Island

GOOD evening, Miss Ruth, house Bubbles?

Yes please, I tell my lovely waiter Noor.  

My seven-day cruise around the English Channel was getting off to a sparkling start — and I felt pampered from day one. 

The cruise was for the over-50s and I soon discovered that you don’t have to be young to have fun.  

Many of my fellow Boomers told me they return to Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience to take in “the warmest welcome at sea” again and again. 

Ambassador, launched four years ago, specialises in no-fly sailings from home ports including Tilbury, Essex, just an hour’s drive from home for me. 

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Its Ambience ship has capacity for 1,400 passengers, so it’s smaller and less crowded than many of the mega-liners of today.  

Our ports of call were all places I had on my wish list. Fowey in Cornwall, the Isles Of Scilly, Guernsey in the Channel Islands and Honfleur in France. 

The food on board was exceptional. On the first night I enjoyed a special of steak and lobster for a small extra cost, served by waiter Adie.

He and Noor felt like friends by the end of the trip. After dinners, drinks in one of the many lounges or bars beckoned, or even a quiz, ending the evenings with a theatre show. 

My Expedition Drinks Package took away any worries about a drinks bill at the end of the trip. 

On the first day at sea I swam in the seawater pool — nippy but refreshing. But there are lots of other ways to relax too, including spa treatments. I was treated to an excellent Indian head massage.  

On the first of two formal dress-up nights I was lucky enough to dine with Captain Hugh Maynard, who was great company.  

For more laid-back, buffet-style meals, Borough Market serves fish and chips, roasts, curries, stir fries, salads and more.

I also loved the luxury of dining in the upmarket Sea And Grass restaurant. The seven-course tasting menu was fabulous.  

Saffron is another speciality restaurant for curry fans. Worth paying a little extra for. 

Our first stop was Fowey in Cornwall and The Lost Gardens of Heligan. We also passed author Daphne du Maurier’s former home in this very pretty town — no wonder Dawn French bought a house there too.  

Cute puffins 

The subtropical Lost Gardens are about 40 minutes from Fowey. Giant ferns, palm trees and exotic plants dominate on the 200-acre site created in the 18th and 19th centuries.  

Our next stop, and my favourite of the trip, was the Isles of Scilly.  

As the ship sailed past the outer, uninhabited islands, they were swathed in mist, making them look more mysterious.  

Our last stop was in Honfleur in Normandy. Popular excursions included Monet’s house and gardens, the D-Day beaches and the Bayeux Tapestry.

We dropped anchor outside the harbour of the biggest island, St Mary’s. There are five inhabited islands and over 140 smaller uninhabited ones and rocks here. 

We were picked up directly from the ship for a wildlife tour onboard an open-decked vessel of the St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association. Over an hour and a half we spotted Atlantic grey seals and an array of birds, including cute puffins.  

Other guests had chosen a boat trip to the island of Tresco to see the spectacular subtropical gardens there. This small taste of these stunning islands — with their white, sandy beaches and clear, turquoise seas, more like the Caribbean than Cornwall — will definitely lure me back. 

Next stop was Guernsey. Docking in the capital St Peter Port, I did a spot of VAT-free shopping along the town’s pretty cobbled streets.  

Other passengers chose to discover the island’s wartime history or its beautiful landscape by vintage bus.  

Our last stop was in Honfleur in Normandy. Popular excursions included Monet’s house and gardens, the D-Day beaches and the Bayeux Tapestry, but a simple stroll around this beautiful place is a delight.  

With its timber-framed houses and pretty Old Harbour and cafes and restaurants lining the quays, it is perfect for a lunch or just a beer. Also worth a peek is the 15th-century Saint Catherine’s Church — the largest wooden church in France.  

Leaving France on the last night of my cruise, I had plenty of special memories — and plans to make for my next sail-away adventure. 

The Spanish island of La Graciosa has no roads or cars, boasts the largest marine reserve in Europe, and is perfect for hiking. Best of all, it’s basking in balmy 22C temperatures this week

If you’re looking for a holiday destination that will let you escape the winter chill, traffic noise and festive stress, then Spanish island La Graciosa, is your ideal getaway. With no cars, Europe’s largest marine reserve, and perfect hiking conditions, it’s a paradise.

Even as we brace ourselves against frosty mornings, La Graciosa enjoys a balmy 22C this week, with its coldest days rarely falling below 16C. Rain is also a rarity, making any time of year perfect for a visit.

One of the unique features of La Graciosa is its lack of traffic, owing to the absence of paved roads. In fact, it’s the only European island without a road, making it the most untouched of all the Canary Islands.

With just a few hundred permanent residents and no mass tourism, the locals travel by bicycle along sandy paths.

From atop the Risco de Famara, La Graciosa appears like a golden mirage amidst the Atlantic: a strip of golden sand, silent and luminous. Its sandy paths and tranquil atmosphere make it the most secluded and serene of the Canary Islands.

In line with its minimalistic approach to tourism, the island offers a small but well-maintained range of accommodation options. These are mainly located in Caleta de Sebo, where guesthouses, apartments and a fully-equipped camping area can be found.

With the limited availability of holiday accommodation, it’s recommended to book well ahead, particularly for summer, Easter, Christmas or during July’s Carmen festivities when the island is buzzing with an unusual festive spirit.

La Graciosa is conveniently located near Europe’s largest marine reserve. Excursions from La Graciosa take you to the islets of the Chinijo Archipelago Marine Reserve, a 70,700-hectare natural sanctuary.

Here, the crystal-clear waters offer a glimpse of the seabed and remote beaches where you can escape from reality. The Marine Reserve is a biological treasure chest, home to a variety of seabirds nesting in its cliffs.

On the nearby islets, a small population of monk seals, largely hunted to extinction elsewhere in the world, still clings on.

Roque del Este houses the Integral Reserve, an area accessible only to scientists where nature continues undisturbed by human interference.

To reach the stunning island of La Graciosa, Brits will need to fly to Lanzarote first, with flights from London as cheap as £39 in December. From there, a 45-minute taxi ride will take you to the port of Orzola, where a short 25-minute ferry ride will transport you to this secluded paradise.

LOVE Island Australia beauty Gabby broke down in tears after her partner Jotham had a “filthy” sex chat with a villa rival.

The brunette stunner, who allegedly has the biggest boobs in the show’s history, couldn’t believe her ears when she walked in on Jotham excitedly reacting to Mia’s high sex drive.

After waiting for around 30 minutes for her man to appear, Gabby heard his voice booming from inside the villa and tiptoed up the stairs to investigate.

Her eyes soon popped as she heard Mia say: “My sex drive is insane. The guy that I would see, if I was in a situationship, we’d have sex like five times a day.”

Laughing, Jotham replies: “Milk that man dry. Mumma ain’t finished.”

Despite their horniness, the pair agreed that neither would have sex in the villa.

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Having overheard the whole chat, Gabby said to camera: “The conversation is just absolute filth.

“I just thought Jotham would shut down that sort of conversation and walk out.”

She later broke down in tears over Jotham’s response to Mia’s confession, saying: “I actually see a relationship with him, and I feel that’s not being reciprocated.

“And that’s why all of this is really hurting me.”

Viewers sided with her, with one writing on Instagram: “Not the biggest fan of Gabby but I do think for the first time, she has a point.”

A second said: “I love Gabby so much.”

A third posted: “Idc Gabby is right for this, I would feel some type of way about my man speaking about s** with two girls, especially one that has shown she has an interest in him.”

For the second time in a week, Japanese fighters scrambled to intercept a suspected Chinese drone flying near the island of Yonaguni. The events come amid growing tensions between the Asian neighbors and highlight the increasing strategic importance of Japan’s southernmost island, which has seen an expanded presence of Japanese and U.S. forces.

Located just 70 miles east of Taiwan, Yonaguni is an increasingly important part of the allied effort to defend the so-called first island chain from Chinese aggression. It is roughly seven miles long and three miles across at its widest point, it has two small ports and an airfield. It’s where Japan wants to set up an air defense system. It’s also where the U.S. Marine Corps recently set up a forward arming and refueling point (FARP), its first that close to the breakaway Chinese nation.

