Travel News

To see if the shoes by Brazilian brand Cariuma live up to the hype as an ultra-comfy travel shoe, MailOnline Travel's Ailbhe MacMahon (right) tests out two pairs. She opts for the Catiba Pro Low shoes (£120/$146), similar to a pair once worn by comedian Pete Davidson on Saturday Night Live, and the OCA Low shoes (£89/$109) - the style favoured by Dame Helen Mirren, though Ailbhe's are in a 'Pantone white' colour rather than the actress's preferred shade of emerald. Here's the verdict...

Neil Simpson travels on 'The Great Escaper' battlefields tour with Leger Holidays, which was inspired by a new film, of the same name, starring Michael Caine (inset, with co-star Glenda Jackson). The film follows the true story of WWII veteran Bernard Jordan who crept out of his care home in 2014 and travelled to Normandy, without a ticket, for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.

Caitlin Weich, 31, from Dublin, Ireland, tries to avoid flights at all costs and has travelled more than 1,800 miles from Greece to the UK using only buses, trains and ferries - while her partner, Adam Boyle, 28, has trekked all the way to Japan without boarding a single plane.

U.S couple Margaret and Corey Bienert celebrate 'creative, nostalgic and one-of-a-kind hotels' around the world in their new book Hotel Kitsch. The married couple met while at university in Illinois, where they bonded over their shared passion for photography. In 2018, they started touring around unique 'theme hotels' in the U.S and further afield, eventually documenting the experience online on their 'A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour' YouTube channel.

You don't have to clean out your bank account to stay in the Maldives. In fact, you can snag a hotel for as little as £38 ($46) a night. The trick? Stay on an inhabited island rather than a resort island... Multi-award-winning travel blogger Adriana Neptuna, who recently visited a selection of the inhabited islands, tells MailOnline Travel: 'It's a completely different vibe and you might find you enjoy it more. Think idyllic, azure blue beaches with tropical music, Maldivian locals selling fresh coconuts and delicious Maldivian restaurants.'

Martin Symington and his wife hike the Menalon Trail, a newly designated path stretching 45 miles across Arcadia, the 'wild hinterland' of the Peloponnese peninsula. Stitching its way between wilderness and nine traditional villages, the trail follows ancient mule tracks and paths for driving livestock up to summer pastures. Martin and his wife check into village guest houses between daily walks that vary from 'short and sweet to strenuous'.

The Daily Mail's Mark Palmer was given exclusive access to Icon Of The Seas - the biggest cruise ship ever built. On its maiden voyage it will carry 9,950 people. He writes: 'There was something of a furore when a huge cruise ship anchored recently off the Cornish coastal town of Fowey. The Vasco de Gama dwarfed the place and led to all kinds of protests from locals. So heaven knows what those same people would think if this mighty beast ever came to call.'

MailOnline Travel's Sarah Bridge ran the Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc, which has a route that winds through the Medoc region in France near Bordeaux, taking in some of the world's finest vineyards. Sarah writes: 'There are no fewer than 23 wine-tasting stations along the course and runners are treated to the most eclectic range of food I'd ever seen on a marathon route.'

Jonathan Kubben, 34, photographs himself holding a giant placard that reads 'Mom, I'm fine' to let his mum Imelda Quinonez, in Mexico, know he is safe. We last covered Jonathan's travels in 2016 . And he is still out there telling his Mom that he's 'fine'... and here we present some of his very latest images from around the world.

Restaurant Bougainville in Amsterdam has been named the world's best fine-dining eatery as part of the 2023 Travellers' Choice 'Best of the Best' Restaurants Awards, which are decided by an algorithm that analyses the millions of reviews and ratings collected in a year from travellers around the world. Ise Sueyoshi in Nishiazabu, a district of Tokyo, is the second-best restaurant in the global ranking, followed by the Old Stamp House Restaurant in the Lake District - last year's number one - in third place, making it the top-ranking UK eatery.

Hawaiian photographer Mike Coots devoted his life to shark conservation following a 1997 tiger shark attack. His awe-inspiring pictures of sharks - often captured while he was mere inches away from the creatures - are revealed in his new photography book, Shark: Portraits. Coots tells MailOnline Travel how the book shows how sharks 'can be beautiful and are much needed as an apex predator for the health of our oceans'.

On the map - generated using Google search data - country names have been supplemented with their residents' most-searched-for bucket list experiences. Visiting the Maldives tops the global list thanks to being the most popular bucket list experience in 122 countries around the world, including the UK, Australia and the U.S.

