Travel News

Sarah Hartley first visited Marrakech in Morocco 20 years ago, explaining that 'it fast became my go-to escape when life fell flat or grey'. Here she describes her latest visit, which saw her check into the 'bucket-list place to stay', La Mamounia (top right and bottom right), one of Winston Churchill's favourite spots. Other trip highlights included a three-hour sidecar tour through the 'exuberant chaos' of Marrakech's streets (inset), a visit to the striking gardens of Jardin Majorelle and the fascinating Bahia Palace, and a breathtaking hot air balloon ride over the foothills of the Atlas mountains. She also bought a Berber rug in one of the souks - succumbing to a sales pitch by the irrepressible Omar.

The annual CVCEPhoto competition - organised by Club Vasco de Camping Elkartea (CVCE) mountaineering club in San Sebastian, Spain, to 'promote mountain activity' - this year received 'thousands' of entries from more than 60 countries including Canada, Slovenia, Poland, France, America and Germany. Spanish photographer Yhabril Moro was declared the winner with a spectacular shot of a skier in mid-flight during sunset at the Spanish ski resort of Baqueira.

Google has calculated that over the past 15 years, Street View cars have travelled over 10million miles - a distance that circles the entire globe more than 400 times - and collected more than 220billion images from more than 100 countries and territories in the world. It Street View picture highlights include the White House at Christmas (top left), the waterways of Venice (top right), the Colorado River from inside a boat (bottom left), and the view from the Eiffel Tower (bottom right). Camel-back desert imagery was captured in 2014 (inset).

Dustin Campbell, from Louisiana, shot the sweaty-palm footage at the Marakele Animal Sanctuary in South Africa. 'It was awe-inspiring,' he said, adding: 'The only thing between the two massive lions outside and us was the mesh of the cage. It was as close as you could be. The main smells were the fear from the other guys in the cage and the fresh meat snacks the lions were eating.'

If you haven't been to Switzerland yet, it's likely you'll start making plans to shortly after gazing upon the pictures here. They show a thrilling hairpin road used as a filming location for a James Bond film, dramatic valleys seemingly warped in from the land before time, amazing viewing platforms, Europe's biggest waterfall and its prettiest bay.

San Francisco has risen from the rubble of earthquakes and the ashes of fires to become a 'world-class metropolis with international appeal'. And this is its story, told by authors Dennis Evanosky and Eric J Kos in San Francisco Then and Now, published by Pavilion. The fascinating book pairs vintage photographs of San Francisco from the 19th and 20th centuries with specially commissioned views of the same scenes as they look today, illustrating how the city - 'home to some of America's most diverse architecture and design' - has evolved. Here's a glimpse inside the riveting compendium…

We've checked out what's on offer and picked 30 of the best package holidays covering the summer period. We've sorted them into three categories to suit different budgets: under £600 per person for seven nights, under £800pp and under £1,200pp - and thrown in some long-haul bargains for less than £1,200 for a week, too. All prices have flights and accommodation included. By booking a package holiday you will be protected under the Package Travel Regulations and due a full refund within 14 days in the - let's hope - unlikely event of a cancellation. So here's our round-up, ranging from £183pp a week in Corfu to £1,199pp in Mauritius.

If you're a couple looking for a romantic villa but don't want to want to rattle around a large property, or pay for rooms you won't be using, check out these great love nests on the Continent. Pictured: Le Colombier, a converted dovecote in Albi, France (inset); Le Tilleul in the Dordogne (bottom right); a chic rental in Cyprus (top right), and a 13th-century watchtower on the Amalfi Coast with a pool cut into the hillside (main).

Kristen Black from Atlanta, Georgia, uploaded a video to TikTok in which she rolls a jumper around various other items of clothing and then wraps it around her neck in a 'ta-da' moment before boarding a Ryanair flight. The 25-year-old told MailOnline Travel that she used the hack before boarding a plane from Dublin to Paris to make the flight more bearable and to make room in her bag for souvenirs and avoid paying for excess luggage.

Sprinkle a bit of stardust on your day by gazing upon these sensational shots of the Milky Way. They are the 25 images claiming gold stars in the annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition run by photography blog Capture the Atlas. It says: 'There aren't many events as moving as seeing our galaxy rising and illuminating the night sky. However, at night, many things are invisible to the naked eye. When you use a camera to capture the Milky Way, a whole new world of details, colors, and light opens up.'

A new 'OMG!' filter on Airbnb allows travellers to find only the most weird and wonderful stays. We've used the filter to pick out 10 Airbnbs that'll make you shout 'OMG!' Pictured: Aura House, Bali (inset); Villa Casa Acantilado, Andalucia, Spain (main); The Cow Shed, Suffolk, England (top right), and the 'Emotional Healing' guitar-shaped apartment in South Korea (bottom right).

