Travel

Updated: 06:23 EST

The hotel in Washington DC fit for the Queen

The White House is far too suburban for the Queen, writes etiquette expert William Hanson. If she took back control of the U.S for Britain, the Hay-Adams is where she'd stay. Opened in 1928, the Hay-Adams has been Washington DC’s go-to hotel for world leaders, diplomats and global icons for many years. Many former presidents call in for events, to stay or dine, and the hotel has most recently been seen in the latest series of Netflix’s House of Cards.

Bliss in Bali: Tranquility in a beautiful boutique hotel

Bali has become synonymous with nightlife, but as Samantha Lewis discovers, if you head to the eastern side, that's where you'll find tranquility - and the beautiful Alila Manggis hotel. Set across four thatched blocks, all 55 rooms face out across the pristine lawn and large palm-fringed swimming pool (top left). It offers a host of activities including snorkeling, temple tours, boat trips (bottom right) sunrise treks and a visit to a traditional Balian healer. The décor is in keeping with the resort's laid-back luxury vibe – think plush white cotton bedding and traditional Balinese wood and wicker furniture.

SPONSORED. MailOnline speaks to three Australian travel experts about their dream Gold Coast itineraries, along with tips on when to book and how to make the most of your time.

She was last seen in 1969, 38 years after she was abandoned in the Arctic - but since then no one has laid eyes on the SS Baychimo. The tale of this ghost ship continues to baffle.

Review of Virgin Atlantic's upper class Dreamliner cabin

MailOnline Travel's Ted Thornhill flew upper class with Virgin Atlantic from London to Johannesburg and back and here reveals that shelling out for a top tier seat means eating gourmet food, quaffing wine chosen by an elite wine merchant, sipping cocktails at a bar (inset) and enjoying an 11in TV screen. Plus there are very cool salt and pepper shakers (top right). Though it wasn't perfection. Read on to find out why.

MailOnline's David Dillon descended on the charming village of Champoluc on a Ski 2 break with his family. And found Iain Glenn there, showing off his snowman-making skills.

Although the great age of ocean liners has passed, you can recreate the glamour of crossing the Atlantic aboard some of today’s stylish ships. Here’s Caroline Hendrie's pick of the best…

The Travel Editor of The Mail On Sunday, Frank Barrett (pictured), decants advice on festive days to please visiting Swedes, cheap overseas summer holidays and reasonably priced winter getaways.

Mariella Frostrup finds Sri Lanka to be an exuberant, historically fascinating and welcoming country during a two-week road trip from east to south, taking in Yala National Park and the Ceylon Tea Trails.

Exploring remains of Britain's supervolcano in Scotland

Just like Yellowstone Park, Britain is home to a supervolcano. Although there is a crucial difference – Britain’s is extremely dormant. It erupted 420million years ago. Still, its dramatic remains can still be seen at Glen Coe (top left) in Scotland. Here MailOnline Travel presents this and other former volcanic hotspots you can visit in Britain, including Ben Nevis (top right), Edinburgh Castle (bottom left), Lindisfarne and North Berwick Law (bottom right), with expert insight from Professor Emeritus Peter Styles, Professor of Applied and Environmental Geophysics at Keele University.

Where do you go if you want a spa retreat that really takes you away from the world. The Maldives? Thailand? Or how about the middle of a Belgian national park? Jane Alexander picks the latter.

A team of NASA scientists has developed an interactive tool to reveal how the melting of Earth’s ice sheets could affect cities around the world. It shows potential impacts for nearly 300 cities.

The secret Hollywood Eyes Wide Shut-style erotica club

The LA venue, Carondelet House, hosts the night and puts on a show called Nuit Blanche - a world class sexually charged 1920's performance - and five course black tie dinner. On entry guests must hand over their mobile phones and sign an NDA so stars can go wild - without anybody taking pictures. DailyMail.com was granted access to the electric evening. Pictured in the main image is owner Alan Dunn (far left) and supermodel Janice Dickinson (third from left).

Once a part of the Soviet Union, but now an increasingly accessible option for a weekend away on the very edge of Europe, Georgia has secrets to share. Gilly Pickup goes to find them.

Ex-cricketer Simon Hughes went to Greece with his historian sister to see if her bookish off-spring would get active and his sporty kids would be bowled over by Greek culture.

MailOnline Travel presents a gallery of wave scenes

Waves can be at once mesmerizingly beautiful – and terrifying – as these incredible pictures show. They capture waves rolling in beautiful sunlight to form near-perfect tubes. And engulfing lighthouses in a show of mindblowing force. Some daredevil surfers test their derring-do against giant waves, with some of the images here capturing their efforts as they’re dwarfed by towering walls of water. One brave soul - Australian stunt rider Robbie 'Maddo' Maddison - even surfs ginormous waves on a dirt bike. Here MailOnline Travel presents a gallery of the most impressive wave scenes you’re ever likely to see from Hawaii to the African coast. Pictured clockwise from top left: A stunning shot of a wave in Hawaii; a wave engulfing a lighthouse in Ouessant, France; a beautiful image by South African photographer Marck Botha; a surfer is dwarfed by a wave off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, and (inset) a surfer hurtles down the face of a huge wave in Hawaii.

