• “Somehow, tourists have tended to overlook Egypt’s other strip of coastline along the Mediterranean,” writes Belinda Jackson in The Guardian, who recommends travellers employ a sense of adventure and discover A different side of Egypt: from Alexandria to Marsa Matruh.
• In The Guardian Jennifer Cox is in Honduras, on Central America’s road less travelled finding out why, despite having history, nature and culture, Honduras is still not on the tourist trail. “Honduras also boasts 644km of Caribbean coastline, with the idyllic Bay Islands offering easy access to the Mesoamerican barrier reef, the world’s largest after Australia’s.”
• “To my mind there is something transcendental to the charm of the Irish. They are no nicer than other peoples, no less bitchy, no less quarrelsome, no less murderous indeed, but without doubt they are, come boom or bust, come faith or disbelief, come peace or war the most charming of nationalities.” In The FT Jan Morris is On a journey across Ireland.
• In The Independent Ben Ross discovers Two sides to a Greek island in Rhodes: There was life in the First Choice Holiday Village Rhodes, packed with facilities and activities, and then the other half – discovering an island where civilisations have come and gone – churches, mosques, crumbling monuments and monasteries.
• “I’m here for Fleet: Art in the Haven Ports, a summer-long programme bringing art to unusual locations along the Essex and Suffolk coast. And although Jaywick is my final stop, it’s all everyone seems to be talking about.” Stephen Emms, for The Guardian, is finding Art on the Essex/Suffolk coast.

• “It takes less than four hours by train to travel between Gothenburg and Stockholm, Sweden’s largest cities. But if you’re not in a hurry, you might prefer to spread the journey over four days aboard the three-deck M/S Diana – and let the “Coast to Coast” pleasure cruise take you back to a bygone era.” In The Independent Xav Judd is on the Trail of the unexpected: Göta Canal.
• “Saigon was always going to be my personal highlight on this two-week south-east Asia cruise from Bangkok to Singapore on Spirit of Adventure…which I had joined six days earlier. But the other ports promised to be exotic as well – the perfect antidote after cruising the Mediterranean or Caribbean a few times.” Jane Archer picks the best of the Far East cruises: sailing into exotic waters.
• Suzanne Cadisch is on A 12-day voyage through 2,000 years of history around the Black Sea for The Independent. “But then this is no ordinary cruise line. The size of the two Azamara ships, with just 694 passengers, enables them to get into ports denied to bigger liners. But it is the overnight stops – three on this 12-night cruise – and the late departures that let you get under the skin of the places you visit.”

• In The NY Times Alexis Okeowo goes Walking With the Herds in Kenya. “I was on a journey to follow the strikingly diverse wildlife — giraffes, impalas, even hippos — on Crescent Island and the surrounding lake…much of Lake Naivasha is still off the beaten path, uncrowded and serene.”
• In The Guardian Tristan Rutherford is learning about Free-diving in Turkey. “…the five of us simply swim out from the classroom for our baptismal free-dive. The water is crystal clear – one of the big attractions of Kas, an overgrown fishing village basking in nearly year-round sunshine.”
• In The FT Tom Robbins is Riding the Tour de France’s mountain paths. “Travelling light, a friend and I were free to plot our own route, a four-day loop that included seven of the most famous Tour climbs…we could leave London on Thursday night and be back on Tuesday morning. It would be a sporting epic, squeezed into a mini-break.”
• In The Telegraph Adam Ruck is in Arabella, Italy: Where children and wildlife get top billing. “The island forms part of a vast nature reserve and the “slow tourism” idea is that children and wildlife have first-equal priority. As well as all the bird life, hundreds of deer roam free in the woods.”

• In The Guardian Garth Cartwright is in San Antonio: down Mexico way. “San Antonio is superior to all other Texas cities…That the majority of the city’s inhabitants are Hispanic lends San Antonio a soulful, Latin ambience. It also means there are countless great Mexican food outlets and the sound of Tejano echoes out of bars and clubs.”
• Arts Thrive in Leipzig, Bach’s Backyard says Gisela Williams in The NY Times. “But the city’s affinity for the arts goes well beyond music. “Leipzig is a town of students, musicians and artists,” said Gerd Harry Lybke, the owner of Eigen + Art, one of the most influential galleries in Germany.”
• “In just a few years, this subtropical city has clamped down on violence, cleaned up its act and emerged as the trendy capital of Colombian cool, safe enough to visit but still seedy enough to feel far from home.” In the NY Times Anand Giridharadas will guide you through the food and the culture for a perfect 36 Hours in Bogotá, Colombia.
• In The FT Kevin Brown checks into the not-fully-opened-but-almost-there Marina Bay Sands Hotel. “The hotel boasts no fewer than five celebrity-chef restaurants…But when I visited, the day after the opening, two were still being fitted out, as were two of the five bars…neither of the two theatres is open, nor is the museum and art gallery.” A park and pool 200m above Singapore.

