Julia went home with Miriam, a voodoo priestess who likes sarnies more than reading chicken bones. Will got intimate with a woman who calls herself ‘Mother of Immortal Bliss’. And Anthony had a rendezvous with a policeman who very nearly arrested him on suspicion of being Belgian (the copper’s misgivings were aroused when Anthony confessed to being sober). Speed-dating gone wrong? Speed-dating gone right? Or just another month in the life of The Sunday Times Travel Magazine? You’ll learn the truth in our unique ‘Big Trip’ section – where the very best writers come together with the most talented photographers (and a few other oddballs) to bring you holiday inspiration that’s guaranteed to get you going. (This month: New Orleans, the Malabar Coast and Languedoc, respectively.)
Travel’s all about surprises, even if they’re less dramatic than those mentioned above. I was delighted to learn, for instance, that July temperatures in Sweden match those on the Algarve; to discover that Twitter, which I’d always scorned, could actually save me 15 per cent on hotel rooms; and that I can stay at Charles & Camilla’s for £26 per night.
But if you’re the sort who likes to know what’s coming, you’ll be glad to hear that in next month’s issue – as well as revealing 25 of the secrets the travel industry doesn’t want you to know – we’ll be bringing you our first ever Total Guide to Turkey. It’s being put together by deputy editor Nick Redman, recently crowned Writer of the Year by the Periodical Publishers Association – the very highest honour a magazine writer can attain. Surprises aside, you can confidently expect it to be brilliant.