Reef encounters! You'll love Sir David Attenborough's new series on the Great Barrier Reef - but nothing beats the real thing 

You'll love Sir David Attenborough's new series on the Great Barrier Reef

When it comes to world wonders, no one has seen more of them than Sir David Attenborough. But top of his list is the Great Barrier Reef, the subject of his latest BBC series. Stretching 1,400 miles along the Queensland coast in north-eastern Australia, with coral cays, tropical islands, incredible marine life and cosmopolitan coastal towns, it's more accessible than ever. Here's how best to experience the incredible natural wonder.

Why a family holiday to Porto Sani Village in Greece was the complete opposite of a Catastrophe for comedian Rob Delaney

Why a Greece holiday was the greatest break of Rob Delaney's life

The US Channel 4 sitcom star (inset) visited the Greek resort in the Aegean Sea with his wife and three children - and describes here why he ended up having the holiday of a lifetime. It was in part thanks to a 'super concierge' called Katarina, a 'beautiful network of linking pools' (top left and right) - and an inflatable crocodile. The amazing mountain-ringed beach (bottom left) also helped. Pictured bottom right is one of the resort's luxury rooms.

An Inspector Calls: Stapleford Park looks magnificent from the outside, but inside it stinks of complacency (though its staff do their best to pretend it's a real treat)

The Inspector loves the looks of this Leicestershire enterprise from the outside, but inside finds the service slow, the food disappointing and the interior charmless in places.

Track Santa live: NORAD begins its annual mission to follow Father Christmas and his reindeer around the world

You can track his progress with The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), which follows Santa from leaving left his top-secret toy factory in the North Pole.

Leave your cruise to the last minute, buy your hotel room a month ahead and take the train on a Tuesday: When to book for a bargain in 2016

Timing is everything. If you know when to book your trip, you can slash hundreds, or even thousands, from the cost. Here Travelmail reveals how.

Holiday price war as big firms cut package deals by more than £800: Terror attacks hit bookings in Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey

Big package holiday companies are battling for bookings and are now are pushing alternative long-haul destinations such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka.

Maroon yourself on Castaway, Fiji's friendliest island: Snorkelling, speedboats and the smiliest staff in the South Pacific await guests at this private paradise

MailOnline Travel's Jennifer Smith visits the first private island resort in Mamanuca and is greeted by the many smiles of locals and visitors alike, 40 per cent of whom are returnee guests.

Start 2016 with a bang: The best places to see spectacular firework displays around the UK on New Year's Eve

For those keen to ring in the New Year in style, there are a number of dazzling displays in store. Our guide includes Edinburgh's Hogmanay, with street parties alongside the fireworks.

Beauty in the Balkans: Montenegro is cheaper and less crowded than the French Riviera - and does glamour, too (Sophia Loren, after all, spent her summers there) 

Beauty in the Balkans: Montenegro is cheaper and less crowded than the French Riviera -

Travelmail's Thomas W Hodgkinson ensconces himself at the Aman Sveti Stefan resort, which he describes as being as close to Heaven as it's possible to get without leaving the physical world. The resort is so beautiful, he says, that it is almost a shame to stay there - because it means you cannot gaze at it. Film star Sophia Loren was a regular in the Sixties.

Heat map using over one million geolocated snaps taken by 40,000 people reveals London's most photographed attractions

This map, created by a university student, offers a rare visualisation of the London attractions and areas that are snapped the most. The brightest spots are along the Thames in central London.

Goldilocks and the Wolf! American adventurer and her beloved husky reimagine traditional fairytale for stunning photographs

Amanda Tromp and dog Kyro trek over the snow-covered mountain terrain which surrounds their home in Seattle, Washington, sharing the best of their photos on the social network.