• “Kentucky is full of surprises. It should be: it’s somewhat off the radar for foreign tourists, but it’s a great way to see the hidden, real America,” writes Tim Bryan in The Guardian. “…and Bourbon is a major draw.” Southern comfort in Kentucky
• In The FT Isabel Berwick checks into a Kinderhotel for a A family-friendly break in Austria By Isabel Berwick. “the hotels offer excellent value packages, which often include all food, as well as free childcare and great on-site facilities,” including two pools, waterslides and five child-friendly buffets per day.
• If Puglia is the new Tuscany, where are all the British? asks Adrian Mourby in The Independent. “The British invasion has proved quieter than most. Planes touch down daily at Brindisi and Bari but the barbarian hordes have not materialised…it seems this undiscovered region is still keeping its best attractions well hidden.”
• “Could it be that Solta is a non-hidden gem, unaccountably given the shortest of shrift by everyone from holidaymakers to guidebook writers? Or is it, as they rarely say in guidebooks, simply not worth the detour? The way to find out: make the 10-mile trip across to Solta on the first ferry out next morning.” In The Independent Simon Calder is onto a Slavic secret: Solta is steeped in history and rich in beauty

• Mark Rowe makes The Independent’s “Walk of the Month” on A little gem cast adrift in the North Atlantic. “The island of Lewis is the northernmost, largest and the lowest-lying of the Outer Hebrides. If anywhere can justify the midge bites then it’s the lonely loch at the end of this walk behind Dail Beag beach.”
• “The music at Cowboy Poetry would make Elko worth the trip even if the people one met there were objectionable and uninteresting. As it happens, they are all the precise opposite of those things,” writes Andrew Mueller in The Guardian. This is Nevada’s cult of the cowboy.
• In The Telegraph Studholme and family discover Peru’s natural highs in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Taking the train from Puno to Cusco, (“the 10-hour dawdle is a wholly enjoyable and meditative way of travelling”), exploring the Inca ruins and cooking guinea pig is all part of the adventure.
• In The FT Tahir Shah and his daughter head to Salé to discover Morocco’s buried pirate republic. “Twisting and turning our way down the whitewashed lanes, we found a time-capsule of Moroccan life from a century ago…We were on hallowed ground after all – at the home of the greatest pirate in Barbary history.”

• In The New York Times Evan Rail offers the best of 36 Hours in Munich. “Munich is a major destination for beer lovers, history buffs and music fans, but lately the Bavarian capital has been recognized as a great place to live. Monocle magazine ranked it the world’s most livable city in 2007, citing its high-quality housing, low crime and general feeling of Gemütlichkeit.”
• “Lecce has a provincial charm. The churches are quiet, but this is a university town, with a buzz in the bars, pastry shops and bookstores…The city is a delight to explore on foot, each turning revealing another architectural treat.” In The FT, Guy Dinmore explores Lecce’s architectural wonders.
• “Amid cups of coffee and slices of cake, frivolity and industry are the order of the day at the Sweat Shop, Paris’s only sewing cafe, which Duss and Holleis opened last month in a quiet street near the trendy bars and boutiques of the Canal Saint Martin.” In The Guardian Lizzy Davies discovers a Sewing cafe opens in Paris.