Amid all this tumult, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with leaders of both nations today and Monday to discuss the future of Taiwan, among other issues. We’ll address that more later in this story.

“On November 24…we confirmed that an estimated Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle had passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan, and in response,” the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated on X. “We scrambled fighter jets from the Air Self-Defense Force’s Southwest Air Defense Force to intercept it.”

Once detected, the suspected drone flew south for about 250 miles, then cut east for about another 100 miles before returning along the same route, according to a map published by the Japanese MoD, which provided no additional details about the incident.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported a Chinese drone and a helicopter traveled along a similar route on Monday, but it is unclear if the two incidents are related.

Monday’s interception by Japan followed a similar incident a week earlier.

Chinese drone flights are fairly routine along this path around Taiwan and during major drills, the skies see a heavier presence of Chinese military aviation assets. However, tensions have increased between the two nations with a long history of sometimes violent enmity. In particular, Beijing is enraged by Tokyo’s announcement that it will place surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) on Yonaguni and Japan considers any attack on Taiwan an existential threat. China has made no secret about wanting to subsume Taiwan, by force if necessary, a concern we have frequently addressed.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Yonaguni on Sunday, Japan’s defense minister said his country is moving forward with plans to deploy an unspecified number of air defense systems on the island.

“The deployment can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country,” Shinjiro Koizumi explained. “The view that it will heighten regional tensions is not accurate.” 

In January, former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tokyo wanted to base Type 03 Chu-SAM missiles on Yonaguni, Bloomberg News noted. 

The medium-range Chu-SAM was first introduced in 2003, according to the U.S. Army, and its missiles can hit aerial targets up to roughly 30 miles away.

“The SAM’s vehicle chassis is based on the Kato Works Ltd/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries NK series heavy crane truck,” the Army explained. “It uses a state-of-the-art active electronically scanned array radar.”

The Chu-SAM system includes a command center, radar unit, launcher, and transloader, with each unit equipped with six missiles that travel at Mach 2.5, the Army noted, adding that it “can track up to 100 targets simultaneously and target 12 at the same time, engaging fighter jets, helicopters, and cruise missiles.”

Given its stated range, the Chu-SAM system can engage aerial targets roughly halfway between Yonaguni and Taiwan’s east coast (likely even farther in reality), an area Chinese aviation assets are likely to fly should it plan to invade the island nation.

Once again, this could be just one system, Japan also has the U.S. Patriot system, as well.

Koizumi’s comments about the Chu-SAM raised hackles in Beijing.

“Japan’s deployment of offensive weapons in the southwest Islands close to China’s Taiwan region is a deliberate move that breeds regional tensions and stokes military confrontation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters on Monday. “Given Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on Taiwan, this move is extremely dangerous and should put Japan’s neighboring countries and the international community on high alert.”

Mao was referencing another Chinese point of contention.

The newly elected Japanese Prime Minister recently stated that a Chinese military blockade of Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening” situation, thereby enabling “collective defense” alongside U.S. military forces, Newsweek reported.

“It was the first time such an explicit remark had been made by a sitting prime minister of Japan, which like the United States has long been deliberately vague as to whether it would intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan,” NBC News posited.

As this turmoil unfolded, a Chinese company released a video simulating an attack on Japanese ships and other targets using its newly introduced YKJ-1000 hypersonic missile. Although it isn’t clear if the timing is related, it is another indicator of the increasingly bellicose messaging between the two neighbors.

Trump has taken a mixed approach toward Taiwan.

The American president has at times expressed a degree of thinly veiled skepticism about Taiwan’s value to the U.S., The Diplomat noted. He has also implied the U.S. is committed to Taiwan’s freedom. In his latest administration, Trump has signed off on a $700 million deal to sell Taipei National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) medium-range air defense systems, a plan first put forward under the Biden administration. In addition, Trump authorized a $330 million deal to sell Taiwan aircraft parts.

Meanwhile, as we mentioned earlier in this story, the Trump administration has also authorized the temporary deployment of Marines to Yonaguni to set up a FARP to extend the range of helicopter patrols from the island.

“No U.S. Marine CH-53E has ever before landed that far southwest in Japan, nor has a FARP ever been established there,” Maj. Patrick X. Kelly, executive officer of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 462, said in a statement. “This evolution not only validated that MAG’s [Marine Aircraft Group 36] organic heavy-lift assault support helicopters, in support of its adjacent units and our JGSDF [Japan Ground Self-Defense Force] partners, can generate tempo anywhere the commander should choose, but also served as a huge leap forward in our relations between the U.S. Marines and the JGSDF.”

“FARPs significantly extend MAG-36’s operational reach,” said Col. Lee W. Hemming, commanding officer of MAG-36. “Our ability to rapidly establish and disassemble these sites in austere environments enhances our capacity to respond to, and support, disaster relief and other critical operations throughout the region – particularly in conjunction with our Japanese Self-Defense Forces partners. This collaborative FARP capability underscores our commitment to regional security and humanitarian assistance.”

Given its proximity to Taiwan, Yonaguni also makes sense as a forward staging area for standoff weapons to strike Chinese targets, including ships, and advanced radars to track their movement, if Japan decides to go that route. Marine Corps doctrine calls for troops to be staged in China’s weapons engagement zone ahead of any conflict, and more islands in the region will likely become increasingly armed, but none are as close to Taiwan as this one.

The U.S. Army’s Typhon ground-based missile system, which can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 multi-purpose missiles, was recently deployed to Japan, but some 1,200 miles to the northeast on Honshu Island. Last year, we wrote about reported plans for the U.S. Marine Corps units and their High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to be rushed to the southwestern Japanese islands near Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion. The anonymously sourced Kyodo News report about that move didn’t specifically mention Yonaguni, but it makes sense that it could be a destination for such future efforts.

Another Marine weapons system that might even make more sense for Yonaguni is Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) armed with Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs). In previous reporting, we noted that these highly mobile missile systems have been deployed to Luzon in the Philippines. The NSM is well suited for fighting in the littorals. With the baseline NSM’s range of around 110 nautical miles, placing these systems on Yonaguni would hold Chinese vessels operating near the northern part and the backside of Taiwan at risk. They can also strike fixed targets on land. NMESIS is highly mobile on land, making its launchers very hard to target at distance by adversary forces.

While weapons like NMESIS on Yonaguni could pose a real threat to Chinese forces trying to take the island, getting them there in the case of a Chinese move on Taiwan will likely be a great challenge. The idea would be to have them there permanently or rush them there at the start of a crisis, before the shooting begins. This would work as a deterrent to keep the fighting from starting, as well as tactical capability once the fighting begins.

Still, Beijing has a very large arsenal of missiles, aircraft and ships on hand and in development that could rain fire on Yonaguni. Any U.S. logistic missions having to push materiel forward in a time of crisis to the island would be traveling deep within China’s anti-access bubble, as well, which may be entirely unsurvivable. So, once things light off, if weapons are fired from the island, or even preemptive action by China, could widen the conflict significantly, and any forces on the island could be cutoff and under fire.

As previously mentioned, amid the boiling tensions, Trump spoke with both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Takaichi on Monday.

“Taiwan’s return to China is an important component of the post-war international order,” Xi told Trump, according to an official account of the conversation by China’s state media. For his part, Trump affirmed that the U.S. “understands the importance of the Taiwan issue to China,” Chinese media said.

“Takaichi said Trump briefed her on his overnight phone call with China’s Xi and the current state of U.S.-China relations,” according to The Associated Press. “She said that she and Trump also discussed strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance and ‘development and challenges that the Indo-Pacific region is faced with.’”

“We confirmed the close coordination between Japan and the United States,” the Japanese leader added, declining to give any other details of her talks with Trump, citing diplomatic protocol.

Regardless of diplomatic platitudes, when it comes to Yonaguni Island, moving surface-to-air missiles there is largely a defensive overture. It’s also the first step in providing protection for additional assets, should Japan choose to allow their deployment. But for now, it certainly has gotten Beijing’s attention.

