• “Chicago, Memphis … Copenhagen? Yes, name just about any jazz legend, and he or she has a connection with the Danish capital,” writes Thomas E. Kennedy in The Independent’s Musical Copenhagen. “And most of them played in the Jazz Club Montmartre, which opened in 1959, featuring one of the greatest tenor sax players of all time, Stan Getz, on his 32nd birthday. The Montmartre club has just reopened after a 15-year hiatus, and I am on my way to witness the tribute to Getz planned for this evening.”
• In The Guardian Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens gives us the Insiders’ guide to European music festivals – from France to Belgium, Ireland to the Faroe Islands, find out where to enjoy the sounds of the summer.
• “I hadn’t expected the music in Nairobi to be so varied and vibrant,” writes Daniel Metcalfe in The Guardian. “On top of the standard soukous (rumba) and benga that you still hear, Nairobi now boasts live fusions of Afro-beat, electronica, R&B and hip-hop, and some remarkably palatable jazz. If you know where to go.” Metcalfe guides us through Nairobi’s live music scene.

• “I have always said that food is the best healer. So when I smashed my leg in five places by falling down my stairs in March, I knew that I needed to find an hotel with a great restaurant where I could convalesce.” The Times discloses Where Raymond Blanc eats on holiday.
• “In Rome, the capital of Lazio, a number of new restaurants and shops are dedicated to regional food and wine…the emphasis is decidedly on local ingredients from the Lazio region — one long overshadowed by its Tuscan neighbor to the north.” In The New York Times Katie Parla is In Rome, Really Local Food.
• In The New York Times Sarah Wildman reveals that Four Restaurants Enliven Washington. “These new entrants borrow from the rigorous authenticity of the nearby suburban immigrant communities — Korean, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Burmese, Salvadoran, Cantonese and Thai.”
• In The Guardian Geoff Dyer confesses to My obsession with a New York cup of coffee and a doughnut…”nothing was more urgent than the need to find a local cafe I could go to every day for my elevenses.” Dyer reveals the trials he undertook to find his perfect elevenses, which became tenses, then nineses…

Fernando de Noronha is a group of paradise islands just off the North East coast of Brazil. Consisting of 20 small islands and one larger one, the archipelago lies 340km from the mainland coast and covers an area of only 17 km2. On land, there are 2100 residents; the crystal clear waters surrounding the islands are equally occupied, with 230 varieties of fish, five types of shark, two species of sea turtles, 15 coral reefs and, unique to here and the South Pacific, the Spinner Dolphin.
Sustainable tourism is the islands biggest source of revenue but the number of people allowed on the islands at any one time is strictly limited (only 420 tourists) to ensure its eco-tourism status – the longer you stay on the islands the higher the permit fee but it is worth staying at least five days if you can. Walking, cycling or hiring a buggy are the best way to get around and to reach the amazing beaches with breathtaking vistas. There are 16 idyllic beaches to choose from including Baia dos Porcos, Praia dos Sancho and Praia do Atalaia, which has a stunning natural swimming pool amongst the rocks where you can pop your head under the water and see the most amazing tropical species of fish, octopus, baby shark etc.

Where to Stay

Accommodation is limited and gets very busy at peak times. There is only one hotel, Dolphin Hotel in the moderately priced category, but there are also very luxurious pousadas (guest houses), some of which also have the best dining on the island. As the island is so small you will not be far from any of its attraction wherever you choose to stay.

Pousada Solar de Loronha, which means ‘the house of noble,’ fuses guest comforts with nature preservation. Stay in air-conditioned bungalows, all of which have views of the sea. Located close to Sueste Beach Pousada Maravilha offers an extraordinary view of the ocean and has an Environmental Administration System in place to defend and preserve its environment. There are five bungalows and three suites (which each sleep four people). They all overlook the sea and have relaxing hammocks on their porches – the bungalows also each come with a Japanese hot tub. Professional, internationally experienced staff will make your trip comfortable and private.

Pousada Solar dos Ventos is situated only 300m away from Baía do Sueste (Sueste Bay) where there are great concentrations of fish, octopus, skates and sea turtles, which can be seen during diving. Considered one of the best pousadas in Brazil, Pousada Ze Maria has humble beginnings but has expanded in an environmentally friendly way with everything being powered by solar energy, and now consists of six standard apartments, nine bungalows and three special bungalows, which sleep up to five people. The architectural eco project of Pousada Teju-Açu, which has 12 apartments, has very little impact on the land (most structures are on platforms above the ground). The construction materials used are mainly from sustainable trees.
See details of luxury and moderate accommodation in Fernando de Noronha.

Where to Eat

As you would expect from an island with so much fishing, the most popular dish on a menu is seafood. It goes without saying that the fish is caught daily. Dishes include sushi and sashimi and grilled and baked fish, but the most famous of all is banana leaf wrapped fish. Deep fried shark meat dumplings are unique to the island and can be found at most restaurants. The national dish of Brazil is Feijoada which is a stew made from black beans and cuts of meat such as pork knuckle, pigs ears and chops as well as pieces of beef. It is served with rice and vegetables with orange slices as a garnish. This is mostly available at local street cafes but not many restaurants and those that do serve it do usually only on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Restaurante Teju-Açu (Modern / Brazilian). Restaurante Teju-Açu mixes brazilian and international flavours in modern ways. Local ingredients are prepared with imagination and style. The most popular dessert is gateau filled with warm creamy cheese and topped with a light guava syrup. The restaurant and bar are situated by the pool for a great ambience. (Estrada da Alamoa (81) 3619 1277. Daily)

Trattoria di Morena (Modern / International). Established in 1999, Trattoria di Morena has become a gastronomic reference on the island. Chef André Filho presents a selection of creative contemporary cuisine with a variety of ingredients from the region. On Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant has a Happy Hour with live music between 6.30-8.30pm. (Rua Nice Cordeiro, 2600, Floresta Velha (81) 3619-1142. Daily 5pm-11.30pm)

Restaurante do Zé Maria (Regional /Modern). Restaurante do Zé Maria blends the simplicity of local dishes with the sophistication of the best gastronomy in the major cities of Brazil. The ambience is created by a mix of rustic and hand crafted furniture within decoration that is inspired by the culture of Northeast Brazil. On Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8pm the Banquet style Festival Gastranomic is accompanied by life music. (Rua Nice Cordeiro, 01, Floresta Velha (81) 3619-1258. Daily 12noon-11.30pm. Festival Gastronomic approx. R$110 per person + 10% service).

See all Restauraunt recommendations

Where to Drink

Kiosks and bars can be found near the port for a chilled beer or a Caipirinha. Some places have space to have a dance as well. Local hero, singer and composer Ju Medeiros can often be seen and heard in bars and restaurants around the island.

What to See

Unsurprisingly most activities here take place in or around the water, whether snorkelling, diving, surfing, kayaking, fishing or sailing. For snorkelling, head down to Praia da Atalaia where the number of people permitted to snorkel each day is limited to 100. A tidal pool no deeper than 24 inches contains a remarkable diversity of animals – including lobsters, octopuses and the possibility of a baby shark or two. The diving is brilliant too, with visibility reaching 50 meters (165 feet), and the average water temperature around 26 degrees centigrade (79 Fahrenheit). Coral reefs, sea turtles, sharks, spinner dolphins, barracudas, and shipwrecks are some of the attractions. Those who are feeling adventurous should try their hand at Plana Sub or tow diving. It uses the same equipment used in free diving; just a mask, snorkel and fins. Holding a small board and towed by a motorboat you can experience the sensation of flying and manoeuvre the board to turn, go up and down. Hold your breath as long as you can.

Back on dry land, go horse riding along the beach, trekking, or rent a buggy or mountain bike to explore. Head for Dolphin Bay (Baia do Golfinhos) to see dolphins all year round and Turtle Bay (Baía do Sueste) or Leão Beach for the turtles (egg laying and hatching happens between December and May). During September and October, whales can sometimes be spotted as well.

Beaches get busy here, but there are plenty of them around the island, so it is just a question of choosing the ones you want to visit. Sancho Bay and Pig Bay vie for the title of best beach but there is a bus that trundles from one end of the island to the other along its only road ($R2.85) and you can hop on and off as you please. Finally, sunsets are spectacular wherever you are, but the best vantage point is Mirante Dois Irmãos. These activities can be booked as part of trips and tours on the island. See here for details.

