Author: Renee Dixon

A photographer has captured the ‘darker side’ of Las Vegas in his gritty sequence of black and white shots featuring a juxtaposition of hopeful holidaymakers wanting to hit it significant at the casinos and destitute locals on the road.  

In an post posted by Bored Panda, Kurtz Frausun wrote that he was on his honeymoon with his spouse when he took the evocative photos, indicating he ‘was equipped to locate that hidden attractiveness in the urine-soaked streets.’ 

The filmmaker and photographer from Dallas, Texas, explained that he required to check out the stark distinction involving the ‘Haves and Have-Nots’ in Vegas as opposed to the glitz and glamour of the casinos and reveals. 

‘There’s a desperation in all people,’ he claimed. The tourists wanting to strike it rich at the casinos, the hustlers earning money off of them, and the destitute wanting for scraps. I hate the “obvious” shots men and women can acquire in a town like Vegas, the straightforward photographs, the selfies though acquiring drunk. 

‘I preferred to photograph what other men and women tried not to see, the person crying about a damaged coronary heart, the person yelling for his mom, the few hugging and not certain of their upcoming way.’

The style is metallic, medicinal and faintly milky — and I’m battling to detect any of the health benefits promised by the water that as soon as captivated tens of thousands of website visitors.

Surrounded by lush woods of oak, ash, rowan and hazel, I reach down to the marble fountain in Rock Park, Llandrindod Wells, fill my water bottle and consider more compact sips, hoping this may well launch its magic.

Victorian and Edwardian city-dwellers, together with Edward Elgar, Neville Chamberlain and David Lloyd George, applied to flock to this 40 square-mile region — encompassing Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells, Llangammarch Wells and Llanwrtyd Wells — hoping to benefit from the restorative powers of the chalybeate and barium springs.

Gargantuan resorts were created to accommodate the hordes, who stayed as extensive as three weeks, when they would drink the waters a few moments a working day and flock to elaborately decorated spas for programs of massage, and electric existing and warmth therapy.

Llandrindod Wells, a city with a inhabitants of barely 5,000, is property to the Metropole Lodge, a dark inexperienced-painted monolith with turrets and broad grounds which, a century back, had far more than 400 rooms. 

These days, ensuite additions and space expansions have minimized it to 109, but its scale in a city this smaller is utterly incongruous like parking a Boeing 747 following to a microlight.

It is from here that I start off to examine the cities, none of which are much more than 30 minutes’ push from every other. Each one particular has produced a character of its individual, to test to adapt to everyday living just after the vanished spa tourism market.

I travel very first to Builth Wells, with its energetic Higher Street whole of unbiased suppliers providing almost everything from milk churns to regionally sourced cuts of lamb shoulder.

Llanwrtyd Wells, additional spread out, is dwelling to once-a-year bog snorkelling and ‘man compared to horse’ competitions.

The Heart of Wales brewery, powering the Neuadd Arms Resort, tends to make award-profitable ales and the former church is now a museum that tells the whole story of the spas’ golden age below. 

I could blink and miss out on Llangammarch Wells a minuscule village of slate roofs, a Methodist chapel and a write-up business that feels as though it is set at the edges of Underneath Milk Wooden.

I just can’t find Dylan Thomas or Captain Cat, but up a lane lined with frothy hedgerows lies the Lake Region Home Hotel, a mock-Tudor retreat on the banks of the River Irfon, from which salmon are acknowledged to leap.

Run by the similar family members for virtually four decades, this is a put where by the owner’s pet, Molly, roams free of charge, and major rugs, pianos and quirky, framed Victorian photographs in some way combine to make a splendidly unstuffy environment.

A barium properly and pump area after stood in this article and was frequented by Kaiser Wilhelm. 

In the modernised spa lodge, I ultimately get to knowledge a restorative scalp and back massage right before a soak in the outdoor very hot tub overlooking the lake and croquet lawn past.

My drinking water bottle remains untouched throughout. 