Raise a glass to the winners of the 'Oscars' of the UK hospitality industry. At a prestigious awards ceremony hosted by the AA at Grosvenor House in London last night, awards were presented in categories including 'Hotel of the Year', 'Restaurant of the Year' and 'Chefs' Chef of the Year'. The 2023 AA Hospitality Awards winners were picked by the AA's inspectors, who spent the past year feasting their way through the UK's restaurants and laying their heads in the nation's hotel rooms in a bid to identify the cream of the crop. Here are their verdicts…

Images released by Topfoto show men hard at work on the plane, flight attendants lined up in front of the famous aircraft and you even meet the two pilots who test-flew the prototype Concorde, Mr Andre Turcat and Brian Trubshaw. Concorde's first flight took place on the 2nd of March, 1969, with the 001 prototype taking off from Toulouse in France . When the French test pilot landed Concorde for the first time, he simply said: 'The big bird flies…'

Olivia Dean tries the 'mermaid experience' at Hotel Abi d'Oru on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, which is where the live-action version of The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, was filmed. As part of the hotel's experience, guests are invited to don a mermaid tail and take a swim in the ocean. Olivia discovers that it's quite the workout...

The UK Theme Park Awards 2023 is an annual awards that invites members of the public and a panel of theme park experts to crown the best theme parks and attractions across Britain. This year, more than 220,000 public votes helped to determine the victors. Other gongs have been handed out for the UK's best thrill ride, the best budget theme park and the best water ride...

It's called the Dawn Avatar Robot Café and travel content creator Maz Green dropped in for a juice and a green tea, with the short video she made of the visit garnering tens of thousands of views on Instagram. Maz, who posts eye-catching photos and videos to Instagram and TikTok to hundreds of thousands of followers using the handle 'Where To Find Me', explained that all the food and drinks are served by robots - and that they're controlled remotely 'by people with medical or physical limitations who cannot come into work but want to stay connected to society'.

Life in the fold of the super-rich comes with serious perks, these nannies and former nannies reveal. They're taking to TikTok to lift the veil on the reality of working for the super-rich - and shedding light on the luxurious benefits that are part and parcel of the role.

Avanti's trains whisk passengers between Manchester Piccadilly railway station and London Euston in just over two hours. So is the plane realistic competition for such a short journey? Is the inevitable airport faff worth enduring? Travel experts at The Points Guy (TPG) decided to find out...

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, The Walt Disney Company has opened its vaults to reveal a list of 30 locations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa that have inspired its films and theme parks over the past century. These locations have been revealed in a series of photographs, so fans can compare the real-world attractions with how they've been reinterpreted by Disney's filmmakers and designers.

On the map - generated using five years of Wikipedia page view data - country names have been supplemented by the national landmark that is most frequently read about on Wikipedia, in a bid to uncover the world's most 'wondered about' landmarks and attractions. Among the most popular landmarks across the globe, there are 32 cultural and historical sites, 32 parks and reserves, 26 ancient ruins, 20 mountains and volcanoes, 17 bodies of water, 15 religious landmarks, nine islands, seven modern architectural sites and two deserts.

Louise Saunders checked in with her family, describing the setting as 'hard to beat' and praising the staff for helping to make the hotel 'the ideal beachside bolthole for families'. She writes: 'Any parent to a toddler knows that holidays with our little bundles of joy can be somewhat... challenging. The journey! The routine! The sleeping arrangements! But it's a case of sweet relief at Harbour Beach Club in the salubrious seaside town of Salcombe.'

Laying beautiful tables is all in a day's work for Royal Household-approved butler Daniel Prattley - and he's willing to share his expertise. Prattley, 50, has been a full-time butler since 2009 and works for a variety of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in luxury villas and grand estates around the world for several weeks at a time.

Jane Knight checks into Secrets Lanzarote at Puerto Calero in the south-east of the island. 'This is not the kind of all-inclusive where guests wear a wrist band and mop up free booze at the eternal buffet,' she reveals, detailing how the resort is home to 'calm' swimming pools, an 'excellent' sushi restaurant and 335 rooms - but it 'doesn't feel anything like that size'.

Twenty-one of the winning properties are in Europe, the UK has six entries and Asia is home to 18 of the world's best hotels - and dominates the top 10. Beach lover? Then note that Soneva Fushi in the Maldives (No.7 overall) is within 20 metres of a beach and is also named the Lost Explorer Best Beach Hotel.

