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Pacific quest: The dive of a lifetime

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:08 GMT

Chuuk Lagoon is a long way away. From anywhere. Which makes it all the more extraordinary that it should have been the setting for one of the most comprehensive defeats of the Second World War. In February 1944, the Americans launched Operation Hailstone, a two-day mission to wipe out the Japanese naval fleet, which was hidden in this distant Pacific atoll. It was a success; so much so that many historians see it as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. It also means that beneath the waters of Chuuk Lagoon are the wrecks of more than 70 ships and planes, making it a must-visit place for divers – and the ideal starting point for a new BBC expedition.

Vietnam: A moving story

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:00:10 GMT

Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam is a metropolis on the move. The commercial hub of Asia's newest tiger economy teems with motorcycles and scooters; there are 3.15 million of them officially registered, with about a thousand new scooters being signed up every day. They flow along the streets en masse, 24/7, like criss-crossing shoals of fish. From what I can tell, the average occupancy of these machines is about 2.2. Three-up is common; four-up, not unusual. On a couple of occasions, I think I saw five-up including toddlers.

They're under starter's orders in Hong Kong

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:00:01 GMT

You can go to Hong Kong this month to experience a bit of the Beijing Olympics. That's right: even though the Chinese capital is more than 1,000 miles away, the former British colony is hosting the equestrian events at this year's Games, and there's a strong chance that you will be able simply to turn up on the day and watch.

Beijing: China in your hands

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:00:55 GMT

On first contact, Beijing is harsh on the senses. It is a city injected with growth hormones. The Chinese capital's landmarks, buildings and boulevards are constructed to exaggerated proportions and people get high on the speed of development.

That summer: Beijing, 1995

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:00:06 GMT

I allowed myself a small moment of panic. It was late evening and I had entered Beijing's cavernous main railway station to be confronted by a near medieval scene – through the darkness and hazy smoke I could make out the forms of thousands of people, congregating in no apparent order, standing in groups, sitting in any spare space, sleeping on the floor, undisturbed by the intermittent roar of huge engines pulling in and out – the smell of diesel, sweat and fried chicken heavy in the air. I had to find my way to the Trans-Mongolian Express – there were no signs I could decipher and no obvious information point, I had a ticket valid for that train alone, no credit card, only $40 to see me to Moscow and it was just minutes till departure.

Taiwan - the little country with big ideas

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:00:01 GMT

There's big and then there's Taipei big. I've just spent the morning at the top of the Taiwanese capital's Taipei 101 which, despite an unfinished tower in Dubai, remains the tallest completed building in the world.

Families: 'Is Hong Kong any fun for children?'

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:00:07 GMT

My holiday in India: Noah Jones, aged 8

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:00:01 GMT

The Philippines: Tales from a distant shore

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:00:01 GMT

A familiar scene of velvety highlands and soft moor unfolds as the plane approaches the far north of this island nation, entering a proudly independent province where a resilient people guard their distinctive language, dress and culture. But I'm not touching down in Scotland, as the thousand-metre volcano at the end of the crumbling runway confirms: this is Batanes, the Philippines' last frontier.

Here comes the judge – and he's only six years old

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

My eldest son, aged six and dressed in a Japanese police uniform, is examining a crime scene with his new colleagues. A stolen wallet has been found, and they must trace the owner. He has reached that pitch of excitement that experience tells me can result in a puddle, so I am watching closely.

My holiday in Sri Lanka: Amy Stevens, 10

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

WHAT I LIKED

24-Hour Room Service: Naumi Hotel, Singapore

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Singapore is full to bursting with quality accommodation but there is little that doesn't conform to traditional standards. The new renegade in the pack is the design hotel Naumi. Right next to the defiantly old-school Raffles, it's named after the Sanskrit word for the ninth day of happiness and is one of a very few quality, small-scale contemporary hotels on the island. It dubs itself a "personal luxury hotel", which means an aide is deployed to each guest and will do everything from arranging your perfect night out in Singapore to booking a limo.

24-Hour Room Service: Old Bangkok Inn, Thailand

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Climbing up the ancient wooden staircase to my floral-themed room, I almost forgot I was in the midst of frenetic Bangkok. An environmentally sensitive alternative to the city's sky-scraping chain hotels and the Khao San Road's guesthouses, the Old Bangkok Inn felt more like a home than a hotel.

