It’s Mumbai in July, and the air is so thick that even the ever-diligent auto rickshaw drivers are disinclined to get up from their divans and deliver you to your destination. You’re barely five minutes out of the shower, and it’s already time for another. You camp out by the swimming pool – when it’s not doused by steaming monsoon rains – then scorch the soles of your feet walking to the water’s edge. You’ve explored the Indian landscape till you feel you can explore no more, but have a few days spare before your flight home. It’s too hot to eat, to talk and even to think, let alone see the city sights.

You’re faced with two choices. Either retreat indoors to an air-conditioned cafe, hotel room or shopping mall, or do as they did in the heyday of the Raj and as holiday-makers across India continue to do today: decamp back in time to the kinder, cooler climes of an Indian hill station.

Hill stations, a term loosely denoting towns and villages situated at high altitudes and designed for purposes of escape and recreation, number around two dozen dotted about India. Some were originally inaugurated as summer capitals of Indian provinces or princedoms; others as summer headquarters for the British governorate. Though today all have lost their legislative or political importance, they nevertheless remain popular summertime destinations and compelling relics of an India long past.

Simply reaching such places is half the fun. Arriving in Matheran, a relatively easy escape from the Mumbai heat, is accomplished first by a vertiginous ride on a narrow-gauge train – from whose windows groups of young Indian men enjoy hanging as precariously as possible – followed by a choice of journeying on foot, horseback, or by palanquin in the manner of Queen Victoria.

Getting to Darjeeling, in the verdant tea-growing mountains of West Bengal, requires a day-long voyage on a tiny, clattering train along streets so narrow that locals retract their laundry lines and overhead canopies when they hear it approaching. Getting to Ooty, a hill station in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, involves a five-hour trip by UNESCO-rated miniature train. On the bus trip to Kodaikanal, also in Tamil Nadu, a local Hindu priest may board simply to bless you, in the event that the bus – and you along with it – sails off over one of many hairpin mountain bends.

Once there and recovered from the various thrills of the ride, a stay in one of India’s hill stations assumes not only a more temperate aspect, but also reverts to an era long-vanished elsewhere. In Shimla, proclaimed the Himalayan summer capital of the British Raj in 1864, the town hall, library and post office are half-timbered mock Tudor, the Viceregal Lodge resembles a Scottish baronial castle, and the Gaiety Theatre still puts on regular amateur theatricals. An evening might be spent walking up to Scandal Point, or strolling The Mall. In Darjeeling, one can buy temporary membership at the Darjeeling Gymkhana Club or the Planters’ Club, and stay in a musty, chintzy room at the Windamere Hotel, to be served tea by white-gloved waiters. Down south in what was known during the British Raj as ‘Snooty Ooty’, afternoons can be spent perusing the Victorian headstones at St. Stephen’s Church or rare tomes at the century-and-a-half old Nilgiri Library.

But the trick to making the most of a stay at a hill station is to visit when the stress of a voyage through India necessitates a temporary hark-back to a gentler world of rose gardens and cucumber sandwiches. Enjoy a spot of croquet on the lawns of the antique-stuffed Chapslee Hotel near Shimla, row a boat on the lake at Kodaikanal, take a pony ride in Matheran or enjoy fresh Darjeeling tea at the Glenburn plantation within sight of soaring Kanchenjunga.

And however you choose to kick back and escape the rigours of modern India, make sure to leave time for the ubiquitous hill station cocktail hour, when the ghosts of Rajahs and rulers past flit out from the overgrown churchyards in search of that one last perfectly poured gin and tonic.

If you want a short cut into the heart of British culture, watch the British at play. They’re fierce and passionate about their sport, whether participating or watching. The mood of the nation is more closely aligned to the success of its international teams in major competition than to budget announcements from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or even the weather.

The British invented – or at least laid down the modern rules for – many of the world’s most popular spectator sports, including cricket, tennis, golf, rugby and football. Trouble is, the national teams aren’t always so good at playing them although recent years have seen some notable success stories. But a mixed result doesn’t dull the fans’ enthusiasm. Every weekend, thousands of people turn out to cheer their favourite team, and sporting highlights such as Wimbledon or the Derby keep the entire nation enthralled, while the biggest sporting event of all – the Olympic Games – is coming to London in 2012.