The debacle began after Sarah Waite, 25, landed in Athens, having flown in from Los Angeles via Paris. She described the experience as 'horrible and traumatising'. It was the trip of a lifetime for Sarah, who travelled to Athens to pursue her dream of learning modern and ancient Greek literature.

Carlton Reid travelled to Les 3 Vallees in the French Alps and discovered that when there's no snow there - it's a paradise for hikers and cyclists. He writes: 'Les 3 Vallées is a gravity-junky's dream. You can drop on two or three wheels or throw yourself off the peaks strapped to a parapente but with waterfalls, wildflower meadows, and a wealth of walking trails, it's also a hiker's paradise.'

Ohio-born Coyote Peterson filmed himself walking barefoot through a nest of fire ants for the Brave Wilderness YouTube channel, to demonstrate what they're capable of, with his feet receiving around 500 stings during the onslaught. The fire ant (solenopsis invicta) is tiny, but packs a punch, biting into skin with its mandibles, then stinging once attached. Fourteen hours after the fire-ant attack and 'pustules have come out in full force' over Coyote's feet.

Dominic Couzens travelled around Sri Lanka on a bird-watching tour. His itinerary included the Sinharaja Rainforest, where you can see all 33 of the island's unique bird species. He writes: 'This Unesco World Heritage site is a treasure trove (even the poisonous snakes are unique, making for a potentially impressive epitaph) that's filled with huge flocks of birds that are among the largest and most varied in the world.'

The watchdog compared the cost of thousands of hotels - excluding five-star hotels - with 300,000 one-bed listings on Airbnb and Vrbo around the world, from San Francisco to Southwold, and found the price for rentals outstripped the average cost of a hotel in 38 of 50 destinations. Private rentals are almost a fifth (19 per cent) more expensive on average - private rental listings are £120 ($148) on average, compared to £101 ($125) for hotel rooms.

The annual contest has a mission to 'shine a light on the beauty of the ocean and the threats it faces'. Thousands of drone and underwater images were entered into the contest, with a heartwarming picture of fish taking refuge under a turtle and a striking shot of a pair of playful humpback whales among those that caught the judges' attention. This year's winning and commended shots were captured everywhere from Mexico to Australia...

Researchers have revealed the amount of money that citizens in 173 countries need per year to be happy, plus the salaries that'll keep Britons cheerful in 29 cities and towns. Any amount above these optimum income points 'has no effect on an individual's happiness', according to the study from foreign exchange provider S Money.

Welcome to Conca Park, a four-star property in picturesque Sorrento - a spot beloved by the Kardashians - that has impeccable eco-credentials. In fact, with climate change an increasingly hot topic, this zero-waste hotel - the first truly environmentally friendly property in Italy - is blazing a trail for all future hotels.

The second-largest of the Channel Islands, lying in the English Channel around 30 miles from the French coast, Guernsey offers plenty that's comfortably familiar for British travellers, served with more than a soupcon of Gallic flair. Less busy (and glitzy) than jet-setting big sister, Jersey, Guernsey averages a balmy 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) in September and 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) in October, so it's still warm enough for walks along the beach or island hopping to the car-and-crowd-free sanctuaries of Sark and Herm, while there are plenty of pubs and museums to duck into if the weather takes a turn.

Jo Kessel, whose grandfather was Lithuanian, travels to the Baltic state to learn more about her family history. During her tour, she visits Lithuania's Baltic coastline, and finds that it's a 'gem that locals have managed to keep secret... till now'. She spends time in the seaside resort of Nida, which is 'glamorous without being ostentatious', and cycles to the neighbouring village of Preila, where the beach 'has sand soft as talc and surprisingly warm water'.

Disney said in a statement that 'every centimetre of the interior of this legendary establishment is undergoing a complete "reimagination" - from the spectacular grand lobby to the luxuriant rooms and suites'. Future guests at the not-so-faraway hotel, Disney said, will experience 'a new luxury concept interwoven with beloved royal Disney characters both classic and new'.

The ratings come from a new satisfaction survey of motorways and major roads by independent watchdog Transport Focus. The study quizzed more than 9,000 road users about their last journey on a motorway or major 'A' road managed by National Highways, with those polled asked to rate their journey times, the management of roadworks, surface quality, how safe they felt, the quality of the permanent signage and the electronic signs.

