Argentina Córdoba: Argentina's surprising second city The cathedral looked particularly beautiful against the sunny blue skies, built on a site that has been in continuous use as a church since 1582, longer than anywhere else in Argentina...
Argentina Buenos Aires: A capital in crisis Buenos Aires is tinged with sadness, like an aristocratic old lady who's lost her husband and turned to gin...
Uruguay Colonia del Sacramento & Montevideo: A Uruguayan interlude Some buildings were smartly painted in bright, summery colours, while others sat beautifully dilapidated, with multi-hued layers of paint peeling away and flowers taking root in the cracks.
Brazil Iguazu Falls: Both sides of the story Every time we thought we'd got our heads round the size and layout of Iguazu, we'd round a corner and realise that another huge series of waterfalls had been hiding just out of view.
Brazil São Paulo: South America's megacity Around 12 million people live in the city itself, and a whopping 21 million in the wider metropolitan area, making São Paulo not just the biggest city in South America, but the biggest in the entire Southern Hemisphere.
Brazil Ilha Grande & Paraty: Brazil's Costa Verde Everyone seemed to be ambling along in their Havaianas in a sort of tropical daze, like a tiny Caribbean island with a Brazilian twist...
Brazil Rio de Janeiro: Letting it all hang out The sun was just starting to dip behind the Dois Irmaos peaks at the far end of the beach, and the spray coming off the sea was floating above the beach like a golden mist...
Brazil Setting off for South America... We're getting ready to head off on a 4-month trip around South America, visiting Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia...
Laos MandaLao: Ethical elephant encounters in Luang Prabang At MandaLao the elephants aren't made to dance or paint pictures for tourists; instead you're invited to spend time with them doing the things they like to do...
South Africa On safari in Madikwe Game Reserve "I'm sure she's there somewhere," said Kaizer ruefully as the jeep bounced down the dusty road, heading south away from the river. "I think maybe we'll see her later."
Italy Milan for the fashion unconscious My first fashion faux pas in Milan was going outside without a coat on. It may have been a sizzling 25°C in the early April sun, but I felt pretty silly in
Belgium Ghent: Festive in Flanders It was a crisp and ruddy-cheeked Friday afternoon, the last weekend before Christmas, and Ghent was glowing with that cosy chocolate box cheer that British cities are never quite able to replicate. It
UK Capital Ring Walk: Crystal Palace to Wimbledon Park The Capital Ring Walk is a 78-mile long circular route around London that passes through many of the capital’s lesser known neighbourhoods, divided into 15 smaller sections. This post follows on from
Georgia Kakheti: God & Grapes Although it might not be the first place that springs to mind when you're out shopping for a full-bodied red, there is compelling evidence that Georgia is the birthplace of wine. People have
Georgia Gori & Mtskheta: Saints and sinners Imagine travelling to the little Austrian town of Braunau, which sits by the river Inn on the German border, and arriving in the main square to find people smiling and posing for photos
Georgia Kazbegi & The Georgian Military Highway Our driver raised his head solemnly, looking up towards the monastery perched on a hill, and made the sign of the cross over his heart three times. As we hurtled along the road
Georgia Tbilisi: The city on the edge of Europe Where does Europe end and Asia begin? If you look at a map, the idea that Europe and Asia are separate continents doesn’t really make sense. It’s always been a hazily
Cuba Trinidad: Colonial past, capitalist future? Arriving in Trinidad was like walking into a postcard. The Unesco-listed casco histórico, centred around the elegant Plaza Mayor, was a photographer’s dream, all pastel facades, cobbled streets, iron caged windows and
Cuba Viñales: Cuba's tobacco country Each day in the Valle de Viñales, at around two in the afternoon, the sky would start to bruise and darken. Fat thunderheads reared up above the mogotes, the lumpy limestone mountains that
Cuba Havana: The Americans are coming Havana is often described as a city stuck in a timewarp, and perhaps that was true once. For me, however, the label didn’t quite fit; the Cuban capital was more like one
Netherlands Keukenhof: Tulip mania In March 1637, an episode in Dutch history that has come to be known as ‘tulip mania’ reached its feverish zenith. The price for the most coveted varieties of tulip had skyrocketed; the
Spain Madrid & Toledo: The heart of Spain Kilometre zero. In Spain, all roads lead to this one point, the axis around which this fractious kingdom of independent-minded regions turns. The spot is marked by a paving stone inlaid with gold
Belgium Antwerp: Bridging the divide Belgium is home to some 180 breweries, producing hundreds of different beers in myriad styles and strengths. A typical pub offers the adventurous drinker a choice of cloudy wheat beers with a hint
Laos Vientiane: The sleeping capital At the end of the long and bone-jarring road south from Luang Prabang, we finally found respite. The lumpen limestone hills flattened out, the potholed gravel track gave way to a smooth, mostly
Responsible travel The ethics of travelling to repressive regimes Last year, when I mentioned that I was going to Uzbekistan for my summer holiday, a few people quizzed me on the ethical implications of travelling to a country governed by such a