Football (Soccer)
Despite what the fans may say in Madrid or São Paulo, the English football league has some of the finest teams and players in the world. It’s the richest too, with multi-million-pound sponsorship deals regularly clinched by powerful agents. At the top of the tree is the Premier League for the country’s top 20 clubs, although the hegemony enjoyed by superclubs Arsenal, Liverpool and globally renowned (and part US-owned) Manchester United has been challenged in recent years by former underdogs Chelsea, thanks to the seemingly bottomless budget of Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

The football season lasts from August to May, so seeing a match can easily be included in most visitors’ itineraries – but tickets for the big games in the upper division are like gold dust, and cost £20 to £50 even if you’re lucky enough to find one.

Rugby
A popular witticism holds that football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans, while rugby is the other way around. True or not, rugby is very popular, especially since England became world champions in 2004; it’s worth catching a game for the display of skill (OK, and brawn), and the fun atmosphere on the terraces.

There are two variants of the game: rugby union is played in southern England, Wales and Scotland, while rugby league is the main sport in northern England, although there is a lot of crossover.

The main season for club matches is roughly September to Easter, while the international rugby union calendar is dominated by the annual Six Nations Championship (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy) between January and April. It’s usual for the Scots to support Wales, or vice versa, when either team is playing the ‘old enemy’ England.

Cricket
Cricket has its origins in southeast England, with the earliest written record dating to 1598. It became an international game during Britain’s colonial era, when it was exported to the countries of the Commonwealth, particularly the Indian subcontinent, the West Indies and Australasia.

To outsiders (and many locals) the rules and terminology may appear ridiculously arcane and confusing, but if you’re patient and learn the intricacies, you could find cricket as enriching and enticing as the many thousands of Brits (especially the English) who remain glued to their radio or TV all summer.

County cricket is the mainstay of the domestic game, while international one-day games and five-day test matches are played against sides such as Australia and the West Indies at landmark grounds like Lord’s in London, Edgbaston in Birmingham and Headingley in Leeds.

Tennis
Tennis is widely played at club and regional levels, but the best-known tournament is the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon when tennis fever sweeps through the country for the last week of June and the first week of July. In between matches, the crowds traditionally feast on strawberries and cream; that’s 28 tonnes of strawberries and 7000L of cream annually, to be precise.

Current British tennis darlings are Andy Murray (who has ranked at number 3 in the world) and 14-year-old Laura Robson (who won the girls’ junior championship in 2008). Demand for seats at Wimbledon always outstrips supply, but to give everyone an equal chance the tickets are sold through a public ballot. You can also take your chance on the spot: about 6000 tickets are sold each day (but not the last four days) and queuing at dawn should get you into the ground.

Has a building ever given you the creeps? It could be a beautiful church, an office building, a small cottage…and you might not be able to put your finger on why, but something about it was just plain spooky.

Inspired by the towering and unfinished Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, which looks something like a design for Mordor’s first luxury hotel, we asked on Twitter and Facebook for the Lonely Planet community to nominate their choice for the spookiest building in the world.

Here are seven of the creepiest selections from around the globe:

1. Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Still under construction, Chiang Rai’s iconic modern temple is part traditional Buddhist temple, part ornate wedding cake, and part avant-garde art with a disturbing penchant for pointiness. [Photo by guerinjeanmarc]

2. Corvin Castle, Hunedoara, Romania. Perhaps Transylvania’s premier Dracula-esque castle, included in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. There may not be any real vampires on most days, but Gothic architecture, weaponry displays, and some authentic dark history add to the spookiness. [Photo by andreea]

3. Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago, Illinois. Triangular, looming, with windows like medieval arrow slits, the MCC is not Chicago’s architectural highlight for most locals or visitors. The photo below is descriptively titled ‘The Pylon of Doom’. [Photo by get directly down]

4. Chernobyl Reactor #4, Ukraine. Famously the site of the world’s largest nuclear disaster, the Zone of Alienation is mostly uninhabited today, but tours are available for those who are curious to get a glimpse and don’t mind the ominous click of a Geiger counter. [Photo by Pedro Pinheiro]

5. Lemp Mansion, St Louis, Missouri. Reputed to be one of the USA’s most haunted houses (if there are degrees of hauntedness). Charles Lemp committed suicide in the house in 1949, and ever since strange things have taken place at the house, including spontaneous door closing, breaking glasses, and an MTV reality TV show. [Photo by binkle28]

