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Welcome to a world of travel, entertainment and culture, curated from a global collective of writers, photojournalists and artists. Each article of our award-winning magazine is sure to inspire, no matter which of our destinations you call home.

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Breaking the Storm, San Sebastian

San Sebastián lies at the heart of Basque country, a region with a well documented turbulent history. Could its status as a European Capital of Culture for 2016 shape a more positive future?

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The Collectors of Berlin

From spy cameras to modern art, vintage furniture to haute couture, a visit to Germany’s capital is a chance to purchase a history full of forgotten stories and secret meaning. Over the course of one thousand years a city can reveal a hoard of historical wealth.

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Walking with Giants: Trekking in India

The Singalila Ridge in west Bengal is known for its stunning views, wandering bears, and the occasional burly border guard. Naturally, we sent a writer there to go trekking

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The Five Foot Way, Singapore

Many Singaporean entrepreneurs are turning their backs on the high-rise glitz and glamour of the business district and returning to their downtown roots, where a revival of the nation’s colourful architectural heritage is taking place...

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Walking the Hill-tribe Path, Thailand

Northern Thailand is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world. Mark Eveleigh treks into the mountains near the Myanmar border, following the ‘hill-tribe path’.

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The Last Train

With plans in place to modernise India’s railway, the classic journey through the subcontinent could soon be a thing of the past.

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Ready To Fly: Jetman Dubai

You might have seen a video recently. A crazy video of two men flying over Dubai alongside an Emirates A380. Here’s where you find out how.

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Ghosts of the Glasgow Rock School

Twenty-five years since it first opened, live music venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut is still the epicentre for British rock ’n’ roll.

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The Last Stand of the Northern White Rhino, Nairobi

Oi Pejeta Conservancy is home to the last male northern white rhino on the planet.

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Aardehuis, Amsterdam

Back in 2005 a Dutchman named Paul Hendriksen had an idea. He dreamed of creating a self-built sustainable community with zero negative environmental impact; one in total harmony with its surroundings.

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Art and Architecture Along the Rhine

The art world descends on Basel this month, but you don’t have to be a gallerist to get the most out of this city.

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Winning Away: Relocating to Spain

These are the ups and downs of a fresh start in a foreign country.

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Olympic Hopes

On August 5, the world’s first refugee team will walk out for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

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Race Town

Newmarket might appear like just another quaint and picturesque English market town, but behind its sleepy exterior lies the very heartbeat of British horse racing.

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The Rural Olympians

Every year, in a small village in the northwest corner of India, there’s a sporting event so obscure and unusual that it can occasionally appear more myth than reality.

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Number 7, Dublin

Once a forgotten part of Dublin’s north inner city, the area around Smithfield and Stoneybatter has undergone something of a renaissance in recent years.

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The Forgotten Civilisation

In the heart of Anatolia lies Cappadocia, a region forged by thousands of years of brutal weather, volcanic activity... and war

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A Dubai Shark Tale, Dubai

With shark populations in the wild at critical levels, Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo is at the forefront of groundbreaking work to revive, not only numbers, but also a hard-bitten reputation.

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Riffing in Manila

Manila holds a wide array of exciting and hidden spots, if you’re willing to look for them.

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For The Love Of Odd

Jon Ronson has made a career out of peeking into life’s dark corners.

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The Walk of Life

A journey on foot from Mexico to Colombia, through eight countries and the most dangerous stretch of jungle in the world. Levison Wood takes some stopping…

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Gold Rush Ghost Town

A perfectly preserved gold rush town, Bodie in California has been left in a permanent state of stasis.

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Club Class

The Arts Club is just as relevant today as it was when it was launched by Charles Dickens in 1863.

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All of the Lights

Taiwan’s lanterns are far more than ancient decorative lamps. They’re a rich portal into the country’s history and culture.

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A Dubai Adventure

How a theme park rose out of the desert to save your summer.

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Fairytale of New York

The bright, hazy colours of New York, as captured by American photographer Marvin E Newman, reveal what life in the city was truly all about

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Jumping the shark

It took just two musical notes in John Williams’ famous Jaws core to do it. An alternating E and F that created a fear of sharks in 1975 that exists to this day. But by racking their movements and learning more about them, perhaps our perceptions can change

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Fashion Week

In 1993 New York Fashion Week was created. It now attracts more than 230,000 people annually and generates a little under a billion dollars for the local economy.