Contact the author: [email protected]

YOU can now go off grid this Christmastime in the Isle of Skye on your very own private island – for just £20.

Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage is only accessible by a 10-minute boat trip, offering the ultimate digital detox for a silent stay.

The exclusive listing is available between December 19 and 22 this year, priced at just £20.25.

The property, located in Isleornsay in the Scottish Highlands, can be booked through the Booking.com website – but only one person will be able to secure the four-person stay.

On December 5, at a random time, the listing will go live, with the first person to try and book at that point winning the trip.

The spacious home on the Isle of Skye features four elegant bedrooms and panoramic views over Loch Hourn, Knoydart, and the surrounding coastline.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light, while the open-plan living area and wood-burning stove create a warm and inviting festive hideaway.

Inspired by Booking.com’s 2026 Travel Prediction, ‘Hushed Hobbies’, this bespoke listing invites guests to enjoy a curated itinerary including birdwatching, seaweed foraging, or simply embracing the art of stillness in the serenity of silence.

Ryan Pearson, regional manager for UK & Ireland at the online travel agency said: “More and more travellers are seeking quiet, meaningful escapes where they can truly switch off and reconnect.

“It’s a time of year when we often feel overwhelmed, but there’s a real joy to be found in simplicity, stripping the season right back to basics and going remote.”

It comes after a poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas revealed 24 per cent secretly wish they could disappear from the chaos and go ‘off grid’ this festive season.

With 33 per cent saying they would go on a holiday specifically to feel closer to the natural world.

More than a fifth (21 per cent) want to escape the pressure of a ‘perfect’ Christmas, which could lead to 19 per cent actively planning a quieter one this year.

With key benefits to doing this being having a proper amount of time to recharge and reset (51 per cent), or the chance to disconnect from technology and social media (24 per cent).

But 30 per cent aren’t able to have a more low-key break because they don’t want to disappoint friends or relatives.

And 22 per cent feel pressured to keep up with the usual traditions and expectations, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

Despite this, 55 per cent claimed their ‘ideal’ Christmas this year would be ‘quieter and relaxing’ than normal, compared to just five per cent who’d rather it was livelier and louder.

CHEAP cocktails, mango sticky rice for £1.65 and trained monkeys picking coconuts – Koh Samui is nothing like the White Lotus fantasy I expected.

And that’s what makes it so brilliant.

Sure, there are luxury resorts and picture-perfect beaches, but the real Thailand is in the busy beach bars flogging happy-hour deals, tiny restaurants with garish tablecloths, and the constant thump of Thai boxing promotions from crackling loudspeakers.

I stayed at the Anantara Lawana — where The White Lotus cast filmed bar scenes in its Singing Bird Lounge.

The hotel has a grand entrance with a gong that you hit upon entering, a private beach scattered with sunbeds, an infinity pool and a peaceful spa.

Some rooms have swim-up pools and I admit I’ve become partial to an outdoor shower — as long as it isn’t raining. In a hotel this perfect, with everything at your fingertips, it could be tempting not to leave.

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But that would mean missing the real Koh Samui.

My guide, Nong, called it “coconut island” — the island produces 200 million a year, many plucked by trained monkeys.

Over the next few days, he made sure I saw as much of the island as possible, though the furry labourers remained elusive.

Nong told me there are around 25 temples on the island — some are big tourist draws, others are tucked away in smaller communities where locals worship.

Cheerful Buddha

We travelled all over Koh Samui hunting down these brightly coloured shrines.

At Wat Phra Yai sits the Big Buddha — a 40ft statue built in 1972 that dominates the skyline and can be seen from miles away.

Close by is the beautiful Wat Plai Laem complex, which has the 18-armed Guanyin and a cheerful Buddha statue.

Koh Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island, and you can drive around the ring road in about an hour — though you’d be rushing past some of the best bits.

We made lots of stops along the tour to take in the views.

The beaches lived up to expectations — Chaweng is one of the most popular — but there are many pockets of coast where you’ll find secret sandy spots and likely be the only people around.

We also visited the Elephant Kingdom Sanctuary, where 16 rescued elephants live out their days in comfort.

From a skywalk, I watched them splash in pools and demolish piles of bananas.

Koh Samui also works as a jumping-off point for the surrounding islands.

We took a speedboat to Koh Nangyuan, a tiny protected marine park about 45 minutes away, where white sand connects three little peaks.

While most claimed their patch of beach, I went straight into the water.

The shallows are packed with coral, rainbow parrotfish and bright yellow butterflyfish — it’s the kind of place that justifies getting up early for a boat ride.

I also paid a visit to the northern side of the island , for a cooking class in Bo Phut.

I’m a disaster in the kitchen, so I was wary to get stuck in.

But Chef Lat was enthusiastic and welcoming, and soon had me chopping lemongrass and frying prawns.

He demonstrated how to create a chicken and ginger curry, stir-fried prawns with yellow curry and a sweet, spicy papaya salad.

My new favourite, though is a massaman chicken curry. You eat everything you make, too.

Our days exploring the island were brilliant, but it was the street food that kept pulling me away from the White Lotus life back at the resort.

Tucked away along the streets are places serving up pad Thai and spicy tom yum soup, with cocktails for £2.

As for sweet treats, mango sticky rice is a revelation and, at £1.65 from street vendors, you’d be mad to miss it.

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When the humidity becomes unbearable, coconut ice cream is a girl’s best friend.

When everything tastes this good and costs this little, the infinity pool can wait.

THE Good Hotel Guide has just announced its 2026 award winners – and we’ve got the inside track on the best places to stay across Britain.

Whether you’re after a cosy B&B, a cracking pub with rooms, or a proper hotel that won’t batter your bank balance, these are the spots that beat countless others to claim top honours.

We’ve picked six brilliant winners from three categories – time to start planning your next escape.

BEST BUDGET HOTELS (under £150)

Georgian House Hotel, Pimlico, London

THESE Grade II listed townhouses near Buckingham Palace are posher than a B&B but way more chill than a typical hotel.

Choose from boutique singles to family rooms.

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Best bit? A hidden bookcase door leads to wizard-themed basement chambers with four-posters draped in red velvet and wooden bunks carved with protective runes. Proper magic.

B&B doubles from £125, see georgianhousehotel.co.uk.

Westmorland Hotel, Tebay, Cumbria

A MOTORWAY services hotel? Tebay is nothing like typical rest stops — when the M6 was built across their land in 1970, hill farmers John and Barbara Dunning created a business celebrating local producers.

Still family-run, it has 51 rooms, some with views of the Fells and others dog-friendly. Dine on aged native-breed ribeye, venison suet pudding or haddock and chips before exploring the Lakes.

B&B doubles from £141. See westmorlandhotel.com.

Brockencote Hall, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcs

THIS Victorian mansion is styled like a Loire château. Brockencote sits in 70 acres with a lake and tennis court and delivers country-house luxury for way less than you might expect.

Bedrooms come with concierge service, fridges, fruit and Temple Spa toiletries. Take afternoon tea in the French-inspired drawing room or splash out in the fine-dining restaurant. Dogs welcome.

B&B doubles from £120. See edenhotelcollection.com.

Chester House, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucs

WHILE some Cotswolds hotels come with a high price tag, this golden-stone Victorian building keeps things real. Family-run, it has 22 country-chic bedrooms, with ten in the coach house.

Relax in the lounge or garden, eat at the L’Anatra restaurant, serving, tapas and Italian classics. Guest parking is free.

B&B doubles from £145. chesterhousehotel.com.

The Grange at Oborne, Dorset

KARENZA and Ken Mathews’s country-house hotel is trad-comfort heaven. Rooms range from standard doubles to a junior suite, mixing classic and contemporary styling.

The restaurant keeps things tried and tested — pan-fried chicken with smoked bourbon barbecue sauce, warm Dorset apple cake with blackberry jam. It’s family-run, with real charm.

B&B doubles from £91.20, details at thegrange.co.uk

The Priory, Caerleon, Newport

THE Martinez family’s foodie hotel occupies a 12th-century Cistercian monastery in secluded gardens by the River Usk. It has 27 super-chic rooms in the main house, stables and dog-friendly cottage.

