Istanbul is one of the world's great cities with a population of more than 11 million. It also has an amazingly diverse society, thanks to its role as centre of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires and a city, quite literally, straddling Europe and Asia. That makes it a fascinating destination for visitors. Read More...

Blackpool? As the guide on the open top bus confirmed, that is what Dublin means in Gaelic - black pool. But, unlike its namesake on the other side of the Irish Sea, Dublin has a very cosmopolitan atmosphere.
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On a clear day, Zermatt is all about the Matterhorn. But, on the day we arrived in this famously car-free town, where enclosed golf buggy taxis hum around the streets, the Matterhorn was teasing. It's head was stubbornly stuck in the clouds. We joked about our "room with Matterhorn view", but still it was not to be seen. Read More...

It is ironic that - as the country at the heart of Europe and one of the most scenic - we have taken so long to focus on its attractions and delights. Read More...

Interlaken has been a popular centre for tourists for decades. Not surprising really when much of the country is within an easy few hours travel from the town. Read More...

Access to the internet is rapidly becoming a necessity, not a luxury. Especially for travellers it is so handy for making forward bookings, checking in for flights, booking cars, finding restaurants and getting opinions on things to do and places to see on the next day's itinerary.

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I've always had a fascination for buildings that are built into, or cling to cliffs. I don't know why. But, as a kid I would pick up National Geographic and look with particular wonder at the cliff houses of Mesa Verde, or the buildings carved into rock at Petra. Read More...

Before you go there you realise, of course, that Ayers Rock and Uluru (the aboriginal name for the rock itself) is in the middle of a vast continent. But it is on the flight from Sydney that you really begin to realise how vast the outback is. Read More...

Nairobi is East Africa's most populous city with an estimated population in the metropolitan area of between three and four million. Largely an uninhabited swamp until the end of the 19th Century, it became a supply depot for the railway then in 1905 it took on the status of capital city. It is said that Nairobi was chosen because, at 5,500 feet, the temperatures were too low for the malaria mosquito to survive (although current advice is you must take anti-malarial treatments). Read More...

The idea for Venice arose because we were looking for somewhere to spend a long weekend that would be truly memorable and different. Somewhere were we would not be tempted to try to cram too much into our time. Most importantly, somewhere to relax.
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Having been in Prague on a business trip some years before, I knew it was a place I wanted to return to. I didn't think too carefully about the time of year to visit and it was only as we saw the fields carpeted in snow as the plane came into land, that I realised March can still be quite cold in Central Europe! Read More...

Brussels - the European capital. Centre of the European Union. Home of NATO. With that background it is no surprise that much of Brussels consists of rather soulless high-rise office buildings. But there are hidden charms to reward those who explore a bit further. Read More...

No matter how often you have seen big game in a zoo, nothing comes anywhere close to an eyeball-eye-ball encounter with a cheetah, lion or leopard in its natural environment. Read More...

California is a land of amazing contrasts, great experiences and wonderful landscapes. How best do you get a flavour in ten days or a fortnight? I still think the route I took, on my first recent visit to California, takes some beating. Read More...

It was really Route 66 that made the American road trip possible. This is the route that gave life to the West by opening it up to the automobile and the truck - hence it is often known as 'The Mother Road'. As one who enjoys road trips in the United States, this was the ultimate - the road trip we really had to do. Read More...