London, you sweet, pretty, gritty city, you. With your thousands of years of history, your up to the minute design, your art, your celebrities, your Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾, and your life-saving discoveries, you. Here’s how to unlock your secrets within 3 days.

Athens is an unusual city. With its eye-watering place in world history, the olive-soaked Mediterranean air breezing through and the Acropolis shining on a hilltop, Athens should be an easy city to fall in love with.

Yet alongside the romance, Athens packs in skyscrapers, traffic jams, urban grit and edgy street art.

And a visit there is all the better for it.

Why do people travel?Why do we travel? Why do you? People have travelled since records began. But why?Why do you travel?What is it about the human race that makes us want to travel?I’m often asked about why I travel or what my favourite country is, but although those questions sound straightforward, they’re not.Why do we […]

When friends first ask about what they should see and do in Seville, I start with the traditional list. After that, though, we get down to spilling my true secrets. My tips and tricks for soaking up the seduction of Spain’s hottest city and living like a local in the heart of Andalusia.

From dreamy soft-sand beaches to intriguing wildlife, twisty-branched baobab and flickering palms, nature tops the list of things to do in Madagascar. But there’s more. So much more.Let me show you.

Food and Travel. Two words that go together better than horse and cart. Ying and yang. Fish and chips. Beavis and, erm, Butthead?

OK. Hands up. I’m not a proper foodie.

For years, I never said I wrote about food and travel because I didn’t feel “foodie” enough.

A number of things are wrong. To begin with, I’m standing in a field surrounded by darkness, my mind pulling the duvet covers back over its head and mumbling into its pillow. Second, I’m…

The snowy peak of Mt Fuji. The flashing lights of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Quiet temples, secluded gardens, geisha and blaring pachinko arcade games. The highlights of Japan include her traditions and customs as much as her places to visit and things to do.

It’s a thorny question but an important one. Where are the best ethical travel destinations? And what is ethical tourism? The results are in.

The question of how to save endangered animals is one that cannot wait. Yet unlike many aspects of sustainable tourism, this is a problem with a pleasant solution.

Yes, really.

Swirling desert sands, raspberry ripple rock, ancient ruins, a thriving capital and some fantastic food. Welcome to Jordan.

I’ve driven through snowy mountains, desert sands, congested capitals and remote plains in more than 40 countries, often alone, and I’ve made almost every mistake you can think of. Luckily, you don’t have to do the same.

Learn from me, and plan the perfect driving holiday – anywhere in the world.

The Nuremberg sausage or bratwurstUnderstanding the Nuremberg SausageThe city of Nuremberg may have an international reputation for some of the worst events on earth. But the Nuremberg sausage shows another side of the city. Whether called bratwurst of a Nurnberger, here’s the inside info on 700 years of sausage making history. Oh, and it tastes […]

The hills are alive with the sound of cheese! The Kasestrasse translates to cheese road but it’s actually a vast trail of tradition, culture and innovation. A great route for foodies and off the beaten track experience in West Austria.

A cow wanders past the spices beneath glowing fluorescent sabres.

I follow it through the shadows into the light. It stops, blocked by a staircase that overflows with tangerine petals, then turns as though lost in thought on a Sunday afternoon, and returns to the land of darting hands and looped jasmine.

It’s not the equivalent of yesterday’s soggy, soy-soaked bran, mashed into an unappealing travel package. It’s the best, if not the only, way for us to continue to enjoy travelling and living on this planet. My recent trip to the UNESCO HQ in Paris to talk about sustainable tourism left me with plenty of ideas I want to share with you.

Allow me to explain…

As the oldest oak forest in England and an area of natural beauty, the Forest of Dean has plenty of things to do. Find a slice of rural luxury here.

Your guide to Chiavenna Italy, including what to see in Chiavenna, where to stay and eat, day trips, local delicacies and lots more helpful tips.

Everything you need to know about shopping in Seville, including where to buy authentic Seville souvenirs

To the soundtrack of thunderous monsoon rain, I learned these easy Malaysian recipes at the Mango Garden Restaurant in Borneo.

Germany attracts repeat visitors through an intoxicating mix of sweet gingerbread and beer. Sizzling sausages (some protected by law,) fairytale castles and snow-laden chalets with glühwein on tap take the chill off the history of the Berlin Wall and the shadows from the well documented World Wars. But what if you’re looking for more unusual […]

Get back to nature and the salty, sandy, rocky coast of West Wales with a luxury camping experience in Felin Geri.

It snaked towards us slowly. A scarlet, silted, rust-red, blood-red, iron-tinged flow. The water seeped around the edges of my boots, my footprints swallowed up within seconds.

It visibly stained my soles.

Up ahead, I saw two men walking, the two men who were travelling with me. But no other soul was there.

From dreaming about a trip, planning a trip, writing up a trip and reviewing trips for work, it’s hard to find a day when I’m not zig-zagging across various travel websites.

I’m also honoured to be a regular contributor to The Independent’s 50 Best Travel Websites feature since 2013 as well.

I first wrote about the importance of doing nothing while travelling alone. Now, as a mother of a toddler, alone time is scarce. Doing nothing seems positively criminal. So, I’ve caught up with the neuroscientist in me and reminded myself why it’s important. Is it time that you did too?

During the winter, you’ll find plenty of things to do in Lapland, a stunning, snowy extravaganza that shimmers with the oomph of the human spirit. Lapland itself spans Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. It reflects the long held traditions of the Sami more than modern map making convention.

  Where are the best places to travel with a baby? Professional travelling parents share their experiences in this handy, practical guide. Updated 2019 Where are the best places to go with a baby? On some days, let’s be honest, it feels as though the answer is “nowhere.” The tiredness, the packing lists, the changes […]

Florida is known for its crystal, turquoise blue. So why am I deliberately slipping into the mud with a snorkel? To go swimming with manatees, that’s why. To search for and understand those gentle marine giants who carry with them an eco success story all of their own. Your Guide to Swimming With Manatees What […]

This is a terrible photo. It’s taken with a point-and-shoot about as old as shoulder pads and legwarmers. It has splashes from water and glare from the sun (just in case you hadn’t noticed.) It’s also one of my favourite photos…

Geneva, Switzerland. My first thoughts leaped to watches, chocolates and human rights – and my first half hour in the city certainly backed up that list.