Beyond the beaches in the Philippines

Think of the Philippines and images of gorgeous beaches and crystal blue seas are sure to spring to mind. Islands such as Boracay and Palawan easily attract travellers with their picture-perfect looks, but if you get away from the coast (which granted in a country with more than 7,000 islands might not seem like the obvious thing to do), you will see a whole new side to the country.

Yes, the Philippines is a tropical paradise and yes, it has some of the best beaches you can swing a hammock on, but there is plenty more to this country than just a pretty seascape. It has unique wildlife and dramatic scenery, and chances are you will not be sharing the experience with hordes of tourists.
So forget about the beaches for a moment. Here are four other reasons to visit the Philippines.
The Philippines’ rice terraces are quite rightly touted as the eighth wonder of the world. They were carved out of the mountainsides in North Luzon 2,000 years ago, and it is said that if they were laid end to end they would stretch halfway around the globe. A few of the best places to see them are around Banaue and Batad, which are a nine-hour bus ride north of Manila, so most travellers to the country never venture there. Their loss! Head there to see the rice terraces’ dramatic landscape, to experience the serene atmosphere of the mountains, to hike on paths where you will not see another soul for days and to witness the traditional way of life which still exists there.Tarsiers are tiny primatesso small in fact that they can sit in the palm of your hand), which are endemic to a few islands in Southeast Asia. They have enormous eyes, soft velvety fur and long fingers. Think of the cute one from the Gremlins and you are not far off. The species is endangered but some efforts are being made to help them on the island of Bohol, which has a sanctuary called the Tarsier Research and Development Center, where you can go and see the little fellas.Bear with me on this. They may not be a typical tourist attraction but the hanging coffins in Sagada are a fascinating insight into the region’s culture. Found on the cliffsides of a valley nestled in the mountain province, which lies 275km north of Manila, this traditional way of burying people (which isno longer used) is only found in a handful of places in the world. To get there requires some dedication. The journey involves a 12-hour bus ride from the capital, the last few hours through dramatic winding mountain passes and unsealed roads. The area around Sagada also has great trekking, along with waterfalls and caves to explore – some of which are burial caves so if you are not coffin-ed out there is a chance to see a few more.the famous Filippino smile. It may not sound like something that is worth visiting a country for, but the old adage is true, it is the people that make the place. Throughout the archipelago you will find people that are friendly and curious, want to know where you are from - often shouting out their guess - and where you are headed. When you are not feeling in the best mood yourself, if you glance around you will always find lots of smiles and laughter that will instantly lighten your mood.

Copenhagen’s gritty alter ego

Once notorious as the city’s red light district, it has reinvented itself as a bohemian hangout, full of vintage shops, cool bars, art galleries and design studios. However, it maintains a rebellious streak – expect irreverent street art, decorating everything from birdhouses to dustbins. With a mission to make electronic music more accessible, August sees thehit Vesterbro’s Enghaven Park. This year’s line up includes veterans Aphex Twin and The Orb, plus newer names like Ghostpoet.

Sustainable Jamaican mountain retreat

Compose your own redemption song with today’s Rasta retreat to the mountains of Jamaica for an all-inclusive stay
Enjoy a four- ($811) or five-night ($940) stay for two guests in a cottage; or a four- ($2,380) or five-night ($2,738) stay for four guests in a villa, including all meals, guided tours, a day trip to Negril, and a $50 drink credit.
"I have travelled the world and nothing compares to the personal touch of
"Every conversation, every meal, every beverage, every hike was transformed into a powerful display of love. This was by far the best vacation ever."This 7.5-acre sustainable farm promises to treat you right every day and every night with solar-powered electricity, natural spring water and organic fruits and vegetables. Get together with your family and friends in a rustic cottage or spacious villa above the trees, each featuring valley views, cable television and a stereo for pumping your songs of freedomChoose from vegetarian, seafood, or traditional Jamaican menus prepared by a personal chef in Zimbali'sOr, learn to stir it up yourself with a Jamaican cooking class taught over a wood fire. Tour the fertile valley where much of your food is grown, then take a dip in the clear mountain springs where Marley himself bathed in the shade of the bamboo canopy.None but yourself can free your mind, and this holistic healing centre provides the perfect environment to do so. Consult with Bongo Roach, a Rasta elder and certified herbalist, on organic remedies. Indulge in a natural hydrotherapy massage beneath the nearby waterfall.
Don't worry, be happy in the company of fellow travellers around the evening fire. You will leave renewed, refreshed, and without a doubt that every little thing's gonna be alright.

