Краткое описание: Easy to overlook on a map, this compact seven-country link between North and South America is a dynamo of culture, ancient ruins, wildlife and activities - a true backpackers’ paradise. Nowhere else packs in as much in so slender a frame. For starters, try climbing trembling and lava-gurgling volcanoes - many perfect cones poke above the cloud line, like something out of a kindergarten drawing. Less-strenuous jungle walks lead past unforgettable, overgrown Maya pyramids or into the lairs of the puma, sloth, howler monkey and quetzal. Surfing towns are found up and down the Caribbean and Pacific shorelines, where

Краткое описание: The Cayman Islands are synonymous with scuba diving. Lauded as the birthplace of sport diving in the Caribbean, the rather small and low Grand Cayman is big on marine features. It is blessed with deep drop-offs, the proverbial ‘gin’ clear water, and the protected bays that make a scuba experience somewhere on its coast a daily fact of life. If you want to get beneath the sea, there is always somewhere here to explore.

Краткое описание: Pulsed by music, rocked by change, lapped by blue water, blown by hurricanes, the Caribbean is not a place anyone would call static. It’s a lively and intoxicating profusion of people and places spread over 7000 islands (less than 10% are inhabited). But, for all they share, there’s also much that makes them different. Forming a huge swath around the Caribbean Sea, the namesake islands contradict in ways big and small…

Краткое описание: Good-looking, fun-loving, sporty and sociable. If Cape Town was in the dating game that’s how her profile would read. And - for once - it’s all true. The Mother City of South Africa occupies one of the world’s most stunning locations, with an iconic mountain slap-bang in her centre.

Краткое описание: A journey to the Yucatan Peninsula, Tabasco or Chiapas doesn’t necessarily require much advance planning. Apart from the peak periods mentioned below, just check flight times, grab your passport and you’re on your way. Outside the limited peak seasons, there’s little competition for accommodations, and transportation around the peninsula is cheap and frequent. Perhaps your best pretrip preparation would be to learn some Spanish - every word you know will make your trip that little bit easier and more enjoyable.

Краткое описание: Independent travel or package tour? One island or several? Plane or ferry? Set itinerary or spontaneous serendipity? There are many ways to organise a trip to the Canaries, and the one you choose depends entirely on your tastes and your plans for the trip. If relaxing is your goal, it’s best to choose a home base where you can chill out for a few days or a week, taking day trips or even hopping over to a nearby island.

Краткое описание: There’s a magic about Cambodia that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding kingdom. Ascend to the realm of the gods at the mother of all temples, Angkor Wat, a spectacular fusion of symbolism, symmetry and spirituality. Descend into the hell of Tuol Sleng and come face to face with the Khmer Rouge and its killing machine. Welcome to the conundrum that is Cambodia: a country with a history both inspiring and depressing, an intoxicating place where the future is waiting to be shaped.

Краткое описание: Five centuries subjugated to Ottoman rule and, more recently, four decades locked very firmly behind the Iron Curtain turned Bulgaria into a distant, enigmatic country in the eyes of much of the rest of the world. Images of cheap wine downed at student house parties, budget ski holidays and umbrella-wielding Cold War assassins were once among the popular stereotypes, but Bulgaria today is a vastly different country from what it was even 10 years ago.

Краткое описание: More cosmopolitan than Prague, more romantic than Warsaw and more beautiful than both, Budapest straddles a gentle curve in the Danube, with the Buda Hills to the west and what is essentially the start of the Great Plain to the east. With parks brimming with attractions, museums filled with treasures, pleasure boats sailing up and down the scenic Danube Bend, Turkish-era thermal baths belching steam and a nightlife throbbing until dawn most nights, the Hungarian capital is one of the Continent’s most delightful and fun cities.

Краткое описание: Despite its image as one of the wildest places on earth, Borneo is an incredibly easy place in which to travel. In the coastal areas of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, you will find good infrastructure, excellent transport and a decent range of good accommodation. Kalimantan is generally less developed and more challenging, but it’s still within reach of ordinary adventurous travelers. Indeed, perhaps the biggest surprise for most travelers to Borneo is just how first world it all seems.