Best of

Ranked, argued shortlists: islands, beaches, food cities and the places worth going before everyone else decides.

11 guides

The Amalfi Coast towns, and why you should not hire a car in 2026

Nine towns ranked by what each is actually for, the alternating number plate rules that close the SS163 to half of all cars, and the base nobody books.

7 min read

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Bali or Thailand, and whether you want a place or a route

Bali is one island you settle into. Thailand is a country you move through, with two coasts on opposite monsoons. Six rounds, and what each actually costs.

6 min read

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The best islands in Thailand, and the coast you pick first

Thailand's two coasts run opposite monsoons, so your dates pick the coast before you pick the island. Nine islands by what they are for, and the routing rule.

5 min read

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The best places to travel in 2027, and why each one specifically

Most 2027 lists are guesswork. These eight are chosen because something specific changes next year, plus four destinations getting measurably harder to visit.

6 min read

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The Gili Islands, and which of the three is yours

Three islands, no cars, and a boat from Bali longer and rougher than people expect. Which one suits you, what the crossing costs, and the horse question.

6 min read

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Kyoto or Osaka, and the tax that decided it in 2026

Kyoto for the sights, Osaka for the base, and since March 2026 the accommodation tax makes that split cheaper than it has ever been. Six rounds, six winners.

5 min read

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Lisbon or Porto, and the question is how many days you have

Porto if you have three days, Lisbon if you have five. Six rounds with a winner each, the tax gap, and the hill problem that has reversed since 2025.

6 min read

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Nusa Lembongan, the island Bali sends you to when Penida is too much

Thirty minutes from Sanur, nine square kilometres with Ceningan attached, and none of Penida's cliff-edge driving. What to do, and how long to stay.

6 min read

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Prague or Budapest, and the six hours between them

Prague is prettier and smaller, Budapest is cheaper and has the baths. Six rounds with a winner each, and why doing both needs Vienna in the middle.

6 min read

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The safest countries for solo female travellers, and what the rankings actually measure

The indices everyone quotes measure women's status in a country, not a visitor's safety. What they do measure, and ten places that genuinely work.

6 min read

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Underrated European cities, by the size of the gap

Underrated is a lazy word, so we defined it: cities where the gap between how good they are and how many people go is widest. Eight of them, and one misjudged.

6 min read