Author: LHR

Just a 45-minute flight from England and a 30-minute flight from France is Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands. Just 25 square miles in area, this pocket-sized British Crown dependency is big on sunshine, serenity, and history.

Separated from the French coast of Normandy 8000 years ago by rising sea levels, Guernsey’s fortunes have been periodically shaped by the crosswinds of trade, and the crossfire of war. For those who’ve called this island home, Guernsey has long been a safe harbor, a place of pride and inspiration. Continue reading “A City That Invites Us to Stop, Breathe, and Appreciate Nature’s Gifts, Guernsey”

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, just off Morocco in North Africa. Formed by volcanic eruptions and shaped by hot desert winds, they are comprised of 7 main islands. When powerful seismic forces lifted these islands out of the ocean millions of years ago, they sculpted landscapes of unimaginable beauty.

So spectacular are the Canary Islands that for centuries, it was believed that this archipelago formed the peaks of the legendary lost city of Atlantis.

Today, the Canary Islands are a magnet for sun seekers, beachcombers, and adventurers from all over the world. Continue reading “Visit the Place Where Mother Nature and History Collide, Canary Islands”

Purpose built as Australia’s capital city, Canberra is a 3-hour drive from both the snowy mountains and the beautiful beaches of New South Wales. It is a city which honors Australia’s past and shapes its future.

With an expansive bush beauty, a relaxed attitude and colorful events, Canberra is far more than political capital. Designed for a young nation that was just finding its feet, this city is home to many of the country’s most important stories; stories that have come to define what it means to be Australian. Continue reading “Welcome to the the Bush Capital of Australia, Canberra”

Ho Chi Minh City, on the southern tip of Vietnam, is one of South East Asia’s emerging boom cities. Still affectionately known by many as Saigon, this is Vietnam’s largest city and its economic engine room.

Ho Chi Minh City has an irrepressible soul and entrepreneurial energy that hums day and night. Despite almost a century of colonialism and brutal conflict, today this city is renowned for its warm hospitality, which even extends to former foes. A youthful enthusiasm flows through this city, just like the stream of scooters, motorbikes, and cars that flow endlessly through its chaotic streets.

In Ho Chi Minh City, it feels as though the future has arrived… and yet the past is never far away. Wide boulevards built during the French colonial era are lined with cutting edge skyscrapers, while jasmine scented temples gently rub shoulders with chic rooftop bars.

Continue reading “Bung Into the Pulse of 21st Century Asia, Ho Chi Minh City”

St Petersburg lies around 400 miles to the Northwest of Moscow. Nestled on the Neva River, it spreads out from its banks and across a series of islands that lie within the river delta.

With a wealth of extravagant palaces, breathtaking cathedrals, and magnificent gardens, St Petersburg is truly Russia’s Imperial city. Its grandiose architecture and picturesque canals were born from the glittering ambition of Peter the Great early in the 18th century and progressively gilded by generations of Russian royalty.

Over the centuries, this dynasty sought to create a city to rival the greatest cities of Europe, and as you step onto the cobblestone streets here, you’ll discover they succeeded.

Continue reading “Relish in the Glittering Testament of Russia’s Royal History, St Petersburg”

The Polish capital of Warsaw lies in the central-eastern part of Poland. It stands on the Vistula River on the site of a 14th-century stronghold and trading center.

Warsaw has for centuries been a center of refinement and knowledge. Its strategic position has also made it one of the most invaded countries in Europe. This is a city that resonates with a powerful spirit of reinvention, a spirit that has been forged from a history that has pushed it to the brink of destruction time and time again.

Today’s Warsaw has been largely shaped by two of history’s most defining events, World War Two, and the closing of the Iron Curtain. But Warsaw is a survivor, and from the ashes of war and the shackles of Communism, the city has risen again.

Tributes to this heroic history are dotted throughout the city, but there is a youthful rebirth here too. With a burgeoning fashion scene, stylish shopping malls and edgy art installations, Warsaw have opened its arms to the world. Continue reading “A City That Shines Like a Beacon to the World, Warsaw”

Just a two-hour flight from London is Sweden’s sparkling capital, Stockholm. This Scandinavian treasure is made up of 14 islands on an archipelago where the Baltic Sea meets Lake Mälaren.

Stockholmers tenderly call their city “Beauty on Water.” And despite being spread across the Stockholm Archipelago, it is still one of the easiest cities in Europe to navigate. Connected by a network of 57 bridges, Stockholm is a joy to explore on foot, Though any local will tell you, the best way to get around is on two wheels.

Continue reading “Pass Over With Its Swedish Magic, Sophistication, and Simplicity in Stockholm”

Just a ferry hop from the city of Vancouver in Canada’s southwest corner lies Vancouver Island. This evergreen archipelago lures visitors with its miles of untouched wilderness, wild colonial history and modern farm to table ethos.

Continue reading “Embraced Mother Nature, With Her Wildest, Purest and Most Beautiful Best, Vancouver Island”

Halfway between the sun-lit shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and just a stone’s throw from the snow-capped Pyrenees, is the Southern French city of Toulouse.

While most major French cities are proudly hewn from stone, Toulouse is built from bricks, These humble bricks, once considered a sign of poverty, are now a source of pride. Throughout the day their colors change, from red to orange, to pink, earning Toulouse the name “La Ville Rose”, the pink city.

Continue reading “Adore Your Life in Pink, in France’s Pink City, Toulouse”

Cape Cod is a four-hour drive from New York City, and just over an hour drive from Boston. Reaching 65 miles into the North Atlantic like a proud seafarer’s arm, life here is lived by the tides.

One of the world’s largest barrier islands, Cape Cod has long shielded the Massachusetts mainland from the Atlantic’s grinding swells. For centuries this 400 square-mile peninsula of beaches, forests, and ponds has been a sanctuary for its Native Peoples, for Pilgrims, mariners, artists, and vacationers.

While many come for the beaches, this is far more than just another seaside summer escape. Once you’ve inhaled the salty spirit of this place, you’ll understand why locals say, “once a Cape Codder, always a Cape Codder.” And you don’t need to travel far to catch that spirit.

Continue reading “Visit the Place That Reminds Us of the Way Life to Be Lived, Cape Cod”