I leave for Valencia today, one of my favourite cities in Spain, for a week of leisurely walks through its markets, parks and Art Nouveau neighbourhoods; visits to some of the city’s excellent museums and the stunning City of Arts and Sciences; some beach time; and undoubtedly a good deal of delicious local cuisine and [...]

Medieval towns in the Costa Brava
The name Costa Brava literally means ‘rugged coast’, a reference to the spectacular cliffs and hundreds of coves that line the coast. While the coast is a perennial favourite amongst many Europeans looking for sun, sand and sangria, there’s a lot more to discover starting just a few miles inland in the Baix Empordá region [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo – Panglao Island
The Velvet Moments travel photo series is a collection of photographic moments that define a Velvet Escape travel experience. Launched in January 2010, the series houses many of my favourite photos taken around the world. I decided to take this series a step further by inviting some of my favourite travel bloggers to contribute a [...]

Inside Albania
Albania is for many a relatively unknown destination. Located in southeast Europe, bordering Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, Albania has a long and often tempestuous history. Today, the remnants of this history as well as the country’s natural beauty make Albania a fascinating destination that is still very much off-the-beaten path. Here are a [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo – massage on White Beach, Boracay
The Velvet Moments travel photo series is a collection of photographic moments that define a Velvet Escape travel experience. Launched in January 2010, the series houses many of my favourite photos taken around the world. I decided to take this series a step further by inviting some of my favourite travel bloggers to contribute a [...]

History and art on the Sunshine Coast
Málaga is in Andalusia, on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, a ferry’s journey north of Morocco. Owing to its location, it has a warm climate and some of the warmest winters in Europe. For those intending to find cheap holidays in Málaga, consider booking between April and November when the average daily temperature [...]

Ten islands to visit in Malaysia
Malaysia is known the world over for its cultural diversity, expansive tropical forests, mouthwatering cuisine and yes, its glorious beaches. I’ve had the privilege of visiting many Malaysian islands to laze on the blinding white sands, swim in the crystal-clear water and say ‘hi’ to the amazing marine life. Malaysia comprises two parts: Peninsular Malaysia [...]

The luxuries of dreamy Ko Racha
A special guest post by a girl named Bird. All too quickly and flippantly the word “undiscovered” is attached to the words “Thai island” and the hearts of numerous beach-loving travellers start beating a little quicker. For this reason I’d quickly like to state that Ko Racha Yai, a small island found 12 miles off [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo – swimming with rays in Bora Bora
One of the many highlights of my trip to Bora Bora in French Polynesia was swimming with various types of rays in the Bora Bora lagoon, amongst which the large manta ray. I described this experience in my Travel Journal entry, A Little Piece of Heaven: “As the boat anchored, about a dozen large manta [...]

A relaxing holiday at Hotel Aigua Blava
The road from the town of Begur to Llafranc winds past some of the most beautiful villas on the Costa Brava. After several miles, a left turn in the direction of Fornells leads visitors to arguably one of the most charming hotels along the coast: Hotel Aigua Blava. Situated on a promontory, this family-run hotel [...]