How to Get There

The nearest international airports in Brazil are Recife and Natal. There are daily flights from both.

When to go

Temperatures remain pleasant all year round but there’s a higher chance of rain between February and July. Dolphins can be spotted year-round. Turtles lay eggs in December and these will hatch around May the following year. Whales can be spotted in September/October. Sea temperatures are warm all year.
By: Paul Barnett

Strange, beautiful, rustic…are all words that have been used to describe Trancoso, a tiny seaside town on Brazil’s Discovery Coast. Founded by Jesuits in the 16th century, it embraced hippiedom in the 70s and until recently this historic village was as primitive as it gets; electricity only arrived in 1982 and for a long time, locals bartered rather than pay by cash. The pace of life is slow, revolving between the stunning beach and Quadrado, which is the grassy square at the heart of the village and it’s become a retreat for wealthy Paulistas (and the likes of Naomi Campbell and Gisele) who revel in the simplicity of the place.

Where to stay:

Jacaré do Brasil is set in a quiet corner of the Quadrado and offers the most stunning views to the beach, which is a five minute walk away. In the evening you leave the confines of the hotel’s garden and you are right there, amid the buzz. There are five houses to choose from; we think one and two are the best. The owners, an interesting couple from Sao Paulo really go the extra mile to look after guests. +55 73 3668 1470; www.jacaredobrasil.com/br

Villas of Trancoso is set right on the beach, with five one and two bed villas all within a golf course. The real difference between staying here and at Jacaré do Brasil (above) is that Villas of Trancoso is a few kilometres away from the Quadrado. This means that it’s a real retreat, but you will need to rent a car or rely on taxis in the evening if you want to go to the bars, restaurants at the Quadrado. +55 73 3668 1151; www.villasdetrancoso.com

Uxua has nine beautifully decorated converted local houses on the edge of the Quadrado (the three best face the square). The owner is the creative director of the Diesel brand and no expense has been spared putting the hotel together. They have a very nice little beach bar too Take breakfast on your veranda or by the pool, flop into a hammock, and play out your biribando fantasy. The only drawback is the prices. +55 73 3668 2277; http://uxua.com/

Etnia means ‘ethnicity’ and the rooms in this eight-villa resort reflect this. The owner Andre, looks after guests very well and excellent breakfasts are served by the pool. The downside of this hotel is that rooms can be a little noisy as walls are thin and the location isn’t as good as some of the other hotel options. +55 73 3668 1137; etniabrasil.com.br

What to see:

The Quadrado, a grassy square, is at the heart of the action, such as it is. The Igreja de São João Batista, the second-oldest church in Brazil, stands at one end of the square in front of a 1,200-foot cliff and a vista of miles of beach. There are sixty brightly painted mud and clay squat houses which frame the square. Traditionally, none of the houses had numbers; locals could identify them by colour alone. Now, many have been converted into artisans’ workshops, boutiques, and restaurants whose tables spill out onto the green. Have a leisurely lunch and watch the odd horse stroll by as impromptu barefoot soccer games are played out in front of you. In the afternoon, most visitors head for the beach, leaving the square deserted except for the hippie handmade jewellery sellers and a lone coconut vendor, who sets up by the church.

If you do fancy a day trip out of town, Espelho is one of Bahia’s loveliest beaches. Beware though, the roads you take to get there leave a lot to be desired. But when you do finally reach your destination, you’ll have the whole beach virtually to yourself. Reserve one of the two tables at Sylvinha’s Restaurante (Praia do Espelho; +55 73 9985 4157) – eating here will make the journey absolutely worthwhile.

Where to Eat

Bar da Costa, part of Pousada Estrels d’Agua, serves delicious lunches overlooking the beach. Try the fresh ceviche and grilled octopus. Pousada Estrela d’Água, Estrada do Arraial; +55 73 3668 1030.

Capim Santo is a traditional restaurant, with a vine draped courtyard, which has been on the Quadrado for over 20 years (there is also a sister restaurant in Sao Paulo). Go for fish dishes like salmon in leek sauce with black rice. On the Quadrado; +55 73 3668 1122; www.capimsanto.com.br

El Gordo is another boutique hotel with a noteworthy restaurant that serves good food with panoramic cliff top views. The bar also serves over 50 varieties of cachaça. On the Quadrado; + 55 73 3668 1193.

Where to Shop

Trancoso is glamour resistant and the dress code is ultra casual (no-one wears heels on the Quadrado). Cerâmica Calazans – João Calazans, a.k.a. Calá, shows his ceramics at his studio on the Quadrado + 55 73 3668 1112; www.ceramicatrancoso.com.br.

Etnia Boutique at Pousada Etnia sells colourful swimwear and dresses as well as accessories On the Quadrado; + 55 73 3668 1669; www.etniabrasil.com.br

For woodwork and furniture, visit Marcenaria Trancoso. They will arrange shipping. On the Quadrado; + 55 73 3668 1023; www.marcenariatrancoso.com.br.

Finally, Havaianas can be bought everywhere but for the cheapest in town, visit Supermercado Nogueira, in Trancoso’s dusty commercial ghetto on the edge of town and pick them up for a quarter of the price of those found on the Quadrado.

When to Go

March and April (Brazil’s autumn) are the best time to visit for warm temperatures and peace and quiet. If you want to experience Trancoso with crowds, come in late December or early January when São Paulo society descends on the Quadrado. During this time, there are queues for restaurants and few parking spaces.

Getting There

Fly to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, or Salvador, then on to Porto Seguro. Be advised: Trancoso has few functioning ATM’s, so bring all the cash you’ll need or withdraw it at the airport on your way in. It’s an hour’s drive from Porto Seguro airport to Trancoso.

“At any time of year, there is a magical quality to this city of elegant limestone buildings, wrought-iron balconies and wonderful mascarons – carved stone faces above windows and doors. But, bathed in spring sunshine, the capital of Aquitaine is currently looking its very best,” writes Harriet O’Brien in The Independent. “And enjoy Bordeaux’s ongoing spirit of enterprise. Over the past decade, the city has been wonderfully revived – so much so that it won Unesco world heritage status in 2007.” O’Brien reveals her top tips for 48 hours in Bordeaux.

• In The Guardian Kevin Rushby reveals that the best of the blues isnt over in Chicago…”I needn’t have worried about missing out on the greats – the blues lineage is still strong: “It’s definitely still a mecca for blues – a real incubator for upcoming talent. And a few of the old guard are still playing: Billy Boy Arnold, for example, and Honeyboy Edwards, who is well into his nineties.” This is True Chicago blues.
• The Independent brings us City slicker: Las Vegas – and Kate Simon reveals what’s new. “You don’t need to be a gambler to go to Las Vegas. At least that’s what the tourist bosses in this desert city would have us believe. “No, Vegas is for eating at Michelin-starred restaurants, shopping for luxury brands, and indulging in the latest treatments at cutting-edge spas. This is Vegas doing what it does best – reinventing itself. The demolition teams aren’t yet knocking down the fantasy-style hotels that characterise the Strip, but the arrival of City Center, America’s latest and most audacious multi-billion-dollar urban resort must signify that the clock is ticking.”
• Every layer of this city needs preserving writes Sankha Guha in The Independent regarding one of Turkey’s less visited cities. “The drama of Mardin’s position is best appreciated from the air. The city clings to the southern flank of the last escarpment of the Taurus Mountains, facing the vast plains of Mesopotamia. From above, a neat line is visible marking the last convulsions of the massif – mushroom and mud tinted – beyond which a sea of green takes possession of the Earth’s crust. This is the cartoon geography of a semi-mythical place; Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, aka The Cradle of Civilisation. But it wasn’t just myths that were created here. It was history.”
• Harriet O’Brien in The Independent brings us A tale of two cities: Biarritz and Bayonne. “So close and yet a world apart. Biarritz, on the dramatic Atlantic coast of southern Aquitaine, is a former whaling village that became a gracious resort and more recently also morphed into a cool surfing centre. Bayonne, just 8km inland, is an intriguing little cathedral city of wobbly old timber-frame houses and extraordinary topography, set on the confluence of two rivers: the Adour and Nive. It takes under 15 minutes to drive from the centre of one town to the other – a remarkably short journey for a striking change in atmosphere and outlook.”