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The third wave

Anything but a simple hipster fad, coffee is taken seriously in San Francisco, and ordering a cup in this city means more than just buying a drink – it’s a way of life.

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Inside the mind of Franco Dragone

“I know that I have to come to see the show tonight. And that I’m scared,” says Franco Dragone, the man behind Dubai’s first ever permanent theatrical production.

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The Hidden treasures in Italian libraries

In the madness of late spring at San Marco Square in Venice, amid the hordes pouring in from land and sea, I found the still point of the turning world. I found it in the library.

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Life on Mars

Companies, not countries, compete in what’s been called the new space race; and the founders of them believe they have all the technology needed to land humans on Mars – perhaps as soon as 2022.

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Stalking Mozart

Leopold Mozart would have admired the marketing skills of the persistent young men in ratty wigs and fraying red waistcoats who prowl Stephansplatz, Vienna’s central square.

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Revolution in Paris

The photography of Marilyn Stafford lay largely unnoticed for 30 years, which is surprising when you consider Albert Einstein and Edith Piaf were among her subjects. But with fashion weeks around the world set for this month, we feature a woman whose images portrayed a seismic shift in the life and styles of women around the world

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An Impression of the future

The Van Gogh Alive exhibition in Dubai this month is set to entertain as well as educate. But could it also represent the future of how we enjoy art?

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David Beckham: The Savior of Soccer

As a player David Beckham helped transform football in America when he left Real Madrid for LA Galaxy. Now, as part owner of a new franchise in Miami, just how can he help take the game to the next level?

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Back on track

Cambodia’s mothballed Royal Railway is back in service after 14 years, and putting the country’s lesser-visited southern region firmly on the map

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How to eat like an Italian

Ancestral flavours infuse the age-old gastronomy of Italy’s southeastern region of Puglia, where family is the main ingredient

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London Swings

A group of musicians has slowly built a scene that has the whole world listening without the help of major record labels, big venues or mainstream media. Nobody really knows what to call it. For now, we’ll call it jazz. London jazz.

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How Tokyo skateboarders made their mark

Their pavements are busier, their surfaces are rougher, and their guards are stricter. This is how, against all odds, Tokyo’s skaters have created their own explosive scene, set under a Olympic backdrop

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Russia's food scene

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, tourists slowly started to return to Russia. This enigmatic land famous for its Lada cars and iconic space programme was opening up, and the world wanted a taste. Guidebooks from that era – while making great noise about Moscow’s palatial Metro stations and winter sunbathing at a famous fortress in St Petersburg – were suspiciously quiet about restaurant recommendations. And for good reason.

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An event for the world

When Dubai was confirmed as host city for Expo 2020, the announcement kickstarted a massive project to prepare the emirate for the staging of the biggest event ever seen in the Middle East. With two years to go, how is the region’s first ever World Expo shaping up?

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Face value

Have we lost our lust for logos?

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Take a stroll around the city

Life began to take shape in Dubai by the 18th Century.  Now, modern and ancient neighbourhoods alike serve to parcel up the city – each with their own distinct flair.

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China's Canal Heaven

Drenched in neon light and decorated by a forest of skyscrapers and elevated highways, Shanghai embodies the modern nation China has become. But only 80km away a historic canal town reveals what China once was.

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Chikmagalur – Coffee country and beyond

From historic temples to wildlife reserves, the birthplace of Indian coffee is an unsuspectingly vibrant destination

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Beyond diamonds

A taste for rare gemstones and royal provenance encapsulates the palate of Dubai’s collectors. But in a market where physical auctions haven’t taken off, how can the UAE establish itself as a jewellery hub?

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Star Power

New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island is one of the best places on Earth to view the constellations, but that’s just part of what makes it special

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The surprise that changed our lives

Does the world today look like what you imagined a decade ago?

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Building the tallest tower on earth

Can a record-breaking skyscraper be discreet? Santiago Calatrava’s idea for a new structure, and resultant city-form in Dubai, pays credence to the theory

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How to hold an audience

For decades, UK DJ Tony Blackburn has captivated listeners, from Top Of The Pops to Radio 1. What’s his magic formula?

