With Europe’s grand cathedrals in sundry states of decay and barely a one less than a century old, it may occur to some architecture buffs that when it comes to spiritual sites, mosques occupy the new frontier of the avant-garde. And while Islamic architecture and mosques, like almost any faiths or temple constructions, impose certain … More

Here’s a thought. Why not take the top ten most popular cities in the world – based on United Nations World Tourism Organization statistics on international arrivals – and look at when not to visit them?

We live for ambitious architectural efforts – ones that aspire, inspire and dare to make us look at skyscrapers, museums and sundry civic projects with a critical eye. Take a look at eleven of the most charismatic and dramatic ventures in architecture in 2013.

You have to be in good shape to take on a world-class city like San Francisco, Munich or Tokyo. A classy hotel gym can help you feel the burn and, indeed, burn off those holiday kilos before you return home. With that, discover a lucky thirteen top-shelf hotel fitness centres.

Pay-in airport lounges allow us, the non-first-class frequent flyer, to indulge in some pre-departure, layover largesse. So, excuse us, but while you slump miserably at the gate in a stupor, we will be in the nap room with a massage therapist.

There are few terms more loaded and clichéd when applied to places, countries and cities, than ‘modern’. Every travel writer has to face the music now and then ask: “What am I really talking about when I describe a destination as inherently ‘modern’?” Well, in the case of this forward-looking foursome, we’re talking about prodigious … More