ESCAPE

• Alexei Barrionuevo is In Brazil: Unspoiled Beach Fit for the Chic. “It was another picture-perfect day in Trancoso, a former fishing village that has turned into a super-trendy getaway for Brazilians and fashionable jet-setters willing to pay St.Tropez prices for rustic accommodations on an unspoiled beach…Situated on the palm-fringed coast of Brazil’s Bahia state, Trancoso still looks like the hippie getaway that first made the town popular 20 years ago, with its uneven cobblestone streets and dirt roads…the let-loose spirit may explain the swirl of Brazilian and international celebrities who have jetted here in recent months to party. The roster reads like the pages of Quem, the Brazilian gossip magazine.”
• “Despite what you’ve heard, this place really isn’t a summertime extension of the home counties. Remote in the French southwest, it has only just been tamed, and then not entirely. A twist in the track and you’re lost among forests, cliffs, rivers and caves leading darkly to prehistory,” writes Anthony Peregrine in The Times. “The region has ever been beautiful, backward and insurgent. (All those castles weren’t just ornamental.) It’s only 140 years since peasants in Hautefaye roasted and ate a noble.” For this, and other culinary delights, see The smart guide to… the Dordogne.
• “A predominately Muslim country, Tunisia has been a popular holiday destination for years, but most of its tourism is restricted to inside the walls of giant hotel compounds. I was interested in what happened when you ventured out of these super-sanitised tourist zones, and it was on one of these ventures that I found myself dancing like a whirling dervish at Havanas, a popular nightspot in South Hammamet.” In The Times Rachel Ward discovers Tunisia: beyond the package holiday. “…we decided to venture further a field to Tunis and then on to historic Carthage. We took a train from Hammamet to Tunis and then two commuter trains on and up into the hills of Carthage. The trains were good value, easy to negotiate and our journey was disrupted only once when several outraged Tunisian men threw a drunk off a still moving train after he got a little too close to one of my friends.”
• “I just want to see the Canadian Rockies and I have heard that there is no better way of doing so than by the Rocky Mountaineer,” writes Laurence Marks in The Telegraph. “Our train journey lasts seven days and takes us through the most dramatic scenery I have ever witnessed. But it ought to be said that for those, like me, who are not up with the lark, this expedition is an endurance test. Each morning we have to be ready to leave before the sun comes up. Canada is vast and we have hundreds of miles to cover each day.” Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer train ride – Telegraph…”It is a journey I shall never forget, even if it did begin with a Nazi.”
• “Mainland China may possess the more monumental historical attractions, such as the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, but Taiwan, too, has alluring, if less obvious, treasures. The world’s greatest collection of Chinese art anywhere in the world is housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. There are also meditative temples, traditional tea-houses and hot-spring baths up in the lush mountains,” writes Michelle Jana Chan in The Telegraph. “Internationally, Taiwan does have something of an identity problem. The island seems best known for its “Made in Taiwan” label or simply as a “renegade province of China“. But beyond hi-tech gadgets and a rebellious spirit, there is so much more: world-class centres of Buddhism, avant-garde dance companies and some of Asia’s most tantalising cuisine.” This is Taiwan: the other, quieter China.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• “Part of a cloud-capped range rising vertically from the plain below, 4,000ft above sea level, the fabled haunt of dragons, Lushan has been visited by poets, painters, generals and rulers from the first Ming emperor to Chairman Mao…We stepped on to Guling’s main street in mist so thick you could barely see your hands. Next day it seemed thicker still. We joined an unbroken line of Chinese tourists shuffling along the dizzying walkways cut into the mountainside. There must have been hundreds, perhaps thousands of people peering into what looked like dense white rice soup filling the chasm at our feet.” Hilary Spurling climbs China’s magic mountain in The FT.
• “Today, 150 years later, in the teeth of a flurry of celebratory fanfares, the Pony Express has become a legend best explained by the universal twin enticements: speed and danger,” writes Tom Adair in The Independent. “This year to celebrate the survival of the legend, the Pony Express Association will ride the old route, now criss-crossed by highways, houses, office blocks, dense traffic, by all of the 21st century’s markers of madcap life. At chosen towns along the route through the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah and Colorado, fans will gather. The riders will pause.” Adair is on a Trail Of The Unexpected: Saddle up for Sacramento.
• In The Independent Tim Simond discovers some of the best places in the world to enjoy above and below sea level. From the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean via The Middle East these are the places to Splash out: Make waves in the world’s most stylish dive resorts.
• “Every year, from mid-November to mid-January, between 10 and 50 million men leave their villages in the south of the country and trek on foot to pay homage to the shrine of the demon-slaying Lord Ayyappa at his mountain top abode of Sabarimala in Kerala’s Western Ghats, south-east of Kochi (Cochin),” writes William Dalrymple in Kerala for The Guardian. “The shrine of Sabarimala is an extraordinary sight at festival time, alive with tens of thousands of pilgrims queuing to do darshan – catch a glimpse of the idol of their deity…All pilgrims eat and travel together; and more remarkably still, at the small hill town of Erumeli all the pilgrims – the vast majority of whom are Hindu – pray not only at the temple but also at the town’s mosque.”

ISLAND LIFE

• After a night in Caracas, Sam Sifton sets off for Los Roques…”there was just the tiny plane roaring and turquoise outside the window and then a view of the high hills of Gran Roque rising out of the sea, and finally the island’s old runway, dogs asleep in the sand by its side. The air smelled of salt and mangrove. The airplane left and there was silence but for the wind.” There for the renowned fishing, Sifton discovers that “It is rare to end a day without the sight of a sunburned Argentine or adventure-tanned Dutchman double-hauling a fly rod from the town dock at dusk, a can of Solera beer at his feet and a pelican flapping before him.” The New York Times delivers Silent Days on the Sea in Venezuela.
• In The Guardian Johnny Langeneheim discovers Reefs and rainforest in Indonesia’s far east. “… this area – known as Raja Ampat, or Four Kings, after its major islands – is home to the greatest concentration of marine biodiversity on the planet, a fact scientists discovered only in the past decade. It took me and the photographer two days to get there from Bali, with an overnight stop in Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province, and another night in Sorong (Raja Ampat regulars wryly pronounce it “so wrong”). The journey from the UK can be done in two days, too, with a stopover in Jakarta. And it is well worth the effort.
• “These days Sardinia may be best known as the site of Villa Certosa, Silvio Berlusconi’s seaside palace, complete with fake volcano, where the Italian prime minister allegedly indulges in Bacchanalian revels with a bevy of very young women. Sant’Antioco is the antithesis of that celebrity playground: a tranquil backwater, with two quaint ports, a smattering of ruins dating back to pre-Roman times, sweeping Mediterranean savannah, the region’s most unspoiled beaches, and little else.” In The New York Times Joshua Hammer reaches Sant’Antioco Off Sardinia, an Island With Wilder Shores.
• In The Times Tom Chesshyre discovers the Faeroe Isles: Silence. Isolation. It’s breathtaking. “We are in the centre of a puffin colony on the edge of the island of Mykines (pronounced Mitchiness) in the Faeroe Isles, reached by a 45-minute ferry that departs twice a day from Vagar, another island. There are 18 main islands in the Faeroes, which are a semi-autonomous part of Denmark and lie 160 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, the closest landmass, and halfway between Shetland and Iceland…one of the quietest places in Europe (population 48,000), almost secretive in its isolation and general lack of fanfare.”
• “It was my wife’s idea to go to Cyprus to catch some early spring sunshine. I was not enthusiastic. Would the weather be OK? Was there much to see? Wasn’t the place overrun with Brits? And hadn’t the coast been ruined?” asks Jeremy Laurance in The Independent. However…”On three out of four of these I was proved spectacularly wrong. The sun was warm, the hills green and, by avoiding the towns, we hardly saw another Brit. I was right about the coast, in part at least. In the official Republic of Cyprus, occupying the southern part of the island some shores are blighted by building work. Yet there are charming places…And when you have had enough of the sea, you can head for the hills.” An island of your own: Why it’s best to visit Cyprus in spring.