There are strong Spanish vibes, with tapas in the bar, while the restaurant serves flame-grilled steaks, barbecued lamb leg with jalapeño chimichurri, and tomato crème brûlée.

Rumour has it there’s a resident ghost — a monk who looks serenely happy.

B&B doubles are from £135. See thepriorycaerleon.co.uk

BEST B&Bs

Number 38 Clifton, Bristol

PERCHED above Clifton Down, this Georgian merchant’s house is the perfect base for exploring Bristol. Owner Adam Dorrien-Smith has created something seriously special ­— super-stylish rooms in calming blues and greys, with velvet armchairs and either park views or city panoramas.

Some rooms come with a copper rolltop bath. Breakfast is a proper spread with fresh juices, homemade compotes and a full English.

B&B doubles from £160, no kids under 12, see number38clifton.com

Cedar Manor, Windermere, Cumbria

JONATHAN and Caroline Kaye run this Victorian stunner, set in walled gardens with fells as a backdrop.

The rooms mix contemporary style with Gothic — Wansfell has a four-poster bed and spa bath, while Coniston serves up mountain views.

Don’t miss afternoon tea (Thursday to Monday), and the breakfast Cumbrian grill is legendary.

B&B doubles from £125, cedarmanor.co.uk

Underleigh House, Hope, Derbys

PEAK District perfection — a cosy longhouse where tea and cakes by the fire are part of the deal. Owner Vivienne Taylor has created four fab bedrooms, three of them suites with separate lounges.

But it’s the breakfast that shines — Aga-cooked with locally sourced ingredients, homemade bread, rare-breed sausages and Derbyshire oatcakes to fuel your walks that start right from the front door.

B&B doubles £125, suites £145. Two-night minimum. underleighhouse.co.uk

Ael y Bryn, Pembrokeshire

DON’T let the tongue-twister name put you off. Robert Smith and Arwel Hughes have transformed a wartime land girls’ hostel into something special.

The four smart bedrooms are for over-16s only, each with a fridge stocked with treats. The real star? Dinner by arrangement — home-cooked, locally sourced, and you can even bring your own wine.

Doubles from £155. Two-night minimum. aelybrynpembrokeshire.co.uk.

Grianaig Guest House, South Uist

CHRIS BROOKS and Carla Regler swapped Cornwall for the Outer Hebrides — and what a move.

Their adults-only B&B sits beside Askernish golf course, surrounded by white sands and bathed in star-filled skies. With four spacious rooms, this is the perfect base for walking and wildlife-watching.

There’s a warm lounge with an honesty bar stocked with whiskies, and chef Chris cooks up a storm most nights. Morning brings freshly baked bread, and eggs from their own ducks and hens.

B&B doubles from £165, two-night minimum, grianaighouse.com.

Daisybank Cottage, New Forest

RIGHT now the New Forest’s free-roaming pigs are hoovering up acorns — as magical as watching the famous ponies trot past Cheryl and Ciaran Maher’s fairytale Arts and Crafts cottage in the village of Brockenhurst.

This single-storey gem is brilliantly family-friendly, with beautifully presented rooms. Each comes with an espresso machine and mini-fridge.

Write your breakfast wishes on paper, pop them in a flowerpot, and — like magic — they appear in the morning.

B&B doubles from £130. bedandbreakfast-newforest.co.uk.

BEST PUBS WITH ROOMS

The Three Daggers, Edington, Wilts

THIS 18th-century pub, formerly called the Paulet Arms, has its own microbrewery, farm shop, deli, spa barn and playground.

Owner, US tycoon Chad Pike, has spruced it up without losing its local vibe.

Three farmhouse-chic bedrooms share a lounge and kitchen, plus there are four self-catering cottages.

Kids’ extra beds are just £10, dogs stay free. The farm-to-fork menu nails pub classics, plus wood-fired pizzas during the summer.

B&B doubles from £138. See innatwhitewell.com.

The Inn at Whitewell, Lancs

THERE’S something special about this rambling stone inn sitting in five acres on the River Hodder.

Third-generation owner Charles Bowman keeps it traditional — local ales, open fires, flagstone floors. The bedrooms (all dog-friendly) have bags of character with antiques and fireplaces.

The menu jumps from Thai green curry to bangers and mash, and the fish pie is legendary.

B&B doubles from £160. innatwhitewell.com.

The Three Hills, Bartlow, Cambs

THE hills are actually Roman burial mounds — the biggest in Britain. Chris and Sarah Field’s dog-friendly gastropub is the other reason to visit.

This revamped 17th-century alehouse overlooks landscaped gardens by the River Granta. Rooms are serene in soft greys and blues, with Roberts radios and power showers.

The menu covers pub classics plus options like venison ragù or courgette and pea pappardelle. Room only, doubles from £135. thethreehills.co.uk.

The Cricket Inn, Beesands, Devon

SCOTT and Rachael Heath’s cosy gastropub sits in a South Hams village.

Refurbished New England-style bedrooms have walk-in showers and espresso machines. Two suites feature hand-built four-posters.

The Oval Room has bay windows overlooking Start Bay and the lighthouse. Fish is landed virtually on the doorstep and there’s a seafood pancake you should try.

B&B doubles cost from £135. Check out three-nights-for-two deal at thecricketinn.com.

The Stag on the River, Eashing, Surrey

DINING beside the River Wey as it flows past this gorgeously refurbished 17th-century local is pretty unbeatable. Inside are oak beams, brick floors, original fireplaces and vintage prints of river birds.

The bedrooms are stylish with original features, bright fabrics, Roberts radios and rain showers. The menu runs from small plates (bang bang cauliflower, nduja Scotch egg) to fish pie and Sunday roasts.

B&B doubles from £106.25. stagontherivereashing.co.uk.

The Felin Fach Griffin, Powys

YOUR hosts, brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin, welcome families and dogs to their dining pub with rooms between the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons, close to Hay-on-Wye.

Eight simple, stylish bedrooms feature Welsh blankets, vintage furniture and local artworks with field or mountain views.

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Menus served by the fire or in the garden might include venison haunch or veggie options with produce from the kitchen garden.

B&B from £207.50. felinfachgriffin.co.uk.

Disney has a private island in the Bahamas you can book as part of cruise holidays but when I arrived I was completely caught off guard by the whole experience

There are plenty of incredible destinations around the world, but there are a handful that truly are those ‘once in a lifetime’ destinations; and the Bahamas are definitely in that category with those ridiculously beautiful beaches.

So as a Disney fan, the chance to not only tick the Bahamas off the list AND explore Disney’s private island – well, that was literally the stuff of my dreams. (Ask my friends and family how often I’ve mentioned that I’ve been to the Bahamas recently and they will testify that I have been insufferable).

As part of a sailing onboard Disney Cruise Line’s new heroes and villains themed ship, our itinerary included a stop at Disney’s Castaway Cay. From the moment I arrived, I realised I had underestimated what I’d signed up for.

Quite frankly, I’d expected a large stretch of a beautiful beach, a few loungers and then some fun activities/sprinkles of Disney magic for families. I didn’t anticipate the sheer amount of activities on offer, or just how much there would be to explore.

For a start, it’s genuinely an entire island to explore. There are multiple beaches (family-friendly and adults-only), beautiful cabanas, cycling trails, hiking trails, a waterpark complete with a slide that takes you right into the ocean, a shop and plenty of places to stop for a snack and drinks.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to walk to the main areas once you disembark the ship, although you can get a tram that stops off at various points on the island if you’d rather skip the stroll.

Of course there are plenty of Disney touches throughout the island; Daisy Duck and Chip and Dale were all on hand to greet passengers as we disembarked, and I spotted Pluto getting up to some mischief and commandeering a golf cart. There are heaps of photo opps too, with cute signs, fun backdrops and plenty of space so nobody’s having to sharpen their elbows!

Then of course there are those glorious beaches that I thought I’d only ever see on social media. Yes, those sands are as soft as they look, and those crystal-clear waters are not the stuff of Photoshop.

