Travel inspiration

Notes from the road

Written by the people who run these trips. Practical rather than promotional — the sort of thing we would want to read before booking a holiday.

Destination · 5 min read

Goa is two holidays. Book both.

The north sells the postcard and the south delivers the beach. Splitting four nights is the best decision you will make.

Family travel · 5 min read

A houseboat, a six-year-old and a grandmother who does not do stairs. What we changed, and what we would not.

Health & safety · 8 min read

Why we refuse to shorten the Ladakh itinerary, and what acute mountain sickness actually feels like before it gets serious.

Preparation · 7 min read

Sixteen kilometres, 1,500 metres of ascent and thin air. Six things that decide whether you enjoy it or endure it.

Planning · 9 min read

Ladakh in January is closed. Goa in June is wet and beautiful. A blunt guide to timing a trip on the subcontinent.

Buying advice · 6 min read

Where the money hides: transfer types, meal plans, the word 'nearby', and what an itinerary leaves out on purpose.