I’m lured by luxury travel, luscious food and wine, and lazing around in the spa. So I was thrilled to discover all of the above – and more – when I went to explore Cognac.

What is the difference between cognac and brandy? Do you know? For those who don’t (and I didn’t before I went), all cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. Only brandy from the Cognac region is called cognac. And it has to follow a distinct set of distillation and ageing processes.

I was in Cognac to learn about cognac and visit the distilleries. Moving around the region, all the big names jump out at you from every winding road through the vineyards: Martell, Rémy Martin, Courvoisier, Hennessy… but there are loads of smaller independent producers too. The region supports both – those vineyards not big enough to make their own cognac sell their grapes to the big houses.

Cognac Vineyards, Petite Champagne, Charente-Maritime

Employment and the economy in the area is hugely driven by the industry – that and tourism. In 2024, there were over 4,400 winegrowers, 120 professional distillers and 270 merchants operating within the Cognac area. And many of the Cognac houses are still family-owned.

Many – probably most – offer some kind of tour and tasting experience. I was lucky enough to visit (in order) Chateau Montifaud, Hennessy, Delamain, and Rémy Martin. They’re all hugely different, with each visit offering a completely unique experience.

Visiting Cognac

The Cognac region is about halfway down France on the lefthand side. The closest airports are Bordeaux and La Rochelle, but you can reach the area by train and road. I’d recommend hiring a car as it’s a rural region.

Arriving into Bordeaux after a very quick hop and a skip from Gatwick (it’s less than two hours in the air), I was very pleased to see that we were immediately headed for lunch. If there’s one thing – of many things – the French do extremely well, it’s lunch. And I was not disappointed.

Lunch at Restaurant Cave La Quincaillerie

Weaving our way into one of those tiny little restaurants you might easily pass, on an ancient street flanked with shuttered houses, we headed upstairs at Restaurant Cave La Quincaillerie for their set lunch. This little cave of joy is in the Michelin Guide, and deservedly so. An hour or so later, I was happily stuffed with melty goat’s cheese on toast, slow cooked pork with pommes puree, and a greedy plate of cheese from the trolley, all washed down with a bottle of excellent Sancerre.

What a way to kick off the trip. Rubbing my fat tummy, I climbed back into the charabanc for our next stop, Chateau Montifaud.

Chateau Montifaud is a family-owned house that has been with the family Vallet for six generations, notching up more than 150 years of experience. We had a lovely tour, bumbling around the distillery learning about the processes. Nice touch with this tour was having a cocktail shaker handed to us at the start, and with each stage of the tour, a new ingredient added, relative to the information of the moment, resulting in a good shaking at the end of the tour, and a lovely cognac-based cocktail to quaff.

Chateau Montifaud

Where I stayed

After such a good lunch, and more than a little sampling of cognacs at Montifaud, I was pleased to arrive at our hotel, and even more pleased when I saw my absolutely stunning room.

Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa is a gorgeous five-star property right in the heart of Cognac. Sprawling across a wide area, the house used to be a distillery, and the hotel buildings are all comprised of the former cellars, cooperage, ageing halls (chais) etc. The conversion has been beautifully handled, and the property is rich with the tapestry of its history. It has a relaxing spa area complete with inside/outside pool, and several spaces in which to eat and drink in luxury. It’s also a perfect base from which to explore the Cognac region.

My fabulous room at Hotel Chais Monnet Hotel & Spa

After a bit of very welcome down time to digest and unpack, we were treated to an absolutely majestic tasting menu at the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant, Les Foudres. Course after course came out, delivered with theatrical aplomb, interspersed with amuse-bouches and palette cleansers, and every course paired with a beautiful wine. It was a masterclass in quality and delivery, and it very nearly had me beaten.

Up the next morning and still feeling full…

I launched a rather pathetic attack at some coffee and a skirmish with an egg before we hit the road to visit Maison Hennessy. And what a wild trip this was. I had expected to view the cellars, try some cognacs, hear some history, and we did have all that. What I wasn’t expecting was a fantastic mind-bending virtual reality trip through the Hennessy journey with full AR headsets on, a boat ride over the river to the Hennessy cellars, and a chance to visit the cooperage and watch an apprentice cooper make a barrel from scratch.

An excellent morning at Hennessy

Hennessy is one of the few houses left that have a cooperage on site. And the mathematical and physical balance it takes to make a cask without glue, bind it all together with metal hoops, heat it and bend it to fit, and get the lid on with all its groovy grooves… my little mind was blown. Yours truly, being the sort that gets stuck in, even had a go on the ratchety machine thing that draws the slats together. This was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime kind of morning – I will forever be able to say that there are glasses of H-dawg circulating that has been laid in a barrel I helped make.

After all this activity, we had a tasting – got to love quaffing Hennessy XO at 10am – and we finished up, sitting in the Hennessy café, eating cognac and raisin ice cream. And this brings me to an important point.

The French aren’t fussy about how you drink your cognac

The French take their food and drink pretty seriously, as we all know. So what I hadn’t expected was to find that absolutely no one is precious about how to drink cognac. They’re happy to adulterate it with water, mixers, ice… There was almost no balloon swirling or pontificating.

The most popular way for the locals to drink it – if they drink it at all, mostly it’s exported – is as a long drink with tonic water and ice. And this is nicer than it sounds. There are all sorts of cocktail variations using cognac. My favourite was a margarita with the tequila swapped out.

Back to the hotel for lunch in their La Distillerie restaurant, and conscious of making such a poor fist of breakfast, I went large on lunch. I felt it my duty to ensure that I tested out their skills. So, appetite sharpened by Hennessy intake, I had canapes, a melange of salmon things, and duck that was so fresh it nearly flew away off my plate.

Lunch at La Distillerie

After a necessary post-prandial forty winks, we were back at the hotel’s excellent bar, the 1838, for a cocktail masterclass. Remember when I said the French weren’t prissy about the cognac? Well, here was more proof, pun intended. Using the local fire water, we made cognac Sidecars, Negronis, and Margaritas. Then got a fantastic tour of the bar, including all the secret back bar areas.

Making (and drinking) cognac cocktails in 1838 Bar

Then into the hotel’s minibus for a short trip to Poulpette, a tiny gem of a restaurant tucked away in Cognac village. Another restaurant that you can find in the Michelin Guide, one of those absolute treasures that has a small but perfectly formed menu. I loved that they had no traditional wine list but all the wines you could order lined up on a shelf, with the price handwritten on the bottle. Like browsing a grapey library, you could have a good nose before choosing.

The restaurant is small enough to feel like you’re having a dinner party with friends. And once I’d shovelled in homemade tarama, a slab of foie gras with a giant oyster mushroom in a citron bouillon, line-caught cod with chorizo and veggies, and (ye gods) a selection of ices – chocolat, marron, saki, sesame – I could barely even breathe. What a way to go though. Have you seen La Grande Bouffe?!

Dinner at Poulpette

Day three

Today kicked off with a trip to the spa at around 11am for a massage and some relaxing time kicking around in the pool. What a cracking way to start the day, and a really good massage too. Having worked up an appetite, er, lazing around in the jacuzzi, we had another utterly dreamy lunch at the hotel’s La Distillerie restaurant, before walking the short distance from the hotel to Rémy Martin.

Rather than visiting a vineyard this time, we were in the Remy historic house and boutique in the centre of Cognac itself. And this was a very slick, almost clinical look at Remy, its history, its artwork, and ultimately a chance to taste its cognac. Paired with dark chocolate truffles, my favourite was the XO (obviously I have expensive tastes). This tour was again completely different to both Chateau Montifaud and Hennessy, and I appreciated that. If all the tours had been the same, it would have felt less special, and less interesting.

Learning history (and tasting cognac) at Rémy Martin

In the early evening we embarked on an extraordinary trip into the countryside, firstly via Maison Delamain, who had laid on a beautiful ‘candle’ lit tasting with oysters and heavenly meaty snacks. It’s a real privilege to see the old distilleries like this, and I urge anyone visiting the area to get to a few different houses. The rich history of Delamain is matched only by the quality of its cognac. Even I was beginning to develop something of a palette for it by this stage.

L-C Chateau Delamain private tasting in the cellars, and R tasting pineau and watching the show at Cognaço Musica

On from Delamain to Distillerie Pinard Frères, in Jarnac, not for a tasting this time, per se, but for a singularly unique theatrical performance, Cognaço Musica. An immersive experience combining music, theatre and (yay) tastings of both pineau (the grape-must drink that’s kind of the stage before cognac), and cognac itself. Although I had very little idea what was going on, it was hugely entertaining. And it’s part of a wider cultural celebration that takes place each autumn, the Ban de la Distillation. It’s a two-day festival of the cultural heritage of the Cognac region, celebrating producers, makers and visitors through tastings, talks and experiences.

Our final port of call was for dinner this evening was Restaurant du Chateau a Jarnac – one of those quintessentially French restaurants that do literally everything properly. And I didn’t even have to think about the arduous task of ordering dinner – they’d laid on a special menu for us: a cognac/bubbles cocktail, fish soup, salmon fillet with creamy risotto, and cognac cake with pears and ice cream. Thank you, and good night.

Dinner at Restaurant du Chateau a Jarnac

Why go to Cognac?

Like much of France, this is a region that really shines when it comes to food and drink. But it’s a particular pilgrimage for those who really want to dig into cognac. The area is understandably saturated with it, literally and figuratively. I had an absolute whale of a time learning about the processes at the various houses we visited, as well as drinking a lot of cognac and eating a lot of stunning food.