FOOD

• “They call it the Spice Island. We remembered this as we downed our first rum punch in Grenada, inhaling a generous grating of freshly picked nutmeg,” says Fiona Sims in The Times. “I’m on a mission to eat local, which is not so easy in this part of the world, where up to 90 per cent of the produce is flown in from distant countries.” This is the The foodie guide to Grenada.
• The Guardian this week offers up the Insiders’ guide to historic restaurants…from some Europe’s favourite cities – Florence, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Istanbul and Athens, these are the restaurants that have retained their classic appeal.
• The Independent explores A region rooted in gastronomy. “Périgueux is the main town of the département of Dordogne, but this is a Napoleonic affectation for the Périgord – a name synonymous with good food. Indeed, guides registered with the Ministry of Culture offer tours with a pastry cook through the city or a gastronome who can point out nuances of the markets…Elsewhere in Aquitaine, the local diet is informed by the surroundings. Along the Atlantic, the mingling of river and sea water creates a breeding ground for oysters – with Cap Ferret, opposite Arcachon, an excellent candidate.”

AND FINALLY…

• “After editing countless travel articles, it is fitting perhaps that I have succumbed to wanderlust,” writes Rahul Jacob, writer and editor at the FT. “I am taking a sabbatical to live in Beijing and make a start learning Mandarin. I find the prospect more than a little daunting but the world is a much easier place to navigate than when Kapuscinski started his journeys some 50 years ago. He arrived in the middle of the night in Delhi, speaking scarcely a word of English or Hindi and not knowing a soul. Now, that would be intimidating.” Jacob shares his best travel experiences to date and says Goodbye to all that.

CITY

• “It is February, and although the skies are blue, it is 3F (-16C). Sparkling, fresh snow covers every surface. To the left of the long, birch-lined driveway stretches an icy lake. Beyond are snow-covered log-cabin stables. A couple of sleighs (sadly sans bells and bearskins) are half-buried in white near the stables, seats thick with ice. And beyond rises the house in which the writer was born and lived until a couple of weeks before his death: a handsome 19th-century, cream-painted double-storey dwelling, ringed by orchards of icicle-hung apple trees.” Lisa Grainger is in Moscow: On the trail of Tolstoy for The Telegraph.
• “Some people go to Stockholm to wonder at the royal palaces and the Vasa, the 17th-century warship that is one of Europe’s archaeological treasures. Not us. We have been touring the crummy part of town for hours, knee-deep in snow, looking for a woman who goes by the description of a “tattooed bisexual computer hacker with intimate piercings”” writes Helen Rumbelow in The Times. “…the Larsson phenomenon is unlikely to have passed you by, with every commuter train and airport stuffed with his bestselling trilogy, beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A film of the same name opens in London next week, and the Swedish capital is readying itself for a wave of Larsson pilgrims.” Rumbelow uncovers the Secrets of Stieg’s Stockholm.
• In The Independent Nick Clarke offers up a guide to Miami, “Some like it hot, which is why steroid-pumped and silicon-filled bods in barely-there swimwear head to Miami when the winter closes in elsewhere.” This is for The Hedonist: Miami.
• “It’s spring, so the days are warming up and the skies are clearing. And peak season for visitors to this fascinating ancient city is still a month or two away.” Siobhan Mulholland offers us a guide to 48 Hours In: Marrakech in The Independent, from unmissable cultural highlights to the best public gardens and how best to dine with the locals.

ESCAPE

• “The last time I was in Tuscany, it was July. Fields were ablaze in that golden yellow you see on postcards, bikers in neon Lycra were swarming the roads, and tour buses jammed the medieval piazzas. And I’d had the brilliant idea of inviting 120 non-Italian-speaking friends to the tiny village of Pienza for my wedding. “Beautiful, hot and full of Americans” was how one ungracious guest had put it.” In The New York Times Danielle Pergament discovers Tuscany Without the Crowds. “The real Tuscany, as locals have been telling me over the years, is found in the dead of winter, when the crowds are thinner and the rooms, flights and restaurants are pleasantly cheaper.”
• “The Society Islands lie deep in the Southern Pacific Ocean, a cluster of extinct volcanoes lying about halfway between Australia and South America. This remoteness adds to the archipelago’s allure, but the primary attraction lies in their beauty: warm blue waters contrasting with lush tropical landscapes. Honeymooners come here, as do the ridiculously rich. I was neither, but am a keen surfer, diver and walker, and the Society Islands offer some of the most idyllic venues for all of these sports.” In The Independent Ben Mondy discovers An ocean of possibilities: The South Pacific islands of Tahiti have it all.
• “The tiny island, north of Fort Lauderdale on Florida’s east coast, still boasts some of the country’s dreamiest estates, where the staff lives better than many Americans, cashmere sweaters in trademark pastel greens and pinks go for $800, and Rolls-Royces show up at Publix with regularity in a town where more is never quite enough.” In the New York Times, Geraldine Fabrikant gives us the best of 36 Hours in Palm Beach, Florida.
• In The Telegraph John Arlidge discovers Wolgan Valley, Australia: the resort at the end of the world. “Wolgan is an £80-million resort built from scratch in a valley a boomerang’s throw from the cliffs and canyons of the Wollemi and Gardens of Stone national parks – and the money has been very well spent…Forty-eight hours earlier, I’d been wading through a soggy London winter’s day. Here, now, I never felt more alive.”
• “Italian lessons and history classes might not sound like holiday activities, but when you are spending quite a bit of time on a cruise ship you might as well use some of it to exercise the little grey cells. Lines such as Swan Hellenic and Spirit of Adventure have always had guest lecturers on board, who talk about the history and cultures of the places being visited. It tends to be heavy stuff, but I remember once on Spirit of Adventure, cruising from Cape Town, we had a wine maker on board who brought along a bush and showed us how to prune it.” In The Telegraph Jane Archer gives us the lowdown on Cruises: cultural and specialist interest holidays.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• “Klosters and Davos have quite suddenly become the coolest places in the Alps for comfort skiers. Wealthy Russians and the rest of the jet set, who previously colonised Courchevel 1850 as the centre of their skiing universe, are deserting in droves and coming here instead,” writes Peter Hardy in The Telegraph. “Their reason? With 190 miles of piste and 56 lifts, the skiing for all standards is just as good, the off-piste is unquestionably better, and you get a lot more for your money. A chalet or apartment here will cost less than half what you would pay in Courchevel, while savvy travellers will opt to rent a catered chalet rather than book a hotel room.” Klosters and Davos: Conan Doyle and the height of cool.
• “I walk just behind the machete man, as he hacks a path through the tangle of clutching branches. He leaps back unexpectedly, crashing into me. A large, black and brown viper, a bushmaster, has reared up ahead. The snake is furious – the machete man stepped on its tail, invisible against the mulch of the forest floor. One of the most poisonous of South America’s snakes, its venom can kill a man in hours. And here we are, in the interior. No anti-venom; no medical staff; no helipads nor landing strips. Why did I get myself into this mess? Because I’m a writer.” Novelist Inbali Iserles in Adrift in a world that’s stranger than fiction in The Independent.
• “Just 64km long and 40km across at its widest point, and barely bigger than Greater London, it may be the third-largest island in New Zealand’s Pacific archipelago, but it’s a very distant third.” In The Independent Ben Ross voyages to Stewart Island: A lonely land of myth and wild wonders. “So densely packed is the crush of vegetation that for the most part it feels as if man has scarcely intruded here. It’s like visiting Conan Doyle’s Lost World except that instead of being attacked by pterodactyls, hikers who choose to follow the three-day 29km Rakiura Track along the coast are likely to see birdlife that is either rare or extinct on mainland New Zealand: a kiwi, perhaps, or yellow-eyed penguins, or the predatory, flightless weka.”
• “Driving across the plains that were once an arm of the Arabian Sea was an experience in itself – vast and featureless and encrusted with salt – the only sounds are of birds flocking to the skies and the grunts of other creatures nearby. With no other souls around, this makes for a rare and unique wilderness experience,” writes Caroline Eden in The Times, who ventured into west India to Go wild in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. “The main draw for the Little Rann of Kutch, and to some extent Rann Riders resort, is the abundant birdlife. Most sought after is the McQueen’s Bustard, a very rare bird that is often spotted by Muzahid’s team of wildlife experts.”

