Downtown Willemstad with the old colonial buildings and typical Dutch facades

Freedom at last, after centuries of Dutch rule

This island has just cut its colonial ties with the Netherlands. But the legacy will live on in this colourful part of the Caribbean. Adrian Mourby reports.

A cut above: A barber's shop in Arraijan, near Panama City

Traveller's Guide To: Panama

The nation that unites the Americas and the oceans has much to explore, from empty beaches to dense forests.

The Big Six: Historic railway hotels

Rhiannon Batten chooses the best beds by the rails across Great Britain.

The Hedonist: Lisbon

Another night in the Portuguese capital swings seamlessly into another day: what to see and where to be seen.

All singing, all dancing: Bordeaux's opera house has a dynamic programme that includes modern dance

'The capital of wine is an architectural gem'

City Slicker - Bordeaux: It's harvest time. What better moment for a trip to Bordeaux? Harriet O'Brien offers some ideas for new and returning visitors.

Traveller's guide: Swiss snow

Matt Barr: The country at the heart of the Alps delivers top-grade winter sports.

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World Expo hits halfway – and organizers hope for sunny days ahead

Expo 20210 Shanghai has hit the halfway mark of its sixth month run and organizers say they have learned from their mistakes - and are promising bigger and better days ahead.

Twin peaks: Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf

48 Hours In: Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's 'marvellous city' is as flamboyant, dramatic and seductive as ever – even in the South American winter.

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Stay the night: Hilton London Gatwick Airport

A contemporary makeover is turning this airport hotel into a desirable stopover, says Kate Simon

Throughout August at various locations, English Heritage is putting on Time Travellers Go days to allow children to get creative, handle artefacts, play games and listen to stories

School holidays special: Days out around the UK

You don't have to go too far afield this summer to take a break. Make the most of a weekend, or shape a whole staycation around some fun events. Simone Kane picks her favourites from across the country

Sands of time: Mishal Husain's trip took her back to the deserts of Ras al-Khaimah

Mishal Husain travels back to the UAE

A trip down memory lane is a little tricky if, like me, yours was an expatriate childhood. Mine was spent in the United Arab Emirates – 10 happy years from 1975, when I was two years old – which makes it the first home I can remember. But the UAE isn't somewhere I pass through much these days and my friends from there are scattered across the globe. Even if I did venture back, the ever-changing urban landscape is more than likely to have rendered once-familiar locations unrecognisable.

Cross purpose: Marie's quest to find her great-grandmother's grave, pictured, in Rumia, Poland, provided the inspiration for a uniquely personal travel tale

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