There is a dedicated reef where you can go snorkelling (and there are some Disney statues hidden underwater to seek out), but I didn’t even have to get into the water to spot wildlife, as a school of fish passed by while I wandered along the lagoon’s edge, only for a stingray to appear a few minutes later.

There are heaps of sunloungers alongside the beach but if you want to do something a bit special, you can hire a cabana for the day which includes a covered seated area, mini fridge with waters and soft drinks, and a button you can push to call servers to take your food and drinks orders.

The only downside? We were only there for a day trip. I felt like I could easily have stayed ashore but sadly, the crew are actually very good at their jobs and ensuring that people actually get back on board. (It turns out that you can actually book some Disney cruises that stop off at Castaway Cay twice in one itinerary, and I can see why that would be tempting).

Still, when you’re heading back to a Disney cruise ship where you know there’ll be more character interactions, shows and themed dining on offer, that does ease the blow a little.

Book the holiday

Virgin Atlantic Holidays offers four nights on the Disney Destiny from £5,384 for a family of four. Includes direct Virgin Atlantic Economy Classic flights from London Heathrow to Miami, room-only stay at Sonesta Fort Lauderdale in a Deluxe 2 Double Ocean View Room for one night before boarding, followed by a Disney Destiny sailing visiting Nassau and Castaway Cay.

Price is based on a family of four (two adults and two children aged 3–11) travelling and sharing an Inside Stateroom and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges. Price is based on a departure on 30th September 2026.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays is a member of ABTA and is ATOL protected. To book, visit Virgin Atlantic Holidays or call 0344 557 3859. Prices subject to change and availability. Virgin Atlantic Holidays terms and conditions apply.

The line where the sky meets the sea is calling to the new “Moana.”

The first teaser trailer for the live-action Disney film released Monday features star Catherine Laga’aia singing a few lines of her character’s signature “I Want” song as the footage offers glimpses of the island and people of Motunui, the demigod Maui, the seafaring Kakamora and Moana’s clumsy rooster Heihei.

“I am a girl who loves my island and the girl who loves the sea,” Laga’aia as Moana sings in the opening moments of the trailer. “It calls me.”

Fans of the original animated movie will recognize the scene of a young Moana playing with the ocean after seeing a seashell on the shore. Speaking of the 2016 film, Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the shapeshifter demigod and hero of men in the animated “Moana,” will also portray the live-action version of the arrogant trickster. You’re welcome.

Directed by Thomas Kail, the live-action remake will follow Moana, who dreams of being a wayfinder and exploring the ocean. She leaves Motonui in search of Maui and the Heart of Te Fiti to help save her people.

In addition to Laga’aia and Johnson, the “Moana” cast includes John Tui as Moana’s father, Chief Tui; Frankie Adams as her mother, Sina; and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.

The trailer ends with Laga’aia triumphantly singing, “I am Moana.”

The animated “Moana,” with Hawaiian actor Auliʻi Cravalho in the title role, grossed $643.3 million worldwide during its initial run. Its follow-up “Moana 2” was one of three films released in 2024 that crossed the $1-billion mark at the worldwide box office. Cravalho serves as one of the executive producers of the live-action film, along with Kail, Scott Sheldon and Charles Newirth.

The live-action “Moana” will hit theaters July 10.

Players from the tiny but beautiful Caribbean island of Curacao are 90 minutes away from creating World Cup history.

If they avoid defeat away at Jamaica on Tuesday night (Wednesday 01:00 GMT), Curacao – guided by former Netherlands and Rangers boss Dick Advocaat – will qualify for the finals for the first time.

They would become the smallest nation ever to play at the World Cup. That record is held by Iceland, who reached the 2018 finals, but their country is far bigger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000 (similar to Cambridge or Huddersfield) and a land area smaller than the Isle of Man.

“It’s crazy and would be one of the biggest things that will happen to Curacao,” said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, a former Huddersfield, Rangers and Birmingham player.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: “It’s incredible and amazing. Even a few years ago you would not even think about it, but now we are this close.

“We’re certain to just give our all to qualify for the World Cup. To be personally part of it and to make that dream come true would be incredible.”

Curacao, 37 miles off the Venezuela coast, only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Ten years ago they were 150th in Fifa’s world rankings. Now they are 82nd.

The expanded 2026 World Cup format, which features 48 nations instead of 32, along with the fact hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualify automatically, has given Curacao a much-improved chance.

And in nine qualifying matches, they have won seven. A 2-0 home win over Jamaica in October, followed by a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago and a 7-0 away thrashing of Bermuda on Friday, has them top of their group with one match to go.

In the final game, they are away at Jamaica, who are one point behind Curacao and will qualify themselves with a victory.

LOCATED in the Baltic Sea is a crowd-free island with outdoor music festivals and ancient forests – and we bet you’ve never heard of it.

Hiiumaa in Estonia is an island home to several historic lighthouses and sprawling beaches.

It is Estonia’s second largest island, yet is home to less than 10,000 people.

But this led to the island, along with other West Estonia islands, joining the UNESCO biosphere programme area dubbed ‘Man and Biosphere, which means that the locals have lived sustainably alongside nature for hundreds of years.

And most of the time, the island is completely in the dark unless the moon and stars are glowing – as a result it also has no noise or light pollution.

Many people who travel to the island love it for its peace, including soothing sauna and walks in the forest.

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Naturally, being an island, the destination also has “endless beaches” according to Hiiumaa.ee, such as Tõrvanina, Luidja and Ristna.

Ristna, in particular, is loved by surfers thanks to having the biggest waves in the Baltic Sea.

This spot is also where you will find on of the island’s historic lighthouses.

Ristna Lighthouse’s tower was completed in France at the workshop of Gustave Eiffel – the same person responsible for the Eiffel Tower.

Then it was brought across to Hiiumaa in pieces and then assembled to watch over the sea and ships in the region.

The lighthouse is still operational today, but is open to visitors during the summer.

Nearby is also Kõpu lighthouse, which is one of the oldest working lighthouses in the world.

Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse and see across the coastline.

If you happen to visit the island during the summer months, you can also explore The Lavender Farm, which is the northmost lavender farm in the world.

And rather unusually, it is located on the edge of a meteorite crater.

Visitors heading to the farm can see 20,000 lavender plants and the products produced using them, such as lavender jam, lavender spice and lavender micellar water.

For a longer walk in nature, then visitors can head to the ancient Kõpu Nature Reserve, which is located on the oldest part of the island.

The area has many rare plants and bird species.

The island also hosts a number of festivals throughout the year including the Ice Fish Festival in February which involves a number of winter-related activities on the ice and summer music festivals of jazz, folk and club music.

When it comes to food options, local dishes often include fish or lamb.

One top spot is IIUmeekk, which is located inside a quaint redhouse and overlooks a harbour.

Inside, dish options include sea trout with edamame beans, parsley and salted egg yolk or slow cooked porky belly, with tomato kimchi and polenta.

Make sure to check out their desserts as well, such as gingerbread tiramisu.

As for somewhere to stay, there are hotels scattered across the entire island.

For example, for £75 per night you could head to Kassari Holiday Resort which features bubble baths on the hotel’s roof terrace, access Kassari beach and family-friendly rooms.

Alternatively, you could head to Utoopia No. 9 for £70 a night.

The 19-room hotel is sat on Kirikulahe Bay and is inside a historic manor’s vodka kitchen.

The best way to get to Hiiumaa is by flying to the capital of Estonia – Tallinn.

Return flights from London in November cost from £37 and the flight takes under three hours.

From Tallinn you can either hop on another flight to Kärdla Airport, which takes 30 minutes.

Then you can jump on the ferry to Hiiumaa, which takes less than an hour.

Alternatively, you can hop on a coach from Tallinn, which takes just under four hours before catching the ferry.

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Also in Estonia is a seaside city nicknamed the ‘summer capital’ by locals – with huge sandy beach and the sea hits 33C.

Plus, there is a tiny island in Estonia with white sandy beaches that’s the most child-friendly holiday destination in the world.

The island is just a four-and-a-half hour flight from London and offers year-round sunshine, with flowers beginning to bloom in March

Brits seeking a sun-soaked escape might want to consider this English-speaking island, just a short hop from the UK and basking in a cosy 22C during winter.

