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One of America’s most famous wild and scenic walks follows the Rogue River through Oregon’s backlands. Lindsay Salt finds a few well-spent dollars can mean the wilderness experience is complemented by some quite sophisticated comforts along the way.

Georgia’s gorgeous, says Benjamin Mack, as he explores the Kutaisi region. Despite being close to South Ossetia, where Russian forces recently clashed with separatist Georgians, this is a calm oasis of monks and monasteries, castles and caves.

The standard images of Japan aren’t immediately obvious to Nicholas Sumner, who finds the reality more pressured and oppressive. As with most of his book, ‘Available Light’, this extract is more about travel than the photography that paid his way.

Australasia’s major icons are unmissable, but there’s plenty more to see down under. Nellie Lawrence rounds up five alternative places to see and things to do when travelling in Oz.

Anna Greenwood spent two-and-a-half months living in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Bylakuppe, Southern India. In this conversation with Geshe la, a learned monk who also taught at the school, she sees how cultures come together through the experiences of life.

A weekend TEFL course taught Amy Renders everything she needed to know about teaching English abroad and started a spurt of paid-for travel. She says it was easy to use her native language to tour Latin America and later Europe. This is the story of her TEFL trail…

You don’t have to celebrate a marriage with expensive time on a sun-kissed beach. Grace O’Reilly heads instead to Germany’s leading city to shop around for gifts.

All inclusive luxury is just part of the package that will make for a fairytale wedding in the Samabe Bali Resort and Villas, due to open in February 2013. Agnes D Herdiasti runs through your options to plan a marriage made in heaven.

Professional vagrant Jonathan Engels has learnt a thing or two about shopping in his years of travel. Enough to share his five top tips for intelligently buying souvenirs.

Liuwa Plains is one of Zambia’s least-visited National Parks. Jonathan Trollip’s safari diary shows it’s well worth the journey as there’s plenty of drama in this remote haven for African wildlife.

For the first-time visitor to China it’s hard to resist the country’s major attractions. Alex Harvey runs through the most popular cities that feature heavily on most tour-operator itineraries.

While the world’s largest user-generated travel review site does little to check its content, Europe’s leading rival makes every effort to make sure every word is genuine. Jeremy Lemoine is pretty clear about which is better.

Honeymooms are something of a nightmare to plan. Usually it’s easiest to throw money at the problem and end up, broke, in a luxury beach resort. K Jonathan Ogden opts instead for Cambodia, with a river beach and waterfall Jacuzzi,

Daniel Reeds thought he was well-travelled and that nothing would surprise him, but a casually undertaken trip to Madagascar blew his equanimity. Here he describes how a journey planned to top up his tan led him to rethink his priorities.

In the boom years of America’s Gold Rush, tiny four-house Sacramento swelled into a city in just a few months. Roy Stevenson finds the atmosphere of the Wild West lives on in its restored heart.

The Canadian character is often overshadowed by their big neighbours to the south. But French Canada is different again. Chris Edwards finds school French returning on a trip from Montreal to Quebec, and then on to La Gaspésie.

Almaty sounds a dismal place, but luckily there’s no need to visit. Settle back instead and read this extract from Tom Coote’s book, ‘Tearing up the Silk Road’ and save yourself Kazakhstan’s extortionate hotel rates.

Though strangely forgotten now, between the two World Wars Mary Petre Bruce set countless records in motoring, boat and aviation races. In her new biography, ‘Queen of Speed’, Nancy R Wilson tells how Mrs Bruce became the first woman to complete the Monte Carlo Rally.

As it becomes acceptable to visit Burma, Asia’s most enchanting country is bracing itself for a flood of Western visitors. Hope Loudon is quick off the blocks but finds repression still very much alive in Myanmar today.

The Nazis are remembered for many things, but their extravagant taste in personal gifts is largely unsung. Swatee Chaturvedi visits Eagle’s Nest, a mountaintop chalet present from Martin Bormann

Of all the USA’s great cities, the capital of Massachusetts is one of the oldest – and best for culture vultures. Monica Martinez rounds up Boston’s prime attractions.

Colombia’s pretty safe now but it wasn’t always. At about beer o’clock on a 2005 evening James Sinclair, along with every other guest in a Tayrona National Park lodge, was rounded up by masked men with guns. Kidnappers? Thieves? Or worse? Read on..

Shockingly, it’s virtually impossible to now to drive the length of Africa: fifty years ago it was doable, if not easy. Ivor Wild should know: he made the journey in a VW Combi that was already elderly when he set out.

Nicholas Sumner’s new book, ‘Available Light’, recounts his life as a travel photographer. In this extracts he visits Brunei, South-east Asia’s tiny oasis of lavish oil wealth, and explores its vast but underwhelming adventure park.

Charlie Walker’s adventures across central Asia continue with a 600-mile expedition across Mongolia, helped by a horse. Maybe calling the animal ‘Nicky’ was tempting fate…

John Gimlette’s book, ‘Wild Coast’, has just been shortlisted for the Dolman Travel Book Prize. This extract from his wanderings around South America’s little-visited Guianas makes it clear it should win.

It’s still possible to travel around the UK in the opulent surroundings of a luxury train. Aki Schilz boards the British Pullman for a leisurely tour of England’s regional cities.

Despina Meris finds Thailand’s Indian Ocean coast has plenty to entertain her family gathering. The ages range from seven to seventy but it’s the young who get the biggest surprises.

Six hours at the Kazakhstan border aren’t nearly enough to stop the traders determined to smuggle their goods through. In this extract from his new book, ‘Tearing up the Silk Road’, Tom Coote describes what turns into something of an adventure.

It takes a special effort for Matt Point to get to tiny Montenegro. But how could he miss seeing Cetinje? He rents a car and heads for the highlands.

The Great North Swim is one of the UK’s most celebrated sporting events, as five thousand swimmers brave the cool waters of Lake Windermere. Nellie Lawrence reviews this year’s race – and looks forward to 2013

One of Thailand’s iconic tourist destinations is also somewhat controversial: the large Buddhist temple that is getting rich through caring for orphaned tigers and running photo-shoots with visitors. Nolan Mascarenhas is deeply impressed.

Central America’s most beautiful country proves a happy home for timeshare salesman Brett McCullough. He lists the attractions from the surf up.

Like many of Europe’s newer members, Bulgaria’s enthusiasm for the Euro is starting to fade. At a recession-bound ski resort Nick Redmayne takes the pulse of an economy in intensive care.

While the TV cameras are trained on the Olympic Games, the rest of Britain’s regions continue daily life. Lorna Keaton says there’s plenty more to see and do.

The stretch of road that hugs the southern coastline of Victoria is one of the world’s great drives. Trouble is it’s long. It takes writer/photographer Chris Dobie three attempts – and 15 years – to finally rent a (working) motorhome for his greatest-ever family road trip.

There’s a lot to see in France’s greatest city and Jerry Herman hasn’t long to see it all. A Museum Pass helps him dive deep and fast into one of Europe’s cultural hubs.

Despite suffering from travel sickness, Priyanka Iyer flies in to Singapore for the simple reason that getting a visa is easy and inexpensive. Soon Southeast Asia’s model state exerts its charm.