9 things to know before visiting St Lucia

Having driven alone around Botswana and across most of southern Africa, I've learned a few things from traveling as a female. The most important lesson? Just go.

In light of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, the U.S. Department of State issued a worldwide travel advisory for U.S. citizens, encouraging enhanced caution abroad.

The Sunshine State has it all – luminous golden beaches, the Walt Disney World hustle and bustle, alligators sunbathing in the Everglades, roadside orange groves, and everything in between. 

The U.S. Department of State issued a “Worldwide Caution” alert on Thursday, warning Americans around the globe to be aware of their surroundings.

I grew up in a Mexican household in the heart of American suburbia, one of those kids who spent their childhood ping-ponging across the border. Summers meant Mexico, splitting my time between the north and west, as comfortable on janky city buses as I was body surfing on white capped waves. Adulthood meant more of the same, but instead of summer months, it was entire years, and instead of the north and west, it was the south and east. 

Guatemala is full of color and wonder, making it an exciting place for children to explore.

Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: bedbugs have taken over the city of Paris, and we are now faced with the prospect that the outbreak could travel overseas. The infestation began just before Paris Fashion Week (yes, these bugs have good taste), when reports broke of increased sightings of the insects in homes, cinemas, trains and even hospitals. Now, questions are being asked about the safety of traveling to and from Paris; what we can do to prevent the spread, and whether the critters are already settling in our mattresses. Below, we answer all your questions about travel and the bedbug spread.

While I was born and bred here in New Zealand – or Aotearoa, the country's Māori-language name – I’ve spent enough years away to understand how it’s a destination that can feel comfortingly familiar and completely strange to visitors all at once. 

On Saturday, violence erupted across Israel and Gaza in one of the worst conflicts the region has seen in decades, according to The New York Times. After Hamas militants began launching thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli towns early Saturday morning, the conflict has continued to escalate, with Israel’s military responding with massive air strikes. The violence has left thousands dead, according to CNN. Thousands more are injured on both sides.

It’s the Czech Republic — the birthplace of pilsner and the original Budweiser lager (born in Plzeň and České Budějovice, respectively). Ever since the nation split from Slovakia 30 years ago, the Czech Republic has proudly topped the charts — head and shoulders above its European neighbours. According to recent research, the average Czech puts away 184 .1 litres of beer a year — the equivalent of 324 pints.

Israel has declared it is at war after militants from the fundamentalist group Hamas sprung a surprise attack on the country from Gaza.

Airlines worldwide are checking their aircraft amid reports of counterfeit documents surrounding engine parts installed in certain jet engines.