It is always a real treat to eat at the little restaurants that you know are always tucked away in ancient French villages but not always easy to find. So if you head to the area, take my advice and try all of the eateries I went to. Also try the cognac and tonic – it works better than you’d expect, I promise.

Everything we ate and drank was faultless, although I did gain about half a stone in the space of about four days, but it was well worth it. And base yourself at the Hotel Chais Monnet and Spa for a real treat. Frankly, I never wanted to leave.

DETAILS

Explore Cognac www.explore-cognac.com
Hotel Chais Monnet Hotel & Spa
Restaurant Cave La Quincaillerie
Chateau Montifaud
Maison Hennessy
Poulpette
Rémy Martin
Chateau Delamain
Ban de la Distillation
Restaurant du Chateau a Jarnac

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Exploring Cognac. Hidden wonders and a feast for the senses appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Florence and Venice don’t rely on scale to establish presence. They work through surface — stone chosen carefully, colour repeated with intent, decoration applied patiently over generations. You begin to notice this not in moments of spectacle, but in how long you linger without planning to. A wall holds light differently as the day shifts. A pattern repeats just often enough to feel structural. These cities don’t rush interpretation. They allow meaning to settle gradually, through proximity and habit rather than explanation.

Approaching Florence without resetting attention

Arrival into Florence rarely feels abrupt. The city gathers itself gently, streets narrowing as they move inward, pace adjusting without instruction. Travelling via Rome to Florence train tickets, the shift feels continuous rather than directional. Urban density loosens into open land, then reforms again without demanding attention. Speed exists, but it doesn’t disrupt rhythm. Whatever sensitivity Rome instils — to layering, to density, to time behaving unevenly — carries forward, allowing Florence’s quieter forms to register immediately.

Florence and the discipline of detail

Florence feels built around attention rather than display. Giotto’s Bell Tower doesn’t dominate its surroundings. It refines them. Marble panels sit at eye level, inviting closeness instead of awe. Sculptural details repeat with restraint, rewarding patience more than admiration. The tower doesn’t perform vertically. It works horizontally, through proportion and rhythm, reminding you that craft here was once a civic language rather than an artistic flourish. You don’t stand back. You move closer.

Venice’s architecture of assertion

Venice doesn’t refine its authority. It states it. The Doge’s Palace stands not apart from the city, but within its logic — facing the water that once carried trade, power, and reach outward. Stone and colour layer insistently, repeating until they feel inevitable. The building doesn’t invite intimacy. It establishes presence. The architecture makes its priorities legible through scale, placement, and repetition. The rhythm you’ve adjusted to stays present, even as direction changes. Despite its scale, the Doge’s Palace doesn’t feel distant. You encounter it while moving — crossing the square, adjusting to water light, listening to sound echo differently off open façades. Grandeur here is not theatrical. It’s administrative, confident, practiced. The building assumes continuity. It expects to be seen often, not once. Power, here, is not momentary. It’s sustained.

Returning to Florence after elsewhere

Coming back to Florence after time in places like Venice feels less like retracing steps and more like resetting attention. The Venice to Florence train is spoken about as a line rather than a moment — a familiar corridor that links inward focus with outward reach. The city receives you without ceremony. Streets feel narrower than you remember, quieter, more inward. Whatever outward pull Venice created — the openness of water, the insistence of light, the sense of scale — dissolves gradually as Florence gathers itself again around stone and proportion. You move differently on return. You notice detail sooner. The city doesn’t reintroduce itself. It assumes familiarity, allowing you to slip back into its rhythm as though you’d only been briefly distracted rather than truly away.

Craft as civic confidence

In Florence, material becomes instruction. Stone teaches consistency. Pattern teaches order. Ornament never overwhelms; it steadies. Over time, detail stops reading as decoration and starts reading as structure. You notice how easily daily life moves around these surfaces — people crossing squares without pause, conversations unfolding beneath centuries of careful work. The past doesn’t interrupt the present. It holds it in place.

When ornament becomes background

After time in both cities, ornament stops asking for attention. Pattern becomes expectation. Colour settles into familiarity. You stop noticing individual details and begin sensing coherence instead. This is when architecture feels most alive — not when it overwhelms, but when it supports movement without friction. People pass through spaces designed centuries ago without breaking stride. History doesn’t interrupt routine. It absorbs it.

Cities that refuse summary

Florence and Venice resist reduction. One isn’t simply measured and the other extravagant. They overlap in memory — marble recalling mosaic, repetition echoing repetition. The distinction softens as familiarity grows. You stop ranking experiences. You stop translating what you see into meaning. The cities remain in use, continuing to shape posture, pace, and attention without explanation.

Photo by Maksim Shutov on Unsplash

What remains in the surface

Later, what returns isn’t a tower or a palace. It’s a way of looking — slower, closer, less concerned with scale. Marble and mosaic don’t resolve into ideas. They linger as texture and rhythm, reminders that some places were built to reward sustained attention rather than instant understanding. The experience doesn’t conclude. It thins out, unfinished, leaving you more attuned to surface, repetition, and the quiet authority of things made carefully and meant to last.

After the ornament fades

In the end, it isn’t Florence or Venice that asserts itself most clearly, but the space between them — the slow recalibration of attention that happens once you stop trying to separate restraint from grandeur. Giotto’s measured surfaces and the Doge’s patterned authority begin to feel like parts of the same language, spoken at different volumes. Marble and mosaic lose their status as objects to be admired and settle into something quieter: a way cities have learned to hold time. The journey dissolves first, then the landmarks. What remains is an ease with repetition, with surface, with the idea that meaning doesn’t arrive all at once, but waits until you’ve stopped asking it to.

A surface you carry with you

Long after the specifics blur, you find yourself noticing surfaces differently. Stone feels more intentional. Pattern feels earned rather than decorative. You slow down without quite knowing why, pausing a moment longer than necessary in places that don’t ask for it. Florence and Venice no longer exist as destinations in memory. They reappear instead as instincts — a preference for proportion, an acceptance of excess, a comfort with things made slowly and left to age. The article doesn’t end with them. It loosens, leaving behind a way of looking that travels quietly onward, unclaimed and unresolved.

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It’s early December and I’m realising that, although the sun is shining, perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to wear a short-sleeved summer dress on this particular expedition. One of the group lends me a thin scarf which keeps the chill off my chest and neck, but the slightly biting wind still whips about my goosebumped bare arms.

The guide and locals are in winter mode ready for our trek – puffa jackets, snoods and woolly hats – so I’m sticking out like a sore thumb. But I just tell myself the 12-degree breeze is positively bracing, and that a bit of air to the bottom never did anyone any harm before proceeding to hike up the steep slope to the Acropolis.

Yes you read that right – the Acropolis in Sicily…

Founded as a Greek colony in 580 BC, ancient Akragas (now Agrigento) rose to become one of the Mediterranean’s wealthiest city-states. Its Doric temples – seven in total, built between 510 BC and 430 BC – symbolise its golden age under tyrants like Theron, who commemorated victories like the 480 BC Battle of Himera against the Carthaginians.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the 1,300-hectare park remains Europe’s largest archaeological site, where tales of Carthaginian sieges in 406 BC left scorch marks on temple walls, still visible today.

We visit four ancient monuments, each more inspiring than the last

First comes the Temple of Heracles, the oldest on the site, built in the late 6th century BC and now reduced to eight columns after an earthquake. Then there is the vast Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun in 480 BC, once more than 110 metres long and famed for its colossal telamons standing up to 7.5 metres tall.

The tour then takes in the instantly recognisable Temple of Castor and Pollux, marked by four columns reconstructed in the 19th century, before ending at the Temple of Concordia. Built in the 5th century BC and later converted into a church in the 6th century AD, it is the best preserved of them all, its survival owed to that later life.

We also got to admire the metal sculpture of a fallen Icarus, a new addition to the site by artist Igor Mitoraj. The Polish sculptor’s monumental 2011 bronze installation hugs a 1000-year-old olive tree, its gnarled trunk a living relic from the site’s medieval olive groves, symbolising Sicily’s enduring agricultural heritage since Phoenician times.

Our guide Luigi tells us there’ll be an exam at the end of the tour but, fortunately, he’s just messing with us. What actually waits at the culmination of the trek is something far more pleasant.

Time to roll up our sleeves…

Deep within an oasis of cacti and palm trees was a beautiful cooking school and restaurant. In the kitchen area, we’re introduced to the chef and watch reverentially as she tosses dough in flour, pats the resulting pizza bases into shape, and deftly arranges a few toppings. Olives, tomato passata, spinach and cheese, before she tosses the pizzas into the fiery oven. Then it’s our turn.

One of the group gets a bit over-enthusiastic and piles his toppings way too high, causing a near-disaster in the oven. The pizza catches fire and, as the chef tries to rescue it, it collapses and has to be tossed into the embers! Despite me not being the greatest of cooks, I’m relieved my creation emerges in one piece. Within a minute or so, the sizzling results are shovelled out onto wooden boards, ready for consumption.

My pizza, even though I say so myself, is not only easy on the eye (I got a bit arty) but is also absolutely delicious with all the same toppings but arranged differently. After wolfing down our creations in the restaurant, we’re presented with a vegetarian smorgasbord of delight: pasta with lentils, roasted potato wedges and cubed pumpkin, followed by a dessert of almond tart and Sicilian orange mousse. And lashings of local vino of course.

