Food and Drink

Jan 19, 2012 • 4 min read

A huge part of the travel experience is getting to know local traditions, history and culture. Happily, you can get in touch with all three aspects of a…

Jan 19, 2012 • 4 min read

Like the huge range of awe-inspiring landscapes that lies within its vast boundaries, China is also home to an incredible diversity of people. The Han are…

Jan 16, 2012 • 5 min read

New flavours are among the great joys of travel, but there’s a whole crowd of travellers out there who have to ask exactly what they’re eating. Those of…

Jan 9, 2012 • 2 min read

It never takes long before people realize that Porto is an extraordinary city. Perhaps they will be standing along the Douro River in Villa Nova de Gaia –…

Dec 5, 2011 • 3 min read

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, a classic chocolate, whipped cream and cherry cake, is staging a comeback in the Black Forest, a wedge of southwest Germany…

Oct 26, 2011 • 3 min read

From the steamy, subtropical lowlands of Xishuangbanna (“shee-shwang-bah-na”), to the crisp highlands of the Tibetan plateau, China’s Yunnan province has…

Oct 19, 2011 • 4 min read

Leave Rome its Colosseum, Venice its canals. Let Tuscany have its masterpieces, along with its long lines. Umbria is the slow food, slow travel capital of…

Oct 13, 2011 • 4 min read

If you haven't yet visited the Napa or Sonoma Valley, you might assume the area was covered with clusters of red and white grapes lazily stretching out…

Sep 26, 2011 • 5 min read

Despite the fact that it seems to be in the news almost every day of the week, China - impossibly vast and fascinatingly diverse - remains a travel…

Sep 26, 2011 • 4 min read

10/10/2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China. Although deposed from mainland China in 1949, the ROC government still controls Taiwan …

Sep 20, 2011 • 6 min read

While many visitors to Canada – especially those who think Canadians live under a permanent blanket of snow – are surprised to learn that wine is produced…

Sep 15, 2011 • 3 min read

The sweet temptation of street eats seems to be lurking around just about every other corner in Mexico. With food stalls galore and roaming vendors out in…

Sep 11, 2011 • 4 min read

Though it was probably no picnic for the residents that endured it, Siena's centuries-long economic downturn during Medici rule can now be appreciated as…

Sep 6, 2011 • 4 min read

For seven years, I've eaten up to five meals a day at eateries ranging from Marrakesh street stalls to Venetian Grand Canal palace restaurants. What looks…

Sep 2, 2011 • 3 min read

Fairbanks is an Alaskan original – oddball locals, raucous bars and rolling rivers. And from a town of original character comes original adventure. One of…

Aug 30, 2011 • 3 min read

Kerala has been a favourite haunt of travellers from around the world for nearly 600 years; it's been known to exhilarate, enchant and enthral. Here's a…

Aug 30, 2011 • 3 min read

Thirsty travellers take note: a chilled pint of Kingfisher beer alone does not an Indian evening make. Traipse through this incredible nation, and you'll…

Aug 30, 2011 • 5 min read

Guidebook research may sound like a dream job, but mostly it's grueling hard work pounding the pavement. So who can blame a road-weary travel writer for…

Aug 22, 2011 • 5 min read

Sydney is a sparkling, sprawling city with jaw-dropping views and iconic sights you can spot a mile away. But how do you navigate the city when your…

Aug 10, 2011 • 10 min read

If you do much travel in the USA, particularly by road, you WILL at some point make it through central Oklahoma, where I grew up and went to college. I…

Aug 5, 2011 • 6 min read

Yoga in India, cooking in Vietnam - in this extract from Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we find those 10 iconic experiences that are as…

Jul 20, 2011 • 4 min read

Provence embraces every glorious French stereotype: the amazing food, beautiful buildings, rich history, fields of lavender and hidden truffles. This is…