittently at first, the foothills of the mightiest mountain range on earth rose amidst tiny hamlets and towering pine trees....

In this article in the World Travel Blogger series, photographer Angus Matheson describes The North Coast 500, a memorable road trip he did with his wife in the Highlands of Scotland. North Coast 500 – the greatest motoring adventure in the British Isles North Coast 500 In 2015 the North Coast...

With his hands clutching his long, flowing coat tightly around him, Sir William Hillary (1771-1841) stands high above Douglas Harbour, ready to face everything the weather can throw at him.  As founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution he was well aware of the changeable  meteorological temperament of his home,...

David Hockney looking at a picture of fellow Yorkshireman Alan Bennett – photo Salts Mill You may have heard of, or even been to see, the new David Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain in London. One of this country’s most loved and respected artists, Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937,...

It looked a lot bigger than I had imagined. It also looked a lot prettier, covered in views of Canada’s splendid scenery. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Once you get on the road, you’ll soon forget its size and be enjoying yourself behind the wheel.” I was at the Cruise Canada pick-up centre...

In our latest ‘World Travel Blogger‘ article, Canadian writer Cindy Baker shares her favourite things to do the beautiful city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal. The clatter of old trams, the smell of sardines on the grill, the haunting melancholy of fado music. In Lisbon, these traditions combine with a...

Rain drifts gently down from a milky grey sky. There’s not a breath of wind and the sound of footsteps is all that can be heard. Ahead loom two huge pillars thrusting upwards through the drizzle. a standing figure gradually comes into focus between the pillars, resting like Samson against...