Culture holidays
Palm Springs’ celebrity homes are a feast of desert drama
A record 105,000 visitors attended the annual Palm Springs Modernism Week in 2023, glimpsing the mid-century estates of Sintra, Elvis and DiCaprio and more.
- by Louise Goldsbury
Your favourite costly perfumes will make sense after a visit to this farm
After a tour of Jurlique’s gorgeous sustainable farm in the Adelaide Hills, it isn’t difficult to appreciate why natural fragrances are so expensive.
- by Lee Tulloch
This grand, 800-year-old hotel overlooks one of the most beautiful cities in France
With so many centuries of history seeped into its walls, it’s practically a portal to the Middle Ages.
- by Kristie Kellahan
‘I was almost brought to tears’: Navigating Tokyo’s hugely popular tourist attraction
Part museum, part art installation and part amusement park – as one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions, it pays to know before you go to teamLab Planets.
- by Barry Divola
The summer dance festival in Japan revellers won’t want to miss
In Shikoku, Awa Odori attracts around 1.3 million people, creating a carnival-like atmosphere at what is now one of the largest summer festivals in Japan.
- by Julietta Jameson
Opinion
Opinion
It might be a crock, but this is one of the most fun things I do on holiday
Fortune-telling is a worldwide pastime, and it has also been used by scammers over thousands of years to separate people from their wallets.
- by Lee Tulloch
Can an unknown Hoi An tailor create a fashion fantasy in seven hours?
Every generation in human history has had its own paragon of female beauty and Pamela Van has less than seven hours to realise mine.
- by Anabel Dean
The land of happiness that few tourists ever visit
Want to lose the crowds on your next holiday? Tourists are still something of a novelty in Bhutan, the country that invented Gross National Happiness.
- by Trudi Jenkins
Why should you have to pay to volunteer overseas? Here’s why
Donating your time and labour can be a great experience, but it isn’t an excuse for a free holiday, and will cost more than you might think.
- by Brian Johnston
The only (ballsy) temples you need to see in Japan’s culture capital
It’s easy to get templed out in Kyoto but you can find illumination at the lesser-known dragon and scrotum temples.
- by Keith Austin