Articles by Tahir Shah

A Phoenix Risen From the Ashes: The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

A Phoenix Risen From the Ashes: The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

There's nothing quite so wonderful as a phoenix rising from the ashes. And there's no phoenix quite so majestic, or utterly awe-inspiring, as the one that stands on the north side of London's Euston Road.

A Visit to the Upper House and the Opposite House Hotels

A Visit to the Upper House and the Opposite House Hotels

Even for the most travel-jaded adventurer Hong Kong is a destination that gets the blood pumping right from touchdown. There may no longer be the almost suicidal landings at the Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon Bay, but the anticipation is still the same.

On Safari: The Wonders of Kenya

On Safari: The Wonders of Kenya

Wake up just after dawn at a tented encampment near the chill shadowed slopes of Kilimanjaro, and it's impossible not to feel reborn. The air is cool, filled with the clatter of white-bellied ‘go-away' birds, the ground moist with fresh dew. There's a scent of raw nature, and a sense that time has been wound back centuries.

An Escape to Morocco's Ourika Valley

An Escape to Morocco's Ourika Valley

Stare out at the Ourika Valley and you find yourself glimpsing back in time.

India's Royal Heritage Experience Aboard the Maharaja Express

India's Royal Heritage Experience Aboard the Maharaja Express

Long train journeys are one of life's greatest pleasures...never more so when they mix adventure with luxury.

Taj Cape Town: A Contemporary Classic

Taj Cape Town: A Contemporary Classic

It is ten years since I last visited Cape Town and first fell under its spell.

The Five Star Experience in Mumbai: The Oberoi & Trident Hotels

The Five Star Experience in Mumbai: The Oberoi & Trident Hotels

Stand in the vast lobby at the flagship Oberoi Hotel, downtown Mumbai, and it's impossible not to be lulled by the calm. Giant windows peer out on the city skyline and Marine Drive, and on half a dozen fragile-looking fishing boats plying their way in from the Arabian Sea.

India's Scorpion Palace: Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

India's Scorpion Palace: Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

Some seventy years ago, the Nizam of Hyderabad was pictured on the front cover of TIME Magazine. Why? Simple – because he was the richest man on Earth.

Animal Magic at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Animal Magic at Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa

As the first dawn light streams over the horizon, touching the landscape with a blanket of gold, you get a sense of the unending immensity that is the Kwandwe.

A Travel Fantasy at the Royal Mansour Marrakech

A Travel Fantasy at the Royal Mansour Marrakech

Morocco is the land of A Thousand and One Nights, a realm touched by magic, where fact and fantasy blend together effortlessly. Sometimes people like to say that there's nothing new in the kingdom that's sprinkled with magic dust.

Magic and Mystery in Marrakech at La Mamounia

Magic and Mystery in Marrakech at La Mamounia

Marrakech is far more than a mere place name. It's a word which conjures all the magic and mystery of the Moroccan desert. Once a tiny oasis lost amid the brick-red North African sands, it is today a thriving destination for travelers.