Plane Talk: The Welsh capital wins back a scheduled transatlantic link for next summer
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The last refurb at the MGM Grand was 13 years ago, with the latest makeover creating extra suites and ‘disco era charm’
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Ciel Dubai Marina stands at 377 metres
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The project is in collaboration with Dar Global, the luxury property arm of Dar Al Arkan, one of Saudi Arabia’s largest real estate developers
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As Matt Ray discovers on a trip to the Channel Islands, Guernsey boasts Caribbean-blue seas, idyllic white-sand beaches and cider orchards, all without the crowds of the English South Coast – or St Lucia’s air miles
© Matt Ray / The Independent
There will be seven ships in the World Class series by 2031
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The remote mountain shelter is neither ticketed nor staffed, and anyone can enter
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The cosy cabins, bike rides and serenity of De Alde Feanen national park make it the perfect place to switch off and unwind in winter
If there are times when the sights, smells and sounds of a new destination are best downed in a single, heady, flaming sambuca of a weekend, there are others when a more slow-drip pace is called for. Such is the case with De Alde Feanen, in Friesland. One of the most peaceful national parks in the Netherlands, this 4,000-hectare wetland slows down naturally after the summer season. Its waterways shrug off their summer flocks of kayakers, paddleboarders, boat trippers and terrace diners. Museums and galleries close. The local tourist office winds down. Even the park’s population of nesting storks fly south.
A 20-minute drive south-east of Leeuwarden, in the country’s north-east, the lakes, ponds, ditches and canals of “The Old Fens” are the remains of the peat-cutting that began there in the middle ages. Now awash with reeds, rushes and sedges, its watery habitats are richly biodiverse, home to more than 100 bird species as well as otters, pine martens, roe deer and dragonflies. Hay meadows and wetland forest add marsh thistle, reed orchids, alders and willows to the list. Ribboned with well-marked hiking and cycling trails, the proximity to nature draws spring and summer tourists but treasures can be found there in autumn and winter too; among them thousands of ducks and geese, and some of the starriest skies in the Netherlands.
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© Photograph: Rhiannon Batten
© Photograph: Rhiannon Batten
© Photograph: Rhiannon Batten
Bundjalung man Ashley Moran has a personal connection to the track and says the multiday hike will give walkers a new appreciation of the area’s significance
Ashley Moran clearly remembers the first time he completed the new four-day Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk in northern New South Wales, long before it opened to the public in April this year.
It was 2020 and the newest NSW Great Walk wasn’t even a track. “It had been pink-tagged by the trail construction company, but it was pretty arduous trying to navigate through dense rainforest and find those little pink ribbons,” he says.
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© Photograph: DParsons DCCEEW
© Photograph: DParsons DCCEEW
© Photograph: DParsons DCCEEW
Exclusive: The mayor of Liverpool would like to see visitor levies expanded across the city
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Exclusive: Independent rail retailers can exploit anomalies in the fares system, saving passengers money
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As Premier Inn is overtaken by Wetherspoons in an influential hotel ranking, Simon Calder checks in
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Explore the Caribbean islands for less, from budget-friendly destinations, inexpensive hotels and affordable activities
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From top-class dining to overwater bungalows and private beaches, here are 12 of the best all-inclusive hotels in Mexico
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Homes Under The Hammer has never looked or sounded better – at least on a train. Speeding at 125mph through sunlit Berkshire on an intercity express to London Paddington, BBC One’s daytime favourite cuts through loud and clear.
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All of the airline’s 232 Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft will be equipped with Starlink by mid-2027
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Outdoor dining will be banned across 50 streets
© Getty Images/iStockphoto
There are the real-life locations from the all-time Christmas classic, from sunny Californian hills to cosy English villages
© Columbia Pictures
Having travelled to the Indian Ocean for the past 15 years, Sam Wylie-Harris shares her tips for making the most of your holiday, whether you’re after an active break, culinary getaway or fly-and-flop
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The Hungarian operator will boost its offering in Luton to increase profitability
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