Every week Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don't have to. This week: Extra-special afternoon teas for the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Pictured are the afternoon teas on offer at Elizabethan Manor in West Sussex (main and inset); the Skyline Jubilee afternoon tea served at the Shangri-La hotel on the 35th floor of The Shard (top right), and the afternoon tea at the Castle Hotel, opposite Windsor Castle (bottom right).

With a carefully curated selection of cosy retreats, new coffee-table book Northern Hideaways, published by The Images Publishing Group, shows that - far from scary - remote cabins can be breathtakingly enticing. Read on for our pick of the best chalets and holiday homes in the tome, from a 'stylish retro' lakeside retreat inspired by Frank Sinatra to a snow-dusted chalet perched on an old ski slope.

It's a swing ride, but not as we know it. Skyflyer at Bollywood Parks Dubai is taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The ride, which is constructed out of 421 tons of steel and can hold up to 24 passengers, took 600 days to build and 120 days to install. It overtook Florida's Orlando StarFlyer as the world's tallest free-standing swing ride, with that attraction now falling short of the record at 450ft (137m).

The 'improbably narrow' Pencil Tower Hotel, pencilled in to be built at 410 Pitt Street in the heart of Sydney's business district, measures 328ft high (100m), but is just 16.4ft (5m) wide. Fashioned out of 'a lot of concrete to stabilise the structure and minimise sway', the super-slim skyscraper has been designed to offer 173 'compact' hotel rooms, with six units per floor.

Carlton Reid checked into the 'fresh and shiny' Gantry hotel in Stratford, which he describes as being superb value for money for London. Highlights included the Coupe 'sparkling bar', the food at the upscale Union Social restaurant, a bedroom full of 'thoughtful extras', 'impressive views' - and Dutch-made bikes that the hotel rents to guests. Read on for more on this striking new addition to the London hotel scene - and the joys of its Olympic Park setting.

'Strange Slope' lies 30km (18.6 miles) northeast of the city of Shenyang in China's Liaoning Province. The strange optical illusion that the slope creates was first discovered in 1990, and it has been drawing crowds of tourists to the area ever since. Videos recorded by those who visit the slope demonstrate the phenomenon in footage that sees cyclists slowly pedalling along what appears to be a downhill direction, then turning around and seemingly freewheeling uphill. Read on for more on the curious phenomenon...

Ailbhe MacMahon checks into the Mr Hare room (top right) at Lancashire's Freemasons at Wiswell, which is nestled in the medieval village of Wiswell (main), before trying the 'Taste of Freemasons' tasting menu - 'a beautifully presented showcase of seasonal, quality ingredients' - at the restaurant's kitchen counter (middle right). 'We take the food seriously, but we don't take ourselves too seriously,' chef-owner Steven Smith (inset) tells her. As for her room, Ailbhe says that the decor in Mr Hare 'sticks steadfastly to the hare theme'. There's a framed print of a hare on the wall, hare-emblazoned cushions, and there are even taxidermied heads of hares mounted to the wall. Read on for more on the Lancashire inn...

Jo Kessel sets off on a scenic hike in the Picos de Europa mountains and tries regional delicacies such as blue cheese that has been aged traditionally, in caves, and 'rocket fuel' Cantabrian grappa on an excursion with ToursByLocals. Just a 15-minute walk from her hotel - the 'rustic-chic' two-star Hotel Infantado - is the medieval town of Potes, complete with 'cobbled streets and ancient bridges'. She muses: 'It's a world away from the Costas; Spain at its most quiet and authentic.' Read on for more on the Spanish region...

Ibiza's new visitor is one who embraces slow travel, keen to discover secret places on the White Isle. Check into the stylish Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay (inset) on Talamanca Bay, a little away from the frenetic energy of Ibiza Town, and go on guided hikes along smugglers' routes, into hidden caves and abandoned pirate hideouts. After that, pause awhile at Plaza del Sol on the fortified hilltop of Dalt Vila, high above Ibiza Town, and order a glass of white sangria and drink in the local scene. Read on for more on the hidden gems of the island...

Taken across 60 photo tours and expeditions, Chasing Light, published by teNeues, showcases some of explorer and photographer Stefan Forster's best-ever shots. The 150-plus images in the tome showcase rare weather events in exotic places, once-in-a-lifetime animal scenes and Mother Nature at her most ferocious, in locations from Africa to Iceland.