A century on from the mild masochism of the Victorian spa treatment method, I have identified the fashionable, improved variation of a Powys spa break — one I feel absolutely sure Kaiser Wilhelm and Elgar also would have appreciated. 

For families who have been longing to get away for a real taste of overseas adventure, the autumn half-term break is proving more popular than summer did, so get in quick! 

Here are some of the best breaks available now.

Portugal’s castles and camps

Tuck into the local speciality of custard tarts during a couple of nights in Lisbon along with a trip to the fairytale castles of Sintra. Then it’s time to explore the dramatic rocky coastline of the Arrabida Natural Park by sea kayak. Should you wish, you can camp on a secluded beach.

In nearby Alentejo there’s the chance to go horse riding, cycling or to take surf lessons. End the week on the Algarve where you can recover from all that activity before the flight home.

Book: Seven nights for a family of four from £4,250, with flights into Lisbon and out of Faro, car hire, B&B and activities (stubbornmuletravel.com).

Getting busy in Barbados

Among the many great things about staying in the all-inclusive Turtle Beach resort in Barbados is taking the free water taxi to use the facilities and restaurants in the other Elegant Hotel resorts of Waves Hotel & Spa, Crystal Cove and Tamarind. There’s everything from beach cricket to calypso dance lessons, and non-motorised water sports are complimentary too, including boogie boarding, sailing, kayaking and surfing lessons.

Book: Seven nights from £3,099 per adult and £1,899 per child under 12, including flights (caribtours.co.uk).

Tackle bears in Greece

Book your teenagers in for some fun at the Bear Grylls Survival Academy in the Sani Resort in northern Greece, where they’ll learn shelter building, how to scavenge wild food, navigation by the stars and enjoy an evening around a camp fire.

Or take a family course with children aged eight and above and make spears and rafts, and track and catch your dinner.

The academy is new to the resort in Halkidiki, which also features football coaching in association with Chelsea Football Club and tennis lessons at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre.

Book: A week’s half-board for a family of three costs from £5,075 with flights (sovereign.com). Bear Grylls sessions are €40 a day, football academy is €95 a day and tennis from €250 for five daily 90-minute lessons.

Hot stuff in the Azores

The geological hotspot that is the Azores is a great place for kids to experience the geographic features they’ll learn about in the classroom – but much more fun.

Kayak in a volcanic crater lake at Sete Cidades as part of a full-day jeep tour, where you’ll explore smoking fumaroles and bubbling hot springs and go caving in grottoes formed from solidified lava.

There’s also time for whale watching and swimming with dolphins. Add on coasteering – a fun scramble along the wild coastline – and you have an amazing family adventure, returning each night to the Grand Hotel Acores Atlantico in Ponta Delgada. An added bonus? It’s way cheaper than similar trips to Iceland.

Book: Six days with flights via Lisbon, activities and car hire, costs from £1,125pp (bushbabytravel.com).

Waves of fun in France

If you’d rather stay close to home, nip over the Channel for a break at this waterside retreat on the border of Normandy and Picardy.

Domaine du Lieu Dieu has floating wooden water cabins sleeping four, some with hot tubs. There are onsite activities including horse riding, paddle boarding and boating, and you can go sand yachting or seal watching on the wide open stretches of nearby beaches.

It’s just over an hour and a half from Calais, and there are yurts, wagons and cottages to stay in, too.

Book: Three nights for four from €489 (lieudieu.com).

On your bike in Majorca

Explore the lanes and cycle paths of the quieter, southern part of Majorca.

Starting at the idyllic beaches and salt flats of the Migjorn region, head towards the rural heart of the island through the rolling plains of Es Pla.

The terrain is largely flat and you’ll cover between eight to 23 miles a day, with options for shorter or more challenging routes.

Book: Six nights’ half-board from £945 per adult and £728 per child, with luggage transfer between accommodation, cycle hire but not flights (inntravel.co.uk). E-bikes are available for £70 extra.

