visited

There is no better way to explore a city than by foot, but not all places are as suitable for an adventure as others, as I found out during a recent visit to the world’s most walkable city

There is no better way to explore a city than on foot. Once touched down in a city, bag in the hotel and a fresh pair of socks on, the first thing I do is go for a walk.

It is impossible to get a feel for a place from the back of a taxi or from the elevated vantage point of a coach. You’ve got to start pounding the pavement, ideally without a destination in mind, and see where you end up.

On a recent trip to Rome, I set out from my central station hotel and marveled at the carnage of the Trevi Fountain queues, crossed the Ponte Sant’Angelo, and witnessed a coordinated group of ball-under-cup scammers sweatily fail to take anyone’s money. Last spring, I headed out into Benidorm, finding myself an impossibly cheap roast, a seafront pint of Guinness, and a ‘Good boys go to heaven, bad boys go to Benidorm’ t-shirt.

And so, in April, I applied the same approach to Seoul, a city recently named the most walkable in the world.

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OPINION

Each year, Time Out conducts an annual city survey, this time around quizzing 24,000 people on how easy or not it is to discover given cities on foot. The ranking is based on the highest percentage of locals who rated their city’s walkability ‘good’ or ‘amazing’, and the South Korean capital tops the list.

“A city doesn’t have to be small to be walkable. In fact, Seoul is one of the largest cities on the list by surface area and population, but its impressive 93 percent approval rating from locals has secured the South Korean capital joint-first position. Why? Well, the city has a reputation as an exceedingly safe place to stroll by day and night, and is home to neighbourhoods such as Myeongdong, Insadong, and Hongdae, which are all primed for exploring on foot,” writes Time Out.

“Then there are the innovative pedestrian walkways, like Seoullo 7017, an 1074m-long elevated ‘sky garden’ which has seen an old inner city highway revamped into a stroll-worthy green space, home to 24,000 different plants. In downtown Seoul, the Cheonggyecheon Stream is flanked by a walkway that not only links many of the city’s central metro stations, but also landmarks such as Gwanjang Market, Jongmyo Shrine and Gyeongbokgung Palace.”

I could not disagree more.

Seoul is a fantastic city. It’s alive with a kind of youthful, optimistic energy that feels far removed from most places I’ve visited; it’s fearlessly trendy, and it’s centered on an urban mountain blanketed with cherry blossoms come the spring.

But walkable it is not. Seoul is a car city.

The almost unbelievably cheap cost of an Uber (we’re talking around £5 for a half-hour ride) means that hopping in a cab is far more common than in the UK, while the wide, four and six-lane roads that dominate much of the city encourage motoring. And produce a lot of fumes.

According to NASA, Seoul is one of the world’s cities with the worst air pollution, beating Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, and London. You can certainly feel it. On one crisp morning, I walked up Namsan, the 170-meter-tall hill in Seoul’s center. The view from the top would be spectacular, were it not for the heavy, shimmering cloud that hung over everything.

Walking back down, I started to get the vague feeling I’d done something wrong. I hadn’t accidentally offended a waiter or lost my hotel pass; it was the signs. Seoul is a city of signs. From the expected ‘no smoking’, to the less typical ‘no archery’, to the possibly unique ‘no hiking without a flashlight’, everywhere you look, some kind of rule is being transmitted to you. It doesn’t leave you with a feeling of freedom and exploration, nor do the CCTV cameras placed on tall metal poles in the city’s woodland.

It’s a place that’s big on rules and completely opposed to bins. Having finished a snack, I walked for two hours without finding a trash can. South Koreans are expected to take their rubbish home with them – a system that says a lot about the population’s diligent character, but one I find inherently anti-social.

As I do the lack of pavements that had me regularly sliding down alleyway walls to give way to cars, and the complete, frustrating prohibition of jaywalking. Couple all of this with the fact that the city lacks an obvious centre and is exhaustingly massive, and its status as one of the world’s least walkable cities is clear.

Given my love of treading the tarmac, it says a lot about how fantastic the rest of Seoul is that I left in love with the place. From the fish-filled waters of Cheonggyecheon River, the rusty octopus of Yongma Land, and the impossibly cheap but high-grade cosmetics, it’s a fascinating place that feels like it’s at the centre of the world. Just prepare to order a cab.

This city is a favourite among trendy, wealthy people – but I don’t see the charm.

I have been lucky enough to see a fair amount of the world not only in my role as a travel reporter, but also in my own time. However, after spending a long weekend in this popular European city I have finally discovered a place I will never return to.

Berlin is beloved by trendy east Londoners who pretend they don’t have a double barrelled surname and a trust fund. The city is full of even trendier Berliners who pretend they don’t have any interest in being cool, whilst still trying as hard as possible to appear so.

I have visited before and found the city grey, utilitarian, dirty and ugly. At the time I had a friend living there who told me the city would “eat you alive” if you let it – and I believed him.

