Our 15 best travel stories of 2015

1) A postcard from the World’s Most Dangerous City

Stirred by harrowing stories of blood and gore, Jack Palfrey travels to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to gain some perspective on the town behind the headlines.

2) Welcome to Britain’s most radical city

We explore Bristol, the European Green Capital for 2015, and find a world of innovation, ethical living and a bus run on poo.

3) Amsterdam: A tour with the whores

Two of Holland's most famous hookers give Gavin Haines the ultimate introduction to Amsterdam's red-light district.

4) How to build a city in 10 simple steps

With Egypt unveiling plans to construct a brand new capital east of Cairo, Daniel Fahey talks to city planners and architects to devise a checklist for building the perfect city.

5) Azerbaijan: Beyond the Games

As tourists flocked to Baku for the inaugural European Games, Jack Palfrey went in search of the Azerbaijan you won’t see on TV.

6) Absinthe: Collected notes on a mind-altering drink

100 years ago, absinthe was banned across much of Europe. Daniel Fahey heads to its birthplace, Val-de-Travers in Switzerland, for a taste of its underground distillation scene.

7) Does voluntourism do more harm than good?

Volunteer holidays might seem virtuous, but they can create more problems than they solve. Should you volunteer abroad? Jack Palfrey investigates.

8) In pictures: Margate, a seaside town reborn

After years of neglect, Britain’s seaside towns are enjoying a renaissance and Margate is blazing the trail. We find out more from the bohemian coastal town.

9) Is it the end of the line for InterRail?

Inter-railing around Europe has been a rite of passage for backpackers since the 1970s, but is its appeal waning? Our resident rail anorak investigates.

10) Why do Ecuadorians thrash their children with nettles?

Gavin Haines meets the traditional healers of Quito, who flay children with herbs and do strange things with guinea pigs.

11) Navigating Nepal, now the dust has settled

Months after catastrophic earthquakes devastated communities and brought sacred landmarks to the ground, Ruth-Ellen Davis looks at whether it’s time to go back to Nepal.

12) Why are Amsterdam's coffeeshops closing?

One of Amsterdam’s most popular coffeeshops ceased trading this year, as the crackdown on the red-light district continues. Gavin Haines reports.

13) In pictures: The Last Iceman of Ecuador

Our photographer chronicles the extraordinary life of Baltazar Ushca, who climbs Ecuador’s highest mountain every week to collect ice from its glacier.

14) Strange skiing: Off-piste in… Georgia

In the first of our new strange skiing series, William Everett drinks brandy, eats khachapuri and gets fondled on the slopes of Gudauri, Georgia.

15) Hamburg’s XXX-mas market

Christmas isn’t Christmas without pubic toupees and porn karaoke. So says Stuart Forster, who groans his way around Europe’s “sexiest” festive market (in Germany, obviously).

Bonus story: Paws for thought in St Petersburg

Because love them or hate them, cats are taking over the world. Or the internet, at least. Incredibly, the labyrinthine catacombs of the Hermitage Museum are home to an army of felines, whose story is as colourful as the exhibits they guard. Do read on.