You do not need to be a cartographer to deduce that South Africa has a prolific coastline. Scratch that – prolific hardly even cuts it. What adjective best describes a coastline that is not only long – 2,500 km to be almost exact – but half-pipes all the way from the desert of Namibia to … More

No contest. Two words that sum up the model airports and airlines of the planet versus the duds and the flops. And in what can be no bombshell to anyone with a pulse, the best of the best, high-tech or otherwise, cluster primarily in parts of the world with sunny economic upsides, massive capital investments … More

Done in by yet another rank and file, banal still-life on the wall of your hotel bathroom? Perhaps a smart art hotel is in order. If a bold and tasteful aesthetical ethos is on your list of prerequisite perks, book a room at one of these fine UK hotels. While they may not occupy the … More

What is the best way to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet at Botany Bay, Sydney Cove in 1788 and the declaration of British sovereignty over what was then New Holland? From Grand Slam tennis to pyrotechnics, a venerable awards ceremony to a live music fest, we run down some of the best options.

What can an ostensibly trite and dull statistical measurement like population density tell us about a particular country? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out (demographers everywhere celebrate!). Take Australia, for example. Big country, very few people. While a city like Manila has over 43,000 people per km2 – a figure that boggles the … More

Asia has a lot in store for those who crave a taste of the paranormal. A bona fide haunted hotel is a good place to start. Here’s a list of five that promise to tickle your sixth sense.

Gateway to India and Taj Hotel, Mumbai – Photo credit
5. Yu Shan Fan Dian, Chengde, China
The 220-room hotel … More

We’ve got a big family trip planned to the UK in the next few months. We’ve mapped out most of our destinations around England but we’re on the fence about visiting Wales. Is it worth the side trip? What are the dos and don’ts?
Eunice J., Darwin

Thomas Telford’s iron suspension bridge over the Menai Strait, Isle … More