After a week under the trees in the Vosges, we came down into the vineyards and found ourselves in a string of villages so pretty they look like someone has coloured them in. Alsace sits in that sliver of France pressed up against Germany, and it feels like both at once. The villages are half-timbered and flower-boxed, the food is hearty, and the Route des Vins d'Alsace threads them together through rolling vineyards. Most of the best Alsace villages are within a 20 minute d

There's a moment on the drive into Oman when the skyscrapers, the high street stores, the hustle, all of it, just disappears. No malls, no logos, nothing recognisable. Just mountains, palm date trees, and towns that feel like they've been quietly getting on with life for a few hundred years. That contrast and the complete change of pace was what we savoured the most. We came for the culture, nature, quiet and food and Nizwa delivered. Here's everything worth knowing if you're

View from the lake onto the campsite There's a moment, somewhere around your second cup of coffee on the deck, when you realise you've not heard a car in hours. Just birdsong, the wind moving through the fynbos, laughter and Siena trying to befriend the mongoose. The 30-second verdict Camp Canoe is a glamping stay on the upper slopes of Boschendal Wine Estate, about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Seven private tents, each with a wood-fired hot tub, fireplace, and kitchen, sit abo

Sri Lanka is our go to island holiday for a mix of culture, food and beaches.

On an international trip with limited space, we packed one pair of closed shoes for Siena on our summer in the Black Forest and the Vosges. They took her along forest trails near Seelbach, round the campsite paths at Huttopia, up into the trees on a zipline course and out for dinner in the evenings. By the end of the trip they'd earned their place as a great all rounder that we would happily recommend to a family trying to pack light. Our Verdict on the Columbia Drainmaker XT

A family hike with marble run, balance beams and climbing ropes!

Living in Dubai, whenever we travel we look for Forest Schools where Siena can spend a day or two. We saw this one popping up on our socials, and realised we could stay on-site so had to add it in to the start of our trip. It was such a cool stay, and I really look forward to going back. It's a villa built within a forest school on Bolgoda Lake, Sri Lanka. We booked and paid for these two nights ourselves, at the property's standard exclusive-use villa rate. Nobody at Forest

Boba Baby Carrier THE VERDICT The Boba is a soft, buckle-style carrier that took us from Siena's first few months right through to toddler age, thanks to the different ways it can be worn. For travelling families it's the one bit of baby kit we'd recommend. Hands free through security, up stairs and over cobbles with none of the stroller fight, and comfy enough that she happily napped in it. Best for parents who want to travel light and go anywhere. Skip it if you specificall

SEAPONT PROMENADE Cape Town has a feeling about it that can't be described! The city oozes life, and it's beauty makes you want to spend every minute out soaking it all in. Every morning in Seapoint, we walked out onto onto the promenade with the sunrise, picking up a coffee and a croissant on the way. It's busy, even at that hour: runners, swimmers, dog walkers, old men on bicycles, prams, a whole city already out and moving. It is an outdoor lifestyle city, and the sooner y

We'd spent the best part of two weeks travelling Sri Lanka the way we usually do: homestays, rice and curry in local eateries , Siena making new best friends with every stray dog. We love every bit of it but sometimes a little splurge s what you need, and that is exactly what Living Heritage Koslanda is for. This is definitely not what we normally spend in Sri Lanka but it was so worth it. The 30-second verdict Living Heritage Koslanda is an eco-luxury retreat tucked into ei

Sunrise views over Southern Drakensberg Sipping rooibos & dunking rusks while staring at that view. Drakensberg, South Africa in May does this thing where the air turns crisp and the sky goes a clean, endless blue, and the peaks in front of you look surreal. Siena is well travelled and not easily impressed, yet she couldn't stop saying the mountains looked like a fairytale painting. Whether glorious at sunrise, sprinkled with sun or covered with mist - I won't stop talking ab

The 30-second verdict Boschendal is a 330-year-old working wine estate between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek that has quietly turned itself into one of the most family-friendly wine farms in the Cape Winelands. The draw for parents is The Tree House, a free play area open year round. Best of all they offer a proper holiday camp for ages 4 to 12, with morning, afternoon and full-day sessions during South African school holidays. Add night markets under fairy lights, an excelle

Siena rushing to see the ducks at Castleburn, age 1. Siena took her first steps at Castleburn, wobbled against the stone fireplace, and made it three steps before sitting down again with a look of pure surprise. After multiple visits since 2002, I'm finally writing about it properly. The 30-second verdict Castleburn is a family resort in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg, around three hours from Durban. The chalets cluster around Lake Madingofani, with activities for