Peru cruise: eating up the Amazon

Peru cruise: eating up the Amazon

In the observation deck of the M/V Aria, the most opulently-appointed cruise ship on the Amazon, there is less appetite than usual for the communal Jacuzzi. Passengers would normally be immersing themselves in the cool, clear water to soak away the heat and humidity of this spot, close to the equator, where the Marañon and Ucayali rivers meet. Today they have formed a huddle round the tub, but no one has ventured in and, on closer inspection, I can see why.

Not only is it filled with muddy river water that smells faintly of methane, but the surface is broken every few minutes by a gargantuan fish. "It's a paiche," says Victor Coelho, one of four naturalist guides on board, leaping into the Jacuzzi in his shorts to wrestle with the prehistoric leviathan and to present it for a photo opportunity. "The paiche is at the top of the food chain and has a bony tongue to rake in smaller fish. Like a mammal, it has to surface every five or 10 minutes for oxygen. A large fish could feed a family for a week."

On the 147ft-long Aria and its sister ship the Aqua, both operated by Aqua Expeditions, gastronomy is high on the agenda. Last September the Aria hosted Ferran Adrià, of El Bulli fame, with Gastón Acurio – the chef who, seven years ago, took Peruvian cuisine to new heights and has promoted it worldwide in his 33 restaurants. Both were in Lima for Mistura, South America's biggest food festival, along with René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen.

This one will feed 32 passengers at a dinner showcasing the talents of five top chefs, among them Nobu Matsuhisa – owner of more than 30 restaurants worldwide, including two in London with a Michelin star each – and Yoshihiro Murata, arguably the most influential chef in Japan. His Kikunoi restaurant in Kyoto has three Michelin stars while Roan Kikunoi (also in Kyoto) and Akasaka Kikunoi (in Tokyo) have two stars each. In Peru for a conference, they have been invited to cook on board by Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, the Aria's executive chef, himself dubbed "South America's Heston Blumenthal" for his use of esoteric ingredients both here and at Malabar, his acclaimed restaurant in Lima.

One day they might release baby turtles back into the wild, the next they might visit a sanctuary for manatees, seal-like river mammals. They arrive back in time for a rain shower in their air-conditioned, Italian-styled suite, followed by a pisco sour (grape brandy, lime juice, sugar, egg white), elegantly mixed by Robinson the bartender, and a sumptuous Peruvian feast.
In the mornings and afternoons, passengers set out on motorised skiffs with the Aria's naturalist guides – all local – to fish for piranhas and spot pink river-dolphins, caimans, iguanas, monkeys, bats, sloths and a bewildering variety of birds in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve west of Iquitos, the main city in the Peruvian rainforest.

Burma: should British holiday makers visit?

Burma: should British holidaymakers visit?
Dave Cameron is to make an historic visit to Burma on Friday. Should British tourists be following in his footsteps?

David Cameron is to make an historic visit to Burma on Friday. He will become the first western leader in a generation to visit the country. His decision comes after the National League for Democracy, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 43 seats in parliament in the first democratic elections for more than 50 years.

What do you think? Should tourists be following in the Prime Minister's footsteps? Is tourism to Burma ethical? Should Britons be practicing small-scale tourism to the country, rather than travelling with large tour operators? How can this be achieved?

Having previously opposed tourism to Burma, Ms Suu Kyi relaxed her position last year, and said that low-key "individual tourism" would be welcomed. Her shift in attitude was first revealed in August 2011 by Telegraph Travel. Following the announcement, visitor numbers to Burma have soared, with reports of a shortage of tour guides and hotel rooms in Rangoon (Yangon), where facilities for tourism are still rudimentary. An increasing number of package operators are adding the country to their brochures.

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Oxford city break guide

Oxford city break guide:
Oxford is an international city on an intimate scale. One minute you can be pushing through crowded shopping streets, the next diving down a serene cobbled alleyway, its ancient stone walls laced with wisteria, or stepping through one of the college gatehouses into an enclosed and enigmatic world.

Renowned throughout the world as a centre of learning, and latterly as the home of Inspectors Morse and Lewis, Oxford blends medieval charm with the buzz of a modern city. The city may have given her name to everything from a prestigious dictionary to a bitter marmalade, but it is the university that most people associate with the town. Over the past eight centuries eminent scientists, philosophers, authors, archbishops, explorers and politicians have emerged from its ivory towers.

You can walk across Oxford’s medieval heart in less than 20 minutes, though on your way don’t be surprised to find a famous face crossing your path, or to catch yourself eavesdropping on snatches of conversation that range from philosophy to politics to physics. Yet despite its lofty, intellectual air there’s a modern dynamism about the city, which bustles with small businesses, intriguing cafes, quirky shops and, nowadays, some of the best hotels and restaurants in the country.
When to go?

