Just what is it with <i>Dora the Explorer</i>? It is horribly anodyne. It is soupily right-on. It is insanely repetitive. But kids go mad for it.

Sam Leith explains how a Lion King bum bag can tell you all you need to know about South African culture.

Sam Leith recounts his visit to the desert paradise in the United Arab Emirates. Everything from the cranes outside to his hotel lobby screams ‘money’