Away with Kumi Taguchi: ‘I am really comfortable and happy travelling on my own’

In Guardian Australia’s weekly interview about travel, the TV presenter recounts a meal in Japan that took a dark turn – and reveals the most ‘magical place’ she has ever visited

Reach for the stars: the best dark-sky destinations in Britain

This month is viewed as galaxy season in the northern hemisphere, so seek out wide open spaces around the country to gaze up into the heavens, undimmed by light pollution

For a front row view of all humans, book a seat on a long-distance train

With the little homes the passengers build for themselves out of laptops and crisps, it’s microcosmic

Heavenly stays: 10 of the best monastery breaks in Europe

From frugal retreats to luxury escapes, these convents and monasteries offer peace and spectacular locations for all faiths

To Big Sur, with love: a monastery stay on the northern California coast

High above the Pacific, a hermitage offers a world without distraction, where silence, serenity and joy reign supreme

‘We were inspired, recharged and nourished by nature’: readers’ favourite wellness trips

From mindful walking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the world

It’s like plunging under the North Pole: my mind-stretching ice dive in the French Alps

Move over wild swimming … ice diving in a frozen mountain lake and camping under the Milky Way connects you with nature at its most raw and magical

My winter campervan adventure in the Cairngorms, Scotland

A slow jaunt around the mountainous national park, on some of the highest roads in Britain, delivers dramatic scenery, frosty walks and ziplining after dark

Merchants of Venice: 10 of the city’s most beautiful historic shops

From an elegant apothercary to a jewellers in a baroque salon, these stores all have atmospheric interiors and a history of exquisite craftsmanship

Share a tip on less-known Italy

Tell us about brilliant breaks in Italy away from tourist hotspots – whether to a city, the coast or the countryside – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher

Even the black slopes are green: my eco-friendly skiing break in Austria

The carbon footprint of a skiing holiday can be as deep as a crevasse, but one Austrian resort with sustainability at its heart is mitigating its impact

Away with Anthony Burke: ‘We did yoga twice a day and listened to the monkeys and elephants at night’

In Guardian Australia’s weekly interview about travel, the Grand Designs Australia host reveals why he always packs a sketchbook, and welcomes things ‘not working out’

Three generations, one Tudor manor and some light trauma: a multi-generational break in Somerset

When an extended family go on holiday together in Portishead, it’s games, laughter – and tears for one

Mardi Gras the Balkan way – alternatives to Venice carnival

In Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, the legacy of Venetian occupation lives on in a series of spectacular carnivals that these days have a local twist

When in Rome … go where the Romans go, not the tourist crowds

The Eternal City’s monuments and museums are busy at the best of times, but there remain myriad treasures to explore that are well off the beaten track