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Shipping firm Clarksons braces for data leak after refusing to pay hacker
Shipping company Clarksons is bracing for a tranche of private data to be released, after refusing to pay a ransom to a hacker who staged a “criminal attack” on its computer systems.
In a statement to the stock market, the world’s largest shipbroker said it was working with specialist police and contacting customers who may have been affected after a “cybersecurity incident”.
“As soon as it was discovered, Clarksons took immediate steps to respond to and manage the incident,” the company said.
“Our initial investigations have shown the unauthorised access was gained via a single and isolated user account which has now been disabled.”
“Today, the person or persons behind the incident may release some data.”
Shares in Clarksons fell by more than 2% after the announcement, despite the company’s insistence that the hack would not affect its ability to do business.
The shipbroker arranges charter ships to transport goods, as well as helping shipping companies raise finance and providing services such as logistics and equipment.
Andi Case, the Clarksons chief executive, said: “Issues of cybersecurity are at the forefront of many business agendas in today’s digital and commercial landscape, and despite our extensive efforts we have suffered this criminal attack.
“As you would rightly expect, we’re working closely with specialist police teams and data security experts to do all we can to best understand the incident and what we can do to protect our clients now and in the future.
“We hope that, in time, we can share the lessons learned with our clients to help stop them from becoming victims themselves.
“In the meantime, I hope our clients understand that we would not be held to ransom by criminals, and I would like to sincerely apologise for any concern this incident may have understandably raised.”
“Clarksons would like to apologise to shareholders, clients and staff for any concerns this incident may raise,” the company said.
Since being hacked, Clarksons said it has consulted data security experts and is investing “heavily” to shore up its defences, amid a broader cybersecurity review.
the cyber-attack comes a year after the company issued a profit warning, blaming a drop-off in global trade.
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Uber has admitted that 2.7 million people in the UK were affected by a 2016 security breach that compromised customers’ information, including names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers.
It published an estimate of the number of UK drivers and passengers for the first time, prompting concern from the mayor of London, where Uber is already battling a decision to revoke its licence to operate.
“This latest shocking development about Uber will alarm millions of Londoners whose personal data could have been stolen by criminals,” Sadiq Khan said.
“Uber needs to urgently confirm which of their customers are affected, what is being done to ensure these customers don’t suffer adversely, and what action is being taken to prevent this happening again in the future.
“The public will want to know how there could be this catastrophic breach of personal data security.”
The data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), said it was yet to receive technical reports on the incident and called on Uber to alert affected customers as soon as possible.
Uber said the figure of 2.7 million, more than half of its 5 million UK customer base, was an “approximation rather than an accurate and definitive count” because it could not always tell where each customer was located.
In a statement buried in the “Help” section of its website, it added that experts hired to investigate the data breach did not believe customers’ financial details were leaked.
“Our outside forensics experts have not seen any indication that trip location history, credit card numbers, bank account numbers or dates of birth were downloaded,” the company said.
“When this happened, we took immediate steps to secure the data, shut down further unauthorised access, and strengthen our data security.”
The ICO deputy commissioner, James Dipple-Johnstone, said: “On its own this information is unlikely to pose a direct threat to citizens.
“However, its use may make other scams, such as bogus emails or calls appear more credible. People should continue to be vigilant and follow the advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
“As part of our investigation we are still waiting for technical reports which should give full confirmation of the figures and the type of personal data that has been compromised.
“We are continuing to work with the NCSC plus other relevant authorities in the UK and overseas to ensure the data protection interests of UK citizens are upheld.”
Alex Neill of consumer group Which? said: “Data breaches are becoming more and more common and yet the protections for consumers are lagging behind.
“The UK government should use the data protection bill to give independent bodies the power to seek collective redress on behalf of affected customers when a company has failed to take sufficient action following a data breach.”
Peak autumn leaf colour in north-central Maine, New England, US. The familiar reds and golds typically appear earliest on deciduous trees and shrubs at higher latitudes and elevations, such as here in the mountains of Baxter state park, and take a few weeks before they reach foliage at the coast.
Credits: ISS/Nasa/ESA
The crescent-shaped barchan dunes of Lagoa dos Barros on southern Brazil’s Atlantic coast. The lagoons formed around 400,000 years ago as part of the cyclic rise and fall of sea level and are known to geologists as the transgression-regression cycle. The crescent shapes are sculpted by strong winds blowing in from the western Atlantic, creating large dune fields that act as barriers against storms and coastal erosion.
Credits: OLI/Landsat 8/Nasa
Ginseng farms among brown hills and farmland in Heilongjiang province in north-eastern China. The purple and yellow shade covers are used to protect the plants from direct sunlight. China is the world’s leading producer of ginseng. The plant is cultivated for its supposed curative properties, meaning wild ginseng is now scarce across much of Asia.
As Australia comes to the end of one of its warmest and driest winters on record, the effects of heat and drought on this region of New South Wales are visible from space. September also brought unseasonably warm temperatures for the early spring. Compare the browning of the landscape in the second image – taken in September this year – to the same landscape in the first image, acquired a year ago.
Credits: WorldView-2/European Space Imaging
The border between Turkey and Syria is easily visible from space, with the green fields of the former giving way to dusty fields in war-torn Syria.
Credits: Modis/Terra/Nasa
Hurricane Ophelia the day before it hit the west coast of Ireland and England on 15 October. Although weakened into a post-tropical cyclone at this stage, the storm was still powerful enough to cause widespread damage. The highest wind gust was reported at 119 mph (192 kmh) off the coast of Cork at Fastnet Rock, beating the previous record for Ireland, which was 113 mph when the island was battered by hurricane Debbie in 1961.
