Japan: Kyoto

Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It's famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes, and geisha, female entertainers often found in the Gion district.

Continue ReadingJapan: Kyoto

Japan: Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city's many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theatre. Buzzing Harajuku is renowned for colourful street art and youth fashion, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street.

Continue ReadingJapan: Tokyo

SA: Kwa Madwala – Elephant Encounter

Kwa Madwala is extremely privileged to have two tamed elephants that live within the Reserve and provide emotional and moving elephant experiences from safaris to interaction experiences. The elephants, Tswale and Modjadji, are based at the purpose built stables in the reserve. Guests start all elephant experiences with a brief introduction to Tswali and Mojaji and a safety talk in the bush. You then have the option to ride or walk with the elephants. Humbling experience. We. have enjoyed watching these two elephants grow as we have visited since 2009.

Continue ReadingSA: Kwa Madwala – Elephant Encounter

Ireland: County Mayo – Horsedrawn Caravan

County Mayo is on the west coast of Ireland. Its scenery ranges from verdant to desertlike, with rocky cliffs at the Atlantic coast. Clew Bay is dotted with small, steep-sided islands, including Clare Island. At the eastern end of the bay, Westport town is known for its Georgian architecture and Westport House, a mansion with dungeons. Nearby is Croagh Patrick, a mountain linked to St. Patrick.

Continue ReadingIreland: County Mayo – Horsedrawn Caravan

Latvia: Christmas Market

This small Baltic state squeezes Art Nouveau architecture, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Riga's old centre and and sticky black balsam into its eastern European borders. It is home to a vast array of animals and birds including lesser spotted eagles, otters, beaver, deer, wild boar, elk, red fox, lynx, wolves and 7,000 breeds of stork!

Continue ReadingLatvia: Christmas Market

UK: Catch & Cook with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall & Nick Fisher

Join us when we headed off on the high seas with Hugh (River Cottage Chef) and Nick Fisher (Screaming Reels) in search of the seasons best fish, from the first mackerel of spring through the black bream and bass of summer and autumn to the early winter squid. We learnt everything you need to know about preparing your freshly caught fish from scratch at River Cottage HQ.

Continue ReadingUK: Catch & Cook with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall & Nick Fisher

Finland: Lapland – Enontekiö

A long, long time ago we went to find Santa Claus ... or in Finland: Joulupukki is the Finnish Christmas figure. The name joulupukki literally means "Christmas goat" or "Yule Goat" in Finnish; the word pukki comes from the Teutonic root bock, which is a cognate of the English "buck", and means "billy-goat". An old Scandinavian custom, the figure is now often conflated with Santa Claus. We were not disappointed and all believed in the Magic of Christmas all over again!

Continue ReadingFinland: Lapland – Enontekiö