Three generations, one Tudor manor and some light trauma: a multi-generational break in Somerset
When an extended family go on holiday together in Portishead, it’s games, laughter – and tears for one
Mardi Gras the Balkan way – alternatives to Venice carnival
In Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, the legacy of Venetian occupation lives on in a series of spectacular carnivals that these days have a local twist
When in Rome … go where the Romans go, not the tourist crowds
The Eternal City’s monuments and museums are busy at the best of times, but there remain myriad treasures to explore that are well off the beaten track
Alternative wonders: why Yemen’s ancient terraces are a supreme human creation
The soil, treasured for centuries, turns steep Yemini slopes into fertile and productive land. Coffee grown here was served at London’s first coffee house in 1652
‘Don’t even think about not going in fancy dress:’ Readers’ favourite carnivals around Europe
Nothing brightens up the depths of winter better than a local festival – and Europe is awash with ancient and brilliant carnivals
Alternative wonders: why the stone citadel of Sigiriya in Sri Lanka is my rock of ages
The landscape is not the dead relic of a foregone age. It is a living reminder of how knowledge tailored to the local ecology is essential
Alternative wonders: why Egypt’s Colossi of Memnon are my giants of history
Emerging from the heat shimmer, these two enormous statues in Luxor appear completely otherwordly – like giants in a wheat field
‘This is where it all begins!’ What’s it like to start your holiday in the airport bar?
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary wants European airports to clamp down on pre-flight drinking. But is it really such a problem? There’s only one way to find out …
Alternative wonders: why Tibet’s Samye monastery is my spiritual inspiration
The region’s first Buddhist monastery is a complex of chapels and stupa towers from a vast mandala – a symbolic and spiritual representation of the whole universe
Share your tip on a discovery in France to win a holiday voucher
Tell us about your favourite place in France – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
A sprawling megacity of multi-level madness: why Chongqing in China is my wonder of the world
This megacity is like Hong Kong on steroids – a vertically sprawling, astonishing urban phenomenon that can only be understood in three dimensions
Dancing horses and a dodgy Venus: why Derbyshire’s Bolsover Castle is my wonder of the world
This is a very English wonder, fusing the arcane symbolism of northern England with then modern ideas from Renaissance Italy
Away with Julia Busuttil Nishimura: ‘Visiting a local market gives you an insight into a new place’
In Guardian Australia’s weekly interview about travel, the cookbook author recounts a wild boar pasta she’ll never forget and the place where she feels most carefree
Notes on chocolate: sweet reasons to visit Edinburgh
There’s at least one outstanding chocolatier and some great bakeries
My culinary adventure on the Lisbon coast
The elegant towns of Cascais, Estoril and Sintra have plenty to offer, from romantic royal palaces to the best of Portuguese cuisine