Author: Helen Barklam
Helen Barklam
Helen is a journalist, writer and blogger with more than 25 years experience. Helen has worked in a wide range of different sectors, including health and wellness, sport, travel, digital marketing, home design and business and finance.
Discover Airlines is launching direct flights to Alta from Frankfurt this December, offering European tourists a faster route to Norway’s Arctic. The new service, running twice a week until April 2025, will reduce travel time to just 3.5 hours, marking the first direct connection between Germany and the remote region of Finnmark. This direct route makes Alta, renowned for its northern lights and unique Arctic experiences, more accessible than ever for travellers looking to explore the frozen north. Alta, often referred to as the ‘City of the Northern Lights,’ offers a front-row seat to some of the Arctic’s most mesmerising…
In a recent study on the UK’s best boat tours, Cambridge has sailed to the top spot, with an impressive 90.9% of Cambridge boat tours receiving stellar reviews. Whether you’re looking for a serene glide along the River Cam or a historical journey through centuries-old university grounds, Cambridge boat tours offer an unforgettable experience that’s hard to beat. The research, conducted by ferry travel experts GetByFerry, used TripAdvisor data to rank boat tours across the UK. Cities and towns offering more than ten boat tours were assessed, with the results revealing Cambridge as the undisputed leader. According to the study,…
London Heathrow Airport has been named the third most Instagrammable airport in the world, according to a new study. The popular London hub amassed over 762,000 Instagram posts, making it a social media favourite for travellers keen to capture memorable moments at one of the busiest airports on the planet. This latest ranking, revealed by the travel site Miss Tourist, identified Heathrow Airport as a top contender among global travel hubs, with only Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) surpassing it in Instagram popularity. The study highlights the growing influence of social media on how…
HX, also known as Hurtigruten Expeditions, the global leader in adventure cruises, has officially announced its exciting new line-up for the 2026-2027 season, marking a significant milestone – 130 years of exploring the world’s most remote destinations. With an impressive selection of fresh itineraries for expedition cruises across Antarctica, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and the Galápagos, HX continues to redefine the ultimate adventure travel experience. For those seeking the thrill of exploration and discovery, the upcoming season promises to offer unforgettable experiences, from the icy wilderness of Antarctica to the dramatic fjords of Norway. HX’s latest collection of adventure cruises takes…
If you’re a foodie looking for the best dining experiences in London, Westminster restaurants are officially top of the list! A recent study has named Westminster as the number one area in the capital for food enthusiasts, with a staggering 3,838.44 restaurants per 100,000 people. London’s rich and diverse food scene has long been one of the city’s main attractions, but this new data highlights the best spots to satisfy every craving. Conducted by London Tickets and Tours, the research ranked the top 10 boroughs in London based on the number of dining options available. By analysing Bing Maps data,…
Aardvark Safaris, the renowned independent safari specialist, has launched an exciting lineup of new African safaris with a collection of lavish camps and lodges across Sub-Saharan Africa. These highly anticipated additions, which opened this summer, offer travellers the chance to immerse themselves in some of the most remote and awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth, with further refurbishments set to debut this autumn. Tanzania’s Ultimate Private Island EscapeFor those craving barefoot luxury, Bawe Island in Tanzania opened in June 2024, offering a tropical haven just 15 minutes from Stone Town by speedboat—or, for a touch of celebrity flair, by helicopter. This opulent…
Autumn travellers seeking a secluded escape can now immerse themselves in Estonia’s vast woodlands, with ÖÖD Hotels leading the way in luxury forest getaways. Known for their mirrored cabins that blend seamlessly into the natural surroundings, ÖÖD Hotels provide a stylish and serene retreat for those looking to experience Estonia’s breathtaking landscapes. Over half of Estonia is covered in woodlands, and autumn is the perfect time to experience it. The ÖÖD Laheranna cabins, nestled in the scenic Lahemaa National Park, offer a perfect balance of style and solitude. These mirrored hideaways blend seamlessly into the forest, providing guests with a…
RateHawk, the B2B booking platform, has announced a strategic partnership with GIATA, aiming to enhance the hotel mapping solution provided by GIATA’s MultiCodes. RateHawk, which offers travel professionals access to more than 2.6 million hotels globally, will play a key role in expanding the accuracy and depth of GIATA’s database. This partnership will see RateHawk recommending GIATA as its preferred mapping provider, boosting data precision across platforms. GIATA’s MultiCodes solution is recognised as the world’s largest hotel mapping database, designed to resolve data inconsistencies in the travel sector by assigning a unique code to each hotel property. The collaboration with…
A new report from Avis car rental has revealed Luxembourg as Europe’s ultimate destination for travellers seeking to make the most of their holiday time. The study, which looked at airport transfers and queue times at key tourist attractions, crowned Luxembourg as the most time-efficient city in Europe, allowing visitors to spend less time waiting and more time exploring. The study conducted by Avis car rental found that Luxembourg is a dream for time-conscious tourists. With an impressively short 12-minute drive from the airport to the city centre and the lowest Tripadvisor Queue Score on the continent, this compact city…
Australia’s first luxury hotel, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, is set to reveal its newlook conference and event spaces following a $60 million AUD refurbishment. This iconic hotel, located in the heart of Sydney’s bustling Central Business District (CBD), has long been a prestigious destination for hosting international events, and its modernised facilities aim to cement its status as the top choice for conferencing and luxury experiences in Australia. With 436 newly renovated rooms and suites, spread across 15 storeys, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth stands as the largest single brick structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Originally opened in the 1960s as Sydney’s first…