A guest post by Andrea Kirkby. Sometimes you know when you step into a place that it is holy. You feel the weight of the years, the atmosphere charged with silence and veneration; the air seems colder and thinner than in the street outside and there’s a sense of something invisible being there. I never [...]

Five alternative things to do in Berlin
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is arguably one of the most intriguing cities in the world. The city played a prominent geopolitical role in the first half of the 20th century before being completely destroyed and divided into two. It then staged a remarkable comeback after the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall in 1989 [...]

Culinary Journey: sushi and sashimi in Vancouver
What: sushi and sashimi Where: Miko Sushi. 1335, Robson St., Vancouver Notes: If you love sushi and especially sashimi (raw slices of tuna or salmon), you have to check out Miko Sushi in downtown Vancouver. I’ve been to many sushi bars in Vancouver (in my book, one of the best places for Japanese food outside [...]

Things to do on transit at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
The man sitting next to me on the plane looked a bit flustered. We were about to land at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after an eight hour flight from Vancouver and aside from the polite “hello” when I settled in my seat, we didn’t speak a word to each other throughout the flight. He turned to [...]

My velvet escape travel tip: Antigua, Guatemala
My velvet escape travel tip” is a guest series about what the name ‘Velvet Escape’ evokes and what that would be in the hometown or favourite place of the guest writer. With this series, I hope to uncover travel tips from places around the world to help visitors have a truly local experience. Today’s [...]

High wine at The Dylan Amsterdam
Afternoon tea is a centuries-old English tradition of late-afternoon indulgence: a cup of freshly-brewed tea accompanied by a selection of pastries and bite-sized sandwiches. This quintessential English tradition was introduced in many of the ex-British colonies, including Malaysia, where I grew up, where it became commonly known as high tea. It was something I [...]

Falling in love with Valencia
A guest post by Monique Rubin. Valencia has a laid back, understated charm that catches you unawares. Located on the Mediterranean coast and possessed of beautiful old neighborhoods and modern architecture, it is emerging from the shadow of Madrid and Barcelona and fast becoming the go-to city in Spain. I developed a major crush on [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo of the week – Besalú
Besalú is a stunning medieval town in the mountains of the Costa Brava, north of Barcelona. Besalú’s biggest attraction is its 12th century Romanesque bridge which crosses the Fluvia river.

Ten ways to experience Istanbul like a local
The only city in the world that straddles two continents: Istanbul. Its strategic position on the Bosphorus, a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, was a prized possession since ancient times. Many wars were fought in this area and Istanbul (or Constantinople as it was then known) was occupied by a [...]