Just a four-and-a-half hour jaunt from London, this Mediterranean jewel provides a much-needed respite from the UK’s current frosty, damp weather.

With sunshine all year round and flowers starting to blossom in March, Cyprus is an excellent pick for families, with plenty of family-friendly hotels on offer.

The island also boasts a variety of activities, from hiking to exploring cultural and historical sites. Winter brings fewer tourists, making it the ideal time to visit popular attractions without the long queues, reports the Express.

Party animals will be attracted to Ayia Napa, one of Europe’s premier party hotspots, while those in search of relaxation can soak up the island’s 300 days of annual sunshine.

A journey into the Troodos Mountains reveals breathtaking scenery and a charming village nestled in the valley below.

In an unexpected twist, there’s a ski resort tucked away in the Troodos Mountain Range. Open from January to March, it’s situated on Mount Olympus,

Holidaymakers can drive up to the slopes, which offer several picturesque viewpoints along the way.

Nestled in the valley is the village of Omodos, teeming with restaurants serving traditional dishes – perfect after a day of mountain trekking.

The village is also home to a monastery that welcomes visitors for tours. A local fortified sweet wine, commandaria, is a favourite in the area and can be found on locals’ doorsteps for €2-€5 (£1.61-£4.23).

Another must-see is Nicosia, Cyprus’ divided capital. Following the 1974 civil war, the island was split into two states: the Greek Republic of Southern Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The border, known as the ‘green line’, runs through Nicosia, making it the world’s only divided capital city. Tourists can cross the border at several points.

Other attractions include underwater waterfall hikes, a turtle conservation station, Aphrodite’s Rock, the Tombs of the Kings, snorkelling adventures, Akamas Peninsula National Park, castles and even a wellness retreat.

MORE Brits than ever are ditching the UK for Dubai, tempted by the warmer weather and tax-free incomes.

But there is a spot closer to home that more UK residents are heading to instead.

Malta is the sunny southern European archipelago that’s fast becoming a popular destination for Brits, competing with Dubai.

Aesthetically, Malta and Dubai are very different with one covered in new high rises and the other stone and medieval buildings.

But the look of the place isn’t the only aspect that’s encouraging Brits not just to visit Malta but to live there too.

Brits are packing up their belongings and flying to the sunny island country because of the lower tax rates.

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The Times reported that one Brit who moved to Malta secured a retirement visa which had a flat 15 per cent tax rate on any income remitted to the country.

The visa includes access to statutory healthcare. Malta also doesn’t tax on gains from assets like inheritance, unlike in the UK.

Housing doesn’t necessarily break the bank either.

To get this particular visa, Brits must buy a property of at least €275,000 (£242,800) or rent somewhere at least €9,600 per year (£700 a month).

Malta has cheaper private school fees compared to the UK. One woman revealed that her son’s fees had been cut in half after moving.

The government in Malta offers tax breaks to parents who go private too.

Louise Salmond Smith, the head teacher of a private school called Haileybury Malta told The Times: “The cost of living versus quality of life is often, perhaps usually, cited as a reason to think about moving elsewhere, and many say they don’t think things are likely to improve very soon.”

And while Dubai is drastically different to the UK, Malta has a taste of Britain.

The British retiree who spoke to the Times revealed: “They drive on the same side of the road, there are red postboxes, HSBCs on the corner and they have Marks & Spencer.”

One woman who moved to Malta spoke to The Sun recently revealing she loves her new life in Malta.

Dayna Camilleri Clarke and her partner have started a new life in Valletta where she revealed some of the biggest perks is that there’s council tax, no TV licence, and car insurance costs are much less.

Dayna added: “Public transport is free, a recent vet check-up for my cat cost just €25 (£21.74), and with 300 days of sunshine a year, I’ve never needed the heating or a tumble dryer.

“Life doesn’t grind to a halt in winter either. In summer, it’s all alfresco dining and harbour views; in December, the city gate glows with a Christmas market – and you can still enjoy a lunch outside in the sun.”

Head here to read more on Dayna’s move to Valletta from the best places to eat to the best street for bars.

You don’t have to pack up your life though, just pack up a suitcase like one Sun Writer did in her recent trip to the country.

Nuria Cremer-Vazquez visited Malta in sunny July, where she found you could have a very familiar meal to Brits.

Nuria said: “It was intriguing how easy it is to come across a full English on this faraway archipelago.

“The British stopped ruling Malta in 1964, but they left behind a love for this breakfast along with other cultural footprints such as UK plugs, driving on the left and speaking English (an official language here alongside Maltese).

“I got used to the unexpected sight of red telephone boxes on the streets of cities like Mdina, an ancient fortress which otherwise looked like something out of Game Of Thrones.”

Nuria also discovered you can get Aperol Spritzes for just €4 – and that there are underground tunnels under the city.

Malta carries pieces of British culture in its streets, but there’s one thing that trumps it completely – the weather.

Malta experiences mild winters where the lowest temperatures will be around 9C – but can also be as high as 16C

In the summer, you can walk about in the sun as the archipelago has average highs of 32C.

If you fancy checking out Malta for yourself, you can fly to Valletta from £16 in November.

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The former chief executive of WPP’s Motion Content Group — the producer behind “Love Is Blind” and other reality TV shows — is suing the ad agency, saying he was fired after he flagged alleged improper billing practices.

In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, Richard Foster said he was ousted after he repeatedly warned senior managers about alleged “kickback practices” involving the company’s “rebate-driven deals” that he said “were unsustainable, unlawful, and a significant threat to the Company.”

Foster, a 17-year veteran, led WPP’s media division that is the producer and co-financier of “Love Island” and some 2,500 other television shows around the world. The division was rebranded in 2023 as GroupM Motion Entertainment in the North America.

Foster alleged in his lawsuit that GroupM leveraged “client budgets to secure inventory deals” from media companies that included cash rebates, inventory discounts and other financial incentives, and that these transactions were not always transparent or disclosed to clients.

Over the last five years, the lawsuit states, the company “generated rebate-driven deals valued between $3 [billion] and $4 billion, of which it improperly retained approximately $1.5 [billion] to $2 billion.”

But rather than confront the issues, Foster claims executives “marginalized him, and ultimately terminated him and his team to cover up their own improper practices.”

WPP disputed the claims.

“The Company is aware of a lawsuit in the New York State Court filed by a former employee who was let go in a recent organizational restructuring,” a WPP spokesperson said in a statement. “The court has not yet made any findings in relation to the allegations and we will defend them vigorously.”

In December, Foster submitted a 35-page internal report emphasizing that there were opportunities to establish a new entertainment division, but warned that its use of rebates could pose “possible legal and reputational” risks to the company.

At one point, Foster alleged that he told one executive, that “WPP and GroupM have ‘been sleepwalking to the edge of a cliff and people don’t want to hear it.’”

In January, Foster said he was asked to discuss the report with Brian Lesser, global CEO of GroupM, who “expressed concern about the legal risks tied to GroupM Trading and said he would investigate this further.” Days later Foster claimed that he received a text from Lesser asking him to send a “sanitized version of the report” and “to exclude any overt criticism of [GroupM Trading] as that is not in the spirit of working together.”

Eventually, Foster said he was terminated on July 10. He is seeking $100 million in damages.

“Richard Foster devoted nearly two decades to helping build one of the world’s most successful media and entertainment creation operations,” his attorney, William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, said in a statement. “When he stood up for transparency and accountability at WPP, he was let go. This case will shine a light on systemic misconduct and the retaliation faced by an executive who refused to go along to get along.”

Writing on Reddit, one poster lifted the lid on a tropical island they found while travelling. The photographs showed beautiful sandy beaches lined with palm trees, with crystal-clear seas, and barely another soul in sight

Sometimes the only solution to the stresses of everyday life is to jet off to a tropical island. But finding the perfect unspoiled paradise can be a trick, with ever-increasing tourism levels meaning many places can be overcrowded, or have lost some of their local charm.

