9 lost cities of the world

From crumbling Persian empires to colossal Roman cities, here are some of our favourite ruined civilisations from around the world.

Going underground: the world’s best caves

This isn’t one for claustraphobes.

The world’s most impressive geological features

Marble caves, salt lakes and rainbow mountains.

Where to visit in Ethiopia

© Evan Williams, Wikimedia Commons Ethiopia itineraries Itineraries are subjective things, dependent on how much time you have, your chosen or enforced style of…

The best coffee destinations around the world

From Colombia to Kosovo, we pick some of our favourite lesser-known places to enjoy a good cup of coffee. 

Simien Mountains National Park

© Dave Watts, Wikimedia Commons This UNESCO-listed national park offers superb trekking and the chance to see the endemic gelada monkey and Walia ibex.…

Axum

© Adam Jones, Wikimedia Commons No satisfactory explanation has been postulated for how such a massive block of stone was erected – one Axumite…

South Omo

South Omo is Africa as it once was, or as some might still imagine it to be, and its mere existence is at once…

Danakil Depression

A strange lunar landscape studded with active volcanoes, malodorous sulphur-caked hot springs, solidified black lava flows and vast salt-encrusted basins. Straddling the Eritrean border…

Harar

© Rod Waddington, Wikimedia Commons Harar is the sort of easy-going, cosmopolitan town where you could settle in for a week and do nothing…

Gondar

© A. Davey, Wikimedia Commons With fairy-tale castles, venerable churches and other substantial European-influenced buildings, the former capital of Ethiopia is a fascinating place…

Lalibela

The excavation of the churches is something of a mystery – some sources estimate that in the order of 40,000 people would have been…

When to visit Ethiopia

When to visit Climate Far from being the uniform thirstland of Western myth, Ethiopia is a land of dramatic natural contrasts and variety. Altitudes…

Food and drink in Ethiopia

Food To anyone who has travelled elsewhere in Africa, Ethiopian food comes as a welcome revelation. Instead of the bland gristle and starch that…

Addis Ababa

© DaneyWiki, Wikimedia Commons This is a city with a real buzz, one possessed of a sense of self-definition and place. The world’s fourth-highest…