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 […]

Conventional wisdom holds that the king and queen of safari travel in Southern Africa have been always been South Africa and Botswana. We say conventional wisdom be damned. South Africa these days seems to be a victim of its own success, it’s popularity means that even despite a weak currency it’s getting more and more […]

Dreamt up by owners Kent and Britta, Treehotel is a year-round Northern outpost in the Swedish countryside, surrounded by unspoiled nature as far as the eye can see and the lush Lule river valley. They are the same couple who run Britta’s Pensionat next door; an inviting cluster of 1930-50s inspired rooms that feel like you’re staying at your […]

How lucky for us that the exact meeting point of sustainable living and culinary flair is in Ecuador, by the crashing Pacific, and right on the beach. It’s called Las Tanusas. The property itself is cozy, pretty and charming – a best friend’s house on a gorgeous deserted beach. Some rooms are in the main house […]

What makes a hotel great? The service, the view, the rooms, the location….. Often it’s the little things. Sometimes it’s the sheer opulence. But on occasion, and dammit it’s always a great occasion, it’s the pooch. There’s no category that we know of in hotel books, no little icon in the Michelin guide or tickbox to […]

It’s not everyday you come across a place so special, so serene that your first thought is to count down the days until you can come back again. A place that quickens the pulse with pleasure, but enables complete relaxation. Hacienda Bambusa is just such a magical little spot, surrounded by astonishing natural beauty. It’s one of my top […]

From the Maldives to Marrakech, there’s no shortage of amazing places to stay. But dwarfed by its brassy neighbours of Brazil and Argentina, the wee land of Uruguay doesn’t get, we don’t think, its proper look-in. So let us present the Vik properties to change all that. First the setting: not far from the jet-set town […]

Because travelling on ferryboats is cool. Because creamy yoghurt with fruits & honey make a yummy breakfast. Because the national guards in front of Parliament (with those pompoms on their feet) look so funny. There are umpteen reasons why Greece is a great country for family holidays. Here are my top 12. 1) Greeks love […]

Palia (old) Peritheia is reputedly Corfu’s oldest village. The guides will tell you it’s a ‘ghost village’. The oldest it may well be, but a ghost village? Not really. Here’s the story. Go back to the 14th century. The island’s inhabitants, the corfiotes, were suffering regular pirate attacks, and many sought refuge away from the […]

I’ve always wanted to visit Jamaica, but was weary of its reputation. It’s as if tourism here developed a model where both sides—tourists and locals—put their worst foot forward. For too long I avoided it like the plague, but in GoldenEye, and the Island Outpost story, I found the Jamaica I’ve always longed to meet. […]

Though not everyone will agree with me, there is an argument that those of you in North America are officially too hot. Clothing sticks to your back, getting around feels like a chore, and the air conditioner is both overworked and overpaid. Summer in the northern hemisphere means winter in the southern one, however—so if you’re […]

Mendoza, Argentina: yes, we know, there’s a lot of wine there. The Aconcagua and Uco valleys are some of the most well known areas in the world for wine production. Wherever you turn you’ll see wineries… red, white, rose… it’s a sommelier’s paradise. But it’s also an active traveller’s paradise, if you look a little closer. Let’s […]

There are plenty of stereotypes that come to mind when someone says “vacation in Mexico”: sandy beaches, frozen cocktails, wild spring breakers. All of these things are available, of course, but there is so much more to this country. If you want to explore and discover many different elements of a destination without moving around […]

We have noticed here at Pig HQ that honeymoons seem to becoming more adventurous. While there are still plenty who enjoy an idyll in the Maldives, increasingly we are hearing from those seeking a heavy dose of thrill in with the honey. One such place that delivers this in spades is the wee Central American […]

Maybe it’s the name, but Iceland in the dead of winter doesn’t instantly appeal to those who don’t like the cold.  So we packed our swimsuit and snorkel and set out to put the record straight. At wintertime, Iceland becomes dreamy. Snowy landscapes, stunning Northern light displays, fewer travellers and lower prices mean we think […]