When you visit a country for the first time, especially one that is completely foreign to any past experience, you tend to focus on a specific detail. You find comfort in this detail, and make a point to learn as much as you can about it. Using this method, you can comfortably learn more about […]
Sometimes—you might even say often—we travel to escape. When routines become audible like the meshing of gears, we feel the compulsion to lose ourselves, to shed skin. Some places encourage fantasies of time travel—where we imagine ourselves living as adults in a different age. Take the ancient Medina of Fez for example, or the caves […]
With the Olympics over, all those aspiring gold medal snowboarders have to wait four more years for their moment in the spotlight. Unless… does anyone have a contact number for the IOC? We’re missing a huge opportunity here during the summer games: same boards, same hills, just without any of that pesky snow. What am […]
Did you know that Iceland is actually warmer than Toronto in February? Consider that as food for thought when you sit there staring out your office window into the endless winter we’re experiencing. But, I digress. The real draw for Iceland, as anyone who has been can tell you, is the truly spectacular scenery. Raging […]
For lovers of wildlife, there’s no place in the world like Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. If it isn’t already on your bucket list, we’ve rounded up 12 of the best reasons to travel to the Galapagos this year. 1) Bizarre Boobies—The rather awkward looking Blue-footed Booby is one of the most well known Galapagos creatures, but […]
Ibo Island is one of those places I always hoped existed but then kind of lost faith in. Finding it was like remembering a dream a few hours after waking—I felt a rush of excitement and familiarity, a sense of triumph. And now I spend my days dreaming of going back. Because of its fresh […]
As winter finally unclenches its fist from around our collective throats, and the temperature deigns to rise above negative double digits, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “where shall we go next Christmas?” Actually, that’s probably the last thing on your mind as you dream of warm sunshine and footwear other than snow boots, but […]
The sheer size of the Louvre—bigger than an airport and more labyrinthine—can be overwhelming; but even more daunting than that is the sheer academic weight of all those masterpieces staring down at you; centuries and centuries of art in room upon room of scholarship. All those dates to learn, those artistic genres to distinguish, those […]
Most people have dreamed of a private island at one time or another. A paradise surrounded by calm clear blues and your own personal villa. A space to relax, contemplate and sunbathe. A place for sun and sand, and a wee pop in to the sea. A place where the mind calms like the water […]
At Trufflepig we are firm believers in top-notch service. We’re a little bit addicted to it, in fact—we’ll admit it. What always leaves us raving about a trip is inevitably the hospitality; meeting a local guide who showed us things we never could have discovered on our own, or, in the case of Maisons des […]
It’s hard to swing a bottle of Brunello in Tuscany without hitting a villa. Some are new, some old. Some private, some open to the public. Most of them are nice to gorgeous, so picking a favourite is like choosing between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. As far as old, private, and gorgeous villas go, […]
This is the moment when you’ve run out of patience. You know it. We know it. All the other drivers on the salt-crusted road know it. It’s mid-February and there are minimal daylight hours at the end of the tunnel, especially under this particularly heavy avalanche of snow. We’re all just trying too hard to […]
This little corner of Northern Africa is one of our favourite places to plan in. Why? Because there’s nowhere else in the world quite like Morocco. Here are a few of our top reasons to visit: 1) Get the blues—Pink may be the navy blue of India (as Diana Vreeland, fabled former editor of Vogue, […]
Museums are most often created to teach, to inspire, or to amuse. The subject is something distant–an ancient culture, an eccentric artist, an obscure local claim to fame. They can be fascinating, but are rarely relatable. Most of us don’t walk into the Louvre or the Tate with an extra pocket pack of Kleenex. But […]
Love is in the air. Mostly because we’re trying desperately to ward off the snowy chill of February, but also because of that heart-shaped holiday awaiting us at the end of the week. Whether you think it’s a perfect time for romance or a total Hallmark sham, you can’t lose if you simply look at […]
Mint tea in Morocco is everywhere: every visitor is bound to get an offer of tea, whether from a rug dealer or in a local’s home, and it would be rude to refuse. All business transactions, receptions, ceremonies, and celebrations involve tea in Morocco; it’s the sign of hospitality as much as it is the […]