South America
Hotels
Strokes of genius
Pool tragic Brian Johnston has dipped into some of the world's sexiest hotel pools. Don your swimmers, grab your designer sunnies and dive in.
Costa Rica
Cute overload: the sloth sanctuary
Life is sweet once the gates open at Costa Rica's sloth sanctuary, one of few in the world specialising in the study of these famously sedentary and solitary mammals.
Ecuador
Silver lining in the cloud
A new eco-lodge stay offers Lydia Bell a window to one of the world's most dramatic rainforests.
Spas
Cool, calm and corrected
It seems nothing is too out there in global spas devoted to your relaxation, writes Rachael Oakes-Ash.
Photo galleries
Photos
Summer arrives early in Rio
Locals and tourist flock to Rio de Janeiro's famous beaches as summer arrives early and temperatures soar.
Rio sizzles into summer
Thousands of people crowd Rio de Janeiro's famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches as hot weather hits.
Travellers Tips
Travel tips
All the buzz on a budget
From Hobart to Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Groundwater picks the new year's best affordable breaks.
Tips
Case study: top tips on packing your bags
From vacuum packing to cool-weather layering, the canny traveller's luggage mantra is all about economy.