I spent a weekend there and over those two days I stood in human faeces whilst walking through a park, watched people urinate in the U-Bahn, saw one man vomit and another man sit in it.

I was hounded by wasps for every hour of the day, and shady characters for every hour of the night.

I didn’t get eaten alive, but by the time I flew out of the city morale was low. I spent the next seven years vowing I would never return – but a twist of circumstance saw me packing my bags last Friday to spend another long weekend in Berlin.

My friends were visiting Europe from New Zealand, and the only weekend I had free time to see them was the weekend they were in Berlin, so I decided I’d give it another go. I was hoping my initial impression of the city had been wrong, and that my return trip would show me the real side of the city

Whether real or not, the side I saw was not to my liking.

The city was still as utilitarian and grey as I remembered. We stayed in Neukölln, a trendy artistic neighbourhood with plenty of coffee shops, späti (like off-licences but with seats outside to sit and enjoy a beer) and vintage shops. These are all my favourite things, but Berlin’s version of them was tinted with the greasy pallid feeling you get after a night out that has gone on several hours too long.

My least favourite thing about Berlin however, is the wasps. In late summer, they have reached peak population and ruin the city’s outdoor spaces. Sitting outside to enjoy a brunch, coffee or a pint becomes a feat of endurance as these angry insects swarm you, fall inside your pints, try to crawl inside your nose and mouth and generally make a nuisance of themselves. It’s also illegal to kill them, as they are protected under the Wildlife Act.

Over the three days I was there I had two of them die in my beer, and four of them make my £7 donut inedible.

My Berlin weekend was not all bad. I did find an amazing coffee shop near our accommodation called Leuchtstoff Kaffeebar. The coffee was delicious – perhaps the best I’ve had since I left New Zealand two years ago, and I enjoyed a Bircher Muesli that set me up perfectly for my day of wandering the city.

The café also serves pastries, and had a very cool mezzanine that you could climb up to via a ladder.

I also visited the Jewish Museum in Kreuzberg. Admission is free, and the building is truly something to behold. It uses architecture and art installations to create a feeling of absence and highlight the huge loss felt by the community as a result of the millions murdered during the Holocaust.

A large section of the building is below ground, with multi-media installations and plenty of information about the history of Judaism and their persecution in Germany. It was a sombre afternoon, but definitely worth a visit if you are in the city,

Despite finding a few things I liked about Berlin, overall my sense of the city was that it is without whimsy. I won’t say it’s soulless – but the soul it possesses is not one I care to find out more about.

FROM Art Deco architecture and superstar football to incredible Cuban sandwiches and sizzling nightlife, Miami packs a serious punch for a short stay. 

For Brits, it’s often combined with cruises from the Florida city’s port, making it the perfect start or end to a Caribbean cruise this winter.

The weather remains gorgeous throughout our colder months, with temperatures still in the mid to high 20s.

For first-timers, a stay on Miami Beach puts you right at the centre of the very best of this captivating city.

ARE THESE STREETS MADE FOR WALKING? It’s America — so no, the car remains king. But that’s not to say there aren’t walkable districts.

South Beach and Mid Beach excel with their paved Beachwalk and pedestrianised Lincoln Road is a shoppers’ paradise with all the popular brands and a host of cafes and restaurants offering al fresco dining.

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In trendy Wynwood you can easily explore on foot to take in street art, galleries, boutiques and a buzzing nightlife scene.

ANYTHING FOR THE BUCKET LIST? Learn all about the huge Cuban influence on Miami on a food and drink tour of Little Havana with Miami Culinary Tours.

Over two and a half hours, you’ll stroll the streets learning how Cuban exiles transformed the city’s flavours and culture.

Among my favourites were the Cuban sandwich stuffed with roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese and pickles at Old’s Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina, washed down with a perfect mojito and the crispy beef empanadas from El Pub.

But the tour also features stops at a traditional Cuban cigar shop and Domino Park to watch the locals play fast-paced games.

Another must is a stroll along South Beach’s Ocean Drive to admire the gorgeous Art Deco buildings — book a guided walk through getyourguide.com to bring the history to life.

And football fans won’t want to miss a match at Nu Stadium — home to Inter Miami CF, co-owned by David Beckham and famous for signing Lionel Messi.

WHERE SHOULD I EAT? Award- winning Austin chef Tyson Cole brings his very modern take on Japanese cuisine to Miami with not one but two restaurants, each offering a vast variety of unusual sushi, sashimi and nigiri paired with quirky flavours from citrus to smoke.

Uchi in Wynwood leans into the citrus while sister restaurant Uchiko is all about char and open-flame cooking. The vast menus can be a bit overwhelming but the brilliant staff will guide you and the quality is outstanding. Visit during the daily Happy Hours to enjoy it for a fraction of the price.

