Budget Puerto Rico flights
Don’t mind us, we’re just brushing up on our Puerto Rican slang. It’s in preparation for Norwegian Air’s new, great-value, direct route to the Caribbean island, launching on 4 November with one-way tickets from £179. You won’t be stuck on an ancient plane, either – the flight’s cheaper because it’s a new, super-fuel-efficient 787 Dreamliner. Book now to escape to the land of beaches, rainforest and, er Ricky Martin. And don’t forget this multi-purpose flirty phrase: arroz, que carne hay! (Give me some rice to go with all that meat!). norwegian.com
Anantara Tangalle Peace Haven
The clue’s in the name: this soon-to-open hotel, which sits just an hour from the Sri Lanka capital, Colombo, is a peaceful, beachside, er, haven. There are 152 guestrooms set within a 52-acre coconut plantation, plus Indian Ocean views. It’s the ideal base from which to explore the country’s south coast – historic fort towns, animal-packed National Parks, temples, tea plantations and more. From £230 pn. anantara.com
Follow the trail of Mark Twain in Israel
“The gentle reader will never, never know what a consummate ass he can become, until he goes abroad.” If Mark Twain’s quote inspired you in his 1867 book The Innocents Abroad, then saddle up for this new expedition from crazy adventure company Secret Compass. The 14-day trip begins in Galilee, and journeys through the lush Jordan Valley and wildlife-rich Judean desert to Jericho and Jerusalem. You’ll travel by horse and camp in the wilderness, just like Twain did. secretcompass.com
Eyal Bartov
New British Airways flights to Lima, Peru
If you’ve been enjoying the recent Peruvian revolution that’s gripped London, we’ve got good news: British Airways’ new flight to Lima, Peru’s capital, makes it easier than ever to go and see its prime exponent at work. At Central, Virgilio Martinez – also executive chef of London’s premier Peruvian restaurants Lima and Lima Floral – aims to tell the story of Peru’s vibrant, diverse landscape through tasting menus whose courses reach double-figures. Not one for a casual drop-in; definitely one for the culinary bucket list. From £765 return; ba.com
New Maldivian art gallery
If you thought getting a dose of winter sun meant putting culture on the backburner, think again. The Maldivian resort of Loama has opened the nation’s first gallery of contemporary Maldivian art (it already had its own archaeological site). It’s not exactly art for the people – the remote island’s only reachable by seaplane – though you won’t have to battle tourist hordes to get into the over-water gallery. loamahotelsandresorts.com
Cabin Porn book
If you like to lie in bed scanning pictures of good-looking wooden structures, you might like this new book, entitled Cabin Porn. It’s the work of American technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Vimeo, Zach Klein, who set up a website of the same name after escaping the city to build himself a cabin in the woods. So, where are most of the site’s visitors from? You guessed it, London. All those traffic jams and office blocks have us longing for the great outdoors, so it seems. cabinporn.com
Robot Hotel Japan
We can always rely on Japan to come up with the best, and the worst travel ideas. The Henn-na Hotel (which translates to ‘Strange Hotel’ in Nagasaki) is run by a team of top-of-the-range robots. Not just any old robots either – the front desk has dinosaur bots while each room comes with little robot dolls who will turn off your light switches when you don’t want to. Real people? Ha! Next!
New tours to Haiti
The Caribbean nation of Haiti is back on the tourist radar thanks to new trips from tour operators such as Wild Frontiers. Its adventure takes in deserted beaches, the Marie-Jeanne Caves, capital Port-au-Prince and the largest fort in the Caribbean, which was built on top of a mountain at 900m to protect the country from invasion. Expect African rhythms, voodoo ceremonies and colonial architecture. And rum. wildfrontierstravel.com
New hotel in Sydney
Fans of high ceilings and urban industrial vibes should check out Sydney’s coolest new hotel opening: the Old Clare Hotel is a 62-room hotel that’s set in a former brewery and historic pub. Along with that lovely rooftop pool there’s one hell of a breakfast spread, overseen by Jason Atherton, who’ll be opening his first restaurant in Australia – the Kensington Street Social – in the very same ‘hood. theoldclarehotel.com.au
New homestay concept
For those that love playing host, and going on holiday, you can now go even further with Night Swapping. The concept’s simple – host guests at your pad, and use those nights as ‘tokens’ to then rest your weary head at another local’s home around the world. The site now has listings in more than 160 countries, with August additions including Tanzania, rural Northern Ireland and Canada. For the safety conscious, Night Swapping has just signed an international partnership with insurance provider Allianz – making it the only service to entirely secure the whole homestay accommodation process. Boom! nightswapping.com
North Korea marathon
If you’re one of those people who travels for marathons, full respect to you. Along with some travel advice: make North Korea your next 26-mile challenge. The Pyongyang race has recently opened up to international runners, but you can only take part if you’re part of a tour group. Step forward Intrepid Travel with its new North Korea expedition – nine nights of temples, mountains and museums. Oh, and that marathon. intrepidtravel.com
New hotel for Miami
It shouldn’t take much to make you hop on a plane to Miami in search of winter sun. The city’s been celebrated by ‘snowbirds’ (that’s ageing New Yorkers seeking sunshine) for years, but times have well and truly changed and the city’s beaches are now pulling in a hip, young crowd. Newly opened the Hall is our hotel choice; the 1940s art deco property is good looking and has a refreshing ‘break the rules’ mentality. “Go with it, you can always sleep on the plane,” they tell us. Solid advice. From £220 pn. jdvhotels.com
Hotel booking made easy
Sick of scouring websites looking for the best accommodation deals? Let someone else do the hard work for you – specifically Richard (Dicky) and Roxanne (nickname Doris), the founders of new hotel website Doris & Dicky. The couple’s new site features the best hotels around the world that all come in at under £100 a night – particularly handy for pricey destinations such as Rio and California. Save time, and money. Winner. dorisanddicky.com
We're at it again, rounding up the latest travel news for autumn: that's new flight routes, new hotels, new travel websites and new tours. Phew!
Whether you're searching for winter sun in Haiti or Puerto Rico, or keen on following in the footsteps of Mark Twain in Israel, this list is sure to inspire. One last thing: can we come?
