Velvet Escape

The Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur is, at 678.9m (2,227ft), the world’s second-tallest building in the world, after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. At that height, it towers over the city’s iconic Petronas Twin Towers (452m) and stands as a beacon on the city’s skyline. As I regularly visit Kuala Lumpur, I got to see its progress with every trip, right until its com...

Northern Germany is one of my favourite regions of the country to explore. While Hamburg and Bremen tend to steal the spotlight, there is so much more waiting to be discovered; from picturesque medieval towns and charming fishing villages to lush nature parks and long stretches of sandy coastline. Years ago, I made the journey from Hamburg to Berlin by car, b...