Holiday & Travel

The changing seasons in Kyoto bring boundless joy for the city's visitors each year.  As the calendar pages turn from September through to December, koyo (meaning 'colourful leaves') transform the region's autumnal vistas, just as the cherry blossoms light up the area in spring. For centuries, large numbers of travellers have visited Kyoto to take in this spectacular array of russet tones scattered across the mountains, parks and streets.

Mauritius is in the top ten best photos taken by the famous French photographer and environmentalist, Yann Arthus Bertrand. The lagoon of Le Morne in the southwest of the island, is quoted in this list present on the website “Journée mondiale de l'océan.”

Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort & Spa in Malaysian Borneo invites guests to enjoy the most important meal of the day with the ultimate breath-taking view, overlooking the majestic Mount Kinabalu and lush Bornean coastline. The 'Breakfast with a View' package invites guests to trek through the Bornean jungle, 90 metres above sea-level, to enjoy a Champagne breakfast overlooking Malaysian Borneo.  A professional ranger will lead the hike, carrying a handwoven wakid (traditional Sabahan carrying basket) filled with fresh breakfast produce.

With one of the largest biological diversities in the world, rich native cultures, and 6 World Heritages declared by the UNESCO, Bolivia distinguishes as a diverse unspoiled country with extraordinary places to visit (you probably heard that among them is the amazing salt flats or “Salar de Uyuni").

Join the peer-to-peer trend and live like a local in Belgium, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Italy and Turkey. In need of some summer holiday inspiration? Giving us the chance to see yet more cities like a local, experiential travel site trip4real has launched in eight more fantastic cities including Budapest, Venice, Prague, Naples, Brussels, Istanbul, Porto and Athens. Essentially the Airbnb of travel experiences, trip4real is a unique peer-to-peer platform that allows locals to make money as neighbourhood guides and travellers to see a city through the eyes of a local.

Geysers, glaciers and a glittering ice cave are all waiting to be discovered on this NEW winter holiday in Iceland. With its volcanic landscape and Viking roots this country is unlike anything else in Europe – similar to it's football team, this island is an explosion of experiences! After a welcoming first night in Reykjavik you start this action-packed adventure with a tour of the famous 'Golden Circle', a collection of natural (and man-made) phenomena.

The towns of Salou, Cambrils and Vila-Seca-La Pineda celebrated the summer solstice yesterday with the San Juan festival. Offering an evening of fireworks, bonfires and live music, the traditional festival was a vibrant and colourful celebration of the summer with events taking place throughout Catalonia. As part of the festivities, Cambrils showcased the region's famous human towers (castells), while all three destinations held 'dance of the devils' around the bonfires.  

Global Destinations Day, a global conference on sustainable tourism, will be taking place in Ljubljana from 27 to 28 September 2016. This flagship green destinations event will bring together leading global experts in sustainable development and green tourism, opinion leaders, representatives of destinations, associations, hoteliers and tourist operators who strive for sustainable development in tourism. 

The increasing trend for uploading unique imagery onto social media has led to many holidaymakers planning their trips around Instagram-worthy destinations. The Canary Islands are high on the list of places to visit in 2016 thanks to an incredible variety of distinctive photographic backdrops.  This May alone, there has been an increase of 16.3% of British visitors flying to The Canary Islands.

With the potential for laws to tighten further around travelling in school term time it's now even tougher for teachers and families to take an exotic break in the school holidays and enjoy a different cultural experience. Summer holiday price hikes of more than 50% in some cases could spur families and teachers to explore alternative ways to holiday that make their money go the extra mile. 

Port of Spain, a city known for its year-round festivals, aesthetic highlights and pulsating energy will celebrate its 102nd Anniversary in the month of June 2016 with a series of activities reflecting the over-arching theme - ‘A City in Positive Transition.’ In 1914, Port of Spain recaptured its municipal rights, moving from a town board to City Corporation. Through the patronage of His Worship the Mayor Keron Valentine, the celebration kicked off with the Bert Allette 5K Run/Walk on June 5 and culminates with the annual awards ceremony on June 26 at the City Hall Auditorium in Port of Spain.

Pebble Art, Rockpool Explorer, Sea Shanty Sundays, Boats Ahoy & Storytelling with Something For All The Family! From ancient cobbles to castle walls, through time and tide St Michael's Mount is beckoning. Situated just 400 yards off Mount's Bay in Marazion, St Michael's Mount is an iconic Cornish landmark and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South West. During the school holidays from 3 July to 26 August, St Michael's Mount is the place to be! 

Astronomy enthusiasts of all ages can discover the spectacular Australian outback sky at Ayers Rock Resort's upcoming Uluru Astronomy Weekend on 26-28 August 2016. Now in its third year, the popular event is run in partnership with the Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO) and will be hosted by respected science journalist and ABC radio broadcaster Robyn Williams, as well as leading astronomers.

Selected from tens of thousands of applicants, London-based snapchatter Naila Abbasova is demonstrating to potential travelers how to make the most of travelling via WOW air through the airline's 'Snaptraveler' programme. Naila and three other individuals were hand-picked for the job of travelling to four different WOW air destinations and will be documenting their journey on the airline's snapchat account (wow-air), each giving a personal insight into the destinations they visit.

If you have plans to visit Asia this year, discover the hidden gems of AKARYN Hotel Group in destinations throughout Thailand. The award-winning collection of boutique 5-star properties pride themselves on being off the beaten track, combining outstanding locations, luxurious facilities and the most attentive of service.

Head to Sweden this 'Midsommar' to celebrate the longest day of the year with independent tailor-made tour operator Best Served Scandinavia and join the country's biggest festival apart from Christmas. Taking place on 25th June, the festival is often regarded as the best part of the year.  In a country with such dark winters and relatively short summers, the light and the warmth of summer is certainly cause for celebration.