I FANCY A DRINK: Of course, for the in-crowd and those with deep pockets, there are plenty of stunning cocktail joints and seriously cool hotel bars on South Beach — including MILA just off Lincoln Road and the Matador Bar at the Miami Beach Edition.

But for those of us with smaller bank balances, taking advantage of happy hours is a great way to save. Sweet Liberty in Collins Park in Mid Beach has a popular happy hour from 4pm to 7pm with cocktails from £7.40 and craft beers from £4.50. Cafe La Trova in Little Havana sees waiters formally serving up Cuban daiquiris and mojitos.

Or head to Veza Sur Brewing Co. & Cerveceria La Tropical in Wynwood for an outdoor beer garden with pints from £5.20.

WHERE SHOULD I STAY? For all the benefits of South Beach without the crowds, stay at gorgeous Art Deco gem, The Palms Hotel and Spa.

Just ten minutes by car from Ocean Drive and Wynwood, the hotel’s lush gardens feature a pool and tiki bar plus plenty of loungers.

You can stroll onto the stunning white sands where even more loungers and shades await.

The hotel has a great focus on sustainability — you can pick up a bucket on the beach to help tidy up and be rewarded with a free gelato.

The light and airy rooms have an understated, tropical vibe and the ocean views are stunning.            

DEEP in the forest, I’m watching tiny, rare frogs swimming and croaking (more of a weird squeak, really) in a flooded chamber at ancient Roman city, Bouthroton.

This is not what I expected in “the Maldives of Europe”.

Apparently someone, somewhere posted online a couple of years ago that Albania has some fabulous beaches with turquoise water like the Indian Ocean paradise islands, and the nickname stuck.

I’d long been intrigued by what was a communist totalitarian state until the mid-Nineties and had thought of it more as “the North Korea of Europe”!

So when I was on holiday in nearby Corfu, and discovered full-day tours operated, I jumped at the chance to see for myself.

The good-value trips are run by Tui-owned Musement and mine started at 7.30am with a 30-minute coach transfer from the hotel to the port, then a 75-minute ferry across to beach resort Sarandë in Albania, a coach pick-up there and a few hours of guided sightseeing.

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After a coffee pitstop, the coach headed south to the uncrowded, unspoilt Butrint archaeological site and its surrounding national park.

I’d heard of Butrint’s large lake but was not aware of its history, with human habitation here dating back thousands of years.

However, this visit took my group back to a “mere” 800 BC and the Unesco-listed ruins of Bouthroton founded by Greeks and taken over by Romans.

There’s a lot of walking on rough tracks in the forest and a fair few steps, so trainers are best.

Enthusiastic guide Lindita was a mine of information about the ancient forum, amphitheatre, public baths, aqueduct and almost 3,200ft of encircling walls, up to 23ft high.

A 4th-century earthquake affected sea levels, and the city was finally abandoned in the Middle Ages, with high tides causing flooding – but creating a habitat for those noisy little Greek water frogs and cute terrapins.

On to the adjacent national park, with Lindita explaining about the lake (actually a lagoon), which is linked to the sea by a 1.6-mile channel.

The rich birdlife includes the magnificently-named short-toed snake eagle while the mussels in the lake are hailed as Europe’s best.

Before the ferry back to Corfu, we had a brief photo stop at Sarandë’s Lëkurësi Castle – on an 800ft hill with outstanding views – and time for a chilled Albanian beer at a seafront bar.

The downside? It’s a 12 hour-plus day, with an agonising 2hr 10min journey back from the port to my hotel as other guests were dropped off. Still, I saw a lot of Corfu.

And while my included lunch was OK, I’ve never been on any excursion where water is not provided.

On the bus back to Sarandë – and from the ferry – I did spot some lovely beaches, but is Albania “the Maldives of Europe”? Hmm, not atoll. And there is a huge amount of unsightly hotel construction around Sarande and nearby Ksamil.

But the trip is an enjoyable, insightful taste of Albania and I’d definitely think about a holiday there. Maybe I’d even get to see a short-toed snake eagle.

Albania day trip from Crete, from £67pp plus port tax of 20Euros pp.

WANT to know what true happiness feels like? You’ll need to ditch crowded European beaches for mud-covered, chill out sessions and freezing cold lakes.

Earlier this year, Finland was named the happiest country in the world for the ninth year running.

According to the World Population Review, Finland scored 7.74 out of 10 overall in the most recent index – compared to the world average which is 5.57.

The happiness score factors are calculated across six categories including social support, life expectancy and freedom to make choices.

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The report also mentions that top-ranked countries tend to have a combination of a higher income average, longer life expectancy and great freedom.

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So on a recent trip to Finland, I really put those stats to the test exploring different parts of Finnish life and culture to find out just why they are so cheerful.

Saunas

If the Finns are known for one thing, it is their saunas.

With a staggering 3.2million saunas compared to 5.2million people, there is nearly a sauna per 1.6 people.