Every week our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don't have to. This week: Rooftop bars in London. Head upwards to see a London few other visitors get to enjoy - that's the advice that Blue Badge-qualified tour guide Paul Metcalfe gives his guests. 'There are now dozens of rooftop bars and restaurants in London, each with a different atmosphere and each with views even locals don't know about,' he says. Here's the lowdown on where to go, from the Radio Rooftop Bar in the West End to The Rooftop bar at The Standard hotel by St Pancras and King's Cross stations.

It occupies a plot on the tycoon's Son Bunyola Estate - part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio of posh properties - and will 'bring the original building back to life'. It will be called the 'Son Bunyola Hotel' and 'form an integral part of the spectacular 810-acre estate', which is positioned in the Serra de Tramuntana region, a Unesco World Heritage site on Mallorca's north-western coast.

The otherworldly Everest Base Camp sits at a lung-busting altitude of over 17,000ft. Siobhan Warwicker wrapped up warm for a trek of a lifetime. She describes an odyssey that took in blue pine forests, whitewater gorges, golden plains circled by griffon vultures and finally an 'alien land where miles of pale grey rock are guarded icy giants'.

Scarborough's Toulson Court (bottom left) wins alongside Tulemar Bungalows & Villas in Costa Rica (top left) - the top hotel in the world - and Hotel Colline de France in Brazil (top right), which is the runner-up in the global 'Top Hotel' category. Gongs have also been handed out to The Mark Hotel in New York (bottom right), named the top hotel in the U.S, and Mount Lofty House Adelaide Hills, which has been revealed as Australia's best hotel. The 2022 Travellers' Choice Best of the Best Awards are based on the 'quality and quantity' of the traveller reviews and ratings that were posted on Tripadvisor from the beginning to the end of last year. Read on for more on the winners...

Amazing Theatres of the World: Theatres, Arts Centres and Opera Houses, written by Dominic Connolly and published by Amber Books, is an 'opulent pictorial celebration of the world's greatest theatres'. Packed with 190 pictures, the fascinating tome recounts the stories behind more than 150 theatres, playhouses and opera houses. Here we present 25 of the eye-opening theatres that appear in the tome...

Caroline Hendrie gets a sneak peek inside Norwegian Prima in the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice. 'The vessel is a hive of activity, buzzing with 2,300 workers,' she reveals. According to Caroline, she will be smaller than the last ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Encore, but will feel more spacious because she holds fewer people (3,215 vs 3,998), but still has 26,000 square metres (279,861 sq ft) of public areas. She adds: 'Among the luxuries of space promised are bigger bathrooms with roomy showers for all, the largest three-bedroom suites at sea and the most outdoor deck space on any new cruise ship, including two Oceanwalk glass bridges offering the giddy experience of walking over the waves dashing far below.' Read on for more on the exclusive tour...

This high-flying photographer is creating a stir on Instagram. And no wonder. Hugo Healy, 26, from Brighton but currently based in Dubai, has garnered more than 22,000 followers on the photo-sharing platform thanks to his breathtaking drone photography. His images give you a bird's eye view of some of the world's most beautiful places, his shots capturing everything from an ancient castle in Scotland to the bright lights of Brighton Pier and from the domed cathedral in Florence at sunrise to some of Saudi Arabia's most otherworldly landscapes.

Ted Thornhill checks into Hotel Chateau du Grand-Luce, built in 1764 by Baron Jacques Pineau de Viennay III and which also boasts Voltaire and Rousseau as former guests. Ted says that at this hotel 'all your dreams of lazy days spent in plush, regal splendour come true'. He adds: 'There is no reception desk and no corporate hotel signage. It's a world of dramatically high ceilings, grand fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, limestone and French white-oak floors and incredible artwork.'

Wonder of the Seas, the £1billion Royal Caribbean behemoth, can carry 6,988 passengers and 2,300 crew. Lesley Bellew stays in a 'smart and spacious' balconied cabin on Deck 10, priced at about £770 pp for a week. Testing out the facilities on board, she hops on a carousel ride, tries out Southern U.S. comfort food at a speciality restaurant, and finds herself captivated by a 'bonkers but brilliant' Aqua Theatre show. 'As we sail back into Europe's largest cruise harbour, the Port of Barcelona, Wonder of the Seas dwarfs other megaships - and I ponder over just how much bigger cruise ships can get,' Lesley says.

Will Hide checked in to a 'country comfortable' room - one of four - at The Hare & Hounds Inn in the hamlet of Bowland Bridge, near Windermere (bottom right). After sampling the pub's steak and ale pie and chatting with one of its owners over a pint of Guinness, he declares: 'The Hare & Hounds feels like a great spot to escape the bedlam in the world right now and wander lonely as a cloud o'er vales and hills.' Read on for more on the Lake District getaway...

