Plus discounted deals, a guide to visiting Margate and off-roading from the Atacama to the Andes
It's not been a great week for Wizz Air. According to a survey by consumer group Which?, the budget carrier was named the worst short-haul airline by UK passengers. Wizz Air operated just 56% of its flights on time, cancelled nearly 2% of them within 24 hours of departure and "generally treated many customers to an awful time", the report said. "Quite simply, it is to be avoided at all costs." Jet2 was once again rated the UK's best short-haul airline.
In other travel news this week:
• Heathrow airport is back to pre-pandemic passenger numbers.
• P&O Cruises drops Covid-19 vaccine and test requirements.
• Machu Picchu has reopened to tourists following a shutdown due to political unrest in Peru.
Read on for our guide to a weekend in Margate, off-roading from the Atacama to the Andes, and a "flavours of Bordeaux" river cruise with chef Raymond Blanc.
Mike Starling
Digital features editor |
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| WANDERLUST OF THE WEEK | | For some, a ski trip is all about the après, writes Jo Davey on TheWeek.co.uk. The hurtling, glorious swish-swish down a snow-covered mountainside is merely the most efficient way to the next bar, the next glass, the next joke about being "totally piste". Most come for the sport: getting up at the crack of dawn in search of that particular brand of adrenaline joy and full-body exhaustion. For me, however, a ski holiday is about food.
The first time I had a proper Italian pizza was on a family ski trip in some long-gone alpine chalet. I still vividly recall the wooden booth, the finally-indoors warmth, and the way the cheese grease glittered under the restaurant's low-hanging lamps. That thin wood-fired thing of pliant, crisp beauty, so far removed from the doughy discuses back home, changed my view of pizza – and skiing – for good.
Wonderfully I'm not the only one who feels this way. In the splintered limestone of the Italian Dolomites lies Alta Badia, home to the little-known Ladin people, awe-inducing scenery and the annual "Gourmet SkiSafari". As the snow finally sets into its valleys and the season opens, Alta Badia's star chefs fire up and take their finest dishes to the piste. |
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| Indulge in a truly authentic Caribbean escape where the wild and untamed beauty of nature is rivalled only by the genuine warmth and hospitality of its people.
Find out why Tobago should be your go-to destination in 2023.
TobagoBeyond.com |
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| British cuisine, farming and the countryside will be the focus of a new BBC food travel series, Coast to Coast Food Festival. Presented by Colin Murray, Edith Bowman and Countryfile's Sean Fletcher, the new show will explore the tastes of the UK and put local food festivals on the map. Watch Coast to Coast Food Festival on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, weekdays at 6.30pm from Monday 13 March. |
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| DESTINATION GUIDE | | Read The Week's tips on how to spend 48 hours in the Kent seaside town
Why visit? How, asked Mark C. O'Flaherty in The Telegraph, did a "rough, impoverished seaside town become a mutli-faceted beacon of bohemia"? In recent years Margate's "deco buildings, seaside nostalgia" and "sporadically beautiful sunsets" have attracted a new crowd of visitors, with "every knackered piece of real estate" taking on a fresh lease of life. "There's a lot to like" in this "shiny new Margate".
Things to do: First discovered in 1835, the "mysterious" Shell Grotto "continues to fascinate tourists and locals alike", said KentLive. Around 2,000 square feet of space is covered by roughly 4.6 million shells, "painstakingly laid out in intricate patterns, swirls and even images of birds, hearts and women". But why the grotto exists – and who built it – remains unknown.
What to eat and drink: Seafood restaurant Angela's is "top", but be sure to book as there are only a handful of sought-after tables. If you've no luck there, try Dory's, Angela's "little sister around the corner", where it's walk-in tables only. Both serve up "perfect fish plates", said The Times, with menus changing daily depending on what's caught each morning.
Where to stay: The location of Fort Road Hotel "couldn't be better", said Lesley Gillilan in The Telegraph. Minutes from the train station and many of the town's attractions, this recently restored accommodation is full of original features. The Reading Rooms are a "charming" option, said the Independent. "Chandeliers, parquet floors and muted tones" are "begging for Bridgerton-style Instagram snaps". |
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Book now | Last-minute offers | Seven nights in St Lucia: Stay at the Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat, which offers stunning views of the Piton Mountains. From £2,233pp b&b (incl. London flights). 0344-493 0787, britishairways.com. Depart 6 June.