Malaysia's Thaipusam festival

Thaipusam is the most spectacular Hindu festival in Malaysia, marking the day when Lord Shiva’s son, Muruga, was given command of the celestial forces to vanquish three Asura demons. A wild orgy of body piercings – cheeks, tongues and lips are all skewered, often multiple times -- this fascinating festival can be a mind-spinning sight for a first-timer.Devotees take approximately 48 days to prepare for the festival, which takes place mid-January to mid-February, when the moon is full in the 10th Tamil month of the Thai calendar. They undertake special diets and cleansing routines, sleep on the floor and practice regular prayer.Thaipusam takes place deepThousands of people flock here to give thanks to Muruga, the Hindu god of war. Inside, you will find monkeys scampering and bounding up the 272 steps into Temple Cave, the vast main cavern that houses a golden statue of Muruga. The caves were “officially” discovered some 120 years ago by American naturalist William Hornaday.Pride of place in the festival is Lord Muruga's silver chariot, which makes its way from the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown to the caves. Carrying statuettes of Lord Muruga, as well as consorts Valli and Teivayanni, the chariot tips the scales at 350kg of silver – a jaw-dropping display of wealth when it was first unveiled in 1893.During Thaipusam, devotees perform a dance to Muruga known as kavadi attam. The dance helps the devotees appeal to Muruga for divine assistance or give thanks for his help. But it is not just dancing that happens here.The greatest sight is the kavadi carriers, the devotees who subject themselves to seemingly masochistic acts as fulfilment for answered prayers. Many of the faithful carry offerings of milk in paal kudam (milk pots) often connected to their skin by hooks. Even more striking are the vel kavadi – great cages of spikes that pierce the skin of the carrier and are decorated with peacock feathers, pictures of deities and flowers. Some penitents go as far as piercing their tongues and cheeks with hooks, skewers and tridents. While it looks excruciating, a trance-like state stops participants from feeling pain; later the wounds are treated with lemon juice and holy ash to prevent scarring.Interested in taking part in the pierced proceedings? Only the truly faithful should attempt the ritual – insufficiently prepared devotees keep doctors especially busy over the festival period with skin lacerations. Make sure to take plenty of water with you, as the heat can be just as overwhelming as the sights.

In search of the perfect road in Mallorca

Mallorca has blown a very big fuse. This is my first thought upon spearing out of yet another pretty-but-identikit rural village, because as soon as we leave the immediate environs, the night sky wraps around the Cayman like a black velvet shroud, turning the ice-white Porsche into a faintly glowing, unquiet ghost. Being let loose in the new Cayman R, the lightened and tightened version of one of the most useful sports cars in existence, up a Mallorcan mountain road at night sounds quite cool, but believe me, at this point there’s a horrible, gut-boiling sense of frustration running through me like a dirty infection. And it has nothing to do with dodgy tapas.The fact is that there are precisely no streetlights to give even the vaguest hint as to which way the road goes. Not one. Any ambient starlight or moonglow is diffused by heavy cloud, and the road is simply too twisty to get any solid idea of direction. The wraithlike little Porsche is fitted with the excellent optional xenons, but it’s still impossible to drive even vaguely quickly without risking inconvenient death. Worse, the roads are actually pretty good. But you can sense the doomy drops off the inky edges, and the corners have a nasty habit of tightening at the last moment. Like trying to run across a large room in pitch darkness, you can sense the space even if you can’t see it, and you belt along cringing, awaiting the moment when you meet the scenery with your face. It’s all about confidence, and I appear to have left mine at the hotel.I can’t believe this. Gifted a hardcore Porsche and a mountain range, and I can’t even find a decent bloody road to drive it onGrinding the point home is the overwhelming sense of potential in this newest Cayman. Ghosting through these orange-lit Mallorcan villages, the R potters with sublime ease, riding better than a standard Cayman S, despite being lowered a not-insignificant 20mm, failing to graunch over speed bumps, sucking lumps into the dampers like a tiny, perfect magic trick. On light throttle openings, the 330bhp 3.4 sounds, frankly, like it has a blowing exhaust, the familiar flat-six hoarseness akin to a dog coughing up an angora sweater, but on brief revels to three-quarters of the rev-range, the wail starts to build. Just as I have to slow for the next village. Frustration becomes a familiar – and infinitely bitter – taste in the back of my throat.Eventually we stop to take pictures in a sleepy village and immediately cause a bit of a stir. It could be the sight of two men assembling a photographic rig that looks like some sort of siege engine in the middle of the street at 1am, or it could be the Cayman. A mallowy wobble of craggy old lady shuffles over to poke us with her walking stick, so I smile and point at the Porsche, miming picture-taking in some sort of bizarre late-night version of Give us a Clue, becoming increasingly camp during the whole wordless exchange. Apparently satisfied, the leathery old matriarch taps the side of her head, points at my face and undulates away. She likes the Cayman. She likes the fixed rear spoiler. She likes the massaged bodywork, the mascara’d black of the headlight-surrounds. She likes the Seventies graphics down the side, and she loves the lightweight black wheels. She even likes the interior, trimmed as it is in blood-leather and white plastic like some sort of futuristic abattoir. Probably.What she doesn’t know is that if it were down to pure rationale, there would appear to be very little point in the R. Compared to a standard Cayman S, it’s a bit lower, a tiny bit faster, a smidge more powerful by 10bhp – though torque remains the same – has more downforce (15 per cent at the front, and 40 per cent at the rear) and a tad less weight. I’ll admit that 55kg of weight reduction is significant in a car of this size, bringing down the total to 1,295kg, but probably not a deal-breaker

