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Santiago city tour, Chile A light spray of spittle erupts from Felipe’s mouth. His eyes are animated, his hands moving wildly and his voice booming across the crowd. As he tells stories of Chile’s fight for independence, his mood lifts with the jubilation of victory. When he discusses the difficulties of life under Pinochet, his ...

Hostel Inn, Puerto Iguazu, Argentina It said it was a hostel but the first thing you see when you arrive is the enormous pool. And not just any pool – there’s a volleyball net stretched across one part of it, there are deckchairs arranged around one side, and on the other side there are tables ...

There is something that seems out of place about John Waite the first moment I see him. We’re in a youth hostel and the common area is full of backpackers – chatting, drinking, playing guitars and doing whatever else backpackers do on a sunny afternoon to pass their elastic view of time. John is hanging ...

The best things to do in Austin, Texas Austin is a city with its own identity. It’s part-Texan but also part-funky. There’s plenty to do if you like music, the arts, sport or just relaxing. Make sure you give yourself enough time to chill out and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the coolest cities ...

After a quick visit to Massachusetts, I’ve put together a short list of things to do in Boston. The city is quite compact and tourist-friendly so it’s possible to pack a lot into a day if you’ve got some commitment! One of the most enjoyable things is walking around and getting a feel of the ...

Surrounded by the throngs of pedestrians, the horn-tooting traffic and the flashing jumbo screens of Times Square, Chris quietly goes about his work. He’s claimed his territory on the corner of 43rd Street, marking it with the smell of pretzels as much as the trolley he sells them from. The streets of New York are ...

What are the best things to do in Beijing? Beijing is one of the most exciting cities on the globe. It’s the capital of the world’s new superpower and, although it’s being heavily-influenced by its transition to a modern world city, it hasn’t let go of heritage or tradition. A great way to get a ...

Best shopping markets in Beijing, China Here’s a little fact for you: China’s economic system is called a ‘socialist market economy’. I’m sure the academics who study global finances know what that means and would love to bore you for hours explaining it. Sadly, I am neither an economics academic nor do I have the ...

Do you remember that scene early on in The Beach? You know, the one where Richard is in a dingy room of a backpacker hostel in Bangkok? (By ‘Richard’, I mean ‘Leonardo DiCaprio’, for those who are more familiar with the critically-panned but cultishly-adored movie than the amazing Alex Garland novel.) It’s a room that ...

  Australians always knew there were a few good reasons to travel overseas. Turns out there’s one more! For a moment, let’s put aside the surging Aussie dollars (thank you protectors of the Greek economy), cheap airfares and cultural adventures. Now we have a study of the cost of Australian hotels and they are, in ...