Too stuffed to walk back, we thankfully get a lift from the lovely Adler hotel/spa driver Adriano, who tells us that in a past life he was a session musician touring with the likes of Emeli Sandé. That’s a whole another story.

In a single five-day winter’s trip to Sicily, I saw so much

I was privileged to stay in the capital Palermo at a beautiful private residence/palazzo – the Palazzo Pantelleria, run by the charming and accommodating Francesco Cazzaniga, nephew of the owner. And I also got to attend a talk by author Francesca Campioli on her book – A Parigi Con Stile – about fashion designer Coco Chanel.

I visited the local marina and ate the most delicious ice-cream I’ve ever tasted; I had salted caramel and dark chocolate and Francesco had mango and prickly pear. Our choices were chalk and cheese. That was after the breakfast of local croissants, fresh fruit and coffee that Francesco had kindly prepared for me. Needless to say, eyes bigger than belly, I couldn’t finish the ice-cream.

Back at the palazzo, l had a wander around the property

Housed in the 14th-century fortified outpost, built in the late 1300s and later owned by the Spanish Requesens family under Charles V, the palazzo was rescued from ruin in 2002 by Francesco’s collector uncle Massimo Cazzaniga. Cazzaniga transformed it over two decades into an 11,000-square-foot home museum of Baroque frescoes, Venetian tiles and eclectic antiques from global ports.

In the backstreets behind the Palazzo Pantelleria, on our walk to the marina, Francesco told me about the days of the Spanish Inquisition, when prisoners were executed outside the nearby Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri – the 14th-century Gothic stronghold turned Inquisition tribunal from 1604 to 1782. Legend says the local executioner had to scurry, hooded and incognito, through the narrow alleyways, hoping he wasn’t spotted or recognised by locals who disapproved of his actions and choice of career.

Under Spanish Habsburg rule from 1479, the Holy Office targeted Jews, Muslims and “heretics” in Sicily’s diverse melting pot, leading to mass expulsions in 1492 and brutal interrogations in Steri’s graffiti-scarred cells, where desperate prisoners etched poems in Sicilian, Latin and Arabic-Judaic, invoking Dante’s Inferno amid tortures like the rack and waterboarding.

I didn’t think a night at the Palazzo Pantelleria could be surpassed

But then the taxi arrived ferried me to the heavenly Adler Spa Resort Sicilia two hours away from the capital. I say ‘heavenly’ because this stunningly-designed eco-spa is perfect in every way. When I wasn’t pinching myself awake from the blissful dream I thought I was having, I did actually feel like I’d died and gone to heaven.

On a hillside overlooking the Agrigento coast in Siculiana, sitting alongside the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, this eco-luxe retreat, built with humidity-regulating Sicilian clay walls and volcanic rock cladding, offers thalasso pools, Pilates sessions and farm-to-table Sicilian fare in a serene Mediterranean paradise.

The highlights of my five-day trip most definitely included the pizza-making in the Valley of Temples, but then there was the wine-tasting at the Donnafugata winery – where the Rallo family’s 170-year legacy, revived in 1983 by Giacomo and Gabriella, yields acclaimed vintages like the passito Ben Ryé from UNESCO – protected Pantelleria vines; the swimming in the heated infinity pool at the Adler Spa resort; the one-night stay at the Bella Palermo and that overall feeling of living in the most beautiful dream. I can’t imagine I’ll ever again feel such pleasure in such a short period of time.

December travel info:

Jacqui travelled with Ryanair from Stansted to Palermo airport, return flight £130. She stayed at Travelodge Stansted prior to the flight.

She enjoyed her one-night stopover in Palermo at the Palazzo Pantelleria residence. Contact Francesco Cazzaniga at info@labellapalermo.com  for more details and check out the website

The wine-tasting and Valley of Temples excursions were arranged via the Adler Spa Resort Sicilia.

Jacqui Deevoy

Jacqui Deevoy has been a freelance journalist for over three decades, starting out on teenage magazines, then later working for women’s magazines worldwide, and national newspapers including the Daily Mail, the Mirror, Express and Telegraph. These days, as well as writing for magazines, papers and websites, she produces documentaries and hosts a Monday night talk show for Unprecedented TV.

The post A Sicily holiday in winter: ancient wonders and everyday joy appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Sun settles differently here, lingering on walls, flattening colour at midday, softening everything again by evening. Cities respond by opening outward. Streets invite lingering. Waterfronts remain active long after their practical purpose has passed. What feels decorative at first often turns out to be structural, shaping how people move, pause, and gather.

Spain and Portugal share this relationship with space and light, though they express it differently. One leans into rhythm and openness, the other into texture and intimacy. Moving between them, you don’t experience contrast so much as recalibration — a subtle shift in how closely the city holds you.

Barcelona and the language of exposure

Barcelona rarely hides itself. Streets widen toward the coast. Buildings turn outward. Public space feels designed to be occupied rather than observed.

In Barcelona, colour responds directly to sun. Stone warms quickly. Shade becomes social rather than private. You notice how often people stop without purpose — leaning against railings, sitting along edges, facing outward rather than inward.

The city seems built to accommodate light rather than resist it.

Movement along the coast

Leaving Barcelona does not feel like departure so much as continuation. The Barcelona to Valencia by train traces the Mediterranean closely enough that water remains part of the background. Light stays constant. Pace remains unforced.

Inside the carriage, conversation stays low. Outside, the landscape loosens gradually — denser urban edges giving way to open stretches where citrus groves appear without announcement. Arrival feels expected.

Valencia and the softening of space

In Valencia, the city opens further. Squares feel broader. Streets allow longer pauses. The Mediterranean presence tempers everything — sound, movement, even attention.

Orange trees appear not as symbols, but as part of everyday scenery. Their presence feels practical, seasonal, and familiar. Scent drifts briefly, then disappears. The city breathes outward rather than holding itself tight.

Groves as working landscape

Beyond the city edges, orange groves stretch evenly, organised yet organic. They don’t invite spectacle. They exist because they are used.

You pass them repeatedly — by road, by rail, sometimes on foot. Over time, they stop registering as scenery and start functioning as reference. They mark distance. They signal season. Agriculture here shapes rhythm without dominating it.

Crossing west without abrupt change

The shift from Spain to Portugal does not announce itself loudly. Pace changes before architecture does. Colour deepens. Surfaces gain texture.

Movement feels absorbed rather than redirected. You adjust without marking the adjustment. Borders feel administrative, not experiential.

Porto and compressed beauty

In Porto, space tightens again. Streets narrow. Buildings lean toward one another. The river pulls movement downhill.

What stands out is texture. Tile-covered facades catch light unevenly. Blues, whites, and ochres shift tone as the sun moves. Walls feel worked rather than finished. The city reveals itself through surface rather than scale.

Following the river south

Travel along the coast maintains this intimacy. Taking the train from Porto to Lisbon keeps water close enough to shape mood without demanding attention. Light shifts subtly. Terrain smooths out.

Movement feels steady. Conversation stays quiet. Arrival does not interrupt the tone. The journey stretches rather than divides experience.

Lisbon and vertical light

In Lisbon, light behaves vertically. Streets rise and fall. Buildings stack unevenly. Shadows stretch long in the afternoon.

Tile facades reflect sun differently depending on angle and wear. Nothing appears uniform. The city feels held together by slope and repetition rather than plan. Walking becomes physical. Pausing becomes necessary.

Photo by Diego García on Unsplash

Waterfronts that remain in use

Lisbon’s waterfront does not feel ceremonial. People walk it daily. Sit briefly. Move on. The river acts as boundary and release at once.

Space here is not reserved for admiration. It remains part of routine — a place where the city exhales before pulling itself uphill again. The water stays present without dominating.

Tiles that carry memory

Azulejos appear everywhere — on houses, churches, stations. They are not precious. They are used.

Patterns repeat, crack, fade, and reappear. Over time, you stop noticing individual designs and start sensing continuity. The tiles feel like skin rather than ornament. They remain because they still function.

Different cities, shared sensibility

Across Iberia, cities respond to sun in similar ways. They open outward. They soften edges. They allow colour and texture to carry identity quietly.

Orange groves, tiled walls, and waterfronts are not decorative themes. They are working elements — shaping movement, pacing attention, and holding daily life in place.

What lingers after passing through

Later, what stays with you is not a checklist of places, but a sensation — light settling on walls, scent appearing briefly, water holding the city’s edge.

Iberia does not insist on spectacle. It offers continuity instead. Cities remain usable, textured, and open, shaped by sun as much as by history.

The experience lingers not as a route completed, but as a rhythm learned — steady, warm, and quietly persistent, long after you have moved on.

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Old forms remain present, and new structures appear, settling in without jarring contrast. What feels symbolic from a distance behaves practically on the ground, absorbed into daily movement rather than framed for attention.

Japan and China are often described through difference, but moving through them reveals something softer. The rhythm changes, scale shifts, light behaves differently — yet the experience rarely feels divided. Heritage and innovation do not alternate. They coexist, repeating themselves quietly until distinction becomes secondary.

Seasonal attention without event

In Japan, change often arrives through season rather than announcement. Temperature shifts. Light alters direction. Public space adjusts without instruction.

Cherry blossoms are part of this pattern, but they do not interrupt routine for long. Parks fill briefly, then empty. Streets soften in tone. People pause, then resume their pace. The season passes without needing to be marked.

For travellers exploring Japan tour packages, the lasting impression is rarely the blossoms themselves, but how easily everyday life accommodates their presence — briefly, and without ceremony.

