Botswana is one of the most developed and successful nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, and one of striking contrasts; deserts, deltas, salt plains and hundreds of kilometres of rolling safari make it a paradise for budding explorers. It is also one of the safest countries in Africa and a great place to start for first-time visitors […]

It was Francis Scott Key who, upon witnessing the failed bombardment of Baltimore by the British in 1812, composed the poem The Star-Spangled Banner that was later to provide the lyrics for the American national anthem. Baltimore has never forgotten its role in the revolution and sites like Fort McHenry are great places to explore […]

Bulgaria is a country caught in transition, slowly switching its gaze from west to east; hidden behind the Iron Curtain until the late 1980s, it is now one of the newest members of the EU. It is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s premier ski resorts, though Bulgaria’s most attractive feature is probably the Black Sea […]

Sofia is often overlooked by the travellers who go straight for the sand and snow of Bulgaria’s excellent seaside and ski resorts, yet the compact capital boasts two World Heritage sites and remains the cultural heart of the nation. Archaeological evidence suggests there’s been a settlement here for over seven thousand years, making it one […]

There’s more than a millennium of architectural heritage crammed into this breathtaking city, and its so beautifully preserved that you sometimes feel like you’re walking through a larger-than-life museum exhibit. The capital of the Czech Republic for more than 1,100 years, Prague was also the seat of the Holy Roman Emperor during the 14th and […]

Founded as a coal mining camp in 1859, the city boomed under the weight of inrushing cowboys and gunslingers. Little gold was found, but the prospectors stayed anyway and so the city grew. There’s still a flavour of the Wild West to be found here, particularly if you explore a little way beyond the city […]

The creases that line Phnom Penh’s crumbling facade belie a hidden beauty that once made the city the “Pearl of Asia”, one of the most captivating in the East. War and revolution damaged much of its former grace, as it was the scene of the genocide enforced by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s that […]

As the sun sets over an azure Mediterranean sea, a Spanish guitar samples the flawless acoustics under a balcony in Gaudi’s gorgeous Park Guell. Downtown, the party is just getting started; Barcelona comes alive at night, when the ultra-hip populace emerge to dine, drink and dance into the early hours of the morning. The capital […]

Though it is consistently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities, Montreal has a strange relationship with those beyond its borders. The inherently Gallic heart accounts for a little over half of the population, but the historical British influences and large multicultural population have always set it slightly apart from the rest of […]

The area around the head of the Nile Delta has been populated for millennia; this is perhaps the most fertile land in Africa and the cradle for the great civilisation of the ancient Egyptians. Modern day Cairo, however, is a world apart from this long and glorious history; congested, confusing, chaotic, it can take time […]

Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on the planet – geographically, it’s closer to Singapore than Sydney and the nearest big city is over 2,000km away. It’s the capital of Western Australia and despite the state covering a third of the landmass, 85 percent of its population is crammed into this oasis […]

Summer in Finland is a golden season full of optimism, when the towns are alive with good cheer and festivals and the gentle warmth of the sun makes the national parks and tranquil lakes most accessible. Yet much of Finland remains remote and the harsh, icy winters loom just as large in the national consciousness. […]