I’m not alone in finding that the Zambezi Valley always has a special draw – flying in invariably gives me a frisson of excitement. Once you climb over the hills east of Lake Kariba, you begin to descend as you cross into Mana Pools. As you get low enough, you’ll see an elephant or two, moving through the […]

A dreamer for surf, I always imagined my life would follow the tides and know the nooks and crannies of some little seen coastline like the back of my hand, but I never lived on the salt water, at least not for long enough to get used to the patterns of the sea. All the pot-smoking […]

The name Congo tends to conjure up images of war, exotic diseases and sweaty impenetrable jungles. Like most things though, the reality is often less frightening that the reputation, and this is particularly true when talking about the Republic of Congo, the smaller safer neighbour of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Congo, a conservation […]

We were on our way to the market, as lead by our guide, the ever-capable and personable Paco, when my co-culinary-conspirator, Susannah, mentioned in a hushed tone that she had never visited this market before, as she had been warned-off by friends and people-in-the-know, that it was too dangerous to visit, especially for a non-Mexican […]

Tyler gives us the low-down on the remote plains of Mongolia and the surprises therein…: The same year that “Ice Ice Baby,” “U Can’t Touch This,” and the eternal Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” were all released, that same chunk of time gave birth to the modern state of Mongolia – with ‘modern’ being the […]

Here is a glimpse behind the curtain at the nuts and bolts of a Trufflepig research trips as Tyler heads out on the road to Bangkok…: From: tyler@trufflepig.com To: Greg and Jack August 2nd. Greg and Jack, So here is the story, Thai Tourism has put together a consultation trip for lux new properties in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and […]

Jacoline Vinke, Trufflepig’s Greece planner, heads to Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, and finds that taking it easy ain’t so rough after all… : Give me some Greek dirt to dig into and I am happy. I find truffles. An old man – son of a miner – taking me for a walk into abandoned mineshafts on […]

I bet you’ve heard of Santa Barbara, but odds are you haven’t heard of Solvang, an adorable town located a 45 minute drive away, through the stunning Santa Ynez Mountains. Located in Southern California’s Santa Ynez valley, the village of Solvang was settled some 150 odd years ago by the Danish, and the result is […]

After an hour of crawling through a bamboo forest and scrambling up a muddy slope before finally bushwhacking through nettles, I saw him. Just briefly at first, on the opposite slope, even at a distance a full size Silverback Gorilla is massive. After a brief look at me, he loped off into the forest, moving […]

The Hindus speak of the purusharthas, or the four aims of a balanced life as the blueprint for human fulfillment: duty/ethics, prosperity, pleasure, and the pursuit of liberation.  As a travel professional these ideas have always resonated with me, as I appreciate the finer things in life but have often found that luxury and pleasure […]

While Copenhagen rightly remains a perennial favourite on the Scandinavian circuit, there are a number of delightful retreats dotting the Danish countryside that are worth including in your Nordic adventure. Not only does the setting of these charming inns make you appreciate the slower pace of rural living, they also house some of Scandinavia’s finest […]

Way out in the far western reaches of Zambia, close to the Angolan border, is a seldom visited National Park which is home not only to the second largest Wildebeest migration in Africa, but also to a brand new camp that’s part of one of the most ambitious African conservation projects ever undertaken, Time and Tide’s […]

I arrive into Kiruna, gateway to Swedish Lapland (Sapmi in local language), around the lunch hour on an overcast Wednesday. It’s January, and the sun is about to set. I’ve come in from Stockholm, confident that I had adjusted well to the short days of Winter in Northern Europe. But up here past the Arctic Circle […]

When visiting India’s premiere palace and desert state, the grand, gilded, maharaja-strewn state of Rajasthan, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying the pleasures of the Pink City (Jaipur), the Blue City (Jodhpur) and that romantic, cinematic city on the lake, Udaipur. However, key to understanding and enjoying this state of rajas is to get off the […]

Colombo used to be best avoided. It was a mess of an urban sprawl with terrifying traffic, a place to endure rather than enjoy, usually on your way to somewhere better. However, times are a-changing and Colombo is emerging as an interesting destination in its own right. The cruise ships have started visiting, which says it […]

Costa Rica is of course well known for its stunning beaches, lush rainforest, exotic wildlife and towering volcanoes. But what if there was another side to Costa Rica, equally as exciting yet less discovered, an area from which to explore the country’s lesser known rural farm life? Just such a place exists, in the unexplored rolling hills […]