Travel Topics
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise find country-house intimacy, striking art, and royal connections at The Milestone Hotel Kensington London The white painted, cast-iron stone road sign standing outside the entrance…
Indigenous wisdom in Canada is deeply rooted in a connection to nature, community and spiritual well-being. Traditional practices such as healing ceremonies, storytelling and land-based practices offer valuable insights into…
Hairy Traveller Mark Bibby Jackson visits Cape Sable Island where Lucy the Lobster makes her prediction of whether there will be six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day…
Hairy Traveller takes a spin on the wheel and visits the V&A Collection at the World of Wedgwood, Stoke on Trent…
Mark Bibby Jackson, aka the #hairytraveller, walks through the beautiful medieval town visiting Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury Abbey…
Its setting is sublime, its 950-year history as rich as any English country house, and the restoration work carried out on it in the last 30 years exceptional. Combermere Abbey…
As summer begins its triumphant arrival and daylight stretches into the late evening, something truly special unfolds in the heart of Ottawa. The Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, taking place June…
Mark Bibby Jackson reviews his luxurious short stay at Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes—where cinematic glamour meets real-world comfort on the Côte d’Azur. It was my first visit to Cannes…
As spring awakens the sea-swept shores of the Channel Islands, there’s one celebration that pulses through the heart of Guernsey like no other — Guernsey Liberation Day. From 6 to…
Maria Boyle spends a weekend in the capital and combines luxury, laughter and legacy at the Corinthia London. Few cities offer the sheer variety of experiences that London does, blending…
Hairy Traveller chats with Alex Rock at the Derby Museum Making which is situated in the Silk Mill and widely regarded as the first factory in the world…
There are few nations in the world for which song holds a greater cultural status than Estonia. The bloodless, so-called Singing Revolution in the late 1980s was a defiant national…
Coimbra is the perfect launch point for the next part of my voyage. Accompanied by my brilliant guides Rafaela and Liliana of Portugal Green Travel, we set off on the…
Mark Bibby Jackson goes on a Nova Scotia road trip taking in UNESCO old town Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove while discovering the amazing warmth of the locals even in the…
Mark Bibby Jackson pays his first trip to Nova Scotia Canada to meet Lucy the Lobster and become a judge in the annual lobster roll competition. Southwest Nova Scotia is…
Vegas, Hawaii, Nashville and, of course, Graceland, Memphis – these are destinations many an Elvis fan has firmly in their pilgrimage sights, or indeed, has visited multiple times. Yet there’s…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in March 2025 across the globe, from Wales to Colombia, with cherry trees, loads of Guinness and even some frozen dead…
Zhangjiajie, in the Chinese province of Hunan, encompasses the world famous Wulingyuan Scenic Area. This huge, natural mountainous landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its unique landscape includes thousands…
Mark Bibby Jackson checks into L’Hotel Barrière Le Westminster Le Touquet and falls in love with this Anglo-French gem on the Opal Coast. For the past hundred years there has…
In the lush landscapes of New Zealand, where dramatic fjords meet rolling plains, a rich tapestry of indigenous wisdom weaves through the land, sky and sea. Known as Mātauranga Māori…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in February 2025 across the Globe, from Mongolia to Easter Island, so wherever you are you just can’t help celebrating the…
Looking for day trips from Bratislava Slovakia? Follow Mark Bibby Jackson on his trip into the surrounding countryside. There are times when I realise I never would have cut it…
As we step into 2025, travel is evolving in exciting new directions. For those of us over 40, the way we explore the world is shifting towards experiences that nourish…
Roger and Eileen conclude their voyage through Sri Lanka visiting Negombo, Yala National Park and Colombo. To read the first half of their adventures, click here. We reluctantly left Uga…
For many an appreciation of the culture of the country or community that you visit on your holidays is a major part of the travelling experience, especially for the more mature traveller.
Whether you are taking a short city break to Amsterdam or Paris, or going on a longer trip to a distant and exciting land, your experience is enriched by an appreciation of the local culture.
Ideally, time your trip to coincide with a major festival. At Travel Begins at 40 we have a whole section devoted to some of the most colourful and spectacular festivals from around the world. So whether it is the whirling dervishes of Konya, Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival, the Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia or Benin’s Voodoo Festival that tickles your cultural fancy, let us guide your way.
Visiting an unfamiliar country can lead to a bit of a cultural shock, but don’t let this put you off making that special journey. Often it is when we leave our comfort zone that we reap most rewards.
Not that we always have to travel that far to have a rich and rewarding cultural experience. Hull is the current city of culture in the UK, and a trip there can be a surprisingly rewarding experience. Enjoy it.
