Brian Johnston
Travel writer
Brian Johnston seemed destined to become a travel writer: he is an Irishman born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland, who has lived in Britain and China and now calls Australia home.
Opinion
Tips & advice
Here’s why I hate using Google Maps when I’m travelling
I ignore hectoring instructions and commanding blue lines and choose my own route based not on efficiency, but pleasure.
- by Brian Johnston
Seven magical things you’ll discover at Spain’s astonishing Alhambra
This sprawling palace complex is one of Europe’s most visited monuments, but you can escape the tour groups and see its more tranquil side.
- by Brian Johnston
Celebrity chefs, steakhouses and seafood: Six cruise lines with outstanding food
Cruise ships are introducing smaller venues and more specialised cuisines to suit a new generation of food-savvy passengers. Here are six of the best.
- by Brian Johnston
Opinion
Top 10s
Ten things we’ll never understand about New Zealand
The Anzac spirit makes us the closest of neighbouring nations, but when you visit New Zealand you’ll find it’s another country with plenty of foreign quirks.
- by Brian Johnston
Security concerns for cruises are spreading beyond the Red Sea
As Red Sea security deteriorates, cruise ships are abandoning the Suez Canal – with big implications for cruise itineraries.
- by Brian Johnston
Revealed: Seven secrets of the Taj Mahal visitors often miss
From getting those classic snapshots to its intricate interior details, here are seven things you shouldn’t miss when visiting the Taj Mahal.
- by Brian Johnston
Forget castles and chintzy town squares: This is cool new Europe
Forget tourist-beset, chintzy old Europe and shuffling through yet another overblown palace. This is Europe, but not as guidebooks imagine it. The real deal, and right up to the minute.
- by Brian Johnston
Spring blossoms in shoulder season: The best places to visit in April
Flowers are blooming, and the worst of the tourist crowds have yet to build up. Here are our destination picks for spring in the northern hemisphere.
- by Brian Johnston
Hipsters, food trucks: Here are 10 ways to travel like it’s 2010
If you’re feeling nostalgic for the previous decade, then here are some big trends in 2010s travel – and the places where you can best relive them.
- by Brian Johnston
Opinion
Cruises
The death of cruising was greatly exaggerated – it’s bigger than ever
How the naysayers gloated at the height of the pandemic as they watched the struggles of the cruise industry and predicted its imminent collapse.
- by Brian Johnston