It's quite an expedition to the top of Mera Peak

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

India: Back to the future

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Twenty-two years, 11 months and 16 days: a nostalgic encounter with a dog-eared and long-expired passport told me that was how long it had been since last I travelled through India. The small business of motherhood had prevented an earlier return to the nation that provided such intense memories. On our many family travels to other places, I held up India as the paragon of travel experiences: however chaotic the traffic (Naples), or radiant the sunsets (Perth), however jaw-dropping the markets (Guangzhou) or hot the food (our local takeaway), I would always assure the children that these were as nothing compared with India.

All alone in the South China Sea?

Sat, 31 May 2008 23:00:01 GMT

There are lots of people who like to think that they've "discovered" the next secret destination. And that's what lots of people do when they smugly arrive on Pulau Tioman, an island positioned like a full stop off the south east coast of Malaysia. First impressions confirm that it is largely untouched by mass tourism since the first holiday-makers arrived in the late 1940s. The densely forested hunk of land is ringed with luminous, teal-hued sea. One road unites the airstrip with the only resort; another linking the virtually uninhabited east coast with the west is mid-construction. But appearances can be deceptive.

Nepal: On top of the world

Fri, 23 May 2008 23:00:01 GMT

In most parts of the world, Maoists get a bad press. But in the mountain nation of Nepal, they get elected. The news last month that the people of Nepal had elected a Maoist minority government to draw up the country's new constitution may well have alarmed those planning a trip to the country, given that the 12-year battle between government forces and the Maoist insurgency has claimed around 13,000 lives. Nevertheless, visitors have been returning in increasing numbers to Nepal since the dark days between the royal massacre of 2001 and the political turmoil of 2006, and foreign tourists have not been a target during this period.

Calcutta: A brew of old and new

Fri, 09 May 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Anywhere else in the world, I'd be in big trouble right now. I've just plonked myself down on an antique chair that's probably priceless. Yet nobody has batted an eyelid, not even my guide Anup."This chair belonged to Warren Hastings, first Governor-General of British India," he says, nonchalantly. "It's nearly 250 years old."

My holiday in: India

Fri, 02 May 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Sri Lanka: a little island with big ambitions

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Five hornets' nests hung down from the cliff. As we reached the plat-eau below, one of the nests began to swarm; a black, irate column buzzing from cliff to ground, a little too close for comfort. "It's OK," my guide reassured me. "We can wait until they've calmed down."

24-Hour Room Service: Natulux, Furano, Japan

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:00:01 GMT

It hits me the moment the lift doors glide open: not the sleek, monochrome corridor or the grey stones artfully engraved with room numbers - but the uplifting aroma of sweet orange that infuses the air.

Spas, stars and the two Rs: what's new in the Maldives?

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:00:01 GMT

The Maldives is not the place to go if you want to worry about facts and figures. Are there 1,196 islands? It depends on what's considered an island and who's doing the counting. Are these tiny slabs of natural perfection south-west of Sri Lanka really, as Darwin suggested, the result of little spurts from underwater volcanoes? Less beautiful theories suggest not, but you don't come to the Maldives to ponder the evolution of this ever-shifting, sparkling and temporal mass of coral atolls liberally specked with Robinson Crusoe islands.

Hotel Of The Week: The Club, Goa, India

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:00:01 GMT

Our trip out to the Leela took us through some of Goa's most idyllic scenery. Serene villages of grand colonial-style casas and whitewashed Portuguese churches bedecked with fairy lights flicked past. At the Leela's grand gates our repose stopped abruptly. This pristine resort of trimmed grass and low-slung pink buildings was more reminiscent of Marrakesh than Mobor, the peninsula which it dominates. Marigold garlands were thrown round our necks as we were ushered speedily into a golf cart by our personal butler, Neville, who pointed out the facilities. It was all a bit overwhelming. Happily, we were headed for The Club, an exclusive enclave set away from the main resort.

The Complete Guide To: Rajasthan, India

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:00:01 GMT

INDIA'S MOST ROMANTIC STATE?

If romance could be manufactured, Rajasthan would be a good place to locate a bottling plant. With its wild desert scenery, ancient sandcastle forts, pastel-coloured cities, dust-speckled light and its swathes of scarlet, fuschia and marigold textiles, India's largest state is sure to induce a bout of wanderlust.

Why the Maldives are pure fantasy islands

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Paradise: now I know it looks like. I promise.

My husband and I were a bit giddy about our first trip away from the kids since they were born. When I say we were giddy - I felt physically sick with fear and guilt, and he was skipping. Yes, a grown man skipped into Heathrow Terminal 4 shouting, "Come on girl! Let's get the buzz back!".