Fairytale of New York: Why you should book a trip to the city of lights for the ultimate winter getaway

Fairytale of New York: Why a holiday in NYC is the ultimate winter getaway

Just a short nip across the Pond, the Big Apple is close enough so you can be exploring the city within hours, but distinct enough from home that you still get goosebumps as you first see the skyline. And there is no time more magical to witness the city than at Christmas, when New York is transformed into a winter wonderland of arguably the best window displays and decorations in the world. From grabbing some last minute presents from department stores, heading to Broadway, to skating in Central Park - if this city doesn't get you excited for the holidays, nothing will. MailOnline Travel's Becky Pemberton (inset) has devised some of the must-do attractions to make your Christmas stay even more magical during a short but sensational weekend.

Looking capital this Christmas: The stunning rooftop panoramic photographs of a festive London dazzling at night 

Rooftop panoramic photographs of a festive London dazzling at night 

Max Cisotti, from West Sussex, started taking the breathtaking rooftop images in the capital this year after capturing his first mesmerising panoramic shot of the skyline from the top of Sushi Samba in Liverpool Street. The Italian, who has been a photographer for the last 25 years, has captured iconic landmarks including The Gerkin (top), Tower Bridge (bottom left) and Sloane Square from the rooftops of the Heron Tower (top), the Embassy Gardens (bottom right) and City Hall (bottom left) using a tripod, a mono-pod and some were taken free-hand.

The Taj Mahal is 'just a fancy tomb': Locals reveal their 'most overrated' tourist attractions

Voters on social networking site Reddit, from the UK to the US, criticised their local attractions on a post which asked them what 'the most overrated tourist attraction' where they live is.

Are you sure you know where you're going? Scans reveal what happens in our brains when we get lost and how we find our way

Andrew Gilligan compares cycling facilities in Hackney and the City of London.   A map outlining the cycle routes in Hackney Borough... 
SIDE-BY-SIDE sit the City and Hackney, two places which have always summed up London's split personality. Until recently, the comparison was never in Hackney's favour: one rich, the other poor; one gleaming, the other shabby; one a transport hub, the other the only Tube-less inner borough. Lately, however, that has evened up a bit. The bonus boys of the Square Mile have started to look boring compared with the cultural life of Hoxton and Dalston. And even in transport, in one area at least, it turns out that Hackney wins. For cyclists, Hackney is London's closest place to heaven. And the City is the closest place to hell. That, of course, is our caricature. The City isn't really that hellish. And compared with cycle Meccas such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Berlin, nowhere in London is at all heavenly. But as the Standard assesses progress in our six-

Researchers from Kyoto University in Japan researchers scanned the brain activity of eight participants as they made their way through a series of virtual 3D mazes.

The best drone photos in the world? MailOnline Travel rounds up the images that made us wish we could fly in 2015

Are these the best drone photographs in the world?

Drones have elevated photography to new heights this year offering us a breathtaking glimpse of Earth's stunning vistas and iconic attractions like we've never seen before. Stunning images from above have captured the awe-inspiring scale of waterfalls such as Victoria Falls in Zambia (bottom left) as well as the towering futuristic metropolises of Dubai (bottom right) and Manhattan. From the vibrant patchwork of tulip fields in Holland (top middle) to Australia's azure waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef (top left), talented drone photographers have explored all corners of the world. Beauty is found amidst popular attractions but also in the candid everyday moments, such as a mass exercise class in a Lithuanian park (bottom centre). MailOnline Travel rounds up some of the best drone pictures of 2015.

Met Office issues RED killer rain warning as up to five inches is forecast with over 300 flood alerts in place across Britain

Seven of the most severe flood warnings were also put out for the North West (pictured is Lancashire) by the Environment Agency (EA) as forecasters predicted around 4.8ins (122mm) of rain could fall.

How a savvy California traveller snagged an $11,000 first class flight for just $130

Sam Huang posts pictures from first class flight from Chicago to Hong Kong

Sam Huang (top left), from Pasadena, California, flew from Chicago to Hong Kong in Cathay Pacific's first class cabin after accumulating and redeeming nearly 68,000 frequent flyer miles. For lunch he had caviar served with a mother of pearl spoon (top right) and refills of expensive Champagne (inset). After that he settled into pyjamas provided by the airline (bottom right) and dozed off in a 36in wide seat - double the width of those in economy - that folds into a bed (bottom left) before waking up somewhere over Russia.