Luxurious Budapest stay: Explore the Hungarian capital from the 5-star Matild Palace, a luxurious, Belle Époque-era gem. From £424pp b&b for 3 nights (excl. flights). 020-3564 6725, booking.com. Arrive 23 March.
Drift through Happy Valley: Start your 4-night narrowboat break from Sowerby Bridge and travel along to Hebden Bridge, made famous in the hit BBC drama. From £230pp (4 sharing). 0344-984 0322, drifters.co.uk. Depart 24 April. | |
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...And if Money's no object | | Michelin-star chef Raymond Blanc will be joining a special Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours voyage through France's adored wine country this autumn. The eight-day "Flavours of Bordeaux" river cruise sails on a round trip from Bordeaux, calling at Saint-Émilion, Libourne, Blaye, Médoc and Cadillac. Departing on 10 October, prices start at £2,665 per person on board Scenic Diamond; scenic.co.uk |
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NOT-SO-SECRET ESCAPES | Where the experts recommend | Finding peace on Patmos: The Greek island of Patmos has long been a place of "spiritual solace", says Rachel Howard in House & Garden. It was here, most likely, that Saint John "rattled off" the Book of Revelation, and in the 11th century a Byzantine emperor bequeathed the whole place to monks. These days, it's a glamorous party spot in high season, popular with "aristocrats, interior designers, fashion editors and their muses". But it has not been ruined by development, and in spring or autumn it is very peaceful. Stay at Pagostas, a small guesthouse with "spare but richly textured" interiors, in the island's labyrinthine old town. Strike out on "long walks to remote hermitages", or for "rousing dips in empty coves". See pagostas.com and walkinginpatmos.com for more information.
Living it up in Porto: "If you can't feel pleased with your lot in Porto, then something's amiss," says Nick Hammond in The Daily Telegraph. Portugal's second city is a "heady delight" of fabulous wines, great food, churches, towers and townhouses "stacked high" above the Douro River. A brief epicurean break there should naturally involve plenty of port, the fortified wine to which the city gave its name. Cockburn's and Graham's are among the venerable houses offering tours and tastings, and the latter's restaurant, Vinum, can also be heartily recommended. For good seafood in "homely" surroundings, try O Gaveto in Matosinhos, and the "tiny, wonderful" Taberna dos Mercadores. And be sure to visit some of the nearby vineyards of the Douro Valley, such as the "Eden-like" Quinta do Vesúvio, and the Quinta do Bomfim, whose restaurant is overseen by Michelin-starred chef Pedro Lemos.
A fort of one's own in Devon: Like many Landmark Trust properties, Crownhill Fort is a great place to indulge in a little "historical cosplay", at least in your imagination, says Oliver Smith in The Times. Built by the Victorians to defend Plymouth against a landward attack, it sits amid the city's northern suburbs today, but it is so "vast" that, once inside, it's easy to forget about the B&Q and dual carriageway nearby. The former officers' quarters are a "cosy and characterful" family holiday let, with a "grand" kitchen and big bedrooms hung with portraits of "mutton-chopped" sailors. All the delights of Devon lie within easy reach, but there's also plenty to discover in the fort itself, including lots of vintage artillery (connoisseurs will appreciate the "unique Moncrieff 'disappearing' gun"), and a huge network of tunnels where bats roost amid "yet more weaponry". Four nights' self-catering for eight costs from £592 (landmarktrust.org.uk). | |
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| Specialist operator Wilderness England has two new sailing holidays for 2023 – in Cornwall and the west coast of the UK. Sailing aboard the Eda Frandsen, a 75-year-old gaff cutter, guests will get a fresh perspective of the coastline of England, gliding into secluded bays, watching dolphins race alongside and enjoying an unforgettable holiday.
Setting sail from the harbour town of Falmouth, the four-day/three-night Cornwall short break will depart on 7 April and is priced from £660 per person based on two sharing, including three nights' accommodation on the Eda Frandsen, all meals, and activities.
The epic ten-day/nine-night west coast of the UK journey follows the Celtic coast, with wildlife encounters and wild isles aplenty. Starting from Cornwall, the trip departs on 29 April and is priced from £1,495 per person based on two sharing, including nine nights' accommodation on the Eda Frandsen, all meals, and activities. |
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Hotel review | | Presidents, prime ministers and princesses have all visited the glorious "golden egg" hotel in Davos, Switzerland. |
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Trip of the week | | It's now possible to traverse two of the most spectacular regions on Earth. |
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