It looks like intrepid travelling is the only way to go this weekend - Robert Adams recounts a six month adventure around Africa with two young families in tow, whilst the tale of a strange yet beautiful drive around the glaciers (and er, penis museums) of Iceland will have you booking yourself on the next plane. Safaris and wildlife trips also feature quite heavily this week but if you're in search of something altogether more relaxing, choose from Bondi Beach (as recommended by Janet Street Porter), Cyprus and the Grand Canyon. This week’s categories are City, Escape, Outdoor/Adventure, Wildlife and History.

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With over 900 riads offering accommodation, there is no shortage of fabulous places to stay in Marrakech. The same cannot be said once you’ve stepped beyond the Palmeraie however, which is a pity, as places like the small town of Ourika in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains are some of my favourite spots in Morocco. Until now, it has felt like a well-kept secret, known only to aficionados and local residents, but now that the greatly anticipated guesthouse, Kasbah Bab Ourika is finally open, there’s an even better reason to visit – and stay – in the area.

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Freelance illustrator George Butler is on a 6 month journey, travelling from London to Timbuktu and on to the equator. Each month he will be sending Globalista an installment of his adventures, accompanied by his beautiful illustrations. Read on for the first installment of George's journey around West Africa, what you might be missing and how to go about seeing it.

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Every Laotian family sends its sons to a monastery. It offers an opportunity for secular education, as well as the study of philosophy and the disciplines of Buddhism and it freed the household of the burden of an extra mouth to feed. I spoke to several such students and all seemed content. I never felt [...]

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Everyone appreciates the extras when staying in a hotel - a decent restaurant, a pool or spa, beautiful grounds. Visitors to the Hempel then, will no doubt be impressed with The Gallery, a 145 sq m space, tucked away in the basement of the eponymous Hempel hotel, itself nestled within the enclaves of West London off Bayswater Rd.

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There is a lively debate as to which of the Mayr Clinics near Klagenfurt in Austria one should visit. So Globalista has been on a fact-finding mission, and set out below are our arguments for and against each clinic.

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The Mekong is not as epic as the Amazon, but it was always compelling and I never felt threatened or in danger. The banks were always in sight, within swimming or wading distance, should the boat hit rock or run aground. It struck me as a friendly, unspoiled environment. What surprised me were the weather [...]

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I'd been invited to join a small party of tourists who were about to embark on a rather unusual adventure. I accepted readily. It happened to be an excursion that I had dreamed of for many a year: a firsthand discovery of the Mekong River by boat.

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While seeking directions for local estancias I unexpectedly stumbled upon a gem of a hotel. The owner Tony was helping us with directions and then casually invited us to visit - a nice idea that turned quickly into a fabulous surprise. Situated in a small square park, full of centennial trees, he and his wife Roxana had crafted the ultimate hide away.

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The best kept secret of the Greek Islands, Japan's sunshine isles, the undiscovered North Cyprus, The Caymans, the Seychelles, Sardinia...seek out your paradise island this week. But, if you're like Rhymer Rigby in the FT, who equates beach holidays with minor surgery cast your eyes away from Escape and instead get under the skin of Delhi, ski in Kashmir, kayak at night, or abandon Sardinia's beaches for its rougher interior. This week we've also got a Planes, Trains and Automobiles category, which (to be truthful) is more like Mopeds, Trains and Mountain Bikes. But that just didn't have quite the same ring.

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