Travelling the world: the preserve of freedom-seeking gap year students, rat race escapees and millionaires. And now, a 28-year-old Mancunian by the name of Michael Lee Johnson. Like many, Michael's adventure of a lifetime will be travelled alone and involve thousands of kilometres. But unlike others, Michael will cover the kilometres - all 15,000 of them - on foot, unaided, and potentially through some of the most dangerous countries on Earth.

Fed up of being a slave to his computer, in July Michael will fly to Beijing and spend three years walking back to London (though he's set aside another two in case it takes him a bit longer) in a journey dubbed On Foot to Freedom. But More...

Shanghai-based writer and teacher Tim Neesham continues his series on modern-day China, asking what the recent presidential handover means for the country's travel sector and its economy.

On the same day the people of the United States were giving President Obama four more years, the Chinese government was also preparing itself for major political movement.

Whether or not this is merely coincidence is up for debate, but far from the fanfare of minute by minute updates, professional opinions and the almost Eurovision-style party that accompanies America going to the polls, the Chinese changeover is More...

Tim Neesham, who's spent the last 18 months living and working in Shanghai, reveals his top five customs to learn ahead of emigrating to the next world superpower.

As more and more western-educated Chinese return to the motherland, the opportunities for expats considering a move to the Far East are changing. Rumour has it that so-called 'expat packages' are on the way out as the newly-developed China focuses more on employing from within.

So what could this mean for westerners looking to relocate to the world's most populous nation? More...

China is one of the most mysterious and magical countries on the planet, full of culture and endless adventures. Shrouded in History and full of vibrant life, it was for these reasons that I chose to volunteer there. I spent 5 months with Lattitude Global Volunteering in the south of China in a town called Yuxi, in the province on Yunnan and it was the most incredible experience of my life. The time I spent there was so humbling and educational; it was everything I had hoped it would be and more.

My main role in China was to be an English teacher to students of all ages. The kids were amazing, they were all so willing to learn and work hard that it made every day enjoyable. More...

China and Nepal have resolved a long-running dispute over the height of Mount Everest.

They have now agreed that the world's highest mountain - which straddles the border between the two countries - should be officially recognised as being 8,848m tall.

The Chinese previously argued it should be measured by its rock height, while Nepal said it should be measured by its snow height - four metres higher. During talks in Nepal's capital Kathmandu, China accepted that claim. Nepal also recognises China's claim that the rock height of Everest is 8,844m.

The mountain’s exact height has been disputed ever since the first measurement was made in 1856. The widely accepted height of 8,848m was first recorded by an Indian survey in 1955, which measured the mountain's snow cap, rather than the rock beneath it.

But geologists say that both the estimates could be wrong as they say the mountain is becoming higher as India is gradually pushed More...

When I first arrived in Beijing the first thing that struck me was the pollution and the haziness of the skies. My dad and I hailed a taxi at the airport - my first chance to practice my basic Chinese. Luckily the driver seemed to understand what I was I was saying however if you can't speak any of the language I advise you to get the hotel or a Chinese friend to write it down for you on paper because the taxi drivers know little or no English. Huge highways congested with trucks and cars waited in a long traffic jam heading towards the city centre. More...