Afaranwide chose the Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali twice when we wanted a bit of luxurious downtime. Sue felt moved to write about our visits (which we paid for in full) but after sifting through our photographs now wishes she was lying on the beach there with a good book rather than being stuck in cold and miserable (Wuhan flu/protests) Hong Kong. The Fairmont ticked our boxes, and our main memories are friendly and helpful staff and the best hotel breakfasts we’ve ever had. Happy days! READ MORE

The news out of China will continue to be gloomy for some time to come, and as we are writing this the death toll from the Wuhan-based coronavirus has reached 259. As of January 31, there were 11,791 people across China under observation for the virus, and many other countries are reporting isolated cases. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, but said it was not recommending international trade or travel restrictions. Travel restrictions into, out of and around China are in place, with new announcements from airlines and tour operators daily.

Here in Hong Kong, December was another dire month for the beleaguered tourism industry. Total arrivals were down a whopping 51.5 percent compared with the same month in 2018, though that was a slight improvement on November's 56 percent decline. The fall, reported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, was of course driven by the protests. But since then the coronavirus outbreak has added to the city's woes. READ MORE

Let’s face it, some hotels feel safer than others as soon as you walk through the front door. When travelling alone, for instance, I’ve never felt happy when the reception staff hand me the door key announcing the number of the room in a clear voice. Once, I was in London alone at a four-star hotel, and was (literally) put up in the attic, away from everyone else. I had an almost sleepless night listening out for things that went bump. On the other hand, when Colin and I stayed on the Isle of Mull in Scotland and asked for our door key, we were amazed (in a nice way) to be told: “They’re not necessary here.” For really thorough and sound advice, take a few minutes to read this article in Travel Pulse. – SB

We’ve all had times when, for one reason or another, we’ve wanted to take a holiday but haven’t had anyone to go with. Well now you can head off with a Game of Thrones star, a top chef or a distinguished historian. New York-based travel company Discover Seven is offering a series of “Luminary Experiences” tours. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who played Gregor Clegane in several seasons of GOT, will show you the sights in his native Iceland (above). Chef Simone Falco will lead a tour of Naples and Sorrento, while Doris Kearns Goodwin, the author of biographies of several US presidents, will take you around Paris and Normandy. As an added bonus, the Paris tour includes a VIP trip up the Eiffel Tower with a descendent of its creator, Gustave Eiffel!

Sustainable tourism was a hot topic at last weekend’s New York Times Travel Show, the largest event of its type in North America. Speakers grappled with subjects such as overtourism, the health of the planet and the need to preserve natural and cultural heritage. It’s all very well discussing sustainability at conferences like this, but you have to wonder about the sincerity of the industry when you read that speakers flew in from as far away as Australia to take part.

I’m genuinely puzzled by the news that the management of the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi is being taken over by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group any day now – and a two-year renovation will get underway. By 2022, it will be rebranded as a Mandarin Oriental, according to Breaking Travel News. So what, you may ask? Well, this is the hotel that has a gold bar vending machine in one of its many lobbies, that sprinkles gold flakes on its cappuccinos, and when we stayed there it was (and I’m not kidding) an almost 2-kilometre walk to breakfast from our room. I literally can’t imagine how that hotel, of all in the world, could be upgraded. I’m going to keep an eye on this one! – SB

The first Saturday in February is an official government holiday in Peru to celebrate the wonderful pisco sour cocktail – there, the day is called Dia Nacional del Pisco Sour. Pisco, the country’s national drink, is a spirit made from fermented grape juice. The cocktail is right up there with classics such as the margarita and the dry Martini, but is less well-known. Here’s how you make this fabulous, though dangerously moreish, drink:

For each person: Combine four tablespoons of pisco, two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, one teaspoon of superfine/caster sugar, and a dash of bitters - preferably the orange type - in a cocktail shaker. (Some recipes add egg white, but that seems pretty gross to us.) Add ice, shake well, and strain into a glass. And... enjoy!

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