Laura French

The Week • 28th July 2026

An eye-opening trip to Memphis, birthplace of the blues and rock ’n’ roll

“This place literally changed the world,” says guide Zach Ozburn as we tour Sun Studio, standing on the spot where Elvis Presley was discovered, where Johnny Cash recorded “I Walk the Line”, where B. B. King recorded “3 O’Clock Blues"...

The Independent • 3rd June 2026

This West Papua cruise takes you to one of the most remote places in the world

“Until a few weeks ago, this village hadn’t seen tourists in 10 years,” says our local guide, Viktor, as we tread across a stilted log platform, bright green sago palms flanking the surrounding swamp water...

The Independent • 9th April 2026

My once-in-a-lifetime expedition cruise to untouched Antarctica

“We’re about to go where no other Swan Hellenic cruise ship has ever been,” says our expedition leader, Richard, as he points to a spot on the map known as Snow Hill Island...

Travel Weekly • 24th March 2026

Why this lesser-known part of Route 66 is now even easier to reach

The door slams and our tiny, capsule‑like carriage shakes. Heads ducked, we bump our way up the Ferris wheel‑style contraption, ascending 192m into the sky to reach our destination...

The Week • 18th March 2026

Celebrating the greatest party on earth at Rio Carnival

The runway is alive with colour and music. Samba dancers fill the stadium, their sparkling, feather-bedecked costumes painting the scene in blocks of neon green, fuchsia pink, lemon yellow and glittering gold...

The Week • 16th March 2026

Janeiro Hotel: a sleek Brazilian stay on Rio’s famous beachfront

Set right opposite the beach in the heart of chic Leblon – Rio’s glossiest, most exclusive neighbourhood – Janeiro Hotel is all about the style...

The i Paper • 12th February 2026

The uncrowded paradise island that's like the Bali of the 90s

“The Bali of 30 years ago” is how Lombok, Bali’s less talked-about neighbour, had been described to me. I had pictured sleepy surf towns, peaceful villages, quiet mountain roads and emerald rice terraces - and I wasn't too far off...

The i Paper • 14th January 2026

The giant Silk Road country with a sunken forest lake and no tourist crowds

Spruce trees soar up as sunlight dapples their tips, mountains rise around me in carpets of pastel-green firs. But there’s a twist. The forest is underwater – and the trees are emerging from a lake...

JRNY • 13th January 2026

Riding high in Northern Vietnam

I am in awe – and high as a kite. Quite literally, at an altitude of around 4,920ft – but also chemically, brain drowning in dopamine as I scan the view around me...

Wanderlust • 6th January 2026

26 exciting new trips to book for 2026

From spotting polar bears to an alternative Inca trail – we round up some of the best new tour operator trips...

Travel Weekly • 28th December 2025

Adriatic allure: an autumn cruise in Croatia and Italy with Windstar

Flecks of rose and peach dapple the sea as the silhouette of Mount Etna rises above the horizon. Clouds hover in ominous swathes of violet, ruby and pink, lulling me into a trance as the sunset puts on its nightly show...

The i Paper • 11th December 2025

My month in El Salvador: The new tourist favourite that's still affordable and crowd-free

“These are the first three years of peace in my lifetime,” says my guide, Gio, as we wander through the historic centre of San Salvador, El Salvador’s now transformed capital...

Travel Weekly • 8th December 2025

A guide to Chicago's neighbourhoods

The Windy City, home to 77 neighbourhoods, is a buzzing urban hub with a whole lot of heart...

The Independent • 31st October 2025

What I discovered travelling Missouri’s lesser-trodden stretch of Route 66

I’ve long been fascinated by Route 66 – the freedom, adventure and hope it represented in its heyday, and the heritage, passion and nostalgia it reflects today...

The Telegraph • 1st October 2025

Discover the rugged glories of the British coastline on a luxury cruise with Silversea

Sometimes you take what's on the doorstep for granted. I know I'm guilty of it. For several years I’d wanted to explore the remote corners of the British Isles beyond the places I’d grown up visiting – but the Scottish islands in particular seemed hard to reach, and I’d never quite worked out how to get there...

Travel Weekly • 21st September 2025

Fright fantastic: What's in store at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights

I’m in my grave – that’s the premise – as earthy smells swirl around, bloody intestines hang from the ceiling and muddy, worm-covered walls enclose me...

Time Out • 16th September 2025

Time Out Review: The LaSalle Chicago, Autograph Collection

Opened in 2022 in Chicago’s Financial District—in the lively downtown area—this has all the sleekness and elegance you’d expect from a recently opened Marriott pad...

Time Out • 16th September 2025

Time Out Review: Palmer House, Chicago

As the longest continuously operating hotel in North America, Palmer House is something of an institution in Chicago. First opened in 1871, this lavish Grande Dame has a string of bold claims to its name...

The i Paper • 25th August 2025

Nicaragua: The cheaper alternative to Costa Rica with empty beaches and beguiling wildlife

A cow rears its head from above a bed of floating, jade-green water lilies, and I do a double take; do cows swim? I shouldn’t be shocked; everything about the scene is surreal...

Travel Weekly • 4th July 2025

Discover Dolly Parton's Tennessee, from thrill rides to live music

"I get people calling up, asking to speak to me because they know I’m Dolly Parton’s niece,” says Danielle Parton, as she hands me a shot of electric-blue moonshine from behind a glitzy gold bar...