An hour and a half away from Phuket International Airport, in a beautiful secluded paradise, is Avani+ Khao Lak. Situated on an exquisite stretch of white beach, looking out onto the furious Andaman Sea - a beautiful juxtaposition. With five restaurants, a skate park, two climbing walls, two pools, an all-purpose gym, and more available excursions than you could ever imagine, I would challenge you to be bored!
Under the forested canopy of woodland, parkland, rural villages and hidden compounds, stretching along the south coast, the greatest amphibious assault on mainland Europe was being prepared, known to us by the names ‘Operation Overlord’ & ‘D-Day’: “Portsmouth and the greater Hampshire region is where I suggest starting your Liberation Route journey” Ben Mayne states, the UK Director of the Liberation Route Europe (LRE).
When the Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo was delivered to my door, I was not quite sure what to make of it. So I parked my preconceptions and drove around as many different types of roads and areas of the English countryside to get to grips with this conundrum.
The Quattroporte Ferrari engine is, of course, its USP, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a whopping 580 bhp. Maximum output is at 6750 rpm, which delivers its best roar too. The 21-inch wheels and rear-wheel drive are firmly aimed at those that love driving.
Lincoln Seligman has an almost umbilical link with India. His family is connected with some of the great names in the country’s history and literature, from Mahatma Gandhi (a close friend of his paternal grandmother Hilda Seligman) and Rudyard Kipling (his mother’s godfather) to the shepherd boy Chandragupta, who became the first Emperor of the Indian Mauryan dynasty around 320 BCE. A bronze sculpture of the boy, created by Hilda Seligman, now sits in majesty on a red sandstone plinth in front of the Indian Parliament in New Delhi.
So for our final day on the Jaguar F-Type tour, we stopped for lunch at The Watermill in Dorking, a gastro pub set in the rolling hills of Surrey, a designated area of natural beauty.
The nearest village is the quaintly named Pixham, noted for the Pixham Church designed by the famous English architect Edwin Lutyens. A rare corner of old England with narrow winding lanes peppered by Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Pixham was also the home of revered writer Daniel Defoe author of Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders.
Arguably the most unique sport in the world: Scuba Diving. The feeling of being metres deep under the water, flying through a completely different, frankly alien world, is akin to nothing else. What do you think of when someone says scuba diving? Exotic places, warm sun, white beaches, incredible sights and beautiful wildlife. Master Scuba Divers on Koh Tao offer all of this and more.
The Richa Armada Pro GTX jacket is a high-end motorcycle jacket, designed to provide excellent protection and comfort in all weather conditions.
Maserati launched the new Grecale at The Retreat at Elcot Park, a lovely setting for pootling about and testing the road handling and comfort in normal conditions. Like the other names in the Maserati fold, the Grecale is named after the cool winds that come off the Mediterranean, originating in the Greek Islands.
Yes, the Levante is yesterday’s news. But is the Grecale a step up? In short, yes, it’s a big leap forward in every way.
The drive up to Tewkesbury Park Hotel in the Cotswolds is utterly fabulous, a welcoming gateway that winds half a mile up through the gorgeous greens of the golf course leading to the main building.
There is plenty of parking and electric charge points, not needed this time as we were touring the Jaguar F-Type with its powerful V8 engine.
The Whisky Event brings together some of the finest producers and enthusiasts in central London later this month. Held in the ballroom at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, it is set to be one of the highlights of the year.
