Travel

Travel

Have Yourself a Merry Sunny Christmas

Our top winter sun destinations this holiday season

For those of us in the UK living through the greyest days of the year, there could be no greater Christmas gift than a spell in the sun. Everybody needs that vitamin D boost to help them through the darkness of December. Curated by our expert travel team, here we bring you our top five winter sun destinations in the hope they will inspire you and uplift your spirits.

DINAROBIN BEACHCOMBER GOLF RESORT & SPA, MAURITIUS

The Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa is the perfect destination for those looking to melt away those icy winter blues. Sited beside the glittering Indian Ocean on the magnificent Le Morne Peninsula, the hotel boasts a peaceful setting and top-of-the-range all-suite accommodation.

The resort has no fewer than eight first-class restaurants, five swimming pools, a superb spa, an array of free land and water sports and a highly-rated 18-hole golf course (as well as privileged access to two other golf courses on the island.)

Dinarobin Beachcomber: left, main pool; right, Beachfront Junior Suite.

Beyond that, Dinarobin Beachcomber also offers the ideal opportunity for families to unwind this Christmas with…

Travel

Regent Seven Seas Grandeur

Sampling the world in utter luxury

If you’d told me one year ago I’d be raving about a cruise, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second, but a trip onboard the Regent Seven Seas Grandeur changed my mind forever. In the world of luxury cruises, this one is at the very top. For starters, the service is impeccable. With a […]

Travel

Alphonse Island, The Seychelles

A remote paradise in the Indian Ocean

Alphonse Island, a five-star idyl on one of the Seychelles’ most entrancing Outer Islands is possibly the most remote and paradisiac place I’ve ever been to. Situated just south of the equator, Alphonse Island is not just far, but many light-years from the madding crowd. The island has no cars, no TVs and only designated […]

Travel

Schweizerhof Hotel, Bern

In Pursuit of James Bond (Part III)

The hour-drive from Lucerne allowed me to play a little with my BMW M850i xDrive, which in Sport mode delivered a seismic degree of thunder roaring for all inside and outside the car. Surprisingly agile for its size, it offers stacks of grip through the tight Alpine corners, a testament to its great chassis and […]

Travel

Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne

In Pursuit of James Bond (Part II)

Apart from the environs of London, the Alps have the highest density of James Bond locations in the world. Part of the films Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only, Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough were all filmed here. One of these locations is the Bürgenstock Resort, where Sean Connery […]

Conservation, Travel

Sabi Sabi

Conservationists of the Future

The measures taken globally to control the propagation of Covid-19 have had a significant negative impact on the conservation efforts in Africa, exacerbated by other factors such as poor governance, poverty, increasing human populations and illegal wildlife trade, continue to drive wildlife declines across the continent. The main source of revenue to support conservation efforts […]

Travel

California Dreamin’

The best skiing terrain in the Golden State

A gentle breeze whips the snow into a frenzy, as if dancing in the alpine air. Above, the winter sun radiates through the azure sky, and I feel its warmth against my face as I bootpack the final few meters to the summit of Squaw Peak, the highest point of Palisades Tahoe at 2,708-metres. From […]

Lifestyle, Travel

Searching for calm

Spa Metropole by Givenchy, Monte-Carlo

Tranquillity can be hard to come across in Monaco. With its never-ending hustle and bustle, shoppers on the go and tourists clamouring to take photos of the sports cars whizzing by, the place can be overwhelming and chaotic. But tucked away within the stunning Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, a stone’s throw away from the heart of […]

Travel

Cruise de Luxe

The world’s most luxurious ship

Seven Seas Explorer, a vessel owned by Regent Seven Seas Cruises is now starring in the Channel 5 series “The World’s Most Expensive Ship”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the most expensive to cruise on, but it is generally recognised as being the most luxurious. I-M Intelligent Magazine sent Shelley Campbell to the Explorer […]

Travel

Le Touquet Paris-Plage, Côte d’Opale

In pursuit of James Bond

As the world celebrates 60 years of 007 films with all kinds of events across the globe, we opted to pay a visit to a few spots in Europe that played a key role in the lives of the real and imaginary characters involved in the epic saga of the world’s favourite secret agent. In […]

Travel

Stranger Things to Do in L.A.

When you visit Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine running out of things to do. At the top of the list for most people are exploring Hollywood, checking out the local beaches, enjoying all manner of fun bars and restaurants, and – of course – hiking up to the Hollywood sign for a photo or […]

Gourmet, Travel

Buddha-Bar Montenegro

The heart of the Adriatic heats up

Founded by French-Romanian restaurateur Raymond Vișan and DJ and interior designer Claude Challe,the Buddha-Bar first open in Paris in 1996 and quickly became one of the hottest places to see and be seen in the French capital. The success was such that soon there were Budha Bars sprouting up all over the world, from Marrakesh […]