6. Scott Monument, Edinburgh. Not especially scary-looking, the monument to Sir Walter Scott is uniquely fear-inducing. Only 200 feet (61 meters) high, the climb to the top doesn’t sound daunting until you find yourself ascending a claustrophobic spiral staircase that becomes so tight as it rises that passing others becomes impossible. The final curve is so notoriously tight, squeezing yourself out the door to the top platform feels like spelunking. Not a claustrophobe? This just might make you into one. [Photo by Graeme Pow]

7. Ottawa Jail Hostel, Ottawa, Canada. Want to spend the night in the slammer? Why not make it a potentially haunted jail, and – the scariest word or all to some travelers – a hostel? This jail is undoubtedly cozier than most, but bunking up behind bars doesn’t spell relaxation to your average tourist. [Photo by thoth188]

What would you nominate as the spookiest building in the world?

Whether or not you’re used to getting into the driver’s seat from the right, and driving on the left, Ireland’s (often pot-holed) two-lane roads make up some of Europe’s most scenic drives. Particularly going village to village, pub to pub, on and off the rugged coastal drives of western and southwestern Ireland.

Here are four of the best plucked from Lonely Planet’s Discover Ireland guidebook.

(Note local car rentals can be costly — inquire about rates before you go, and try local Nova Car Hire for weekly rates in high-season from 150 euros.)

Sky Road, County Galway
This short 12km loop from Victorian-era town of Clifden hits some of west Ireland’s most gorgeous (and famous) rugged coastline along Clifden Bay en route to Kingston village and back. It’s so short, some go by bike or foot.

Lough Inagh Valley, County Galway
In from Galway’s fabled coast, the short drive up R344 from playfully named village of Recess reaches a scene of magnificent desolation: stark brown landscapes, with jutting peaks of the Twelve Bens mountain range dotted by cloud shadows. Look for a track to the west at the north end of the valley to explore deeper parts.

Ring of Kerry, County Kerry
South of Galway, the 179km circuit — looming west of the well-lubed tourist machine town of Killarney — is one of Ireland’s greatest, most diverse (and lengthy) jaw-dropping circle drives, this taking in jaw-dropping coastal scenery and pristine beaches, medieval ruins, loughs (lakes) and emerald green meadows — plus villages with traditional pubs. The best stretch is between Waterville and Caherdaniel in the southwest of the peninsula.

Healy Pass, County Cork
Also in southwest corner, this short 11km drive over the other-wordly Healy Pass from Lauragh to Adrigole offers spectacular views of the rocky inland scenery. Consider a 1km detour west of Lauragh on R571 to Glanmore Lake, with the remains of an old hermitage on a tiny island in the middle.

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For more ideas for travel dreams to Ireland, check out Lonely Planet’s all-color guidebook to Ireland.

OK, so it’s old news that Oprah Winfrey is coming to Australia to film a few episodes for the next (and final) season of her eponymous talk show. For those who haven’t heard, Oprah will be flying more than 300 guests and 150 crew over for an eight-day Aussie adventure.

So far we know that Oprah will be visiting Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney and Melbourne. One episode will be filmed in the Sydney Opera House to a 3000-capacity crowd (imagine the freebies!) – but the rest of her itinerary is still a closely guarded secret.

So, we figured that we’d do some of the work for her and draft up a tailored itinerary for Oprah and her 350-strong entourage. Here’s Lonely Planet’s Oprah extravaganza with a trip that takes in Australian icons, nature, a bit of beach and…coffee.

Sydney (2 days)

Start with a view. We suggest that Oprah’s producers spike up the adrenaline and take her for a climb up the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The jumpsuit that visitors are required to wear may mess up Oprah’s wardrobe plans but she’ll be guaranteed panoramic views of the bay – and great television.

Ferry it! Oprah and crew should utilise the fantastic ferries that operate out of Circular Quay. I mean, ferries as public transport? Brilliant. The Manly Ferry is compulsory; it offers million-dollar views on a shoestring budget (not that budget seems to be a problem…). For lunch, duck into Hugo’s Manly on the East Esplanade. Pretty young things don shades and wolf down seafood at this ultratrendy waterfront restaurant.

Oprah can then grab another boat out to one of the many islands dotting the Sydney bay. Unesco heritage-listed Cockatoo Island is the largest of the lot and the site of Australia’s colonial past – and some flashy media events (Hugh Jackman unveiled the Wolverine film preview here).

