BBC

Every journey starts with one small step, to paraphrase Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. But some journeys contain more steps than others.

Some cities run on money, while others run on politics, but Boston runs on learning. Ever since Harvard College was founded in 1636, a cool 140 years before the US became a nation, Boston's higher education institutions have been the preeminent driving force in the city's development. Nowadays, the Greater Boston area is home to dozens of colleges and universities, an ever-renewable source of creativity, energy and innovation, fuelling everything from arts and culture to science and technology to sports and recreation. Travellers can experience this dynamism first-hand by visiting university museums, exploring the campuses or attending performances or sporting events to get a glimpse of college life.

Thousands of golfers travel to Scotland each year, where the game originated. Many make the pilgrimage to the country's historic courses, from the dramatic hills of the Royal Dornoch in the Highlands to the coastal plains of St Andrews, home of the revered Old Course and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Amritsar, a north Indian city of two million people, is famous for many things: delectable cuisine, its historical old town and the spectacular Golden Temple – the most significant shrine of the Sikh religion. Yet, what stands out everywhere, from the temple to the people in the streets, is a feeling of generosity that is linked to the very founding of the city.

Paratha rolls – tender, juicy kebab or bite-sized chunks of grilled meat smothered with tangy chutney, garnished with onions and rolled in flaky, crispy fried flatbread (paratha) – are to Pakistanis what hot dogs are to Americans; they are at the culinary core of the frenetically paced city of Karachi. In this ethnically and linguistically diverse metropolis, paratha rolls are one of the few creations the city can proudly claim as its own. It's not so much a question of whether you've tried them, but which one is your favourite.

The ongoing debate about tipping culture in the United States has been reignited with the recent news that employees at the first-ever unionised Apple Store in the US are proposing asking for tips. It has sparked intense debate about tipping culture in North America, which people believe is getting out of control. Already, buzzwords like "guilt tipping", "tipping fatigue", "tip creep", "viral tip shaming" and "tipflation" are creeping into the lexicon.