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One of the highlights of my recent trip to Madeira  was the one-day tour I took around West Madeira. Stunning mountain vistas, lush green landscapes, natural swimming pools and ethereal forests were all on the agenda. Suffice it to say, my camera got a good workout that day! Read on to find out more. If you don't have a rental car in Madeira, joining an organised tour is the most efficient way to explore the island beyond Funchal in one day. There are dozens of different one-day tours available, almost all of which focus on either the east or the west side of the island. The latter ticked more of my boxes and I booked a full-day small group jeep tour with  True Spirit . Our guide Gil was great, smoothly negotiating all of the impossibly steep, narrow, twisty roads, taking the time to share details about the history and culture of Madeira and even climbing up trees to show us some of the wonderful tropical fruits. My top tip for the tour is to pack an extra layer even if it's w...

When planning  my recent day trip  to the Kent Coast, I had earmarked two new-to-me speciality coffee spots to visit: Forts in Margate...and its sister location in Broadstairs. Better still, I could walk from one Forts to the other by following the Viking Coastal Trail along the beach. And because good things come in threes, I was also excited to pay a visit to Curve Coffee Roasters , an old favourite of mine , which had moved to a new location since I was last in Margate. Forts Cafe I arrived in Broadstairs on the train from St Pancras and it was a pleasant 10-minute stroll along the High Street to get to my first Forts of the day. Owner Will Pitts opened the Margate original in June 2020 — an even more challenging time to open a speciality coffee shop than usual, for obvious reasons, but the Broadstairs cafe made its début just a year later, in summer 2021. Both cafes have a very relaxed vibe and welcoming and knowledgeable staff. I spotted the Broadstairs Forts' excess sea...

I made the most of the sunshine on Saturday by heading to the coast — more specifically, to the Kentish towns of Margate and Broadstairs. I was much too late to find any available accommodation in Margate ( Fort Road Hotel  would have been my top choice) but thanks to the high-speed trains, you can pack in a lot on a day trip. Read on for my one-day Margate and Broadstairs itinerary, including a walk along the Viking Coastal Trail and other things to do and places to eat, drink and shop. 10:00 Coffee stop and quick shop in Broadstairs I booked a return train ticket to Margate but hopped off one stop early in Broadstairs, arriving just before 10:00 am. My first priority was coffee and I made a beeline for  Forts Cafe , which is a stone's throw from the beach. As well as the house Tastyboi espresso, roasted by Origin , Will Pitts' colourful cafe and its sister location in Margate serve some excellent coffees from a range of guest roasters. I opted for a piccolo with a natural Rw...