Monument Valley, a Navajo Tribal Park, is a vast expanse of vibrant red sand and striking sandstone formations that reach up to the sky, some as high as 1,000 feet. Using a tour guide here is essential since tourists can only navigate a 27-kilometre loop of gravel road on their own when exploring Monument Valley. Tsé Bii’ Ndzisgaii (“Valley of the Rocks”), as it’s also called by the Navajo, sits on the Arizona-Utah state border, at the north of Navajo Nation, which encompasses essentially private land covering from 71,000 square kilometres across three states, New Mexico being the third state. Navajo guides make exploring this area far more interesting thanks to their historical and cultural context.
Wine writer Shana Clarke has published "150 Vineyards to Visit Before You Die" including Japan's MGVs vineyard, which Clarke describes as a laboratory-like building with precise winemaking akin to alchemy; Spain's Bodegas Vega Sicilia's Ontañón Vineyard, featuring vines dating back over 100 years; and Australia's d'Arenberg Cube, a five-storey art and education venue that aims to blur the lines between wine and attraction. The book explores lesser-known vineyards as well as famous ones in France and Italy. The vineyards were chosen to reflect Clarke's "broad story about the world of wine, which meant not just focusing on historically important vineyards, but what may come in the future".
Ästad Vineyard in the Swedish region of Halland has been awarded its third Michelin star for fine dining restaurant ÄNG for the third year running, retaining one of the new “green stars” for sustainability this year. The Michelin-stars are a reflection of the vineyard's sympathetic approach to hospitality and winemaking, with its winery planting Solaris grape vines that thrive in the cool Scandinavian climate, producing around 30,000 bottles of fizz per year. Co-owners Daniel Carlsson, Linda Petersson and Mattias Glamheden are realising their vision of constant improvement, while always being sympathetic to the land around them. Alongside ÄNG, Ästad has a more down-to-earth restaurant, Logen, offering Nordic-inspired rustic food.
Ästad also incorporates Sinnenas Spa, which uses scents, sounds and materials from surrounding nature reserves, including one carved from pinewood and kept at a constant temperature of 70C, a subterranean offering with vast glass windows showcasing aquatic life and a forest sauna set to 45C, with hammocks to relax in. Only an hour’s drive from Gothenburg, Ästad offers 54 rooms and suites, with the new Sjöparken village of floating accommodation featuring 28 newly built rooms, each with its own bathing deck.
The tasting menu at ÄNG begins in the glasshouse with 360-degree views of the meadow, forests and a neighbouring lake and carries over to the wine cellar, dining room and wine lounge before returning to the glasshouse for coffee and cake. With the meal built into the cost of a stay, guests can avoid a multi-year wait list and dress codes, with the menu cost starting at £171 per person.
US travel companies are hoping the "workcation" could provide a solution to the country's notoriously low rate of employee holiday time. Before the pandemic, US workers typically took just 17.4 vacation days, while nearly half of those with paid time off didn't use all of it, according to Pew Research Center. Workcations allow workers to spend more time away from the office than their allotment of vacation days might otherwise allow, but work inevitably creeps into the leisure time. Despite this, a Deloitte survey found that one in four US travellers planned to work during their vacation.
The popularity of Barnard Castle, where Dominic Cummings famously tested his eyesight, has surged, according to English Heritage. Visitor numbers in 2021 rose 20% compared to 2019, and owner Lord Bernard is planning to capitalise further by opening a restaurant, events space and market overlooking walled gardens in the Raby Castle grounds in 2024. In the meantime, strollers and dog walkers can explore the castle fringes for free and visitors can enter the castle for a fee, along with a forest adventure playground and temporary café in the grounds.
An initiative called “champing” is allowing the public to stay overnight in England’s empty churches in an attempt to raise money for the Churches Conservation Trust, which manages church sites. 1,500 people spent the night in churches last year alone: increasing revenue for an underfunded organisation. Champing allows visitors to book a stay in one of 18 churches listed either as “unused” or “still hosting regular services”. Champers receive a collection of essentials upon arrival including a kettle, bottled water, biscuits and a bottle opener. Visitors are also permitted to bring their own bedding and can order a breakfast hamper to be left at the church doors. Whilst the initiative offers a unique look at some of England’s most ancient buildings, it also serves to provide an alternative solution to maintaining the historic sites that would otherwise be left empty. An X factor finalist hopes to boost the sport of “mourn-along” singing by leading champing-inspired church visits which include the singing of popular tunes.
While talk therapy can be beneficial to some, it may not work for everyone. Researchers have concluded this after finding mixed results in hundreds of clinical trials, some of which reported therapy's higher probability of helping than hindering and others which suggesting the therapy only worked for some patients. Studies are limited as individual preferences, both for their suitable therapist and method of therapy, can play a part in effectiveness. Andrew Gerber, the president of a psychiatric treatment center in Connecticut, explained analysts are resistant to empirical research, as the practice of psychotherapy has been ground around the therapist and patient experience. According to The New York Times’ Susan Dominus, while some have concluded the issues surrounding talk therapy cannot be solved and interactions could only ever reach a certain standard, other experts use the results to identify better approaches.