And until experiencing the sauna culture in the country for myself, I didn’t get the hype.

But being in a sauna is the ultimate relaxation.

And they aren’t all the same kind – you get saunas of different temperatures, wood-fired saunas, smoke saunas and so on.

My favourite was the peat sauna, where I covered myself in mud and let it harden before scrubbing it off in the shower.

It is meant to do wonders for your skin and I did feel very refreshed and clean afterwards.

Saunas are also proven to be good for your health, with benefits for your heart, circulation and stress levels – promoting relaxation, better well-being and a decent night’s sleep.

Free foraging

In Finland, there are Everyman’s Rights – a traditional legal principle that allows everyone to freely explore nature without the landowner’s permission or having to pay a fee.

Whether it be swimming, walking, cycling or even riding a horse, you are allowed to do it all – even on privately owned land.

As part of the rights, you are allowed to pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers as long as they are not protected species.

And Finland is abundant with tasty berries such as blueberries and lingonberries and mushrooms, such as chanterelles and porcini.

I love UK forests and it is always fun to see different mushrooms, but having such a variety that are safe to eat is something a little more special.

Forests & lakes

Seventy per cent of Finland is covered in forest and 10 per cent of the land area is lakes.

With that in mind, there are a lot of lush green places to walk and open calm waters to swim in.

In total, Finland has around 188,000 lakes with the largest being Lake Saimaa, which is where I visited.

Despite the water being a chilly 17C, thanks to the Everyman’s Rights you can dip in and out as much as you like.

The refreshing dips truly are invigorating and very relaxing if paired with a session in a sauna.

Most of the lakes are surrounded by dense forest with towering trees that look like they have been ripped out of a fairytale.

You can spend even longer enjoying it as you are allowed to pitch a tent for a night or two freely.

Kota culture

Across the parks, forests and at the edge of lakes you will find these cosy-looking indoor-outdoor cabins.

These are actually nicknamed ‘kota’ or ‘Grillikota’ and are shelters invented by the indigenous Sami people of Lapland around 4,000 years ago.

Over the years, the huts have been modernised relevant to today’s uses and now they are usually hexagonal or octagonal wooden cabins along hiking trails used to grill sausages and make food while enjoying outdoor adventures.

Public huts, such as those I found on one of the many islands on Lake Saimaa, are unlocked and free to use and are usually managed by the Finnish Forest Administration.

There only tends to be one rule and that is that the space must always be made for the newest, most exhausted hiker who arrives.

Firewood is also provided for free at public kotas and you must leave no trace.

Less people

Finland is about 1.4 times bigger than the UK, yet the country’s population (5.2million) is just over half the population of the UK’s capital, London (9.1million).

While initially I felt a little uncomfortable when walking around Imatra and seeing no people, it means that everywhere is so peaceful and constantly clean.

The entire time I was in Finland I didn’t see a single piece of rubbish – but with an incentive of around 20 cents per bottle you recycle, it’s easy to see why.

WARM autumn weather? Tick. Big price drops? Tick. Bargain flights? Tick.

If you’re looking for a great family-friendly city break without breaking the bank, I need to sell you Porto.

We’ve visited Lisbon and the Algarve before and found them to be an affordable alternative to some of the top Spanish hotspots.

So it came as no surprise that Porto was named by the Post Office in a recent city costs barometer as the place in Western Europe with the biggest price drop in tourists costs, with costs falling by 15.5 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

I was wowed by the affordable accommodation options I found for my family of five, with cheap-as-chips drinks and public transport to boot.

Two nights sleeping on a boat at the marina cost just €242 (£207), while flights can be found for as little as £18.99 each way.

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And it makes for the best bit of post-summer sunshine when temperatures are on average 23C in September, although is reaching 32C this week.

Porto is a lovely city to wander around and explore.

There’s the beautiful blue and white tiles on the churches and at Sao Bento railway station, vintage trams trundling along, a cable car to see the sights and a double decker bridge where pedestrians can cross the Douro River up high or down low.

And we weren’t forking out loads for cold drinks and ice creams when we needed a rest – glasses of wine were £2.57 (€3), a beer was £1.50 (€1.80) and ice creams were between £1.70 and £2.57 (€2-€3) a pop.

My top tip for keeping your city break in budget would be to avoid some of the expensive tourist traps that might not actually add much to your trip other than extra costs, especially if you have to pay for five people each time.

The Livraria Lello – supposed to be the most beautiful bookshop in the world – is beautiful but costs £13.70 (15.95€), working out to mor than £50 for a family of four.

My boys were just as happy to admire the lovely old fixtures and fittings in nearby shops – all for free.

An unusual spot that has won hearts recently is the McDonald’s in the former Imperial Cafe in Praça da Liberdade, reputed to be the world’s most beautiful branch of the fast food chain.

Inside you’ll find chandeliers, a striking eagle statue over the entrance and gorgeous art deco stained glass, along with your standard fast food menu.