Credits: OLI/Landsat 8/Nasa
The once mythical and remote city of Timbuktu at the edge of the Sahara desert and the Sahel, is not easy to reach even in modern times. Flights in and out are scarce, and boats can only travel up the Niger river when water levels are high. The red roads – that contrast sharply here with the lighter sands of the desert – may be the most reliable way to reach the city. The roads are likely made of laterite, an iron- and aluminium-rich soil and rock type common in southern Mali that turns red after exposure to air and water. “Laterite is one of the least soluble materials known to man and so is left behind after millions of years of leaching of the soils by rainfall,” explained Earle Williams, an earth scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Credits: Aster/Japan Space Systems/Nasa
On the south-western border of Brunei with the Malaysian state of Sarawak, the different land use is strikingly apparent. On the Malaysian side, a web of small roads indicates intensive land use: in this case clearing of the forest for palm oil plantations. On the Brunei side, the virgin forest is preserved, with few if any roads.
Credits: Sentinel-2/ESA
Washington DC’s famous National Mall is visible here from space, with the Capitol Building at its eastern end and the Lincoln Memorial at its west. The White House sits just north of the Mall. Rock Creek Park is the dark green area in the upper-central part of the image, following the flow of Rock creek, a tributary to the larger Potomac river. The large, green area in the upper right is part of the Patuxent research refuge in Maryland, with the Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center located nearby.
Before and after satellite images of Theewaterskloof reservoir in South Africa’s Western Cape starkly illustrate the critical state of the province’s water supply. The Theewaterskloof reservoir is the largest in the province but by the start of November 2017 it had dropped to 27% of capacity. The Western Cape government declared the province a disaster area in May 2017. With the rainy season (April through September) now past, hopes that the drought would ease this year have faded. Notice the tan “bathtub ring” of exposed sediment around the edges of the basin – an indication of lowered water levels.
Hundreds of fires burning in eastern Africa are shown in red. The location, widespread nature, and number of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately set to manage land. Farmers often use fire to return nutrients to the soil and to clear the ground of unwanted plants. While fire helps enhance crops and grasses for pasture, the fires also produce smoke that degrades air quality. In southern Africa, the agricultural burning season usually runs from June through September when the next growing season begins.
Credits: OLI/Landsat 8/NASA
Clouds gather over Umnak Island and its volcanic neighbours in the Aleutian Island chain. Part of the Fox Islands, Umnak is the third largest in the Aleutian chain and lies just south-west of Unalaska. Located within the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, the island is rich with natural wonders, with abundant wildflowers, berries, mosses, and grasses in the warmer seasons; black sand beaches; and plenty of wild reindeer. Being a volcanic island, Umnak has numerous mud pots, hot springs, and the only geysers in Alaska. The landscape is dominated by volcanoes. On the northern half of the island, Okmok – site of a 2008 eruption – rises 1,073m above sea level. Mount Vsevidof, a symmetrical stratovolcano, rises 2,149m and dominates the skyline of the southern portion of Umnak Island. The volcanic Islands of the Four Mountains are also visible in the lower left of the wide image.
Before and after images showing the retreat of Pine Island glacier, one of the main outlets where ice from the west Antarctic ice sheet flows into the ocean. The glacier calved a large new iceberg, named B-44. Just weeks later, the berg had fractured into more than 20 smaller bergs.
Credits: ISS/NASA/ESA
Lake Willis and Lake Hazlett in the Great Sandy desert in Western Australia. Hundreds of ephemeral salt lakes are peppered throughout the arid Australian outback. When occasional floodwaters pour into the lakebeds and then evaporate, they leave salt mineral deposits and create bright, expansive layers that are readily visible from space. The reddish-brown linear sand dunes are slightly higher in elevation and mirror the wind direction. The Pintubi tribe and other Australian Aborigines survived around these lakes for thousands of years in what is now called the Kiwirrkurra community.
Credits: Copernicus Sentinel-3A/ESA
Parts of northern California were ravaged by intense and fast-burning wildfires that broke out on 8 October. Blazes that started on a few hundred acres around Napa Valley were fanned by strong north-easterly winds, and by 10 October, the 14 fires had consumed as much as 100,000 acres of land.
Credits: WorldView-2/European Space Imaging
The Israeli Dead Sea Works extracts potash, bromine, caustic soda, magnesium, and table salt from the southern end of the Dead Sea using these evaporation pans. The shores of the Dead Sea are Earth’s lowest point of dry land – sitting 430m below sea level. Its water is almost 10 times saltier than the sea.
Low cloud over central China fills the Sichuan Basin – flat, fertile lowlands comprised of low hills and plains and ringed by mountains. The surrounding mountains tend to impede free circulation of air across the basin. This helps moderate the winter temperature, by stopping the flow air from Central Asia. However, because the Sichuan Basin also enjoys high humidity, fog and haze in the basin are frequent. The western part of the Basin averages more than 300 days a year of fog.
Credits: VIIRS/Suomi NPP/NASA
A long, narrow stream of clouds, storms and moisture stretched across the Pacific Ocean for more than a week. Called “atmospheric rivers”, such features are relatively common in the north Pacific in the fall and winter, routinely bringing heavy rains and snow to the Pacific north-west and California. What made the October 2017 atmospheric rivers most notable was their length. At times, the flow of moisture extended roughly 5,000 miles (8,000km) from Japan to Washington.
Movie of weather across the globe during October of 2017. Credits: EUMETSAT
A partly British-built hybrid electric plane could be flying by 2020 as the result of a collaboration between Airbus, Siemens and Rolls-Royce.
The manufacturers will convert a short-haul passenger jet, paving the way to making commercial air travel running partly on electricity a reality.
Engineers involved in the E-Fan X project said the technology could mean cleaner, quieter and cheaper journeys. They also raised the prospect of radically changing aircraft and airport design, allowing air travel to supplant rail for many more intercity journeys.
The companies are in talks with the British government to partially fund the joint project, which could cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
They aim to build an E-Fan X demonstration model based on a BAe 146 aircraft in which an electric unit, powered by an onboard generator, replaces one, and eventually two, of the plane’s four gas turbine engines.
Airbus flew a single-seater electric plane, the E-Fan, across the Channel in 2015. The E-Fan X passenger jet will require more than 30 times the power, two megawatts, for a single electric engine.
