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Quiet cushion, Киевская 26, Kyiv (2026)

25/09/2023

Honolulu, Hawaii

The main hub for the islands of the 50th State currently requires at least one change of plane in the US or Canada and demands a journey of 17 hours or more. The long legs of modern aircraft mean that the 7,230-mile non-stop distance from London Heathrow to Honolulu would be quite manageable – indeed, it is slightly shorter than BA’s current Santiago link.

With rules on Polar flights relaxed, a direct flight would allow British travellers easy access to surfing beaches such as Waikiki, close to Honolulu on the island of Oahu, with easy links to Maui – where season one of The White Lotus was filmed.

25/09/2023

Albuquerque, New Mexico

A link to New Mexico’s largest city would usefully fill a gap in the southwestern US between Phoenix and Dallas. It would also provide access to a state that has much to offer in terms of history and culture, both Native American and Hispanic.

Santa Fe, just to the north-east, is a centre for counter-culture. Roswell, to the south-east, is home to the International UFO Museum & Research Center – exploring theories about the so-called “1947 Roswell Incident”. Did a US military balloon fall to earth, or was it something alien?

Meanwhile, some Breaking Bad fans will want to explore the locations in and around Albuquerque for the long-running saga.

23/09/2023

How an all-inclusive hotel helped me rediscover how to holiday

The last of the day’s sun gently glinted across the dimpled Aegean Sea, the way the waning rays trickled across the water’s surface reminiscent of the drops of condensation working their way down my glass. I slowly sipped the dregs of a negroni, letting the bitter-sweet notes from the ruby-coloured cocktail linger in my mouth.

I was on my second drink, though I began to question whether I deserved it. The day had been far from backbreaking; instead, it was a languorous jumble of Greek coffee, laps of the pool, chapters of early John Le Carre, and dozing while the late summer sun warmed my skin.

But the answer was a resounding yes – because I was on holiday. Not on a city break, or an adventure, or an odyssey of self-discovery that would give me a chance to “learn something about myself” – but an honest-to-goodness holiday.

For the first time in more than four years, I’d plumped for a “flop and drop”, with actual time set aside from any work; all I wanted was a break. So I’d gone all inclusive, something I tended to avoid. Was it snobbery? Not wanting to fight over towels on loungers at dawn? An urge to be a traveller, not a tourist? Whatever the reason, I’d willfully shunned hotels offering the pure ease of a one-price package with all food and drink thrown in. Well, more fool me.

23/09/2023

Iceland hotel launches search for ‘Midnight Sun Catcher’

A hotel in Iceland has launched a search for a unique position: “Midnight Sun Catcher”.

Luxury resort Hotel Rangá is looking to engage a travel photographer to capture images of the Midnight Sun, a phenomenon which sees the country bathed in near constant sunlight during the summer months.

From May to August the sun doesn’t fully set in Iceland, often resulting in spectacular skies swathed in reds, pinks and purples in the early morning hours.

The hotel has invited budding picture takers to apply for the one-of-a-kind role, which it describes as “a great opportunity for new photographers to build up their photography portfolio.”

It adds: “What’s more, the Midnight Sun Catcher will also get the opportunity to explore the photogenic land of fire and ice on their days off.

23/09/2023

Riga, Latvia

The largest of the three Baltic capitals, Riga is home to an eclectic mix of Gothic spires, Art Nouveau buildings, Soviet block housing and creative new restaurants and nightlife.

Round-trip airfare dipped 4% this year, bringing the price below $1,000, according to Hopper. And once you’re there, the city is one of Europe’s most affordable: Hotels cost only $96 per night on average, Hotels.com found, and for about $8 you can enjoy a beer and meal out.

At the historic heart of Riga is its Old Town, a UNESCO world heritage site. For $9.50 you can scale St. Peter’s Church, the tallest church in the city, to get an aerial view that extends to the Riga Bay and the Daugava River. Then visit the House of Blackheads, a former merchant guild that houses both tourist information office and museum. Inside, you’ll find grand ballrooms featuring exact replicas of the 19th century furniture that once adorned it as well as several exhibits about trading in Riga.

Around the city center, you can visit the eye-popping Art Nouveau buildings on Alberta iela, view the Freedom monument, and stop by the Central Market, housed in five former zeppelin hangars, to haggle over smoked fish or fresh vegetables.

21/09/2023

World Heritage List
As discussions moved to contenders for the World Heritage List, the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua in Congo was inscribed on Saturday. It is one of Africa’s oldest parks as well as one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world.

On the French island of Martinique, the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons on the northern part of the island were also announced as a new addition to the list during the first day of deliberations.

