Once a city that symbolised division, Berlin has spent the two decades since the fall of the famous Wall making up for lost time; it has become one of the most diverse, tolerant and downright animated cities in Europe. Only in Berlin would you find a hotel with an upside-down room (Propeller Island), or a […]

The near-Arctic wilderness of Finland is not the first place you’d look for a high-tech capital of industrial design, but Helsinki is just that. Perhaps its something in the clean, Baltic air; more likely its the tap water, which is so pure that its bottled and sold thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia. This […]

Approach Chicago by water and the reflected cityscape of towering skyscrapers might leave you speechless; particularly at night when the glittering luminescence makes it appear as the Milky Way fallen to earth. Once famed for the legend of Al Capone and murky underworld of organised crime, Chicago today is the ‘most American of American cities’, […]

Think of Egypt and most people immediately picture the Great Pyramids. Yet while these are reason enough to visit the country themselves, there is so much more to this vast and enchanting land. The Egyptians have inhabited it since the rest of the world’s civilisations were still in metaphorical diapers and over five thousand years […]

This vast archipelago sprawls across 5,000km of the equator, with 17,500 islands and 300 distinct ethnic groups descended from Chinese, European, Indian, Malay and indigenous stock. There are 742 known languages, yet the common Bahasa tongue and shared education have built a strong common national identity. Parts of Indonesia remain unexplored and new species are […]

The Old City of Jerusalem is perhaps the holiest square kilometre on Earth. The Farthest Mosque, Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall are just four of the holy sites within its bounds, making it scared it Islam, Christianity and Judaism alike. Centuries of pilgrimages and crusades have […]

After ceding to communist rule by the Vietnamese People’s Army in 1975, the city of Saigon was renamed to honour the late leader Ho Chi Minh. Yet it remains Saigon in the popular imagination, and few but officials will call it that today in a city that has shrugged off the effects of civil turmoil […]

An Islamic nation with centuries of history, Morocco is a unique blend of Africa and Europe. Historical influences dating back to the Romans are still visible in the architecture. The cities of Fez and Marrakech are colourfully chaotic, dizzying and dazzling in equal measures, while the glittering coastline and the inviting Atlas Mountains are perfect […]

Dubai puts the glamour into petroleum; with wealth founded on the discovery of rich oil fields in the mid 60s, it’s been busy glitzing its way into the international consciousness as a city unlike any other. It’s ostentation at its most fabulous; from the moment you arrive you’ll be treated like a VIP, dazzled by […]

Thailand is a gorgeous country with a diverse natural and archaeological legacy. A tropical climate, white sandy beaches and a vibrant nightlife are all on offer; try diving amid coral reefs and whale sharks at Ko Tao, go jungle trekking in Mae Hong Son or simply party the night away in the bright lights of […]

Few cities are as immortalised in international folklore as the Italian capital; even fewer are able to live up to hype. Yet standing beside the Coliseum in Rome, or gazing up at the roof of the Sistine Chapel, or simply taking in the stunning panorama from one of the seven hills, you might start to […]

Saudi Arabia has long seemed a mysterious, forbidden kingdom to the west. With riches built on the largest oil reserves in the Middle East, it has become better known for its super-wealthy oil barons than its cultural contributions. Yet the cities of Mecca and Medina are the two holiest sites in Islam; since the seventh […]