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King of your castle

Bored with your country’s politics – why not make your own? This is the truly eccentric world of micronations

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Driving the beloved country

A literary pilgrimage inspired by Alan Paton

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Does Australia have a national cuisine?

Sofia Levin talks to roasters, writers and chefs in an attempt to define the country best known for its barbecue

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Shooting Stars

Richard McLaren on capturing Mandela, and the eternal magic of film photography

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The Lunatic Express is no longer

The train that ran from Nairobi to Mombasa had a reputation – and it wasn’t a good one. Now, the commute has become an unlikely tourist trap, as travellers seize on the chance to see the Big 5 from their train seat

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Conquering the desert

What does it mean to cross a land most consider uninhabitable? These days, the allure is less about conquering uncharted territory – and more about finding oneself

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Greenify the city of lights

Farmers in Paris? Bahoui. Meet five French agriculteurs who are sourcing straight from their city’s walls, rooftops and tunnels

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The Rebirth of the Hamlet.

The Rebirth of the Hamlet. Can an olive grove beat the colosseum?

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The feast of revival

At the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia is emerging as a crossroads for travellers from near and far – as it was centuries ago

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Taming the Wild Atlantic Way

Ireland’s west coast has been reinvented – by a tourist board

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Sky Safari

Scientists are making their way to South Africa, as a remote desert town hosts the world’s largest radio telescope

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Turning the pages

In the UAE, the festivals, bookshops, readers and writers that make up the country are on fine form

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EXPO 2020 Dubai's remarkable structures will reflect a galaxy of starchitects

A glittering array of talent has been assembled to create the incredible home of The World’s Greatest Show

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Romania's springs tap a region's deep history

One morning in the small Transylvanian mountain resort of Baile Homorod, in Romania, travellers and residents gathered under the shade of a wooden canopy near three streams of sparkling spring water to fill up a row of empty bottles.

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Eating with our eyes

The digital era has reinforced the reign of food visuals. But is there hope beond rainbow bagels?

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Houston, We Have A Barbecue Renaissance

In a Texan city where almost a quarter of residents are born overseas, the traditional bbq is undergoing a cultural awakening

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Out of the rough

As Yangon plants itself on the tourist map, its favourite sport is getting a 21st century makeover

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Pulped Fiction, Oslo

Something’s going on in Norway. It involves the greatest writers of our generation, poets yet to be born, and a project like no other. The only problem is, nobody can see it until 2114. This is the premise of Future Library: 100 trees are being planted.

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Manila Rising

Manila is abuzz. A new creative culture is transforming this Asian megacity, driven by a young, forward-thinking generation. The burgeoning contemporary art scene has spawned a slew of galleries to discover.

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The Impossible Dream, Disneyland, Los Angeles

Disneyland turns 60 this month, on July 17 to be exact – a remarkable achievement considering most people thought the park wouldn’t even last a year.

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Underground in Stockholm

The world’s longest art exhibition spans decades as well as kilometres. It borrows from the artistic pioneers of the 1950s and highlights the avant garde artists of the modern day.

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How Tokyo changed the world

From sushi and tiny technology to manga and console gaming, the Japanese capital is responsible for many of the things we take for granted in modern living.

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Magnificent Sevens

With sides from all over the world competing at events such as the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, not to mention its Olympics bow under a year away, sevens is gaining some serious traction.

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From There To Eternity: Frank Sinatra and Twin Palms

December 15 marks the centenary of the birth of Francis Albert Sinatra – a skinny kid from Hoboken, New Jersey, who went on to conquer the world.

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A Force To Be Reckoned With

It’s now impossible to imagine a world without it, but there was a period – a long time ago – the question on everyone’s lips in Hollywood was, “Why would anyone want to make Star Wars?”

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The Auckland Plan

From cool urban districts to lush rolling greenery, perfect surf to some of the best beaches on Earth, New Zealand’s largest city is more than worth the trip.

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Going Home Again, Newcastle

What’s it like to return to a place after years away? We sent a native back to North East England after a long absence.

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The Real Magical Mystery Tour

The Beatles’ journey to India came at a time when, as band they were on top of the world, but as individuals they were in search of answers.