Budget hotel chain Travelodge polled staff across its 552 UK properties about the weirdest requests they've had over the past 12 months.

Oakland spent much of the 20th century lost in the shadow of its immediate neighbour San Francisco. But it is increasingly making a name for itself in the 21st - as Ella Buchan discovers.

Explore South Africa at home thanks to Google Street View

From Table Mountain to the un-trekked wilderness, discover South Africa's stunning landscapes from your own home, via 360-degree Google Street View videos. Over 50,000km has been mapped thanks to over 200 volunteers. Rangers, nature enthusiasts, guides and tech fans trekked for 12 months, covering more than 900km on foot with a Google Street View camera. It mapped out 232 points of interest across all nine provinces in the country, including six Unesco World Heritage sites.

A cheeky emu in South Australia has swapped his usual diet of shoots and seeds for some tastier options in a cute video captured and uploaded online by Snake Catchers Adelaide.

President Trump said Friday he will uphold a ban on importing trophies of elephants hunted and killed in Zimbabwe, pending further review, reversing his own administration's decision from a day earlier.

If you thought holidaying on your own private island was exclusively for the rich and famous, think again. From Tanzania to Dorset, MailOnline has scouted out the best fantasy island getaways.

Air France pilot captures Iran in timelapse video

As views from the office go, this takes some beating. Guillaume Laffon, 32, gets the ultimate view of the world as an Air France pilot. But he's not keeping it to himself - he has recorded the last 2,200km of a recent Airbus A340 passenger trip between Charles De Gaulle in Paris and the Iranian capital, Tehran.

A-lister comic and Anchorman star, Will Ferrell, has partnered with Virgin Trains to record a series of bathroom announcements for west coast mainline services in the run up to Christmas.

Terribly damaged by an earthquake in 2011, the New Zealand city of Christchurch has taken time to find its feet. But now, there are plentiful signs of new life, says Mark Palmer.

World’s most dangerous countries revealed

A new interactive ‘Travel Risk Map’ for 2018 reveals which countries are the riskiest in terms of road safety, security and medical matters. Finland, Norway and Iceland have the lowest rankings for all three categories, while most of Africa is deemed very dangerous for road safety and security. The map, by International SOS and Control Risks , shows that much of Africa also poses a very high risk for travellers’ health, along with Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Guyana. The countries in the ‘low’ category for health risks include Canada, the U.S, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Brazil, China and Russia are all deemed to have ‘rapidly developing variable risk’ when it comes to health. This map shows which countries have the highest and lowest security risks, with those that have an insignificant risk marked in light green, 'low' risk countries are marked in yellow, medium in brown, high in red and extreme, such as Libya, in dark red

It has often been lost in the shadow of the other great cities of Rajasthan - Jaipur and Udaipur. But now Jodhpur is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. James Collard explains why...

Lake Como needs little introduction as a destination - a water feature that stands as one of the highlights of Italy. And it is just as fine in autumn as in summer, enthuses Mark Palmer.

Plane is struck by huge lightning bolt departing Amsterdam

If you suffer a fear of flying, look away now. Because this is the dramatic moment a commercial carrier suffers a direct lightning hit - just moments after launching into the skies.   Footage shows the commercial carrier being struck mid-air while carrying countless passengers from Amsterdam's Schipol Airport. 

From Guatemala to Japan, bizarre charms that are said to bring fertility, wealth and protection against evil are revealed in a fascinating infographic.

The map was created by the Copenhagen-based European Environment Agency. The map is marked with coloured dots, each indicating that the level of at least one pollutant is 'very bad'.

The stunning natural beauty of rural Hong Kong revealed

The images, taken by some of Hong Kong's best photographers, depict star-filled skies on a remote island, a sea of clouds on a tranquil mountaintop and lush woodland. Among the participants are landscape photographer and winner of Hong Kong National Geographic's Photo Contest 2013, Will Cho (top right); veteran outdoor sports photographer Elvis Mo; Nature Conservancy 2017 photo contest winner Jessica Li (top left and bottom right); and renowned photographer Romain Jacquet Lagreze (bottom left), who is best-known for his 'Vertical Horizon' photo series, showcasing the geometric lines of Hong Kong.

Cheryl, 33, and Jason Falconer, 28, from Lanarkshire, sold their house, quit their jobs and ditched normal life for a year on the road with their kids and two dogs.

Announced at the Dubai Air Show, the epic deal is the European company's biggest and will include 273 A320neos and 157 A321neos.

Snorkeller gets very close to deadly crocodile

Most people would flee if they came close to a deadly animal. But one brave snorkeller ignored his survival instinct - and, as a result, captured crystal clear images of a crocodile who almost appeared to smile for the camera. Robert Smits, 34, was swimming in the mangroves of Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, when he spotted the fierce-looking reptile and decided it was the perfect photo opportunity. 

