It’s 30 years since daily Eurostar services began whisking visitors to Belgium’s capital — and the city known for Tintin and beer is still full of surprises

A new generation in this storied Chinese megacity is eschewing the fast-paced lifestyles of their parents and embracing fun, freedom and living life to the full — and Shanghai is adapting in interesting ways

It might not look promising, but the bush has some incredible birds, writes Vanessa Wright

This week’s dream: the romance of the night train ...

Its 30 million years of geographic isolation means Australia is home to wildlife found nowhere else on the planet – and you don’t even need to go far to find it in the country’s second-smallest state, writes Justin Meneguzzi

Stretching across two continents separated by the Bosphorus Strait, this ancient Silk Road city was once the capital of both the Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman empires. Crumbling hammams rub shoulders with striking contemporary buildings, while the call to prayer from Hagia Sophia mosque can be heard from the 15th-century Grand Bazaar, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Istanbul is sewn together by a series of storied districts, which results in a varied hotel scene. Relive the Ottoman heyday in a Sultanahmet townhouse; book a boutique stay fuelled by cafes and galleries in Karaköy; or check in among the designer stores of Nişantaşı.