Annie Biziou

Patagonia's Fjords

A rasping wind batters us with sleet as we thread our way through Kirke Passage, one of the most treacherous channels in Chile. Ponant’s annual 14-day sailing from Valparaiso to Ushuaia has lured me into the Patagonian fjords: the realm of wild weather, shadowy peaks and ancient evergreen forests sliced with glacial streams. Back in the 16th century, Spanish explorers and English pirates tackled this same path, but unlike many of their doomed windjammers, Le Soléal glides through the currents...

Kimberley Coast

In the stillness of the air, I swear I can hear a rusty curve of 1.8 billion-year-old sandstone sizzle where it meets the Celadon glaze of the Timor Sea. Admiral Phillip Parker King surveyed North Western Australia back in the early 1800s onboard HMC Mermaid, but a threatening blend of saltwater crocodiles lurking in sinuous mangroves, bull sharks pacing the depths and poisonous jellyfish makes mermaiding in these waters less enticing than it looks. Nevertheless, True North - a pioneer of...

Baja California

'I spent some time teaching Steve Irwin how to safely catch crocodiles in the Yucatan jungle,' offers Carlos Navarro, a biochemist who specialises in marine life onboard Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Sea Bird, where stories are often served up with dinner. Having fostered a partnership with National Geographic 13 years ago, it's unsurprising that Lindblad gets their hands on guides with a penchant for thrills. Their ethos relies on a blend of educational talks and wild pursuits -...

Alexa Private Cruises

Jump for Java

Dragon's Den

A Walk on the Wild Side

Into the Heart of Africa

Spotlight: Madeleine Pickens

The Hedonist: Cannes

Singita Pamushana: Zimbabwe

Set in the south-eastern reaches of Zimbabwe, Singita Pamushana is an exclusive safari lodge that underwent a sensitive design transformation in 2018, directed by Cape Town-based design team Cécile & Boyd. Set on a stately hilltop overlooking Malilangwe Dam, the lodge comprises eight suites, including two new two-bedroom options, and a private five-bedroom villa nudged between sandstone boulders. Winding paths lead past ancient baobabs to the striking main lounge, which features a huge stone...

The 10 Most Incredible Remote Luxury Surf Spots

While we may well fall victim to damp, drizzly days here in the UK, that doesn't mean we can't get active on our precious holidays. With the bitter winter well underway, we're all entitled to a little luxury travel and after all, fly and flop is so 2014.

Walk on the Wild Side on Safari in Botswana

"Donkeys in pyjamas," announces T-Rex, our guide, pointing to a herd of grazing zebra, "and an African skyscraper," this time, a giraffe. We're under Botswana's relentless sun, jolting around in a particularly stylish jeep, courtesy of Abu Camp, a safari lodge at the heart of the Okavango Delta.

Diving in the secret atolls of the Maldives | Travel Feature

One of the lesser-known but largest in the Maldives, the Huvadhu atoll is home to a bounty of marine life. Away from the resorts and honeymooners, Annie Biziou van Pol enjoys a spectacular display of rays, turtles and reef sharks as she dives in the southern part of this collection of islands.

Snowflake Slumber

If the very idea of a white Christmas leaves you bursting with festive glee, but visions of chocolate box chalets bore you to tears, we may have just found something to set your heart into overdrive. Ski bunnies and design divas behold: these boutique boltholes are anything but ordinary.

agua Bathhouse & Spa at Mondrian London

Last week saw the official launch of Southbank-based agua Bathhouse & Spa at Mondrian London, and with it the innovative 'Spa Playground' concept. We congregated in Rumpus Room, the hotel's art deco-inspired rooftop lounge with views across London's skyline. Trays of cucumber-infused champagne were circulated before sweeping glass walls, from which a glowing St Paul's cathedral watched on.