How the E-Fan X jet could work.Photograph: Handout
Mark Cousins, the head of flight demonstrators at Airbus, said: “We decided we needed to be more ambitious because the world and technology is moving so fast.”
A number of airlines were interested, he said. “The objective is to reduce environmental impact and significantly reduce fuel burn.”
Paul Stein, the Rolls-Royce chief technology officer, said: “Aviation has been the last frontier in the electrification of transport, and slow to catch up. This will be a new era of aviation.”
Electric motors, which can be tilted more easily, could lead to radical changes in overall plane design. Quieter and cleaner travel could also mean airports situated much nearer city centres and, particularly in the developing world, less need to build or maintain infrastructure such as rail lines, Stein said. “It has the potential to move mass transport from rail to air; flying might become the norm.”
For now, challenges include accommodating the weight of a two-tonne battery storing electricity onboard a small plane. Frank Anton, the head of eAircraft at Siemens, said: “We have to get more than 10 times the power out of the same weight.”
However, Anton said he believed he would one day buy tickets for short-haul commercial flights using hybrid electric planes.
The addition of Rolls -Royce to the Airbus-Siemens collaboration will step up the race to transform gas turbine aircraft.
Earlier this year, easyJet said it hoped to be flying planes powered by batteries rather than jet fuel within a decade on shorter flights. The airline has signed a deal with the US engineering company Wright Electric to support the development of electric aircraft that could reach Paris and Amsterdam from London.
Carolyn McCall, easyJet’s departing chief executive, said it was “a matter of when, not if, a short-haul electric plane will fly”.
Wright Electric has operated a two-seater prototype but hopes to develop a single aisle, commercial plane able to carry 120 passengers.
Another US company, Zunum Aero, backed by Boeing, is building a 12-seater hybrid electric plane that it claims could hugely reduce operating costs for private jets. It has said the planes will be ready by 2022.
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A serious security flaw found in the latest version of Apple’s macOS High Sierra could allow anyone to access locked settings on a Mac using the user name “root” and no password, and subsequently unlock the computer.
The security flaw, discovered a couple of weeks ago and disclosed in an Apple developer support forum, has been shown to work within the software’s user preferences screen, among other locations. Once triggered, the same combination will also bypass the lock screen of Macs running Apple’s latest operating system.
Turkish software developer, Lemi Orhan Ergin, publicised the flaw on Twitter, calling the bug a “huge security issue”:
You can access it via System Preferences>Users & Groups>Click the lock to make changes. Then use “root” with no password. And try it for several times. Result is unbelievable! pic.twitter.com/m11qrEvECs
Apple said it was “working on a software update to address this issue” and advised users to set a root password to prevent unauthorised access to Mac computers.
The bug does not appear to affect previous versions of macOS, including Sierra, El Capitan or older. It can reportedly be exploited on an unlocked Mac, bypassing security settings and allowing things such as File Vault encryption and the firewall to be turned off. It can also be exploited at the login screen of a locked Mac – even after a reboot – if the bug has been used before, and in some cases remotely if a user has screen sharing enabled.
If certain sharing services enabled on target – this attack appears to work 💯 remote 🙈💀☠️ (the login attempt enables/creates the root account with blank pw) Oh Apple 🍎😷🤒🤕 pic.twitter.com/lbhzWZLk4v
The security flaw was originally detailed as a solution to a user login problem on Apple’s developer support forum. A developer called Chethan Kamath, writing under the username chethan177, wrote on 13 November: “On startup, click on “Other”. Enter username: root and leave the password empty. Press enter. (Try twice). If you’re able to log in (hurray, you’re the admin now).”
The solution was then followed by exclaims of surprise that Apple’s software permitted such an action. CoyoteDen said: “Oh my god that should not work, but it does. This is really REALLY bad. Some bug in authentication is ENABLING root with no password the first time it fails!”
Security experts warned that the security hole was both embarrassing for the company and dangerous, allowing anyone with physical access – and in some instances remote access – to a Mac computer to gain full access to user data.
Edward Snowden commented on the bug saying: “Imagine a locked door, but if you just keep trying the handle, it says “oh well” and lets you in without a key.”
Experts also warn against trying out the bug for yourself, as once enabled the flaw can then be more easily exploited even on a locked Mac.
“By testing this vulnerability on your own computer, you’ll end up creating (or modifying) a persistent root user account on your system. The danger here is that, by creating such an account, it will affect remotely accessible services such as Remote Desktop,” Keith Hoodlet, a security engineer at Bugcrowd told CSO.
Every December, the White House is filled with holiday decorations: Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, colorful lights, gingerbread houses, and more. A team of volunteers from across the country worked diligently in late November to get the White House ready for the very popular public White House holiday tours.
This year’s theme is “Time Honored Traditions” and features 53 Christmas trees with over 12,000 ornaments, 18,000 feet of Christmas lights, 71 wreaths, and a 350 pound Gingerbread house. Continuing an annual tradition for over 45 years, the White House Crèche, an 18th century terra cotta and wood nativity scene, is displayed in the East Room.
Professor Martyn Thomas (Letters, 27 November) makes a powerful case for great caution in introducing “driverless” cars. Many manufacturers have replaced the traditional manual handbrake with a switch controlling a powered brake, which depends on both battery power and software. The handbrake was always the last resort when there was no other means of stopping a car. Now that will no longer be available. Of equal concern, if the handbrake software was hacked and switched on while the car was moving fast, it would crash catastrophically. When our new car was being explained to us last year, the salesman said “do not switch on the handbrake when moving except in an extreme emergency; it has no graded response, it is either on or off”. And what happens if the battery goes flat? Greg Conway Amersham, Buckinghamshire
Fiercely independent and proud of their Rhaetic origins, the Ladin people of the Trentino-Alto Adige region in the Dolomites still maintain a strong South Tyrolean identity.