It’s family-friendly swaps like these that can make or break your city stay.

Make sure to remember the tourist tax for adults and teens, which is £2.57 (€3) per person per night which you pay on arrival.

You can also squeeze in some beach time too.

We headed up to coastal town Viana do Castelo, which hosts one of Portugal‘s biggest festivals in mid-August, and our train fare for five of us was £57.50 (67€) return.

Porto is picture- and pocket-perfect, with laidback vibes aplenty. We could easily have spent much longer in the city, especially with its low-cost living.

Why not give it an explore this autumn?

WE MIGHT all be sad that summer is over but the good news is that an indoor waterpark that happens to be the biggest in the country has also just been named the best.

Of course, there’s a shed load of things to do already in Blackpool but on a recent weekend craving a dip in a pool, I made a beeline for the Sandcastle Waterpark located on the beach.

Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is kept at a toasty 29C and has more than 18 waterslides and attractions.

The real gem of the show is the adult-only spa, hidden in plain sight in the middle of the waterpark.

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You’ll have to pay an extra £7.50 per person to enter the Sea Breeze Spa but it is well worth the money.

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When I visited it was quiet, with only one or two other people using the area, compared to the packed waterpark surrounding it.

Dipping in and out of the saunas and steam room was the ideal way to relax.

I spent half an hour in the salt inhalation room allowing my lungs to fill with warm, salty air and calm my nervous system.

There are also foot spas for the ultimate pampering and the loungers are great for chilling out while hearing the joyful screams of the waterpark around you.

The main waterpark area is obviously great as well.

The Master Blaster snakes around the park and claims the title as the longest indoor roller coaster waterslide in the world, stretching 250 metres.

There’s Sidewinder too, which is the world’s first indoor vertical drop slide.

Hovering over the edge of the half-pipe, butterflies flittered around my stomach anticipating the drop.

Before I knew it, I was tipped over the edge in my rubber ring, dropping metres down before being propelled up the other side of the pipe.

After, I ambled over to Aztec Falls, where in a rubber ring I dropped into a pitch-black bowl, swirling around like I was inside a waterfall.

There’s also Montazooma, where you head down a large drop and then whizz through high-speed bends.

A good family option is to head on the Duelling Dragon slides, where you can race side by side in the near dark.

If you don’t fancy any thrills, there’s also the option to be gently lulled by waves in the Typhoon Lagoon Wavepool.

The Ushi Gushi Action River is quite gentle too, where there’s a gentle current as if you were floating on a real river.

Little ones can have a splash in the Caribbean Storm Treehouse as well where there are water cannons and splash zones.

Tickets to the waterpark cost from £25.50 per person over the age of eight.

Tickets for kids between three and seven-years-old cost from £16.50 per person.

A GIANT glittery guitar hangs next to bright pink awnings and a huge sign that reads: “Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel”.

The 12-storey building was one of the music icon’s final projects — and while she won’t get to see it open following her death at the age of 80 last month, it will ensure her legacy lives on in Nashville.

Parton was heavily involved in the creation of the 240-room hotel, which is a glittering addition to the Tennessee skyline and an absolute must-visit for fans.

It opens to the public on September 29, and I was one of the lucky few granted a first look.

A number of Parton’s costumes will be exhibited in the lobby in a nod to Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor, where interconnected digital screens tell a 15-minute story of her life.

General manager Shannon Foster says: “We are expecting ­people to walk in even when they’re not staying here. We want everyone to feel welcome.”

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Hotel guests will encounter more moments of magical discovery as they move through the elegant building, where song lyrics are etched on to doorframes.

Guests can choose from four room categories — even the most basic of which has the wow factor. But those with cash to splash can spoil themselves with a night in the Acoustic Suite, which is completely geared up for songwriters.

Its living area comes with a keyboard, while drawer liners adorned with Parton’s famous quotes add a personal touch.

The most heartwarming element of the hotel, however, are the Six Sisters rooms on every floor.

“When the designers asked Dolly what she wanted most in the hotel, she replied that she’d always wanted to share a room with her five ­sisters,” Foster explained.

The result is a touching tribute to the Parton family bond — a suite with three double beds separated by candy-stripe curtains and a washroom with two showers and toilets.

The rooms are connected by a ­living area in the middle with a curved sofa, a side table painted with each sister’s favourite flower and a chandelier decorated with the siblings’ birthstones.

Foster considers the second floor to be the heart of the operation, though, with guests taking a lift up to a gold sparkling desk to check in.

Parton’s Live — cosy seating around a stage, and bar space ­created to showcase upcoming talent — sits opposite.

But the jewel in the hotel’s crown looks likely to be the late-night lounge Jolene’s, on the top floor.

It will open daily from 5pm and serve punchy cocktails, and a food menu to suit.

