Japan Travel Guide

The contrasts of Japan are startling: big cities dazzle with bright lights and high-tech gadgetry, while in countryside towns centuries-old Japanese culture is alive and well with geishas, zen rock gardens, and temples and shrines.

Japan's vibrant pop culture is a massive draw for wide-eyed tourists, with ground-breaking electronics and leading fashion and design items available here long before the rest of the world.

Yet, beneath the brash modernity beats an ancient heart. Japan is still the realm of the exquisite art of the geisha and the skill of the sumo wrestler, where lively age-old festivals are celebrated and food is elevated to an art form.

Japan is a land of great natural beauty. The contrasts range from the snow festivals and lavender farms of the northern isle of Hokkaido to the sun-drenched beaches and turquoise waters of the subtropical islands of Okinawa. Whether you choose to climb volcanic Mount Fuji or wander through the pine forest of Mount Koya, a journey to Japan is unforgettable.

Turkmenistan Travel Guide

The territory of what is now Turkmenistan provided the bedrock for many of the most powerful empires of their age. The Parthians, the Seljuks and the Khans of Khoresm all based their empires at various points on the edge of the Kara-Kum Desert, while Alexander the Great conquered the region during his epic campaign of the fourth century BC. The influence of Islam dates from the seventh century AD, when the region was under Arab control. Modern-day Turkmen are descended from tribes that migrated to the area in the 10th century from the northeast.

Almost all the attractions lie around the fringes of the desert and in ancient ruins such as Merv (now Mary). The capital, Ashgabat, is a modern city. It replaced the one founded in 1881, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1948. The Sunday market here is the best place to buy Turkmen carpets. Mary, due east of Ashgabat, is Turkmenistan's second city and lies near the remains of Merv, which was once the second city of Islam until Ghengis Khan's son Toloi reduced it to rubble in 1221.

Turkmenistan's harsh desert conditions and terrain mean that tourism has been relatively undeveloped. Another reason is that since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the country has remained largely closed to the outside world under the rule of President Niyazov, who died in December 2006. It is effectively a one-party state, governed by the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, which comprises mostly former communists. Although the country benefits from from its oil and gas deposits, its economy remains underdeveloped due to the low presence of foreign investors. It remains to be seen whether Niyazov's death will bring about the changes needed to encourage foreign investment and tourism.

Lebanon Travel Guide

Lebanon's diverse patchwork of Mediterranean-lapped coast, rugged alpine peaks and green, fertile valleys is packed into a parcel of land some 225km (140 miles) long and 46km (29 miles) wide.

Once known as the ‘Paris of the East', Beirut commands a magnificent position, thrust into the Mediterranean. Behind the city are towering mountains, visible when the traffic haze settles down. The Corniche seafront boasts beaches, restaurants, theatres and a dazzling variety of shops and restaurants.

Beirut suffered greatly from Lebanon's 16-year civil war, but following an impressive and ongoing process of reconstruction, the city was poised to become one of the most popular tourist and business destinations in the Middle East before the Israeli attacks of 2006.

Outside of the capital, several UNESCO World Heritage Sites await, many of which reflect the country's various ancient civilizations. Phoenician tombs, Roman temples, Crusader castles and Mamlouk mosques can be found in the cities and ruins of Baalbeck, Byblos and Tyre. The town of Aanjar in the Bekaa Valley contains an Umayyad site from the 8th century - a unique historical example of a commercial centre that was inland. Within the mountainous interior of the Kadisha Valley, ancient monasteries and churches can be seen, including a chapel built into the rock face.

Maldives Travel Guide

The Maldives is a by-word for luxury, romance and tropical bliss; a beautiful string of low-lying coral islands in the Indian Ocean, and a paradise for watersports enthusiasts and sun seekers alike. The past two decades have seen the islands develop into a popular long-haul destination.

The country's 26 natural atolls offer nautical delights from night-fishing trips, windsurfing and scuba-diving. Many islands embrace enormous lagoons, where bright blue-green water laps gently on brilliant white sand beaches.

