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This month we bring you a very special offer on an Amazon River trip to Peru, thanks to Aracari Travel. From the capital city of Lima to Arequipa and a luxury cruise on the Pacaya-Samiria National Raserve, it’s an adventure through the heart of the country. Book before 30th April for to make the most of this special offer. Price is $3913 per person (based on two sharing), without flights.
World cup fever seems to have taken hold of most of the travel supplements with several articles on South Africa. The Guardian has a whole section devoted to the football but if you're feeling more adventurous take a look at the article on shark diving. Not one for swimming with sharks? Read up on Franschhoek instead and its vineyards instead. In the rest of this week's round-up, find out about the resort combining spirituality and surfing in India, learn about the dance capital of Israel, and find out whether a Disney cruise is just for the kids... This week's categories are City, Escape, Outdoor/Adventure, Family and South Africa.
Owned by Count Brandino Brandolini d'Adda, Naranzaria restaurant and wine bar, on the Grand Canal in Venice, is utterly sublime. The restaurant’s Japanese-Brazilian chef Akira makes the most of being located near to the fish market and has created a simple menu built around fish dishes, sushi, sashimi and seaweed salads.
While it would be easy to spend a week in Luxor, it is perfectly manageable in two days. Get the most out of a weekend there using our suggested itinerary - it's the one we followed when travelling with the acclaimed writer Anthony Sattin and his jewellery designer wife, Sylvie Franquet, both experts on Egypt.
As I write this from Lagos, Barack Obama is in Ghana talking tough to African leaders about getting their houses in order. The American President, who spreads his magic dust everywhere he goes, is right, and Nigeria is a case in point. With all the wonderfulness that comes from the continents great diversity, one thing is apparent: corruption is rife, blighting the future of too many of its citizens while benefiting only the powerful few and elite.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is one of those places dubbed a 'hole'. It's neither particularly old, nor particularly beautiful. But read on because now there's a reason to visit: the Oyster Bay Hotel. Renovated in 2007, the hotel is particularly beautiful. It's also one of the coolest overnight stops in Africa for in-transit honeymooners and those who are en-route, whether to the high snows of Kilimanjaro, the coral sands and historical sights of Zanzibar, the Rift Valley or the Serengeti with its annual migration of two million animals.
Set on a hillside, among lush tropical vegetation that leads down to a private beach, Kamalaya is built around a cave where Buddhist monks have worshipped for centuries ... No need for piped music - the sounds of the birds and giant geckos wash over you, if you manage to stay awake.
The relatively new ‘must do’ task before planning a trip to Australasia, is to book yourself onto one of the three airlines that operate the Airbus A380 superjumbo from London, and then make sure you are booked onto that particular aircraft. Qantas operate direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne. Emirates and Singapore also do, but you need to change planes en route. A small sacrifice for the benefits you get in all classes, and which make a huge difference on flights of this duration. It takes flying to a different level - more space ship than jumbo jet.
During the late 60s, the Labour Premier of Tasmania, the Honourable Eric Reece, nicknamed ‘Electric Eric’, made the observation that ‘tourists come to the state with one shirt and a £10 note and leave having changed neither’. I don’t suppose such a comment did much to improve the state’s profile; it was already deemed, in the eyes of many, to be a backwater that not even the dingo had bothered to cross to. Today, Tasmania has gained from those ‘backwater’ years. It does not have the international nightlife or wide range of restaurants that Melbourne has to offer; it cannot claim Sydney’s harbour; it is not situated on the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a diver’s paradise but, make no mistake, Tasmania is astounding and its resorts and restaurants are catching up fast.
Revival is a bit of a theme this weekend, with the cities of Beirut and Istanbul marked out for special treatment as they recover from past tribulations and once again embrace tourism. There's also a new category in the form of Cheat Sheets - look here for good overviews on Turkey and Munich. The other categories are City, Escape, and Outdoor/Adventure, the latter of which contains two articles on the joys of snowshoeing...perhaps it's the next big thing?!