A spectacular view over Second Avenue and the Cumberland River — where the famous 4th of July fireworks take place — means Jolene’s will, arguably, have the best seat in the house for the celebration.

The hotel may be opening a month after the singer’s tragic death but her touch is everywhere.

It’s in the diamante trim on bottle-green barstools, in the corset lacing on the back of a pink ­velvet chair and in the words etched into the corner of a mirror.

“Dolly approved every single rendering that became a reality,” Foster said.

“The hotel is Dolly’s gift to Nashville.”

Parton’s influence on her spiritual home is undeniable and if you plan to visit, it’s well worth exploring beyond the hotel.

Her star in the Music City Walk of Fame Park, near the hotel, remains encircled with floral tributes.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, opposite the park, has been running a special exhibition about the music legend for the past 17 months.

Dolly Parton — Journey of a Seeker is due to end in October but the singer is honoured throughout for her music and activism.

Parton, whose Imagination Library has gifted over three million books to children worldwide — unwittingly entwined her identity into Nashville when she debuted at the Ryman auditorium at the age of 13.

She would not have known she would return to that very stage bigger and brighter each time.

And she definitely would not have dreamed that some day, she would own a hotel just three minutes away from the auditorium.

This is Dolly’s parting gift to Nashville. And it’s worth working 9 to 5 to bag yourself a room.

JEDDAH: More than five decades after the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, visited Al-Balad in Jeddah, the memory lives on through a small family business.

It was 1972 and Mohammed Ba Zaraah was sitting in his cafe, The Bird Shop, when in walked the legendary American fighter and sampled the traditional Hijazi drink, sobia.

It was during Ali’s first visit to the Kingdom to perform Hajj.

Ba Zaraah’s son, Khalid Najee, told Arab News that he was only 12 in 1972 and not in the cafe when the great man came to visit.

“But the story was passed down to me by my father and the shop has remained with the family for more than five decades,” he said.

“My father told me that Muhammad Ali suddenly entered his small shop. He described him as a big man with a nice smile.”

Ali was accompanied by high-ranking Saudi officials and neighbors soon realized that a famous visitor had entered the shop.

Ba Zaraah responded to the unexpected encounter with a gesture of traditional hospitality.

“He immediately offered him sobia,” Najee said. Sobia is a cold drink often made using barley, brown bread or oats soaked in water, with sugar and spices such as cinnamon and cardamom.

For Ba Zaraah, serving Ali a traditional beverage was an instinctive act of hospitality. But after the boxing legend left the visit took on a life of its own in the neighborhood.

“The neighbors started calling my father ‘Clay’ after Muhammad Ali,” Najee said. Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., before adopting the name Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.

His 1972 pilgrimage to Makkah is well documented, including photographs taken during Hajj.

Asked if he has a photo of the historical visit, Najee said: “Unfortunately, there is no photograph of Ali with my father.”

“There was no camera in the tiny shop that day and the encounter was never expected to become a piece of family history. Instead it survived through memory.”

The old cafe still exists and is currently undergoing restoration as part of the wider preservation and regeneration of Jeddah’s historic district.

For Najee, the restoration project represents an opportunity to carry his father’s story into the future.

“I want to name (it) Clay Sobia,” he said. “It is a tribute to my father and to a moment that connected a small Jeddah shop with one of the world’s greatest sporting legends.”

OUR Spotlight On column shines a light on the best things to see and do in popular holiday destinations, as well as some lesser known spots.

As Brazil sees a record breaking number of British tourists flocking to the country in 2026, this week we’ve set our sights on Rio de Janeiro.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey recently visited the iconic city.

She explained: “I’ve never been to a place that looked exactly like it did in the movies – enter Rio.

“From the 5am pink sunrise of Copacabana Beach, to the men selling teeny tiny bikinis all tied to a huge stick, the city welcomed me with vibrant colours and beautiful chaos.

“Make sure to do some shopping – Havaianas are a steal here compared to the UK, with too many shops to choose from – or just rent an umbrella and lounger for the day for less than £20.

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“Thanks to the many beach vendors, they’ll all come straight to you, serving cocktails, snacks, meals and even accessories.”

Here are some of our other top tips for a trip to the Brazilian capital.

MUST SEE/DO

Hop in a taxi and head over to the district of Santa Theresa, nicknamed Little Lisbon.

The resemblance comes from the very quaint yellow tram that runs the length of it to the fantastic independent shops and cafes.

Street art brings colour to the roads, alongside sellers hawking Brazilian football shirts and rogue monkeys swinging through the trees.

Make sure to order delicious acai bowls and ‘pão de queijo’ a cheesy bread, at Cultivar for a true Brazilian breakfast.

HIDDEN GEM

One of the famous Brazilian clothing brands is Farm Rio – but one has a hidden rooftop that no-one knows about.

Casa FARM rooftop is set across four floors but go to the top and you will get an amazing view of the beautiful Green Lagoon and Christ the Redeemer without the crowds.