FOOD

• “It was over a bowl of delicious, spicy-sweet peanut soup with pesto made from huacatay, or Andean black mint, that I realized the vegetarian diner was now perfectly welcome in Buenos Aires. As a vegetarian traveling in a country where beef takes center stage, I expected my meals to be relegated to an assortment of side dishes – sautéed greens, some variation of potatoes – supplemented by the occasional granola bar,” writes Tanvi Chheda in the New York Times. “But during a recent visit, I was happily surprised, if not downright triumphant, to discover a cluster of recently opened restaurants serving tasty and fresh vegetarian fare.” A guide to Buenos Aires for Those Who Shun Steaks.
• “Landscape is often a good clue to local cuisine, and any gourmand touching down in Lanzarote may have a sinking heart: the arid volcanic countryside appears almost totally barren, surely a sign of slim pickings. But thanks to the perseverance of the local farmers, justly celebrated here as heroes, and to the bounties of the surrounding Atlantic, visitors will eat unexpectedly well.” In The FT Miranda Green indulges in Lanzarote’s tangy sauces.
• “Eating on the street is one of the most intimate ways to experience the culinary assault of Vietnam, particularly in the capital Hanoi. This is democratic dining: businessmen, schoolchildren and grandmothers alike squat on tiny plastic furniture to eat a swift, cheap lunch,” writes Michelle Jana Chan in The FT. “After nearly 100 years of French colonial rule – Vietnam achieved independence in 1945 – the influence of French cooking on the country’s eating habits is also easy to identify in its finest restaurants.” Chan discovers that Hanoi cuisine retains its French flavour.
• “Though we were frequent visitors to Burgundy, we had not been to Napa or Sonoma – America’s best-known wine regions – in ages,” writes Ann Morrison in The FT. “That situation was recently remedied when we spent a long weekend touring the contiguous wine valleys, about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco.” Morrison compares her experiences of the vineyards of Burgundy to California’s best wine cellars.
• In The FT Sue Style takes A train tour of Swiss restaurants. “Not only is the Swiss public transport system something of a miracle – user-friendly, civilised, punctual – an indecent number of restaurants are strategically placed within strolling distance of many of the country’s stations and lakeside boat moorings. Thus was born our food-lover’s journey through Switzerland taken entirely on public transport.”

FAMILY

• “I had to think long and hard before taking up a friend’s offer to stay in her three-roomed cabin in this remote area of the southern Californian desert,” writes Louise Millar in The Observer. “I had just reached a point where I couldn’t take one more holiday where my husband and I had to shout at our pent-up city kids to stop disturbing the gîte owners next door, or queue for an hour to feed a lamb, or drive six hours to a rural Devon campsite to find the group next to us erecting a 15ft pirate flag and unloading a sound system. Remoteness, nature and relaxation were what we craved. The kind of American wilderness holiday we took before kids, that let us wind down properly. A place where they could let off steam without prompting someone to ask, as our elderly neighbour did recently, if we had “thought about getting Supernanny in.”" And was it a success? Read on…‘The California desert was the kids’ backyard’.
• “Berlin, famed for its nightlife and creative scene, might not be the first place that springs to mind for a family weekend. Yet it often surprises visitors with its child-friendly infrastructure,” writes Paul Sullivan in The Guardian. “Of course, there are all the parks and open spaces (the sprawling Tiergarten chief among them), activities at the museums, plus quirky extras such as indoor/outdoor pools and puppet theatres. But what really sets Berlin apart is its ability to adapt services and trends that are popular with adults to suit adults who just happen to have children, too. Unique to Berlin is a new trend in stylish yet family-friendly places to eat, drink and play: kindercafes. With their blend of dedicated play areas and funky decor, they’re more reminiscent of Berlin’s hipster bars than the UK’s Wacky Warehouse chain.” The perfect guide to Berlin for families.
• “I am checking in to a hotel whose mascot is a giant orange kangaroo. Hideous perma-tanned marsupials and grinning gnomes greet us at the door, while a red waterslide snakes its way down the side of the building like an external intestine. I cringe at the tastelessness of it all, then look over at my 18-month-old daughter, and my inner hotel snob is silenced. Lily is entranced – a slow grin explodes into wide-eyed delight at the sight of the plastic kangaroo on a bench in the driveway,” writes Liane Katz in The Guardian. “How did it come to this? For me, hotels used to be sexy and enchanting places; now they are purely functional. Still, I figure, happy child equals happy parent, and I’m travelling without Dad so need all the help I can get.” Katz checks into Austria’s Babyhotel: crayons, kangaroos and contented kids.
• The Times highlights 20 best family getaways for Easter – and there really is something for everyone, from Florida fun in Orlando to a family safari in South Africa. Tiger tracking in the Himalayas or monster hunting at Loch Ness…

CITY

• Helen Pickles of the Times tries to Rise above the crowds in Florence as she goes off the beaten path in an attempt to escape the hoardes – “It was the perfect spot from which to admire Brunelleschi’s iconic dome. And I was alone. No crowds of multilingual voices, no annoying cameras hogging the view. Florence can exhaust with its fabulousness.”
• Simon Calder of the Independent helps you navigate your away around the city of Singapore with this quick overview – find out how to get around, where to go for brunch and where to take in some culture. 48 Hours In: Singapore
• In the NY Times’ Israel With a Russian Accent (and Pork) Clifford J. Levy explores Ashdod, the self proclaimed ‘dance capital’ of Israel and examines the influence that an influx of Russian immigrants is having on the city, and across Israel as a whole: ‘“Ashdod is one of Israel’s secrets,” said David Stromberg, a journalist and cartoonist who was my navigator for the day…“You could call this the Israeli Riviera,” he said. “It has a very pan-Mediterranean feel.” Ashdod’s beaches did not disappoint, and while my wife and children swam, I mingled. I was curious as to whether adults who emigrated from the former Soviet Union as youngsters had a connection to the old country. Most of the people I met seemed pleased to be Israelis; some were more ambivalent.”
• Andrew Ferren from the NY Times is pleasantly surprised as Art Takes Root in Fertile Soil in Spain, more specifically in the city of Murcia where over a dozen new galleries and museums have popped up. “Murcia has all the charms one expects from a midsize Spanish city (population about 430,000) – a massive cathedral with a floridly Baroque façade, rows of colorful houses with elaborate balconies and lots of plazas shaded by orange trees and lined with cafe tables… that exhibition spaces like Espacio AV and cutting-edge commercial galleries like T20, which focuses on emerging artists, share narrow cobbled streets with traditional bakeries and basket weavers.”
• The NY Times’ Lionel Beehner checks out the best restaurants, hotels and art-house theatres to visit if you’ve only got 36 Hours in Telluride, Colorado. It’s like Aspen but without all the celebrities.
• Dedicated coffee drinkers might be interested to know why the New York Tmes thinks London Sips a Different Cup – Oliver Strand takes us through a rundown of all the best coffee spots in the city.
• Danielle Pergamente seeks out the places where Where Puccini Might Shop in Rome , now that the big business has gone from Via Margutta: ““Now there are all kinds of shops, but you don’t find the big Louis Vuittons here,” Mr. Moncado said. “These are high quality, elegant brands, but they’re small with a local flavor. Everything is done the way it was years ago.””

