Across the U.S., it’s beginning to look, and smell, a lot like Christmas — artisanal stalls framed by twinkling lights are selling delightful gifts and the tempting aromas of mulled wine and bratwursts are wafting through the air
Near the Poland border, a father and son who were metal detecting discovered buried artillery shells, prompting a major bomb squad operation involving Czech officials.
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
For the explorer and author, the desert outpost, irrigated by water from the Atlas mountains, is the perfect place to decompress
The first thing I notice when I walk into the oasis is the temperature drop. Then, I hear the birdsong and the rustling of the palm trees. The harsh sun dims and there’s water and the smell of damp earth. It’s easy to understand why desert travellers yearned to reach these havens and why they have become synonymous with peace. I’m an explorer who’s walked through many oases with loaded camels, crossing Morocco and the Sahara on foot, but Skoura, a four-hour drive from Marrakech, is a place I visit to decompress.
You may be imagining some kind of cartoon mirage oasis – a sole date palm shimmering above the endless sands. In fact, Skoura has a population of around 3,000 people living in a small town on the edge of the palms with 10 sq miles (25 sq km) of agricultural land. Many visitors to Morocco start in Fez or Marrakech and stop off in Aït Benhaddou, then go down to the Sahara towns of Zagora or Merzouga. Skoura, less than an hour from Ouarzazate, is an ideal stop-off point for a couple of days, or you could combine it with a Marrakech city break. The bus from Marrakech (CTM or Supratours) takes six hours, or you can hire a car (or car with driver) from Marrakech or Fez.
New Zealand's "golden" visa applications from Americans surge 72% after the country launched a new Business Investor Work Visa, offering permanent residency.
Exclusive: ‘The jungle, they say, is neutral. It’s got everything that you need to survive, but also everything’s trying to kill you’ – Dr Joshua Allison
GymNation's bold billboards suggest Dubai as a self-defense retreat while the phone-snatching crisis in London continues. The campaign is dividing opinion on social media platforms.
The country has so many cultural and historical treasures that relatively few are known to tourists. Our tipsters share their discoveries, from ancient hill towns to a mini Venice
Approaching the town of Brisighella in Emilia-Romagna, it feels as though you are rapidly incorporating yourself in the backdrop of a Renaissance masterpiece, with dramatic rocky hills with singular trees perched upon them, and mysterious towers standing in solitary self-possession – leaving you to wonder what they must have witnessed over the years. The town is the perfect launchpad to explore such remarkably beautiful scenery, but it is also absolutely worth exploring its many medieval alleyways and its particularly unique elevated path, granting private nooks to take in the town’s charm. Gioia