Crustaceans, such as the tadpole shrimp (pictured), almost seven miles down in the darkest depths of the Pacific Ocean are eating plastic, scientists have confirmed.

A cruise along the Rhine is an experience that those who love journeys on water should all try at some point. Andrew Pierce takes to Germany's greatest river for a very harmonious holiday.

Thomas W Hodgkinson was so enamoured with the Waldhaus Flims hotel in the Swiss Alps near Davos, that he failed to notice he was in the nude section. It was that sort of long weekend...

Kate Johnson has varying memories of Phuket, but has seen it come a long way from basic backpacker haven to chic holiday hotspot. On her latest visit to Thailand, it was as good as ever...

Montenegro has been an independent nation for just over a decade now. And while you get the impression that it is still finding its feet, it knows its way to the beach, says Jeff Mills.

Southwest Airlines steward gives 'sexy' safety briefing

Most in-flight entertainment is pretty predictable. But a Southwest Airlines attendant has his carrier apart from the competition, this week, after giving their safety briefing a sexy re-sell, which included burlesque-inspired performances with the flotation vest (centre), laminated evacuation card (left) and seatbelt (right). Cabin crew-member Nicholas Demore was working on flight 1597 from Dallas to Las Vegas when he delivered a sultry rendition of the evacuation procedures - delighting passengers in the process.

The commercial carriers have temporarily suspended meals from Gate Gourmet at Los Angeles International Airport after listeria was found in the caterer's local kitchen.

The Delta employee, known only as Jim with a 'Y', was filmed rapping the briefing at Montgomery Regional Airport, Alabama, earlier this month.

Emirates unveil new, fully-enclosed first class cabins

They are already one of the world's leading airlines. But now Emirates, the Middle East's largest air carrier, has just upped its game after unveiling its brand new, state-of-the-art first class suites - which are estimated to cost from £7,000 per flight. Set to be introduced into commercial service on their Boeing 777 fleet, next month, the fully-enclosed cabins measure 40 square-foot (3.7-square-meters) and are billed as 'game-changers' with their privacy, gourmet dining (bottom left), mood lighting (top right) and 32" TV screens

With more than 1,070 Unesco World Heritage sites across the world, it can be difficult to appreciate their wonder. So here we present a shortlist of the most visually stunning.

Beating competition from 469 other venues, Buckinghamshire's acclaimed The Pointer has been crowned the UK's Pub of the Year by Michelin.

It seems the InterContinental Shimao hotel in Shanghai, China, is inching towards the first major stage of completion - as new footage reveals ahead of the reported May 2018 opening shows.

A fearless photographer has captured images of an abandoned home in Liege, Belgium, which looks frozen in time - complete with cobweb-covered trophies and discarded crucifixes.

Mushroom-shaped house on sale for £1.1m in Pleasantville

It's not your typical, garden-variety home.  But, despite this, the property designed to resemble a mushroom is clearly considered a rich picking - after going on the market for nearly $1.5million (£1,145,400), this month. Located in Pleasantville, New York, it boasts three bedrooms (top right and bottom left), a dining area (bottom right) and living room (top left).

Ten thousand snow geese moving across a lake simultaneously in Quebec, Canada creates an enormous sound in this memorizing video that's like nature's version of Swan Lake.

Sarah Moore, from Edinburgh, quite her job in the city - and swapped it for nine others after moving to North Ronaldsay in the Orkneys, which has a population of just 45.

China's Tianjin Binhai Public Library revealed in photos

They are usually old, dusty places with little design appeal. But a cutting-edge architectural firm from Denmark is fast redefining how we see the humble library - as their latest project has proven, this week. The Tianjin Binhai Public Library, located in northeastern China, is deliberately designed to look like a human eyeball and boasts 1.2 million books over five storeys.

The Daily Mail's Naomi Leach enjoys an audience with humpback whales, swims with turtles and explores three islands island along the Fraser and Capricorn coasts of Australia.

Reunion is located in the Indian Ocean, 1,300 miles off the east coast of Africa. Daily Mail's Siobhan Warwicker ventured to the island and checked into the Lux* Saint Gilles resort.

A bizarre video shows millions of snails taking over a popular beach in St. Petersburg Florida. The entire length of the beach is covered in what looks like black rocks, but are in fact cerith snails.

Stunning drone footage of Iceland's scenic landscape

From gaping gorges to the dancing northern lights, new drone footage showcases the mesmerising beauty of Iceland. A team of filmmakers trekked across the volcano-ridden country to capture a range of unique landscapes from the air. In a five-minute long video titled The North Awakens, viewers are taken on a breathtaking flight over a mix of terrain, soaring above icy glaciers and rugged cliffsides. Pictured: (From top left, clockwise) Black volcanic earth, a fast-flowing river, a rainbow over a waterfall and the colourful Northern Lights.

Manchester's King Street Townhouse is in the running for the accolade of Best Pool with a View by Mr & Mrs Smith. Other shortlisted pools can be found in the Maldives, Tuscany and Sri Lanka.

Jaw-dropping drone images from 27-year-old James Shooter reveal a different world from above the mist and clouds of some of Scotland's most beloved landscapes.

