Special offers, particularly where travel is concerned, are imperfect for the most part. They’re either too restrictive, not really what you want, or more of a compromise than you would like. But then there are the rare gems you need to take a closer look at. For the second year in a row Wilderness Safaris is offering […]
Tswalu was born two decades ago when and English businessman named Stephen Boler began acquiring cattle farms in a far-flung corner of the southern Kalahari. His ultimate goal was to restore a huge swath of the desert back into a pristine wilderness. When Boler passed away in 1998, the reserve was taken over by the Oppenheimer family who continued […]
Brazil is hotting up for 2014. Already an intoxicating proposition due to its world-famous parties at New Year’s Eve and its epic celebrations at Carnival, the country is besotted with football (aka soccer) and can play the beautiful game almost as well as the Brits (see footy footnote below). In 2014 they are hosting the […]
Bangkok has long been known for great hotels. We love them. Mandarin Oriental, The Peninsula, to name but two. From big to small, there is always a good choice for any traveller. In some moments of backpacking weakness (years ago mind you), we even sampled the questionable accommodations along Khao San Rd. Those are memories we […]
Every time our Africa trip planner, Dan Achber, returns from a research trip (which he did just a few days ago) I hound him for photos from his journey. Dan has a knack for taking the kind of in-your-face wildlife photos that remind me it’s not merely what you see when you’re on safari, but […]
New Zealand is hardly a country of beaten paths. Nevertheless, foreign visitors tend to flock to certain towns and regions, whilst other areas remain untouched or visited primarily by vacationing Kiwis (as in the people of New Zealand, not the national bird of New Zealand). The Coromandel Peninsula is a prime example of a classic […]
In Spain a number of really excellent hotel chains that have figured out how to combine consistent quality, with character, style and vernacular, making the search for a great city hotel a whole lot easier. In most of the major cities and towns of Spain, you’ll find an AC Hotel, a Hospes hotel, or an NH Hotel. Totally different […]
Never judge a property by its website alone—if you don’t learn this lesson early on it will be taught to you the hard way. Or the blissful way, as was the case with Huvafen Fushi. Huvafen’s marketing materials put forth an image of South Beach hedonism meets Dubai bling, which fooled me into expecting a […]
There are few things better in this world than a name you can trust, and one such name is Christina Ong. On a recent visit to Cocoa Island, the Maldivian outpost of her COMO hotel group, I found that this style maven is still at the top of her game. I think Mrs. Ong and […]
In the tropical and tempestuous state of Bahia, Brazil, lies the gorgeous beach town of Trancoso. A place so splendidly swell, it should, by rights, be deemed illegal on the grounds of “altogether too pleasurable.” Like most pleasures, you must earn your visit to Trancoso; as reaching this wondrous destination is a bit tricky. You […]
With much fanfare (and a rather 1980s laser show), The Shard made its debut not so long ago (1st February 2013 to be exact). It has changed the skyline of the city, standing as it does, at London Bridge by the Thames not far from The City (where most of its rivals stand peering up at this […]
Nestled in the depths of the somewhat obscure Katavi National Park, far out in the western reaches of Tanzania, is a camp called Chada Katavi. If you look at a map it’s a touch closer to the Democratic Republic of Congo than to the Serengeti. In other words, the beaten path is nowhere to be seen. […]
There’s a camp, set high (so high you need a helicopter to arrive) in a valley in New Zealand. And at this camp there are no restaurants. No shops. Not even any trees. From an initial look, there’s nothing to do. Yet, it’s the background of one of the top ten experiences of my life. […]
The first thing about Sextantio that doesn’t make much sense is its name. Sextantio calls itself an “Albergo Diffuso”, which literally means diffused hotel. This is because the rooms and facilities are randomly scattered about the medieval hilltop town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio. The second thing about Sextantio that might make you scratch your […]
We wax lyrical here at the Pig about the power and majesty of safari, but one thing we tend to neglect are the practicalities. When we speak to people the conversation invariably turns toward what the beds are like, how the food is and whether or not there will be clean drinking water. One thing […]
Have you ever been in a helicopter? It’s cool. Like, really cool. Up until recently, I had a big helicopter-shaped void in my life. Then I went on six of them in one trip. If you want your first (or any) helicopter experience to be a special one, New Zealand is the place. It is literally the […]