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On The Road With The Champ

In 1974, Muhammad Ali was about to face a hulking George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle – the biggest test of his career to date.

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How China Made Its Move, Beijing

China has finally got into the international movie business, and considering its wealth and resources, it could soon dominate the entire shooting match.

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Cultural Capital

We examine what’s driving the lit-fest boom, starting with the Emirates Airline Festival Of Literature.

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Cultural Capital

While the US space programme has been buffeted by recession, waning public interest and a sceptical White House, China’s spacefaring ambitions have gone into orbit.

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Urban Beekeeping, Dublin

Could homegrown honey become the Irish Capital’s new Guinness?

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The Kings of Schwing

From farmers’ pastime to a national phenomenon capturing the imagination of a country, schwingen is the greatest sport you don’t know about.

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Being President, Washington DC

The new man in Washington has one of the most important jobs on the planet, and it has accumulated numerous quirks, traditions and privileges over the years. Here’s what lies ahead for Donald Trump in the US capital...

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Born to Rewild, Denmark

Bison, elks and even elephants could soon be a familiar sight on the Danish landscape, thanks to two pioneering conservation projects in the Jutland Peninsula.

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The Wave

Surfing isn’t a sport, it’s a lifestyle choice, and for a group of older surfers in California, riding waves doesn’t just have the power to change lives – it can save them too.

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The Real Meal Deal

In a city boasting 79 Michelin stars, Tripadvisor’s 2017 list of its top London restaurants might just surprise you.

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Up Close and Primal

Two national parks in Uganda are giving tourists the opportunity to encounter wild gorillas and chimps in closer proximity than ever before.

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Freemason's Hall, London

Buried among the bars and boutiques of historic Covent Garden is the global headquarters of the world’s oldest social group.

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Straight Outta Cramlington, Newcastle

For a long time, British hip hop meant London hip hop. But the rest of the UK is now finding its voice, so we sent a writer to explore the scene in Newcastle.

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Swim Club

From swimming wild in some of London’s most historic parks to stylish bathing in retro lidos, Londoners are taking the plunge like never before.

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How Melbourne feeds itself

Something’s growing in the city – a food project that’s not only planting seeds for a healthy and sustainable future but one that is also cultivating community spirit

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The king of Naples

How Diego Maradona took Napoli to the Serie A title, before falling foul of the mafia and leaving Naples in disgrace. None of which prevented him from becoming the city’s favourite son

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The City Rising

As the three-year countdown to Expo 2020 begins, we examine how the world’s fair will allow the passion, industry and endeavour of Dubai to connect minds and power amazing ideas around the globe.

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The price of being Joly

After a nomadic career making chat shows, travel programmes and one of the most anarchic comedy shows on television, Dom Joly has rediscovered the joy of a hidden camera.

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The Crossroads of Civilisations

A lot has happened since the groundbreaking announcement of Louvre Abu Dhabi. I mean, a lot does happen in 10 years; so more than anything it was perhaps a collective sigh of relief that greeted news of its November 11 opening.

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Has the face of adventure changed forever?

There is an underlying fear that luxury and edge-of-the-world danger could eventually coalesce into some outrageously expensive mix. Are we looking at velvet-lined helicopter trips over the Amazon, with David Attenborough live-narrating through an intercom? Or perhaps a Segway trip through Panama’s perilous Darién Gap?

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Fight City

Las Vegas might well be known as the home of world boxing, but how did it pinch the crown from New York, and does it now face a scrap of its own to hang on to the big-money title?

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Welcome to the future of Wellness Travel

Pure oxygen tanks in the corridor, a cryosauna in the gym and a carefully prepared macrobiotic meal three times a day - just another day at a modern-day wellness resort

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Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and the art of slam

As this month’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature prepares to celebrate poetry, we examine how the art form is evolving in our digital age. Featuring Afra Atiq, Emi Mahmoud, Harry Baker, Zeina Hashem Beck, Hind Shoufani and Imtiaz Dharker

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The road trip to Scotland's Route 66

The North Coast 500 is known as Scotland’s Route 66, but just why isn’t the classic road trip a bigger part of British culture? We faced the Beast from the East head-on to find out

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How Dubai was built

Ever wondered how Dubai’s superstructures were built? Read on to see how a city rose from the desert.

