Paul has penned city guides for Thomas Cook and revised and contributed text for several Michelin Green Guides. He has also authored pieces for in-flight magazines and coffee table books as well as articles for several leading periodicals including Living France, France Today and France Magazine. Recently Paul wrote a series of travel apps about the regions of France especially featuring Provence and the Dordogne. No longer available as apps they form the basis of some of the content you will find here on Bindu. While loving France and going back as often as possible, Paul travels widely in Europe and has visited just about all its countries over the years with the exception of Greece which is definitely on his list!
Many visitors to Nice see only the Old Town and those sights immediately outside it. However, if time allows, there is so much more to this fabulous city than that. If you venture a little further afield, you can enjoy sights in Outer Nice as diverse as a Russian Orthodox church, a Roman amphitheatre, an Art Deco church and even a monastery garden. Before...
This tour of the exciting modern Nice City Centre includes everything just outside the Old City. (Vieux Nice can also be included if you have time). It begins on the world renowned Promenade des Anglais, flanked by the beautiful blue of the Baie des Anges and leads to the impressive place Massena. Here you can indulge yourself in the designer boutiques if you...
Calanques excursion Just along the coast from Marseille is the picturesque port of Cassis from where you can take a boat excursion or coastal trail to see the Calanques. The Calanques, Fjord like inlets, are huge limestone cliffs which plunge into the Mediterranean and indent the coast between Cassis to Marseille. If you walk the coastal trail, wear good walking shoes...
Funchal is the capital city of Madeira and by far the largest conurbation on the island. Situated on the sheltered south shore it offers a pleasant year round climate as indeed does much of Madeira. Funchal in one day is a pleasant walk, mostly on fairly flat streets, with plenty of potential stops for refreshments. Zarco in Funchal A good...
Even though Lanzarote is an easy island to find your way around, it is advisable to obtain a good map before setting off. This Itinerary begins at the center of the island. However, you could just as easily start this one day tour at any of the highlighted points of interest. However, if you wish to dwell a while in the attractive resort...
This Uzès to Nîmes road trip itinerary in France’s Languedoc follows the route that Roman engineers used to bring water into the City. However, fascinating Uzès, the amazingly well-preserved Pont du Gard Aqueduct and the stunning historic centre of Nîmes are the real stars. All three are different. Uzès is a small city with interesting medieval architecture and a great market. Nîmes is...
Sarlat, a magnificently restored Gothic and Renaissance town in the Dordogne, is situated deep in the heart of France‘s Périgord Noir in a basin surrounded by wooded hills. Officially known as Sarlat-la-Canéda, has been the location for two Hollywood films, The Duellists and Timeline, but it is much more than a film set. It is a busy small town with...
The Upper Dordogne Valley, through which flows one of the quintessential rivers of France, is quite stunning. Before it enters the département it was named after, it flows through Cantal, Corrèze and Lot. Many visitors overlook this section of the river, which flows through some impressive gorges and pretty villages before reaching it’s eponymous department. The trip includes stunning villages which...
The Haut Quercy is a fascinating and a ‘must-see’ French region especially when based in the neighbouring (but quite different) Dordogne. One of the main attractions is Rocamadour. As you climb the steps to the Abbey church, it is easy to imagine medieval pilgrims like Eleanor of Aquitaine doing the same. After the bustle of Rocamadour, the itinerary takes you on to peaceful riverside villages and...
This Dordogne itinerary consists of a scenic drive through the beautiful south west of the area, France’s so-called black Périgord or Périgord Noir, complete with castles, gardens and bastides. History buffs will want to see the stomping grounds of Richard the Lionheart who spent so much time here. Highlights of the Périgord Noir Assuming you start from Sarlat or nearby, this route goes through...
This Dordogne driving itinerary includes a scenic drive through the beautiful west of the area, the so-called black Perigord or Périgord Noir, full of castles, gardens and its very own river, the Vézère, which nurtured the early prehistoric settlers in the area. Visit the caves where they lived, the Museum of Prehistory and many charming old villages and châteaux. Start from Sarlat or nearby...
The Swiss Path without doubt constitutes one of Switzerland’s best national monuments to experience. Inaugurated in 1991 (to mark the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Helvetic Confederation) it is a looped 35km (22mi) walk that traces its way from the Rütli meadow (where the Confederation supposedly came into existence). It skirts the fringes of Lake Uri (part of Lake Lucerne)...
For many the star of the Swiss show, Lucerne (population 78,000; official language German) or Luzerne. Astoundingly pretty and beautifully situated, watched over by brooding Pilatus and Rigi, the City is in constant change with the play of light and weather upon glorious Lake Lucerne. Capturing its essence is a simple affair and doesn’t take much time. Lace up those walking shoes, brave...
Central Switzerland is a great place to get outdoors. Lucerne is without doubt one of Europe’s most picturesque cities. Moreover it also boasts one of the continent’s best backyards, especially if you take into account its Lucerne Canton’s neighbors, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Uri and Schwyz. All feature outdoor attractions and a uniquely central Swiss flavor and sense of history. Start at Lucerne Starting...
Rich in child-friendly distractions, Central Switzerland’s compact size and stunning scenery both come into play for parents looking to engage and entertain their families. Verkershaus – Central Switzerland’s popular Museum Starting in Lucerne, this ideal distraction for big and small kids alike is Verkehrshaus. This is Switzerland’s most popular museum and conveniently located a short trip from the city center on the city’s...
A lush location and stunning scenery combine to make this part of central Switzerland famously romantic, despite its undeniable popularity with tourists from around the globe. Even though some sights in and around Lucerne are thronged with sightseers all day long, there are still times and places when the din is transformed to a hum and the natural world re-asserts...
Explore the top sights of Bern in just 36 hours. Bern is a ‘soft power’ capital if ever there was one. Laid-back Bern, with its lovingly maintained Old Town, serpentine river Aare and endearingly lilting local accent is often forgotten as the Swiss seat of power (since 1848), sandwiched as it is between money-mad Zurich and international Geneva. Not taking...
Behind the scenes Switzerland – Bernese Mittelland This driving experience will take you to bucolic behind-the-scenes Bernese Switzerland. Here lush pastures, famous cheese, flower-filled country homes and the great outdoors pass pleasurably by and the simple things remain a constant joy. Considering staying overnight at Trub, Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. After enjoying the Best of Bern, exploring local museums and wandering the...
Family travel is a breeze in the relatively compact Bernese Oberland region, packed with typically excellent transport infrastructure and jaw-dropping wilderness views. Lots to do in Bern The best place to start a family tour is in Bern, a capital city that’s small enough to do on foot (or stroller) and close enough to the mountains and activities that make...
Netherlands is much more than Amsterdam! Many visitors come to the Netherlands simply to visit Amsterdam. While there is undoubtedly a great deal to see and do in this most cosmopolitan of cities, there is so much more to this compact little country than its most famous city. The Netherlands, sometimes known incorrectly as Holland, is bordered in the west by Belgium and in the east by...
That everyone is different but underneath we’re all the same and that there is much more to unite us than to divide us.
The best mode of travel for me is the road trip. It may take much longer than other methods but you see so much more and can stop where and when you like!
Being transported by snowmobile through the forest on top of the Vercors Massif in French Pre-Alps.
The beautiful coast of Northumberland in the North East of England