The Middle East’s building traditions date back centuries, from sacred mosques to desert fortresses, ancient marketplaces to the ex-abodes of rich pearling merchants. Pop up cities like Dubai and more recently Doha have erected architecture that echoes the minarets and domes of the old Islamic World in modern materials like fibre glass and reinforced concrete. The result is an architectura...

  This holiday packing checklist can be a tricky list to make. The things to take on holiday first of all depend on what type of holiday you’re on and what luggage you have. This post is written with a week in somewhere hot with backpack in mind. It covers holiday toiletries, what clothes to take on holiday and other holiday essentials. First thing is first, lay all your stuff out on...

Adventure holidays have been the tour de force in recent times, but even the most active of us need a little luxury sometimes. Whether you're after an all-out family holiday, or an all-inclusive break, we've got plenty of luxury options for you to choose from. We’re talking five-star resorts with fine dining, plush rooms, infinity pools – all the good stuff. And don’t think tha...

The Land Down Under is famous for many things – koalas, the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock – so food may not immediately spring to mind when you’re planning a holiday to Australia. But it should. There are several tasty treats for you to try while you’re on the other side of the world. Plus, there are so many great ways you can make the most of the food – and it&rsquo...

Joy. Pleasure. Satisfaction. Feelings that we always strive for as a nation, but what truly makes us happy? Happiness is a unique thing, a sense of euphoria that we spend our lives pursuing, an emotion we crave on a daily basis, and yet something we struggle to define in absolute terms. Happiness is an emotion that leaves you joyful and positive, whatever this means for you. A state of well-bein...

As you plan your annual getaway or that dream world tour, there’s nothing like a glance at the UNESCO World Heritage Site website for some inspiration. Choose from hallowed lands, abandoned cave dwellings, natural reserves and weathered ruins – an international roster of those places on earth that are of unique importance to mankind. The UNESCO collection is high ranking on any travell...

Here in the UK, we love a classic turkey dinner with all the trimmings on Christmas Day. But, we thought, surely not every country celebrates in the same way? And we were right – while we're stuffing our faces with mince pies, some other countries are doing things a little differently. We decided to explore some of the weird and wonderful global traditions for Christmas dinner. Unsurprisi...