Local tips

Nothing hits the spot quite like a local-favorite sandwich.

Osaka sits by the Pacific Ocean on a large, fertile plain. Its strong fishing and farming heritage, and a cuisine supported by its many wealthy merchants, has seen it named the “Kitchen of Japan”– just one of the reasons we've named it as one of our destinations to visit in 2019. When sniffing out the best of Osaka food, these are ten local dishes you must try.

Buenos Aires is often associated with steaks, but they are far from the most common cut served up in the parrillas (meat restaurants) of Argentina's capital. In fact, many of the cuts are different from the European or North American standards. It’s often the tastier (and cheaper) bits of beef – and a fair amount of offal – that is most popular in BA, so here’s a guide to getting the most of parrilla menu and ordering like a local.

We know that the corona crisis has had a massive impact on the tourist industry, but what about the small, independent businesses that make travel meaningful? Safari travel, for instance, has dropped off completely and – with unpaid salaries and inundated emergency services – it’s sadly been accompanied by a rise in poaching. To get a clearer picture, we spoke to our local expert Inge, who works for a tour company based in Tanzania, offering specialized safari trips in Africa. We have partnered with Inge and her tour operator for years now, offering tailor-made trips across Africa: from Ethiopia over Rwanda to South Africa, Inge and her team are ready to plan, book, and execute your Africa trip – when travel is safe again, of course.

While some Latin American countries have swept the headlines with multiplying case numbers and death tolls – think: Brazil – Argentina has been quietly under the radar. It locked down early; with a death count confined to the hundreds, businesses began reopening in some provinces in the first half of May – though lockdowns have been much more stringent in the major cities. The country is remaining cautious towards travel, with commercial flights banned until at least 1 September. To find out more, we caught up with Guadalupe, our local expert based in Cordoba, Argentina.

This feature has been made possible by Homestay.com, an accommodation marketplace connecting guests to local hosts in over 150 countries.

The chaotic mix of people, colonial buildings and honking vehicles can be daunting to those unfamiliar with the Indian city of Mumbai . Coupled with the heat and humidity of this south western region, it can be an exhausting pursuit just looking for breakfast – knowing what to order is a whole other kettle of fish. The best way to get comfortable in Mumbai is to introduce yourself to the city at a local level, so here are five things to do in Mumbai that I discovered on my recent mother-daughter adventure:

Alentejo wine is excellent. The food's extraordinary. And Alentejo itself is peaceful and good value. It may be Portugal's largest region, but it's also undiscovered. Join Neil McQuillian on a foodie tour of underrated Alentejo. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.

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.