• Paul Wade and Anthony Peregrine in The Telegraph guide us through the Best beaches on the French Riviera and Basque Coast. From the Plage de l’Estagnol (popular with families and the Sarkozys) to Plage de La Paloma which is a favourite of the jet set and celebrities on to Les Plages at Seignosse which is the place to go for surfing.
• “Even today, the Andalucian hilltop village of Gaucín is a place for those in search of romantic thrills,” writes Michael Jacobs in The Guardian. “The road linking Gaucín with the coast is still gloriously vertiginous, and the village itself – despite the replacement of bandits with foreigners – has not become an oppressive tourist den.” Spanish views to thrill in heady Gaucín.
• “Where do the Italians go in Italy in the summer? What stylish, little-known havens do they head to? The short answer is, Italians go to the beach. By mid-August, the cities are eerily deserted, except for foreign tourists, so if you need a doctor or a dentist in a hurry, your best chance could be to drive to the coast and shout.” Matthew Kneale discovers Where the locals like to go in Italy.
• “…did you know Cornwall’s full of Eden projects of every shape and size — and they’re just as likely to touch your heart as the usual headline-grabbers. Here are eight amazing places, not just for the green-fingered, but for anyone seeking a place of calm and colour, of nature and nurture. And if a walk through such a place makes you peckish, we tell you where to find good Cornish cooking that doesn’t necessarily involve a life-threatening dollop of clotted cream.” In The Times Nigel Summerley offers Flower power: eight hidden havens in Cornwall.

• In The Independent Polly Evans is Following in the footsteps of a trailblazer…but not on a camel. “Stuart is rightly known as one of the most accomplished and famous of all Australia’s inland explorers. My trip in his footsteps, 150 years on, was a fascinating insight into his legacy…the only differences would be that, while he had limped along with horses crazed by hunger and thirst, I’d drive an air-conditioned jeep; while he subsisted on rations of flour and jerked meat so scanty that his muscles wasted and gums haemorrhaged, I’d fatten myself on kangaroo steaks and fine wines…”
• In The Guardian Stephen Venables is A lone ranger in Asturias. “Unspoilt diversity is the hallmark of Spain’s northern mountains…Between giddily overhanging cliffs there are golden beaches perfect for bathing. In early June they were almost empty and the sea was invigorating.”
• “There is nothing like the mountains to lift the spirits; being among them takes you closer to heaven,” writes Jeremy Laurance in The Independent. “But I am glad I left Switzerland till last…For sheer drama, there is nothing that can compare to the majesty of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, in the Bernese Oberland.” The ultimate high for any mountain walker.
• In The FT Max Hastings digs into the history of the Trails and trenches of the Dolomites. “To get the most out of exploring this wonderful area, read the stories of men who fought here, such as 19-year-old Ensign Hans Schneeberger of the Austrian Kaiserjager, native Tyroleans. His agility on the mountain earned him a nickname, “the snow-flea”…This is fabulous ski country in winter, walking and climbing territory in summer.”

• “It is not often a volcanic eruption seriously interferes with one’s intention to travel to West Sussex. But such was the case on Thursday,” writes David Randall in The Independent. “There is no moral to this story other than this: keep moving in the right direction and talk to people. Eventually, one will be a Francesca who will have a mother like Michaela.” From Rome to home on luck and instinct.

FAMILY

• In the Independent David Usborne and daughter seem to enjoy going on Disney cruises: Hijinks on the high seas – this is their second one. Written from both father and daughter’s perspective, it seems that, as long as you don’t have a particular aversion to the magic of Disney, going on a cruise with them could actually be quite fun.
• Adrian Mourby and son find that Generosity abounds on the great wall of fire as they visit Hadrian’s wall, despite the numerous losses which beset them – a lost backpack, a lost mobile phone, and a lost boy. “I was amazed by the kindness of people: the hotel receptionist who drove John and his arm to the doctor; the lady who found his phone and hand-delivered it to the next B & B; the hoteliers who arranged for Hadrian’s Haul – a great scheme – to transfer John’s rucksack by van (£5 a day – a bargain); the people who made him sandwiches; the fellow travellers who put him right when lost, those who mailed back the heavier items John chose to leave behind. “
• Isabel Berwick from the Financial Times spends A week in a luxury French campsite albeit with a slight twist – communal kitchen and showers mean that family life is on display. But the communal aspects are ultimately what make the holiday so enjoyable – “Against expectation, the atmosphere at Le Camp made us relax and embrace the unknown, and a week here turned out to be as perfect a family holiday as any of us could imagine. Our five-year-old son joined a noisy, free-range posse of boys. Our nine-year-old daughter rocked in a hammock, reading Harry Potter. And the adults relaxed properly.”