Le Meridien Ile Maurice has it all: blazing sun, blue skies, sandy beaches, turquoise waters, sweeping views of the Indian Ocean... and the island's first and only snow room. James Draper braved the chill for 10 minutes as his Mauritian holiday drew to a close...

While exploring Southwell, Neil Clark learns that this historic Nottinghamshire spot was an important stopping point for dignitaries en route to York back in the Middle Ages. After checking out its 'magnificent' cathedral, he admires the half-timbered inn where Charles I spent his last night as a free man and explores the Southwell Workhouse and Infirmary, which is the best preserved 19th-century workhouse in the country.

Mr Hanson explains how you've been drinking tequila wrong in a viral TikTok video. He told MailOnline: 'Tradition in Mexico suggests that tequila is a noble drink.' Read on to find out how it's treated more respectfully in its country of origin...

The 'New Golden Mile' is an 18-mile stretch of sand that lies between Marbella and Estepona. Mark Porter visits the area and reveals that 'money is pouring in for luxury developments here'. He bases himself at the newly opened METT Hotel & Beach Resort, a 'stylish' five-star property that proves to be an 'oasis of calm'.

Photographer Andrew Newey visited Zanskar, a hard-to-reach Himalayan valley region in northern India. Summing up the allure of the region, he says: 'In my opinion, it's the remoteness, staggering beauty of the snow-capped mountains, the generosity and hospitality of the people that make the Zanskar so special and magical.'

We do like to be beside the seaside, but there are plenty of stunning British towns and villages to discover away from the coast, Which? reveals. It has named some of the best - and worst - inland towns and villages in the UK, drawing up a ranking based on a survey that asked holidaymakers to rate their experiences of visiting 94 inland towns and villages in the last year. Destinations were rated across seven categories, including scenery, food and drink, peace and quiet, tourist attractions, and value for money...

All About Photo (AAP) magazine's nature photography contest celebrates photographers who 'beautifully capture the essence of nature, highlighting the magnificence of landscapes, wildlife, and flora and fauna'. Twenty-five photographers have been presented with awards. They hail from 11 countries worldwide, from the U.S to India and beyond - here's a look at their incredible work...

Travellers have long been able to book lounges run independently of the big carriers. Simply turn up or, preferably, book in advance - peak-time spaces can fill up. There are many independent lounges in UK airports now. Here's our guide to them, with expert verdicts from headforpoints.com, thepointsguy.com and cabinbagsonly.com...

An underwater camera has been installed at the Weerdsluis lock in Utrecht. Internet users watch fish approach it on live webcam footage and ring a digital 'bell' to request the lock is opened for them. This year, internet users rang the bell over 105,000 times to help many thousands of fish through the lock.

'Climbing Mount Fuji was one of the most challenging physical feats I've experienced,' says Jo Kessel, who went up and down the mountain - the highest in Japan - in just one day. She adds that she was determined to capture the 'whole escapade' on camera - 'sweat, exhaustion, stumbles and all'. Jo says of the mountain: 'The Japanese call it "Fujisan" and it's thought to bring good luck, which is a curiosity seeing as the mountain is actually a giant volcano! It last erupted in 1708 and, while still active, it comes with a very low risk of eruption.'

Disney Treasure - Disney Cruise Line's sixth ship - is being constructed at Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard. The vessel, a sister ship to Disney Wish, which launched last year, promises to 'unlock the far-reaching realms of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel and embrace dynamic tales from beloved Disney Parks attractions, through captivating and immersive experiences on the high seas'.

The Festival of the Giant Omelette tops a new 'bucket list' of lesser-known, must-see-and-do experiences that can be found across the continent, drawn up from a survey of British holidaymakers. Garnering 43 per cent of the vote, the Easter event celebrates the legend that Napoleon's army once feasted on an omelette in the village where crowds now gather to watch a giant 1,500-egg omelette being made.

On his tour of Seattle, Peter Wilson found that the 'compact' city is 'now attracting more people than ever as it's where so many cruise ships head off to Alaska'. His visit took him to some of the city's top attractions, including Pike Place Market, the century-old waterfront hub that features often in the Tom Hanks romcom Sleepless In Seattle. Peter notes: 'With glittering water all about, Seattle is undoubtedly romantic.'

Reynolds took over Wrexham AFC with his friend, sitcom star Rob McElhenney, in 2021. The team's fortunes have been transformed under the celebrity duo's leadership, with the Red Dragons getting promoted to League Two in April, ending their 15-year exile from the Football League. And it's game on for Wrexham's tourism industry too, with the allure of the A-listers leading to a surge in holidaymakers in the city. There's been a 44 per cent rise in the number of visitors arriving by rail since April, according to Trainline, and Airbnb has recorded a boom in Wrexham getaways over the past couple of years...

