Travel advice, ideas & expert tips

Icebergs on the Jökulsárlón lagoon, Iceland.

Should you do Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon cruise on a day trip from Reykjavik?

The boat tours around the icebergs of Iceland’s Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon are well worth doing – but it’s a long way on a day tour from Reykjavik. What is Jökulsárlón in Iceland? Jökulsárlón is a glacier-fed lagoon on the south coast of Iceland. It is…

Why Melaka is so much better by day than by night

Is Melaka better by day? I explore the historic architecture and culture that make daylight hours the best time for a visit. The colourful trishaws of Melaka The trishaw weaves through the narrow streets, adorned with as many flowers and spinning windmill contraptions as the…

6 lessons about tackling a tropical city learned in Kuala Lumpur

A stopover in Kuala Lumpur provides lessons for travelling to other tropical cities. There’s an argument for Kuala Lumpur being rather underrated. The Malaysian capital has a surprising amount to do in a 48 hour stopover – Bird Park, caves, big towers to clamber up…

Museo Reina Sofia: How to see Picasso’s Guernica for free in Madrid

Picasso’s Guernica, housed in Madrid’s Reina Sofía museum, is one of Spain’s most important artworks—and yes, you can see it without spending a cent. This guide was updated in September 2026. What is Guernica and why is it worth seeing? Guernica is a large-scale cubist…

A bear in Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley.

Desperately searching for bears in Yellowstone National Park

After a week in Wyoming with no bear sightings, an expedition into the Lamar Valley is the final hope… Looking for bears in the Lamar Valley An air of misery overwhelms the car. We’ve driven to the end of the Lamar Valley – supposedly the…

Moose in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Elk, moose, bears & bison on a Grand Teton National Park wildlife tour

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park has spectacular scenery – but it’s also one of the best places in the United States for wildlife-spotting. Evidence of bears in Wyoming The bear-proof trash cans outside Wyoming’s Signal Mountain Lodge are a good idea of what lives in…

The colossal bust of Ramesses II in the British Museum, London.

Why the bust of Ramesses II is a star attraction at the British Museum

The colossal bust of Ramesses II at the British Museum The British Museum in London is home to one of the most famous pieces of ancient Egyptian sculpture outside Egypt: the colossal bust of Ramesses II. Also known as the “Younger Memnon,” this immense granite…

Big Five on the cheap: Self-driving Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

In KwaZulu-Natal, you can ditch the expensive safari lodges to see elephants and lions under your own steam. Meeting a teenage elephant Is it angry? Is it frisky? Should we back away slowly? Or should we just put the foot down and get away to…

Waxworks at the Heart of Cape Town Museum, South Africa.

Visiting the Heart of Cape Town Museum at Groote Schuur Hospital

The Heart of Cape Town Museum at the Groote Schuur Hospital tells the story of how Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant. The operating theatre at Groote Schuur Hospital The operating theatre looks busy. White face masks and green gowns are everywhere, as…

The Durban city skyline and Indian Ocean beaches.

Durban: The city that South Africans go to for winter sun

South Africans go to Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal coast for winter sun. But why don’t international travellers join them? Direct flights to Durban When British Airways announced it was going to start (now-cancelled) direct flights to Durban in October 2018, it came to many as…