Jeffrey Milstein's aerial collection of LA and NYC

Stunning aerial photographs of Los Angeles and New York City taken from planes and helicopters have been collected in a remarkable new book. The incredible images show the 9/11 Memorial and tower, Times Square and JFK International Terminal from above in New York. Other spectacular shots show Disneyland, the beach in LA and shipping containers in the port at Long Beach. Left: New York City's Columbus Circle. Top right: 432 Park Avenue, a residential block. Bottom right: A beach in LA.

Passengers from around the world took to Reddit to reveal how they joined the 'mile high club', despite very public setting. Cabin crew also shared how they have caught couples in the act.

William George Armstrong from Cheltenham was horrified when he received a bill from travel retailer Flight Center for a first class pre-Christmas trip, with the total coming in at £5,289.87.

Iceland's 5 Million Star Hotel in Skalholt revealed

Most people want a hotel room with a view. But, for holiday-makers planning a trip to rural Iceland, that needn't be a concern - especially if they're staying in one of the region's so-called bubble pods (pictured daytime, top left). Located at the 5 Million Star Hotel, in Skalholt, near the river Hvítá, guests are plunged into the heart of nature (night shot, top right), where they can star-gaze without stepping foot outside.

Anthony Kobrowisky was sailing in shark-infested waters off Gansbaai, South Africa, when he was greeted by the ferocious hunter - and captured the moment on his GoPro.

After 'sticking like glue' in childhood, Turner Twins Hugo and Ross, 29, from Devon, found their lives going in different paths when Hugo broke his neck at 17- but now they're closer than ever.

The National Gallery of Ireland reopened this year following a six-year makeover and one of the refurbished rooms features a painting of Graham Norton.

Join Peter Snow on a unique centenary tour of WWI

Next year is a significant moment in world history – the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, arguably the most brutal and unforgiving conflict ever to have engulfed Western Europe. On this unique seven-day river cruise through Holland and Belgium, which is exclusive to readers of The Mail on Sunday, you will visit some of the great battlefields of the war, including Mons and Ypres, and hear the unforgettable and moving stories of the troops who fought and died there. You will also be joined by the broadcaster and historian Peter Snow, who will give a private talk and Q&A; in which he will share stories from his illustrious career in journalism and introduce some of the ‘gripping tales of courage, cunning and compassion’ that have inspired his new book, War Stories.

Tube train doors

Seventy per cent of commuters still attempt to board trains despite the door alarm sounding, according to research by safety body the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

Fed up tourists whipped out their cameras to document some of the worst hotel fails around the world and shared the results online - from broken lifts to bathroom 'soup' dispensers.

Want to rent a holiday home for Christmas, but don't know where to start? The Mail on Sunday's Travel Editor Frank Barrett answers your travel questions this week.

From friendly stingrays to delicious cuisine, The Main on Sunday's Josh Arnold said he found a slice of paradise on Antigua.

Parents of two on selling everything to travel the world

In a bid to prove that parenthood doesn't mean the end of adventure, one couple have told how they are quitting their jobs and selling all of their possessions to travel the world with their two young children. Kerri and Joe 'Smith' (renamed upon request) (pictured top right and centre), who are currently based in the New Forest in South England, say that many people stop travelling when they have a family because of 'misconceptions or preconceived ideas'. However, the adventurous parents are determined to prove naysayers wrong and they have been putting together a bucket list of activities to get stuck into next year with their son Bug, aged four, and two-year-old daughter Mimi (pictured together top left), including visiting Santa in Lapland and checking out a local school in Fiji.

La Maison D'Ulysse – a former fortified farmhouse near the stunning citadels of Avignon and Nimes - has been transformed into a boutique hotel of delightfulness, writes Ted Thornhill.

Carol Morley and her daughter Emma, from Edinburgh, paid £1,150 for their all-inclusive break in Majorca but said the food at the hotel was so bad that they were forced to eat out.

The Pear Tree is a family-run hotel on the edge of the Cotswolds but the Daily Mail's Inspector says it could do with an overhaul.

The three historic villages of Serfaus, Fiss and Ladis, on a plateau in the Austrian Tyrol, boast an astonishing area for skiing, says the Daily Mail's Roger Alton.

Another Dirty room expose a Florida hotel in YouTube video

Caked with dirt and harbouring dozens of creepy crawlies, one hotel in Florida has been outed for being the thing of nightmares. Dan Bell, who produces the hotel reviewing YouTube series Another Dirty Room, checked into the Regency Inn & Suites in Tampa with his team, where they made a string of unsavoury discoveries. Pictured: (From top left, clockwise to centre) Blood-stained pillows, a large cockroach, soiled mattresses, the room layout and an exterior shot of the hotel.

A Flybe aircraft crash landed in Belfast today after its nose gear refused to drop. The aircraft, which can carry 78 passengers declared an emergency after it took off at 11.40am.

From Dublin to London, some of the UK's most famous housing estates have been lauded in an unlikely celebration of urban design, this week. But is yours included?