ESCAPE

• Cathy Pryor of the Independent encounters drunken parrots, mysterious glow worms and parasitic trees as she goes on An eco-tour in Queensland’s wildlife-rich rainforest – “You look up as if at the night sky, studded with thousands of fiery stars, only the stars are insects. They live along the cave walls, close enough to see that each glow-worm reclines behind a curtain of elegant threads, as if it were in a minuscule boudoir. “
• Lisa Grainger paints an idyllic picture of Zimbabwe as she goes on safari at luxury lodge, Pamushana, adding to the recent tourism boom the country is experiencing: “Thousands of trees speckle the plains. In the distance, I can spot giraffe. At the back, above lawns overhung with baobabs and strangling figs, I can hear birds chirruping in the morning light. It’s as close as you can get to an African Eden.”Zimbabwe earns its stripes
• Sophy Roberts goes Off the tourist trail in Iceland, visiting a hydroelectric power station, meeting the only survivor of a major trawler accident, and of course, seeing the Northern Lights. She insists “Iceland is becoming far more than the sum of its dramatic cliffside spurs, lava fields and glaciers: the country, after all, is a geological infant.”
• Damian Whitworth hopes you never find Cheviot Hills: England’s quietest spot as he enjoys the wilds of Northumberland with his family and a select few others – only 12 cars a day are allowed into the valley. ‘Already you feel like you are on a rather exclusive adventure.’ Hiking in the hills with his son, Whitworth treats the reader to a lovely description of this rare wilderness.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• Martin Symington of the Times visits The rock’n’roll Swedish ski resort of Åre where the runs are impressive, the snow lasts beyond the usual April thaw and the additional wildlife all add to the fun – “As well as tobogganing, ice climbing and paragliding, you can head out over the frozen lake on a sledge pulled either by packs of bounding huskies or at the more leisurely pace of trotting reindeer.”
• James Studholme is awestruck by nature when he visits Iguassu falls: A natural wonder of spray and thunder and takes a boat trip under the falls – “Then cameras away and the main course begins. They take you unbelievably close. You get drenched. It’s tremendously exhilarating. Our guide, Carlos, persuades the driver to go in closer and for longer than normal. A tip. The more you shout and scream, the more it eggs the skipper on. It feels as if you’re completely under the falls, so dense and disorientating is the spray, even though you know it’s not possible. “
• Ed Templeton finds a great mixture of spirituality and surfing on this unusual retreat in southern India: ‘The surfboard hanging over the dining room door painted with the words “Om Sweet Om” epitomises the relaxed spirituality practised in this ashram. This is no brainwashing cult, just a group of devout, spiritual surfers who are keen to share their way of life. “India: Devoted to surf

CITY

• Jamil Anderlini of the FT thought Christchurch was nothing more than ‘a necessary pit-stop on journeys into other parts of the South Island’s breathtaking scenery’ but has his mind changed by the venerable Otahuna Lodge, The legacy of a noble New Zealander, the New Zealander in question being Sir Heaton Rhodes: “From the sumptuous bathrobes to the chocolate brownies that magically appeared in the cookie jar by our bed every time we left our room, the service and surroundings were flawless. The native timber in the interior of the house exuded antiquity and grandeur and I found myself looking around for signs of secret passages or false bookshelves.”
• Utrecht is A Dutch Town That Nurtures Its Quirks according to Joel Weikgenant of the NY Times, who urges us to look beyond the half-day visit and explore the new creative and musical ventures that are springing up around the city: “the Oudegracht has kept a quirky charm. The balcony at Kafe Belgie, for example, is one of the best places in the city to watch the parade of bikers and strollers while sipping an Orval Trappist ale. Down the block, Tabou Haar en Jazz, a combination hair salon and record store, offers an extensive collection of Dutch jazz artists.”
• The Independents’ David Ryan thinks you should Try a villa in the land of the mighty Minoans – where he learns all about Crete’s history, spanning from Minoan civilisation and the legends of Icarus, Daedalus and the Minotaur, to key battles during the Second World War. Of course, you could do as his wife does and just go for the sun, surf and sand…

ESCAPE

• Andrew Jefford at the FT enjoys The watery pleasures of Perth despite battling for space with everybody else – “We took our two little boys down to Cottesloe beach at 6am, thinking it would be empty. In fact, we got a dazzling demonstration of human interaction with seawater. Some strode the shallows purposefully; others stood to paddle boards across the waves like insects scuttling over a pond.”
• Jane Knight of the Times visits four of the most child friendly islands in The Maldives for families, including one resort which has beauty treatments specifically geared at children: “later, in the Ice Cream Spa, which is attached to the recently added kids club, my son is given the choice of his first beauty treatment. Will it be a massage like mummy or a facial? He settles on a tattoo and leaves proudly admiring the gecko and dragon on his arms. “
• The Guardian’s Gemma Bowes admires the simplicity of Feynan Lodge community project, Jordan, an electricity and alcohol-free vegetarian eco-lodge in the middle of the Wadi desert – “The sight of the lodge on our return from watching the sun set was jaw-dropping. Illuminated only by stars and flickering flames, it looked as impenetrable as the crusader forts we had visited all over Jordan, with similar slit windows and a heavy wooden door, decorated with dozens of ornate knockers.” Despite the lack of mod-cons Bowes finds plenty to do, visiting Roman ruins, and exploring the local landscape.
• Imogen Carter from the Guardian goes luxury Camping in Rajasthan to experience the desert, Maharajah style: “Each standard suite in the camp is pitched on a base of golden Jaisalmer stone covering more than 1,000sq ft, and features a sitting room, a bed the size of a judo mat and a bathroom with a plumbed toilet, twin sinks and shower…Four suites also have private sunken pools, while the Royal Suite comes with its own butler.”

OUTDOORS/ADVENTURE

• The Times’ Paul Croughton goes on a jungle adventure through the forests of Panama, describing it as “a wonderland. Whatever you like to do, you can do it there: slice through white-water on a raft, fly through trees on a zip wire, hike through jungle, snorkel with sharks, dive with whales, climb the volcano or cycle up and down everything else.” Panama: paradise is open for business
• The Telegraph’s Michael Jacobs and partner undertake a fortnight’s walk along El Cid’s road to paradise, a new tourist route of ‘immense and haunting beauty’ being promoted by the Spanish tourist board. Amusingly they find themselves the unwitting focus of much media attention due to the relative rarity of tourists walking this route: “We were barely prepared for the number of journalists there to greet us, all of whom were anxious to know why two British writers had been drawn to the idea of walking the Camino del Cid. Apparently the tourists undertaking the route were still quite few in number and largely limited to cyclists and motorists. Soon we were flattered into thinking of ourselves as engaged on a mission to revive some of the more forgotten corners of Spain. “
• “With that she pointed herself off the side of the path, crouched down with her poles tight behind and fell off the mountain. In 10 seconds she slid down the piste that we’d spent 20 minutes winding our way up. Louise, a quiet woman, was next. She yelped the whole way down. When she came to a thud at the end of the slide, she lay back, legs outstretched and laughed hysterically.” The Guardian’s Tamsin Omond enjoys goes Snowshoeing in the French Alps, extolling the environmental and aesthetic advantages of snowshoeing over traditional winter sport acitivities.
• The New York Times’ Greg Breining finds that winter snowshoeing amongst the trails and wilderness of Minnesota is the perfect way to go Trekking With Wolves as well as a great escape for those looking to beat the summer crowds of campers and canoeists – “The beauty of snowshoeing is you can do it just about anywhere – over lake and stream, through the woods, on a trail or off…In summer, some quarter of a million canoe campers manage to disappear into the wilderness, paddling down the craggy lakes, carrying canoe and pack down portage trails.”
• Simon Unwin of The Independent takes a trip to Norway for a glimpse of a Green sky at night. Travelling to northernmost Norway, exploring Sámi culture along the way, Unwin finally gets to see the magic of the Aurora: “To the north and then, suddenly, to the west, shape-shifting drapes of jade luminescence shimmer against the indigo sky as solar winds collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. It’s a sobering dance of light that is as unpredictable as it is breathtaking. “
• Mike Unwin goes on a wildlife tour around the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands in Brazil in a quest to spot the South American big 5 – jaguar, tapir, maned wolf, giant anteater and giant river otter – “ours would have been a memorable wildlife trip even had none of the holy quinity deigned to show up. Whatever your agenda, if it’s simply a ruse to explore Brazil’s extraordinary wildlife riches, you won’t be disappointed. ” Spot Luck: Great wildlife encounters in Brazil

REVIVAL

• Yigal Schleiffer from the NY Times enjoys the cultural resurgence of Istanbul, with its newly opened Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and the Santral Istanbul, another recent addition on the arts landscape – looks like it’s time for a visit to 2010’s European Capital of Culture. A Revival in Istanbul
• Having lived in Beirut during the war, Richard Beeston from The Times revisits the Lebanese capital city and marvels at The transformation of Beirut – “Where snipers previously took up positions, it is now possible to take a dip in the rooftop pool or sip a Martini in the panoramic Bar ThreeSixty. The basement is no longer somewhere to take cover from shells — it houses the spa.”