Formerly part of Austria, there is a distinctly Teutonic feel to this corner of north-east Italy: men sport lederhosen, and women dirndl. The cuisine falls into the hearty and wholesome camp – tasty survival food to fuel a day in the fields, created with home-grown produce and foraged finds, preserved in summer to last the harsh, snowbound winter months.
Loyal to their cooking traditions, the Ladins will raise a broad smile at the mere mention of the perennial favourite, canederli, or bread dumplings – and once tasted, it’s easy to see why. When these plump, fluffy quenelles are stuffed with tangy Tyrolean Graukäse cheese and smoky, home-cured speck, then doused in lashings of butter and extra cheese for good measure, they are quite simply the food of the gods.
A refreshing salad of thinly sliced fennel and cabbage, laced with olive oil and caraway seeds, is the perfect foil as a first course; or they can be dished up as an accompaniment to stews and roast meat, or even simmered in soup. To consume them like a local, never cut canederli with a knife – simply tease apart with the prongs of a fork. Who would have thought that stale bread could be transformed into something so delicious?
For the full rustic farmhouse experience, visit Lüch de Vanc in Longiarù; alternatively, the sunny terrace of Hotel Ciasa Salares’ chic La Terrazza restaurant in San Cassiano is unbeatable.
Paris has not had a single central food market since Les Halles was demolished in the 1970s. But there are still flourishing historic covered markets serving neighbourhoods all over city. Apart from selling tempting cheeses, charcuterie and wines to take home, these bustling, friendly marchés also have a great choice of casual stalls to eat at, fresher and more reasonably priced than most of the surrounding restaurants. They are also a good introduction to the multi-ethnic face of Paris, with Lebanese or Portuguese specialities, Moroccan tagines or Japanese cuisine, spicy West African dishes or vegetarian burgers.
Marché Couvert Beauvau
Cheese stall at Marché Couvert Beauvau
What everyone calls the Marché d’Aligre is actually a combination of three very different markets. The rue d’Aligre is a raucous morning street market, offering some of the cheapest fruit and veg in town, and includes the Boucherie Les Provinces, where Christophe Dru has transformed half of his butcher shop into a meat restaurant. Spread out over the Place d’Aligre is an anarchic flea market, while overlooking everything is the stately Beauvau covered market. The building dates from 1843 and has survived two recent fires, with renovations still going on today. It’s the perfect place to stock up on goodies to take home, from duck rillettes and game pâté to pungent époisses cheese. Sit at a table at seafood stall La Marée Beauvau to taste freshly shucked oysters (€7.50 for six), or try Fromagerie Comptoir, which has just opened a lunch counter where customers can order a selection of cheeses, try one of 150 craft beers or bring over charcuterie or smoked salmon from adjoining stalls.
• Tue-Sat 9am-1pm, 4pm-7.30pm, Sun 9am-1.30pm, Place d’Aligre, 75012
Marché Saint-Germain
L’Avant Comptoir du Marché
This grand stone market is actually a recent reproduction of the original 1813 building, and its 2016 reopening brought this romantic Left Bank neighbourhood to life again. While the interior is filled with fruit and vegetable stalls and a brilliant artisan cheesemonger, the outside arcades are more mall than marché, with an Apple Store, a Uniqlo, even a Marks & Spencer food hall. Fortunately, there is also L’Avant Comptoir du Marché, an irresistible wine and tapas bar created by chef Yves Camdeborde, the king of French bistronomie. A huge red plastic pig dangles over diners, over 50 wines are sold by the glass from €3, and the dozens of small plates fresh from the open kitchen range from €4-€10. The inventive combos include cod, spinach, chorizo and feta; salmon, sheep’s yogurt and cherry tomatoes; and fried pig’s ear with pickled red onion and rocket.
• Tue-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-1.30pm, 4-6 rue Lobineau, 75006
Marché des Enfants Rouges
Corossol
At the edge of the chic Marais quarter, the oldest covered market in Paris, originating in 1628, is easily missed from the street, hidden as it is behind two anonymous metal gates. Once inside, you enter a teeming maze of food stalls with crowds eating at noisy communal tables. Les Enfants Rouges has honestly become more food court than food market, and the dazzling choice of cuisine includes tasty Japanese bento boxes at Chez Taeko, classic French bistrot fare at L’Estaminet, and organic and vegetarian burgers at Au Coin Bio. The funkiest spot is Corossol, where a storm of Afro-Caribbean and Cajun cuisine (mains from €10) isserved to a background of zouk and reggae music. The most mouth-watering dishes are displayed at Le Traiteur Marocain, a cornucopia of couscous and tagines (from €9), pastilla and sticky cakes and sweetmeats.
• Tue-Sat 8.30am-8.30pm, Sun 8.30am-5pm, 39 rue de Bretagne, 75003
Marché Couvert Saint-Quentin
Marché Couvert Saint-Quentin
Walking distance from Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, this imposing covered market is built in the classic 19th-century Baltard style of red brick, wood, glass and iron girders. Right in the centre is the spit-and-sawdust Bistro Saint-Quentin, perfect for a glass of wine before deciding where to eat. This market has tables and chairs, so shoppers can pick up smoked saucisson, camembert and roquefort, a crusty loaf, some oysters and a bottle of wine, then set out a picnic. Alternatively, grab a stool at the counter of Portuguese delicatessen Chez Silvana, where the delicious plats du jour (€10-16) range from spicy stuffed calamari, to suckling pig or giant prawns flambeed in whisky.
• Tue-Sat 8am-8pm, Sun 8am-1.30pm, 85 bis Boulevard Magenta, 75010
Marché Couvert Saint-Martin
Chez Silvana
The original white stone arch still stands at the entrance of this small, cosy market built in the 1850s, when Baron Haussmann was transforming the urban landscape of Paris. A new Cambodian streetfood stall, Ama Dao, offers wok-fried vegetables and noodles, while food truck Le Réfectoire has opened a permanent counter serving juicy burgers and French-style hot dogs (from €10). It’s difficult not to be tempted by the fresh seafood displayed at Les Viviers de Noirmoutier, with its half-a-dozen tables and chairs in fake driftwood. Grab a seat and feast on a giant seafood platter of prawns, clams, crab, langoustines, whelks and winkles (from €25), or just a dozen oysters (€9), accompanied by a bottle of wine and cheeses from the fine selection at the adjacent “fromager-caviste”, Laurent Bouvet.
