Travel advice, ideas & expert tips

An interactive map at the Singapore City Gallery.

Personal recommendations for a short break in Singapore

From hawker stalls to heritage, here’s how to make the most of a Singapore stopover in just a few days. Why visit Singapore Singapore is arguably the greatest food city on earth, and a time-honoured stopover on routes between Australia and Europe. Go feast at…

The Thian Hock Keng Temple in Singapore's Chinatown.

Singapore’s Chinese heritage: migration, myth and modern Chinatown

The Chinatown Heritage Centre, Haw Par Villa and Thian Hock Keng Temple reveal the struggles and successes of Chinese migrants in Singapore. Singapore’s Chinatown Heritage Centre It’s the words of Loh Ah Kwai that stick in the head for weeks later. “When we first came…

The Eden Project, near St Austell, Cornwall.

The attraction price problem that will kill British family holidays

Letting people visit as many times as they like for the cost of one admission has become a burden, rather than a bonus. A budget British holiday I spent the last two weeks of the school holidays driving around England with my family. We were…

The Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, Northern Territory.

Cage of Death in Darwin: face to face with a saltwater crocodile

At Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, thrill-seekers are lowered into a Perspex tube for an unnerving encounter with some of the largest saltwater crocodiles on earth. Meeting Chopper the crocodile Chopper’s dental hygiene is, frankly, disgraceful. But it would take a brave dentist to suggest an…

Kangaroo rock at Nourlangie in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory.

Kakadu rock art and the Aboriginal stories of the Top End

The ancient galleries of Kakadu National Park reveal tens of thousands of years of Aboriginal culture, belief and storytelling layered into stone. The lightning man and Aboriginal mythology There are more lightning strikes here than anywhere else on the planet, and the being responsible for…

The ruins at Victoria Settlement at Port Essington, Northern Territory.

The Victoria Settlement: Australia’s lost city in the Top End

The haunting ruins of Port Essington reveal the story of Britain’s failed northern colony, abandoned after just 11 years of hardship. Remote location of the Victoria Settlement The ruins line up as if designed to please the eye. Built out of chunky stone with tall…

The Yanga Woolshed in Yanga National Park, New South Wales.

Yanga National Park: pastoral past meets natural future

From historic woolsheds to flourishing wetlands, Yanga National Park blends Australia’s pastoral heritage with thriving river red gum forests and wildlife habitats. Exploring the silent woolshed The walk through the pens is considerably less terrifying than it would be for the sheep, and considerably quieter…

Kielder Observatory, Northumberland: What visitors need to know

Why visit Kielder Observatory? Kielder Observatory is a public astronomical observatory located in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, within Europe's largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park. Founded by amateur astronomer Gary Fildes who campaigned to raise several hundred thousand pounds, the observatory was officially opened on 25th…

Writer David Whitley on top of Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales.

Climbing Kosciuszko while unfit: A fat bloke climbs Australia’s highest mountain

Mount Kosciuszko may be Australia’s tallest peak, but even the unfit can reach its summit with a chairlift, gentle trails and stunning alpine scenery. The fine line between unprepared and reckless There’s a fine line between being merely unprepared and being incredibly stupid. That line…

River red gums in Murray Valley National Park, New South Wales.

Murray Valley National Park: river red gums and birding from a boat

In the tranquil Murray Valley National Park, towering river red gums, abundant birdlife and scenic boat trips make for a dreamlike wildlife experience. Tracing the past with a mileage marker Carved into the side of a tree is the number “258”. It’s a mileage marker…