Business trip

About the only thing a business traveller can find wrong with Sydney is that it is so far away from the rest of the world.Other than a little jet lag after the 25-hour journey from Europe, the 14-hour slog from California, or the 10-hour flight from Tokyo, Sydney is all positives: a gorgeous harbour, Mediterranean climate and a sophisticated food and wine scene. Its hotel stock is modern and upscale. Every day the Qantas fleet of giant Airbus A380s float in at Sydney’s newly expanded, bright and airy international terminal at Kingsford Smith airport from cities around the world.When it comes to business, there is little sign of ahow Sydneysiders refer to that unfortunate global financial crisis that has cast a pall on nearly every other city in the world. But in Australia, a stable government, massive raw materials exports to Asia, a strong currency and a talented, optimistic workforce have helped it weather the global economic storm better than almost any other advanced nation in the world.
Spurred on by robust business and consumer confidence, economists expect Australia’s economy to expand even faster in the next five years. Through 2015, Australia’s GDP should grow about 5% annually.
When it re-opens in early 2012 after a seven-month closure for a tip-to-toe renovation, the harbourfrontwill likely resume its rank as the top choice for visiting business travellers. This contemporary three-storey hotel is known for its breezy indoor-outdoor public areas and spectacular views of the Sydney Opera House through floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. A few blocks uphill on a quiet street above theRocks you will find the classically elegant 100-roomfavoured diplomats. Nearby is the 563-roomultramodern marble and glass tower hotel offering equally expansive rooms and views, freethe 36th floor with a very popular happy hour. CloserAustralians refer to a city’s central business districthotel, a modern 362-room boutique-style hotel built inside an 1800s sandstone façade that once housed Bank of New South Wales. Here “business class” rooms get complimentary lounge access, wi-fi and a hot breakfast buffet among other extras.Two of Sydney’s hippest hostelries are housed in reclaimed buildings. The popular 136-roomhotel serves as the anchor for a lovely marina, outdoor dining and apartment complex in a repurposed wharf building at Woolloomooloo near Sydney’s famous Royal Botanic Gardens. The hotel’s wide variety of rooms and lofts retain the rustic authenticity of the building (like its exposed timber) while providing a modern five-star experience and water views. Fashionistas and celebs hole up in themodernist chic 31-roomlocated in a converted warehouse building in the middlehottest restaurants and bars in the city. If you are looking for more space or a longer stay, consider the newnear Darling Harbour, with 201warmly functional luxury
If you have some free time, head to the city’scatch any of the many ferries to get some fresh air, establish your bearings and see locals on their way to or from work. (Sydney ferries carry more than 14 million passengers each year.) The ferry ride to nearby Manly for an outdoor meal and stroll to its picturesque beach is perhaps the most iconic choice for visitors. On Saturdays, catch one to Balmain for a walk through its famous outdoor market and surrounding fisherman’scottages. Stick around for a long lunch take a tour of its many pubs, which AustraliansThe harbour’s Cockatoo Island, which once housed a prisonamong other structures is an increasingly popular playground, and now includes the quirkyarrive early because the last ferry departs the island at 8:30 pm. 

Climbing to the top of the Philippines

On Mindanao, an island better known for terrorists than tourists, a rugged mountain rises through the clouds. Verdant trees line a narrow dirt path leading up to the precipice, and a bubbling river beckons the adventurous spirit to follow it into the wilderness. This is Mount Apo, the crown jewel of the Philippine climbing experience.Towering 2,954m above Mindanao, the southern region of the Philippines, Mount Apo is the highest peak in the country. The climb typically takes two or three days, depending on which of the many trails you choose, and is not for the faint of heart. But those who brave the near-vertical slopes, rocky ledges and hidden swamps are rewarded with dazzling views and a journey that inspires the soul.While tourists are often warned to avoid the entire Mindanao region because of internal tensions with rebel groups, most of the violence is isolated to areas farther west than Mount Apo. An extensive pre-climb safety briefing, registration permits and knowledgeable local guidesThe biggest problem you are likely to encounter is how to capture the mountain’s grandeur in a photo lens.  Getting to the base of Mount Apo is a journey in itself. After flying to Davao City (direct flights are available from Manila and Cebu), tourists must take a two-hour bus or van ride to Kidapawan for orientation, then ride an open-air jeep or motorcycle to the base camp, another hour away. Alternatively, you can hire a private car or taxi the entire way from Davao City. A Unesco World Heritage site, Mount Apo Natural Park spans about 64,000 hectares and is nestled between the Davao and North Cotabato provinces.
the base camp at 4 am, hoping to be well into the forest by the heat of the day. The hike began like any other mountain trail. In high spirits, we followed the path up and down a few minor hills and bounded across the river on stepping stones, laughing about who would be the first to stop for a water break. As we trekked up the mountain however, slick footholds along craggy cliffs replaced the once-easy dirt paths and breathless wheezes replaced our carefree jokes.
Once in the rainforest, the trail seems to disappear, visible only to the most experienced guides. You can feel the altitude shift as you continue the ascent – sometimes at a 90-degree angle. Occasionally rickety ladders or rusty handholds help travellers up, but often it is a task to find a secure tree root or steady rock on which to place your foot that will not trigger a minor landslide onto your mates below. Many backpackers camp the first night at Lake Venado, a welcoming expanse of serene flatland dotted with hidden swamps. The tune of cicadas lulls you to sleep after an evening of crystal clear stargazing.
Watching the sunrise on Mount Apo is like sitting in a watercolour painting. As the mist clears, pastel pinks, oranges and purples dance in the sky around you, challenging you to race the sun to the summit. If you do not mind hiking in the dark, you can leave Lake Venado three to four hours before dawn and reach the top at the moment the sun peeks over the horizon, illuminating the lone white cross that stands at the peak.
From the apex, the view is clear and unobstructed. You are far above the clouds now, surrounded by a vast expanse of nothingness and a panoramic view. It feels like the top of the world; a transcendent experience.
The journey down is not as arduous as the hike up, but it is not by any means easy. Still, many take the opportunity to stop and “smell the roses” along the way. Mount Apo is considered one of the richest botanical mountains in the region, and rare plant and animal species thrive in this unspoiled environment. Hidden waterfalls along the edifice offer refreshment to weary travellers. At the bottom of the trail, hikers can rest their aching legs at soothing natural hot springs.