Swim with whales in Dominica

Dominica is the Jurassic Park of the Caribbean, with lush rainforest, volcanoes and national parks rarely visited by UK tourists. And it’s a great place for an active holiday, hiking to the ‘boiling’ lake in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park with its fumaroles, hot springs, lakes and volcanoes, abseiling down the waterfalls or even swimming with sperm whales in the surrounding sea. The last option isn’t cheap – it’s a real bucket-list activity – but you’ll remember it for ever.

Book: Seven nights’ B&B at the Fort Young Hotel And Dive Resort from £1,795pp with flights via Barbados (steppestravel.com). Or spend a week on a private catamaran with three days’ swimming with whales, three scuba dives and three land tours from £4,125pp with flights (diversetravel.co.uk).

The wild side of Canada

If your children get a two-week half-term break and are either vaccinated or under 12, head across the Atlantic to see autumn colours at their best.

This 13-night tour starts in Toronto with a private guide to take you around the city, before you pick up a car to hit the road and explore the forests and waterways around Lake Huron. There’s plenty of hiking, cycling and fishing along the way, with nights in cottages and rustic hotels.

The trip ends with two nights in a tented camp on the shores of Lake Ontario in Algonquin Provincial Park, home to moose, beavers and white-tailed deer.

Book: 13 nights’ B&B with flights and car hire from £4,300pp (originaltravel.co.uk).

Gorge walking in Crete

The dramatic Samaria Gorge is only a few feet wide in some places, where its sides seemingly reach to the sky. It makes a scenic full-day hike.

You can also cycle the foothills of the White Mountains, through olive and orange groves, walk to the fishing village of Loutro and try sea kayaking at Sfakion. There’s plenty of time to explore the old town and Venetian harbour of Chania and to relax on the beach.

Book: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £4,880pp with flights and activities included (stubbornmuletravel.com).

Fun on the Catalonian coast

Enjoy an active holiday at the family-run Hotel Garbi, based in the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell where the rocky coastline has plenty of small coves to explore. There are numerous fully researched, self-guided walking and cycling routes, and a complimentary bike for each guest’s exclusive use.

Cycle to Palafrugell, which has daily food markets and a cork museum, or walk to the lighthouse of Sant Sebastian, continuing to the little resort of Tamariu.

Book: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £1,179pp with flights and bike hire included (headwater.com).

Take it easy in Cyprus

You’ll still get temperatures in the high 20s in October in Cyprus, so you don’t have to go long-haul for a simple beach holiday.

The Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri on the south coast is on a long Blue Flag beach. You can hire a mountain bike to explore or take advantage of the hotel’s pools (there’s a heated indoor one too) five restaurants, kids’ club and spa. Activities include everything from archery to aerobics and boules to basketball.

Book: A week’s B&B at the Columbia Beach Resort costs from £2,142pp with flights (sunvil.co.uk).

The magic of Morocco

Explore the souks of Marrakesh and visit the Djemaa El Fna square at dusk with its snake charmers, story tellers and exotic food stalls.

Then join a guided trek into the Atlas Mountains, with donkeys to carry your kit. A final stop takes in the fortified seaside town of Essaouira, with kite surfing and camel rides across the sand.

This trip is tailor-made so you can add-on activities or extra nights, or trim it if your children get only a week at half-term.

Book: Ten nights’ B&B costs from £1,375pp including flights (originaltravel.co.uk).

An odyssey in Sicily

From the Minareto hotel you can take a boat across the stunning bay to explore the historical centre of Syracuse. Stroll past the ancient buildings, including a cathedral that was originally built as the Temple of Athena with Greek doric columns, elements of the Norman period and a Baroque facade.

Back at the hotel there are 97 rooms, including some modern suites with private pools, as well as a beach in the protected marine reserve.

Book: Seven nights’ B&B costs from £1,099pp with flights (britishairways.com).

Baltic island-hopping

While others are flocking to the Canaries or Crete, take a Baltic island-hopping tour instead.

Starting in the fairy-tale medieval city of Tallinn, drive to Lahemaa National Park to explore magnificent waterfalls, forests and lakes.