SOUTH AFRICA

picture by geoftheref courtesy of Flickr CC

• The Guardian’s Kevin Rushby is diving in search of Shark tales in South Africa. Despite their fierce reputations, Rushby finds the whole experience rather thrilling – “The shark was 3m long, and about the same distance from me, cruising effortlessly away. It didn’t seem at all interested, or particularly shy. I found this strangely comforting. It was also comforting to see that it was neither a tiger nor a zambezi shark, both notoriously aggressive species that live on Aliwal at certain times of year.”
• Claire Wrathall visits Franschhoek – South Africa’s ‘corner of France’ – tracing back the Huguenot heritage that has spawned a thriving viticulture, despite various ‘obstacles’: “Last year, La Petite Ferme lost four tonnes of grapes – the equivalent of 5,000 bottles – to a troop of 50 or so scrumping monkeys, Mark Dendy Young, its proprietor, told me when we lunched there. He has called the powerful unwooded Chardonnay he makes Baboon Rock in “tribute” to them.”
• World cup fever has obviously taken hold of the Guardian with their World Cup 2010 travel guide. Read city guides on the host cities, including Cape Town, Durban Johannesburg, find out about the range of activities on offer, and which are the best deals on offer for those deciding whether to go.

The Financial Times takes a fresh look at familiar destinations this weekend, starting with Edwin Heathcote’s examination into the history and recent renovation of the High Line, Manhattan’s elevated park: “The High Line has become a wonderfully strange landscape, a park that takes up no space, which drifts through the city like a magic carpet.”  Paul Gould struggles with Finding the real’ Russia in Moscow – ‘Yet I found an antidote to the consumerist blitz amid the outcrops of onion domes embedded in the Moscow skyline. Russian churches are always thronged with worshippers, and they kiss the icons, light candles and pray with such fervour that you cannot doubt their belief in something higher.’ Quoting Borges – “the streets hum around the clock with residents in ardent pursuit of new pleasures, determined to squeeze out of existence every drop of enjoyment” – Tom Sutherland recounts the odd but charming disjunction between expectation and experience in Old Europe in Buenos Aires

The New York Times’s Beth Greenfield is pleasantly surprised by the cultural punch of Amsterdam’s smaller neighbour in Haarlem, a Classic Dutch City With a Village Feel: “There [Amsterdam], you’ll find bustling global restaurants, smooth-as-glass canals, ornate 17th-century architecture, a thriving bike culture and museums rich with both art and Nazi-resistance history. But in Haarlem, you’ll be able to experience it all in just a single day.’” In Madrid Finds Its Own Marais, Andrew Ferren discovers the “quiet little Calle Conde Duque”, a picturesque street which is fast becoming a focal point as it attracts more and more independent cafes and stores. Adventurous art-lovers will be fascinated by Evan Rail’s investigation into the burgeoning Czech art scene in Gallery Crawling in Prague? Get Out the G.P.S. Lastly, in Going Back in Time to Old England, Sip by Sip Henry Shukman muses on English identity as he tours the pubs of the Cotswalds: ‘It’s everything a pub should be: a fabric of mercy, a haven from the preoccupations of post-industrial life, a timeless space more connected with the fields and springs, the repeating cycle of generations, than with the particular troubles of our own times.’

The Guardian’s Matt Carroll finds the perfect country retreat at Dannah Country House Farm, in Where should I stay? It’s sheep and chic on the farm: ‘It’s the perfect combination of luxury townie touches and homely country comforts – and it suits me down to the (muddy) ground. ‘ Going for a different sort of retreat, in an echo of Thoreau’s Walden Kevin Rushby enjoys a stay at a wooden cabin, in Peace and quiet in the Dordogne backwoods the only (significant) difference being that the rest of the family has tagged along for the trip too. Those of a more adventurous bent will enjoy Close encounters of the furred kind, Flemming Web’s account of bear tracking in Slovakia – “we were in the bears’ territory, following them on their terms, and it was all the more exciting for that…there was something almost primeval about creeping silently through these ancient forests and meadows.” Foodies will enjoy this one – author Michael Booth puts forward an interesting case for Japanese culinary domination in Osaka – the world’s greatest food city , calling Paris ‘past it’ and London ‘not quite there.’ Do you agree?