Britain’s best cinemas revealed

MailOnline Travel has scoured the land to bring you Britain's most bizarre, historic and plush cinemas. There's one housed in a former coaching inn, another inside a 14th-century barn and a cinema in a tiny caravan (top left). It's also possible to watch movies in a hot tub (top right), in total luxury (bottom right) and in a spectacular winter wonderland (bottom left).

Naming a boat can cause much amusement - as the Boat McBoatface debacle proved. And now some of the funniest boat names from around the world have been shared in an online gallery.

Alain Jan, 53, from the French island of Réunion, was ejected from a Costa Cruises liner when police investigated a disturbance relating to a cancelled Seychelles visit.

The world's strangest sea creatures revealed

Lurking beneath the waves of the earth's oceans are a range of creatures so terrifying and strange you'd think they'd been created in the pages of a science fiction novel. From the giant scale worm (bottom left) - to the stargazer (top right), which has eyes on top of its head, and from the vicious-looking gangtooth (bottom right) to the leafy sea dragon (top left), MailOnline Travel reveals some of the weirdest deep-sea animals - and where they are hiding.

Man UP! by Long Island resident Paul O’Donnell contains 367 ‘classic skills for the modern guy’. Here MailOnline Travel reveals a few of its survival tips.

Holing up in cosy retreat to enjoy log fires, pots of tea and walks is what this time of year is made for. From Cornish cabins to Celtic keeps, MailOnline rounds up the best properties to hibernate in.

Modern Japan's enchanting side revealed in photographs

Photographer Shane Thoms, from Melbourne, has captured some of these darkly enchanting places in a stunning new book – Haikyo: The Modern Ruins of Japan. Thoms, from Melbourne, Australia, has captured a bizarre and mysterious world where mini jungles sprout and discarded furniture litters dusty buildings laden with foreboding. The haunting locations include an abandoned slot parlour in Saitama Prefecture (bottom right), an abandoned strip club in Okayama Prefecture, a former love hotel in Chiba Prefecture, a theme park reclaimed by nature (main) and Hashima Island (top right).

The bargain basement tickets are available from Icelandic carrier Wow air. The fare has been launched to celebrate its new service from Stansted to JFK International, via Reykjavik.

Low winds and the annual post-harvest burning of crop stubble have caused the levels of dangerous pollutants in the air to spike to many times the levels considered safe

Alarming reports show the city's levels of PM2.5 pollutants have breached 1,000mg this week in New Delhi – more than triple the 300mg level that is deemed highly dangerous.

Amazing Nat Geo Nature Photographer of the Year entries

The 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest is in its final two weeks of accepting submissions – and as these incredible pictures show, if you’re going to enter, you’ll need to be very good indeed to stand a chance of winning. Here MailOnline Travel reveals a few more of the very best images submitted so far. One of the standout shots is of a juvenile sea lion playing with a starfish (top right) in isolated Los Lobos, La Paz, in Mexico. Another jaw-dropper is a picture of a supercell thunderstorm spinning away at dusk over the plains of Colorado (main). Pictured bottom right is a double-crested cormorant.

The research, led by a team from Exeter University and University College London, is believed to be the biggest yet to look into the effects of ayahuasca. It was based on 96,000 people.

New York resized by Jasper Leonard using tilt shift trick

It’s New York as you’ve never seen it before – looking tiny. These photographs, by Jasper Leonard, appear to have reduced the Big Apple to a miniature city. The effect – a dazzling bird’s-eye perspective - is thanks to a photographic technique called ‘tilt shift’. Leonard used it to transform Manhattan into a swirling ant-hill of miniature people after taking pictures over 20 days from rooftops, helicopters and drones. The photographer, from Antwerp, Belgium, said that ‘looking out over New York was a breath-taking experience’. The best of the photographs that he took on his trip will appear in a new book, New York Resized , published by Lannoo Publishers, out on November 20. Here MailOnline Travel offers a tantalising sneak peek of the stunning tome.

The hilarious images, posted to the web by cat owners across the globe, were taken by laptops set to snap a picture if someone entered an incorrect password three times in a row.

According to Las Vegas officials, the driverless vehicle stopped to avoid a collision, but was ‘grazed’ by a delivery truck. They say the shuttle 'did what it was supposed to do' when it detects a threat.

Called ‘Under’, the restaurant has been designed by the Snohetta agency and will be located at the southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline by the village of Baly.

A Singapore-based businessman is offering an 18-course feast served on board a private jet, followed by fireworks, a yacht cruise and 5-star hotel stay, for one very lucky winner.

The sleeping quarters presented here are the 10 nominees for being named World’s Sexiest Bedroom by Mr & Mrs Smith, the travel club for lovers of extremely ship-shape hotels.

The dramatic Abbots Grange, which is nestled in the lea of Broadway hill, was originally constructed for the Abbot of Pershore - and is now a heavenly guesthouse and officially an industry leader.

If you're a fan of aesthetics, take a trip to Sweden's capital, Stockholm, says the Daily Mail's Mark Palmer. There, you'll find plenty of good style.

