The 2014 hot list: which destination has the most buzz?

Persepolis, Iran

Need a little holiday inspiration for the new year? We’ve scoured the weekend supplements to see what the top tips are for 2014. From brave new frontiers to hot beach destinations, there’s a good spread of new horizons to tackle. Not enough recommendations below? Then check out the Manchester Evening News’s list of the best places to take a selfie in 2014, which is either … [Read more...]

Christmas in Cairo: snow falls in Egypt’s capital for first time in 112 years

The Pyramids in Egypt

Christmas has come early for the city of Cairo after snow fell on Egypt's capital for the first time in over a century. The Middle East has been hit with a fierce weather system which has seen the normally tropical countries such as Egypt, Israel and Syria covered in a light blanket of snow. The white flurry started settling in Cairo's suburbs on Friday to the … [Read more...]

Placecrush: Hike through Japan’s Kiso valley

Kisoji

Walking holidays and Japan aren’t the most obvious of bedfellows, until you consider Kiso Valley. A 70km trade route, the Kisoji, ran the valley on the western side of the Japanese Alps - part of a longer 500km route developed in 1600, if you have particularly itchy feet. You won’t be the first to walk the route: shogun rules mean that there are post towns all along the … [Read more...]

Rickshaw Travel launch Bhutan trips

Taktsang Monastery, Bhutan, pic by Goran Hoglund

Independent travellers looking to make the most of a visit Bhutan have been given a boost after Rickshaw Travel launched new range of trips to the Himalayan country. The new range or trips available cover the vertigo-defying Taktsang monastery, the Punaka Dzong, and a two-day trip to the Haa Valley, which is accessed only via a 4,000m pass. Rickshaw Travel has designed … [Read more...]

Tourism can help the Philippines, says travel guru Calder

Philippines, Davao

Visiting countries that have been wracked by disaster is fraught with moral hazard, but travel guru Simon Calder is urging tourists to return to the Philippines. Writing in today’s Evening Standard, he says that tourism is ‘essential to help the long-term recovery of the typhoon-hit region…it’s an extremely effective way to bring in foreign exchange and provide … [Read more...]

Angkor temple Preah Vihear officially Cambodian

Preah Vihear Temple

The ancient Khmer temple of Preah Vihear has been officially ruled as a part of Cambodia, according to the latest judgement from the International Court of Justice. The Angkorian temple, which is sited on a disputed border between Cambidoa and Thailand, has been the subject of a fierce battle between the two countries since the court originally ruled the temple as Cambodian … [Read more...]