Diplomats tell us what Kiwis need to know about their homelands.

Wartime rationing and a famous poem built an Aussie pub legend, writes Pamela Wade.

Courtney Whitaker stays at a luxurious hotel within Marrakesh's 13th-century kasbah walls.

Seeing animals in their own environment is worth the hefty price, writes Rachel Muir.

The word Peru has become almost synonymous with Machu Picchu - but there's so much more to see.

Fiji has 333 islands. Some are large, some small - sticking up like green molars in a Listerine sea, each with its own smile of beach.

Natural wonders abound on and around Fraser Island, writes Jim Morton.

Amelia Langford takes on Japan's 'Shimanami Kaido' cycleway, and finds it's not all downhill.

It has never been cheaper to fly to London but chances are fares will drop even further.

The service has gradually resumed since the volcanic alert level for Mount Hakone was raised in May 2015.

The 140,000-square-metre adventure park is one of two major theme parks opening this year in Dubai.

This family of four got by on $350 a day - and so can you.

Whether you want to live it up, chow down, take the heat or just chill, Port Vila has what you want, writes Shandelle Battersby.

The latest innovations include voice-activated rooms and robotic butlers.

Graham Reid spends 24 hours in Dubai International's famously huge and busy terminals.

Kevin McIntyre checks in to a new hotel just off the main west coast road in Phuket.

The natural design of Hervey Bay makes it a safe and fun playground for us humans to go and holiday throughout most of the year.

Be prepared, not scared, of US airport security, writes online guru Eli Orzessek.

Tim Lambourne spent last winter/American summer in New York City.

Xenia Taliotis stays at a Jacobean beauty in the southwest of England.

Chinese fans shelled out nearly $NZ10 billion to go to the movies, and almost two-thirds of that was spent on tickets to the hundreds of local films produced each year.

Home to the tallest sand dunes in North America and the largest archeological preserve in the USA, Colorado's national parks are grand in every way.

Hoi An is well known for two things - its unique heritage-listed town centre, Hoi An Ancient Town, and its cheap tailoring services.

Rock formations shaped by geological forces and erosion feature heavily in this state's red-hued national parks.

Fortified by bacon, beer and stoicism, Tom Hodgkinson sets off in the footsteps of JM Barrie to Eilean Shona.

From misty valleys thick with trees to desolate, sandy heat-traps, this state's national parks have scenes to awe everybody.

Graeme Lay discovers the attraction of Adventure Bay for 18th century explorers.

Beervana might be over for another year, but there are plenty of other festivals around the globe celebrating the amber thirst quencher.

The USA's northernmost state is positively heaving with spectacular wilderness areas, but you'll need to embrace a spirit of adventure to visit some of them.

Tokyo is a city lit up with technology, where public transport is refreshingly efficient.