Blog posts

Magic awaits all who arrive at Swarovski Crystal Worlds. Rather than a revolving door, you enter through a giant’s head and immediately find yourself inside the Chambers of Wonder. Designed by a roster of internationally acclaimed artists, designers and architects, these are places of sparkling fantasy, guaranteed to amaze and enchant.

We knew there were lots of fabulously talented floral designers out there, but we were still amazed by the response we had to the launch of our first ever virtual International Flower Festival! Flower lovers from Cornwall to Manchester, Ireland to Italy, Australia, Barbados and Canada sent us images of their designs, all them beautiful and with a story to tell. We asked five of them to tell us about their entries.

We knew there were very many wonderfully creative quilters out there, but we were still amazed by the response we had to the launch of our first ever virtual International Quilt Festival! Quilters from Aberdeen to Exeter, Australia, Kenya, Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the United States sent us images of wall hangings, cushions, bed covers and bags, all of them beautiful and all them with a story to tell. We asked four of the makers to tell us about their entries.

Fresh from his hugely successful tour to WAFA India earlier this year, NAFAS President-elect Michael Bowyer MBE has teamed up with us once again, this time on a tour to discover the glorious gardens of Ireland in Springtime. We caught up with on the phone from his home in Salisbury to discover more.

Looking after you & Looking Ahead: how an independent travel company copes when no one is travelling
In this week's blog, our very own CEO Theresa McDermott writes about how we are looking after our customers in the current situation and looks towards a brighter future.

Deep under the earth, 14km south of Krakow, the Wieliczka salt mine is one of the wonders of Poland. Dating back to the Middle Ages, this subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and chambers has morphed from an industrial plant at the heart of the Polish economy into a world-famous tourist attraction, event location and a health resort. Read on to discover 10 fascinating facts about this UNESCO World heritage site.

Singapore's extraordinary Jewel Changi Airport was designed by a consortium of internationally renowned architects, including world-class global engineering and consultancy practice BuroHappold. We caught up with Karl Lyndon, Global Aviation Sector Leader based at the company’s Bath office, to find out more.

Belgian floral designer Moniek Vanden Berghe's spectacular natural floral displays have brought her international acclaim, while her workshops attract aspiring arrangers from all over the world. Ahead of her latest workshop with us, we asked her to tell us why she likes teaching, how she got started and to explain her love of weeds....

Dotted with ancient, candy coloured towns that seem to have sprung straight from the pages of a children’s story, Alsace was made for Christmas. Small wonder then that this northeastern region of France is home to some of the best Christmas markets in Europe. Our Christmas Markets in Alsace holiday takes you to five of them.

Innsbruck was made for Christmas. In the historic Old Town, tree lights sparkle against the glistening tiles of the Golden Roof, the air is filled with the aroma of freshly made “Kiachln” (piping hot doughnuts laced with Sauerkaut) and the town’s pretty streets bustle with festive markets. Here are our top three.

Singapore is famous for its street food - think the spicy noodle soup known as laksa, chicken rice and, of course, char kway teow, the smoky noodle stir fry that’s pretty much a national staple. Today these cheap and tasty dishes can be found in Hawker centres across the city, but hawker food has its roots in the itinerant food vendors of colonial Singapore.

"I do teach lots of technical tricks and tips in my workshops," says Fleur Creatif designer Annick Mertens, "but they are also a time to for people to unwind surrounded by beautiful flowers, laugh together, work together and finally return home with a feeling of deep satisfaction." As you can see from the photographs, our group did all of that and more.

Last month, the historic walled city of Jaipur was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as recognising Jaipur’s extraordinary architectural heritage, the UNESCO office in New Delhi also cited the city’s status as ‘an exceptional example of a late medieval trade town’ and associations ‘with living traditions in the form of crafts that have national and international recognition.’ All of which means that the Pink City is a shopper’s paradise! Here are four must-visit stores:

In 2006, international landscape architecture consultancy Grant Associates was appointed to masterplan the first, and largest, of the three gardens at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. A fusion of nature and technology, the garden is home to two giant conservatories, spectacular horticultural gardens and, of course, the iconic Supertree Grove. We caught up with Founding Director Andrew Grant at the firm’s Bath office and find out more about these extraordinary structures.

With less than a year to go, and registration about to open, preparations for WAFA India 2020 are entering their final phase. Michael Bowyer MBE and Tom Hodge travelled to India last week to meet the team and get a taste of our wonderful WAFA tour programme first hand. As he headed for the Diggi Palace, Michael sent back this report.

Florist and floral designer Mig Kimpton has spent over thirty years working in theatre and was behind the production of ‘Storm in a Flower Vase’, an adaptation based on the life and times of Constance Spry. We caught up with him ahead of his talk about this florist’s extraordinary life to find out why she captured his imagination.