Global warming
Yet even in paradise trouble can bubble beneath the surface. It is precisely because the Maldives is so low-lying (80% of the territory is less than 1m/3.3ft above sea level), so transparent and perfect for snorkelling, that their very existence is threatened by global warming. They are also particularly vulnerable to natural catastrophes, as shown in the devastating tsunami on 26 December 2004: of the Maldives' 199 inhabited islands, 20 were completely destroyed.

Political change
Politically the country is today one of Asia's most progressive. After a 30-year period of autocratic rule from former President Gayoom, President Mohamed Nasheed was elected to the office in a democratic 2008 election, which made the Maldives one of the few Muslim democracies in the world. Since then the country has pursued a liberal-progressive agenda focused on improving the country's healthcare and education infrastructure, tourism development and environmental protection.

Zimbabwe Travel Guide

Zimbabwe boasts some amazing natural sites. The Victoria Falls are without a doubt one of the world’s grandest natural spectacles and every viewpoint reveals something new. Running from northeast to southwest down the centre of the country, and connecting its two largest cities, is the Highveld, a chain of low mountains and Zimbabwe’s most populous area.

Zimbabwe also offers some of the best wildlife parks in southern Africa. From the forested mountains of the Eastern highlands to the sun-washed grasslands of Hwange National Park, from the hot Mopani Forest to the shores of Lake Kariba, more than 11% of Zimbabwe’s land – 44,688 sq km (17,254 sq miles) – has been set aside as parks and wildlife estates. There are also several botanical gardens, sanctuaries and more than a dozen national safari areas for hunting (an activity that helps to finance the conservation programme and is strictly controlled).

Present-day Zimbabwe was the site of a large and complex African civilisation in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was populated by descendants of the Bantu tribes, who had migrated from the north around the 10th century. Evidence of their mainly pastoral lifestyle may still be seen in the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, near the present-day town of Masvingo.

The first contact with Europeans was with the Portuguese at the end of the 15th century. Relations between the two were fairly stable until the 1830s, when the region was thrown into upheaval by the northward migration of the Ndebele people from South Africa.

At this point, a new aggressive breed of colonists arrived in the form of British mining interests led by Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company (BSAC). The BSAC took control of the country - which they called ‘Southern Rhodesia' - until 1923, when it became, nominally, a British colony.

From 1953-63, Southern Rhodesia formed part of the Central African Federation with neighbouring Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi). In 1965, to resist decolonisation, the settlers - with South African support - issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). This triggered a bitter civil war between the white minority government and fighters for African independence, ending only in 1980, with the granting of independence and the holding of a general election under British auspices, which was won decisively by Robert Mugabe's ZANU party.

Modern Zimbabwe is in a terrible state. The economy has all but collapsed. There is widespread famine, which has been cynically manipulated by the government so opposition strongholds suffer the most. The government lacks the resources or machinery to deal with the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which affects an estimated one-quarter of the population. With all this and the forced and violent removal of white farmers in a brutal land redistribution programme, President Mugabe has earned himself widespread scorn from the international arena.

Egypt Travel Guide

From iconic pyramids and medieval bazaars, to natural beauty and a vibrant contemporary culture, Egypt is a land packed with captivating treasures.

The pyramids at Giza - the sole survivors of the seven ancient wonders - the lotus-columned Temples of Luxor and Karnak, sunrise across the Valley of the Kings, and the sound-and-light show at the mighty tombs of Abu Simbel have thrilled visitors for centuries.

Egypt's natural assets are equally as potent, with the white desert's wind-polished rock formations, the iron-clad mountains of the Sinai, and the gleaming underwater landscapes of the Red Sea.

A pulsing modern Arab state throbs beneath the surface, and, ultimately, this country is best understood not so much under the shadow of its great monuments, splendid though they are, but in the call to prayer at sunset, in the chatter of hooves on tarmac in a rural village, or tea and talk with Egypt's garrulous residents in a random coffeehouse.

Kenya

Kenya is regarded by many as the ‘jewel of East Africa', and has some of the continent's finest beaches, most magnificent wildlife and scenery, and an incredibly sophisticated tourism infrastructure. It is a startlingly beautiful land, from the coral reefs and white sand beaches of the coast to the summit of Mount Kenya, crowned with clouds and bejewelled by strange giant alpine plants.