Spain unveil's Europe's largest man-made beach

Stunning computerised images of what the artificial beach will look like when finished show windsurfers, kayakers and swimmers enjoying themselves in Caribbean-style transparent water. Other photos show couples arm-in-arm looking out from wooden jetties over the palm-fringed lagoon. A restaurant, beach bar, toboggan slides and a sailing school and 1,000 parking spaces complete the project. The beach will be a 40-mile drive north-east of the Spanish capital and 235 miles from the east coast city of Valencia, 300 miles from Benidorm and nearly 400 miles north of Marbella.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi

The opening comes a decade after France and the UAE agreed to a 30-year partnership initially reported to be worth $1.1 billion, including nearly half a billion dollars for the rights to the Louvre brand.

How you could win the ultimate adventure holiday

They have just launched 300 new action-packed experiences across North America. And, to celebrate, Virgin Holidays are searching for someone to cram 50 of them into a four-week long journey across 10 impressive destinations. From surfing (top left) and flying planes (main) to zip-lining (bottom left) and exploring nature (bottom right), one lucky winner will complete the ultimate bucket list - and document their adventures as the face of the company's social media channel.

The unnamed tourist from Birmingham dined at Trattoria Casanova in the San Marco district and said that he was charged 300 euros for a lobster platter alone.

Created using hundreds of satellite radar images of the country, the map, created by scientists from the University of Nottingham, covers movement over a two-year period from 2015 to 2017.

Why Petit St Vincent is a pleasure island 

The Mail on Sunday's Sarah Turner discovers that Petit St Vincent, the private island retreat in the Grenadines, is where rich, thoughtful people come on holiday in a uniquely Caribbean way. In terms of personality, PSV (as it’s always known) has a touch of the Bill Murray about it, she writes – it’s gentle, eccentric and thoroughly charming. Covering 115 acres, the resort has room for just 22 cottages, a 4,000-bottle wine cellar, customised Mini Mokes and a lot of peace and quiet. And the scuba school is run by Jacques Cousteau’s son.

The Woodsman's Treehouse in Dorset is up for the Riba House of the Year award. With entry via a rope bridge and a sauna box on the roof, it's certainly unusual.

Meng Meng was the happiest panda in the world last week. The nine-year-old female bear just couldn't hide her excitement after seeing snow for the first time this year at a zoo in China.

Amos Chapple captures animal migration in Georgia

Every winter Georgian shepherds bring their huge flocks down through the incredible Tusheti mountains, risking injury or death. They have to negotiate the Abano Pass, one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Intrepid photographer Amos Chapple, from New Zealand, has captured the journey in a set of stunning images.

Michelle and Dave Smith, from Holywell, Flintshire, claim holidaymakers were 'dropping like flies' at Hotel Riu Touareg, Cape Verde, while on their week-long vacation.

Orchid City and Spas, which has been offering upmarket spa breaks and hen weekends since 2011, says divorce parties are now catching on in the UK, following their popularity in the US.

Architectural Photography Awards shortlist revealed

Twenty photographs have been revealed as the shortlist for this year’s prestigious Arcaid Images Architectural Photography Awards. The shortlist will be whittled down to one winner at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin. It's held from November 15-17 and is aimed at interior designers and architects. Visitors will be able to vote for their favourite photograph and the winner will be announced at the WAF Gala Dinner. From Danish museums to Singapore's housing estates, MailOnline Travel takes a whirl round the world with these stunning entries. Pictured clockwise from top left: A chapel in Cape Town; Messner Mountain Museum in Italy; Burning Man Festival in Nevada; the Choi Hung Estate in Hong Kong and the Ponte City Apartments in South Africa (inset).

Heat

Experts say the average global temperature from January to September was 1.1C above the pre-industrial era, while the years 2013 to 2017 are likely to be the hottest five-year period on record.

Frank Barrett traces the route of the Cockleshell Heroes in the French city. They paddled along the Gironde estuary and attached limpet mines to enemy ships in a truly daring mission.

Lucy Verasamy loves Verbier's tree-lined slopes and says the resort has grown tastefully since her last visit in 2004. It's a popular spot with celebs - and Prince William.

The switching-on of the Oxford Street lights (by Rita Ora on Tuesday) used to be the be-all and end-all of Yuletide festivities – but now it is just another event in a city-wide extravaganza.

Boulder, pictured, tops a list of 25 of America’s happiest cities, revealed in new book The Blue Zones of Happiness, by National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner.

Incredible and hilarious winter pictures

These incredible pictures, from across the world, capture some truly memorable snowy moments from years gone by including a bald eagle that sat in a snow-covered nest to protect its chicks (bottom left), a pick-up truck with a snow drift in the cab after it was abandoned in a blizzard (top left) and an amazing frozen river, snapped by an ice climber (top middle). There's also some insight into how winter affects the daily lives of Finnish people (top right), which is not much, and a remarkable ice beard (bottom right).

The Daily Mail's Vincent Graff discovers the delights of Anna Maria Island and Kissimmee with his young family - and they agree it was the best family holiday ever.