Meanwhile, an existing World Heritage Site — Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay — was extended to include Cat Ba Archipelago, the country’s largest limestone archipelago. It is now listed as one site: Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago. Ha Long Bay was first recognized in 1994.

The status of Madagascar’s Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, consisting of five protected areas, was also extended to include the Andrefana Dry Forests, which can only be found on the Indian Ocean island.

Over the next few days, the committee will review the remaining nominations, which include a Viking age ring fortress in Denmark and a 2,000-year-old earthworks in Ohio.

Sites must be of “outstanding universal value” to be added to the World Heritage List, according to UNESCO.

To qualify, a site has to meet at least one of a specific list of criteria, which is “regularly revised by the committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.”

CNN’s Marnie Hunter and Francesca Street contributed to this report.

21/09/2023

UNESCO adds new sites to the World Heritage List

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has wrapped up its deliberations related to sites that are in danger and began adding new sites on Saturday to its prestigious World Heritage List.

Sites in Ukraine — the St. Sophia Cathedral and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, both located in the capital city of Kyiv, and the historical center of Lviv in western Ukraine — were deemed to be “in danger” earlier this week.

Deliberations started Saturday considering 50 sites nominated for the well-known World Heritage List.

The Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua in Congo and the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons on the French island of Martinique, were chosen to be inscribed to the World Heritage List on the first day.

20/09/2023

Visiting Rio de Janeiro for the first time is like greeting an old friend, for the names and places ring remarkably familiar, soaked up over time through tales, songs, films and images. Who hasn’t heard of the toffee-hued beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, whose perfect sandy curves are blessed by the outstretched arms of the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer? Separated by the surfer wonderland of Arpoador and demarcated by the dual granite peaks of Dos Irmãos in the south and the unmistakable rocky lump of Sugarloaf Mountain in the north, they claim the undulating lush greenery of Tijuca as a backdrop, a tropical rainforest within the city limits, criss-crossed by hiking paths and home to ocelots, coatis, sloths, armadillos and howler monkeys.

20/09/2023

What parents need to know about travelling through Copenhagen airport with kids

Things to do

Obviously, your family’s needs will vary depending on the age of your children. If you have young children, it can be a good idea for them to blow off some steam before getting on the flight.

A great way to do this can be to head to one of the airport’s playgrounds. There’s one after security near the entrance to Finger B, complete with luggage carts, a control tower complete with a slide, and a couple of planes for kids to climb on.

There’s also an outdoor playground before security with a couple of slides hidden inside a wooden cloud, outside Terminal 2.

Make sure to check out the large blue fish tank before security, too. It’s just next to Lagkagehuset/Ole and Steen and WOK restaurant near the baggage drop in Terminal 2.

There are also two Lego shops inside the airport: one between gates A&B and one between gates B&C. These are both after security.

If you want to buy something to keep your slightly older child occupied during the flight, there are a number of 7 Eleven and WH Smith shops which sell magazines, sticker and activity books and stationery, as well as snacks and drinks.

There’s also a child area in the SAS lounge with toys and children’s TV - free for SAS Business or Plus travellers or Gold EuroBonus members.

For non-members, entry costs around 200-250 kroner per person, with free entry for kids under 2. This is sometimes cheaper off-season and you may be able to pay with EuroBonus reward points if you’ve got a stash saved up.

The SAS lounge also includes a buffet and unlimited drinks (including beer and wine), and wifi, newspapers and magazines included in your entry fee.

As an aside, it's worth noting that transiting, arriving and departing passengers all share the same space at Copenhagen Airport (once they are on the gate side of security). So the same areas that can be used by families before departing are also available to anyone transiting through Copenhagen and you can also use them on arrival if you somehow have the energy for this.

20/09/2023

Paris 2024 Summer Olympics: How to plan the perfect trip, from best hotels to how to get tickets

The countdown has begun and, in under a year, the best athletes in the world will compete for much-coveted Olympic medals. The 2024 Summer Olympics feel particularly symbolic as they also mark the centenary of the last time Paris hosted the Olympic Games. Even if you haven’t been able to get tickets, numerous places will be showing the Games on giant, outdoor screens, so everyone can soak up the atmosphere. Parc Georges-Valbon and the upper banks of the Seine are both due to have free screenings.

This is France, so entertainment, far from being confined to sport, spills over into the arts. Olympiade Culturelle lists all the Olympics-themed events in the capital and the country at large, including everything from exhibitions and theatre performances to street dance.

Paris will be shining brighter than the Eiffel Tower at sundown, but how can you experience this historic moment? Here’s the lowdown on how to get your hands on tickets, getting around and where to stay during the world’s biggest and most prestigious sporting event.

21/09/2022

Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. George Orwell

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