Tradition that continues to function

What defines heritage here is not age, but use. Shrines remain active. Older neighbourhoods remain occupied. Paths continue to be walked because they still lead somewhere.

Ritual survives by fitting into routine. Familiar gestures repeat without explanation. Nothing feels isolated or staged. The past stays close because it is still practical.

Systems built for continuation

Modern infrastructure functions at scale, yet rarely feels theatrical at ground level. Transit moves people efficiently. Construction proceeds steadily.

For those drawn to tours to China, what often stands out is not speed or size, but how quickly systems become ordinary. What feels unfamiliar briefly becomes routine. Change settles into repetition.

Change that settles quickly

Innovation in Japan rarely feels disruptive. New systems appear quietly. Infrastructure improves without calling attention to itself. Efficiency increases, then fades into background.

You notice what has changed only when it is absent. Progress does not announce arrival. It blends into habit. Modernity becomes invisible through use.

Entering a different sense of scale

China introduces a shift in proportion rather than pace. Space expands outward. Density increases. Movement remains coordinated despite volume.

What changes is magnitude. What remains is layering. Old streets persist beneath elevated routes. Historic compounds sit beside newer districts without hierarchy. The city grows without resolving itself.

Stone figures that do not perform

Stone dragons appear throughout China — carved into bridges, stairways, and gates. They are encountered repeatedly, often without pause.

They do not function as decoration alone. They mark continuity through presence. Their familiarity dulls spectacle. These figures remain not because they are preserved, but because they still belong.

Cities that accumulate

Chinese cities do not replace themselves. They add. New layers rise. Older ones remain active beneath them.

Markets operate under towers. Courtyards continue behind traffic. Movement adapts rather than redirects. The city absorbs contradiction without explanation.

Objects that stay put

Across both countries, certain objects remain fixed — trees, statues, gates, paths. You encounter them repeatedly until they stop feeling significant.

Familiarity replaces symbolism. Meaning thins, then deepens. These elements persist by staying in use, not by being interpreted.

Movement without explanation

Walking through these cities, you notice how little requires instruction. Behaviour adjusts instinctively. Pace shifts without decision. Attention moves where space allows it.

You learn when to slow. When to pause. When to pass through. No one explains this. You follow without noticing that you are learning.

Memory without narrative

Later, what returns is not a story. It is a sensation — light changing briefly, stone cooling under hand, crowds aligning without effort.

These impressions do not assemble into conclusions. They remain loose, overlapping, unresolved. Memory behaves the same way the cities do.

Continuity without contrast

East Asia does not ask you to choose between heritage and innovation. It allows both to repeat until the distinction loses urgency. Blossoms return, then leave. Stone figures remain. Systems evolve quietly. Life continues without needing to declare balance.

What stays with you is not a lesson, but a rhythm — one that persists whether or not you stop to name it.

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The post Cherry blossoms and stone dragons: heritage and travel in East Asia appeared first on Silver Magazine.

And they’re not wrong; 20 degrees, blue sky, sea warm enough to get in without completely the ability to breathe, and even coming back with a tan line. But is it worth the five hour flight? In short: yes. But there’s definitely a few things to note…

Me and my wonderful best friend searched Lastminute, scouring for an affordable December holiday, some much-needed rest before the height of holiday season. Working in hospitality and events is a lot this time of year.

We wanted sun, but we were on a bit of a budget. Neither of us have any particular pull to Dubai, and South America and Asia are a little too far for a long weekend.

So why did we choose Cyprus?

Apart from the fact that with careful booking, this little holiday cost us a very respectable £150 each, we got nicely timed flights from Gatwick to Paphos and back, and a two bed apartment about a 20 minute walk from the main strip.

This was both our first time visiting the island so we didn’t know what to expect. We knew it was going to be low season, but we weren’t sure how much so. Would there just be locals, immigrants and expats, or would there be lots of tourists too? We also wondered if there was going to be an overwhelming amount of British people since it’s definitely a place that has been British-ified.

Cyprus from the air

We stepped off the plane at Paphos airport, which was small with parts still being built, from what we could tell (a recurring theme, as you will find out). From the landing strip to the walk inside, you could see brown hills spanning everywhere you looked, with dotted green trees. It was still a very Mediterranean landscape but it reminded me of hills from Chihuahua in Mexico. A welcome change from England’s cold, grey skies.

The first day, it rained

Not Mediterranean storm rain, but a smattering. Met Office hadn’t mentioned rain, and we quickly learnt not to trust the forecast. I’d say take a light raincoat though. Luckily it stopped pretty quickly, and the sun made an appearance.

The flight time from Gatwick was estimated for around 4.5 hours but it felt like we were landing for about an hour. You have to do a loop around the island to get to Paphos airport and it just felt endless. A cab via Bolt (their version of Uber) set us back €38 so not too bad. There is a bus, the 612, but it was too confusing to understand when it was coming, and we wanted to get in the sun as soon as we could.

The sun in Cyprus is in the sky for much the same time as England for winter daylight…

…maybe a little earlier in the morning, but by 5pm it’s dark, and pretty cold. It’s still 16/17 degrees but it’s definitely not micro shorts and summer vest weather.

We were staying at Arthemus Cynthia Complex which has 6/7 blocks of rooms and apartments, and four pools. I can imagine every pool is packed in the summer, but they weren’t heated and were colder than the sea. So there were a few sparse tourists (and some cats) sunbathing, but no one swimming.

I don’t know what you’d pay in high season, but for a two bed with a nice balcony and all the amenities, including a bath and a washing machine, we were very happy.

The view from the balcony wasn’t anything special, we could see the below pool, a couple of the other blocks, the Amazon Mini Mart at the end of the street, and a new block of buildings being constructed.

We were a 20–30-minute walk away from Katos Paphos main area, which houses a long strip of cocktail bars and restaurants. And even in December there’s a large number of men outside these places offering a 10 per cent discount because “you’re a such a pretty lady, oh my god.” Maybe it’s more intense because there’s fewer people, but honestly some of them would not take no for an answer. No, I don’t want to eat at the restaurant you’ve got a captive pelican outside of, thanks.

Paphos strip at night

Our first night

By the time we’d checked in, dropped our bags off, made our way down to the strip for the first time, it was already dark, and it was cold. We settled for a cocktail and one of the trashiest and cheapest looking bars, and headed off to bed.

Now, me and my friend are not big partiers. I’m more of a get up early and go on a hike kind of girl, and she’s more of a read a book in a hammock in the sun kind of lady, so we weren’t there to club, and it’s a good job too.

In December it’s like a ghost town in large of parts of the back streets. Desolate bars taken over by colonies of cats, restaurants with no lights, and the occasional sports bar with five loud British men yelling at the screens.

The main strip however is all open. There’s a large selection of places to eat, from seafood to pasta, but not much choice for genuine Cypriot food, and definitely not all that great for a vegan. I mostly ate veggie burgers, which are nice, but not anything I can’t have at home.

Vegan burglar

On day two we started the day late, I had an online zoom interview at midday, so we didn’t go anywhere prior to this for fear of not making it back on time (it went well, thanks for asking).

We decided to take a stroll down to Paphos Castle, see the tombs and all the historic bits, which was all very nice. But very quiet and not all that accessible this time of year. It’s not like stepping off the bus and seeing the pyramids, but it’s nice to see some of the islands culture. Although I feel most people holidaying in Cyprus aren’t there to learn about its history.

Read more: Why Anguilla is the best place for a Big Birthday

The walk along the strip in the day was a lot nicer than at night. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still bombarded with comments and invites, but everything looks a lot prettier. There are people busking Christmas music, iguanas and their owners sitting by the port side, and warm enough you could walk around in shorts.

I feel like they try to be festive, there’s Christmas music playing everywhere, weekend Christmas markets, light up led… boats, whatever Christmas is to you, hey? But I think being English, my idea of Christmas is cold and wet and dark, and hearing a samba remix of Feliz Navidad on repeat everywhere did feel surreal.

We went to The Harbour restaurant for dinner, where there’s a great beach biew, and they had a solid five vegan options. At this magic place, my friend got a chicken gyro filled with salad and chips for less than €4. What a win!

We enjoyed a couple of cocktails there, and then wandered on, deciding to head back up to the apartment and get evening ready. For us this doesn’t mean getting glammed up in skimpy dresses and makeup, but more extra layers as the sun was going down.

Later that evening…

We discovered  Pingouino, a lush lounge with a heated outdoor space. They showed the football but it felt so far from a sports bar, and we returned for another evening. The cocktails weren’t too expensive either; I think the classics were all around the €9.50-€10 mark, which was a little more pricey than a lot of places, but the couple of extra euros made all the difference to the quality of the drinks. It also seemed to be the place that (at this time of year), wasn’t full of just British tourists, and rather locals, which was a much nicer vibe.

Pingouino, Paphos

We got a little tipsy and headed to bed, ready for a beach day ahead

Now, to spare you some disappointment if you decide to venture to Paphos, Coral Bay is not so named because of its abundance of coral, but because they thought it sounded nice.

It’s a lovely beach, about a 25–30-minute cab ride, or two busses away, with sandy and clear waters. We got there around 10am and it was still quiet, just locals going for a picturesque run or morning swim. Quite a few of them in – dare I say – the skimpiest Speedos I’ve ever seen.

The pictures of the bay in summer shows thousands of people lounging under umbrellas and the sea heaving with swimmers. In December, it’s not so much like this. The beach bar and the activity centre was well and truly closed, although you could still shower, and there were changing rooms and toilets. But if you were hoping to hire a lounger and umbrella or even a glass bottomed canoe, you’ll be disappointed.

