There are plenty of thrilling activities for families on board Carnival Vista (inset), although the 4,000-passenger cruise ship's itinerary in the Mediterranean this summer is heavily port based. A water park features a 455 ft-long Kaleid-O-Slide (left), with corkscrew turns and dazzling hallucinatory effects, while the dining options include a Dr Seuss-themed breakfast (right) that serves up green scrambled eggs and red pancakes.

Sir Bani Yas - an island retreat that is home to a wildlife reserve - recreates the African safari experience in the heart of the Middle East, just 30 minutes by plane from the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi (inset). All the species come from somewhere else, including the giraffes (left), cheetahs (bottom right) and scimitar-horned oryxes (top right). Under British rule, this was a forgotten patch of desert, but there are now 14,000 animals on the island.

Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima rented Airbnb properties (left and right) during their trip to Rio this week. The apartments overlooking Ipanema beach had roof terraces, infinity pools and Jacuzzis. Alessandra's duplex covers 5,059 square feet and contains four bedrooms and lots of modern art on the walls. Adriana's was a bit smaller - but not much. It contains four en-suite bedrooms and two dining areas.

It's a waterfall that forms when water levels lower along a split-level channel on the Uruguay River in Argentina.

Geologist Christopher Spencer, from Perth, Australia, and his colleagues are living the dream by getting paid to conduct research in remote and exotic locations - from New Guinea to Greenland. Their work has taken them around the world, and they are documenting their exciting travels on the website Traveling Geologist. Clockwise from top left: Researchers at a glacier in Alaska, a student in Greenland, a geologist in Namibia and students near Mount Doonerak in Alaska. Inset is a team on an island of the Grenadines. 

These vibrant snapshots of daily life in America in the 1900s were popular Photochrome postcards - created by blending photography and early colour printing techniques. From early automobiles snaking through Seattle streets (bottom left), to Chicago railway track which opened up travel to all (top right), these tourist souvenirs were printed in their millions each year and offer a detailed journey into the past. Developing cities such as Detroit (top left) and Philadelphia (inset) feature in the collection.

The indigenous people of Yakutia, Siberia, claim they are being pushed into poverty as their reindeer herds are attacked by a growing numbers of wolves. Wolves usually hunt in groups of six or seven, however the desperation for food has created larger groups, with up to 400 in one 'super pack'. Food scarcity means the wolves are also getting more confident and venturing closer to the people and town, according to photographer James Morgan, who travelled to Siberia to meet Ion Maxsimovic - the region's best wolf hunter.

Pilot Shamim Shorif Susom, who grew up in the serene countryside before moving to Dhaka as a boy to study, has never forgotten his roots and is reconnecting with his youth through aerial photography. His impressive portfolio contains shots of dramatic landscapes, including a storm rolling through Bandarban District (top), and daily life for fishermen and farmers who are far removed from the bustling capital.

Rotterdam-based photographer Brian Romeijn, 40, snapped these eerie images which show the abandoned train's rusting exterior (left), torn seats (top right), compact engineer's room (bottom right) and dust-covered windows and floors. It has gained a reputation among urban explorers as an old Orient Express train, but it in fact belonged to Belgium's national rail company.

The £228-a-night W Taipei in Taiwan ranked first in a study that was based on thousands of reviews by Hotels.com users. Other hotels that cracked the top 10 include the Waldorf Astoria Orlando (top left), Mondrian London at Sea Containers, which has a large copper-clad wall inspired by the hull of a cruise ship (top right), and The Venetian in Las Vegas, which has rooms overlooking the Strip (bottom left) and a man-made canal where guests can go on a gondola ride (bottom right).

Slovakian Marcela Makarova and her French partner Philippe-Henry photograph street style around the world. Images cover everything from sumo wrestlers in Japan, to Peruvian villagers. Pictured from left: a sumo wrestler in Japan, harajuku fashion in Tokyo, a villager in Colca Canyon, Peru, and a singer in Melbourne.

Instagrammers are sharing pics of their dogs enjoying summer by lying poolside, eating icy treats and swimming. From pit bull terriers to labradors, there are endless snaps of man's best friend enjoying the balmy weather across social media. The hashtag #dogdaysofsummer has been shared over 100,000 times on the site.

These stunning photographs of Gatwick were taken by renowned New York photographer Jeffrey Milstein on Wednesday as he hung out of a circling helicopter. They show the amazing geometry of the airport - one of Europe's busiest - with aircraft of all sizes taxiing and waiting at boarding gates. And needless to say, given how many planes the airport processes, especially at this time of the year, the venture took a lot of organising, with air traffic controllers carefully directing Milstein's helicopter around the jet planes.

With more than 21,000 passports stolen or lost last year, the FCO has launched a social media campaign to encourage Britons to prevent their documents from falling into the wrong hands. In addition to robberies and thefts from hotel rooms or hired cars, the most common scams involve posing as a cop, asking questions and then walking off with a passport (pictured top right), pretending bird droppings have landed on someone, offering to help them clean up and stealing their passport when they are distracted (bottom left), stealing a passport from a hotel check-in desk when the guest is distracted with forms or payment (bottom right) and stealing a passport from someone's jacket while it is hanging on the back of a chair and pretending to reach into your own jacket pocket (top left). 

Brexit, ISIS terror attacks and a failed coup - political leaders across the globe have faced an avalanche of challenges these past few months. But even the world's most powerful need a week or two to recharge their batteries before making any seismic decisions and their destination choices are as varied and complex as their political allegiances. From hiking in Switzerland in the style of Theresa May to a unwinding in a glamorous Martha's Vineyard hideaway like the Obama family, as parliament winds down for summer recess, MailOnline Travel rounds up where the political elite spend their down time.

MailOnline Travel's Annabel Fenwick Elliott spent three nights at Singita Lebombo in South Africa's Kruger National Park, popular with stars including Eva Green (inset) and Justin Timberlake. Actress and former Bond Girl Eva recently said that the Lebombo Lodge provided 'the best sleep I've had in years', describing the resort as 'truly magical'.

Beach lovers can now castaway at Coral Caye, an idyll eight miles off the coast of Placencia, Belize. The property was originally a Coppola family retreat, where the A-list director's clan went to escape the stress of Hollywood, but opened to guests in 1993. The rustic two-acre retreat is a 20-minute boat ride from the Family Coppola Resort's Turtle Inn, making it the only accommodation on the Belize mainland to also offer a private island. Groups of up to 12 can indulge their Huckleberry Finn fantasies with a stay at the island's two cottages.

Haid Al-Jazil in Yemen is flanked by Grand Canyon-style geology, which makes the location all the more dramatic. Instead people rely on wadis - channels that fill with water seasonally. These incredible pictures show how Haid Al-Jazil is positioned right above one such feature. When it rains, shepherds and their flocks of goats will wander the valley floor.

Travellers have shared the funniest mistakes found in hotels on social media. In one venue, the elevator only had Up and Up buttons, in another, a window showcased the bathroom from the bed.

The 195-room Hotel Marinedda Thalasso and Spa in Sardinia has just had a 4.5million euro upgrade. MailOnline Travel's Ted Thornhill finds out why it's money well spent. It has a prime Mediterranean location, several swimming pools, a gigantic spa and a handful of top restaurants - plus luxury rooms with views of a turquoise bay. There is also Nutella at the breakfast buffet, which is always a winning move.