A ferry ride to Muhu island and a land bridge crossing takes you to Saaremaa, the largest island in the Estonian archipelago, with its impressive limestone cliffs and a medieval church.

Another ferry from the mainland takes you to Kihnu island – known as the Island of Women due to its seafaring and fishing traditions which keep the menfolk away for long periods.

Book: Six nights’ B&B costs from £876pp (baltictravelcompany.com).

• All trips and prices are for the week from October 23 unless otherwise stated. All the countries allow UK holidaymakers but requirements may vary for non-vaccinated visitors. Check the latest details at gov.uk.

Here I am — mud-spattered with grit in my teeth — peering in excess of a cliff at the ruffled floor of Lake Garda.

The surface area has been whipped up by the heat thermal wind that funnels down from the Ballino Move. To the west, mountains plunge into its dim blue depths, though the shoreline is dotted with brightly painted villages just about as ancient as the lava on which they perch.

I’m cheerful, verging on exuberant, in spite of currently being nearer 60 than 50 — and about as healthy as a lard cake. We’ve bounced around potholes, tree roots and slithered alongside mud and gravel tracks and I’m even now up for additional.

At the major of the ridge around the minor inexperienced lake we lunch very well, if not properly, in the interesting of a wayside inn.

Substantial helpings of Trentino beef stew with polenta are served with an Amarone crimson, right before we head back again down to Riva del Garda, the Roman port on the northern shore of Italy’s greatest lake. The autumn and winter season are great periods to go cycling along Lake Garda — and, luckily, the region is now open with no limits for the completely vaccinated. This was my off-road debut, even though it is time to confess: I am tests an electric powered prototype bike with a small team of cycle nuts just before heading off all over the lake on my possess. My steed is a new ‘e-gravel’ bicycle, as snug on-highway as it is off, and excellent for a person like me.

So immediately after a few of days on mountain trails I bid farewell to Johan, Ben and the techies and head off sedately on my lakeside odyssey, wending my way by means of Riva’s general public park towards the southern conclude of the lake.

It is a flat and uncomplicated 40-mile ride alongside sunlight-dappled streets down to Peschiera del Garda — but I stop soon after 25 miles at a lakeside resort at Torri del Benaco for lunch.

My table appears across the water to the west lender. I can make out the little city of Gargnano, where by D. H. Lawrence wrote Sons And Enthusiasts when conducting an affair with the married German aristocrat who later became his wife, Frieda von Richthofen. He data the adventure touchingly in Twilight In Italy.

The lake has been a writers’ haven for more than two millennia, given that Catullus penned erotic verse from his fantastic ‘grotto’ in Sirmione, seemingly stirred by the curiously suggestive form of Lago di Garda (just take a seem — you are going to see what I signify).

At Peschiera, I check out into the Garda Bike Resort, a shrine to biking if ever there was 1.

A fleet of Pinarello bikes is there for the guests, and the proprietor, Nicola Verdolin, can take me up to the winery of Tenuta Santa Maria Valverde, in the heart of Valpolicella region. This is a bit of a climb, but I breeze it.

Right after a wine tasting with some goats’ cheese, savouring the mulberry overtones of a recent vintage from this scenic little vineyard, we then hurtle down the mountain, by Marano di Valpolicella and to the lakeside vacation resort of Bardolino, exactly where waterside bars do a brisk trade in the blazing afternoon sunshine.

Back at the hotel, where by a team of cycle pros appear right after all your cycling requirements, food items is uncompromisingly but toothsomely geared in direction of good well being as most of the friends are additional picture-conscious than me.

In the cavernous bike garage my machine, a joint undertaking concerning Shimano, the Japanese suppliers of cycle widgets, and BMC, who are Swiss bicycle makers, fascinates the pros.

It is the Tesla of bicycles, boasting enormous distances less than battery and the most up-to-date light-weight technological innovation, adequate to electric power an individual like me to areas I have no proper to be, with no way too a great deal chance of a coronary heart attack. 