Space travel powered by helium balloon

Richard Branson’sone of the commercial spaceship companies chosen to carry Nasa’s scientists into suborbital space, already has 445 passengers booked, with $55 million in deposits. However, a more affordable option is on the horizon. is a six-person pod designed by Spanish companythat will rise to the edge of the atmosphere, powered by a helium balloon. The cabin holds four passengers and two pilots for the three-hour flight, 36km above the earth’s surface. The flights will launch at night, so passengers can watch the sun rise over the curvature of the earth. While admiring the world from near space, in-flight information about the altitude and range of view will be displayed directly on the pod’s windows. To return to earth, the helium is vented slowly, then the balloon or sail separates from the pod, deploying a parafoil. The pod pops its airbags and is guided in for a landing. Bloon uses zero propellants, so there are no emissions or noise pollution.The full ticket price is 110,000 euros, and for a deposit of 8,000 euros, customers can request when and from where they want to fly. Flights will lift off sometime between 2013 and 2015. A “minibloon” manned test flight is set for 2012.

India’s tribal village markets

In remote, isolated Chhattisgarh, India’s tribal life continues to thrive. Surrounded by mountains, forests and waterfalls, more than 40 different tribes call the area home, which makes for politically unstable but culturally vibrant communities. Ultra-leftist Naxalite guerillas terrorise small pockets of northern Chhattisgarh, but in more peaceful areas like Bastar, rich cultural diversity shines. And nowhere does it shine more brightly than in the area’s blindingly colourful tribal markets.
Known as haats, these markets are held in different places each day – one day in a village; the next in the forest; another day in an open meadow – but each time it is the same. Hundreds of tribes people from many different villages, each specialising in a different craft or skill, converge in one spot to trade their wares.
Money only began being used a few years ago. Before that, one villager might try to use the bright fluorescent saris her tribe specialised in making to barter for sacks of mahuwa flowers that grew in abundance in another village and were used to brew local liquor. Another villager might take some bell-metalwork, made in his village using the centuries-old technique of wax-thread moulding, and try to swap it with another village’s local delicacy, live red ants.
These days, money changes hands as quickly as you can say inflation, but the goods being bought and sold have not changed a bit. The potentially potent mahuwa flowers, resembling dates, are still as popular as ever, as are the red ants which are used either for medicinal purposes (their sting has antibacterial qualities) or eaten as a snack. Chapura, a chutney made from red ants and chillies, is the most common way to eat ants, but it is not unusual to see villagers scooping up hundreds of live red ants on a leaf and eating them in one exceedingly brave gulp.
Market days are sometimes brought to a close with the climax of cockfighting. It is a barbaric spectacle – the cocks have hooked blades strapped to their claws and are then encouraged to fight to the death – literally. But it is still incredibly popular, as locals, mostly men it seems, wager not insignificant amounts of money on the bird they think will survive. Arguments between punters are common, but usually settled amicably, perhaps because of the unusual system of mediation that is still in place in many of the local communities. Most villages have a sirha, or shaman; a wise-old man who, when asked to mediate important disputes, falls into a trance and consults the local gods before advising on the best course of action. It is an age-old respected system that is probably not worth disturbing for a misplaced bet at your local market.

Three nights of Cabo couture

evel infinity-edge pool at the Cabo Azul Resort in Mexico.

In literature, the rule of three says that things that come in threes are more effective than any other number.