By this point we’d learned not to trust Google Maps. A few long walks met with closed and very much not-opening-any-time-soon bars and restaurants taught us this. My best advice is maybe don’t go to that really far out of the centre, even if Google says it’s open. Because chances are it might not be – the Google listings are not always up to date.

We were determined to get in the sea

So we’d come with sandwiches and boxed wine, bikinis and rented towels, what more could you need? Obviously we got in the sea, it was crystal clear blue, and you could see shoals of little fish. The tanned locals were saying it’s too cold, but we were never going to listen.

It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold by any means. I’d say it’s about as warm as late June in England. I think we stayed in for a solid 15 mins, and then lounged on the beach for a few hours, downing dodgy Cypriot box wine, and got our tan on.

We’d heard of caves the other side next bay, so we decided to walk along the coast to find them. Unfortunately we never did, and I was sad to have missed out. Maybe it was blindingly obvious, but we were too sun- and wine-kissed to see the signs?!

Either way, lots of locals and other tourists told us we’d missed out, so if you’re there, go and have a look for me?!

From beaches to donkeys

On our final day, we decided to visit Animal Rescue Cyprus, which was a 10-minute walk from our apartment. This is Cyprus’s oldest no-kill shelter, which offers sanctuary to animals like cats, dogs, horses and of course donkeys. What they do is fantastic, they help to minimise over-population in animals by neutering them. They feed them, take care of them and give them medical attention. The sanctuary can be overwhelming; there are a LOT of animals. Some of the dogs are tied up, and look intimidating, but they all love the attention. They’re tied up because they don’t always get on with other dogs, but they all have beds, food, water and shelter.

When you arrive, you just go straight in, making sure to lock the gate to stop donkeys escaping, and I would recommend only bringing food if you are confident around animals. The second you whip out some food, you’ll be surrounded by an array of large animals. I almost got my head kicked in by a horse while sitting on the floor feeding some cats, so watch out!

It was a lovely visit, but it was a hard one. They’re doing everything they can for the animals but they’re not working with much so it can feel a little bare. But like I said, all the animals were happy there and loved some pats and snacks. We made a cash and food donation, and went on our way.

Heading back to Pingouino we enjoyed some dinner, a few drinks, stroked a few passing cats before calling it a night. We had an earlyish flight and not much idea on how fast security would be through the airport. I have some nightmare flights before!

Chicken at Pinguino

On our last morning, we got booted out at 10am

So we read books in the sun by the pool and grabbed a cab to the airport. The airport is small and the technology feels like Gatwick used to when I was a young kid. No liquids over 100ml, everything separated, the oldest scanners, a whole two rows of security. It’s a small airport, but it’s got some good food options, and even an outside café/bar area.

The flight back was bumpy, we got unlucky on turbulence, but otherwise it was fine. The flight each way is just under five hours, which is a little long for a 5-day trip, but with a glass or two of wine, and a late night behind you, you can sleep through it, as I discovered.

Cyprus is well worth a visit for some winter sun. It’s cheap, it’s accessible, it’s not as far or as pricey as other locations for winter warmth, and it’s got a certain British charm. Check it out, but take a real map with you as well as your mobile.

• • • We stayed at the Arthemus Cynthia Complex, which was €xx per night – obviously expect to pay more during the high season
    • Flights were by xxx and cost € / £ from Gatwick to Paphos – again, prices will vary
    • Holiday booked via Lastminute.com
    • Bolt from the airport to the resort €38

Lili Lowe

Lili works across all the channels; writing articles, taking photographs, creating content, and designing eye-capturing imagery. She’s an animal-lover who cries just seeing a picture of a baby sloth.

The post Cyprus for winter sun – is it actually warm and sunny enough!? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The Dolomites rise like jagged cathedrals from the South Tyrolean landscape, their blindingly white faces scarred by a forever of wind, frost and snow. So, remind me again why I’ve decided to go winter trekking here?!

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, these mountains, part of the Southern Limestone Alps, are not just a picture-perfect backdrop for a pretty holiday snap. They’re a living part of the once-Austrian landscape, exhaling mist at dawn, inhaling the shadows at dusk.

In winter, they don a mantle of snow that transforms them into a vast expanse of whiteness, where every ridge has a story to tell. One of the peaks – the Sassolungo – which I saw as a giant upright foot, rocky toes pointing skywards, was shockingly steep. Yet I’d heard that many locals had climbed it.

The beauty of the mountains and the icy air was a literally breathtaking combination. It was against this awe-inspiring canvas that I embarked on a 14km guided hike. My trepidation was somewhat tempered by the promise of discovery…  and the reassuring presence of our leader, Lara Holzknecht.

The Sassolungo or Langkofel on the left is the highest mountain of the Langkofel Group in the Dolomites. Sasso piatto or Plattkofel is the flat mountain on the right. Photo Michiel Ronde

Lara, the sales and marketing manager at the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti (where I was staying for three nights) was six months pregnant, yet strode ahead with effortless grace. “Hiking is everyday stuff for me,” she told me with a smile, her cheeks flushed.

Her words calmed my anxiety. Two years earlier, I had shattered both ankles on the rocky slopes of Comino, Malta’s diminutive sister island. The awful memories of surgery, leg casts and six months in a wheelchair still lingered. A troublesome sacro-iliac joint didn’t help. But, I reasoned, if a pregnant Lara, fearless and brave (though, it has to be said, a couple of decades younger), could do it, then so could I!

My bragging rights fell short…

When I sent friends and family back home live videos and photos of the day’s snowy excursion, a few said “Oh, you’re skiing!” and “Amazing! I didn’t know you could ski!” The truth of the matter is I cannot ski. I attempted it for the first time aged 56 and it was a disaster: poles flailing, legs rigid, ego bruised on the nursery slopes. A Kurt Cobain lookalike called Hubert was my instructor and he despaired daily at my uselessness: I could barely walk in the skis let alone actually ski. “At least I’m trying,” I whined daily. Hubert was not impressed.

After my previous disastrous experiences on the slopes, I wondered now, as we exited the car at the foot of the mountains, how I was going to fare. I didn’t even have a reconstructed ankle back then. I suppose this time I had an excuse, I thought pathetically.

Our group was mixed, but all women, each bringing their own quirks to the trail. There was a woman a bit younger than me, who confided that she too bore the scars of ankle reconstruction – metal plates, pins and wires anchoring her bones – though she mentioned it far less obsessively than I did mine.

A teenager, raised amid the sun-baked hills of Cyprus gazed wide-eyed at the vast expanse of snow. “I haven’t seen snow since I was a little child!” she exclaimed. “I’m so going to make a snow angel!”

A California girl, new to winter’s whims, discovered that snow could be treacherously slippery. Another spirited young woman instigated an impromptu snowball fight. Then there was the professional photographer, laden with cameras, lenses and tripods. How she hauled that hefty load up the slopes without collapsing under the weight of it all, I’ll never know.

We set off from the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti…

This is a luxurious haven embedded in the heart of the Val Gardena, and had been my glorious home in the mountains. This five-star retreat, with its expansive 170 rooms, is a calming blend of Alpine elegance, relaxation and wellness. The deliciously-scented spa – just a small part of the whole resort – spans 3,500 square metres, boasting indoor and outdoor pools heated to a blissful 34°C and separated by sliding doors (yes, sliding doors actually IN the pool), saunas infused with pine essence, and treatment rooms where therapists wield ancient Tyrolean techniques.

My own indulgence the previous day – a deep-tissue massage targeting back, neck and shoulders – had been transformative. Hannah, the massage therapist, hands like forged steel wrapped in silk, had kneaded away years of tension from my lower back, leaving me supple yet fragile, as if my muscles had been reset but not yet road-tested. Little did I know the hike would provide the ultimate trial.

The dark path wound gently at first, skirting the base of the Dolomites with the mountains commanding every vista. The Sassolungo group loomed to our left, its 3,181-metre peak a serrated blade against the cobalt sky, while the Sella massif formed a colossal amphitheatre, its cliffs plunging into shadowed abysses.

Sunlight danced on the surface, turning the landscape into a glittering expanse that begged to be captured. I used my iPhone to take photos, wishing I had a ‘proper’ camera, whilst thinking what I’d really like to have brought with me was an easel, a palette, a few brushes and some paints. I decided I’d take pictures on my phone camera with a view to doing a painted version once home: whether that’ll ever happen is yet to be seen.

For much of the route, we followed a well-trodden track

The snow compacted into a forgiving ridged ribbon that crunched satisfyingly underfoot. Lara led with unerring confidence, pointing out landmarks: the tiny hamlet of Ortisei below, its onion-domed church a speck in the valley; the distant gleam of the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high-altitude meadow, now blanketed in white. The air was pine-scented and bitingly pure. I tried to imagine the vista in the summer with animals grazing and cowbells tinkling. I promised to look up some images online when we returned to the hotel. Conversation flowed as we walked: it was only towards the end that I realised trekking was twice as tiring when chattering. But as the kilometres accumulated, a companionable silence descended, broken only by the rhythmic pad-squeak pad-squeak of our steps.

Towards our journey’s end, the worn trail ended and we started to traipse through virgin snow, untouched drifts that rose to mid-calf. The Dolomites still loomed majestically, still gleaming but darker now, more sombre.