See an iconic beach. We’re sure that Oprah will visit oh-so-obvious Bondi Beach. But she can dodge the sun-tanning hordes by doing the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. It’s a 5km walk along some beautiful coastline.

To cap it all off, book the crew in for a dinner at Tetsuya’s, arguably Australia’s best restaurant. You have to book way in advance but Oprah might be able to work it.

Tasmania (4 days)

Are we still in Australia? This chunk of land, south of Melbourne across the Bass Strait, is often viewed by mainland Australians as a country of its own: granted, it’s only an hour-long flight, but you’re crossing a whole strait to get there! But we know Oprah will be charmed by it. That’s why we suggest that she spends the bulk of her time there.

Start at the waterfront. Hobart’s gorgeous waterfront has sandstone buildings, a breezy vibe and the fantastic Salamanca Market (every Saturday) which is chock-a-block with local craft, tourist trinkets, fine food and produce.

Take a drive. Heading out north into the Midlands, there is a swathe of Georgian-style towns, including a town called Ross which has a bakery serving treats from a 100-year-old wood-fired oven. The sausage roll is an iconic Aussie snack and the one here is one of the best.

Take a hike. We figure Oprah might like a bit of fresh air so from the Midlands, she could loop out east towards the Freycinet Peninsula and hike down to the magnificent Wineglass Bay, a crescent-shaped piece of white sand set behind a clear sheet of water. If she can get her crew to lug down a BBQ and some beers, she’ll be set for the mother of all picnics.

Keep going. If Oprah did want more of Tasmania (and she should because four days is only a start), she could hike around Cradle Mountain and stay the night in a lodge there. For a remote experience, King Island and Flinders Island are ideal for dodging the media scrum – and perfect for sampling the famous local cheese and beef.

Melbourne (2 days)

Back after all that fresh Tasmanian air, Oprah might be hungry for some good urban living. That’s where Melbourne comes in. Melbourne is about several things: coffee, city laneways, and laid-back inner-city suburbs. Melburnians are coffee snobs and love to drink it in numerous ways.

Get (caffeine) loaded. We’d suggest Oprah and her crew get amped up on caffeine at St Ali in South Melbourne, a pumping warehouse-conversion equipped with an in-house roastery and a veritable science lab of java-making equipment, or we could cut to the chase and take her straight to Sensory Lab in department store David Jones where staff actually wear lab coats while they stir thick black concoctions in beakers over bunsen burners.

Seek out hidden laneways. In the city, it’s all about wandering up, down, in and around the various laneways. Some are gritty, most are graffiti’d, but on the whole they’re completely charming and absolutely ‘Melbourne’ and we think Oprah would get into the spirit of them. AC/DC Lane is a short but crazy tribute to the band and Hosier Lane is home to a changing panorama of street art, to mention just two. Others hide treasure troves of one-off designer jewels or dresses, odd bookshops, dumpling houses and bars above street level.

Pick a suburb. Heading further from the city, she might like to head north to explore the boutiques and cafes of bohemian-gentrified Fitzroy or she could go south to the always popular St Kilda waterfront where photo opportunities abound – Luna Park, sunsets over the palm tree-lined Esplanade, and the famous cake shops along Acland St.

End with a beer and a barbeque. It’s summer and this is a truly Aussie thing to do. Oprah and her crew could fire up some of the coin-operated barbies along the banks of the Yarra River (a short stroll from the centre of town) and watch the rowing boats go past.

‘Toss another shrimp on a barbie mate!’

Get more great ideas with Lonely Planet’s guide to Australia

Though the old Las Vegas clichés might be exactly what most people come for, when you’ve had your fill of monster buffets, sipped all the 99 cent margaritas you can manage, ridden the rollercoasters, gawped at the little old ladies at their giant $100-a-crank slot machines, tied the knot at midnight in an Elvis-serenaded wedding chapel and otherwise thoroughly revelled in Las Vegan hedonism, here are some of the best ways to experience an alternative side to the City of Sin.

Music

Forego the Dions or Manilows (unless, understandably, you must have one small dose of Copacabana), in favour of rock and blues at the Sand Dollar Blues Room (3355 Spring Mountain Rd), the city’s oldest live music venue, with entertainment nightly and nary a velvet jacket or toupee in sight.