BEST VIEW

You can’t visit Rio without going to see the famous Wonder of the World, Christ the Redeemer.

Make sure to check the weather before going up – any fog up there and you’ll only see half the man – but the massive statue surrounded by the city of Rio will leave you in awe of its grandeur.

Then head over to Sugarloaf mountain for just as fantastic views, after hopping in two cable cars to take you up the 1,299ft.

Rio express tour with Christ Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, from £70. See tuimusement.com.

RATED RESTAURANT

Make the most of the beautiful Rio beaches and eat at Tropik Beach Club, which is on Copacabana Beach with hearty bowls of shrimp rice and fresh ceviche, chased by a local caipirinha cocktail and live music as the sun goes down.

If you get snacky on your walk home, try and catch one of the nearby street vendors for a bag of Biscoito Globo a strangely-morish cassava beach snack.

BEST BAR

For a good night out, join the locals in the neighbourhood of Botafogo.

One of the most popular bars is Casa Tão Longe, Tão Perto which serves local Brazilian wines from small distilleries.

You have to be quick here. The tiny rattan seats line the pavement and are in short supply, but it is worth it for the friendly English-speaking staff.

For something a bit finer, head around to Belisco Bar de Vinhos, which serves up fantastic Chilean and Argentinian wine as well.

HOTEL PICK

The Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana couldn’t be better placed, straddling both Copacabana and Ipanema beach.

The rooftop infinity pool has a great snack menu as well as live DJs and beautiful views from the many sunloungers.

The rooms are simple but classy and spacious, many of which have seaview balconies.

Make sure to spend time at breakfast – the buffet is extensive – and book in for a glorious massage at the on-site spa.

Double rooms at Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana cost from £277 based on two sharing on room-only basis. See fairmont.com.

EUROPEAN city breaks can easily break the bank.

One museum, two cups of coffee and a short taxi ride in Paris or Rome can have your banking app in the red before you have even considered lunch.

But, in Bulgaria’s capital, the grandest sight has a golden dome and a whole day on public transport costs a startlingly low £1.70.

Say “dobŭr den” (good day in the local lingo) to Sofia, a leafy, lively city, which is a brilliant value getaway still slipping under too many Brits’ radar.

I have been all over Europe, the US and the Gulf states and yet when it comes to the deal of the century, there is one country that stands head and shoulders above the rest — and that’s budget-friendly Bulgaria.

For proof, the latest Eurostat data showed Bulgaria has the lowest overall consumer prices in the EU, with hotels and restaurants around 48 per cent below the average.

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In short, Sofia is a city where your holiday money can stretch almost as far as the eye can see.

Do not mistake the price tag for a lack of star power, though.

The mighty Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, all green copper and glittering gold, has that wow factor.

From there, you can stroll past grand old buildings, pavement cafes and Vitosha Boulevard, which stretches toward the mountain of the same name, rising in the distance like a blockbuster backdrop.

I checked into the magnificent Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia — a luxurious 5* retreat with 400 rooms and apartments, plus an amazing spa centre, gym and four themed restaurants and a one-of-a-kind Sky Bar, overlooking the city.

All that luxury would set you back upwards of £300 in one of Europe’s big-hitting capitals like Paris. But this was less than half that cost.

As part of the hotel complex, there is also a casino, the Palms Royale, which offers classic games such as roulette, poker, blackjack and modern slot machines as well as its own 24-hour restaurant and an upmarket Asian eatery.

Casino owner Milo Borissov, who is keen to welcome more British visitors, tells me: “We attract customers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

“Over half are weekend tourists who come specifically for the high-class service and games that the casino offers, combined with the restaurants, and the modern hotel accommodation.”

If you are out of luck at the casino, all is not lost, for Bulgaria also has some of the lowest prices in Europe for public transport, clothing, food, alcohol (you can still find a beer for about £1.50) and tobacco.

So where should you head first? St Petka of the Saddlers is a tiny, single-nave church partly sunk into the ground beside the bigger city sights.

It is so modest you could almost miss it, but make sure you don’t.

Standing on the site of an earlier Roman religious building, it preserves murals from several centuries. Duck inside and you can swap traffic noise for candlelit calm in seconds.

After this, head towards the former Central Mineral Baths.

Bring a reusable bottle: a restored marble fountain by the baths delivers warm mineral water from the city’s historic springs.

It is the sort of pleasingly simple freebie that makes you feel you have joined the locals, not just ticked off a landmark.

For another bit of time travel, go down to the Serdika area and take a lingering look around.

Roman-era Sofia is not sealed behind a museum door here — archaeological remains including excavated streets and ancient basilicas are right in the heart of town.

The cleverest hidden stop, though, is the Eighties-style Red Flat, on Ivan Denkoglu Street.

This is not a dusty museum. It is an interactive, four-room apartment that lets visitors touch, poke about and listen their way through the everyday life of a Bulgarian family in the Communist era. It’s an educational eye-opener.

