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Finding peace and quiet on Phuket

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Ronnie, my four-year-old son, is confused. "Why is there a tree growing in our house?" he asks, pointing to the thick trunk reaching up and out of the bathroom ceiling through a carefully crafted hole. It's a good point, but we've just arrived at our villa in Sri Panwa, on the south-east tip of Phuket in Thailand, after a 14-hour journey with two small children and, feeling slightly frazzled, an intelligent response escapes me.

Traveller's Guide: Thailand's islands & beaches

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

Japan: Savour the slow route with a view

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:01 GMT

It is 4pm at Ueno station, Tokyo. The slow-building daily crescendo towards rush hour is gathering pace, as a grey-hued tsunami of salarymen and office ladies sweeps across the concourse.

City Slicker: Kuala Lumpur

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:00:24 GMT

Why visit?

With the establishment of Kuala Lumpur (KL to the locals) as the regional centre for budget air travel, the Malaysian capital is well on its way to becoming one of the most important hubs and entry points for visitors to South-east Asia. Air Asia is the biggest player, flying to 18 countries and 57 cities from KL's purpose-built LCCT (low-cost carrier terminal).

Heaven on Earth? Practically perfect in every way

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

As I got into the lift, my breakfast-show rival Johnny Vaughan asked me why I was looking so smug. "I'm off to the Maldives tonight," I replied. "You'll hate it," he said, "Paradise Syndrome..."

How to keep it comfy on the flashpacker trail

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:00:28 GMT

Despite the recession, one of the long-haul destinations that can still guarantee British visitors good value is South-east Asia. Thailand, for example, offers some of the best-value accommodation on the planet. It certainly lives up to its tourist office's marketing slogan "Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value".

Be realistic. It's rare to see a tiger in India

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

As India's wild tigers fight for survival, our desire to see them grows. More boutique lodges are opening in the heartland state of Madhya Pradesh – courtesy of Taj Safaris, a joint venture between Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and &Beyond.

Mission of the Month: 'Ten years is the norm for possession of illegal drugs in India'

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:00:01 GMT

The alarm goes off at 6.30am, but I've been awake for a while thinking about a young British lad who's been sleeping rough high up in a remote mountain area. The little information we have suggests he has a psychiatric condition.

Get a taste for life in Khao Lak

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:00:01 GMT

I dived off the yacht's hull beneath a 200-foot limestone cliff, its face broken by mangroves and cacti, which sprouted implausibly from the sheer rock. Abuzz with the thrill of bouncing across choppy sea at 30 knots, I swam, fins on and face mask down, towards a small cave mouth at the island's water line where the waves changed from emerald to a navy hue and slopped, foaming, over rocky teeth. It was a Boy's Own mission of discovery.

Travel challenge: A winter break in Goa

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Every week we invite competing companies to give us their best deal for a specified holiday. Today: a two-week holiday in Goa, departing in the first week of December. Prices are for two people travelling together and include 14 nights' accommodation and transfers.

Breathtakingly beautiful scenery and rare wildlife make Borneo a must for any adventurous traveller

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:00:01 GMT

City Slicker: Singapore

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:00:20 GMT

Why Visit?

Singapore has never been this hot. The city-state is on the travellers' radar as one of Asia's most happening destinations.

Trail of the unexpected: Froth and frills in the Far East

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:00:01 GMT

At 9am, Number Two Bathing Beach was awash with wedding couples. Sitting outside a beach hut at the edge of the golden sands I watched a stream of brides arriving in wedding-cake dresses. Beside them were grooms sporting crisp white shirts and black suits, although here and there a few rebelled in white trousers. Each couple was accompanied by a photographer who directed their poses beside the sea. Meanwhile, several breakaway groups clambered over rocks on a small peninsula to the east, and more photo opportunities ensued there amid the unfurling of brightly coloured parasols. The net effect was, weirdly, like an Edwardian seaside party.

24-Hour Room Service: Elegance and luxury in an idyllic setting

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Access all areas: a bike tour is one of the best ways to see the busy streets of Tokyo

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Ask a Tokyoite what they'd do if they found a 10,000-yen note, and invariably you'll get the same answer: why, give it to the police, of course. Subtext: I'm shocked that you ask. Two things, however, you are in danger of having nicked. One: your umbrella. (Better to think of them as communal, and of buying a new one as a sort of community gesture.) And two: your bicycle. Add to this the ever-present danger of having your bike impounded, or of cops lurking in bushes and jumping out at you to check your registration, and it makes cycling in Tokyo somewhat stressful for neophytes.

On The Road: A hot, oily overhaul for body, mind and soul in India

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:00:01 GMT

It's a baking pre-monsoon afternoon in Lonavla, a dishevelled Indian hill town that lures Mumbai's weekend crowd out of the city with vague and unfulfillable promises of cool air and mountain vistas. I'm lying prone on an oil-slicked plastic mattress, a pair of swimming goggles strapped to my head. Through the holes that used to be the front lenses, spoonfuls of hot ghee are dribbling on to my eyelids. Then just as things appear to have reached their freakish peak, Mayur, my 20-year-old torturer – sorry, therapist – issues the quiet instruction: "Now open your eyes."

Luxurious life (and death) in Varanasi

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:23:19 GMT

I’ve always been a bit squeamish about dying. I’m probably a bit British in that respect. But in Varanasi, one of the oldest and most spiritual living cities in world, and set against the backdrop of the River Ganges, death is deeply ingrained in everyday life.

Big thrills in Japan: Hokkaido's mountain trails and rivers attracts adrenalin-hunters from across the world

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

We skid to a halt in a clearing, and a cloud of dust fills the air. As it dissipates, the landscape around us is revealed: the lush green trees first, then the carpet of sasa bamboo, followed by mountain slopes stretching back up to snow-capped summits. As I suck in the clear mountain air and lean on the handlebars, one feature draws my eye, demanding attention: across the valley towers Mount Yotei, golden in the evening's fading light.

Big thrills in Japan: Hokkaido has mountain trails and rivers to attract adrenalin-hunters from across the world

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Afghanistan: Warm tea in a hotspot

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:42:09 GMT

"Do you want to meet the Taliban?" the Afghan lad who ran the dingy chaikhana, or teahouse, on the edge of Kabul's chaotic Grand Bazaar asked me.

24-Hour Room Service: Capella, Sentosa, Singapore

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Singapore can be a frazzling place. There are only two seasons here, they say: hot and humid or hot and wet. Morning humidity averages 90 per cent, and within moments of leaving Changi airport, my straight hair had puffed into a cloud and a just-laminated sheen glossed my skin.

Get to grips with Kerala in seven days

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:43:22 GMT

Known as ‘God’s Own Country’ Kerala is one of India’s most economically successful states.Governed by a democratically-elected communist government, it can boast a literacy rate of over 90 per cent.

Kashmir: Paradise once again?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:00:01 GMT

At Kashmir's Royal Springs golf course, Javed Ahmed looked through the large glass windows of the clubhouse on to the manicured fairways.

The Complete Guide To: Goa

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:00:01 GMT

Attack on US Afghan base kills two

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:36:07 GMT

An attack on the main US base in Afghanistan killed two soldiers of the NATO-led force today, the alliance said, in the first known casualties caused by hostile fire on the base since the Taliban's ouster.