501 Places

I’ve been involved in a project looking at recent immigrants’ first impressions of the UK and have been very surprised at what people notice about our country. The sight of double-decker buses, rows of identical red brick houses and the experience of driving on the left side of the road all make a strong impression with […]

Stay-cation, day-cation, car-cation – when will we see the end of the urge to create these awful PR buzz words, created in an attempt to make the mundane seem a little more exciting? Given that it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see this ridiculous trend finish anytime soon, I thought I’d take a sneaky look at […]

At a recent travel bloggers’ event a speaker declared to his audience “You are the travel experts!” I was immediately uncomfortable when I read this statement and it got me thinking about the term ‘travel expert’ and where, if ever, it is an appropriate label to use. Is there such a thing as an expert […]

Boutique hotels are gaining in popularity in recent years and new properties are appearing the most unlikely places. They are associated with high prices, fashionable designs and a discerning clientele, yet there is no definition that neatly captures what a boutique hotel should look like. Having stayed in several such places I thought I would offer […]

Being a part of the world of social media is becoming very much like taking a walk through a chaotic bazaar. The prospect of soaking up the lively atmosphere and the promise of striking up a great deal entices many to come from far and wide to find out for themselves what it’s all about. […]

Drive around northern Iceland in March and it’s easy to believe that you’re the only person left on the planet. An hour might go by without you seeing another car on the main road and even in the areas that are geared to accommodate summer tourists there is barely a soul in sight. We visited […]

Have you ever stood in a gallery and instead of staring at the artwork, been more intrigued by the reactions of the other visitors? It’s easy to appreciate when looking at something as subjective as an abstract painting that each observer experiences what he/she sees in their own way; one man’s masterpiece is another man’s […]

Visit England launched their new promotional campaign ‘Holidays at home are great’ last week amid a flurry of PR activity. Jeremy Hunt, the government minister with the bloated title of Secretary of State for Culture Media, Sport and the Olympics, kicked off the £5m initiative and declared it the biggest ever domestic tourism campaign. The […]

London has a well-deserved reputation for being the home of many of the world’s best museums. Wander through the grand old buildings that are home to the Natural History, the Victoria and Albert or the British Museums and you can admire some of the finest collections of antiquities and rare objects. Yet as we look […]

In almost every aspect of our lives we are increasingly being urged to think and act responsibly. We’re all familiar with the message that in using less electricity and water and by making fewer car journeys we’re doing our planet a favour. Most of us find the logic of this argument relatively easy to follow. […]