• Tue-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-2pm, 31 rue du Château d’Eau, 75010
Marché Couvert de Passy
Marche Couvert de Passy
Everyone seems to know each other in this small, white-tiled 1950s market in the heart of chic, residential Paris.Among florists, butchers and organic vegetables, it boasts an outpost of one of France’s most famous cheesemongers: Androuet. The market is dominated by one stallholder, Antoine Maillard of Les Galets d’Etretat. He runs Café d’Etretat near the entrance, where locals come for their morning espresso and pain au chocolat, as well as, a little way in, Passitalia, an Italian deli with prosciutto, gorgonzola or homemade lasagne (€10) that can be eaten at its counter. At the far end of the market, Antoine also has an impressive fishmonger, with tables where shoppers can enjoy not just seafood but creative dishes of the day (€11), such as chunky sea bass steak with julienned vegetables, wrapped and steamed en papillote.
• Tue-Sat 8am-1pm, 4pm-7pm, Sun 8am-1pm, Place de Passy, 75016
Marché Couvert des Ternes
Chez Kim
Even though the major tourist attractions of the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées are just round the corner, the tranquil Ternes neighbourhood still has its own covered market and a vibrant street market in rue Poncelet. The favourite rendezvous for coffee or lunch is the pavement terrace of the Bistrot du Marché. Just don’t expect coq au vin or boeuf bourguignon, because Chez Kim, as it is also known, has been run for the past 10 years by a Korean family. Although quiche lorraine is still on the menu, the best deal is the traditional spicy bibimbap with five Asian vegetables, rice, a fried egg and portion of squid, chicken or pork, all for €11.90 including a glass of wine.
• Tue-Sat 8am-1pm, 4pm-7.30pm, Sun 8am-1pm, 8 bis rue Lebon 75017
Marché Couvert des Batignolles
Edgar delicatessen
For an authentic slice of life in the untouristy 17th arrondissement, head for its lively covered market. Founded in 1846, it now occupies an anonymous 1979 building. Nonetheless, the gritty Break Bar, with great music and tables on the pavement, is anything but anonymous: it’s overseen by genial barman/cook Jeff, who serves an excellent chardonnay from Corbières for €3 a glass and rustles up thick, juicy steaks (€13) or tasty sausage and mash (€8). For more eclectic food inside the market, choose between the no-frills Japanese homecooking of Onigiriya, pizza and pasta at Basilico and, best of all, Edgar, a brilliant Lebanese delicatessen. Buy a €1 packet of five flatbreads and choose from the score of meze; tabbouleh, taramasalata, grilled aubergines, fig tapenade, falafel, kefta and succulent Turkish delight. Priced by weight, each carton costs around €4.
• Tue-Fri 8.30am-1pm, 3.30pm-8pm, Sat 8.30am-8.pm, Sun 8.30am-2pm, 96 bis rue Lemercier, 75017
Marché Couvert La Chapelle
Marché Couvert La Chapelle
Far from the 18th arrondissement’s touristy Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre, this 1883 market is in a vibrant West African neighbourhood that is quietly becoming fashionable, with its natural wine bars and barista cafes. The cobbled streets surrounding the market, which is also known as the Marché de l’Olive, are lined with cool bars and French bistrots, while inside there’s a huge choice of ethnic eateries. Three young Franco-Thais – Danai, Anusorn and Nisarat – have just opened Bangkok Bistronomie, where a bowl of pad thai noodles or green chicken curry costs €8.60, while at Délices d’Alissa, the classic Senegalese favourites of yassa, mafe and tiep (types of stew) are priced from €7-€9. The friendly Caribbean Food stall lives up to its name with hearty €10 portions of Guinea/Guiana and French West Indies dishes like cassava or plantain gratin, or piquant fish stew.
• Tue-Fri 8am-7.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm, Sun 8am-1.30pm, 10 rue de l’Olive, 75018
La Halle Secrétan
Wanted pizzeria
Classed an official historic monument, the Secrétan market hall reopened two years ago after a lengthy restoration of its imposing 1868 structure. The interior is spectacular, with a soaring ceiling lined with crisscrossing wooden beams but, sadly, the whole space has been given over to Les 5 Fermes, an organic supermarket, rather than the traditional food stalls that were here for over a century. In the style of a “marché for the future”, it also has a gym and fashion store, as well as upmarket butcher-restaurant Hugo Desnoyer, whose prices are beyond the pockets of most local residents. Fortunately, there is Wanted, a hip but eminently affordable wood-fired pizzeria, whose pastas and pizzas cost €12, and which offers brunch and DJ sets at the weekend.
• Tue-Thu 8.30am-7.30pm, Fri-Sat 8.30am-8pm, Sun 8.30am-2pm (restaurants open in the evening), 29 Avenue Secrétan, 75019
From Montreal in Canada to the forests of Karelia in Russia to the Japanese island of Hokkaido, winter in these snowy wonderlands can sometimes be tough.
The average annual snowfall in Montreal is two meters. Maxime Fournier is in charge of keeping the roads in the city center clear — even after the worst snowstorms. Maxime says it’s an impossible job. He co-ordinates the big ploughs that go out as soon as snow is forecast. And he oversees the trucks that carry away the white stuff from the downtown area. That’s 12-million cubic meters a year — equivalent to the cargo capacity of 200,000 freight wagons. But even if all the snow was left on the ground, people could still manage. Montreal is crisscrossed by a network of tunnels — and a 35 km-long labyrinth of passages connects hotels, offices, shopping malls, and even an ice hockey rink. There’d be plenty of room to play hockey on the 66,000 frozen lakes of Karelia. But the local residents prefer ice-fishing. Local resident Andrei Kokkonen says it’s an ideal pastime. Andrei adds that ice-fishing is also good for your health, because you use all of your muscles. The traditional Ban’ei horse race takes place on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido — often at temperatures as low as -16º C. It features powerful draft animals that pull heavy sleds over a hilly track.
