Ewan McDonald sips the flavours of the Old South in Texas and New Orleans.

Europe's Christmas markets usher in a world of magical toys, local delicacies, beautiful decorations and bags of good cheer. These are the best Christmas markets, as chosen by users of booking.com.

A guided gourmet walk is a great introduction to Vancouver, discovers Leah McLennan.

A luxury river trip from Mandalay, writes Nigel Tisdall, is the stress-free way to see remote parts of Burma.

From books to bikes and beers - Shandelle Battersby looks at the best of Portland.

Prioritise and focus on quality rather than quantity in this city where there is so much to see and do, writes Donna McIntyre.

A three-hour rail trip across Sicily gives Linda Herrick a glimpse of its ghost towns.

Wynne Gray scores a seat at a victorious netball game and a ride home in a Maserati.

It's always the perfect time to catch a wave or linger on the sidewalk in this city.

Hot, quirky and sometimes sophisticated, Gertrude is a Fitzroy food hub attracting a lot of attention, writes Jesse Mulligan.

Oahu's big waves and warm waters are a magnet to all types and sizes of mammals, finds Paul Davies.

As Sarah Lang found out the hard way, here's what to do - and what not to do - on holiday in Europe.

In between eating himself to bursting, Greg Bruce enjoys the folksy, smoky blues of Atlanta, Georgia.

Miami, America's subtropical paradise, is awash with surreal but intriguing contradictions - and is all the more enjoyable for it, says Gareth Wyn Davies.

Belfast has not forgotten its troubled history but the city's future is looking brighter, finds David Mercer.

With a little help from a new friend,Wynne Gray makes it to his hotel in Newcastle.

At a grand South Australian vineyard, Winston Aldworth finds a glass of vintage port that matches his own history.

With a new air route connecting Auckland to Houston, Kiwi cruisers can head to the Caribbean.

In a town where rumours of Jimi Hendrix remain, Katie Wright finds an easy pace at which to unwind.

To mark 60 years, Disneyland has conjured up spectacular parades and fireworks, writes Peter Mitchell.

An industrial area in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been reinvented as an art, music and food hub.

A dramatic lightning display in northwest Australia is topped by turquoise sea, tumbling waterfalls and hi-def sunsets, writes Pamela Wade.

It's hard to imagine this "park in the sky" was once the domain of thundering freight trains.

Xenia Taliotis spends a day at one of the unhappiest places on Earth.

Bells, kangaroos and 25kg gold nuggets - Pamela Wade is dazzled in Perth.

Tribal rituals, war relics and the legendary 'Queen of lovemaking and drinking' are just the tip of Rabaul's iceberg, finds Andrew Stone.

Discovery of a thought-to-be extinct green crested iguana sends Malolo Island into sustainability overdrive, says Leah McLennan.

Tracey Nearmy doesn't reach Canberra but says it's about the journey, not the destination.