But the rule of three isn't just for penning brilliant prose — it is also true when it comes to vacationing. See for yourself when you book a three-night stay at.
This sophisticated Los Cabos resort will make you feel like more than just a number. Enjoy your one-bedroom garden-view villa ($525 for Sunday or Monday check-in; $750 for Thursday check-in). The first 25 escapees will receive an automatic upgrade to a two-bedroom garden-view villa. All villas feature a large balcony, a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances and separate bedroom quarters, all in a 12-acre oceanfront setting.
Compliments of acclaimed interior designer Dodd Mitchell, villas are "dramatic design statements in black and white", Each comes with amenities like king-size beds, an in-room spa tub and luxury bathrobes, just to name a few.
For a trifecta of surf, turf and sizzle, head to which serves five-star home-style Mexican cuisine from Javier Sosa — a well-known name in Southern California dining circles — along the Sea of Cortez. Work it off at the state-of-the-art gym, open to all guests.
The 24-hour concierge can point you in the right direction, whether you want to spend some of those dollars you've saved on accommodations at local stores, take a swim with a Pacific bottlenose dolphin or hit the links.
Choose to stay at the resort and indulge in a treatment at the . Order up a margarita (or three) beneath the thatched roof of before a swim in the tri-level infinity pool, where two's company, but three is most certainly not a crowd

Island hopping in a Philippine paradise

Life does not get much better than when you are island-hopping near the town of El Nido, on the island of Palawan in the far west of the Philippines. Sheer limestone cliffs encase beautiful white sand beaches, waters teem with brightly-coloured fish and pink sunsets provide the backdrop for seafront barbecues.The Philippines has, for the time being, avoided the tourist influx invading  its South East Asian neighbours, like Thailand and Vietnam. But for those who venture there, the beaches and scenery rival anywhere else in the region, yet with far fewer visitors. El Nido is the classic example.  It is perhaps best known as one of the settings for the Robin Crusoe-themed game show Survivor.   It is not quite off-the-beaten-track, but compared to Thailand’s Phuket or Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, the archipelago of islands surrounding El Nido offer the increasingly rare opportunity to find yourself alone on a palm-fringed beach.To get to these islands, you can either hire your own boat or take one of several tours from the town. Once there, you can easily spend your days lazing around on the white sands and dipping into the crystal-clear waters, or messing about in motorboats and kayaks, stopping to have lunch in an isolated cove.
Some tours take you to the rocks where locals make their living by collecting birds’ nests for the manufacture of birds’ nest soup (a Chinese delicacy and how El Nido, Spanish for “the nest”, got its name).
One of the draws of Palawan lies under the water; divers will see colourful reef fish, corals and perhaps turtles, dolphins and white-tipped sharks.
North of El Nido are the Calamian islands, with a number of wrecks to explore. As an amateur, most of my experience has been confined to purposely-sunk fishing boats in easy-to-reach locations, but in the Calamians, even fairly inexperienced divers can navigate their way inside World War II Japanese warships sunk by the US Navy in the 1940s. On the second deck of one ship, I floated past an old car. It had folded in on
itself and there was a little clownfish swimming out from the chassis.
El Nido has so far escaped the tourist hordes because getting there takes time and effort. There are direct flights from Manila to Coron in the Calamians, but then it is another six or seven hours to El Nido by boat. Alternatively, you can fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa -- Palawan’s largest city -- but it is another five hour taxi or bus ride up from there.
The exclusive resorts use several small airline services linking Manila to a little airfield overlooking the bay. Although the flights are available to non-guests, that option, like the resorts themselves, is pricey (about 6,400 Philippine pesos one way), while the Coron/Puerto Princesa alternatives are often less than 2,000 pesos). It may be worth it though, for the amazing aerial views of the archipelago.

The 'ruin pubs' of Budapest's seventh district

Budapest’s seventh district, once home to a flourishing Jewish community before World War II, has emerged as one of the best bar-hopping neighbourhoods on the busy Pest side of the Danube.This renaissance has been led by a string of recently opened "ruin pubs" (romkocsma in Hungarian) – a fitting name given the still-derelict state of much of the area. Most can be found along the streets behind
Each ruin pub is unique, but they all share certain similarities. The main ingredient is usually an abandoned building, preferably with a vacant lot nearby to hold picnic tables and a few beer taps. Add to that a bit of thrift-shop decor and a healthy dose of hipster vibe, and the result is what you might get if you crossed a chill Berlin squat with a smallish Munich beer hall.
The best ruin pubs offer live music or DJs on the weekends, as well as film nights and art exhibitions. Some even have light food and hostel accommodations. They are the perfect spot to unwind on a warm summer night after a busy day of sightseeing.
The arrival of the ruin pubs could not have come sooner for beleaguered Budapest VII (as the city's districts are designated; when in Budapest, do as the Romans do). Though the area is a stone's throwPest's swankiest boulevard, it suffered from a mix of neglect, bad karma and poverty that started during World War II with the deportation of tens of thousands of Jewish residents, and continued into the 1960s, '70s, and '80s as a large Romani population was forced to relocate to Budapest and occupy the abandoned houses.
Now, main streets like Király utca and Dob utca sport trendy coffeehouses and wine bars alongside remnants of Jewish life - small family-owned restaurants and bakeries - that managed to survive.
Three of the best ruin pubs are all a short walk from one another and can be taken in fairly easily during a night of methodical drinking. Each has its own personality, so choose whichever one suits the night and your mood.Nearly every discussion of ruin pubs begins with the granddaddy of themall was the first to open and is still arguably the best and bawdiest of the bunch. Several rooms, including a large open-air garden, can accommodate hundreds of people, making it a good choice if you are travelling in a group. In addition to beer, there is wine, cocktails and light food.
a relative newcomer, having opened its doors fully in 2010 after a few years of opening briefly and then closing down. More than a ruin pub, Fogas aims to be a community cultural centre for the rapidly gentrifying area around nearby Klauzál tér, which was once the heart of the former Jewish quarter. The clientele here tends to be more local than either Mumus or Szimpla. it is not nearly as homey as the former, nor as lively as the others.

