China now mints more millionaires than any other country in the world and, by logical extension, any other country in history. The pursuit and creation of wealth, ostensibly, is the new national pastime, as Maoism has made way for a state-run brand of high-octane capitalism the likes of which we have not seen (but that … More

We rattle off the words “island paradise” quite a bit in this space and why not? When you cover spots like Fraser Island, the Whitsundays, Bali, Palawan, the Maldives and Hawaii with regularity, it behooves you to go with the most obvious metaphor. We do freely admit, however, that there are different degrees of inherent … More

Summer in Spain. The season to flee to the Mediterranean, invade the islands and escape the oppresive, furnace-like environs of the capitals. Hold up, not so fast. While we freely admit that no list of summer hot spots in Spain is credible without the likes of the Balearic and Canary Islands and Costas Del Sol … More

A little over a year ago I was strolling through Buenos Aires, admiring the grandiose monuments that dot the Argentina capital – austere generals on horseback, defiant revolutionary leaders, proud presidents – and remarking to an amiga porteña that, while impressive, it all felt a little archaic and propagandistic. We eventually arrived at Plaza de … More

Ask locals. From Tokyo to New York City, gustatory advice to live by for hungry travellers of all budgets. In Rome, however, the question Where do I have dinner? is liable to elicit a million answers and spark feisty debate. Such is the case in a cradle of civilisation city like the capital of Italy, … More

New Zealand. Stunning proof that good things come in small packages. This well-worn cliché, in one form or another, gets trotted out by default with every profile of the island country in the southwest Pacific. So too, inevitably, do a few others. New Zealand. See a continent’s worth of geography in one country. New Zealand. … More