Holidaymaker dies from traumatic injury after she was struck on the head in tragic accident at airport

Passenger An Teng was walking under an area that was being cleaned by workers at the airport in Kunming, China, when they dislodged a wire mesh that fell to the ground and landed on her.

'They acted irritated, rude and completely lacking empathy': New mother slams Delta Airlines after staff refuse to allow iced container of breast milk on plane

American mother Vanessa Kasten Urango pumped milk for 18 days while away from her baby. Delta Airlines advised she use a cooler and dry ice to take it on plane but then refused to accept it at the airport.

Nothing's changed (except the clothes)! Vintage photos from the Christmas travel rush in 1941 show chaos in an overcrowded bus station long before the days of jumbo jets and high-speed trains

Christmas Eve travel rush in vintage photos at Washington DC bus station

These black-and-white snaps from the golden age of travel show well-dressed passengers - wearing suits, dresses and fur coats (inset, bottom right) - racing through a Greyhound bus terminal in Washington, DC. There were no orderly queues to board the buses (top left, top right) and anxious passengers who queued for tickets (bottom left) didn't have the luxury of self-ticketing machines or mobile apps. While most of today's travellers are rushing through airports or train stations, the crowds and anxiety of the holiday crush are still with us nearly 75 years on.

A hypersonic jet that can soar from London to New York in half an hour, a flying car and a plane that can land almost anywhere: The year's most radical aircraft concepts revealed

The year's most radical plane concepts revealed

Designers and engineers have envisioned hypersonic passenger jets that can reach speeds of nearly 7,700mph and rockets that can propel aircraft from London to Sydney in just four hours. TriFan 600 (left) is a fixed-wing jet that can soar like a plane and take off and land like a helicopter, eliminating the need to travel to airports. Nasa has invested millions in researching supersonic jets (bottom right) that drastically reduce flight times, while travellers may one day be able to go on holiday in a vehicle that doubles as a plane and car (top right).

Mad Men takes to the skies! Fascinating images reveal sharply dressed passengers enjoying cigarettes and cocktails during the golden era of flying

Images reveal sharply dressed passengers during the golden era of flying

Endless leg room, cocktails and trays of gourmet food can be seen in the incredible vintage photographs that illustrate the glamorous jet age between the 1950s and 60s, with shots resembling classic scenes from Mad Men. Other images include cabin crew working to make passengers comfortable by readjusting pillows (left), canapés doing the rounds (top right) and a pilot spending time outside of the cockpit to mingle with his guests (bottom right).

Christmas in Tehran: Santa makes a Middle Eastern pit stop in Muslim country that turns out to be more tolerant than you thought

Photographer Bernard Russo reveals what Christmas is like in Iran

While many foreigners see the country as super-conservative, recent changes have led to a more relaxed way of life for younger people in Iran. As nations across the world ready themselves for the festive holidays, Iranians have also been pictured selecting pre-decorated fake Christmas trees (left) and shopping for last minute stocking fillers (right top and bottom) in Tehran. There are about 150,000 Christians living in Iran, most of them Armenians, who celebrate Christmas in churches and at home. As children are attracted by the tradition, many Muslim families have also adopted some of the customs such as giving gifts.

It came out of nowhere! Bus carrying flight attendants crashes into rival airline's plane after driver fell asleep at the wheel

The Jet Airways bus driver told investigators he was working a night shift when he dozed off and the shuttle bus crashed into the right wing of an Air India plane that was being prepared for departure.

The out of office is on! Mariah Carey leads the way as a procession of celebrities fly out to the snow, surf and shops for the Christmas holidays

Mariah Carey leads the way as celebrities fly out for the Christmas holidays

Celebrities are getting into the festive spirit with a vacation over Christmas. Some are heading to Aspen and Colorado for snow, while others are getting a hit of culture in New York and Kerala. Pictured (left) Mariah Carey and James Packer enjoy Aspen while Nina Dobrev stretches out in the Utah snow (bottom right) and Lucy Meklenburgh and Louis Smith hit Times Square in New York (top right) for the festive break.