Let it snow – winter on three continents : Documentary
The strand … Guayabitos’s beach is great for local seafood and music.
As the sun was setting on my first day in Rincón de Guayabitos, I was surprised to see humpback whales surfacing to clear their blowholes within sight of the shore. Like the whales, I come back every year, drawn by Guayabitos’s superb seafood and its warm and gentle waters.
A small town halfway up Mexico’s Pacific coast, Guayabitos is a cheap, authentic and lively destination that draws many domestic tourists but relatively few foreign visitors. Mariachis and indigenous Huichol musicians roam the sands, offering to serenade sunbathers for a modest fee, while passing vendors sell ceviche, coconuts and tropical fruits. Others offer exquisite skewers of freshly caught tuna, or prawns grilled in a smoky marinade and doused with hot sauce and lime juice – don’t leave without trying them.
Beachside hotel Cabañas del Capitán
The best place to stay is Cabañas del Capitán, a colourful beachside hotel with two pools, an outdoor jacuzzi and immaculate palm-lined gardens (doubles from £35 a night, family suites from £50). Tour operators will take visitors to explore nearby islands and see the whales up close (only in winter months), but those who just want to sit back and laze can crack open a cold Pacífico lager and admire the pelicans diving into the surf. Fly to Puerto Vallarta with Tui from £758. Bus transfer to Rincón de Guayabitos 1hr 45min Flight time 12hr 15min Time difference -6hrs Duncan Tucker
Hiriketiya Bay, Sri Lanka
Perfect break … Hiriketiya Bay, Sri Lanka.Photograph: Aaron Jamieson
I used to swim at “Hiri” long before you could eat or sleep at this deep, horseshoe-shaped bay near Dickwella, on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Set enough of a distance off the main Matara to Tangalle coastal road to be largely off-radar, it has Crusoe-like palm-shaded strands and gentle cobalt surf that promises year-round swimming. It remained a secret for years, except among in-the-know surfers (it’s got a great left-point break) and the local fishing community.
Over the past couple of years, hipsters, yogis, surfers and families looking for a quieter and more authentic alternative to the overblown beaches of Unawatuna and Mirissa have sought Hiri’s still-rustic charm, picture-postcard setting and gentle surf, though this hasn’t yet tipped the balance. Most accommodation is set well back from the beach, hidden beneath coconut palms, and is affordable, ranging from basic dorm beds to private villas with pools.
A room at Salt House, Hiriketiya BayPhotograph: David Taylor
Soulful Salt House, a convivial guesthouse a few minutes’ walk from the beach, is an excellent place to stay (rooms from £60, including breakfast, yoga and surfboard hire). Its eight jungle- or garden-view rooms (including a two-bedroom family apartment) are simple yet stylish, its cafe serves nutritious home-cooked food (think healthy salads, superfood smoothies, seafood and gelato), and there’s daily yoga. Fly to Colombo from £777 with Sri Lankan Airways. Bus transfer to Dickwella 2hr 53min Flight time 10hr 30min Time difference +5hr 30min Emma Boyle
Keurboomstrand, South Africa
Wild thing … Keurboomstrand.Photograph: Alamy
Somewhere on the planet there might be a more beautiful beach than Keurboomstrand, 10km east of Plettenberg Bay on the Western Cape, but I’ve visited a few beautiful beaches in my time and am yet to be convinced.
Plettenberg Bay is South Africa’s answer to the Hamptons, and Keurbooms is seemingly endless, wild and pristine – it feels lost in time.
I’m an inveterate strandloper (beachcomber) and love to search for pansy shells and rare paper nautiluses along its shore. Even during high season, I’ve only ever shared the beach with the occasional dog walker, fisherman or oystercatcher. Almost every time I’ve wandered along the sand, I’ve seen pods of about 100 bottlenose dolphins leaping through the crystal clear waves. Bryde’s whales are in residence throughout the year, while humpback and southern right whales bring their calves to play during winter. On one occasion, I counted eight pairs of mothers and babies, from the top of the dune, as I drank my morning coffee.
The Plett River Lodge, on the banks of the river that reaches the sea via the lagoon, is relaxed and highly rated (doubles from £62).
Keurbooms’ single flaw is its notorious rip current – this is not a swimming beach. But the lagoon behind the beach is as safe and warm as any in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean. For children, or those who prefer a gentle wallow, the lagoon beach at Pootjie (Little Paw) is perfection.
When tired of the sea, take a boat tour up the river to Whiskey Creek. There, early birds can claim white, sandy beaches for a picnic, and there are rocky cliffs from which bold children and adults can leap into the copper-coloured water that gives the creek its name.
Ristorante Enrico
The bijou Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve boasts the Big Five, and is 10 minutes’ drive up the Wittedrift road. There’s a decent, 18-hole Gary Player-designed golf course at Goose Valley. Also in the bay, Ristorante Enrico serves fresh seafood caught daily off the owner’s boat and offers a jaw-dropping view of the bay at sunset. I also love Emily Moon for its glamorous food, delicious grapefruit, gin and tonics, and romantic views of the Bitou river. Thyme & Again is the neighbourhood’s iconic roadside farm stall: it has an excellent deli, a salad dressing renowned across the country, a casual restaurant and sophisticated selection of cheese and wines. Fly to Port Elizabeth via Jo’burg with South African Airways from £644. Transfer to Plettenburg 2hr 45min Flight time 11hr 10min Time difference +2hr Vanessa Raphaely
Quy Nho’n, Vietnam
Boulder choice … the relatively unknown Quy Nho’n neighbourhood has some of Vietnam’s best beaches.Photograph: VuCongDanh/Getty Images
Sitting between the busy coastal hotspots of Nha Trang and Hoi An, Quy Nho’n is a relatively unknown, quiet beach town. The intense resort development seen in the country’s more popular seaside locations has yet to reach this region, making for a laidback atmosphere and the perfect place for a relaxed getaway.