CHEAT SHEET

• The Telegraph’s Robin Gauldie takes us on a tour through Turkey holidays: an insider’s guide. Covering its ‘Lost Cities’ as well as the more popular resorts of Bodrum and Kusadasi, this will tell you all you need to know to start planning for that Turkish trip.
• Follow Hugh Ryan’s recommendations in the New York Times about how best to spend 36 Hours in Vieques, the small island off Puerto Rico – amongst the suggestions includes a military base that has been converted to a club and a trip to the bioluminescent bay on the Caribbean side of the island.
• Kate Graham takes us through recent restaurant and museum openings, revealing which neighbourhoods are on the up and up, and which the best places to visit on a visit to Munich as part of the Independent’s City Slicker series. This is City slicker: Munich

CITY

• In The FT Jan Morris discovers that Oxford adapts to modern times. “Universitas Oxoniensis is presenting itself to the outside world anew, in its constant need for outside funding and official sanctions, and in doing so it seems to have found altogether new sources of energy…Over the rooftops north and south, towering cranes speak of new quadrangles, laboratories, halls of residence and research institutes…and, if you need somewhere to stay, not far away is the luxurious Malmaison, which until lately was the Oxford prison.”

• In The FT Mark Hudson visits Venice in winter. “In winter, Venice becomes a different place. The sense of this ancient, decaying city as a slightly sinister labyrinth – unforgettably captured in the 1973 film Don’t Look Now – comes to the fore…I wouldn’t come at any other time. In winter, Venice seems to revert to an earlier version of itself, to become just the place where the Venetians live.”
• “Bombay is indisputably India’s first city,” says Stanley Stewart in The Times. The Mumbai mix: a city guide reveals the many different sides of Mumbai. “In such an ancient land, Bombay is a young upstart. Developed in the 19th century to be the great port of the Raj, it hardly thought of itself as an Indian city at all until the turn of the 20th century. Now it bestrides the subcontinent like a colossus.”
• Christopher Solomon in The New York Times brings us 36 Hours in Whistler, British Columbia. “Walk down the main promenade and see everyone from rich urban castaways and old-school hippies to French-babbling Québécois and weathered dropouts shouldering skis the size of ironing boards. It makes Whistler feel worldly and cosmopolitan, even when gold medals aren’t being handed out.”
• The Telegraph features Nicky Haslam’s heaven on earth: Istanbul. “There is something quite extraordinary about Istanbul, thanks to its location on the edge of two continents…The city doesn’t just have the most amazing history, it has a fantastically glamorous setting on the Bosporus, and every time I cross the bridge linking the European and Asian parts my hair stands on end.”

ESCAPE

• In The Guardian Benji Lanyado stays in Egypt’s first eco-lodge, “The Basata Ecolodge is a collection of 20 bamboo huts and beautiful adobe chalets scattered across the seashore and backed by mountains, 46 miles south of the Israeli border….This, I realise, is the ultimate writer’s retreat.” Lanyado then proceeds onto The Al Karm Ecolodge in the heart of Sinai – one of Egypt’s most remote lodges.
• In The Guardian Kate Rew goes to Scotland’s Buddhist retreat, “a weekend’s mindfulness meditation course at the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery to be built in the west…The monastery is set in a remote valley by the river Esk, surrounded by low fells and patches of coniferous forest.” But did Rew discover inner peace? Read on…
• “There’s a problem with holidays,” writes Dixe Wills in The Observer, “However glorious the vistas, however thrilling the pursuits…there will always come a time when it is Monday morning again and you are returned to the humdrum realities of real life. The solution, of course, is to change that humdrum real life. So it was that I found myself on a holiday that promised to do just that. The mission of the Simple Living weekend is to teach “the survival skills for living outwardly simpler but inwardly richer lives”.” Wills discovers Why the good life is simplicity itself.
• “Over the past 12 months, I’ve…hiked mountains, swum in lakes, sailed rivers and canals, and lounged on beaches both Mediterranean and Atlantic. I have driven through grand landscapes convinced that I was the only person on Earth. I’ve visited more chateaux than Richard the Lionheart, and more village festivals than I can count. I’ve eaten brilliantly, whether from the village butcher and baker or a Michelin-starred chef. And afterwards I’ve wandered into midnight city centres for coffee and cognac.” Picking some lesser known destinations in France, Anthony Peregrine offers us the France holiday guide: take a fresh look in The Telegraph.
• “The mesmerising hula and big waves of Hawaiian legend do not disappoint, but there are many other reasons to visit the archipelago’s six islands,” writes Alexandra Ferguson in The Telegraph. “whether you seek beach life, outdoor adventure or indigenous culture, Hawaii has plenty to offer.” Ferguson reveals her Hawaiian highs: what to do on Oahu, Big Island and Maui.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• In The Guardian’s Rwanda Gorillas in the mix: touring Rwanda, Homa Khaleeli goes on the trail of the mountain gorilla, relaxes on one of Africa’s great lakes – Lake Kivu – and goes on safari in the Akagera national park. “there is a breathtaking amount of beauty to protect,” writes Khaleeli, “At dawn, as the dark lifted, the mist remained, turning the hill tops into islands in a seascape of cloud.”
• “Most people fall for Rio de Janeiro the moment they glimpse it from the plane,” writes Stanley Stewart in The Times. “It had never occurred to me that there were people who jumped into that view…Rio is made for altitude junkies. Its sheer-sided mountains make it a climber’s challenge and a hang-glider’s paradise. In a moment of bravado – inspired by half a dozen caipirinhas – I signed up for the hang-gliding.” Stewart takes a leap of faith and goes Hang-gliding over Rio de Janeiro.
• In The Observer Carol McDaid discovers Bergs and brutal beauty in Greenland’s magnetic north. “In early September the nightless days are over, the endless nights still to come, and home for me for a few otherworldly days was a sleek Norwegian cruise liner heading north up the west coast and bound for Disko Bay, which in my dreams at least was full of mirror balls.”
• In The Times, Nicholas Roe is on the West Coast of Scotland “on the summit of a 946m Scottish Munro in a 50mph wind that was dashing hail and ice chips painfully into our faces, me regretting that I was without goggles so was near-blind up there – stumbling, falling, flailing. My face felt raw.” This is Wild winter walking in Scotland. “The scenery was magically appearing and vanishing in fierce snow bursts. I was panting. It was cold. It was wonderful.”

FOOD

• “LA’s army of taco trucks has come a long way since the “Roach Coach” days.” writes Laura Goodman in The Times. “In this new age of mobile gourmet treats, the rides have been pimped, and so have the menus – on a trip to the beach you might unwittingly find yourself mere feet from golden grilled cheese sandwiches, sticky Korean barbeques, or sinful chocolate marshmallow cake…But if you can’t wait for the trucks to find you, they all have Twitter accounts, so that you can happen to be in the right place at the right time.” Discover California’s Food trucks: the new LA dining scene.
• Bonnie Tsui indulges in the Exotic Tastes of the Big Island in The New York Times. “Hilo, Hawaii — CHERIMOYA, calamansi, rainbow papaya. Puna ricotta, poha berries, lilikoi. Lava salsa, dinosaur kale, Hamakua mushrooms. This is the exotic-food litany on the lips of pilgrims who go to the Hilo Farmers Market, held twice a week on the lush eastern side of the Big Island.” Tsui takes us on a gastronomical tour of Hawaii.
• Stephanie Hills reveals the Top 10 Paris cafes for sipping vin chaud in The Guardian. From “swooningly romantic” cafes to a “swanky erstwhile writers’ haunt”, and find out where to combine vin chaud and a clairvoyancy with a Parisian twist.
• In The New York Times Paola Singer is On the Trail of Spain’s Acorn-Fed Hams. “Night was falling, and before us were Gothic churches, Roman arches and Moorish towers, glowing in the soft light of lanterns. It was an arresting sight, but our thoughts soon veered elsewhere – to food and the sumptuous meal we were anticipating…Most people travel to this ancient city for its architectural treasures; my friends and I had come to eat pork.”