Copenhagen on a plate

The term “new Nordic cuisine” is setting hearts aflutter on the international food scene, and any gourmand worth their salt (French fleur de sel, preferably) is placing Copenhagen high on their food-fancying holiday itinerary.The Danish capital is home to the world's number one restaurant taking the topspot in therankings in both 2010 and 2011. Copenhagen is also home to 10 Michelin-starred restaurants and the best young chef, Rasmus Kofoed, gold medallist at the prestigious Bocuse d'Or.So what has taken this city from its humdrum pork-and-potatoes tradition to culinary dynamo, and what exactly does “new Nordic cuisine” mean? Chief responsibility for the spotlight now shining Copenhagen's way lies with the city's young chefs, many of who have apprenticed with some of the most influential chefs in the world.These chefs have taken their experience and combined it with a passion for Denmark's local raw ingredients - its excellent pork, game, seafood, root vegetables and berries - and a reverence for the seasons. Taken to extremes, this means Noma's owner-chef René Redzepi eschews all non-indigenous produce in his creations (no olive oil for example, and no tomatoes), plays with modest, often-overlooked ingredients (pulses and grains) and forages for herbs and plants. Ingredients are skilfully prepared but technique never overshadows flavour.The day after Noma won the title of world's best restaurant in 2010, 100,000 people attempted to make a table reservation. The restaurant does around 75 covers a day, five days a week. In other words: landing a reservation is the equivalent of winning the food-lovers' lottery.If you do get lucky, you are in for a sensory treat: familiar ingredients are used alongside intriguing Nordic delicacies such as reindeer moss from Finland, Icelandic skyr (similar to strained yoghurt) and sea buckthorn berries. Vegetables feature as dessert (beetroot granita, for example). And there are loads of edible greenery; Noma explains that at their venue “greens take up more room on the plate than is common at gourmet restaurants”. Flavours are fresh and clean on both the plate and palate.Diners choose between seven or 12 courses and there is a comprehensive wine list or a wine-matching menu (there is also a wonderfully executed juice menu). Service is exemplary -- with the chefs delivering many of the dishes -- the décor is elegantly rustic and the atmosphere warm and convivial, not fussy and formal. At meal's end you may be offered a tour of the kitchen, where you can see the hard work that goes into such gastronomic genius.For all the hype surrounding Noma and new Nordic cuisine, however, this is clearly not how the average Dane eats every day. So where can you go in Copenhagen to get a more prosaic picture of dining, Danish style?Near-unpronounceable smørrebrød is Denmark's famed open sandwich. It generally consists of a slice of rye bread topped, for example, with roast beef, smoked salmon, pickled herring, liver pate, or fried fish fillet and finished with a variety of garnishes. The final sculptured product often looks too good to eat and it is usually only served at lunchtime. Top spotsfor a fix include traditionalcontemporarylatter offering takeaway and a restaurant. Try to pronounce smørrebrød as but do not feel bad if your pronunciation does not match a native Dane’s.

Berlin versus tourists

Community meetings in Kreuzberg – a working class area to the west with a large Turkish population, favoured by visitors on weekend breaks – flew banners reading, “Help! The tourists are coming!” One alternative magazine urged its readers to “steal their mobile phones and wallets as you walk by their café tables, burn their cars, smash their hotel windows, drop rubbish, throw stuff at tourist buses”.The grievances are varied: tourists rattle their wheelie cases over the cobblestones early in the morning, and change the nature of clubs by taking pictures of each other on mobile phones.The resentment springs from an enduring counter-culture. During the Cold War, West Berlin attracted dissidents because the government exempted citizens from military service. It duly became a pressure cooker of politics. The fall of the Wall meant two very different cultures – and sets of incomes – were thrown together. In the old East, there is resentment as yuppies move in.And there’s likely to be more to moan about. Berlin had over nine millionvisitors in 2010, a 10% increase on the previous year. But the city needs them. The destruction and division of Berlin left it with virtually no industry. Companies like Siemens relocated to Bavaria. Berlin needs the money – your money.

