Costa Brava, in the northern corner of Catalonia (Spain) is one of my favourite destinations in the world. Not many places combine sun, sea, nature, culture and gastronomy as effortlessly as Costa Brava. Every time I visit, there’s always something new to experience: another gastronomic highlight, an artistic wonder or a hidden panorama. A great [...]

In search of authentic Montmartre
A guest post by Marlys Schuermann. Paris is, essentially, a 19th century town with a few older buildings thrown in: the showcase city for the rampant optimism of the Belle Epoque, and little in modern day Paris reminds the visitor of earlier, more humble periods. Of all the city’s quartiers, only Montmartre – an unassuming [...]

Ten alternative things to do in India
India. The name conjures images of ancient temples and palaces, aromatic markets, colourful saris, curries and oh yes, the Taj Mahal. Dig deeper and one will quickly discover that India has much more to offer to visitors. With its amazing breadth and depth of attractions and experiences, it’s very easy to visit India and only [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo – fine-dining in Kuala Lumpur
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 [...]

Impressions of Abruzzo
I knew very little about Abruzzo other than that it’s a region to the east of Rome, on the other side of the Apennine mountains, and that it’s home to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a sublime red wine that instantly makes you daydream of rolling hills bathed in sunshine and fragrant herbs – well, that’s the effect [...]

A luxury cruise on the Yangtze River
The Yangzi (or Yangtze) River is the world’s third longest river – with its humble origins in the Tibetan plateau, the river then grows in width and volume, flowing 6,400km (or almost 4,000 miles) to its mouth in Shanghai, where it empties into the East China Sea. The Yangzi River has historically acted as a [...]

Discovering Valencia
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 [...]

Velvet moments: travel photo – wine station in Abruzzo
I came across this Italian version of a petrol/gas station at the Illuminati winery in Controguerra, northern Abruzzo. It basically is a wine station, where locals and visitors bring their empty wine barrels and fill them up with cheaply-priced quality red, white or rosé wine – the wines, called ‘vino sfuso’, are priced by the [...]

Temple-hopping in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of the Indian sub-continent. Shaped like a tear-drop, Sri Lanka is most famous amongst visitors for its sandy, palm-fringed beaches; colonial architecture; its mountainous core with lush forests and picturesque tea plantations; and its many fascinating Buddhist temples. In this [...]









