The Grand Brighton Review : Changing with the Tides
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Grand Brighton and really does have a grand time in the Palace by the Sea. The Grand Brighton hotel has always been a place…
Christmas Travel Gifts : Ideas and Inspiration
Looking for the perfect Christmas gifts to set your friends and family on the right track? Look no further. Travel Begins at 40 has your Christmas Travel Gifts covered, as…
Regenerating Culture in Durham: Barnard Castle, Auckland Castle and Headlam Hall
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Barnard Castle, The Auckland Project and High Force while staying at Headlam Hall Country Hotel & Spa, Durham. One of the most rewarding aspects of being…
The Artist’s Journey Review
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews The Artist’s Journey, The Travels That Inspired the Artistic Greats, a book by Travis Elborough published by White Lion Publishing. I must admit to being partial…
Christmas Markets in Europe and the UK
From the original December market to the city that created stollen, the source of mulled wine and the first Christmas tree, let Travel Begins at 40 guide you through some…
Guided Walking in the Yorkshire Dales with HF Holidays
Mark Bibby Jackson does some guided walking in the Yorkshire Dales with HF Holidays to Gordale Scar and Bolton Abbey. I’ve never been a great fan of footwear. Barefooted is…
132 Essential Case Pro by GRAMS28 Review
Mark Bibby Jackson tries out the 132 Essential Case Pro by GRAMS28. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to try the 154 City Pack by GRAMS28. This is where I…
Feeling at Home at Le Touquet on the Opal Coast
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the seaside resort of Le Touquet on the Opal Coast in the Pas de Calais, France and feels back home. In retrospect it is a tiny…
Slow Travel in Horsens and Kystlandet Denmark
After visiting Frederiksberg Copenhagen Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train to Horsens to explore slow travel in Horsens and Denmark’s Coastal Land, or Kystlandet. I have been a devotee of…
7 Unmissable Global Festivals in November
From the Day of the Dead to Christmas markets and Thanksgiving, November is a month that celebrates the emergence of winter. Here is our selection of the best festivals in…
Romantically Local Frederiksberg Copenhagen
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Frederiksberg Copenhagen, a district with a very local feel, wonderful cuisine and a very special art space. Copenhagen has had the reputation for being a foodie…
Green Inspiration at the Biohotel Rupertus Leogang
Mark Bibby Jackson stays at the Biohotel Rupertus Leogang, Austria and emerges totally reinvigorated. “To us organic is not a trend or a buzzword, rather it is a way of…
154 City Pack by GRAMS28: Functional Luxury in a Bag
Mark Bibby Jackson casts his backpack to one side and tries out the 154 City Pack by GRAMS28, which the designers claim combines luxury with functionality. In truth I have…
Local Tourism in the Saalfelden Leogang, Austria
The Saalfelden Leogang is noted for its cycling, but non-cyclist Mark Bibby Jackson explores the sustainable, local tourism opportunities in this amazingly green part of Austria. Climate change is a…
Salzburg City Break: All Roads Lead to Mozart
Mark Bibby Jackson takes the train from London to Austria, for a Salzburg city break in birthplace of a certain composer. Even if you wanted to, I think it would…
Sri Lanka Safari, Festivals and Galle
Mark Bibby goes on a Sri Lanka safari, watches the most amazing festival and travels to the most beautiful city of Galle, before concluding his trip in Colombo. Serendipity. The…
6 Unmissable Global Festivals in October
From two of the most important festivals in the Indian calendar, to sausage festivals in Lincoln and Weimar, October is a month full of fun. Here is our selection of…
Sri Lanka Train Ride, Tea Plantations and the Pekoe Trail
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an amazing Sri Lanka train ride, visits former capital Kandy, tea plantations and hikes along the Pekoe Trail. I first fell in love with train…
Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla and Elephant Safari in Sri Lanka
In the first of a series of articles covering his trip to Sri Lanka, Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an elephant safari, sees the wonderful cave paintings at Dambulla and…
7 UK Festivals in September 2023
To music on a Holy Island to Derby’s biggest street festival, read Travel Begins at 40’s round-up of the best UK festivals in September 2023. UK Music Festivals in September…
Drinking Cocktails in London with 40 Elephants
Mark Bibby Jackson tries out cocktails in London at the 40 Elephants, in the Great Scotland Yard Hotel Westminster, one of the best cocktail bars in London. In my early…
Going Solo on a Yorkshire Walk from Harrogate
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on an escorted Yorkshire walk organised by Solos Holidays, visiting Ripon Cathedral, Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks. There is no more appropriate setting for the Theakston…
From The Lord to Lords: The Wesley Camden Town
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into The Wesley Camden Town hotel in London and discovers it to be a most welcome addition to the capital’s hospitality scene. When The Wesley Camden…
Hotel Des Brasseurs: Carbon Clean Vision for the Future
Mark Bibby Jackson takes a sneak preview of Hotel des Brasseurs in De Haan, Belgium, which is the first carbon neutral hotel in Flanders. It is on a journey to…