If you've got 10 days in Uzbekistan, you're in a really good position. It's long enough to see the country's main highlights of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, without feeling like you're rushing from one place to the next. On my own first time in the country, I spent a...

Tashkent is often referred to as a "gateway city", the first stop for travellers before they move on to the more striking Uzbek cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, or Khiva. If you're travelling from abroad, you're almost definitely going to be landing in Tashkent, and rather than skipping the capital, let's...

Verona is easily one of my favourite cities in Italy. It's sometimes overlooked by its more famous neighbour of Venice, but it still pulls in about 3 million visitors every year. If you only have one day in Verona, the goal is to navigate the crowds, skip the tourist traps,...

I recently spent a weekend in Bolzano, and left feeling like I'd barely scratched the surface of this unique Italian city. It's a city of crisp mountain air with winding, cobbled streets straight out of a storybook, and views of the Dolomites everywhere you turn. The city has a rich...

If you've ended up here, you're probably planning your Shimanami Kaido adventure and frankly, I'm pretty envious of you. I've put together the ideal two-day Shimanami Kaido itinerary, based on personal experience and what I've learned since. While it's possible to complete the entire route in a day, it means...

Introduction: Japan's Tea Capital As I write this, it's a grey November day in London. I've got a cup of matcha in front of me, a souvenir from an Uji day trip on my most recent trip to Japan. If, like me, you're a tea-lover, then the name Uji may...

Getting to Khao Sok The minibus bounced along uneven roads in the early morning sun, speeding by lush green hills and delicate palm trees. I'd arrived into Surat Thani on an overnight train at 6:30am and had booked a night's stay in Khao Sok Paradise Resort, before heading on for...