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Still making history

The QE2 is one of the most revered ocean liners that the world has ever seen. But after a life at sea, it now has a new purpose in Dubai... and it’s still making waves

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The lights of Rome

As the World Cup begins in Russia, Ali Khaled, editor of FourFourTwo Arabia and director of Anwar Roma, looks back on a UAE national team that defied all the odds to qualify for Italia 90, and the movie he helped create that tells its unforgettable story

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Painting a city

Anathema to graffiti purists, street art has been embraced the world over, particulary in Dubai. But can it be pushed creatively?

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The Middle East’s Radical Green Designs

How green could the UAE really be? With a renewed desire for ecological sustainability and the credentials to back it up, a new breed of architects are slowly turning over a new leaf in the country

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The dancers of Dubai

From viral challenges to heritage dances, the artform has taken off in the city

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Food for thought

Down on Norway’s southernmost tip is a restaurant like no other in Europe.

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Oman: Rocked in the cradle of scent

Timeless Oman has a long connection with fragrance – but its most beguiling scent is found in a surprising place

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Monaco's mid-century glamour

In the world’s second smallest country, nestled on the scenic Côte d’Azur, unrestrained leisure is an art form.

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Money for nothing

Conor Purcell speaks to a presidential candidate who aims to use Universal Basic Income to combat the coming AI upheaval

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A return to Analogue

Inside Philadelphia’s sweeping 30th street station, passengers wait for their trains while departure times appear on an old split-flap display – letters and numbers shuffling every few minutes with a distinctive clickity-clack sound

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The Revolution will be Televised

Conor Purcell examines how a once-humble medium has been utterly transformed

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After hours

From Berlin to London, New York to Seoul, nightclubs are shutting down, at an alarming rate. Is it just a change in the past-times of youth – or is something else afoot?

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It’s spring, and culture is in the air

From a Creekside ode to the contemporary to monumental sculptures at the Louvre, this is the season of culture in Dubai. Laura Egerton, local cultural commentator and curator, makes a case for why art around the region has never been so vibrant.

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Hard Bop

An unlikely place for jazz? But Helsinki is making tradition with its clean sound

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They’ve got the whole wide world in their hands

China’s One Belt One Road initiative is the largest infrastructure project in history. So what’s driving china’s expansion and what will the consequences be for the rest of the world? Conor Purcell investigates.

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Local luxury

Dubai has a tradition in tailoring that spans decades. Now, the city is branching out to embrace every kind of fashion

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The age of influence

How the influencer phenomenon could alter luxury travel marketing forever.

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The Year of Tolerance

In a momentous global event, the UAE’s Year of Tolerance promises an acceptance that goes beyond mere race or gender

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Selling air

Short on footprint, long on sky, New York’s ‘supertall’ skyscrapers stand accused of zombie urbanism. Conor Purcell examines the claims

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The Weather Report

A photo essay by Marzena Skubatz

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Keepers of the mountain

The Bedouin women of Egypt’s South Sinai are rarely seen in public. Now, guiding tourists through the desert they know so intimately, they seek to forge their own path

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Get the shot

For Dubai’s wildlife photographers, an unlikely city proved the perfect jumping-off point to capture some of the rarest animals on earth

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One year to go

192 Countries. Millions of people. The world's greatest show is only 12 month away.

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What does it take to make a million dollar company?

Dubai’s potential unicorns and the viability of the city’s startup scene

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Get the look

In Dubai, a new city aesthetic abounds

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Fishing for plastic whales

Arguably one of the most eco-conscious cities in the world, Amsterdam locals attempt to break down why they are so gung-ho about going green

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Home to roast

Meet the artisans behind Dubai’s homegrown coffee brands – stamping their own unique signature on a centuries-old coffee culture

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Skilled labour

When a night job becomes a vocation

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Daughter and Dad, chasing salmon in Upstate New York

Daughter and Dad, chasing salmon in Upstate New York

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Does public art heal?

From South Korea to Christchurch, public art is responding to cities’ characters

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Saving the lady of the reef

Could a flight help protect one of the world’s greatest wonders?

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The unstoppable rise of sushi

The story of sushi is the story of Japan, of globalisation and of soft power. So how did this unassuming dish conquer the world?

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