World Travel Guide - Features

Okinawa: Japan’s forgotten paradise

Fri, 17 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Okinawa: Japan’s forgotten paradise

It appears out of the blue, swimming majestically beneath me as I duck my head into the South China Sea. A whale shark, the largest fish in the world. Escorted by a trail of smaller fish, it glides through the water, opening its colossal mouth to feasts on the offerings of awestruck scuba divers.

Snorkelling in tropical waters is not something you’d usually associate with Japan, but then Okinawa doesn’t feel very Japanese. Floating some 1,000km (621 miles) south of Tokyo, this archipelago of paradise islands wears its Pan Asian influences proudly.

Formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom, this prefecture was independent until it became part of Japan in 1879. Its people traded far and wide across the continent, and its food, architecture and culture are all imbued with aspects of China, Korea and South East Asia. Consequently, it’s unlike anywhere else in Japan, which had been cut off from the outside world until the 19th century.

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Top six tips: how to travel solo

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Top six tips: how to travel solo

According to one survey by the site BookYogaRetreats.com, more than 50% of respondents will travel alone on their next trip. Fancy trying it yourself? Our six point guide will let you make the most of your trip so one isn’t the loneliest number you’ll ever do.

Tip one: ditch the well-made plans

Wasn’t it Woody Allen who first said if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans? Travelling solo is one of the few times in life when you can throw all your plans out the window if you want, or just not make any at all. Unlike going on holiday with friends or - worse still - the family, you don’t need to compromise. Forget lengthy discussions over financial planning, the challenges of badly rehashed route maps and squabbles over who gets the bottom bunk; travelling solo is all about you.

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Highlighted destination of the week: Bogotá

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Highlighted destination of the week: Bogotá

Today’s post-conflict Colombia is enjoying a meteoric boom in tourism, fuelled by visitors' seemingly insatiable appetite for its Andean peaks, Caribbean beaches, Amazon jungle and lively urban centres. At the heart of all this is Bogotá, Colombia’s sprawling capital, subtly reinventing itself as one of South America’s trendiest destinations.

With the cartels and criminals on the run, there's never been a safer time to visit. Leave any irrational apprehensions around personal safety at the arrivals hall and dart straight for the city’s historic centres in Usaquén and La Candelaria.

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Masroor Temple, India’s undiscovered wonder

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Masroor Temple, India’s undiscovered wonder

Midday was fast approaching and serenity had fallen over the ramshackle bulwark of Masroor Temple. Most people had sought out a shaded spot indoors or by the chai stall conveniently set up beneath a large tree. The chai wallah snoozed on his charpoi; nobody cared much for tea at this hour.

Looking north towards Tibet, verdant foothills gave way to the blue buttress of the Dhauladhar, which stood like sentries, guarding the Himalayas from some unimaginable mythical foe, or perhaps a spiritual one. This was where the plains of northern India began, where autumn was still burning up summer’s final reserves of heat.

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India

Highlighted destination of the week: Bangkok

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Highlighted destination of the week: Bangkok

In this city, not only will you find a mesmerizing mix of old and new – such as timeworn buildings rubbing shoulders with modern skyscrapers – you will also witness spiritual gracefulness alongside total chaos. Saffron-robed monks meander along collecting alms while tuk tuks weave their way through Bangkok’s crazy traffic, and it is at this moment that you will realise that the word ‘vibrant’ seems inadequate when it comes to describing Bangkok and its many electrifying facets.

Our Bangkok Travel Guide gives you an incredible insight into the “City of Angels”, including the quirky, the weird and the wonderful.

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Bangkok

Bolivia’s Wrestling Cholitas

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Bolivia’s Wrestling Cholitas

In a blur of red lamé, frilly petticoats and flying pigtails, La Gloria bounces off the ropes, lunges at the retreating back of her opponent and grips his neck with her thighs. He hits the canvas with a resounding thud, landing in an ungainly sprawl.

“Are you afraid?” she cries, as she rests her dainty foot on the back of his head, raising her arms triumphantly to an ecstatic audience.

I’d already watched an ageing but still muscular Mr Atlas, underpants over his tights, take on a fearsome-looking Crow. Then a handsome Aladdin floored The Devil, with help from the 75-year-old referee Ali Farak, as the crowd chucked half-chewed chicken bones and popcorn in their direction, accompanied by jeers and cries of ‘cheaters’.

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Bolivia

Where to go on holiday in January 2017

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Where to go on holiday in January 2017

Here's our four prime destinations for the first month of 2017.

One for the beach bums
Cape Town, South Africa

For beautiful beaches, Cape Town in South Africa comes top of the list for any self-respecting beach bum – you can lie back on soft white sand with the beautiful people on Clifton Beach or Camps Bay, go surfing at Muizenberg or chill with the penguins at Boulders Beach. There’s more, though, if you can drag yourself away: as well as awe-inspiring scenery (the city lies at the foot of a mountain), you’ll find urban nightlife with a distinctly African flavour in the city centre, a world-class aquarium and, 45 minutes drive away, a wine region to rival those of France.

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An Insider's Guide to Sicily, the Jewel of the Mediterranean

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

An Insider's Guide to Sicily, the Jewel of the Mediterranean

Many visitors stick to Sicily's seaside resorts, but there is so much more to the island than beaches. Hire a car and go speeding down winding country roads, pausing to drink in the heady vistas, such as olive-coloured fields dotted with groves of orange and lemon trees or solitary hamlets standing in the shadow of a mountain-strewn horizon. Make sure you don't miss out on these sights and flavours, too.

In the Valley of Temples

Halfway down the southern coast is Agrigento and the Valley of Temples, one of the best-conserved sites of Ancient Greek architecture. Then there's the brooding presence of Mount Etna, whose hulking craters are well worth trekking up to; local companies offer guided tours through the countryside and mountains.

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Italy

The 10 Most Romantic Spots to Kiss in England

Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The 10 Most Romantic Spots to Kiss in England

With love in the air, there’s bound to be a kiss or two. So our writers grabbed their walking sticks and meandered through our metropolitan cities and ancient woodlands to discover the top 10 most romantic spots in England to kiss.

10. The Mill Bridge in Bourton-on-the-Water, Cotswold

A tranquil river spanned by picturesque low arched stone bridges drifts through Bourton-on-the-Water, a charming Cotswold village. Set in the village centre, the original Mill Bridge is still as beautiful and functional as it was when it was built over 360 years ago. Take a stroll over it and share a kiss against a backdrop of picture-book cottages to prove that your love will last forever too.

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Ten Most Romantic Spots to Kiss in England

Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Ten Most Romantic Spots to Kiss in England

With love in the air, there’s bound to be a kiss or two. So our writers grabbed their walking sticks, meandered through our metropolitan cities and ancient woodlands to discover the top 10 most romantic spots in England to kiss.

10. The Mill Bridge in Bourton-on-the-Water, Cotswold

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