Author: Editor

Taiwan by Bike: Across the island in 9 days

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On this new cycling tour of Taiwan, guests will bike the length of the country, from the northern capital, Taipei, to the southern tip.  Bikers will ride past emerald-coloured rice paddies and Taoist temples dedicated to the sea-god Matsu. Along the way, they’ll take in the sheer beauty of Eastern Taiwan’s rugged Pacific Coast, with pristine beaches, exotic hot springs, and gorgeous valleys, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Taroko Gorge. “This classic cycling route takes us from Taroko Gorge down along the coast and into the lush East Rift Valley before we re-emerge on the rugged Pacific East Coast,” said Adam Platt-Hepworth, CEO of Grasshopper Adventures.  “Along the way, we’ll hike to the beautiful Shakadang Stream, cycle narrow paths through banana palms to the coast for a beachside rest stop, and pedal into the little-visited East Rift Valley full of vibrant rice paddies and small communities.” Offering unparalleled scenery and challenging terrain, Taiwan draws more and more visitors from across the globe each year. Riders will visit the striking Saoba Monuments and hike along the …

The Cake and Bake Show 2019 Serves up Sweetest Treat

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Bounty of Big Name Bakers to Headline this Autumn UK’s Biggest Consumer Baking Event Returns to ExCeL London, 4-6 October The Cake & Bake Show will return to ExCeL, London this autumn complete with all the ingredients to whip up its eighth show-stopping year.  A collection of the nation’s best loved bakers, TV personalities, experts and big-name baking brands will come together at ExCeL, London from 4 – 6 October with a feast of culinary inspiration, shopping and entertainment.  Bursting with baking brilliance, a stellar line up of celebrity names will be showing off their skills and prowess with show stalwarts Rosemary Shrager and Eric Lanlard hosting a series of demonstrations on the main stage alongside GBBO favourites  Candice Brown, Selasi Gbormittah, Paul Jagger, Briony May and Karen Wright, and a myriad of other well-known names including Rosie Cake Diva and Mollie Robbins of Extreme Cake Makers fame and YouTube baking sensation, Katie Pix over the three day run. Alongside the celebrities and experts cooking up a storm in The Baking Theatre there will be an impressive array of live demonstrations and audience interaction – including workshops and demonstrations brought to you by Le Cordon Bleu – skills …

Gin-credible new feature introduced for 25th Autumn Show

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For the first time ever visitors to the Malvern Autumn Show will be able to gin-dulge themselves with some of the finest spirits from the Three Counties region. People will be getting into the spirit of things at the inaugural Malvern Gin Show where they will have the opportunity to sample a wide range of drinks from local and surrounding gin distilleries, the gins themselves will be going head to head in a competition to find out which is the people’s favourite.  The event runs all weekend, September 28 and 29, and showcases all the weird and wonderful gins on offer, everything from asparagus to flavoursome fruit and of course the traditional London Dry. It’s the first time gin producers will be able to compete in classes at the show, sponsored by Waitrose and Partners, including Product Presentation, Classic Gin, Flavoured Gin, Contemporary Gin and the People’s Choice Competition, voted for by visitors. Just some of the confirmed distilleries at the show include Hussingtree Gin from Worcestershire, Brennan and Brown from Gloucestershire and Haven Distillery …

Hilton Opens New Dual-Brand Property in Columbia

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Located near the University of South Carolina, Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites by Hilton together welcome guests visiting South Carolina’s capital city Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the opening of its newest hotel, the dual-branded Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown and Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbia Downtown, bringing a total of 223 new rooms and suites to the Columbia area. The dual-brand hotel complements the strong business and tourism environments in South Carolina’s growing capital city, which now boasts the second-largest population in the state (according to Experience Columbia).  “As Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites by Hilton continue their strong expansion, we are excited to provide all of their amenities and offerings under one roof in South Carolina’s capital,” said Bill Duncan, global head, All Suites and Focused Service categories, Hilton. “Adding a new dual-brand hotel in Columbia gives business and leisure travelers the variety of price points and value-added amenities they search for when visiting the heart of the Palmetto State.” Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Downtown and Home2 Suites by Hilton Columbia Downtown is owned and …

London’s Studio 338 Launches Eco-Conscious Clubbing Initiative

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One of London’s largest clubs, the 3,000 capacity Studio 338, has announced it will be implementing an array of different measures that aim to vastly reduce its environmental impact, including donating profits and encouraging artists to donate a percentage of their fees to the conservation charity Rainforest Trust UK. The south east London venue will also be commissioning a huge ‘Tree of Life’ installation in the garden using reclaimed materials. Partygoers can then donate towards the tree which helps to place existing areas of rainforest under permanent protection via Rainforest Trust UK.  On top of this, Music and Events Director Dan Perrin says they also have a plan to remove all single-use plastics, non-biodegradable and environmentally harmful materials from the group’s venues where possible and are consulting with environmental specialists to improve their overall footprint. Dan says:  We are creating a movement aimed at leading the way for sustainable clubbing, kicking off in Studio 338 with a view to starting a wave of change reaching far beyond London. We’re in the midst of a climate emergency. We …

Electric Brixton Welcomes its Largest Oktoberfest Celebration coined ‘Oktoberfest South London’

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Herman Ze German will act as the exclusive food partner with live comedians, brass bands and DJs filling the stein filled day Saturday 28th September and 19th October between 2pm-9pm 2,800 ticket holders will be celebrating Oktoberfest, predicted to be its largest to date. Named Oktoberfest South London, visitors will be able to indulge in the full Bavarian experience with a beer hall complete with long wooden tables and plenty of beer, song and sausage. As any Oktoberfest veteran knows, it wouldn’t be complete without waitresses and waiters dressed in Dirndl and Lederhosen keeping all steins filled to the brim throughout the days of indulgence. The highly regarded beers flying over from Germany are supplied by Spaten, Löwenbräu & Becks all served in the renowned glass stein to all.  London’s own Herman ze German will provide its iconic sausage shipped straight from the Black Forest in Southern Germany they supply it in many delicious forms including the impeccable Currywurst and Brotzel (pretzel alternatives). Herman’s Bratwurst is a thing of meaty beauty. A mixture of pork …

New Shoreditch float centre set to revive body and mind

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Looking to float away the weeks worries or take some time out to relax and contemplate? The brand new float centre has now opened on Old Street, Shoreditch, East London. For those who haven’t tried floatation therapy it involves letting your body float in a pod of body-temperature saline water with no interruptions from external light or sound. This has been shown to help reduce levels of stress hormones while boosting the feel-good hormones such as dopamine and endorphins associated with improving sleep, relaxation, pain relief and fast recovery from illness. Company founder Tom Euinton, said, “After struggling with sleep apnea and insomnia for a long time, I received profound rest from floating that helped provide the deep recovery I wasn’t getting from sleep. Up to 50% of people in the UK suffer from insomnia at least once a week, and it has since been my aim to bring the best floatation therapy and support to those struggling with these conditions”. The spacious pods at Float Hub are state of the art to provide the …