As a child I spent a lot of time on ferries. Each summer my parents would load the three of us into the back of our Vauxhall and drive us off on a European adventure for a week or three. I loved it. I loved the adventure. I loved the boat. I loved being on the sea. Strangely though, as an adult, the sea is not something I have done a lot of.

We set off after a leisurely wander around the town seeing the gentle bustle of the great country. Sri Lanka is a much calmer beast than India, its people are smiling, courteous, helpful and have a wicked sense of humour. At one street food stall we stopped for a vegetable roti (really well spiced and not hot….but with a ‘ball burning’ aubergine chutney to go with it) and fresh coconut milk.

As rain is forecast to continue across much of the UK, one Peak District hotel is making a contrarian claim: that rain, not sunshine, creates the most romantic hotel stays. According to Losehill House, grey skies, mist and drizzle are not something to work around - they can be the secret ingredient of a truly memorable British break.

Both restless and relentlessly curious, Nigel Buckland is the epitome of a traveller, in the gratifyingly anachronistic manner of Eric Newby and Wilfred Thesiger.

As the prospect of snow, howling winds and sheeting rain continuing to batter the UK, the lure of sunshine, stunning beaches and stimulating new cultures beckons. With a myriad of destinations from Mauritius to Mexico offering long haul packages and, closer to home, the Canaries, the Algarve and Cyprus vying for business, choices are driven by time and budget constraints.

Airports may feel permanently chaotic, but travel experts say there’s one day that consistently flies under the radar — and it isn’t the weekend.

Grand Brasserie Restaurant in New York City Redefining French Elegance in Grand Central Terminal In a city where dining experiences are as iconic as its skyline, Grand Brasserie restaurant offers something rare: timeless French sophistication served within the architectural majesty of Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall.