Whether or not you have checked luggage when you fly, what you pack in your carry on can make all the difference to how well your trip goes. Not only to the flight itself but also to the start of the trip should the airline lose your luggage. Here’s our inside guide to carry on essentials and what to bring in your hand luggage.

The cloud forests of Ecuador are not awash with colour. Instead, they pick a single one and run with it.

Green isn’t just green here, it’s gob smacking, gut punching, grandstanding green, a green that explodes with greedy, reckless abandon.

The cloud forest column runs virtually along the whole country. At 2000 metres above sea level, its steep slopes and subtropical valleys teem with wildlife.

And you can visit. Here’s how, with cloud forest facts and a plan to get you to Ecuador.

Five symbols squeeze together, like children trying to fit into one photograph.

NO8DO, NO8DO, NO8DO.

It’s written on unfurling flags and…

A weekend in Paris provides enough to time to grab a sugar-dusted, zinc-topped, art-soaked two day itinerary yet still leave wishing for more. For first timers and repeat offenders, here’s our inside guide to the perfect weekend in Paris.

How to work out where to stay in London without giving yourself a migraine or giving up on your dream to, well, afford to do anything else in life. Born and bred in London and now a professional traveller, here’s my guide on finding the best place for you.

Sharjah. It may only be 20 minutes from Dubai but it’s an Emirate with a character of its own. Traditional souks, mosques and rising ,sweeping, scarlet desert dunes, of course.

But also: world-class art installations, archaeological remains and a bid for a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the works.

Travel quotes bring out the best and the worst in us. Some we’ve grown blind to. Others whisper to that part of our soul that looks to the stars and dreams of more. Beyond just looking pretty on Instagram or Pinterest, travel quotes tap into our shared human history. Our literature. Our thoughts. Our outlooks. Our worlds.

So here’s a list of the best, most inspiring travel quotes I’ve found after a decade on the road, gathering words and pictures.

Lech Zürs am Arlberg is a small place that attracts big names to its ski slopes. The Jordanian Royal Family. Formerly, Princess Diana. But summer in Lech is often overlooked. New flavours, traditional herb walks and innovative art installations spice up these hiking routes in Austria. Locals call it “the door to pure nature.”

Each time I visit Sydney, I feel a little thrill. Dressed in my favourite colours, white and a shimmering sea-blue green, she overflows with things to do. Many are lifetime highlights, like seeing the Sydney Opera House, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and even kayaking across Sydney Harbour itself (and learning to surf on Bondi.)

  Why Reading Trends Are Changing – And Why It MattersTwo surprising things happened the other day. The first took place at our book club, a thinly veiled excuse to eat tapas and drink wine once a month while discussing the perilous state of world affairs and explore other subjects that perhaps our other halves would wish […]

From historic houses to wilderness, magnificent gardens, James Joyce and even a UNESCO Biosphere reserve, Dublin has plenty of thoroughly good day trips hiding among the cockles in her Molly Malone basket.

Although I hate the word, I love the concept. A babymoon offers a wonderful chance for you and your partner to spend some restful time together before the whirlwind of parenthood begins.

Away from everyday trials and tribulations, you can relax, enjoy yourselves and indulge in dreamy conversations about how (you think) you’ll parent before reality kicks in ;-)

In Antsiranana, or Diego Suarez, in the north of the island, the main street has houses painted yellow and cars in green. Open-doored cafes beneath peeling paint balconies serve local Three Horses Beer and Coca-Cola, the odd television pinned to the wall.

As one of the most popular cities in the world, Hong Kong has her share of tourist traps. Yet she also combines the quirky and authentic like nowhere else on earth.

Compact and picturesque in charcoal grey and deep-sea blue, the island of Nantucket once hosted the astronauts of their time: the whaling captains who inspired Moby Dick.

They ruled the marine world, trading in risk, adventure and wealth. And then something happened.

Canyoning. Turning a noun into a sport and a canyon into a playground. Some places call it canyoneering but the premise is the same. Here’s what to wear canyoning and what to bring with you. Updated 2019.

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…