For lunch, skip the obvious international chains and go on a mini food crawl.

Browse the Women’s Market for colourful stalls of fruit and veg plus ceramics and souvenirs, then seek out a Bulgarian cafe for home-cooked delicacies, such as banistra (cheese pastry) and kyufte (spiced, grilled minced meat rolls).

Then finish off your day with a glass of local wine or coffee in one of the side streets.

In fact, why not stretch to two? With prices this low, you’d be mad not to.

While many tourists flock to Cairo and Giza to see the Pyramids, there’s one perfect spot for history buffs that goes unnoticed

Drifting 2,000 feet above the ground in cloudless skies, I can hardly fathom that the only thing keeping me from plummeting to the ground is a balloon full of hot air and an engine spurting fire.

But here I am, in a hot air balloon rising high above the Valley of the Queens in Luxor, Egypt. It’s one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen – 20 or so other balloons bobbing around us as we take in the ancient temples and ruins dotting the land below us.

Our pilot reaches around his flight contraption to point out the Temple of Hatshepsut. There’s lush green vegetation, too, and people as small as ants working on uncovering more historical sites less than a mile beneath our basket.

I honestly thought I’d be more scared than this, but aside from a slightly bumpy landing – thankfully away from any farmers’ fields in the vicinity – the balloon ride is smooth and offers an incredible view of the landscape.

I arrived in Luxor after three nights spent in the tourist haven of Marsa Alam, on the coast of the nearby Red Sea. Switching the ocean for the River Nile – with our hotel, the Sonesta St. George, located right on the riverbank and accessible by boat – isn’t a hardship at all, and the buildings surrounding me are simply stunning.

A few hours’ drive from Marsa, holidaymakers who travel with TUI can access Luxor for a day excursion or longer. It’s 100% worth the early start and winding coach journey through the nearby desert to reach the historic city, founded in 3000 BC.

Stepping into the hustle and bustle of Luxor, I can imagine exactly what people like Agatha Christie and Howard Carter must have felt doing the same all those years ago.

Along with our incredible hot air balloon trip, I’m whisked away to the Valley of the Kings for a closer look at the ancient tombs, including the one which holds Tutankhamun’s mummy, still meticulously preserved after all those centuries.

Uncovered in 1922, the tomb had been covered in a mountain of rubble from excavations happening higher up on the hill, leaving archaeologists baffled until they finally found its location.

Honestly, I’m not sure why so many more tourists opt for Cairo and Giza over this. Of course, Luxor doesn’t have any pyramids of its own, but there are plenty of sphinxes, statues and incredible temples which offer access to the public.

Seeing the bright colours of the tombs – reds and blues and yellows – and the ancient hieroglyphs still etched into walls and columns is truly surreal. Along with the famous Valley of the Kings, we visit Karnak Temple – which Agatha Christie famously named her Nile steamer after – and Luxor Temple, along with Hatshepsut Temple.

Our guide points out the “first ever spreadsheet”, made so many centuries before the release of Microsoft Excel, and used to count up the food offerings made to the gods when the temples were still in use.

We’re shown the endless line of sphinx statues in various states of disrepair, lining a huge corridor which bridges the temples of Karnak and Luxor together. ‘Sphinx Alley’, as it is so aptly named, was used for the annual Opet Festival, which would see the Ancient Egyptians carry statues of their gods in a parade between the two temples.

All the while, though, I’m certainly not missing out on the metropolitan feel Luxor has to offer. A trip to the local bazaar plunges me right into the heart of the city’s merchant district, and I’m at once surrounded by a gaggle of stall owners attempting to sell me jewellery, T-shirts and Egyptian perfumes.

There’s time to stop for a delicious meal at the historic Winter Palace hotel’s 1886 restaurant, where jackets and ties for men aren’t optional and “smart” clothing is recommended for ladies. It’s the same hotel frequented by big names such as Howard Carter, Tony Blair and Lord Carnarvon.

It’s worth it solely for the hotel’s opulence, however. Artwork lines the corridors, while huge windows look out onto the sweeping gardens, where live music tinkles gently by an impressive fountain.

My hotel itself, the Sonesta St. George, blends traditional Egyptian architecture with modern luxury. Some of the rooms have their own saunas tucked away in the bathrooms, and the property boasts a heated swimming pool overlooking the Nile.

TUI offers all-inclusive packages and bounteous excursions in Luxor, so it’s not somewhere I’d describe as a hidden gem when so many UK tourists choose Cairo as an entry point. But a little deeper into the country you’ll find so much incredible history – though don’t bank on seeing any pyramids.

Book the holiday

TUI offers seven-night holidays to Marsa Alam, Egypt staying at the 5T Jaz Elite Amara on an all-inclusive basis from £990 per person. Book at tui.co.uk or on the TUI app.