The perfect trip Southwest USA

Take to the road in Southwest USA, where you can explore incredible natural landscapes, hit the casinos in Las Vegas, then retire with your winnings to the classic glamour of Palm Springs.Fly into Denver, then drive for 6 hours through some truly epic mountain scenery
Silverton is a town with barely two paved streets to string together, hidden amid the peaks of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Dwarfed by monstrous wooded slopes, which begin their ascent to the skies mere metres from the street, this hamlet of wooden hotels and saloon bars doesn’t feel like a seething cesspit of debauchery. But it is just 60 years since little Silverton was at the forefront of the Wild West when, percentage-wise, it made today’s infamous cities of sin, Las Vegas and Bangkok, look like paragons of virtue.
The late 1800s saw scores of men arriving here to prospect for silver and gold. The earth was so abundant with mineral riches that the pass linking the new mining towns of Ouray, Silverton and Durango was nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway – not for its eye-popping views over the forested gorge, but after the subterranean jackpot every man was hoping to hit. With the miners came those who made a living by providing “entertainment” for their nights above ground.So it was that up until the 1950s, a visitor to Silverton had a 50/50 chance the first building they wandered into would be a brothel. Literally half the town – Notorious Blair Street, as it’s still known – was dedicated to bordellos. The other half, centred around the parallel Greene Street, completed the binary of Wild West morality with long lines of churches and chapels.The first bordello was a one-room wooden shack, split by a curtain into a “private” back room and a drinking den up front. It is now home to Professor Shutterbug’s Olde Tyme Portrait Parlour, where tourists can have sepia photos taken dressed in Wild West garb. Tommy Wipf set up the studio in 1973. He is a reserved man with a handlebar moustache to rival any in this, the capital of handlebar moustaches. “This was a good ol’ street,” eyes darting towards the Shady Lady Saloon opposite. “Three blocks of whorehouses, 120 girls giving it their all. There were hangings and shootings on every corner – just a regular Western town.Silverton has inevitably lost its rough edges – the last brothel shut in 1953, the final mine in 1991. But the old edge-of-the-world feel can be conjured up with a drive past the ghost town ruins of former mines scattered along the pass. Rusted wheels stand silent, gap-toothed wooden houses are half-collapsed: the rotten shards of a thousand dreams of riches. The isolation here must have been overwhelming – topped only by the insatiable desire to keep digging for the next life-changing.

The world’s most fascinating artistic gardens

Edward James was born to a fabulously wealthy family and for years lived it up as a patron of the arts, sponsoring many of the surrealists and helping found the New York City Ballet. But a yearning for Eden caused him to give it all away and head for Mexico in search of his perfectgarden. He spent the rest of his life transformingnorthern mountains, named for the descending river pools on the property) into his dream jungle paradise, making immense concrete surrealist sculptures and follies to adorn it.Head up to green Mt Dandenong, near Melbourne, to find thisIt is the work of William Ricketts, an Australian artist with a before-his-time bent for environmental and Indigenous issues. He spent a lot of his life living in Aboriginal communities in central Australia before settling in the Dandenongs. Some think his sculptures of Aboriginal people as spirits of the land are twee, but set among the ferns and mountain ash they have a tranquillity and power, seeming to grow right out of their surroundings. Ricketts lived here into his 90s, sculpting to the last.Nek Chand, a government official, was clearing himself a small garden and used the rubble to make a wall and a couple of sculptures. It seems he was hooked: over the ensuing years, working at night and in his sparetime, he fashioned eventually discovered by authorities, who liked it so much they not only spared it, but gave Chand a salary and helpers to keep building. Today it is a junk Alhambra, with waterfalls and thousands of sculptures of animals and dancing girls set in arched mosaic courtyards.
It is a three-hour train journey from Delhi to Chandigarh (if you catch the fast train). The garden is in Sector 1 of the city.
When you think “Tuscan garden”, you probably do not think this. Niki de Saint Phalle, an autodidact artist and sculptor (and, in her day, actor and model) created the garden over years, basing it around the figures of the tarot cards. As you would expect from someone who as a girl painted the fig leaves on the school statues red, the sculpture garden is a larger-than-life riot of joyous, bulbous figures. Highlights are the Magician with his gaping mouth and mirrored face, the exuberant Sun, the Moon upheld by crabs and dogs and the massive pink High Priestess.