Despite its humble modern appearance, for centuries the area around Quy Nho’n was once the centre of the Cham empire, which ruled what is today southern Vietnam. The most visible reminders of this period are the Thap Doi towers, in a small park in the city, which are well worth a visit.
Quy Nho’n’s residential and commercial areas run right up to the long, broad, sandy beach, which curves around a bay, with low hills visible to the north. A major street separates the beach from the town, and there are a few cafes and bars right on the sand.
About 15km south of Quy Nho’n is Bai Xep, reachable by bus, taxi or motorbike. This tiny town is home to an up-and-coming travel community that slows the pace down even further. There are few better ways to enjoy a beach in Vietnam than whiling away the days with fresh seafood and an ice-cold beer beside the waves here. The eateries in Bai Xep’s fishing village offer similar menus – a whole grilled fish is always a good choice.
Haven Guesthouse, Quy Nho’n
My preferred place to stay is Haven Guesthouse (B&B doubles from £24 a night), which offers simple, friendly accommodation right on the beach. It offers snorkelling trips to nearby islands (£4 each, minimum four people) where the water is clearer and you can see all kinds of colourful fish and sea creatures. Don’t expect the huge coral formations of the Philippines or Indonesia, but this is great snorkelling for Vietnam. Fly to Ho Chi Minh from £460 with Vietnam Airlines. Transfer 12hr by bus or 1hr 10min flight Flight time 12hr Time difference +7hr Michael Tatarski
Rosario Islands, Cartagena, Colombia
Get Carta … a beach on Isla Grande on the Rosario Islands.Photograph: Alamy
Bendita Beach is the kind of powder-white, paradise beach you usually only see in adverts and dreams. It takes up most of tiny, uninhabited Isla Arena, with a few palm trees giving some shade at the heart of the island.
My mum and I – she was visiting from England – toasted our great find with mojitos from a freshly hewn coconut at the makeshift beach bar, which is the only structure on the island, apart from the few tables that make up the restaurant.
It’s one of the 30 Rosario Islands around 20 miles west of Cartagena (a one-hour boat ride). They’re a great choice for a peaceful escape. Despite their beauty, they attract far fewer tourists than closer mainland beaches, such as Playa Blanca, and islands closer to the city, such as Tierra Bomba.
It’s not possible to stay on Isla Arena, but it’s a great day-trip from Hotel San Pedro de Majagua on Isla Grande, a 15-minute boat ride away.
The hotel offers tranquility and well-equipped cabana-rooms overlooking the sea, with thatched roofs and marble bathrooms. It has two small, sandy beaches and is a great base to explore the island (doubles/triples from £160, but it’s worth a call as they offer good discounts, including the price of the hour-long boat trip from Cartagena).
Fulano Secret Paradise
There are significantly cheaper eco-hotel options on the same island, in the Paraiso Secreto hotel neighbourhood, such as the colonial-style Fulano Secret Paradise (dorm beds from £18, doubles from £40).
Isla Grande is small enough to walk the whole way around in a couple of hours; try to visit the lagoon at sunset. Private or shared boats ferry visitors to the islands from Cartagena’s tourist wharf. Fly to Cartagena via Bogota from £770 with Avianca Flight time 14hr Time difference -5hr Max Ramsay
We stumbled across the majestic Grand-Anse beach by accident, having taken a wrong turn off Guadeloupe’s main west-coast road on the Basse-Terre half of the island. Though we realised our mistake within a few minutes of picking our way along a rutted road with coconut trees and sea-grape bushes pressing in on us, we continued and were rewarded with a 1km, crescent-shaped expanse of magnificent fine sand and tranquil, crystal-clear water.
As we came to discover, there are easier ways to reach Grand-Anse. At the other end of the beach, there are cafes, restaurants and food trucks serving a mixture of mouth-watering French and Guadeloupian cuisine. A must-try is the national favourite, bokit: freshly fried dough, sliced open and filled with fish, meat, chicken or vegetables, topped with salad and smothered in a homemade sauce that ranges from mild to extremely hot. Those who attempt the hot sauce can cool the taste buds down with another local favourite – creamy coconut ice-cream, hand-churned on the spot.
Villa accommodation by Habitation Grand Anse
Tucked away on a hillside, surrounded by lush vegetation, Habitation Grande Anse is five minutes’ walk from the beach and is a great place to stay (tropically styled studio apartments for two to seven, from £110). Breakfast is available, and the on-site restaurant opens for lunch and dinner. For Death in Paradise fans, the charming village of Deshaies, where the show is shot, is just a 20-minute walk away.
Beyond the village, there’s the Jardin Botanique de Deshaies, with its dazzling tropical flora and fauna. And a few kilometres further down the coast is La Maison du Cacao, a small cocoa farm and museum where visitors learn how cocoa is turned into chocolate, and sample chocolate products – and its liqueur is to die for.
Guadelouple made a swift recovery after Hurricane Maria and all beaches and hotels are open. See guadeloupe-islands.com for more information. Fly to Guadeloupe via Paris from £610 with Air France Flight time 11hr 30min Time difference -4hr Genie Austin
Kirra, Gold Coast, Australia
Gold Coast nugget … Coolangatta beach from Kirra Point LookoutPhotograph: Getty Images
Queensland’s Gold Coast often conjures glitzy and over-the-top scenes in the party strip of Surfers Paradise, but 25km away, at the southern tip, the azure waters are lined by quieter suburbs that have the feel of a lazy beach town but with the perks of a city.