You do have to pedal, even though, make no mistake.

Selecting up his Pinarello with one particular finger, Nicola seems witheringly at my machine: ‘It’s like evaluating a BMW with a Ferrari.’

Lake Garda is a patchwork of boat and ferry routes and you can hop about as you desire, some of them even getting automobiles. I cycle on to Sirmione, the prettiest of the Garda villages.

It’s at the stop of a pencil-slender peninsula and has a best fortress and ramparts, oozing fashionable prosperity. I admire the landscapes above a plate of cassoeula, a Po Valley stew that goes back to Roman occasions.

There are heaps of routes up in the hills. 

They are conveniently available and nicely signed, and a excellent way of keeping away from the summertime lakeside jams. You can also get the ferry, which is what I do concerning Sirmione and Gardone ahead of heading north to Limone for the ultimate night time.

But 1st I choose in one particular of the most impressive museums I have ever found, advisable by a expensive good friend as a should. Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone is the previous household of Gabriele D’Annunzio, the Italian poet, novelist and serial seducer.

He was also a war hero whose energy and intimate picture was exploited by Mussolini to symbolise the flame of Italian fascism. 

The dwelling is a paradoxical shrine to tasteful kitsch, stuffed with classical collectible figurines, chinoiserie and even a full-sized battleship in the stately yard.

I bid farewell to the lake over a Negroni sundowner in the Porto Vecchio, the bike properly shackled to a railing.

A fitting farewell to the good lake and a unhappy parting of the methods with the bicycle, to which I have grow to be sadly attached.

Mark Porter is the author of Coast To Coast Cycle Routes (baytreepress.com). 

Savings of more than 50 per cent are on offer on winter sun getaways as tour operators slash prices to entice holidaymakers into booking trips.

With rules for travel set to change on October 4, making going abroad easier than ever, now is the time to bag a bargain. If you’re after some winter heat, there’s masses to choose from — and deals galore. Here are some of the best…

DON’T MISS MALTA

Moderate temperatures linger into the winter months making Malta ideal for those seeking heat, but it’s far from stifling. It was the first EU country to ban people who are not vaccinated.

You’ll need proof of a double jab to enter. Masks are still mandatory in public spaces and, while social distancing isn’t a legal requirement, it is still advised.

DON’T MISS: Hiking to the Blue Grotto via a five-mile scenic loop.

GRAB A DEAL: Save £190 pp on seven nights at the Inter-continental Malta from £488pp B&B with Gatwick flights (olympicholidays.com).

BALMY BARBADOS

With temperatures touching a summery 26c (78f) in December, Barbados is a guaranteed winter hotspot that has been on the green list since June. Visitors must present a negative PCR test to travel, test again and quarantine on arrival (one day if double-jabbed, five days non-jabbed). Social distancing and masks are still mandatory.

DON’T MISS: Seafood doesn’t come fresher than at The Fish Pot overlooking the north-west coast (fishpotbarbados.com).

GRAB A DEAL: Enjoy a week’s five-star, all-inclusive break at the O2 Beach Club and Spa from £2,049 pp, saving £1,099 pp, including Heathrow flights and private transfers (caribtours.co.uk). Must book by September 30. 

LOW-COST ST LUCIA

With daily highs of 29c (84f) in our mid-winter, St Lucia is another Caribbean favourite. Entry is straightforward; visitors must have proof of a negative PCR test taken up to five days before travel and undergo screening on arrival.

DON’T MISS: Hike under forest canopy to the top of Gros Piton, one of the two cone-shaped peaks (grospiton.com).

GRAB A DEAL: Save £156 pp on seven nights at the Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa with Heathrow flights from £1,853 pp all-inclusive (virginholidays.co.uk).

MARVEL AT MAURITIUS

Expect daily high temperatures of 28c (82f) in Mauritius during our winter. From October 1 onwards, those who are fully vaccinated will only need a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival. Those who are unvaccinated will still need to quarantine in an approved hotel for 14 days.

