London can sometimes feel overwhelmingly urban and grey, especially towards the east where the City and its skyscrapers dominate. It is a rather pleasing antidote to wander Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday morning and take in the vibrant hues and heady scents. Columbia Road becomes a hive of activity and good-natured bustle as […]

Modernizing a famous hotel is a difficult job. I’m not suggesting it’s in the same league as lion taming, or being a Kardashian, but think about it; take a legendary landmark and update it to meet the needs of the 21st century traveler, but without changing its fundamental essence. A case in point is the […]

School’s almost out for summer, and if you’re wondering how you’re going to keep everyone suitably entertained, we’ve got you covered. Few families have shared a vacation that didn’t include a couple of epic battles—with so many varying interests, it’s often tough to keep the peace. If what you’re searching for is a single destination […]

If Trufflepig had a people’s choice award, it’s quite possible Amanyara would win it. After countless requests and rave reviews from our travellers, we simply had to see it for ourselves. In a Caribbean world of wicker, floral patterns and gingerbread trim, Amanyara is as alien as they come. It’s no wonder they picked a […]

Sometimes I rant about the trips we can plan and you just have to take my word for it. On this occasion, however, I have National Geographic Traveler backing me up. Check out our San Bushman Hunt & Kubu Island Safari—selected as the 2011 ‘Tour of a Lifetime’ in Botswana. What if I told you […]

A liberal city breaking free from its Catholic identity, Buenos Aires’ scene is so underground it makes Keith Richards seem conventional, and Banksy so last year. Swingers’ clubs, transvestite shows and hardcore electronica are considered mainstream… so is graffiti. No need for hidden identities here; graffiti is decriminalised, so satirical stencils, 3D murals and quirky […]

No matter how nice, polite, and evolved we think we are, it’s in our nature to want the best experiences for ourselves. When we get them, sometimes we even stoop to our baser instincts and brag. Today, we have some fine bragging rights to offer you. At Trufflepig we are the kings and queens of […]

Safaris are like dating. Not the most obvious metaphor, but bear with me. When you start dating someone new, they’re like an exciting puzzle. As you see them more often, you get more comfortable and figure out a bit more of that puzzle. It’s exciting, scary and even a little confusing. I’d argue that the […]

I am a city boy. I thrive in concrete jungles, like the Barbican in East London, Soho in NY, or walking through the skyscrapers of HK. The thought of spending seven nights in a sea-faring vessel traversing the equatorial seas was not an immediately appealing prospect. Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands are in the vast Pacific, a […]

When it comes to the big mountains, the coveted hotels tend to be slope-side. But in Whistler, being right in the heart of the action may not be your best bet. In fact, Whistler’s best spot to stay is located ‘off-piste’, at the Four Seasons Whistler. Though the Fairmont is right on Blackcomb mountain, and the […]

The humble culinary underclass of the café lunch and the jug of wine is what makes the true francophile’s heart beat the fastest. Say non to the Michelin star and the TV chef, and oui to the institution of the menu à onze. The menu à onze is just that: an €11 lunch. Last I checked, eleven […]

Some trips you’ve planned in your head from the age of five, while others come to you in a moment of inspiration. Consider this your moment of inspiration. This one goes out to the impulsive among you—can I get a show of hands? If I could bestow upon you one perfectly constructed and heavily discounted […]

If illusionist illustrator M. C. Escher had ever tried his hand at architecture, he might have designed a place like Argos in Cappadocia. This fabulous little hotel in central Turkey is a study in subtle confusion and organic delight. Steps lead up, stairs go down, bridges arc across roads, rooftops turn into terraces, and terraces […]

A private island is the ultimate canvas upon which to express oneself, as a visit to Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands will attest. Consider the joy of a new room or a new house. As a designer, you get to start from scratch, create your idealized vision—it’s pure projection. Children, you might […]

Working for a travel company means you are occasionally in danger of becoming rather blasé about hotels. Sometimes they all seem to blur into each other; one empty mini-bar at the end of a stay looks much like another. However, on a recent trip to California I had the good fortune to stay in a […]

I will bet you any amount of money you like that when foraging for truffles in the likes of Piemonte and Perigord, there is no danger of you being stalked by a 550 lb black-maned Kalahari lion. I bet you thought you’d never get that chance, either—how wrong you were! It just so happens that […]