Alentejo: A walk on the wild side

David Atkinson: Away from the bustle of the Algarve, Portugal displays a more tranquil side in the picturesque Alentejo region.

Picture this: Fun for all in Antigua

A resident children's book illustrator helps bring a Caribbean beach resort to life for Jane Anderson and her family.

What's In Store: Paris

Chic shopping options, by Grant Thatcher from LUXE City Guides

What's in store: Hong Kong

My Life In Travel: Niamh Cusack, actress

'I'm a country girl, I like being in natural places'

Traveller's Guide: Premium economy

Simon Calder and Debbie Kaplan assess the upgrade options for those wanting extra legroom.

48 Hours In: Bologna

Aoife O'Riordain: This cosmopolitan city entices with dazzling culture, rich history and – naturally – food.

The Big Six: Indian Ocean green retreats

From a safari and beach in one chic package in Tanzania to some eco-friendly cottages in Kenya...

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High tension: holidaymakers to Tunisia face uncertainty

Ask the Traveller: Tunisian unrest

I booked with Thomas Cook for four of us to go to Tunisia on 27 February.

Super shopper: Abda Hassan and Britain's premium-economy bus service

Simon Calder: In search of Britain's most exclusive bus

The man who pays his way

48 Hours In: Amman

Reaching Jordan is about to get cheaper, with new no-frills flights to its charismatic capital. Matthew Teller highlights the key attractions.

Ames combines sleek modern and ornate antique style, with browns,
greys, whites and blacks accented by just the odd splash of colour

Stay The Night: Ames, Boston

Kate Simon: Morgans has brought its signature minimalist style to this east-coast city. The in-crowd are buzzing about it.

Line of sight: Barisdale Bay on the Knoydart Peninsula in the Scottish Highlands

Get Back: Take time out to skim stones

A monthly series following Rob Cowen and Leo Critchley as they reconnect with the simpler things in life

Downtown Beirut: The old bullet-riddled city centre - now called Solidere

Beirut: The town they can't keep down

City Slicker: Lebanon's capital, like its taxis, can take a beating then bounce back. Sarah Barrell has some tips for new and returning visitors.

Simon Calder's Weekly Video Diary: Poitiers

I’d been past this fine city many times en route between Paris and south-west France - but never before stopped to look. I’m glad I now have. Poitiers has been miraculously preserved thanks to its singular geography, protected by a loop in the river Clain (a tributary-of-a-tributary of the Loire). Take a day or two to explore, and you find all the fine things about any self-respecting French city – such as sophisticated shopping, great food and a sense of joie de vivre - plus a saturation of history.

Out of the blue: One of the icebergs that sheared from the Tasman Glacier as a result of the earthquake in Christchurch on 22 February

Power of nature on South Island

Despite the tragedy of last month's earthquake, New Zealand still delivers sublime travel experiences.

Travel challenge: Mexico's Pacific coast

Each week we invite three competing companies to give us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a seven-night stay on Mexico's Pacific coast. Prices are for two people travelling together, departing from Heathrow in the middle of next month.

Where The Weird Things Are: The shoebill - a nose for the unusual

The scientific name of this outlandish bird – Balaeniceps rex – translates as "King whale-head". Easy to spot, then? Hardly. So elusive is the shoebill that Western science didn't lay eyes on one until 1851. Today, it remains top of the global twitchers' wish list; only those prepared to brave the deepest swamps of central Africa need apply.

Head for heights: Vertigo bar is on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree tower

The Hedonist: Bangkok

The Sky Bar atop Bangkok's State Tower is the perfect launch-pad for an evening of Asian-style hedonism.

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