If music of a more divine nature is calling, make for the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues (3950 Las Vegas Blvd S.) where uplifting Sunday morning church tunes accompany a down-home feast of grits, jambalaya and key lime pie. For a taste of good old country honky-tonk, polish your dancing shoes for a night out at Dylan’s Dance Hall and Saloon (4660 Boulder Hwy, Boulder Strip); alternatively, sit back with smooth jazz and vintage wines at Jazzed Cafe and Vinoteca (8615 W. Sahara Ave) west of the city centre.

Dining

Though there’s fine dining on offer throughout the city, one place not to miss is Rosemary’s Restaurant (8125 W. Sahara Ave), whose stylish but down-to-earth dinners include parmesan soufflés, crimini mushroom soup, and prosciutto-crusted salmon. If you’ve indulged in one too many prime-rib buffets, opt for a homemade tamale at simple little Mexican cantina Doña Maria (910 Las Vegas Blvd). Or, for tastes of long-gone Las Vegas, head over to the 24-hour Tiffany’s Cafe (1700 Las Vegas Blvd S) to fill up on old fashioned vanilla malts and corned beef hash. Finally, stake out a deep-red booth at Cafe Heidelberg (610 E Sahara Ave), where you might see an old time crooner or two schmoozing over schnitzel and sauerkraut.

Culture

Explore a burgeoning contemporary arts scene in the Las Vegas Arts District, making sure not to miss The Arts Factory (107 E. Charleston Blvd), where the first Friday of every month sees a local artist showcased. Next browse the eclectic treasures at the Main Street Casino (210 N Main St), which includes a chunk of the Berlin Wall and Little Women author Louisa May Alcott’s private Pullman car.

Visit the sobering Smithsonian-affiliated Atomic Testing Museum (755 E. Flamingo Rd) which traces the history of the atomic era and of eerie ground-level atomic testing outside the city. Then, for a little light relief, steel yourself for the Liberace Museum (1775 E. Tropicana Ave), opened in 1979 by the man himself, which features – amongst other, even glitzier things – the world’s largest, 150,000-carat rhinestone.

Drinking

Having propped up its sports bars, clinked flutes in its champagne bars, and affected an air of nonchalance in its chicest drinking destinations, there are two Las Vegas watering holes (at the very extremes of the drinking spectrum) you really shouldn’t miss. Hit the Double Down Saloon (4640 Paradise Rd), where the likes of the Stooges, the Sex Pistols and the Clash rarely leave the jukebox, to sample a ‘bacon martini’ and peruse the manifold Psychobilly tattoos. When the music gets too loud, make for the intimate Artisan Lounge (1501 W Sahara Ave), filled to the brim with leather and gilt, where after-hours events can assume a decidedly Burlesque character.

Nature

After a few hard partying days in town, it’s a welcome relief to get out into one of the city’s more soothing natural spaces. If you’re feeling energetic, hike the 10.3 mile Las Vegas Valley trail to the cool summit of Mount Charleston, accessible from the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, or tramp the stunning desert trails of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

For gentler outdoor recreation, visit the 180-acre Springs Preserve (333 S. Valley View Blvd), with wetland trails, 400 tree species, and a 3D movie illuminating all things environmental in the area. A little further afield, spot birds along the meandering pathways of the Clark County Wetlands Park (7050 Wetlands Park Lane), or head back in time to discover the petroglyphs of the Valley of Fire State Park, an easy hour’s drive from the city centre.

Taken from the latest USA guide, we give you some of the dishes that are truly Texas-born and bred. Better have an appetite as big as the Lone Star State!

Corny dogs

These cornbread-batter-dipped hot dogs on a stick were created in 1948 by Neil Fletcher for the State Fair of Texas; Fletcher’s still sells ’em there; now available with jalapeño cornbread too.

Shiner Bock

The state’s favourite amber ale came to be when Kosmos Spoetzl brought Bavarian brewing to Shiner, Texas, in 1914. Available countrywide, it’s still brewed at Spoetzl Brewery (603 E Brewery St, Shiner). Take a tour and take home some wonders from the gift shop.

Chicken-fried bacon

You’ve heard of steak coated and deep-fried like chicken, but the taste (and heart-attack factor) was taken to new heights when Sodolak’s (9711 Fm 60 E, Snook), near Bryan-College Station, started cooking bacon the same way in the early 1990s.

Dr Pepper

A pharmacist in a Waco drugstore-soda shop invented this aromatic cola in the 1880s. Taste the original sugarcane formula at the first bottling plant, Dublin Dr Pepper (105 E Elm St, Dublin) where you can visit the museum and take a tour. Don’t forget to pick up some Dr Pepper cake mix at the gift-and-ice-cream shop.