Making mincemeat of it all: A hunt for Italy's take on this cake classic - amid the hilltops and meandering roads of lovely Lunigiana

Mince pies have long been a Christmas tradition in Britain. But Italy has its own version - the sweet delight that is spongata. Duncan Farmer goes in search of it on the edge of Tuscany.

A cruise to the Garden of Eden: Shallow bays, sandy shores and paradise on Earth - a small-boat voyage around the Seychelles 

The Seychelles are often seen as a fly-and-flop destination. But they are a joy as an island-hopping destination, says Paul Gogarty - as he boards the Pegasus for a small-ship cruise into paradise.

The best seat on the plane! Mesmerising footage filmed from the cockpit reveals what it's like to fly a jumbo jet

Qantas video reveals what it's like to land a Boeing 747

Offering a perspective most passengers will never see, this video shows the incredible views that Qantas pilots enjoyed when they flew a Boeing 747 from Sydney to San Francisco. On its final approach, the jumbo jet banks to the right (inset), descends through the clouds and flies low over San Francisco Bay (right). Footage captured by a camera in the cockpit shows the plane touching down on the runway (left) and taxiing to its gate.

Oops! Postal worker crashes van into plane's wing on tarmac at Spain's busiest airport

The small private plane's wing nearly smashed through the windscreen of the van, which was driven by an employee of Spain's postal service at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Madrid.

To the ends of the earth: Photographer travels to Greenland to capture the striking splendour of the 'iceberg capital of the world'

Photographer Paul Zizka travels to Greenland to capture the 'iceberg capital of the world'

Paul Zizka's collection of mesmerising images show the Northern Lights illuminating endless rows of majestic icebergs lying peacefully in western Greenland. The photographer includes himself in many of the shots to provide a sense of scale to the stunning landscapes. The Iceberg Capital of the World, Ilulissat, is just one of the locations Paul visited in order to compile the incredible collection, shooting from day (right), to sunset (top left) to under the aurora (bottom left).

Should passengers be told when there's a bomb scare on board? Experts back Air France crew's decision to describe emergency as a 'technical problem'

In the debate over whether passengers should have been told, aviation experts have said the crew acted appropriately by hiding the truth and describing the emergency as a 'technical problem'.

Would you pay £225,000 for a beach shack? One bedroom hut with kitchen, bedroom and electricity goes on sale in Kent (at the same price as a three-bedroom house)

The wooden beach hut offers the new owner a living and kitchen area with a calor gas cooker, a bedroom, a shower room and two balconies. However, their neighbours are just two feet away.

Hotels, bowling alleys and a wildlife refuge: Abandoned airports transformed into unlikely new attractions

From old terminals being transformed into hotels, to dilapidated control towers becoming nightlife hotspots, these buildings and airfields will once again welcome guests as bustling hubs.

Stars flock to the Caribbean for some Christmas sun (again)... but which island is the biggest A-List haunt?

Stars like Simon Cowell and Chloe Green head to Barbados every year, while P Diddy and Roman Abramovich stay on neighbouring St Barts instead.

Love Actually IS at the airport! Video shows families reuniting at Heathrow ahead of Christmas holidays in scenes reminiscent of the classic festive film

Video sees families at London Heathrow reuniting in Love Actually Christmas scenes

New video shows families meeting up at Heathrow for the Christmas break. The footage echoes the festive opening scene of Love Actually film, where family members embrace at the London airport. It was shot on December 21 which is the airport's busiest day of the year.

Animal magic: The stunning images submitted by amateurs to the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards   

This year's 'open' category submissions include an unbelievable contrast of incredible images of wildlife and some of Earth's greatest landscapes and tourist attractions.

The incredible moment passengers were forced to exit plane on a LADDER after the stairs malfunctioned

Nigeria's ministry of aviation called it an 'unsafe and unacceptable' act that put Aero Contractors passengers at 'high risk' of serious injury at the airport in the city of Bauchi.