Our destination, the Adler Lodge Alpe, where we’d been promised lunch, appeared as a distant smudge on the horizon. It refused to draw nearer. In fact, the more we walked, the further away it seemed to get! My mind wandered to sinister tales: I remembered reading the book Alive!, the harrowing account of the Uruguayan rugby team’s Andean plane crash ordeal, where mountains stretched endlessly, sustenance scarce, survival descending into the unthinkable. Why was I thinking about that now? “I hope we don’t get stranded and have to eat each other,” I blurted out, my voice carrying on the wind. Fortunately, I don’t think anyone heard.

And then lunch at the lodge

My back aching from the therapist’s thorough pummelling and my legs unaccustomed to such exertion since scaling Machu Picchu 18 months prior, I lagged somewhat on the final stretch. A short, cobbled incline led to the lodge. “Hooray! We made it!” I gasped, lungs burning. “Bit breathless now though.”

“That’ll be the altitude,” offered my metal-ankled companion, her stride unbroken.

“Oh, it’s not because I’m really unfit then?” I laughed, relief flooding in.

“Not at all,” she replied kindly. “We’ve just trekked seven kilometres across quite tricky terrain. You did really well.”

Seconds later we were walking through the front entrance to the exquisitely-designed lodge.

In the foyer we were instantly too hot. Tearing off our outer layers, we adjusted to the warmth of the lodge’s interior. Lara showed no hint of weariness, she and her unborn child seemingly unfazed by the expedition. Her poise was inspiring; I sensed she had conquered far sterner paths in these mountains she called home. In fact, she’d told me earlier that she’d climbed the foot-shaped peak as a young girl, with her uncle.

At the Adler Lodge Alpe, a cosier sibling to the main resort with just 32 rooms, we were welcomed warmly by the manager. The lodge, built entirely from local materials – larch, oak and pine – pays homage to Namibia, inspired by the original owners’ travels.

Abstract artwork and sculptures evoke African savannahs, contrasting exquisitely with the Alpine setting. Colourful zigzagging patterns on some of the wooden walls contrast with the simplicity of the others. We were given a brief tour: spacious suites and chalets with private saunas overlooking the cirque of peaks; a cosy lounge where fireplaces crackle with applewood; and the restaurant, its panoramic windows framing the Dolomites in all their glory.

So what did we eat?

At a long table on the terrace extending from the restaurant, as a local accordionist filled the air with lilting Tyrolean melodies, we savoured a feast of regional delights. Platters overflowing with speck and salami from local farms. Artisanal cheeses aged in mountain cellars, venison tagliatelle in a rich juniper sauce, and mushroom pappardelle redolent of forest floors. Dessert was Kaiserschmarrn – fluffy shredded pancakes dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by tart redcurrant compote – accompanied by a deliciously golden and syrupy dessert wine (Roen, from local winery Cantina Tramin).

As the sun dipped behind the peaks, painting the snow lavender and rose, I reflected on the day’s conquest. The Dolomites had tested me, yes. Ankles, back and resolve all pushed to their limits. But they had also healed something deeper. Fear of fragility, born from past mishaps, dissolved in the crunch of snow and the camaraderie of new friends.

In the shadow of the Dolomites, these timeless and permanent giants, I emerged stronger, ready for whatever peaks (and troughs) lay ahead. The Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti and its lodge had not just hosted me, they had reignited my wanderlust. I will return, metal ankle and all, to paint those vistas for real.

Details of the trip

Jacqui was hosted by the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti, where the trek was arranged. She lunched at the Adler Hotel Alpe. www.adler-resorts.com
Flights from London Gatwick to Verona with easyJet starting from around £100 return, Easyjet.com
Roen wine from Cantina Tramin

Jacqui Deevoy

Jacqui Deevoy has been a freelance journalist for over three decades, starting out on teenage magazines, then later working for women’s magazines worldwide, and national newspapers including the Daily Mail, the Mirror, Express and Telegraph. These days, as well as writing for magazines, papers and websites, she produces documentaries and hosts a Monday night talk show for Unprecedented TV.

The post Peaky blinders: winter trekking in the Dolomites appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Looking to get away from the madness this year? Suddenly realised you’d rather be somewhere gorgeous for the silly season? It’s not too late to look at getting away from it all – so where are the best places to go for Christmas and New Year? We’ve rounded up a few that we like the look of…

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya

For those of us happy to trade away the British grey, there’s sunshine, safaris and stunning star-filled skies waiting in Kenya.

Imagine spending Christmas day on an incredible wildlife spotting safari, with zebra, elephants and rhino basking in the beautiful wilderness around you. You could ride out on horseback for an exciting Christmas adventure, or take a scenic flight to take in the sights from a new angle.

Visitors can also enjoy local cuisine and culture, gorgeous temperatures averaging 24-28°C, and clear views of an incredible starlit sky.

Special things going on over Christmas

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy have just opened their new Private Wilderness where groups of up to 10 guests can enjoy a more secluded wilderness experience.

There are 10 cabins, each with an ensuite bathroom, as well as a shared private chef and tour guide.

Where to stay

If you want to stay somewhere that’s right in the heart of the wilderness, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is the place to be. They’ve got 64,000 acres of stunning wilderness to explore, incredible safaris, bush breakfasts and the Private Wilderness available. There’s even a visit from Santa on camelback for a bit of family friendly Christmas fun, as well as crab fishing and pony rides.

Costs

December rates at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy start from approximately £988 per person per night, and from approximately £8,406 per night for Private Wilderness (based on a minimum of 6 people).

Stargazing in Tenerife

It’s not just about the warmer climes. Tenerife is the perfect Christmas destination for astronomy enthusiasts and casual stargazers alike. And there’s the Geminids meteor shower set to peak on the 13th-14th December, meaning now is the ideal time to make some exciting new Christmas memories.

With high altitudes, minimal light pollution and crisp winter air, Tenerife is one of the best places to stargaze in the world. So why not spend an unforgettable Christmas getting lost in endless starlight?

Special things going on over Christmas

Spring Hotels is offering Atlántico Excursions’ Night Skies Tenerife tours, where visitors can use powerful telescopes and lasers to experience the night sky like never before. Each tour is accompanied by multilingual astronomy guides, and has options for dinner, hotel pick-up and self-driving tours.

Where to stay

Spring Hotels boasts multiple outdoor pools, fitness facilities, restaurants, bars and a spa all within its grounds. And beyond the hotel grounds, guests can enjoy gorgeous beaches and local attractions all along the southern coast.

For stargazers, the hotel is only an hour’s drive from Teide National Park, an excellent spot to watch the upcoming meteor shower.

Travel & costs

Flights from London to Tenerife are available throughout winter. For a 7-night stay, including flights from London Heathrow, a Double Standard room on a Half Board basis, starts from £1,566 per couple.

Northern Lights, ICEHOTEL and sledding in Swedish Lapland

If you’re looking for more of a magical, snow-filled Christmas experience, Swedish Lapland has all that and more. Between serene snow-covered forests, frozen archipelagos and stunning snow-capped mountains, there is no shortage of festive magic.

Spend the season enjoying reindeer rides, sled dog explorations and snowmobile excursions all beneath the alluring Northern Lights. Or just enjoy a bit of peace amidst the holiday hubbub, taking in the endless skies and serenity of Sweden.

Where to stay

For a truly unforgettable Christmas, the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi offers an experience like no other. Everything, whether that be the bed you sleep in or the glass in your hand, is expertly carved from pure ice. Winter doesn’t get more magical than sleeping in your very own ice palace!

Or if you book before December 16th, you can experience Sunvil’s seven-night Winter Delights in Swedish Lapland holiday, with costs starting at £2,030 per person for a sharing couple, including return flights from London Heathrow.

Adults only in Mauritius

Shandrani Beachcomber, Mauritius

Hoping to escape the gloomy grey of a British winter? Why not spend the season sunbathing on the beautiful sandy shores of Mauritius?

Mauritius is home to gorgeous beaches, warm weather and sunlit skies that are sure to brighten up the festive season. Explore the beautiful Blue Bay Lagoon, or just take some well-earned rest by the beach, looking out over the stunning Indian Ocean.

Where to stay

Shandrani Beachcomber is situated on the stunning south-east coast of Mauritius, overlooking the Blue Bay Lagoon. With freshly redesigned rooms, spa, sauna, beauty parlour, hair salon and pool, there’s no shortage of self-care and relaxation.

For couples, the “Shandrani for Two” adults-only experience is a fab way to have a romantic Christmas getaway. The new exclusive adults-only wing features 69 rooms with private beach access, beachfront bar and dining area.

Beach view from a bay view room at Shandrani Beachcomber

Travel & Costs

You can fly to Mauritius from London Gatwick with Air Mauritius. Return flights are around £600, and nightly rates at Shandrani Beachcomber start from £219 for 2 sharing adults on a half board basis.

And right now, Shandrani Beachcomber has a Christmas special offer, with a 35% discount on accommodation, including meal plan, for stays booked before 26th December 2025.

Winter sports in the Austrian Alps

Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Austrian Tyrol

If you’re looking to stay active during the festive months, the Austrian alps make for an unforgettable snow sports holiday. And it’s not just skiing and snowboarding – there’s tobogganing, winter hiking, paragliding, and even zip-wires to really get the adrenaline pumping.

Special things going on over Christmas

Spend your winter evenings at Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis’ incredible adventure nights. They’ve got spectacular evening ski shows with lights, music and fireworks, as well as regular live music, cultural events, and more.

Where to stay

Schlosshotel Fiss is a five-star, mostly all-inclusive luxury hotel in the heart of the Austrian Alps. Alcohol is charged separately, but it does offer breakfast, lunch and dinner as part of the room rate.

