The world's second largest country in land mass, China has so much to offer the inquisitive traveller; neon-lit cities with huge shopping centres, sky-scrapers and a buzzing nightlife, hundreds of miles of arid desert, the subtropical rainforests and snow-capped Himalayan mountains

I opted for a camel ride. I had dreamt of this moment. The camels walking us off across acres of bronze sand, as I dramatically pondered the meaning of life whilst disappearing on the exotic animal into the distant sunset.

Just getting on a plane and heading off to Europe used to be the norm, but it your budget doesn't cater for the more jet-set backpacking lifestyle, there are alternative ways to travel Europe that won't have you calling home for funds after five minutes.

Copenhagen may seem like a quiet city only for the cultured, but once you scratch under the surface you'll quickly learn there's more to it than meets the eye. Even though Copenhagen can easily been seen in 24 hours, it's best to spend a long weekend there to really get to know the city.

I'm sitting on a boat, with the sizzling sun beating down on me. The temperature is about 26˚C and the sea water gleaming. A group of ten people on board are darting back and forth, declaring their amazement at the adventure we've just been on.

There is a sassy, globetrotting, female elite out there who have made travel a central part of what they do for a living. They are constantly on the road, sourcing hot spots and the not so hot, and sharing it with their online travel communities. I asked some of these top female bloggers to share their travel tips.

Sandwiched between Puglia, Cantabria and Campania, Basilicata is home to one of the world's oldest towns and boasts traditional festivities reaching back to pagan times, as well as excellent food and drink.

In the height of summer the town's many clubs churn out 24 hour music, so you might want to escape to Palmižana, on the small island of St. Klement. Only 30 minutes by boat, you enter the world of owner Dagmar Meneghello who has furnished the restaurant with her eclectic art collection.

Greek Orthodox Easter is not just a religious festival, but also a time for special food. Bread is particularly important and, in the kitchens of Thanos Hotels, I learn to bake these Easter delicacies.

Travellers heading to Florida know that it is the kind of place where you can either turn your nose up at the commercialism and OTT nature of the tourism, or just delve into it head first and enjoy it.

The Dorgogne, in South West France, has long been a magnet for British visitors and many have made their home here. It was one of the first areas of France to be discovered, partly because property was so cheap and the weather was better than at home.

Responsible travel that includes volunteering can the most rewarding kind, allowing the traveller an extended period of time to get to know and give something back to a community or cause.

Why on earth do the Indians need two weeks to issue a visa? If they suspect me of being a drug runner, murderer, agent provocateur or spy all they need to do is scan my passport, like they do in Turkey and the EU countries, and your name is bounced around police databases in the blink of an eye.

From looking into the eye of a whale shark as you scuba dive in the Indian ocean, to reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, or capturing the perfect photograph of Angkor Wat - adventure travel means something a little different for everyone.

Now in its 6th year, Peixe em Lisboa takes place over 10 days, with cooking classes, wine pairings, chef demonstrations and tasting dishes provided by top Portuguese restaurants.

I have just seven days before work calls again. So, the mission is to experience the best of Thailand in seven days - and it turns out, this is entirely doable.

The last time I blogged about New Zealand, I wrote of a place where snowy peaks reached high into the sky and cascading waterfalls roared into an idyllic fjord backdrop. This was the South Island and I had fallen in love with it. Little did I know, there was a whole other side to New Zealand that I was still to discover.

As the long sleek carriages of The Ghan pull out of Alice Springs station, I wave goodbye to one of Australia's most fascinating towns. I'm on a 936-mile journey across the Northern Territory to Darwin; a journey that will take over 23 hours.

When it comes to travel, there is one travel bracket that requires a very specific type of advice and its own home for discussion: Family Travel. We've searched blogosphere to find the best advice from bloggers who are actually exploring the planet with their little ones - and not just surviving, they're succeeding in enjoying it too.

There are many spas on Koh Samui Island, but none that are as sophisticated and unique as Kamalaya. This is one seriously good spa holiday, guest teachers and practitioners fly in from all over the world and the therapists are world class.

The Pollera is the women's national costume in Panama and, for this year's parade of "Mil Polleras", over 11,000 dressed up to take part. Even the President was there.