Now THAT'S bananas: The bizarre parade in Colombia where farmers compete to load as much as possible onto their Jeeps

Meaning 'fully-loaded Willy', Yipao seeks to celebrate the role Jeeps have in coffee-growing regions of Colombia. The annual festival has prizes for the largest amount of objects piled on top.

Is this the most beautiful country on earth? A photographer captures Scotland's spectacular natural landscape through all four seasons

Photographer Steve Carter, 58, has been documenting Scotland's four seasons as part of an on-going photo project over the past few years - and the results are stunning.

Would YOU be able to locate these banned items in airport hand luggage? X-ray images reveal just how eagle-eyed security staff have to be

Would YOU be able to locate these banned items in airport hand luggage? X-ray images

These X-Ray scans, from Italian company Simulscan, show how hard it is to locate banned items, which might include guns, aerosol cans and knives. So next time you feel irritated going through security, spare a thought for those who have just seconds to spot potential danger.

Watch the dramatic moment a KLM passenger plane makes a VERY wobbly landing as it battles high winds during Storm Desmond

The video shows the Boeing 737 approaching the Manchester Airport runway normally before turning at an angle and lurching sideways towards the tarmac.

The ultimate Australian road trip: Adventurer quits his job to travel the country in his red truck picking up thousands of Instagram fans (and a girlfriend) along the way

Some might think that quitting a job to travel around in a truck is hitting the road to nowhere. But Australian Raf Horemans did just that and found internet fame and a girlfriend along the way.

World War II air raid shelters that kept 8,000 Londoners safe from German bombs during the Blitz to open for regular tours

Transport for London plans to open eight deep-level air raid shelters under the Northern line, at the south-east corner of Clapham Common, and transform a rotunda at the surface into a cafe.

The world through a lens: Breathtaking winners of the 2015 Travel Photographer of the Year awards

Mesmerising images from over 110 countries were submitted to this year's photographic competition, with Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten being named the overall winner.

Putting love on the line: Mistletoe has appeared all over the London Underground (but awkward commuters still look grumpy)

Mistletoe has appeared all over the London Underground but awkward still look grumpy

Commuters avoided making eye contact with fellow travellers after the yuletide decorations were hung up by a group in a bid to 'bring Christmas cheer to one of the most miserable places in the capital.' The plant, typically used to prompt a Christmas kiss, has so far had mixed reactions from those who have found themselves under the plants, ranging from joy to mainly sullen confusion.

You can't go in there! Hilarious footage shows a VERY inexperienced traveller climbing into an airport X-ray scanner

Footage purportedly shot by a CCTV camera at an airport in China shows a man climbing into the X-ray machine at a security checkpoint as a stunned worker tries to stop him before he disappears.

Female staff in hijabs, prayers before take-off and no alcohol: Muslims climb aboard Malaysia's first Shariah-compliant airline

Rayani Air is Malaysia's first Islamic-compliant airline and its maiden flight took off from the capital to the resort island of Langkawi yesterday. In-flight meals comprise of 100 per cent halal food.

70,000 fairy lights, meeting Santa and experiencing pure relaxation... why Winter Wonderland at Center Parcs is truly magical

Center Parcs virgin Emily Payne finds out firsthand what makes the British institution so popular as she heads to the Winter Wonderland experience at Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire.

Would you share a room with a stranger? Hotel guests could soon get half-price accommodation... but they won't be sleeping alone

The Winston Club is set to offer travellers the opportunity to book a room in Seattle, Las Vegas, Portland, San Francisco or Los Angeles, for half the price - but there is one catch.

A photographer's dream: Spectacular images showcase Iceland's breathtaking winter scenery from a waterfall of icicles to wild horses grazing in the snow

Iceland's breathtaking winter scenery in Spectacular images

Hinrich Carstensen travelled to Iceland in March to capture the end of the winter as the country began to thaw. He photographed the epic waterfalls (left), wild horses (top right) and endless roads (bottom right). His stunning photographs show off the Nordic island nation's natural wonder; capturing the glistening ice, beautiful blue water and earthy rugged green landscape.

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