Elephants are the trend du jour, as evidenced by The Telegraph’s editorial focus this weekend. It’s polo but not as you know it, as Richard Alleyne discovers in Thailand: anyone for elephant polo? “The gong echoed across the polo ground and Jenny, my elephant, was quickest to react – though react may be too strong a word. Slowly she lumbered her two-ton frame into a lollop, ears flapping wildly and emitting a trumpet as she reached the ball and tee-ed me up perfectly with an unchallenged shot at goal.” Continuing the elephant theme Rosanna de Lisle discovers in Driving Miss Dumbo that the Anantara Golden Triangle resort can teach anyone, even her, to drive an elephant… “we are trampling down a steep, muddy track, Jenny yanking bamboo from the root with her trunk. I feel I could fall off at any moment… When we get back to the camp 15 minutes later, my legs are trembling.” Off the topic of elephants now, and on to music in Tennessee: a musical pilgrimage where Philip Sherwell tours the state in homage to it’s musical heroes: “this gritty city on the Mississippi river [Memphis] – the launch pad from where the blues, soul and rock-and-roll all triumphantly sprang to conquer the world – is our halfway point. The honky-tonk heartland of Nashville awaits; haunting mountain bluegrass and the brashness of Dolly Parton lie behind us in the Appalachians.”

Two of three of The Independent’s best articles this week focus on Greece. Firstly Tash Shifrin urges us to Try some vintage Greek island-hopping – jump aboard the first ferry out: ‘The island’s 500 residents don’t care whether tourists come or not….There is scant choice of rooms and a taverna may be open – or it may not. But it is small enough to walk all over, admiring the strange rock colours and lush vineyards. Apart from the stark white strand under the quarry road at Prassa, I find every beach deserted.’ Rhiannon Batton is of a similar mind as she goes Hopping mad: Hiking and sailing is the perfect way to explore Greece’s Dodecanese islands, exploring on the way the three islands of Kalymnos, Patmos and Leros. Lastly in Safe havens, Charlie Stayt spends his holiday philosophising on the freedoms of a life on the Isles of Scilly: “I conducted an experiment of sorts to test just how quiet it was. I sat in the road, warm from the sun… and waited. Thirty-five minutes passed. Then a sudden rush of activity forced me to move: an elderly man, in an electric wheelchair. ‘

The Financial Times can’t hide its admiration for the architectural beauty of Villa Miralago, a hotel on the edge of An Italian lake in southern Austria. Lovers of kitsch, or country music, or both will appreciate Rob Blackhurst’s fascinating insight into Dollywood, the theme park based on the singer Dolly Parton, in Is Dollywood one big kitsch joke? “For all its flag-waving, the full-throated celebration of southern life does capture something that is inspiring about America and goes beyond the God-and-guns clichés.” Linda Inoki relishes a trip to Britain’s sunnies spot in The peculiarity’ of Jersey. “Years ago I worked in the humdrum capital of St Helier, and was only too happy to catch the last ferry of summer back to the mainland. But Jersey has changed. The offshore finance industry has brought more wealth, luxury and style, and has even tweaked the pace of island life.” Thirza Vallois goes Footloose in Toulouse as she gorges on the food, and the sights of the city. “Toulouse is both traditional and forward-looking, regional and cosmopolitan, languidly Latin yet vibrant with youthful vitality. “

In The New York Times Jordan Hruska savours The crab houses of Maryland’s eastern shore, “Like most of the others, he was hunched over the brown paper tablecloth with arms out at both sides… His hands, like theirs, were slimy to the wrist with crab innards and spicy sludge, and like many of them, he sported an unabashedly sloppy grin. All pretense is shed at a crab house spread.” In Polishing a lost gem to dazzle tourists Isabel Kershner wonders whether the unveiling of its latest architectural discovery, a Roman-era mosaic in Lod, Israel, will reverse the town’s ailing fortunes: “‘I saw a white frame, then a tiger,” said Ms. Avissar, who has recently retired, recalling her first glimpses of the mosaic. ‘It was completely flat and in marvelous condition.’ Once exposed, the mosaic was put on public display for a single weekend, during which some 30,000 Israelis flocked to see it.” On the streets of Pamplona without a bull in sight, Lionel Beehner discovers that a bull-free Pamplona is surprisingly enriching: “with the rowdy San Fermin crowds absent, I found a city worth knowing for itself: filled with cultural and culinary high points, teeming with chatty night owls and sophisticated wine aficionados, and framed by the pointy foothills of the French Pyrenees to the north and wide plains to the south.” In Buenos Aires puts its traditional cafes in the spotlight Camille Cusumano picks the best of the city’s notable coffeehouses, ranging from Borges’ local haunt to artist hangouts. On a coffee roll, Ken Belson tracks down Where Tokyo grabs a coffee, helpful for those who can’t function on tea alone.