The Inspector checks into Beaverbrook in Surrey, whose past guests include Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor, Rudyard Kipling and Ian Fleming. But would they have had to wait 20 minutes for their wine?

Yes, you'll be buzzed by scooters and harassed by food vendors, but the Daily Mail's Denys Blakeway discovers that there's something enticing about Marrakech's hustle and bustle.

The footage shows a hiker, with apparently no safety equipment whatsoever, casually walking along a very narrow ledge to the top of a remote precipice in the Fjaorargljufur canyon.

Acclaimed photographer Derry Brabbs from Yorkshire presents incredible images of sights across Europe in new book Pilgrimage - The Great Pilgrim Routes of Britain and Europe.

Cumberland Island's wild horses captured in stunning book

Cumberland Island's 150 wild horses have been captured in a stunning book - Wild Horses of Cumberland Island - by French photographer Anouk Masson Krantz. The feral horses have lived there for hundreds of years and roam free on an island that contains expansive white-sand beaches, immense rolling dunes, old-growth maritime oak forests and salt marsh tidal estuaries.

Los Angeles-based Snapchat's offering features two patties separated by cheese and tomato – although not everyone seems convinced that this is an accurate layout.

Seventy seven years after it disappeared, HMS Narwhal has been found by a group of Polish divers who discovered it 140 miles off the east coast of Scotland in line with Edinburgh.

EXCLUSIVE: Today Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the world-renowned University of East Anglia, is the first expert to predict the plague outbreak could reach mainland Africa.

A study from the University of Texas at Austin has found that East Antarctica’s largest glacier is melting from beneath, as winds transport warm water – and, these winds are expected to intensify.

National Trust photo competition shows the best of Britain

Over 7,000 people entered the second annual National Trust photo competition. The two winners, George Evans and Ian Mayou, will be on the historic charity's handbook and membership cards next year. Over 24million Brits visit one of the 500 National Trust sites every year. Pictured clockwise from top left: Sue Rowlands' picture of Cotehele in Cornwall, which won her the runner-up prize for the membership cards; Gareth James' Dorset snap; Bethany Lynch's picture of Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, and Evans' winning shot of Llyn Dinas in Snowdonia.

TV star and ex-SAS soldier BEAR GRYLLS offers his top tips on how to survive a host of dangerous situations and provide techniques which could save your life.

The £1m CAMPERVAN: New ‘EarthRoamer’ motorhome revealed

The EarthRoamer XV-HD started out life as a Ford pickup truck but has been transformed into a luxury motorhome that can accommodate six people. But while it has been designed to cope with the most extreme off-grid environments, it is also targeted at buyers wanting to travel in luxury. There is a full bathroom with separate shower, washer and tumble dryer, heated floors, king-size bed, Bose surround sound system and room for six. The kitchen has an induction hob, Bosch microwave and oven, fridge freezer and a sink. Colorado-based EarthRoamer unveiled the XV-HD this week - and it costs a whopping $1.5million (£1.13m).

Chicago is cooler than New York and one of the friendliest places on the planet, says the Daily Mail's Mark Porter. He discovers the Windy City's wild side on his quest for great bars and music.

Why is Vestfold in Norway so often the setting for Scandi crime novels? Daniel Pembrey finds out, as he explores the atmospheric coastal county with the help of writer Jorn Lier Horst.

Inside the upgraded Singapore Airlines A380 cabins 

The new cabin products were displayed for the first time on Thursday at a media launch in Singapore. They will enter service in December on the first of five new A380 aircraft entering the fleet. Retrofit work will also take place on 14 existing aircraft, to ensure product consistency across the airline’s entire A380 fleet. Pictured: The incredible new first-class suites, which now feature double beds and sit-down vanity mirrors (top left and bottom left) and the new business class cabin, which also boasts double beds (top right and bottom right).

Julian Robinson waves goodbye to London's congested roads and packed Tubes and heads for a blast of fresh autumn air in the Lake District - and a stay at the luxury Lakeside Hotel and Spa.

Portugal's capital is bursting with life, from new hotels to restaurant openings by top chefs. Jenny Coad explores the best of Lisbon, gobbling plenty of ‘pasteis de nata’ along the way.

Swiss village of Corippo to be turned into a giant hotel

Switzerland's smallest mountain village has come up with an unusual plan to save it from extinction – to become a giant hotel. The mountain hamlet of Corippo, located in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in Switzerland, concluded that it would likely face total extinction in the future as there are only 13 inhabitants left. The village, at an altitude of 600 metres (1,968 feet) above sea level, once had a thriving community in its small piazzas and in its little church when the population was still 300 people.

Rod and Helen Hagues have made the most of their distinctive eco-home and painted it to look like five beach huts. The bungalow in West Sussex isn't next to the sea, but can be rented.

Hollywood dad Sean Elliot has converted a manly van into a roving 'dollhouse', complete with fairy lights, to take his daughters on adventures hiking, camping and climbing all over America.