DON’T MISS: Spot playful dolphins and snorkel around the La Preneuse reef on a day cruise (jph.mu/dolphin-cruises).

GRAB A DEAL: Save up to £599 pp on seven nights at the elegant and comfortable Constance Prince Maurice hotel, now from £2,255 pp B&B including flights (abercrombiekent.co.uk).

ALL GO IN MOROCCO  

While you’ll still have some lovely warm days at this time of year, you won’t have to share them with the usual tourist hordes, meaning you can wander the souks and medinas in relative peace and quiet. Proof of a double vaccination or a PCR test 72 hours before arrival is required.

DON’T MISS: A half-day private walking tour takes in the Koutoubia Mosque, Saadian Tombs and the markets in the Medina (getyourguide.co.uk)

GRAB A DEAL: Save 39 per cent (£204 pp) on a seven-night, all-inclusive stay at the adults-only TUI BLUE Riu Tikida Garden in Marrakech, now from £322 pp including Gatwick flights and transfers (tui.co.uk).

CUT-PRICE CYPRUS

Cyprus is ideal for those who are seeking some sun but who don’t want to travel too far.

A four-hour flight from London, you’ll find daily highs of 19c (66f). If you’re double jabbed, there is no need for a PCR test or quarantining on arrival.

DON’T MISS: You’ll most likely have the important archaeological sites in Paphos, including Kato Paphos Archaeological Park and the Tomb of the Kings, all to yourself.

GRAB A DEAL: Seven nights at the stylish Annabelle Hotel, Paphos, from £495 pp B&B, including a 15 per cent saving on accommodation, Gatwick flights and private transfers (sovereign.com).

MAKE IT MADEIRA

It’s still T-shirt weather on Madeira during our winters. The volcanic Atlantic island averages daily highs of 20c (68f) in December, making it ideal for hiking — and a consistently low rate of infection.

This is in part thanks to stringent safety measures still in place; masks must be worn in public (although not on the beach) and social distancing maintained. Visitors need a negative PCR test or vaccination certificate.

DON’T MISS: For sea and city views, ride the Funchal cable car from the old town to Monte (madeiracablecar.com).

GRAB A DEAL: Save £300 pp on a seven-night stay at Quinta Da Casa Branca from £619 pp B&B with Gatwick flights and private transfers (tropicalsky.co.uk).

HOT IN FUERTEVENTURA  

The nearest of the Canary Islands to the African continent, Fuerteventura is magical in the winter and still hot enough to sunbathe. A pre-travel declaration form and negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination are required for entry.

DON’T MISS: Spend a day exploring the dunes and glassy waters of the Corralejo Natural Park (hellocanaryislands.com).

GRAB A DEAL: Seven nights at Alua Suites Fuerteventura with Gatwick flights and transfers from £474 pp (easyjet.com).

DAZZLING DUBAI

Dubai’s a guaranteed sizzler with temperatures climbing as high as 31c (87f) during our winter. You’ll need a negative PCR test to enter, as well as to register your details on the Covid-19 DXB app and undergo thermal screening at the airport.

DON’T MISS: Take a breather from the heat with at Wild Wadi waterpark (jumeirah.com).

GRAB A DEAL: Save up to 55 per cent on seven nights at Sofitel Dubai The Palm from £939 pp B&B with Heathrow flights (destination2.co.uk).

LOVELY LANZAROTE

Outside of the busy summer months, Lanzarote’s beaches, bodegas and volcanic scenery are all beautifully peaceful. And the weather reaches highs of 22c (71f). You’ll need a pre-travel declaration form and proof of a vaccine or a negative PCR test.

DON’T MISS: It’s the best time to enjoy the normally crowded sands and coves of Papagayo Beach in Los Ajaches Natural Park.

GRAB A DEAL: Enjoy seven nights at the family-friendly Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort in Playa Blanca from £974 pp, saving up to £220pp, with Heathrow flights (kuoni.co.uk). Must book by September 30.