Kirra is my favourite place in Australia, due to a mixture of good old-fashioned sentimentality and genuine gorgeousness. The beachside suburb was the first place I lived, eight years ago, with my then-boyfriend, now-husband. We would spend mornings soaking in the ocean before work and university, at times spotting dolphins frolicking just metres away.
Now when I visit (once a year at the very least) we stay in Kirra Beach Apartments, which has large balconies and breezy rooms (from A$130 a night for a one-bedroom apartment). It’s around the corner from a fantastic bakery and a couple of cafes, with the beach just a five-minute stroll away.
Balcony view from Kirra Beach Apartments
We sink schooners at Kirra Surf Club, overlooking the ocean, and walk around the hill to the buzzing restaurant strip of Coolangatta, which is bursting with Mexican, Japanese, burger and pizza places, and our favourite – the Greek Xenia Grill.
After dinner there are pubs to round off the night – I recommend the Cooly – and the Rattle Snake nightclub, or a cinema, before doing the whole lazy routine again the next day. Fly to Brisbane from £518 with Air China via Beijing Flight time 35hr 30min Time difference +10hr Bridie Jabour
Bang Saen, Thailand
Palm promenade … Bang Saen town and beach is wrongly neglected by many travellers.Photograph: Alamy
I am a city boy at heart, but sometimes the heat, traffic and general mayhem of Bangkok can take their toll. The perfect antidote is Bang Saen, about two hours’ drive south-east of the city. Most travellers shoot straight past it on their way to glitzier, seedier Pattaya but, luckily for me, when I arrived in Thailand four years ago, friends in the know introduced me to the low-key charms of this sleepy university town.
Foreigners are few and far between, save for a small community of retired Scandinavians who jokingly refer to themselves as the Vikings. On weekends, the place comes alive with Thai families who play on the long, sandy beaches, lounge in cosy cafes and gorge on plentiful fresh seafood. Personally, I prefer weekday getaways, when I can stroll along the coast and pretend to have the place to myself.
Wang Saen Suk Hell Garden.Photograph: Getty Images
My first stop is Wangmook Seafood Restaurant (65 Thanon Saensook, +66 38 191 818), which has been serving delicious lonpu (coconut crab dip), orsuan (soft oyster omelette) and gaeng pa plahedkhon (local whiting in curry soup) for almost 30 years.
No trip to Bang Saen would be complete without a visit to the Buddhist monastery of Wang Saen Suk, also known as Hell Garden, the largest of its kind in Thailand (+66 89 690 3914). Luridly graphic statues labelled with helpful signs in Thai and English pair up sins such as intoxication and blasphemy with the appropriate punishment in the next world. Eternal evisceration and dismemberment are among the more lenient sentences depicted.
Living area at the Coco Beach Resort
With a full belly and the roster of my worldly sins to contemplate, I lay my head down at the Coco Beach Resort, which opened in 2015 (doubles from £34 B&B). Rooms are modern (read: no unpleasant surprises), beds are comfy, and its spot opposite the beach is prime. Fly to Bangkok from £500 with Thai Airways Flight time 11hr 30min Time difference +7hr Vincent Vichit-Vadakan
Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, Malaysia
Rhu beauty … the view from unspoilt Tanjung Rhu beach.Photograph: Alamy
When I first visited the Langkawi archipelago there were just coconut trees, sandy beaches, paddy fields and barely a hotel in sight. Today, of all the resorts along Malaysia’s coastline, still nothing compares to these 99 islets in the Andaman Sea that sit just off Penang.
The main island (also called Langkawi) has obviously changed and been developed; the lively Pantai Cenang beach is packed with backpacker and budget stays, seafood restaurants and funky bars, while there is plenty of choice for those with more cash to splash, such as the award-winning Bonton Resort (doubles from £150 B&B). But one beach remains idyllic, peaceful and unspoilt: the three-mile white sand of Tanjung Rhu, looking out on jungle-clad limestone pinnacles that rise up out of the water.
One of Khairul Fadzin’s Sunset Bay cottages
Visiting again recently, I discovered Sunset Bay Cottage (doubles from £30 room only). Khairul Fadzin has built three cottages in the garden of his family’s house, with minimalist rooms on the beach with air conditioning and free wifi. For breakfast, there are local stalls nearby selling specialities such as nasi lemak (spicy coconut rice) and roti canai (flatbread).
Tanjung Rhu is also an excellent base for water sports and boat trips to snorkel, scuba dive, island hop or explore Langkawi’s unique mangrove ecostructure. And, accompanied by an ice-cold Tiger beer, the beach sunset is breathtaking. Fly to Langkawi via Kuala Lumpur from £520 with Malaysia Airlines. Flight time 16hr Time difference +8hr John Brunton
Velas, Maharashtra, India
Flipping marvellous … an olive ridley turtle baby reaches the sea at Velas.Photograph: Alamy
Stretching 450 miles south from Mumbai, west India’s Konkan coast is dotted with unspoilt beaches and fortified towns, offering a very different experience to the party beaches of Goa at Konkan’s southern tip.
One such beach is Velas, famed for its conservation of endangered olive ridley turtles, which lay their eggs on the beach in November and December. Overseen by the NGO Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra in collaboration with villagers, the turtles are closely protected during egg laying and hatching. When I visited, a crowd of 100 cheered as the little hatchlings emerged from the golden-black sand and started their journey towards the Arabian Sea.
Velas is so small it has no hotels or guest houses but a homestay can be arranged through Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra from £6-£12 – a great way to get a taste of local village life. Buses run from Mumbai and take about six hours.
Konkan railway passing through paddy fields.Photograph: Alamy
Alternatively, visitors can take the Konkan railway, one of India’s great feats of engineering, which runs inland across rivers, past paddy fields and through mountains, on its way between Mumbai and Kerala via Goa. The nearest railway station is Mangaon, 50 miles away. From there you can take a taxi (2hr 30min, about £18). Fly to Mumbai from £485 with BA Flight time 9hr 30min Time difference +5hr 30min Deepti Asthana
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