Holiday & Travel

Forty days before Easter, there is an explosion of colour, dance, music and parties in Rio de Janeiro. Renowned the world over, Rio Carnival is a five-day extravaganza which epitomises Brazil's vibrant, fun-loving culture and makes for a truly unforgettable experience. The main event sees 12 samba schools parade through the Sambodromo in dazzling outfits alongside lavishly decorated floats in a bid to be crowned champions of Carnival.

Autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, as the English poet John Keats reminds us. And what could be nicer than a long walk around the grounds of an elegant stately home, followed by afternoon tea in front of a roaring fire or dinner in a unique award-winning setting? Set in 20 acres of gardens, Francis Place's bird's-eye view of Middlethorpe shows Thomas Barlow's garden shortly after he had completed work on the house.

For the next three weeks, Frankfurt Airport will once again be partying with gusto. Hearty food, traditional beer tent music, and appropriate shopping specials are all being provided in the style of Oktoberfest, the world’s most famous beer festival and funfair, in the transit zones in Pier Z and on the non-Schengen level of Terminal 2.

Holland is quickly becoming one of the most popular European holiday destinations. Close to home and easy to get to by either plane or ferry, holiday specialist Eurocamp, has noticed higher demand for its Dutch resorts this year. Stay at one of Eurocamp's three parcs in Holland and explore what the region has to offer. Known for its flat landscape of canals, windmills and cycling routes, Holland is filled with beauty alongside art, culture, shops and architecture – there is something for everyone.

Baan Paa Talee is a superb nine-bedroom luxury villa designed by Paris-based architects Arte Charpentier. The exquisite oceanfront property is overlooking the Andaman Sea on the picturesque Cape Amarin estate, just a short 15-minute drive from the beaches of Kamala and Patong on Phuket's scenic west coast. The main villa comprises seven ocean-view bedrooms, arranged in flexible configurations to suit families, couples and independent groups.

Celebrate the festive season in style and luxury with a cosy Christmas and sparkling Hogmanay on The Isle of Eriska, a private island off the west coast of Scotland. Eriska has five days of Christmas festivities planned from 23rd to 27th December and six days of New Year celebrations from 29th December to 3rd January 2017.

Scrunching leaves, vibrant views and the red-tinted, orange and golden hues of autumn make for some breath-taking places to visit on the nation's beautiful waterways. Travelling by boat or on foot you can double your enjoyment by watching the watery reflections of trees as you follow the waterway to appreciate their seasonal splendour. The Canal & River Trust has handpicked eight sites that provide great places to visit and experience the vibrant colours that are nature's way of preparing for winter.

Stretching over six time zones, Canada features luxury offerings, spectacular wilderness, abundant wildlife, cosmopolitan cities and diverse cultures – plenty for Prince William and his family to explore. Landing in Victoria on the 24th of September, the royals will visit Vancouver, the Yukon and the archipelago of Haida Gwaii. Here Cox & Kings suggests itineraries from their new 2017 Canada brochure – all luxurious offerings fit for a royal visit.

Pine Cliffs, a Luxury Collection Resort, has revealed it has picked up a duo of accolades at the 2016 World Travel Awards Europe. At a glittering ceremony held on the island of Sardinia last night, the celebrated cliff-top retreat took the highly contested top spot as Europe's Leading Family Resort – building on its impressive list of industry honours, which include six previous World Travel Awards for Portugal's leading family resort.

The Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel is inspired by the glamour of the Roaring Twenties combined with the beauty of its location directly on the waters of the French Riviera. Contemporary design and styling meets the spirit of a bygone golden era at the elegant hotel.  Close to nature, Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel’s main focus is to reduce its environmental impact. All five of its restaurants - Elsa, The Deck, La Vigie, Cabanas and La Pizzeria use 100% organic fruits and vegetables.

Blue Air, the largest Romanian carrier that started operations earlier this year from Birmingham Airport, is adding another route to its network. The airline will start flights to Larnaca on the south coast of Cyprus from April 2017. Having only started in March 2016 with a twice-weekly service to Bucharest, on the success of this it then announced a second route to Cluj-Napoca, the capital and heart of Transylvania, commencing in December this year.

Chewton Glen has won the title of 'UK Holiday Hotel 2016' for the third time, in the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards, which was held last night in London's Ham Yard Hotel. Chewton Glen's sister property Cliveden House was also awarded 4th place in the same category, a tremendous achievement for both hotels.

In Japan, New Year's Eve is widely considered the most exciting festivity of the year. It is the time when families and friends gather for feasts with rigour and pay homage to the stunning shrines and temples, embracing a fresh outlook and optimism for the coming 12 months. While family celebrations are prevalent during this special period, there is also no better time to experience Japanese culture as a holidaymaker.

Secluded and private, Villa Pangi Gita lies beside the banks of the Pangi River in the traditional Balinese village of Pererenan, south-west Bali. Water is an important feature here, and its importance is reflected in the villa's name which translates to 'the singing river Pangi' - a reference to the small river that borders the property and enhances the ambience with its therapeutic melody.

Exclusive drone footage of Uluru, offering a never before seen perspective of the 600 million year old monolith has been released by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia. These spectacular birds-eye views of Australia's spiritual heart were captured by the first drone to ever operate under permit inside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.