The world's wackiest mailboxes revealed

The curbside mailbox seen throughout rural and suburban America is a design that’s recognisable throughout the world – but these days lots of homeowners are pimping it up, as these fascinating and amusing photographs reveal. The mailbox design we’re all so familiar with dates back to 1916. It’s called the Joroleman mailbox, after Roy J Joroleman, a Post Office worker who created its look. Fast forward to 2017 and this classic design is being customised to resemble SpongeBob SquarePants, a minion from the Despicable Me animations and an X-Wing fighter from the Star Wars movies among others.

The spookiest Airbnb listings revealed on Halloween

It is the accommodation site that has changed the way we stay. But, while most rentals are problem-free, some of Airbnb's listings come with an unexpected 'bump' in the night. In fact, many of the platform's spookier options have been dubbed 'haunted' by guests and owners alike, who claim spine-chilling supernatural activity render their properties extra special.  So, if you're feeling brave, here's a selection with paranormal allure - and what you may encounter as a guest. The eerie properties include, pictured clockwise from top left: Augill Castle, Cumbria; a Gothic mansion in Maryland; Goose Rocks Lighthouse, Maine; a U.S Civil War-era farmhouse, Gettysburg and (inset) Castello dal Pozzo, Piedmont, Italy.

As from Wednesday 'the beer bicycle may be banned from the city centre to stop it from being a nuisance,' the Amsterdam District Court said in a statement.

The American couple, who are both in their 40s, quit their jobs in Cincinnati, Ohio, to live full time in a converted Mercedes Sprinter 144 van. Eleven months in and they're happier than ever.

The houses in rural China with rooftop farms

It was devastated by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. But now China's Jintai Village, in the Sichuan Province, is rebuilding itself in an ingenious way - thanks to a new development of sustainable houses with roof farms (top and bottom right). More than 22 cutting-edge properties have been erected in the afflicted area (inset), which allows residents to grow their own food and rear animals for continuous, greener living (top left) in an environment where there is little space for house building.

As far as settling into married life goes, packing your worldly goods into a van and hitting the road is certainly unconventional. But this is exactly what Mike and Jessica Shisler, from Baltimore, did.

The businessman fired the starting pistol on construction of the first of his 'Virgin Voyages' fleet in Genoa this week, and passengers are already paying £370 just to get on the waiting list for a ticket.

Made by German firm Volkner Mobil GmbH, it offers a fully-equipped kitchen, sleeping quarters, wooden and leather fittings, state-of-the-art entertainment - and space for the Ferrari.

The company that created the world's first hoverbike is now unveiling a new product: air taxis that seat five (pictured). The taxis can be parked in standard parking spaces and refueled at gas stations.

Funny signs from around the world revealed

As the Monty Python team once sung, always look on the bright side of life. But if you’re having trouble with that – these hilarious signs might help. Some are unintentionally hilarious, like the sign on the Missouri hotel reception desk that read ‘please do not clean the fish’. It has the air of a sign that’s been put there to address a genuine, albeit bizarre, problem. And the flood sign placed next to a puddle, was obviously put there before the weather cleared. But others need applauding for their wit, such as the furniture-store sign that reads ‘Shack of Sit’.

The Guide's 2018 edition saw Jean-Georges Vongerichten's eatery downgraded from three to two stars, leaving New York with five three-star restaurants. San Francisco has seven.

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2017 file photo, strong waves brought by Hurricane Irma hit the Malecon seawall in Havana, Cuba. The elegant, seaside boulevard, where early 20th-century buildings are pounded with massive waves during storms and cold fronts, is now being pushed toward collapse by rising seas, more intense hurricanes, and decades of neglect. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

Havana's historic Malecon, the boulevard where Cubans eat, drink and socialise, is under threat from rising seas and stronger storms caused by climate change.

How to tour Disney World and Universal Orlando VIP style

His friends were aghast that he was going to Orlando - it's not exactly glamorous - but William Hanson didn't care, because he knew he'd be doing it in style. And here he reveals all. He took a VIP tour of Disney World (inset), including a meal at the Grand Floridian hotel (bottom left), and Universal (top left and bottom right) and was whisked around both by a personal guide. And he put his feet up in the luxury surrounds of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando hotel at the end of the day (top right).

A cruise around the world is a dream holiday for many, but it's also a huge investment. William Sietz of St Albans, who has spent roughly 1,500 days at sea, shares his tips for a successful voyage.

SwimTrek offers week-long training courses and sea-swimming expeditions for all ability levels in destinations all over the world. Lizzie Enfield headed to Majorca to hit the open water.

It may not be the Orient Express, but the best way to reach Greenway, the Devon home of Agatha Christie, is on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, writes Hilary Macaskill.

National Geographic's nature contest images revealed

The wonder of nature is limitless. But, in case that wasn't already clear, a selection of brand new images from the National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year contest 2017 prove it. Entries from the third and fourth galleries highlight nature's incredible beauty and power, ranging from hyenas trying to take on lions (top right) to a pod of sleeping sperm whale (main). Also shortlisted is a stunning image of lava flowing from Russia's Klyuchevskaya Sopka (bottom right), the highest active volcano in Eurasia.

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