Travel tips

A city tour is a good way to spend a long layover in Doha.

Opinion
Tripologist

Your questions: How should I spend a 14-hour layover in Qatar?

You’ve got plenty of time and provided you arrive at a reasonable hour, you could take one of the transit tours offered by Qatar Airways.

Michael Gebicki

Food and wine

A restaurant critic’s 20 insider tips from a lifetime of travelling

From nabbing that impossible-to-get booking to doing squats and getting lost (on purpose), restaurant critic Terry Durack has some advice to pass on.

Terry Durack

Savvy traveller

Please slurp your noodles: Dos and don’ts of eating out in Asia

Only hungry peasants fill up on rice, and slurping soup or noodles can be a sign of appreciation. In Japan, rice is eaten between courses and never mixed with food.

Brian Johnston

Hotels and cruise ships shouldn’t be forcing staff to compete with each other.

Opinion
Opinion

A hotel staffer begged me for a good review. Her job was on the line

The travel industry’s obsession with reviews is turning life into The Hunger Games for staff. It has to stop.

Ben Groundwater

If you’re seeking peace and quiet, avoid party ships like those with Virgin Voyages.

Cruises

Which cabins are noisiest? 20 of the big questions in cruising answered

What should you pack for a cruise? Is there a dress code on board? Do cruise ships really have a brig for unruly passengers? Here are the answers.

Brian Johnston

I learned Spanish from scratch, ahead of my trip to Guatemala.

Culture holidays

I learnt a foreign language from an app, then put myself to the test

Duolingo is used by 103 million people around the world, but can it really teach you to speak a foreign language? There was only one way to find out.

Robyn Wilson

Solo travel for women is booming, but you should always take precautions.

For subscribers

I’ve been to 50 countries solo as a female. Here’s what I’ve learnt

No matter how well I know a destination, I am always careful. Here is my best advice for holidaying solo, from pre-trip tips to safety suggestions while abroad.