British Airways Holidays says that it is offering 'a wide range of enticing holiday packages for customers booking their flight and hotel together'. Those jetting off to far flung destinations in the Caribbean, says British Airways Holidays, 'can enjoy week-long holidays to Tobago from £599pp, Barbados from £749pp and Antigua from £719pp'. For European City breaks lovers, these start from £139pp for two nights, for flights and a hotel.

Harriet Sime checks out one of Montenegro's latest hotel openings, Mamula, a 'beautifully restored' 19th Century fortress that stands on its own tiny island. The hotel is one of the 'exclusive developments' that the local government hopes will 'attract the world's biggest spenders' to Montenegro, she says. However, Harriet notes that 'despite all this new money', the country 'seems to have kept hold of its quiet charm'...

Vollebak says it creates clothing 'that feels like you're buying from the future', with its range also including a jacket that glows (Brad Pitt owns one of these). Carlton Reid tests some of the clothing out - and is mightily impressed, describing the garments he tries as the best travel clothing he's ever worn.

'Many artists have the "impossible project" and this is mine.' So says Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos of her mouthwatering 'Wedding Cake' pavilion, the sweetest of architectural treasures awaiting visitors to Waddeson Manor in Buckinghamshire.

Have a bee in your bonnet when your holiday is interrupted by the sound of buzzing insects? Look no further as we reveal the do's and don'ts when it comes to dealing with bugs that bite or sting, according to experts. In this extensive guide of 17 insects around the world, professionals tell the MailOnline Travel where they are found, how they can hurt you, and how to treat bites. Understanding how different insects behave 'can go a long way' to avoiding nasty bites, says vet and exotic animal care specialist Luana Factor. How to repel them? Good quality insect repellent serves as protection against many insect bites as well as wearing the right clothing, sleeping under a net, and avoidance, bite prevention expert Howard Carter recommends.

On her visit to the Galapagos Islands, Claudia Joseph catches sight of short-eared owls and snorkels in 'crystal-clear' waters amid white-tipped reef sharks and Galapagos penguins. She writes: 'That's the joy of the Galapagos - getting to see nature up close and personal.' She sails on expedition yacht La Pinta for a four-night cruise around the islands...

Carlton Reid checks in, describing Casa Baglioni as a 'sophisticated bijou bolthole' with '30 design-focussed suites and rooms'. The building that houses the hotel was previously the showroom for the German Phillip Plein fashion brand, before reopening earlier this year after an extensive and expensive renovation.

Neil Darbyshire sails on cruise ship Crystal Serenity's first outing since her extensive rebuild. He reveals that the ship's guest capacity has been reduced to 740 passengers, which 'gives the common areas, lounges and restaurants a feeling of space and queues are non-existent'. He adds: 'The accommodation is bright and subtle, with fine attention to detail.'

The rankings have been produced by a new survey by Which? that asked nearly 4,000 travellers to rate their experiences at UK airports and terminals over the past year. Respondents ranked airports based on eleven categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.

Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry designed the house in collaboration with architect Charles Holland. The Daily Mail's Kate Wickers checks in, declaring it a 'glowing beacon for British eccentricity and craftsmanship'.

This year, thousands of images were submitted by photographers from 92 countries worldwide, focusing on themes such as 'landscape' and 'flora and fauna'. Pictures that caught the judges' attention were captured everywhere from the mountains of Canada to the rolling hills of northern Italy. 'The results have exceeded all our expectations,' the judges said of the winners and finalists...

During his visit to the town (main), Rob Crossan visits a museum dedicated to Thirty-Nine Steps writer John Buchan, who spent his childhood holidays there; finds himself 'beguiled' by Rosslyn Chapel (top right and bottom right) - 'a batty place of worship'; and he checks into the Cringletie hotel (top left), a 19th-century castle surrounded by 'brooding woodland' where guests enjoy complimentary whisky and shortbread.

Will Hide found there's 'not an awful lot' to do on Formentera - but 'therein lies its charm'. His days were filled with bike rides, dips in remote bays and 'exceptional' lunches. Summing it up, he says it offers a 'perfect opportunity for a Mediterranean late-season holiday, far from the madding crowds, where you embrace your inner hippy and practice the supremely under-rated art of doing next to nothing'.