There are some things old and new this week – revisiting old favourites like New York, Prague and Ko Samui, and venturing into new territories like Plovdiv, Ghangzhou and Doha.  If you’re hunting for new food destinations the world’s best chef’s reveal their top recommendations – from Michelin starred restaurants to roadside shacks – and Vancouver’s varied cuisine is also in the spotlight.   This week’s categories are Escape, City, Outdoor/Adventure, Food and Different Cultures.

CITY

• No, not Venice or Paris, but Bulgaria: Plovdiv for our anniversary. Katie Wood is surprised by this Bulgarian city, “you will have an experience that is charming and sometimes challenging. Few locals speak English and the infrastructure for tourism barely exists, but you will find history and folklore, and see a side of life that is fast disappearing in Europe.”
• BBC correspondent Matt Frei reports on the city he loves, highlighting the best of where to sleep, eat and shop, on a Washington city break.
• Whilst Geoff Garvey explains that Cadiz is “literally crumbling,” he finds that “the city has tremendous atmosphere: slightly seedy, definitely in decline, but still full of mystique.” Garvey goes in search of Unsung cities: Cadiz – a light less ordinary.
• If you want to steer clear of bland chains or highly-priced designer hotels, here is the Best of the rests guide to city BBs. Gemma Bowes highlights a new generation of European urban guesthouses offering “individual style, owners on hand with local tips – and great value.”
• Andrew Ferren reports on Madrid’s latest shopping street to become pedestrianized. As Street Becomes Sidewalk, and Shopping Blooms Ferren highlights the best of where to shop and what to buy in this Spanish city.
• “If there were a textbook case of a city that has been spoiled by tourism, then Prague should be it,” says Sophie Cooke in Reality Czech: an artist’s tour of Prague. But, “if you peel back the skin, it is very easy to find the old Prague…[it] has one of the most original and lively art scenes in Europe.”
  

ESCAPE

• “Heavenly. What a place, what a discovery, what a magical island.” Steven Berkoff soaks up the enduring appeal of the Italian island Capri.
• “Bermuda has lots to celebrate in 2009. Four hundred years ago, an English sailing vessel was shipwrecked on this mid-Atlantic archipelago, giving birth to the island nation of Bermuda, one that is now in full-swing party mode,” says David Lahuta in 36 Hours – Bermuda.
• If apartment and city living are leaving you feeling a little cramped – spending the night in a French chateaux could be just the answer. Lucy Golding takes us through military headquarters, hunting lodges and neo-classical piles in The Big Six: Modern French chateaux.
• “Ko Samui has had a truly horrible year. Economic crisis, political turmoil and swine-flu scares kept visitors away,” says Rob Ryan. If this hasn’t put you off, keep reading, as Ryan still finds plenty that’s good about the island. “The west and south coasts remain relatively uncrowded and peaceful…it has excellent offshore islands, including a stunning marine park, and a stock of top-notch hotels.” Come on, everyone – back to Ko Samui.
• Despite forecast rain and thunderstorms, Sankha Guha finds out Why the sun always shines on lucky Lucca – and along the way discovers pizza heaven, medieval hilltop villages, and (by a timely stroke of luck) fireworks.
  

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• For a seaside BB with a difference, rent your own private yacht says Tom Robbins, discovering that it’s as cheap as a “grubby B&B on shore.” There is just one catch. You’re not actually allowed to sail the boat anywhere.
• Between paddling the Grand Canal and the Venice Lido, Teresa Machan takes “obligatory gelato stops and lazy lunches.”  In Kayaking in Venice: who needs a gondola? Machan writes, “0ne afternoon we paddled right into San Marco and bobbed about in a ’safe zone’ near the Doge’s Palace, grinning at the cheek of it.”
• It’s easy to be green in this pleasant town says Rhiannon Batten, of Llandeilo in the Brecon Beacons. Organic (and comfortable) mattresses, stylish eco-friendly B&Bs and home-grown Welsh tapas – responsible tourism doesn’t have to be tough.
• Stephen Regenold does 2 Days, 3 Nights, on a Path Named for a Devil in New York State. “The Devil’s Path, an east-to-west voyage along the spine of the Catskills, is often cited as the toughest hiking trail in the East. In 25 miles it ascends six major peaks, plunging into deep valleys between climbs.”

FOOD

• Kara O’Reilly finds out Where the world’s best chefs go to eat. Michel Roux Jr, Olvier Peyton, Terence Conran, Valentine Warner and more reveal their favourite places in the world for good food.
• The famously diverse city of Vancouver is “producing some delicious and affordable cuisines,” says Matt Gross. “Over four days, I pursued this accidental fusion style around Vancouver, and the quest led me down some strange and tasty paths.”  Asian Cuisine as Diverse as Vancouver highlights the best of Asian food in this Canadian city.
• “The journey alone to the borough of Brooklyn made it worth venturing out of Manhattan,” says Isabel Choat, taking a water-taxi across New York’s East River. Choat goes to Another side of New York: Brooklyn’s Red Hook, and discovers restaurants and bars worth making the trip for.

DIFFERENT CULTURES

• In Basque Country, Without Borders Sarah Wildman goes in search of the unique Basque culture driving the coastal roads along the south of France and the north of Spain. “I was bowled over by the depth, nuance and tenacity of Basque culture, so different, it seemed, from the mores of Spain and France.”
• “A new generation of Indian entrepreneurs and leaders are making their influence felt in tourism, bringing a sensitive, updated sensibility to hospitality, along with a renewed emphasis on authenticity,” writes Bonnie Tsui, as she visits “some of the most gorgeous, intriguing and remote places of Native American territory.” Finally, Navajo Nation opens window to its world.
• “The combination of the end of Ramadan, and the lowering of temperatures in the Gulf region towards something that most of us would consider tolerable, makes this a good time to plan a visit to Doha,” says Cathy Packe in 48 Hours In: Doha. “This rapidly changing city…has a surprising amount to offer, particularly as it gears up for its role as the Arab Capital of Culture in 2010.”
• Mishi Saran takes A ‘red tour’ of Shanghai. “This October the People’s Republic of China turns 60…By October, too, Shanghai’s sticky summer recedes and osmanthus blossoms exude perfumed clouds; it’s the perfect time to trace the heady, idealistic, early years of communism.”
• Peter Shadbolt reports on the surprises of China’s third city in Guangzhou’s revelations. “In terms of art, culture and food, Guangzhou has a raison d’être and a sense of continuity that Hong Kong can’t hope to match.”