The Belgians we met were straight-up people. They liked good, straight-up things done well.

OPINION: Let's try to make this painless. Resist the urge to sigh, or worse - joke.

OPINION: It's been 37 years since the movie Midnight Express painted a grim picture for travellers pondering the thrill of breaking local laws.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I was all about backpacking. Often exploring alone, I made it my mission to travel far and wide, leaving few stones unturned.

I've heard many comments from passengers seated in Economy Class, but I'm yet to hear a fellow sufferer mutter: "Gee, I wish I had a little less leg-room."

We're fairly confident that the Travel magazine you're holding in your hands is the biggest weekly newspaper travel magazine in the world right now.

The early bird gets the car he's paid for, writes Grant Bradley after an odd exchange in Hawaii.

There are many little things about flying that bug me. Today, it's the size of airline boarding passes that's got my goat.

Of all the people I've met, the people who think it's fun to meet people have been the most fun to meet.

Confession: I've got such a terrible sense of direction that it's a miracle I can find my way home at night.

Hats - in case you ever visit my campground - go in the hat box. And shoes - you'll find - belong in the shoe box.

There exists, somewhere, a photo of a certain Travel Editor scaling the side of the Beehive in about 1994.

When you're flying from east to west, the plane is fighting strong westerly winds, or jet streams, which can be more than 150 knots.

Paul Charman argues the concept of 'a pilgrimage to holy ground' is alive and well.

The news last week that the top hotel rooms are not always the cleanest will have had most of you squirming.

Look online but book directly with Africa's hotels, writes Rachel Ward.

The Clever Travel Companion's T-shirt and tank top keep valuables almost concealed and right under your nose.

The weather hasn't changed, but how we find out about it has.

After a long year, Travel Editor Winston Aldworth looks ahead.

Andrew Alderson socks it to an attempted martyr.

Taxpayers should not be funding the extension of Wellington Airport's runway, writes Winston Aldworth.

Intrepid travel writer Kevin Pilley goes belly up at yet another folk show.

Our annual survey shows how much Kiwis love getting away - especially to the beach, writes Shandelle Battersby.

How choice would it be if the national carrier were to sign up the country's most eligible pilot?

It's India's business to know your rating - of everything, says Kevin Pilley.

A weekend with her 5-year-old nephew allows Shandelle Battersby to enjoy some of what Auckland has to offer from a kid's perspective.

It's survival of the fittest in this ill-tempered marathon, writes Kevin Pilley.

When you think about it, the Blarney Stone is just a bit gross, writes Jack Tame.

A Hundertwasser art centre would attract visitors to the northern city, says Paul Rush.

The strongest - and generally the best - memories of your childhood are often from family holidays, writes Winston Aldworth.