The Guardiann’s Paul lets us all in on his tip for Spain in Why unspoilt Asturias is a secret I just have to share, writing “the region is a microcosm of Spain as a whole, cramming into its borders everything from snowy mountains to sandy beaches, humble tapas bars to avant-garde restaurants, and from raucous local fiestas to silent valleys where bears and wolves still roam.” Molly Gunn is happily surprised by the various food, music and cultural attractions on offer at Berlin’s numerous squats in Welcome to Berlin’s squat scene. In Calmer chameleon Georgia Brown checks out Le Caméléon, the latest eco-hotel in Costa Rica and wonders if the sleek new design might herald a change for the worse. “My room is a dazzling contrast to the abundant nature outside. Everything is bright white – floors, walls, furniture, flat-screen TV and iPod dock – with splashes of red, green or blue on cushions and wall hangings. It’s ultra-modern and comfortable. But I can’t help worrying about getting dirty footprints all over my pristine floor.” Raja Shehadeh finds a connection to Pakistan and serenity within Echoing lands, his tale of summers spent walking the Scottish Highlands: “Once there I felt a deep silence descend upon me, unlike any I have known. It was not characterised by the absence of sound, for the moor seemed to breathe, emitting deep sighs as the low wind swept through the water-soaked grass, weeds and bracken.”

In The Telegraph Author Liz Jensen waxes lyrical in Copenhagen: My kind of town:”I also miss the wind turbines on the skyline. I get quite emotional when I see rows of them out at sea, their blades turning. To me, they’re beautiful, almost mythical structures, a fusion of human ingenuity and natural force.” In Uluru: best seen from a distance Rodney Bolt praises the Australian government’s plan to ban people from climbing Uluru claiming, “The most rewarding view is of Uluru, not from the top of it. Watching the massive, solitary monolith respond in a glow of pink and red as dawn breaks is an experience unequalled almost anywhere in the world.” In Canada: Life with the ice men Sara Evans sees for herself the impact of technology and climate change on the Inuit peoples in Canada’s northernmost territory: “Tradition and technology sit side-by-side in unexpected ways. Outside, the wiry pelts of white Arctic wolves are nailed to the sides of houses to dry out, and tangled piles of gnarly caribou antlers and broken skulls prop up wonky satellite dishes.”

In The Independent Brian Viner writes of an amusing holiday in Moët and mackerel: Beneath the glitz and glamour of St-Tropez lies a charming coastal tow: “Just as we had given up hope of seeing anyone famous, Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin One and thus, ultimately, the provider of our mortgage, arrived with Lady Branson and a large, cheerfully rowdy party of friends, and sat down at the table next to us.” Christopher Wakling boldly goes to the Space Centre in The nearest tourists can get to the stars is still Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida: “Astronauts, not film stars, are the top celebrities. Pulling into The Kennedy Space Center car park, I spotted a Porsche 911 with the number plate “APOLLO 15″. The buzz-cut, craggy gentleman at the wheel was dragging on his cigarette with enough steeliness to make Clint flinch.” It’s all about the architecture of Alberobello in Trail of the unexpected as Adrian Mourby enjoys the unusual trulli roofs of the town. In Got a touch of writer’s block? Take the next train to Paris author Lennox Morrison follows the trail of Paris’ independent bookshops and cafes, alighting in Balzac’s back yard and Hemingway’s favourite – The American Library – along the way.

Chernobyl offers a holiday in hell for Tom Whipple in The Times who feels like a voyeur as he explores latest tourist destination, Pripyat, the town with closest proximity to Chernobyl: “You are by the biggest radioactive leak in the world,” he scolds, “and you leave your bag on the soil to pick up dust. If it is contaminated you will have to leave it in the exclusion zone.” Christopher Somerville leaves it all behind in and explores the Wildlife in Australia’s Northern Territory: in particular the Fogg Dam wildlife reserve. In Croatia: the flashing blades of Korkcula Emma Tucker is persuaded by the charms of Croatia, and enjoys a memorable traditional Korculan “Moreska” sword dance: “one of the sword blades flew off its handle, twirled vigorously through the air and landed in the mini-skirted lap of a young Croat sitting in the second row.” Eleanor Mills comes away feeling mighty refreshed after a weekend at Whitstable’s more down-at-heel neighbour, in The great British weekend: Broadstairs, Kent: “Turner came here to paint because of the endless skies; the rolling cloudscape and mighty expanse are a tonic to the harassed soul.”

