Country Life's best travel stories of 2019: Skiing in Gstaad, a steam train in Dartmouth and 72 hours in New York
We take a look back on our travel highlights of the last year, from alpine retreats to city escapes.

'The last paradise in a crazy world'
It's not a palm-fringed beach but instead the ski resort of Gstaad which earned this praise.
Where to go to see bioluminescence
We think of it as a tropical phenomenon, but this incredible sight can also be enjoyed closer to home.
Tel Aviv, Israel: A city of surprises, from electric bicycles to 13th-century fortress walls
North and South: Which part of Cornwall is right for you?
As if choosing between Devon and Cornwall weren't tricky enough, Rosie Paterson complicated the issue still more.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
A day aboard the Dartmouth Express
‘You half expect Hercule Poirot to hurry along the corridor with Captain Hastings in tow,' we wrote after this wonderful day out.
Seattle: A foodie (and drinkie) tour of the city
Ally Fraser visited the hilly streets and bustling markets of one of America's most photogenic cities.
Island hopping in Sweden
Sophia Constant found a world of pine forests, cobalt rivers and toy-town villages of scarlet wooden cottages.
Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast
Toby Keel paid a visit ahead of golf's Open Championship visiting this corner of the kingdom.
A long weekend at Bressingham Hall
In the heart of Norfolk the beautiful Georgian pile that is Bressingham Hall makes a wonderful spot for a break, as Martin Fone found out.
New York: 24 hours in the city that never sleeps
Lucy Ford spent the ultimate luxury weekend in the Big Apple.
Credit: Turquoise Holidays
Country Life’s best travel stories of 2018: Honeymoons fit for royalty, domestic paradises and top tips for ski trips
2018 saw us travel to Mauritius and back, to the finest hotels in the Alps and to some of our
Gstaad: The year-round gem of the Swiss Alps that's 'Hollywood with snow'
One of the great year-round destinations in the Alps, Gstaad has long been a hotspot for A-listers. Kathryn Bradley-Hole spent
Credit: Getty Images/AWL Images RM
Gstaad, Switzerland: ‘The last paradise in a crazy world’, a fairytale still untouched with pistes aplenty
Rosie Paterson travels to Gstaad–once described by Julie Andrews as ‘the last paradise in a crazy world’– to find out
Credit: Lucy Ford
72 hours in New York: Can you do the city that never sleeps justice in one weekend?
From Times Square to the Met, New York boasts some of the world's biggest and most popular tourist attractions, as
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
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From Cornish Gilliflower to Rivers Early Peach: An apple a day keeps Britain’s heritage native fruit from dying out
81% of traditional apple orchards have vanished from Britain, but ‘heritage’ apples retain a following, says Jack Watkins, who rounds up nine of the most interesting.
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Goodwood Revival 2025: Pictures from the 'F1 of classic car races'
Here's everything you might have missed if you didn't get the chance to make it to West Sussex's most elegant event.
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Omani tourism is booming and this one-of-a-kind hotel — with exquisite marble swimming pools and dedicated murshid guides — shows why
The Malkai, a collection of three tented camps spread out across Oman, is one of the travel industry's most anticipated openings of 2026.
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Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place: When does a hotel not feel like a hotel? When it feels like home
Country Life visits Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place in Hampshire, a private space that encourages creativity and offers true comfort.
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Jules Perowne: Where to go in 2026, hotel disasters and podcasting with Richard E. Grant
The queen of travel PR joins the Country Life podcast.
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'It was the single most haunting place I have ever been': A voyage to the last major stronghold of the Cathars
In her Last Word column, Pamela Goodman details how her children’s great-grandfather's belief that he was a reincarnated member of the religious sect inspired a recent family holiday.
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This 300km trail through Sri Lanka's dramatic tea country made the annual 'World's Greatest Places' list. Here's what it's like to hike it
An extraordinary new walking trail is the best way to experience Sri Lanka’s dramatic tea country, reveals Rosie Paterson. Just watch out for the leopards.
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Gravetye Manor review: The Elizabethan country house hotel surrounded by historic gardens of national importance
In the 1950s, Gravetye Manor and its famous garden was converted into one of the first ever country house hotels.
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'If you think you need a television in your room, you are in the wrong place': Why sleeping under canvas makes for a complete safari experience
A tented safari will surprise even the most seasoned traveller, says Mark Hedges, and nowhere more so than in Botswana, where the rhythms of life seem supercharged.
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Inside the aristocratic holiday rentals where you can (temporarily) play lord of the manor
It’s now possible to dine or even stay overnight in some of our best-loved country houses or in splendour on their estates.