After decades of colonialism, communism, civil war and now rapidly accelerating globalisation, Vietnam today is an emerging market country where the excesses of capitalism have yet to ruin its glorious natural legacy. Forest-covered mountains and verdant rice fields inland are trumped only by a lavish coastline littered with tropical lagoons, dramatic peninsulas and white beaches […]

The lumbering trams that crawl lazily along Victorian streets may momentarily trick you into believing you’re in 19th century London, but make no mistake; modern Melbourne is a world apart. Lavish in its pursuit of the very best of fashion, food and entertainment, this is the most multicultural city in Australia and one in which […]

The largest metropolis in the southern hemisphere, the pulsing Sao Paulo is the economic heartbeat of Brazil, and capital in all but name. Its wealth was built upon its international coffee trade and, like the beans themselves, the rich and earthy flavour of the city can be an acquired taste; yet once savoured, it’s strangely […]

Immortalised by Homer’s Illiad, the ruins of Troy are now just one of the countless ancient monuments littering Turkey’s dramatic landscape. After Alexander the Great came the Romans, Seljuks and the Ottomans before the modern day republic. Ancient aqueducts and medieval bridges can still be found, as can many Islamic medresses and still-active caravanserais along […]

Iceland is often referred to as the island of ice and fire. One of the most volcanically active places on earth it is also one of the most unique landscapes. From the giant geysers at Geysir and Gullfoss to the hot springs of Landmannalaugar, it is packed with geological wonders unlike any you’ll see elsewhere. […]

A stone’s throw from the holy city of Jerusalem, Jordan is a land steeped in history, religious or otherwise. Periods of Greek and Roman conquest preceded the Byzantine period and Crusades; castles and carvings from all eras litter this wondrous Arabian landscape. Perhaps the most famous is Petra, a rock-carved metropolis described as “rose-red city […]

When the King of Poland used to visit Gdansk, he would pass along the Royal Way; through great archways of stone adorned with proud statues and fierce, golden lions; beneath Gothic terraces and Georgian spires of ochre and burnt umber; finally towards the Renaissance Green Gate where the emblems of Prussia, Poland and Gdansk shine […]

A country of superlatives, the main problem with Canada is knowing where to start. Do you go with the vast national parks, crammed full of ice-capped peaks, majestic glaciers, crystal lakes and a host of unique and exciting wildlife? Or maybe head to the coast and explore the spectacular fjords and make friends with a […]

Kenya has an embarrassment of natural riches; beautiful coastland, dramatic mountain ranges, epic rolling plains, rich and vibrant rainforest, arid desert and teeming coral reef – Kenya has it all. It is perhaps most famous for its spectacular safari, yet there is also a rich and varied tribal culture to explore and the Rift Valley […]

The Basque are reckoned by some anthropologists to be the oldest culture in Europe; long before the Romans came they roamed the hills to the south and east of Bilbao. The city itself wasn’t founded until the 14th century, but today it is the commercial, cultural and political capital of the Basque region, locally known […]

Gibraltar is a tiny colony with a population of around 30,000 which has been under British administration since the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, following the War of Spanish Succession. The town takes its name from the famous Rock of Gibraltar, which was once considered by the Greeks the northernmost Pillar of Hercules and a marker […]

Peru has a fascinating historical legacy; home to some of the oldest known civilisations since 6000BC, it was conquered by the Incas in the 15th century before the Spanish took control in the 16th. Few places on earth is this ancient historical legacy more visible and more accessible; Machu Pichu and the Nazca lines are […]