The Financial Times’ travel section focusses on Chicago this weekend. In Windows to Chicago’s past Hal Weitzman delves into the story behind some Chicago’s oldest districts where ‘history is impeccably preserved – not in individual buildings, as in the city’s downtown, but in entire neighbourhoods.” Jane Ure-Smith is taken by the architectural heritage of the great American city in her Architectour of Chicago and it seems she has plenty of willing guides – ‘not only are there dozens of tours (by boat or on foot), with fantastically erudite docents (guides) – but every Chicagoan seems eager to encourage you, too.’

Continuing the fascination with Chicago, The New York Times‘ Ari Bendersky gives Chicago’s bar scene a thorough going over in Chicago’s New Wave of Microbrews – “I didn’t know a beer could taste like grapefruit and hoppy sunshine.” Ottoman Whispers in a Secret Corner of Greece sees Joanna Kakissis charmed by the Ottoman influences and picturesque scenes in the ethnically diverse Thrace region of Greece – “as we walked through the village’s tiny alleys, children offered us ice cream, and curious grandmothers waved from kitchen windows.” In Puerto Rico, a Rain Forest Full of Easy Adventure Lisa W. Foderaro explores “El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the United States national forest system” with her children in tow, whilst writer Kathryn Matthews spends her time in  Ski Country Abounding in Off-Season Charms and finds that there’s more to the town of Warren, Vermont than she initially thought. Back across the Atlantic, Michael McDermott enjoys the charms of Ireland’s second city in 36 Hours in Cork, Ireland.

In The Guardian this week Moving works sees Jonathan Jones describing the new Hermitage museum in Amsterdam as “the latest feather in the top art city’s hat” as he goes on a little art tour of the city. Hugh Thompson spends a week learning to ride a horse in Reins in Spain whilst Poorna Shetty becomes The Wedding Crasher as she attends a traditional indian village wedding, and ponders a new type of tourism.

The Telegraph’s got Nigel Richardson uncovering Peruvian gems Caral and Cajamarca – “In a week spent among fragments of dead civilisations, haunted by phantasmagoric deities, we met just a handful of tourists” – in Peru: A history lost in the ruins. Maggie O’Sullivan eschews the usual enlightenment guff in Bali and the art of balance as she learns to truly relax on a stress-management course there. Closer to home, Sophie Campbell explores Four of the best sculpture gardens with examples ranging from a country pile in Lincolnshire to Derek Jarman’s garden in Kent.

“Tutankhamun transcends both time and nationality. I am having a private audience with one of the biggest names in history…It is another spine-tingling, goose-bumping, epiphany-inducing moment.” In The King and I: An audience with Tutankhamun The Independent’s Sankha Guha experiences a few transcendental moments on his journey down the Nile. In an altogether more relaxed place, is Charles Darwent who explores Laeso in This ‘desert island’ is a Danish artist’s muse – it’s the base for Danish artist Per Kirkeby, subject of an upcoming exhibition at the Tate Modern this summer. Shore leave: Sun, sea and shorts in Bermuda finds Ben Ross underdressed and scootering his way around Bermuda seeking sun, sights and sand but for a quick city break, see 48 Hours In: Cologne – David Orkin gives a handy round-up of Cologne’s museums, galleries and shops.

In The Times this weekend, Sally Emerson is inspired by the Laurens van der Post book The Lost World of the Kalahari as she goes In search of Botswana’s Kalahari bushmen – “The Bushmen teach me how to set traps for guinea fowl; how to sit when shooting a poisoned arrow; and how to catch a spring hare with a hook on a spear.” Also on an adventure is Will Paver, who shuttles about on a new mini-bus service in Costa Rica gives up its secrets, who describes one journey as “like something out of Tolkien: we descended through luminous green hills and caught a boat across a silvery lake towards a fire-breathing mountain.” In Ancient Athens comes to life Bettany Hughes gets in touch with the past via a trip to the new Acropolis museum and some scenic diversions in the suburbs of Athens whilst Tom Fordyce is entranced by the monks’ endurance in Ladakh: in the icy mountains of India where “Hemis’s monks brave daytime temperatures as low as -35C to meditate alone for three months, three days and three hours.” Last of all, Wimbledon fans may be interested in Mark Hodson’s guide to The best tennis holidays in the world, a quick overview for serious and social players.