It boasts not only an exciting range of snow sports and activities, but also 5000m2 of wellness and spa facilities, including a Finnish panorama sauna and a 250m2 panorama pool with incredible views to take in as you swim.

After a long day of activities (or just chilling by the pool), you can treat yourself to phenomenal food and drink awarded a Michelin Star for dining, as well as Michelin Key hospitality.

For families, there’s a wide range of family friendly activities available, including a newly re-designed Kids Club. There are daily supervised activities for both kids and teens ranging from glitter tattoos to archery to pizza making.

Costs

Nightly rates are from roughly €526 per room (1-3 nights) and €472 per room (4+ nights).

Lake Como, Italy

Italy is a classic holiday destination famous for its amazing cuisine and gorgeous sights. And for those of us hoping for a more sophisticated Christmas, it’s absolutely the place to be.

At Hilton Lake Como’s Terrazza 241, you can find a culinary experience like no other, specially curated for the Christmas season. Enjoy an elegant dining experience featuring unique flavour pairings, bespoke cocktails, and gorgeous panoramic views.

There are also endless opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation beside the elegant Lake Como through hydrotherapy, saunas and more. Experience their floating meditation bath, with warm mineral-rich waters that will ease any lingering festive tension and allow you to end the year with a deep sense of peace.

Special things going on over Christmas

Terrazza 241 has its special Christmas Tasting Menu throughout December. It captures the essence of the holidays through a carefully curated à la carte menu that celebrates seasonal ingredients. Each meal is accompanied by the gorgeous views of Como, as well as soft music and warm lights.

Where to stay

Hilton Lake Como is available all holiday season, with wheelchair accessible rooms available as well as family friendly activities. They have a heated rooftop swimming pool open all year round with breathtaking views of Lake Como, as well as lakeside views from your balcony.

Infinity pool at Hilton Lake Como

Costs

At Hilton Lake Como, nightly rates start at €350 per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included.

Biosphere and Starlight reserve La Palma, Canary Islands

La Palma in the Canary Islands is the perfect place to find warmth and sunshine in the winter months.

Looking for something chilled and back-to-naturey? Located in the north-west of the Canary Islands, La Palma is a Biosphere and Starlight Reserve tucked away from regular tourist spots. The island’s black sand beaches are not only beautiful but uncrowded, letting you enjoy the season in peace.

And beyond the beaches, you’ll find cobbled streets rich with authentic Canarian culture – none of the touristy stuff. Not to mention the gorgeous architecture, beautiful vineyards, and incredible cuisine, all in sunny 20-25°C weather.

Special things going on over Christmas

Christmas lights in La Palma

During the festive season, La Palma has family friendly festivities of music and traditional carols filling the streets. And the party keeps going through to New Year, with local volcanic wines and traditional Canarian cuisine, each rich in both flavour and culture.

Best way to get here

There are weekly flights from London to La Palma Airport, including direct flights.

Ummahat Island, Saudi Arabia

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ummahat Island, Saudi Arabia.

Hoping to spend the season somewhere warm, beautiful and, most importantly, quiet? Ummahat Island in Saudi Arabia offers just that, giving its guests the opportunity to really slow down and embrace the rhythm of the Red Sea.

With gorgeous untouched reefs, an expansive night sky of stars and the sea itself stretching endlessly beyond, Ummahat Island is a stunningly peaceful spot to spend the holidays.

You can spend the season planting mangroves at the resort’s conservation centre, or gazing into one of the world’s clearest skies with a resident astronomer.

Special things going on over Christmas

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve offers a range of signature festive events, including Saudi coffee-making, a starlit New Year’s Eve gala, bonfire gatherings and lunar flow yoga.

Ummahat Island, Saudi Arabia

Where to stay

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is right in the heart of a secluded archipelago, surrounded by uncharted reefs and panoramic views. It offers a range of exciting seasonal events, as well as its very own Neyrah Spa, offering transformative wellness experiences inspired by the stars and the Arabian Peninsula itself.

The resort has four restaurants to choose from, each offering a range of global cuisines for a unique dining experience, whether you wish to enjoy traditional dishes, seafood or even a French-style patisserie.

Travel & costs

You can get a direct flight from the UK, or international flights to the Red Sea International Airport with an additional transfer by speedboat or seaplane.

Rates at Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve start from £2,388 per person per night.

Christmas markets, family time, and Finnish food in Helsinki

Helsinki offers more of a traditional Christmas feel reframed within the gorgeous capital of Finland. You can spend the season exploring beautiful Christmas markets, sampling the local Finnish food scene and enjoying local art festivals.

Whether you’re exploring the many sights of the city or basking in the beauty of the Baltic Sea, there is plenty of beauty, culture and festive spirit to be found.

Special things going on over Christmas

For an extravagant Christmas lunch, you can enjoy restaurants like Nokka, Svenska Klubben or Strindberg, as well as traditional glögi and gingerbread in local Christmas markets and cafes. And don’t forget Finland’s most famous pastime, the sauna. There are loads of saunas to warm your body in whilst you’re there!

A highlight of the season is Lucia Day on 13 December, when Helsinki crowns its own Lucia to bring light into the darkest time of the year. The Finnish Lucia tradition dates back to the 1950s and remains one of the most cherished symbols of hope and brightness in the Nordic winter.

The celebration of light continues into the new year with Lux Helsinki (4–8 January 2026), a spectacular light art festival that illuminates landmarks, parks and hidden corners across the city. Showcasing both Finnish and international artists, Lux Helsinki brings creative brilliance to the darkest time of year and offers a stunning finale to the festive season.

Where to stay

Marski by Scandic offers its guests a range of facilities including saunas, a gym, and an art gallery featuring local artists. It also has its own bar, Marski Bar, with a DJ playing every Friday and Saturday night. For some more Christmassy fun, there’s tree decorating, gingerbread icing and sparkling Christmas drinks available at the bar.

Marski is pet friendly (at an additional cost) and family friendly, with children under 12 able to stay free and receive a welcome drink as a member benefit.

There’s also the Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa, which offers a huge range of activities for the whole family, including sauna sessions, a special Christmas Land and Elf Trail just for children, candlelight concert, visits from Father Christmas and loads more. They have a dedicated Christmas page with full details.

Getting there

There are several flights from UK to Helsinki. Guests can take the Airport train to the city centre and/or a tram to their destinations.

Costs

A classic double room at Marski by Scandic starts at €152 per night.

South Ari Atoll, Maldives

OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort, South Ari Atoll, Maldives

Why not spend the festive season away from thick coats and busy high streets, and instead immerse yourself in sun, sand and sea?

For those looking to relax this winter, South Ari Atoll is home to calming beaches, exclusive resorts and rich Maldivian culture to really immerse yourself in. Or for the adventurous, it’s also one of the best places in the world to encounter whale sharks! The winter is the best time to travel to this destination, where you’re guaranteed plenty of luxurious beachside action.

Where to stay

OUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru Resort is situated on a private island, offering absolute peace and tranquillity during your stay. Enjoy culinary masterclasses, slow atmospheric evenings, cinema under the stars and palms, and even brand-new aerial yoga.

The resort is family friendly, with kids 12 and under able to stay and dine for free. There are also Family Beach Villas for up to five guests, and a Treehouse Kids Retreat offering daily activities and adventures for kids.

Travel & costs

Flying to the Maldives from the UK usually involves a stopover in a Middle Eastern hub (like Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi) or Colombo, taking 12+ hours from the UK, though direct flights (10-11 hrs) are available from London (LHR) with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to Velana International Airport (MLE) in Malé. From there you can reach the resort via a short scenic seaplane trip.

OUTRIGGER is currently running their annual Cyber Sale for up to 50% off and a range of bonus inclusions. Prices currently start at £850 per night, or from £5,699 per person for 7 nights half board in an Over Water Villa, including flights departing Heathrow.

Passenger Assistance

Need a bit of help with booking or travel? We found this app and feel it’s worth knowing about. Passenger Assistance is an accessibility app developed by Transreport designed to help make festive journeys smoother for disabled users and those who find the organisation of travelling tough.

Travellers can request support directly from train operators, making sure their journey is all confirmed and planned in advance. It also makes booking assistance quicker, more flexible and intuitive. It streamlines the process and helps ensure rail travel remains accessible for everyone, even during the busy Christmas period.

You can find the Passenger Assistance app here.

Aiden Winn

Aiden is an editorial and production staffer at Title Media. He’s constantly looking for opportunities to have fun and get creative, whether it be art, baking, storytelling… you name it!

The post Some of the best places to go for Christmas and the New Year appeared first on Silver Magazine.

We are often inclined to believe that travelling in comfort means travelling in privacy and isolation. But in actual fact, taking into condition modern tourism, that’s not always the case. Sometimes it’s the last choice you should make. Why? Let us explain…

Logistics as an art

When planning a route of 200 kilometres, we, as experienced travellers, firstly seek predictability. Chaos is for beginners; we prefer to know exactly when we will arrive at the right spot. That’s why the query transporte de santo domingo a punta cana horario becomes a key stage in planning when travelling in the Dominican Republic. After all, GetTransfer offers not just transportation but a clear structure for your day. Modern buses and shuttles run on a schedule that allows you to flexibly plan connections with flights or hotel check-ins. It is obvious that group transfer has a number of undeniable advantages over driving on your own in a foreign country:

• Professionalism of drivers. Behind the wheel are local pros who know every bump, every turn, and the specifics of the local driving style, which guarantees your safety;
• Panoramic view. The high seating of the bus opens up stunning views of the sugar plantations and the Caribbean coastline that are just not visible from the window of a low-set sedan;
• Economic efficiency. The money saved on car rental and insurance is much nicer to spend on dinner in a good restaurant or spa treatments.