British airline Flybe has recently made its debut back into the world after being off-grid for the past two years - and has kicked off by reconnecting London Heathrow with Leeds as a flight route, British Airways having dropped it from its schedule. But is it a better option than LNER's 125mph express service from King's Cross railway station?

For more than a century, the Cote d'Azur has been an Anglo-American enclave of the most gilded kind. Staying in small hotels then building villas, the literati and glitterati sets created concentric circles of wealth and glamour, sandwiched between the hills of Provence and the Mediterranean. Here's our guide to the best of the region, from the 'celebrity playground' of Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc (main, bottom right) to the budget-friendly Hotel Le Sud and from Antibes (inset) to Saint-Paul de Vence (top right).

Transport for London (TfL) said that sloping lifts are cheaper to install as they save the cost of excavating a lift shaft, can utilise existing escalator space and are 50 per cent more efficient than a standard lift as they only use half as much power to run. When the Crossrail line fully opens, it will be a route of 41 stations from Reading and Heathrow in the west, through central London and to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east.

Ireland is back on the tourist map and has so much to offer, from stunning Glenveagh Castle (top right) to Achill Island (main) and from breathtaking County Sligo (inset) to luxury hotels such as Killarney Towers (middle and bottom right). And for Britons, all this is just a short flight or ferry hop away...

After his stay in a 'fabulous and lovely' room at the Derbyshire property, the Inspector notes: 'Callow Hall has had rave reviews. They are justified on all fronts.' The 19th-century property, which took some £7million to turn into a hotel, is the first project of a company called Wildhive. The Inspector is impressed by the decor - 'bang on trend from an interiors perspective' - and says that 'everything is delicious' in the hotel's adjoining restaurant. Read on to find out more on why he gives it five stars...

Edelweiss Village, seemingly teleported from the Alps, sits on the outskirts of Golden, a rural town in British Columbia, not far from Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. It comprises six chalets, perched on their own little hilltops and complete with timberwork and ornate wooden balconies. The hamlet is deemed historically significant because it was built as a base for legendary mountain guides from the Swiss Alps who, in their capacity as guides for hotel guests, 'introduced European-style hiking and mountaineering to the Canadian Rockies'.

Every week, our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don't have to. This week: Luxury hotels for sporty families. Neil reveals how a select band of resorts boost their five-star facilities with summer sports academies to suit all ages, interests and abilities, from the Quinta do Lago resort (main) on the Algarve, where Michael Owen (inset) will be running football lessons, to Spain's La Manga resort (top right) and Sardinia's Forte Village Resort (bottom right).

The company behind the Bach Long pedestrian bridge - whose name translates to 'white dragon' - in Vietnam's northwest Son La province, says that the mammoth structure has surpassed a 526m-long (1,725ft) glass bridge in Guangdong, China. Officials from Guinness World Records are expected to verify the claim in the coming weeks. Suspended 150m (490ft) above a lush jungle, the new bridge snakes around dizzying cliff faces before spanning a dramatic valley between two peaks. Read on for more on the spectacular new attraction...

Nestled in the heart of the Montmartre district, the Moulin Rouge is known as the birthplace of the French can-can. The room inside its windmill has never before been open to the public. During their stay, guests will get the chance to 'peek behind the velvet curtains' of the world-renowned cabaret below, enjoying backstage access to the theatre before settling into the 'best seats' in the house to watch the show. Read on for more on the new Airbnb experience...

If you think of Lanza-grotty or tacky Tenerife when someone mentions the Canary Islands, it really is time to ditch those impressions. Because away from the large resorts on the main drags are secret bays and charming interiors, with chic boutique hotels, haciendas and fincas for secluded stays. Or head to one of the smaller islands such as El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma for spectacular scenery that's ideal for hiking, or as a backdrop to a relaxing break. Read on for more on the hidden gems of the isles...

The Northumberland town is followed by second-place Llandudno, Wales, and Scotland's St. Andrews in third place in Which?'s annual survey, which polled thousands of UK holidaymakers. The consumer champion asked travellers to rate coastal resorts they have visited across a range of categories including quality of beaches, seafront, tourist attractions, food and drink, scenery, peace and quiet and value for money. Read on for more on the survey's findings...