Writing on Reddit, one poster lifted the lid on a tiny hidden island they had discovered while travelling in South Asia. The photographs showed beautiful sandy beaches lined with palm trees, with crystal-clear seas, and barely another soul in sight.

The Reddit user wrote: “My girlfriend and I were in the area (Sri Lanka) and decided to extend our trip with a new country, so flew to Malé and took a local ferry to an island two atolls away.” They continued: “(We) arrived in a little unspoilt paradise called Dhigurah, which only opened up to non-Muslim foreigners recently (at the time, 2023).”

Dhigurah is an island in the Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, a series of 49 islands in the Maldives. It is 3km long, making it one of the longest islands in the Maldives, and at points just 250 metres wide, according to maldives-magazine.com.

The waters surrounding the island are teeming with docile whale sharks, the website says, as well as stingrays and other marine wildlife. Whale sharks only eat plankton and tiny fish, and pose no danger to humans.

Continuing, the Reddit user said: “We spent our time snorkelling (the water, especially the closer to the shore, is literally teeming with sea life), swimming with whale sharks and stingrays and drinking freshly cut coconut juice on the beach.

“Seems like the local population were clearing the rainforest (which covered 90 per cent of the island at the time of our visit, 2023) at an alarming rate to make room for new hotels, some of which apparently already have appeared on Booking.com.”

Reddit users were amazed by the pictures. One wrote: “Man I wish I could be there now. Looks amazing.”

Another said: “Oh man I’m heading to Sri Lanka in about a month and was considering hopping over. I even booked a ‘just in case hotel on this exact island but cancelled and thought I shouldn’t rush Sri Lanka. Now I’m second guessing!!”

The original poster replied: “It’s indeed best to not rush Sri Lanka, it deserves your full time and attention!

“We were in Sri Lanka for 23 days and five days in the Maldives, so only three full days on this particular island, since the transport to/from the capital city and its only international airport took almost a full day on the local ferry – if you still decide to go opt for the speedboat option!

“The local ferry involves a transfer or two at other local islands and is bound to make you seasick, and takes three times as long as the speedboat.”

The island also has rave reviews on Booking.com, with one visitor writing: “The most beautiful sea I have ever seen in my entire life.”

However, asked if they would return, the Reddit user wrote: “The locals are clearing the islands’ palm tree forest at an alarming rate, already at the time of our visit (see picture 13 for a glimpse into that). So maybe it’s best to not spoil our fond memories of Dhigurah by being confronted with a vastly changed island.”

CROATIA is full of islands, in fact it has over one thousand of them, but there’s one that was the favourite hotspot for royalty many years ago.

It’s not hard to see why either as the island is covered in lush olive groves and ruins of those grand former summer residences.

Šipan Island is the largest of the Elaphiti archipelago and is around 11 miles away from Dubrovnik.

On the island there are just two hotels, so you can opt for an overnight stay at either Hotel Šipan in Šipanska Luka and Hotel Božica in Suđurađ.

Both are expensive, although Hotel Božica offers a more relaxed retreat than what you’ll find on mainland Croatia.

It’s small with around 30 rooms, and guests can make use of the outdoor pool, a private beach, a restaurant and a lounge bar.

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In peak summer it can be as much as £380 per night.

If you want to simply explore, then jump on a ferry and take a daytrip from Dubrovnik.

To get to Šipan, holidaymakers need to take the ferry from Dubrovnik.

There’s one ferry a day, and the trip takes around 45 minutes with a one-way ticket costing £3.63pp.

Once you get to the island, you’ll find a mass of olive groves – as it holds a Guinness World Record for the highest density of olive trees per square meter.

This is also why it’s called ‘golden island’, thanks to its rich land which produces quality olive oil.

It is inhabited by around 480 residents who live between the two main villages, Šipanska Luka on the western side and Suđurađ on the southeastern tip.

You’ll also spot some ruins that used to be Roman villas and summer residences of Dubrovnik nobility.

Thanks to its proximity to the city, Šipan Island used to be the holiday spot for rich and noble Croatian families from Dubrovnik.

One of those is Vice Stjepović-Skočibuha in the village of Suđurađ, the most famous one among them.

Of the 13 Elaphiti Islands, only three are inhabited; Koločep, Lopud, and Šipan.

Koločep is the island nearest to Dubrovnik, and it has two villages, plenty of hiking trails, and the Modra šilja, known as The Blue Cave.

On Lopud, visitors will find the very pretty Šunj beach and a historic monastery.

Much further up the coast, nearer to Zagreb, Krk is Croatia’s largest island, and unlike Šipan, it can be accessed via a bridge, so there’s no need to take the ferry.

As it’s one of the larger Croatian islands, which has a number of resorts, hotels, holiday homes and campsites.

There are over 68 towns and villages on the island, and a popular spot is Beach Kozica, also known as the silent beach, which has been described as “dream bay” by visitors thanks to its clear waters.

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Plus, here’s more on the Croatian town that Brits always skip, which is named one of the cheapest beach resorts in Europe.

And check out the tiny European coastal town that used to be its own island named top 2024 hidden gem.

WITH its harbour, picturesque beaches and rugged countryside, the island of Guernsey could be any ordinary holiday destination at first glance.

But scratch below the surface and you’ll uncover the fascinating story of its five-year occupation by the Nazis — and about an an unlikely survivor of the invasion, Timmy the Tortoise.

I was keen to learn about it during my adventure on the second largest of the Channel Islands.

So I booked several short guided day trips with Tours Of Guernsey.

Guide Amanda Johns and I ticked off all the key sites, from museums to former bunkers and even a German underground hospital.

This medical centre — which incredibly doubled up as an ammunition store — had to be the highlight, and the extensive dark passages are a must-see for any history buff.

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The huge maze of tunnels were excavated by slave labourers, leading to wards, operation theatres, escape shafts, a cinema room and mortuary.

Above ground, I headed to the northern coast to Fort Hommet, a former Martello tower which was turned into a searchlight bunker.

After the war, part of the bunker was transformed into The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, featuring 30 Biblical pictures made from seashells.

Other sites include the German Occupation Museum, a warren of rooms containing one man’s extensive collection of items from 1940.

The Pleinmont Gun Battery has been restored and offers terrific views across the English Channel.

Batterie Mirus, the largest World War Two gun battery in the Channel Islands, was my last stop.

Its underground bunker can only be viewed by private tour.

Restored by Festung Guernsey, with many original features being reproduced using a 3D printer, the walls within are still dotted with German inscriptions, including the Nazi Eagle.

Potato peel pie

It was an honour to pay it a visit the day after Princess Anne was shown around while on the island for the Liberation Day celebrations.

The day marks when Allied troops freed the locals from Nazi rule on May 9, 1945.

On the 80th anniversary this year, I witnessed a cavalcade of military vehicles, fireworks and a drone light show.

One local making headlines during the celebrations was Timmy, 87 — actually a female — who survived Nazi occupation.

She was given to Maggie Cull as a christening present in 1941, not long after she and her parents were turfed out of their home by the Nazis.

After all that history I’d certainly worked up an appetite.

Luckily my base, St Pierre Park Hotel, was just a 25-minute walk into St Peter Port, where there are pubs and restaurants aplenty.

Fifty Seven restaurant is set over two floors and has stunning views of Castle Cornet and the coastline.

The menu features steaks cooked fresh on the grill as well as some excellent fish dishes including oven-baked monkfish on chilli linguine.

As you’re by the sea, grab yourself some fish and chips — the restaurant at Les Douvres Hotel dishes up one of the largest portions I’ve ever seen.

On my last night I dined on a special Liberation Day menu at the Old Government House Hotel, close to the harbour.

This 5H property was turned into the German General Staff Headquarters during the war and it still has an old-world feel about it today.

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The menu featured a delicious potato peel pie, a dish created by locals to cope with food shortages during Nazi occupation.

The perfect meal to end my historical adventure.

AS I walked down the gangplank, I felt green – no not seasick, ENVY!

I’m taking a look at the latest vessel to join the Ambassador fleet, its first fly-cruise ship.

Renaissance was setting off from London Tilbury on a cold afternoon to spend the winter cruising the Caribbean – sadly, without me.