Reckon you could take this kind of chow? have you tried that chicken-fried bacon? Share your gastronomic dares below, or talk other types of grub with the foodies on the forum’s Get Stuffed branch.

With Halloween and Day of the Dead fast approaching, it’s only natural that our thoughts turn to subjects spooky and supernatural. Kids running around in ghost costumes…charismatic vampires…moonlit cemeteries – they’re all part of the fiendish fun.

But for many travellers, visiting cemeteries gives them a thrill no matter what time of year it is. And so, in no particular order, we give you some of our favourite afterlife attractions.

Cimitière du Montparnasse, Paris

Père Lachaise may be Paris’ big-name cemetery, hosting legends like Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison in its leafy grounds, but Montparnasse has its own charms. Namely, an all-star cast of resting residents – Serge Gainsbourg, Man Ray, Charles Baudelaire and Julio Cortázar to name a few – plus pretty landscaping that provides just the kind of tranquillity you’d hope for in the hereafter….

Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles

They didn’t want to be buried in a Pet Sematary, and they’re not. Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone ended up somewhere far ritzier: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, to be precise. Recently restored, this gorgeous graveyard is also home to some of Hollywood’s finest, including Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks and Cecil B. DeMille.

Waverley Cemetery, Sydney

Broaden your horizons at Waverley Cemetery – in the form of a sweeping cliff-top panorama between Bronte and Coogee beaches. On a sunny day, this slightly ramshackle graveyard is beautiful; in winter, there’s something almost Wuthering Heights about it. Either way, it’s got ocean views to die for.

Capuchin Cemetery, Rome

Sure, they’re all about the dearly departed, but how often are cemeteries actually decorated with them? In the crypt cemetery attached to the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Concezione, the ancient bones of some 4000 deceased Capuchin monks form a surreal subterranean swirl of light fittings, arches and ceiling details. Skeletons clad in religious robes drive the message home: death happens to the best of us.

Pyramids of Giza, Cairo

While not really a cemetery in the conventional sense, the ancient Pyramids of Giza are an enduring – and enduringly enigmatic – testament to death and the afterlife. More than 4000 years after their construction, these incredible structures continue to mystify and amaze. How were they built? Why the astronomical alignment? Whatever happened to the Sphinx’s nose?

Panteón Civil de Dolores, Mexico City

Clocking in at an impressive 1,000,000 sq m, this mammoth necropolis is Mexico’s largest. While not as picturesque as some of the other cemeteries on this list, the Panteón Civil de Dolores is worth a visit for its Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres (Rotunda of Distinguished Persons), where many of Mexico’s most heroic and beloved figures are buried, including Diego Rivera and Dolores del Río.

Cementerio de la Recoleta, Buenos Aires

La Recoleta’s reputation precedes it: as the final resting place of none other than Eva Perón, its place in Buenos Aires’ heart is assured. But while Evita occupies top billing here, she’s ably supported by a veritable Who’s Who of defunct Argentine VIPs, an imposing neo-classical entrance, serene tree-lined walkways and some eye-poppingly ornate mausoleums.

Highgate Cemetery, London

Grand, gothic and gloriously atmospheric, Highgate is home to the tombs of Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, George Eliot – even Charles Dickens’ parents. It provided a suitably spooky setting for the Hammer Horror epic Dracula AD 1972, while its infamous resident vampire caused a media frenzy back in 1970. Graveyard ghouls, this one’s for you!

Poets’ Mausoleum (Maqbaratoshoara), Tabriz

And now for something completely different. Tabriz’ marvellous Poets’ Mausoleum is a dramatic modernist building bearing little resemblance to any other tomb you’ll come across in your travels. Designed as a tribute to Persian poets, scholars and mystics, it forms an impressive focal point in a graveyard dating back almost a millennium.

Morbid or romantic? Quirky or just plain weird? Cemetery tourism is a documented phenomenon, but not everyone’s a fan. Do you visit graveyards when you travel, or do you stick to the land of the living? We’d love to hear your cemetery sentiments…

Catching a glimpse of a geisha scurrying to an appointment in the narrow streets of Kyoto’s Gion entertainment district is a moment of pure magic. With their startling white faces and brilliant kimono, they seem equal parts alien and apparition. If you’re like most travellers, you may find it hard to believe your own eyes when you see one of these exquisite beings.

