Sometimes you arrive somewhere and you just feel it is special. Da Lat is special. We loved Da Lat and could easily have stayed longer than the two and a half days we spent there. Da Lat is a city in the south of Vietnam initially developed by the French in the early 1900s as … More 2 ½ DAYS IN // Da Lat, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s most populous city with a population of around 10 million people. Formerly known as Saigon, it is situated in the southeast region of Vietnam, and is busy, bustling and colourful. We arrived in the run up to the Tet Lunar New Year festival. This is an important annual event … More 5 DAYS IN // Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Setúbal is an historic fishing port that lies at the mouth of the River Sado and opposite the Troia Peninsula about 48km/30 miles south of Lisbon. It is an easy day trip from Lisbon or ideal to spend a few days exploring. Setúbal was very important in the production of sea salt and for the … More 3 DAYS IN // Setúbal, Portugal
We visited Crete for a family wedding, spending the first week in Crete’s second-largest city, Chania, in north-west Crete. Chania has a picture-perfect Venetian harbour surrounded by a beautiful old town. We went in May and it was very busy. We suspect that in the height of summer it could be uncomfortably popular. Magnificent 7 … More 7 DAYS IN // Chania, Crete
Pattaya is a beach resort, located on the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometres south of Bangkok. Pattaya caters to most tastes, with excellent beaches and resort hotels focused on families, as well as livelier areas with energetic nightlife catering to more eclectic tastes. Pattaya is busy at all hours however, even late at night, … More 14 DAYS IN // Pattaya, Thailand
It was brutally hot in Lisbon in July, so we looked at a map and found somewhere on the coast north of Porto whose temperatures were a lot lower. Having never been so far north, off we went, and what a great decision! Viana Do Castelo is a small, attractive city on the coast with … More 3 DAYS IN // Viana Do Castelo, Portugal
Everyone knows something about New York. It is one of the most famous cities in the world with its landmarks featured in so many films. We visited for five days in May and only scratched the surface of things to see and do. Having lived in NY for a year back in the late 1980s … More 5 DAYS IN // New York, USA
Coimbra is a former capital of Portugal and is an important university city with a vibrant student vibe. As with many Portuguese cities (Lisbon and Porto come to mind), Coimbra is built on a hill and it is a good workout to walk up to the top of the hill where the university and museums … More 2 DAYS IN // Coimbra, Portugal
The capital of Wales is perfect for a city break. We spent 3 days/2 nights in the city and it was terrific. We visited in late September and most of the pedestrianised streets had outdoor and indoor dining. The city is compact and eminently walkable. We visited during Freshers’ week and the city had a … More 3 DAYS IN // Cardiff, Wales
Global Gary 