When it comes to picking somewhere to have high tea on Penang island, visitors are spoilt for choice. From elegant hotels to cute hilltop cafes, there’s something for everyone… High tea, also known as afternoon tea (and I use the term interchangeably in this post), continues to be popular across Asia. Whenever I travel to the region I always look for somewhere new to check out, and have ticked off some beautiful afternoon tea spots in cities including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap and Singapore. I’ve now visited Penang several times, and although I haven’t been able to try every…

When travelling across Italy by train, be sure to spend four days based in Perugia. Here’s why… Rome to Perugia My Italy rail trip started life as a two-destination adventure – Rome and Perugia – but quickly snowballed into something much bigger: the background for this change of plan can be found in the first instalment of this series. As a result, my arrival into my second destination didn’t mark the end of my journey but rather a staging post for further travels. But I’m getting ahead of myself… first there’s Perugia to explore. What to do in Perugia –…

Welcome to The Goytree Glamping and Treehouses. Glamping might have become more mainstream but this off-grid eco-glamping site comes with a touch of luxury and some magical touches. Nestled in the heart of the Golden Valley in Herefordshire, around 20 minutes’ drive from Abergavenny, Wales, The Goytree offers something a little different to most glamping sites. With four unique spaces – two treehouses and two yurts – each is hidden away in its own glen and you’re unlikely to see any of the other guests while you’re there. A rather bumpy driveway leads you into the car park, from which…

During my Icelandic adventure in Akureyri there were three big things on my wish list – try husky sledding, go whale watching and see the Northern Lights. Our holiday package included a Northern Lights tour, so my hopes were high, but I also knew there was no guarantee we’d get to see them. Poor weather conditions postponed the tour on the first two nights and I began to resign myself to the fact we were unlikely to see them. Still, third time lucky I hoped, and on a cloudy Wednesday night we jumped on a coach and headed out of…

Just before the pandemic I was planning a trip to Italy – my initial idea was to fly into Rome and spend a couple of days soaking up the sites before moving on to Perugia. Covid-19 almost drew a permanent line under the whole idea when I contracted the virus and spent two months in intensive care. It was touch and go for a while; so much so that I was put into a medically-induced coma for more than a month… it was not something I’d recommend. The excellent ministrations of the NHS doubtless saved my life (I was almost…

For a unique Japanese afternoon tea experience in London, you can beat a visit to Ginza St James’s. My boyfriend and I went to London over Easter for a mini-break and went to Ginza St James’s for afternoon tea as a birthday treat. Tucked down a side street in Mayfair, you can’t miss the restaurant as it’s covered in pink cherry blossoms, but when you head inside to the bar everything is sleek and modern. We were taken downstairs to the main restaurant, which was full of mirrors making it look huge. Not your average tea selection… We were seated…