According to most estimates, there are about 1000 geisha in Japan, and many of them live and work in Kyoto, where they are properly known as geiko. Kyoto is also home to tomaiko (apprentice geiko), who are girls between the ages of 16 and 20 who are in the process of completing the four or five years of study it takes to become a fully fledged geiko. It’s easy to tell the difference between the two: Maiko wear elaborate hairpins in their own hair and elaborate kimono, while geiko wear wigs with only the simplest ornamentation (usually just a boxwood comb) and simpler kimono.

A living tradition

The origins of today’s geisha (geiko and maiko) can be traced back to the Edo Period (1600–1868), although they became most popular during the Taisho Period (1912–1926). To answer the most common question regarding geisha: they are most definitely not prostitutes. Rather, geisha are highly skilled entertainers, who entertain guests at private parties and dinners. In many ways, geisha are living embodiments of Japanese traditional culture: each one is well versed in traditional dancing, singing, musical instruments and occasionally other arts such as tea ceremony and ikebana (flower arrangement).

An evening of geisha entertainment often begins with an exquisite meal of kaiseki (Japanese haute-cuisine). During the meal, the geisha will chat with guests, pour drinks and light cigarettes. Following dinner, the geisha may dance to music provided by a jikata, who plays the traditional, three-stringed shamisen. Geisha may also engage the guests in a variety of drinking games, at which they excel, almost always resulting in guests getting progressively sozzled.

Geisha events

Considering the cost of a geisha’s training and kimono, it’s hardly surprising that geisha entertainment is quite expensive: dinner for two guests with one geisha runs about US$700 and parties with a jikata and two or more geisha easily tops US$1000 (making geisha entertainment a better idea for groups of travellers than individuals). These days, some hotels and ryokan in Kyoto offer regular geisha events for guests. If you happen to be in Kyoto in the spring or fall, the geisha dances put on by the city’s five geisha districts should be considered must-sees. For those who want to arrange private geisha entertainment, it can be done through private tour companies and high-end ryokan and hotels. Finally, if you spot a woman who looks like a geisha wandering through the tourist districts of Kyoto during the daytime trailed by a photographer, you can be pretty sure she’s a tourist who’s paid to be made up as a geisha, and not a real maiko or geiko!

It’s the rainy season in Southeast Asia. Don’t worry, it probably won’t rain all the time – probably just in the afternoon (admittedly, rather a lot). Even though the rainy season gets a bad reputation, chances are you’ll get sunny, dry mornings and some unexpected bonuses:

• Cooler temperatures: in a lot of Asia, the rain drops the mercury and provides some sweet relief from the heat. You may get wet, but you won’t melt.
• Fewer tourists: you don’t often get a chance to feel alone in Asia. If getting a bit of space is what you’re after, the rainy season is your best bet.
• Lower prices: more splashing of the water, less splashing of the cash. Fewer travellers and lighter demand on accommodation and services means lower prices.
• Greener greenery: every cliché you’ve ever heard about the lush greens of the tropics is true. You really haven’t seen green till you’ve seen green in the tropical wet season.
• Easier storm-chasing: There’s actually no chasing to be done. Just hunker down somewhere dry with a view (bars are good for this) and watch nature work her magic. Watching tropical storms roll in is pretty spectacular.
• Better photos: lightning, dramatic colour changes, dark storm clouds – these are the ingredients of photos way cooler than the blue-skies-and-fluffy-white-clouds kind.
• Great excuses: there’s nothing like a bit of torrential rain for an excuse to just do nothing. Lie in bed and listen to the rain. Sit under a deck and watch it. Read. Play cards. Be on holiday. Don’t feel guilty about not exploring that cave or climbing that mountain.
• Funnier sights: sit back and watch those who don’t let the rain ruin their parade – plastic-poncho-clad school kids balancing umbrellas on bicycles; hundreds of brollie-wielding pedestrians passing one another in the street without causing injury (more photo opps).
• More excuses: if you get caught out, and get stuck at a shelter or a bar (oops) while the storm hits, chances are you won’t be alone, and if ever there were a legitimate time to engage in a conversation with a stranger (maybe start with the weather)…
• Try out a trip in the wet season. You’ll be in for a treat.

So, where will you watch the rain from?

Read up on Asia, pick a destination, grab our Southeast Asia on a shoestring guide and go!