It hit 38 C (100 F) in Toronto this July. And that’s before the humidex (it’s a Canadian thing—if you’re American, you have the heat index) pushed it up to something otherworldly like 49 C. I know it’s taboo to think of winter in the midst of our too-short ever-sweet summers, but my mind couldn’t […]

Many visit Sirince for just an afternoon when they go to the magnificent Roman ruins at Ephesus; a side trip to pick up a few souvenirs. But this village hugging the hills of the South Aegean is better experienced with a longer stay for its own sake. Sirince was settled in the 15th Century by […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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’m the least likely candidate when a week long hike is mentioned at Trufflepig. But what is travel if not a challenge to your norms? Aren’t those experiences the most rewarding? And to be fair, hiking with Mountain Lodges of Peru is far from an uncomfortable experience. It was with some trepidation that I joined […]

Separating fantastic fact from the equally legendary fiction in the life of Frederick Courteney Selous is no easy task. Getting a full and accurate account of his life may never be possible, but let’s be frank, it doesn’t really matter. When you count the likes of Cecil Rhodes and Teddy Roosevelt among your friends, an […]

I’m a sucker for an accent—it’s like a lens through which everything is filtered. And on a recent trip to America’s Lowcountry, while literally basking in the expansive local drawl, I fell head over heels for the Inn at Palmetto Bluff. First off, the sheer scale of the property is astounding. A 22,000 acre private […]

“Vamos a la playa!” is perhaps my favourite phrase in the Spanish language. It is a little like the Brits saying “let’s have a nice cup of tea shall we?”, meaning let’s forget what ails us and focus on something else. In Spain and the Spanish-speaking world of Latin America, this is totally justified—it conjures […]

I’m torn—a big part of my job is to convey to you the amazing places that I go, so that you can go there too, and see just how amazing it was. Sometimes, however, I find a place so special that I’d really rather keep it to myself. So if I tell you about my […]

It has ‘royal’ in its name and it’s a palace—but Le Royal Monceau is anything but stuffy and uptight. I visited the hotel last week and was delighted with all that I saw. This is going to be an easy hotel to recommend. I’m generally wary of new hotels. Nothing works, the showers leak and […]