There is no best time to visit Oxford, as every season has its charms. In early spring the trees of North Oxford droop with blossom, though May is when Oxford perhaps looks her loveliest. The trees are in full leaf, the students are in celebratory mood and the famous “Bumps” (boat race) is taking place along the river. In summer the student throngs melt away, leaving the city to residents and tourists, and you can punt and picnic on the rivers Thames (or Isis, as it’s known here) and Cherwell.

Oxford has thrived not only because of its university but due to its connections. Unlike its great rival Cambridge, out in the austere eastern Fens, Oxford sits handily in the centre of England, with easy access to London and the international airports of Heathrow and Gatwick.

There’s an air of lazy romance about the city, although it’s also the time when crowds of boisterous foreign students clog the shopping streets. Autumn, when the university students return and the trees are burnished bronze, is mournfully beautiful and Christmas, when the streets are eerily quiet and the medieval buildings frosted in snow, can be magical.
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London in your lunch break: London Eye

London in your lunch break: London Eye
Take your lunch break at...

The London Eye at the South Bank. Hardly an unheard of destination, but this popular viewing point over London has recently launched an interactive guide to about 50 of the many attractions visible from its heights.

Six tablts in each pod offer instant context to the sights below. With screens designed to reflect the view before you, changing with the wheel’s position (that's the theory, at least – it didn't always work in practice, I found), you can find out trivia just by pressing the touch screen in front of you.

Not only did I find out that Battersea Power Station is Europe’s largest brick building, I discovered that it was designed by the same architect behind the classic red phone boxes – and there are many more titbits of information like this.
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Best of Britain: hotels, walks and attractions

Best of Britain: hotels, walks and attractions:
Brighton
Our comprehensive guide to the best of Britain, from hotels and pubs to walking routes and unusual attractions.
Brighton manages to be both hip and quaint in a very British seaside kind of way; it’s also a shopping mecca.
Knoydart Peninsula, Highlands

Often described as Britain's last wilderness, the remote and rugged Knoydart Peninsula is cut off by road from the rest of the Scottish mainland by a ring of forbidding mountains. Those who do make the sea crossing from Mallaig to get there will be rewarded by pristine highland scenery in all its glory. There are walks to suit all fitness levels, ranging from gentle coastal meanders with views across to Skye to more challenging ascents of munros and corbetts such as Ladhar Bheinn and Sgurr Coire Choinnichean.

The latter gives spectacular views across the peninsula and conveniently starts and finishes at the Old Forge, the only pub in the tiny village of Inverie (population 80). The weather this far north can be unpredictable and those who are not familiar with this terrain are advised to use the services of the local rangers who run guided walks.

Alternatively they could sign up for a tour with an adventure company such as Wilderness Scotland , which operates winter walking holidays with tuition on using crampons and an ice axe.

Edinburgh city break guide

Edinburgh city break guide:
The joy of Edinburgh is that you never need an excuse to visit. There is always something going on, something different to experience, something new to catch your eye. If you only think about the city at Festival time or Hogmanay, boy, are you missing out. You can get high just gazing at the architecture, from the craggy Castle to the mysteries of its Old Town medieval closes, from the Georgian splendour of the New Town to the contemporary tang of Leith. Then weather there’s the clutch of galleries – all nicely do-able in size – and fanfare of museums and attractions, offering a tantalising choice for even the pickiest family.

In truth, you don’t need to do the “arts-culture-history” thing to get a zing out of Edinburgh. Mosey around the streets – particularly just off-centre, say in Stockbridge or around Grassmarket – and you’ll chance on a quirky shop, artisan deli or laidback café. This is a city perfect for browsing, sitting back, or just doing nothing but blessing your cleverness for finding this little place. There are five Michelin-starred restaurants alone, while drinking options range from whisky-fuddled pubs to designer bars.And did we mention food?

Yes, it can get busy; yes, it can rain. But this city pushes so many buttons, you’d have to be a frigid Philistine to visit and remain unmoved.
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Travel guides

Travel guides
With a wide range of videos on the biggest urban tourist attractions and the hottest shopping and entertainment spots all over the world, as well as practical information on where to stay and how to get around, we can show you everything you need to see to embark on an unforgettable travel experience. When you need a world travel guide don't read a book see it live!

Hula Loop - Transport only

Highlights: 4 days travel around Viti Levu Island. With plenty of time to relax, snorkel, swim or dive on Fiji’s best beaches, village visits, sevusevu ceremony, sand boarding, hot pools, mud pools, jungle trek, water fall swimming and much more.