Between these two extremes is the acacia-studded rolling savannah, which is home to game parks such as Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo; the lush, agricultural highlands with their sleek green coat of coffee and tea plantations; and the most spectacular stretch of the Great Rift Valley, the giant scar across the face of Africa.

Above all, Kenya is a place for safaris, and one-tenth of all land in Kenya is designated as national parks and reserves. Just about every African plains animal is present. Over 50 parks and reserves cover all habitats from desert to mountain forest, and there are even six marine parks in the Indian Ocean.

Kenya also has a fascinatingly diverse population with around 40 different tribes, all with their own languages and cultures. Major tribes include the Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, but the most famous are the tall, proud, beautiful red-clad Masai, who still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of cattle-herding along the southern border.

A mixture of African and Asian, the unique Swahili culture can be found along the balmy coast, where for centuries it became prosperous on the profits of commerce from the tradewinds that carried ocean-going dhows (sailing boats) across the Indian Ocean to Arabia and Persia.

Kenya does have some downsides as a tourist destination. There is enormous pressure to buy anything and everything, often at ridiculously inflated prices, and even taking a photograph in the local market is likely to incur a cost. But despite this, the people are friendly and the tourist trade is supremely well organised and professional. For those in search of a little adventure, this can be an ideal holiday destination.

Madagascar Travel Guide

Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island. Ringed by golden beaches and palm trees, it has an interior that is resplendent in its variety, from grassy plateaus to volcanoes and opaque forests and natural reserves. Since it split from the mainland 165 million years ago, many species that are unique to the island have evolved, including 3,000 indigenous species of butterfly.

The Hauts Plateaux divides the country geographically, climatically and culturally. The coastal strip east of this chain of high mountains is heavily forested, while the west is mainly savannah.

According to local legend, the island was first inhabited by the Vazimba, a race of white pygmies. These people, if they existed, were displaced by successive waves of Polynesian migrants from the Malayo-Indonesian archipelago, from as early as the sixth century. In the ninth century, Madagascar was a major trading power in the western Indian Ocean. Moreover, ancient ruins indicate an extensive Arab presence on the island around that time. Bantu tribes from mainland Africa later settled on the west coast. The first Europeans arrived in the mid-17th century.

The levels of poverty and the enormous gap between rich and poor may deter some but Madagascar still dazzles with its rich wildlife, much of which can be found nowhere else on Earth.

Nigeria Travel Guide

Nigeria is blessed with hundreds of miles of coastline, national parks and fascinating ancient sites. However, it is a shame that the country is not currently able to entice visitors other than those seeking a slice of the oil dollar.

Nigeria's greatest asset - its wealth of native races and religions, its vibrant population, the largest of any country in Africa - have also proven its downfall on countless explosive occasions.

In the 15th century, the Portuguese began trading but, by the end of the 19th century, the British had conquered present-day Nigeria. After gradual internal self-government, full independence was achieved in 1960.

Since then, the country has endured numerous changes of government. Nigeria's army has chosen to intervene on several occasions to thwart a perceived threat to the integrity of the nation. The greatest crisis came about in the mid-1960s, when the eastern part of the country – styling itself the ‘Republic of Biafra’ – attempted to secede. A three-year (1967-70) civil war followed, at the end of which the secessionists were defeated.

Nevertheless, military overthrow, coups and assassination followed over many years. After the annulled 1993 elections, Sani Abacha emerged as the new military strongman and presided over an increasingly oppressive regime. Then, in 1998, Abacha suddenly died. Another member of the military junta, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, took over and moved quickly to shed the country’s pariah status by organising elections. The victor, standing for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was the former military ruler of the 1970s, Olusegun Obasanjo.

The inexperienced civilian government faced a formidable task. Apart from the dire economic situation, there was growing religious conflict. A particular problem was the decision of several local and regional governments in the mainly Muslim north to introduce a version of Islamic Shari'a law, very unpopular amongst non-Muslim minorities. Hundreds were killed in inter-communal clashes in 2000 and again in 2002.

Tensions have been so high that almost any dispute can set off a spate of violence. Yet, for all its domestic difficulties, Nigeria remains the major regional power and its troops intervened in a number of conflicts throughout West Africa during the 1990s. Regional stability of the West African region has become a major international issue in recent years since the discovery of new oil and gas deposits in West African waters, and recent events in the Middle East.