The first guests were already having fun at Le Lido with its lovely swimming pool and two whirlpools, under an impressive retractable roof.

There is another outdoor pool at the stern.

Renaissance is British-French owned and recently renovated – and it shows. Not glitzy, not modern, just effortlessly chic.

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Top-notch dining

It can carry 1,100 guests who will fly/cruise from Barbados on 14-night itineraries, which include visits to St Kitts, Martinique, Antigua, St Maarten and Curacao.

The cruise line has chartered Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow or Manchester to fly you in style to join Renaissance for the winter season, with four choices of seating class.

Renaissance will then head to Blighty for the summer to join sister ships Ambience and Ambition with exciting new itineraries.

A peek at the choice of cabins impressed me. Even the inside one is spacious, light and airy, with serious amounts of storage – and enough hangers!

This is not a super- luxurious expensive cruise line, but it offers a great-value opportunity to escape the British winter.

The inside cabins were the best I have ever seen. The suites? Well, with a super-spacious private balcony, I would have had to drag myself away to enjoy the onboard entertainment. They were very good value.

There are of course porthole and window cabins, some balcony, and even cabins with sliding doors onto the outside deck.

The theatre was gorgeous – elegant and comfortable, West End glamour – without the queue for the Ladies!

A large gym, and free access to the spa suite promised opportunities to keep fit. Lots of lounge and library space too.

And there are plenty of top-notch dining options.

The impressive Valet main dining restaurant covers two decks and offers great sea views.

The Belle Vue buffet restaurant is great for casual dining and there are three speciality venues at a small extra cost plus a signature Chef’s Table seven-course dining experience.

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Kreole will serve up a vibrant menu reflecting Caribbean culinary traditions, Lotus has Pan-Asian options and Terre et Mer will feature a six-course extravaganza.

I was sad Renaissance sailed without me this time but you don’t have to miss the boat, there are Christmas and New Year cruises as well as lots more dates to discover the delights of Ambassadors’ Renaissance in the Caribbean in 2026.

HAILEY Bieber revealed her bare bum in a tiny thong bikini before making out with husband Justin in steamy pictures.

The couple are holidaying on a private island but Hailey, 28, gave fans a glimpse of what they had been up to in a new Instagram post.

Hailey posted a montage of pictures and simply captioned them: “Hell yeah!”

The first picture saw the model posing in a green thong bikini with a lilac headscarf around her hair.

Turned to the side, Hailey showed off her peachy derriere as she stood close to the beach.

Another picture in the montage offered an even closer up view of her bum as she posed in a black thong bikini.

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With her back to the camera, she glanced over her shoulder with her wet hair hanging around her shoulders.

Husband Justin, 31, clearly couldn’t get enough of his hot wife, and in one black and white snap, the couple were seen kissing.

Justin had his back to the camera and had hold of his wife’s waist, while Hailey cupped his face with one hand, and placed the other around the back of his head.

The singer showed his appreciation for his wife’s pictures by commenting: “Oh my f***in god”.

Hailey was also seen posing with her friend Kendall Jenner – who was celebrating her 30th birthday on the island – and looked stunning in a backless animal print mini dress.

Hailey and Justin have been married since 2018 and share son Jack, one, together.

Their trip for Kendall’s birthday comes just a few days after The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed how the couple were taunted by fans at a baseball game.

The stars were in the stands watching the LA Dodgers play the Toronto Blue Jays in Los Angeles.

Canadian Justin proudly rocked a Blue Jays jersey for his favorite team as he and Hailey, watched the game – which was not well received by the die-hard Dodgers fans in their home city.

Justin first irked Dodgers fans by loudly booing player Shohei Ohtani after he hit a home run, giving the home team a 2-0 lead.

Soon, Justin started being “heckled by fans,” an onlooker exclusively told The U.S. Sun.

“He was really heavily taunted for wearing a Blue Jays jersey,” the eyewitness said, adding that his vocal disapproval of the home run didn’t help matters.

PETE Davidson and Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry wreaked havoc on the New York City Marathon and caused major delays for runners, a source has said.

The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal that the massive ship’s trip through the waters between Staten Island and Brooklyn to display a Nike ad during the New York Marathon created issues for anxious racers on Sunday, November 2.

“Pete and Colin’s ferry caused a delay for runners taking the ferry to Staten Island for the start of the marathon,” a source claimed.

Despite the ferry being owned by a couple of comedians, no one was laughing. 

“Some people thought it was a joke but it wasn’t,” the insider continued.

Runners waiting at Pier 79 in Manhattan to get to Colin and Pete’s native Staten Island for the start of the marathon grew irritated as workers told them they were delayed due to the JFK Staten Island Ferry’s troubles in the harbor.

The Saturday Night Live co-stars ferry, which had been painted bright pink for the Nike advertisement, was tugged from its dock in Staten Island.

“The runners’ ferries were leaving about 20 minutes later than they should’ve, and they were told there were issues with Staten Island helping the guys out with the ferry. It was causing a backup on the river.

“Everyone was already anxious so it was a bit frustrating.”

The U.S. Sun reached out to a rep for the JFK Ferry for comment. 

ROUGH RIDE 

In photos exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun last month, the ferry was seen painted bright pink with a hint of the Nike logo in its dock in Staten Island.

The massive vessel looked rusted and rotted in its slip, appearing far from the upscale entertainment venue the Saturday Night Live stars had envisioned.

From one vantage point, the famous ferry’s orange paint had faded to a faint pink after being left unattended on the salty water under the hot sun. 

The ship’s sides showed extensive rusting and what seem to be saltwater stains beneath the windows.

The opposite side of the decommissioned New York City Department of Transportation vessel showed the bright pink paint job with the Nike logo peeking out from behind giant tarps.

The comedians have been racking up huge docking fees for the boat they hoped to transform, but they also have unpaid legal bills, according to a lawsuit filed in New York against their company, Titanic 2. 

The suit claims an outstanding bill of $13,000 is owed to the law firm Nicoletti, Hornig, Namazi, Eckert & Sheehan.

The ship’s last public sighting before the marathon was when it was used for the Tommy Hilfiger show during New York Fashion Week in September 2024.

A video posted to the fashion house’s Instagram showed the ferry wrapped in their signature red, white, and blue logo, docked in New York’s harbor with the Statue of Liberty in the background, before it was docked for the event. 

PETE & COLIN’S GRAND VISION AND SETBACKS

In a December 2024 interview, Pete laid out his ambitious plans for the vessel.

“We do have, believe it or not, an in-depth plan,” Pete told the Wall Street Journal at the time. “Every day I get asked about this f***ing boat, and we’re raising the funds.

“We’re going to do a floor at a time. There’s a full plan in motion, and meanwhile, people are renting it out.”

The ferry was indeed rented for the Tommy Hilfiger show (which Colin Jost attended, though Pete did not) and also served as the set for a horror film, Steamboat Willie.

The ship’s planned renovation has faced numerous delays over the last three years.

FRIENDSHIP ON THE ROCKS

Once close friends and SNL castmates, Pete and Colin’s relationship soured in 2024 amid Pete’s personal struggles.

“Something big happened and Colin is now refusing to be in the same building, let alone the same room as Pete,” an insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun at the time. 

“Colin doesn’t want to be associated with Pete.”

The pair were seen shaking hands when Pete made a cameo on SNL in November 2024, but the interaction was visibly tense.

Pete seemed to hint at his rumored rift with Colin when discussing his friend and fellow comedian, John Mulaney, and the few friends who have remained loyal.

“I watched him as he took it on the chin a couple of years ago and had to completely revamp his life,” Pete said in the WSJ interview. 

“I’m kind of in the midst of that now, and he’s been helping me so much. It was so inspiring to watch him beat his addiction, become an even bigger comedian, go on an arena tour, start a family.

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“He’s so happy now and it looks effortless, but it’s not.”

He concluded by naming his closest confidants: “And I’ve got to say, he’s always had my back and he’s always there, and not a lot of people are for me. I would say it’s just him, Lorne [Michaels] and Machine Gun Kelly.”