Hollywood producer Frank Mannion's journey took him from Montego Bay to Negril, with a host of stunning stops in between. One was Port Antonio, where the opening scenes of No Time To Die were filmed. Here Frank checked into the Geejam Hotel, where Daniel Craig stayed during the filming of his last-ever Bond adventure. The itinerary also included Belinda's, a riverside inn that Beyonce once visited - by helicopter. Frank took a helicopter trip too, the same one popstar Shawn Mendes enjoyed while visiting the island. During the ride Frank peered down at the bay where 80s Tom Cruise hit Cocktail was filmed. Frank says: 'We saw spectacular river falls, went bamboo rafting, drank the finest Blue Mountain coffee and followed in the footsteps of James Bond with swims in turquoise waters, and all the while, we felt safe and welcomed by the wonderful Jamaican people.' Read on for more on his epic adventure...

The Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar promises to be a mouthwatering sporting treat - even more so for VIP spectators, judging by the now-unveiled hospitality suites they'll enjoy. They are being run by Match Hospitality, which runs luxury hospitality at F1 events, with the firm revealing that the lounges at the World Cup will be divided into five categories. In order of prestige, they are Pearl Lounge (main and bottom right), Private Suite (top right), Business Seat, Pavilion and Club. The Pearl Lounge will only be available at Lusail Stadium (inset), where the final is due to be played.

Jane Knight describes the Hare & Hounds in Newbury (main and top right) as 'lovely'. 'There is a Downton room in the eaves and a Highclere suite with copper roll-top bath in the room,' she says. She heads to Highclere Castle (bottom right) for a cup of tea and chats with Lady Carnarvon, who manages the castle, about its starring role in Downton, and how they managed to shoot the latest film (inset) during Covid by enforcing daily PCR tests.

Wanderlust Himalaya by Australian adventurer Cam Honan is lavishly illustrated with incredible pictures of dizzying peaks - and is packed with expert guidance on the best hikes that weave around them, crossing lush meadows, epic glaciers and breathtaking rivers. Honan, who has spent over a year hiking in the Himalayas, told MailOnline Travel: 'Common mistakes hikers make are poor campsite selection, overestimating their fitness and skill levels, and processing potentially dangerous scenarios subjectively rather than objectively. I always bring an appropriately rated sleeping bag, a shelter that holds up well in a storm, backpacking staples such as dried fruit and nuts, pasta, cereal, and chocolate - and the ability to maintain my sense of humour in crappy situations.'

The structure, in the Czech Republic's East Bohemia Dolni Morava Resort in the foothills of the Jeseniky Mountains, hangs 95 metres (311ft) above the ground at its highest point - and is just 1.2m (3.5ft) wide. Needless to say, the website for the attraction stresses that it's not suitable for anyone who's afraid of heights. Those who aren't, though, are likely to have a thrilling time. The bridge - which takes the longest suspension footbridge record from the 567-metre- (1,860ft) long Baglung Parbat Footbridge, which crosses the Kali Gandaki River in Gandaki Province, Nepal - is described in a statement as 'a unique experience, offering visitors a breathtaking spectacle and adrenalin rush'. 

The cost of living crisis has Britain in its grip, and when teamed with soaring petrol prices, the P&O Ferry scandal and airport staff shortages, overseas travel has become a less attractive option this summer. More people are looking to enjoy what's on offer closer to home for their getaway,  with the added benefit of claiming some Brownie points for reducing their carbon footprint, and help businesses recover from the covid pandemic. Rathfinny Wine Estate , set in the rolling hills of the South Downs, and equipt with vineyards, wine tasting, a hotel and restaurants is an ideal candidate. Just a short drive up through the entrance and you get your first Champagne moment, or should that be English Sparkling wine moment (the estate's famous tipple).

London Then and Now by Vaughan Grylls chronicles the transformation of England's capital over the past two centuries, showing 'how beautifully the past has been preserved' in the city. Photographer and artist Grylls, who first moved to London in the 1960s, says: 'Two thousand years in the making, London still bears the traces of its early Roman settlers in its gates and road system. There are famous buildings from every century from Elizabethan Times, through the post Fire of London rebuilding to the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian eras.' Here's MailOnline Travel's pick of the book's extraordinary old and new images…

Knockinaam Lodge on the West Coast of Scotland was where, in 1944, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D Eisenhower reportedly met over tea to discuss, in blanket secrecy, Operation Overlord, the forthcoming Allied invasion of Normandy. Carlton Reid stayed in 'Churchill's suite' (bottom right), complete with the 'gargantuan Victorian bath' (top right) in which the Prime Minister luxuriated. 'The bath takes quite a while to fill. It's deep, very deep - you float. Naturally, during a when-in-Rome soak, I practised my best "V" for victory sign [inset] and imagined the great man reading steamed state documents,' says Carlton. He also dined on a 'delectable' five-course tasting menu at the hotel's three-AA-rosette restaurant, run by chef Tony Pierce. Soak up Carlton's report on his stay there right here...