Travel Diary

Opa London style

If you are mesmerised by the beautiful architecture and castles of the United Kingdom or admire the British lifestyle, then here’s your chance of experiencing it right here in the city. In order to promote UK tourism globally, British Airways and Visit Britain are hosting The Great Big British Bash.

48 hours in laid-back Salvador, Brazil

Salvador, the third-largest city in Brazil, is the country's oldest metropolis, but it has a lower profile than party hot spot Rio de Janiero or the commercial nerve centre Sao Paulo.

48 hours in New York during Fashion Week

New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off on Thursday and will include hundreds of designers showing their Fall/Winter 2013 collections during the event at Lincoln Center and venues around the city.

48 hours in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year

Gleaming skyscrapers, Michelin-starred noodle stalls, secluded beaches and a buzzing night life all make Hong Kong, a former British colony, the perfect place to soak up some Asian festive fun.

48 hours at the top of Europe

The Virgin, the Monk, and the Ogre - in German, the Jungfrau, the Moench and the Eiger - are three classic Swiss mountains that for centuries have drawn artists, thrill-seekers and tourists.

48 hours in Kathmandu

Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, is an ancient town dotted with Hindu and Buddhist temples, a riot of colour and dust with clogged streets where stray cows and dogs vie for rotting leftovers beside swanky malls.

48 Hours in Morioka, capital of "Japan's Tibet"

Once viewed as a backward part of northeast Japan, so snowy it was known as "Japan's Tibet," the city of Morioka and surrounding Iwate prefecture came into their own 30 years ago, when the superfast Shinkansen train began running up north.

48 hours in Estonian capital Tallinn

You could easily lose yourself while exploring the Estonian capital's well-preserved medieval Old Town or become absorbed in Tallinn's gritty Soviet and spy-laden past.

48 Hours in Tokyo around New Year's

Tokyo is one of the world's most crowded and bustling cities, but anyone who travels there around New Year's will be able to see a far different face as workaholic Japan takes its longest holiday of the year.

48 hours in wintry Helsinki

Don't let sub-zero temperatures and darkness put you off visiting Finland's capital city in the winter, when its Art Nouveau and modernist buildings are covered in a layer of snow.

48 hours in Florence

Florence is well known for its fine Chianti, but while you are here, become acquainted with some other wines too. A trip to one of the many enoteche, or "wine repositories", which often boast long lists of wines by the glass and knowledgeable staff, many of whom speak English, are a great place to start.