Author: Rachel Lawrence

Sustainable travel: How to be a better traveller

We’ve all seen the pictures – crystal blue waters in Venice’s canals, Delhi’s India Gate without its usual blanket of smog and pollution, and wildlife encroaching on towns and cities in ways never seen before. We’ve witnessed road traffic in the UK return to 1970s levels and marvelled at how loud the birdsong seems without…

Places of isolation: ten locations cut off from the rest of the world

History is littered with examples of communities who, whether by choice or necessity, have sought to separate themselves from the rest of society. Even today, there are myriad temples and monasteries which shun the outside world. We take a look at ten locations – including sights of refuge, meditation, scientific research and even incarceration –…

Top 10 travel guides

While you might not be able to go anywhere right now, there’s nothing to stop you planning your next trip – or simply indulging in a spot of armchair travel. We’ve got hundreds of fantastic titles available to download covering places as diverse as the Norwegian fjords, Japan’s high-tech cities and the idyllic Greek Islands.…

Best Rough Guides videos to watch in lock-down

It’s a difficult time for everyone at the moment and not being able to discover the world may well be the least of your worries. But while your passport lies forlornly in the drawer, enforced time at home means you can at least start dreaming about an adventure beyond your four walls. Here at Rough…

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You love to travel. We love to travel. That trusty tattered copy of The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget you took on the road way back when. Your water-crinkled Rough Guide to Bali that told you where to find the best dive sites. The rum-stained Rough Guide to Cuba you pored over…

Best beaches near Havana, Cuba

Just a short drive from Cuba’s bustling capital lie white sands, palm trees and beautiful coral reefs. The beaches east of Cojímar town, famed for its Hemingway connection, are collectively known as the Playas del Este. Hugging the Atlantic coast, three swathes of fine sand form a long golden stretch that vanishes in the summer beneath…

Mexico with kids: 10 things you need to know

With sandy beaches, colourful markets and plenty of family-friendly attractions, there’s a huge amount to keep children entertained in Mexico. Our mini guide will help to make travelling in Mexico with kids fun, exciting and (relatively) stress-free. (Continued below…) 1. Road distances can be huge If you’re intending to travel on public transport, you should…

Unusual things to see in Chile

Few countries can match the sheer diversity of things to see in Chile – from the world’s driest non-polar desert to immense ice-fields and glaciers. Spread between these extremes is a kaleidoscope of panoramas, above which tower the colossal peaks and smouldering volcanoes of the Andes. Here is a selection of just a few of Chile’s most breathtaking…

The best hotels in Spain: pick of the paradores

When it comes to accommodation, paradores are in a class of their own and undoubtedly among the best hotels in Spain. Converted from castles, monasteries and other Spanish monuments, they can be really special places to stay, sited in the most beautiful parts of the country or in some of the most historic cities. Prices…

7 Offbeat things to do in Havana

Cuba is top of many a traveller’s wishlist, there is no shortage of things to do in Havana. A captivating capital, its galleries, theatres, markets and memorials to the revolution are all worth a visit. Equally pleasurable is soaking up the atmosphere of Old Havana. But, if you fancy visiting some of its more quirky corners,…

15 Spectacular things to do in Argentina

Argentina is a vast and varied land of cosmopolitan cities, wide-open plains, eerie glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and lush wetland groves. At 2,780,400 km2 km, it’s the eighth largest country in the world, and one of the few countries in South America with lasting European influences. You’ll find everything from Germanic towns like Bariloche, to villages…