ARTS

• Adam Nagourney is Alone (or Almost) With Michelangelo in Vatican City. “As anyone knows who has endured a visit to the Sistine Chapel during the day – the shoulder-to-shoulder scrum of tour groups, the guards barking “no pictures, no pictures,” the fight for seats, the pressure to move on to make way for the crush behind you,” writes Nagourney in The New York Times. Well, here’s an alternative: “With little fanfare, a few tour operators have in recent years arranged for after-hours group tours of the Vatican Museums, culminating with the Sistine Chapel…Only our footsteps broke the silence. We had the place to ourselves.”
• “On a recent fall evening in Sarajevo, a crowd of art enthusiasts sipped drinks as one of Bosnia’s most respected artists and curators, Jusuf Hadzifejzovic, began his remarks at the opening of a new exhibition. Suddenly, the lights went out — but he continued his speech in darkness, unfazed,” writes Yasmine Ryan in The New York Times. “Minutes later, a cleaning woman calmly pushed her cart laden with mops and detergents through the center of the audience. The speeches went on…So goes a typical opening in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, where the contemporary art scene is in perpetual collision with everyday life.” Ryan finds that Art Crops Up in Sarajevo’s Shuttered Shops.
• In The Times Bettany Hughes uncovers Istanbul – the historian returns to the European Capital of Culture for 2010 and shares her highlights. “This is the deep charm of Istanbul; it is exciting, friendly, richly varied and paradoxical. The city has changed immeasurably since my first visit almost 30 years ago, when the Ciragan Palace was a burnt-out ruin, loos were generally holes in the ground, and the Four Seasons Hotel was still an infamous prison. Now the old really does co-exist with the new. And the arts programme this year reminds us that Istanbul has a gleaming future.”
• In The Independent Jo Caird experiences the Italian hit parade: A small town in Puglia comes alive for one of the world’s oldest festivals. “Every year, Putignano, an otherwise unremarkable town of 30,000 people in the southern Italian region of Puglia, plays host to one of the oldest and longest carnivals in the world…barely a day passes that isn’t marked by a traditional celebration of some kind, including three smaller, daytime parades on each of the Sundays before Lent.”

CITY

• “Despite its many visitors, Bruges doesn’t feel overwhelmed or exploited,” says Claire Wrathall in the FT. “It’s a city for wandering, a place that for all the bustle also exudes calm.” Wrathall reveals how to avoid tourists, and what to do in The fairytale beauty of Bruges
• Jimmy Choo reveals his recommendations for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: My kind of town for the Telegraph.  The world’s most famous shoe designer and recently appointed Malaysia’s ambassador for tourism, highlights his favourite restaurants, views and shops.
• If you can’t even name Slovenia’s capital city, let alone want to visit, read Yuri Barron’s article for the Observer.  From our correspondent: Ljubljana highlights the best of this city, including the beautiful view from Castle Hill.
• “How is it possible for a city to be both blazingly public and intensely private at the self-same time? Somehow Edinburgh manages the feat,” says Ian Rankin in the Observer. The hidden gems of this Scottish city are revealed in Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh
• After being flattened by an earthquake in 1931, Napier, New Zealand, “was quickly rebuilt in a colourful, confidence-raising art-deco style,” says Nigel Tisdall in the Observer. New Zealand’s art-deco gem that grew from disaster offers plenty to lovers of art deco.

ESCAPE

• Babia is a remote but beautiful corner of the province of León in northern Spain. But there is also a Spanish saying “in Babia” which means to be lost in thought. Annie Bennett’s Secret spain: lost in translation in the Observer, sets out “to find out more about where the saying comes from.” 
• “The Canary Islands are a tranquil recreational sailing region for those intent on making their own journey of discovery,” says Joe Cawley in the Independent, who sets off to Follow in the wake of Columbus’s voyage with a yachting holiday in the Canaries
• Gabriella Le Breton guides us through River cruises: Distant voyages of discovery for the Telegraph. “The choice of river cruise destinations and itineraries is becoming increasingly diverse and exotic,”says Le Breton, who takes us to destinations as far flung as China, India, Peru, Botswana and Russia.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE

• Paul Miles visits The Cornish coast in autumn and enjoys empty shores, Boscastle and the Museum of Witchcraft. “As for the coastal path – that is always magical, whatever the weather.”
• Nicky Woolf for The Observer highlights the best of activities in New Zealand. From camping, to hiking to music festivals – here are Six good reasons to travel to New Zealand.
• “Skiing just happens to be one of the most environmentally destructive sports on the planet,” says Simon Birch in the Independent. But a “growing number of resorts are waking up to their environmental duties and are working hard to reduce the environmental impact of skiing. Like Les Gets,” say Birch who reports on The little resort with big ideas about going green
• Minty Clinch in the Independent takes a skiing break in Telluride, “then a gold mining town, now a resort that combines some of Colorado’s more dramatic peaks with the edginess of the Wild West.” A resort that attracts the likes of Tom Cruise, Clinch says Think you’re an expert? Try these peaks for size.

SOUTH AMERICA

• “Restaurants don’t come any more laid-back, fish doesn’t come any fresher and beaches don’t come any better. Of all the thousands along Brazil’s 5,000-mile coast, one name keeps popping up — Jericoacoara,” says Stanley Stewart in the Sunday Times. Stewart reports on one of Brazil’s best deserted beaches
• Seth Kugel for the New York Times, says “I had taken my two friends to Minas Gerais to show them what I think too many foreign travelers like them miss: the Brazil that lies beyond the Christ on the hill in Rio, the eco-lodges of the Amazon and the model-flecked beaches of Florianópolis.” Kugel guides us through The Other Brazil: Minas Gerais – famous for its waterfalls, mountains and country cooking.
• In the New York Times Finn-Olaf Jones reveals that Santiago “has become an electrifying place of vibrant contrasts, with lush new parks, renovated Beaux-Arts neighborhoods and blocks of glamazon-thronged galleries and cafes.” Santiago, Chile, Is Hardly Sleepy Anymore -report Jones, who reveals the best of the city.
• “Villa de Leyva, founded in 1572, meets contemporary life on its own terms. Declared a national monument in 1954, it’s an aggressively preserved colonial city,” says David Carr for the New York Times. Whether its rum, the sounds of Spanish guitar, the market or the mountains, there’s plenty to delight in Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia,
• “To some, Barra da Tijuca is Rio de Janeiro’s hottest new neighborhood, blessed with beautiful rock formations and a beach blanketed with some of the planet’s sexiest bodies. To others, it is a Brazilian version of the worst of Miami, full of traffic jams and tacky shopping malls.” Lionel Beehner reports on the Rio Hot Spot With Miami Vibe which is emerging as the latest playground of “Rio’s trendiest upstarts.”
• “Montevideo may be overshadowed by its flashier neighbors, Punta del Este and Buenos Aires, but Uruguay’s capital does not suffer from an inferiority complex,” says Seth Kugel in the New York Times. “…it is home to charming small museums, a lively old city and only a handful of tourists.” Kugel spends 36 Hours in Montevideo, Uruguay

WILDLIFE

• “A loud wheezing sound is coming from the trees. Fifteen pairs of binoculars swivel in unison before coming to rest on a distant spot. “False alarm. It’s a grey squirrel,” shouts a voice with evident disappointment.” Claire Prentice goes on an urban birding walk for the Independent. This is the Trail of the unexpected: Birdwatching in Central Park
• You’ll have a whale of a time looking for oceanic entertainment in the water around the Canaries says Emma Gregg in the Independent. Especially as “the captain of a whale and dolphin-watching boat based in Tenerife promises a sighting on every outing.”
• “One of the things about India is that no matter what you go there to look for you find a great deal more besides. We were looking for wildlife, of course, but that was not all we found,” says Simon Barnes in search of tigers in India in the Times. “…we saw wonders, we revelled in an incomparable place, we made our puja…” And tigers? “No.”