Phuket is expected to welcome one million Russians in 2017, making Russians the largest group of foreign visitors, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. While the Thai island depends on tourism for 90% of its economy, the rise of Russian visitors has led to complaints of "bad behavior", including drunkenness, violence and traffic accidents, according to hospital nurses and provincial police reports in local media. Russians have frequently been arrested in Phuket for crimes including theft, recklessness causing death and drug smuggling, and some local residents complain they are being squeezed out of jobs while local schools are filled to capacity with Russian children. Wealthier Russians are reportedly acquiring elite visas enabling them to stay for between five and 20 years for $25,000 or more and almost all condo sales are to Russians, according to reports, and many are purchasing hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and tourism-related businesses.
Travel editor of The Times and Sunday Times, James Stewart, describes his perfect luxury holiday as being a solo 1,000-mile, broadly clockwise circumnavigation of Scotland by bike, kayak and on foot. Stripping back his itinerary to a lone commitment of catching his train home four weeks after leaving Glasgow, his travels included a paddle down the Caledonian Canal near Gairlochy, a cycle around the Bealach na Bà pass and traversing the most rewarding and testing section of the NC500: the inventively contorted topographically bonkers road north to Cape Wrath, the most northwesterly point of mainland Britain. The trip didn’t come without its challenges, along with battling weather conditions and the insect-filled hammock tent, he tackled aggressive midges in the far eastern corner of the country.
Luxury lodgings in Japan are seeing an uptick in business according to research firm MSCI Real Assets, with investors from abroad putting more money into Japanese hotels at a rate not seen since 2014. The trend comes amid dozens of luxury hotels being built in Japan with nightly room rates often exceeding ¥100,000 ($735); worldwide hotel chains are making their first forays into that market, and overseas backers account for almost half of the ¥494.3 billion in hotel deals made over the past year. Tetsuya Kaneko, of property firm Savills Japan, said he estimated the average worth of members the new wave of inbound travellers with the means to spend hundreds per night on accommodation will be “much higher than the pre-pandemic average”. Worldwide, income inequality has risen during the pandemic, with some wealthy individuals seeing their net worth rise by billions and others losing jobs.
Tidal pools, a unique combination of natural formations and man-made elements, offer safe swimming in enclosed spaces for those nervous about the open sea. Despite facing disuse and closure, many tidal pools are still operational and popular in countries such as Australia and Malta. The Victorian development of these pools highlights their importance in the history of leisure and luxury. Tidal pools serve as a place of solace for many, with the author of the article partaking in the challenge to swim in every tidal pool in mainland Britain after struggling with grief. Most tidal pools are semi-natural, unticketed, open year-round, and require visitors to travel with a friend since they have no facilities or lifeguards. One must always check the tide, as the pool will be covered otherwise. The writer presents three day trips to tidal pools from London and five more further away that are ideal for weekend trips. Each tidal pool has its unique features, with some located on the Jurassic Coast accessible only through a cliff-top path, providing a genuinely authentic natural experience, while others, such as Clevedon Marine Lake, offer a great spot for family adventuring or water activities.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 presidential race following months of speculation and tipped to file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday 25 May. Mr DeSantis is seen as Donald Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote and has been expected to throw his hat into the ring for some time. The latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump, with the former president enjoying a 36-point lead. Mr DeSantis will join an already crowded race, with Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Larry Elder and Tim Scott already announcing bids.
However, this comes just days after the NAACP issued a formal advisory warning travellers that Florida is openly hostile towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people following a series of laws signed by Governor DeSantis in recent months targeting classroom instruction around race and racism. In contrast, GOP supermajorities in the Florida Statehouse have helped DeSantis push through legislation, including gender identity, and he has made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his messaging as he prepares to seek the Republican presidential nomination.
Following the GOP party’s disappointing midterms, several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media have rallied behind Mr DeSantis as their candidate of choice. The Republican party is currently looking for a candidate who can both energise conservative voters and win over the crucial swing states.
A reader has asked an agony aunt whether it's fair her husband buys a $3,000 first-class ticket for himself and leaves his family in the main cabin, saying this is "strange in every possible way". Her husband offered to fly separately but she sees this as avoiding the underlying issue. Kwame Anthony Appiah suggests they take turns booking premium seats, but New York Times opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen tweeted: "This is grounds for immediate divorce." Some social media users defended the husband; others retold tales of offering ticket upgrades to their spouse.
Melbourne is known for its coffee and there is no shortage of great spots, but the Financial Times has chosen a few that stand out. Among them are Patricia Coffee Brewers, hidden behind the Supreme Court building; Small Batch Roasting in North Melbourne with locally sourced produce and baked goods; and 21st-century Centre Place’s Jungle Juice, famous for its coffee and bagels, both served by owners Marcus and Annabelle. The quintessential Melbourne cafe St Ali championed small producers globally and created the “magic” coffee and Higher Ground, housed in an old power station, offers hearty dishes such as spanner crab Benedict, or classics like eggs on sourdough, combined with coffee.
Qantas has indicated that earnings pushing up to AUD 2.48bn ($1.8bn) in 2022 would come under pressure from falling airfares, coupled with the return of international routes, even with demand expected to stay strong. The prediction comes as a shortened quarantine period in neighbouring New Zealand saw a return to flight schedules with full planes. However, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce also highlighted that the airline was experiencing a capacity mismatch despite increasing domestic services and that the profits had been boosted by the lack of flights and capacity during the pandemic.
