“Just call me Britney” is the start of a confusing encounter for Justin Herman as he drinks expensive whisky in a Bangkok nightclub. Luckily he keeps his head – and wallet.

For many Hong Kong is just an urban destination, with the city pursuits of shopping, grazing, and doing lunch. Antonia Graceffo, on the other hand, explores its adventurous side by joining a group ramble up the peak.

Travelling to the small village of HD Kote takes rather longer than Jo Sinclair expects, but she seems to be the only person in South India in any sort of rush.

Her first day in a Tanzanian school proves something of an eye-opener for Summer Day, as she begins to understand why African schoolkids are so well-behaved.

Punks and goths have turned London’s Camden Market into one of the UK’s leading tourist destinations, but Leisha Grebinski uncovers an undercurrent of tension as past fashions marinade in beer and hairspray.

The economic miracle that has transformed the United Arab Emirate of Dubai strikes a hollow chord with Gareth Platt, who finds little to love about an oasis of bling.

There’s a perfectly good road crossing the Nullabor Plain, the largest desert in a country with plenty to choose from. It’s an epic drive and even more of an adventure by bicycle, as Philip Martins reports.

Drones and the first stirrings of independent thought greet Matt Crawford as he travels through the remote fairy-tale world of Kim Il Sung-and-son and its wannabe international resort town of Geumgangsan.

There’s only one way to experience Britain’s Lake District landscapes, and that’s on foot, says Eric Lehman, who has the blisters to prove it. 

Morocco in Ramadan and American Barbara Foster finds herself watching a holiday friendship slide into financial exploitation – and as darkness falls on the Marrakesh suburbs it looks, for a moment, as if there’s worse to come.

Expat teacher Bianca Laleh finds the Chinese city of Qingdao retains traces of German conquest – and a friend who can watch movies on her own computer but has never used a knife and fork.

Julie Cline’s salutory tale of the manifold horrors of exploring Europe by cruise line might serve to warn vulnerable travellers of the dangers inherent in cattle-ship tourism. 

The romance of rail lives on for Gillian Auld as an unplanned weekend break sees her rattling across Europe on a lively night train for a few days amongst the mountains of Switzerland.

Forget Thai scare stories. John Dwyer encounters the kindness of a stranger when he climbs into a taxi at Bangkok airport.

Catherine Gaa really doesn’t want to spend her summer vacation in France, let alone in chaparoned by her eccentric grandfather. But she finds herself falling for the qualities of her elderly host and the Gallic charm of his friends.

The traditional advice is be careful, doing business with Armenians. But Peter Speetjens finds that, on their home ground, they’re a much gentler breed.

You don’t see many lion in Pakistan, says Menel Ahmed, so she decided to travel to Kenya. From the Masai Mara to the capital, Nairobi, she finds a country that challenges and inspires.

Cycling from New York to New Orleans isn’t all that hard, says Sarah Nelson. Until you reach the up up up of the Skyline Drive into the Appalachians, where you don’t just hit hills, but also their residents.

Alaska’s not an obvious place to set out on a bike-fide, but Justin Bilton finds the Chester Creek Trail a route into an unexpected world.

London’s morning tube is a daily rite of passage for thousands of communters. Jake Rusznyak describes his morning journey to Knightsbridge in truly horrific detail.  

The train from Nairobi to Mombasa has a somewhat faded reputation, so most people fly from Kenya’s capital to the coast. Tia Goldenberg is made of sterner stuff and brings back a rare report of a classic rail journey.

Tioman’s image as a sunkissed paradise is slightly undermined by Jane Hannon’s experience on a grass-roots Malaysian ferry service, which leaves her slightly green and glad to be alive.