In such a transfer of buses, you can have a chance to ride in circumstances that are entirely opposite to what minibuses of the city provide. These are big rooms that are air-conditioned where you can stretch your legs, release your seat, and just relax. Besides, it is an opportunity to meet like-minded people, as in most cases an interesting conversation begins between strangers on such travels who, just like you, decided to pursue a reasonable approach to travelling.

Safety and peace of mind are the priorities

For the older generations, safety has long ceased to be an empty sound because we know that roads in the tropics can be unpredictable, and delegating responsibility to a professional carrier is a sign of wisdom. On the bus, you are protected by the massive body of the vehicle and the driver’s experience, and you do not need to watch the navigator, worry about a missed turn, or where to find a gas station. The only thing you need to take care of is following the simple rules of a “smart tourist”:

1. Arrive early. Get to the boarding point some 15-20 minutes in advance to load your luggage comfortably and choose a comfortable seat;
2. Prepare entertainment. Even though the view outside the window is great, having headphones with your favorite music or an e-book will make the journey even shorter;
3. Keep a light sweater handy. Air conditioning systems in tropical buses often run at full power, and a light sweater may come in very handy.

Modern buses pass tough technical inspections. These aren’t those “chicken buses” from the adventure novels of the ’90s. This is equipment fitted out with everything necessary for a long trip. So you can read a book, listen to podcasts, or even sleep, being confident that you’ll be delivered precisely to your destination.

Essentially, it’s the only rational choice

Finally, the choice of transport is a matter of priorities. You can waste your nerves on rental and navigation, or trust a well-established system. Bus transportation between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana today is a civilized, comfortable, and reliable way to see the country. Thus, giving priority to group transfer means choosing not just the way of moving around but the opportunity to start your vacation the very moment you sit down in a soft seat, leaving all your worries behind the bus doors.

Isn’t that the whole point?!

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The post Travel from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana without losing your mind appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Milestone birthdays have a way of sneaking up on us. Fairly soon I’ll be embracing my big five-oh. And while my fortieth was all about Ibiza with an extended crew of friends, a huge party, and a ‘recovery’ trip back to Spain, I can’t quite imagine repeating that level of, er, admin for the next decade marker.

These days, what calls me isn’t deep house and dancing until dawn, but something that makes me feel special. And something that will help me celebrate how far I’ve come.  This does all need to come with a side of style, and barefoot luxury.

Malliouhana in Anguilla, pics by Emmie Blower

I had my answer the moment I stepped into the lobby of Malliouhana in Anguilla. The mirrored mosaic floor flickered like liquid silver, reflecting the turquoise sea just beyond. Pastel walls, ‘70s black-and-white photography, and Moorish arches framed the Caribbean in the most effortlessly chic way. It was luxurious without being loud, exclusive without being pretentious, and I knew instantly: this is the kind of place where milestone birthdays should be marked.

Meads Bay

Meads Bay, Anguilla

If you’re considering the Caribbean for a bucket-list trip, Anguilla should be top of the list. Meads Bay in Anguilla has been voted among the world’s best beaches, by USA Today and Travel + Leisure, and the entire island of Anguilla has also received numerous accolades for its pristine shores.

As soon as I set foot on Meads Bay, the sand was impossibly soft and bright white, and the glare was so strong it took a moment to adjust.  The water is glassy, aquamarine perfection, clearer than anywhere I’ve ever swum. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this beach doesn’t just top the awards lists, it alters your brain chemistry.

It sounds incredibly privileged to say but Antigua feels a little faded in comparison

Anguilla is blissfully unspoilt. There are no fast-food chains, no casinos, no cruise ships, and no noisy jet skis. The island has no heavy industry and as such, its beauty is protected. This is an island for those who want exclusive, unhurried, Caribbean paradise.

Anguilla is a little off the radar, and that’s the exact reason why A-listers have made it their go-to for years.  Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, Sandra Bullock, and Robert De Niro all have homes here, and it’s not unusual to spot them at the island’s legendary Elvis’ Beach Bar. A ramshackle bar built out of an old boat, Elvis’ feels like a museum of good times and core holiday memories.

A playground for the sea-lovers

One fantasy I’ve long flirted with for my fiftieth is chartering a yacht. Anguilla, with its calm bays and impossibly blue water, is the perfect place for this. Watching glamorous couples being whisked away from Crocus Bay to their catamaran reminded me that this is indeed a millionaire’s playground, and that’s really what I should be aspiring to for my glam half-century.

Anguilla is already on the radar for serious yachters, and with a new marina and upgraded airport terminal underway – funded, interestingly enough, by revenue from its highly sought-after .ai internet domain – this slice of paradise will become even more accessible from 2026.

By luck or design the ai domain that’s native to Anguilla has generated millions for the island as artificial intelligence companies have paid to own the domains.  Forward thinking or sheer good luck? Who knows. But the island has now got a major income stream and they are spending it wisely on improving the accessibility.

A feast from the sea

For me, milestone celebrations must involve food, and seafood is my true passion. Anguilla does not disappoint. Imagine lobster so big that you don’t need sides, crayfish grilled over charcoal until the shell blackens and the flesh inside becomes smoky-sweet, and red snapper served fresh from the boat. Many of the island’s chefs are Michelin-trained, having traded the intensity of yacht kitchens for island life. Which means the standard of dining is consistently extraordinary.

At Mango’s Seafood Restaurant you can find giant, beautifully seasoned lobster portions. For something more refined, Sand Bar is a chic spot for small plates with international flair, cocktails, and live music at sunset.  It is fair to say I did not have one bad meal on the island which is another box ticked for my celebrations.

Where to stay

The island is small but packed with extraordinary places to stay. Malliouhana remains an icon, with its contemporary Caribbean chic. Zemi Beach House on Shoal Bay East combines modern design with a Thai-style spa housed in a centuries-old sugar mill, perfect for slow, indulgent days. For a more boutique feel, Frangipani Beach Resort offers just 19 rooms, making it feel like you’ve been invited into someone’s elegant island home.

Zemi Beach House, ©Thierry Dehove Photography

Getting there

From the UK, the most straightforward route is via St Maarten, with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offering direct flights from London to Princess Juliana International Airport. From there, it’s a 25-minute ferry or short charter flight to Anguilla. Alternatively, fly direct to Antigua and connect via a short regional hop. The journey might be slightly longer than to other Caribbean islands, but trust me, it’s worth every mile.

Does Anguilla make the cut?

For my fiftieth birthday celebrations, I want world class beaches. I want to eat lobster until I can’t move. I want to jump off boats into turquoise waters and I want to feel both grown-up yet relaxed.

Ibiza was perfect for my fortieth. But Anguilla with its stunning hotels, jaw dropping views, friendly locals and exclusive energy I think has made it high on the list for the big five-oh.

FACT BOX

Anguilla Tourist Board

For more information on Anguilla, please visit www.ivisitanguilla.com.

Zemi Beach House

Prices to stay at Zemi Beach House start from US$600 per room, per night, plus taxes, service charge and a reef recovery fee at an additional 27%.

• At the Thai House Spa, the price of the ‘5 Elements Massage’ is $170, plus taxes & service, for 50 minutes and $240, plus taxes & service, for 80 minutes.
• The price of the lobster BBQ evening is $75, plus taxes & service, per person.

Frangipani Beach Resort

www.frangipaniresort.com

Prices to stay at Frangipani Beach Resort start from US$385 per night for single or double occupancy, plus tax and service at an additional 23%.

• The price for the FrangiCat II trip is $100 per person for a full day. Rum punch, beer, wine, sodas, water, towels, snorkel gear, music, stories, dancing are all included! FrangiCat II makes a lunch stop at one of the island’s beach restaurants, which the guest covers.

Trans Anguilla Airways

www.transanguilla.com

Trans Anguilla Airways provides scheduled flights between Antigua (ANU) and Anguilla (AXA), among other routes. The flight costs for ANU – AXA range from US$400 – $550 per person, for a return journey.

How to get to Anguilla

From the UK, you can fly from UK regional airports first to Paris or Amsterdam, and then connect to a flight to the neighbouring island of St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport. From St Maarten, it’s a 25-minute ferry or short charter flight to Anguilla.

Alternatively, fly direct to Antigua with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic and reach Anguilla via a short regional flight. The journey might be slightly longer than to other Caribbean islands, but trust me, it’s worth every mile.

Blanchards Beach Shack, Anguilla

Restaurants/bars:

• Madeariman: madeariman.restaurant
• Rendezvous by Tasty’s Beach Club: instagram.com/rendezvoustastysbeachclub
• Blanchards Beach Shack: https://blanchardsrestaurant.com/blanchards-beach-shack-anguilla-restaurants
• Mango’s Seaside Grill: https://mangosseasidegrill.com
• Da’Vida Beach Club: https://davidabeachclub.com
• SandBar: https://sandbar-anguilla.com
• Elvis’ Beach Bar: elvisbeachbar.com

Emmie Blower

Always finding the BEST holidays, hotels and restaurants. Travel, food and wellness writer, content creator, and reviewer.

Find her on Insta

The post Why Anguilla is the best destination for a big birthday appeared first on Silver Magazine.