Grape expectations: Three French wine estates where a sustainable, eco-minded ethos marries with a luxurious holiday escape
Grape expectations: Three French wine estates where a sustainable, eco-minded ethos marries with a luxurious holiday escape

Deep in France’s sleepy, sun-drenched south, a quiet revolution is taking place among the rolling vineyards and olive groves of three historic Languedoc wine estates. Over the last 15 years, Domaine & Demeure has lovingly restored a trio of fairy-tale châteaux into stylish getaways for families and oenophiles alike. Now these elegant estates are leading the way in sustainable, sensitive farming, transforming their gardens and grounds into a biodiverse haven.

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NELL HENSBY
JORO CHAIRMAN’S EXTREME EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS
JORO CHAIRMAN’S EXTREME EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS

Garnering data for NASA, Stanford and the European Space Agency (ESA), Joro Chairman and seasoned explorer Justin Packshaw is currently on an 80-day expedition across Antarctica via the Pole of Inaccessibility. Alongside medic Jamie Facer Childs, Packshaw is travelling 4,200km from coast to coast – with the duo relying solely on man and kite power to complete their mission.

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NELL HENSBY
Where to have a good night's Kip this Summer?
Where to have a good night's Kip this Summer?

We regularly lust over the holiday properties on the Kip Hideaways Instagram account, so we were thrilled when co-founder Liz Simpson agreed to an interview. Here she is, chatting about the best of British holidays, secret beaches, new properties with summer 2021 availability, and our client Cynefin Retreats – a bucolic hideaway in the Wye Valley.

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NELL HENSBY
It's B Corp month
It's B Corp month

We are delighted to share news that pioneering boutique travel company Joro Experiences has become the first small luxury adventure travel company in the UK to achieve coveted B Corp status, demonstrating its commitment to reducing its carbon output and working with responsible partners and suppliers. The certification means that customers looking to make responsible holiday choices can be assured of Joro's social and environmental credentials.

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NELL HENSBY
Happy Christmas from Mercator
Happy Christmas from Mercator

What a strange year it’s been, and what an ending it looks set to have. This year, between advising on brand identity, talking to journalists and facilitating trips, we have spent a lot of our time checking travel advice on behalf of our clients, and wondering what the industry landscape will look like in 2021 (we have everything crossed for a green bounce back).

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NELL HENSBY
Tourism plans charitable ways to help
Tourism plans charitable ways to help

Much is made of the airlines and big tour operators that are suffering in the time of Covid 19. But what about the guides, homestays and other professionals on the ground, whose livelihoods have been ravaged by borders closing and the industry grinding to a halt?

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NELL HENSBY
A green recovery from Covid 19?
A green recovery from Covid 19?

Could the one silver lining of the coronavirus tragedy be a green recovery? Climate scientists are urging the United Kingdom, as the incoming host of the Cop26 Summit, to take world-leading measures for emissions reductions.

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NELL HENSBY
Goodbye Guludo

In my 15+ years as a travel writer, one hotel has stood out above all others for its positive impact on the local community. On the south coast of Mozambique, Guludo trained and employed local people, operated without electricity and minimised water usage with the use of bucket showers and long drop toilets (a necessity in an area where clean water is at a premium).

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NELL HENSBY
The FlyBe conundrum

One of January’s most polarising news stories has been the suggestion that the government may slash air passenger duty for domestic flights to help ailing FlyBe.

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NELL HENSBY