Budget and blowout guide to Budapest

over its refusal to serve beer. The reason? Its owner is Bortársaság, Hungary’s premier wine retailer. Order the Mangalica pork belly, £6.50, and wines such as Szepsy István Édes Szamorodni, Tokaj 2003 and Vylyan Cabernet Sauvignon, Villány, 2002. (00 36 2 342 2587)
Blowout: Popular with Budapest’s intellectual crowd
dishes include homemade smoked salmon, £7, and beef tenderloin goulash, £11. Wash them down with a glass of Sparklers (Hungarian fizz)£2. authentic 70s décor and an outdoor terrace with views, plus good Hungarian cuisine. Order classics such as beef stew, £6.50, or chicken and Somló sponge cake, named after a small Hungarian mountain, £3.
Always the place for Budapest’s
received its first Michelin star this year. Chef Szabina Szulló’s signature dish is goose liver torte with Tokaji furmint jelly, £11.50, or try a Hungarian Evolution tasting menu, £58.Drink Pálinka at classicwhere black and white photos of old Budapest line the walls. Ask for Árpád (plum flavoured), Szicsek (red pear) both £4, or Szicsek made with raspberry and strawberry tree, £5.50.The terracehas great basilica views and an interesting line in Gyomorkeserű (Hungarian bitters), which come in sensible 4cl shots. Locals order a Hunter – Jägermeister mixed with Red Bull, £6.50.preside in their natty bow ties and braces at the recently refurbished Boutiq’bar. Order martinis, all £5 – specialities include Cardomomed, made with cardamom, vodka, strawberry and lemon.offers exceptional value in the old palace quarter. Once home of Count Nándor Zichy, it has been converted into a modern hotel where classic marble meets flat-screen TVs and leather sofas. A buffet breakfast is served in the lofty glassroofed restaurant. Doubles from £68.50.With views of Budapest’s Royal Castle and custom-designed furnishingshas scooped numerous design awards. L19, the hotel’s restaurant, serves stylish dishes such as salmon roasted in a black mustard crust. Doubles from £60.The gloriously opulenthoused in one of the city’s most impressive Art Nouveau buildings. Its Gresham Restaurant also boasts the best burger in Budapest. Doubles from £255with its distinctive roof tiling is the place to go for classic Hungarian produce – salami, paprika, Tokaji wines and caviar. You can eat dishes such as white sausage and stuffed cabbage on the upper floor.founded in 1869 in the town of Szeged. It’s a big brand nationwide now, and sells the best winter salami in Budapest from its shop on Kossuth tér. Also available are juliska salami, ungar paprika salami and szegediner.Founded in the 1930shas shops all over the city. Don’t just take home the marzipan – buy some Hungarian dragées (almonds, hazelnuts, raisins and marzipan balls dredged in sugar) and pralines.

Budapest with children

So many of Budapest’s attractions are suitable for children, you will hardly need to tweak your plans to ensure the whole family is satisfied. Here are a few family-friendly suggestions for making the most of your visit.Even young children will be impressed by the grandeur of the city’s famous bathsperfect for all-weather fun, with multiple indoor and outdoor pools. Gellért has a wave pool and Széchenyi has a whirlpool.vast lawns for lounging or playing in the sun.Budapest’s children’s dance houses have instructors who will put your kids through their traditional paces to a soundtrack of live folk music. Check thecalendar for upcoming shows.The marionette and puppet showsmesmerise your little ones regardless of the language barrier. Shows designed for children are performed twice daily.At Széchenyi-hegy, you can board the narrow-gauge children’s railway,Built in 1951 by pioneers, the line is now staffed almost entirely by schoolchildren aged 10 to 14. The little train chugs along for 12km, terminating at Hűvösvölgy. Departure times vary depending on the day of the week and the season but there is usually one every hour or so between 9 am and 6pm. The line is closed on Mondays from September to April.When the sugar levels start to drop, head to one of Budapest’s ubiquitous cukrászdák (pâtisseries). Hungarians love sweets and pastries such as Dobos torta, a layered chocolate and cream cake with a caramelised brown sugar top, and piték (fruit pies). These are usually consumed mid-afternoon, a perfect time to revive flagging spirits. For a classicBudapest treat take the kidswhich has been satisfying sweet teeth since 1887.attractive landscaped complex, comprising fountains, ponds, little bridges, a theatre, a gallery and, for kids, the wonderfulIt is an interactive playhouse for children of all ages, with smart toys and puzzles, most of which have a scientific bent. Next door in building B is the House of the Future Exhibition, which hosts some unusual shows for kids.situated on 2.5 hectares and dates back to the mid-19th Century. There are a couple of dozen thrilling rides, including the heart-stopping Ikarus Space Needle, the looping Star roller coaster (alongside a vintage wooden one from 1926), the Hip-Hop freefall tower, go-karts and  a carousel built in 1906.If the children are getting beastly, it is best to visit This large zoo and garden, which opened with 500 animals in 1866, has a good collection (big cats, hippopotamuses, polar bear, giraffe), but most visitors come for a glimpse of the calves born to Lulu the white rhinoceros.

Living in Remote islands

There is getting away from it all, and then there is going off the grid — on a remote island somewhere in a patch of blue. Hours from anywhere and maybe hard to get to, these places require effort and usually a unique mindset for the more-than-one-time visitor. But the reward they offer is equally one-of-a-kind: the opportunity to live out a fantasy of seclusion and exclusivity.This tropical Indian Ocean paradise, more than a thousand miles off the southeast coast of Africa, is ringed with white powdery sand beaches that call honeymooners to them, along with the luxury resorts like the Oberoi and the Grand Mauritian. Uninhabited when Dutch settlers first arrived in the 17th Century (the island was home to the dodo bird — but we know how well it turned out for that particular native), Mauritius underwent French and British rule until it achieved its independence 50 years ago. There is a mix of African, Indian, Chinese and European cultures, but locals mainly speak a French Creole. A stable political and legal system and modern infrastructure, including high-speed Internet, makes the island attractive to foreign buyers, and it is also an international financial centre. There are direct flights to Mauritius on British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, South African Airways and Air Mauritius, and it is about a 10- to 11-hour flight from Europe. It is also a popular destination for those with sea-going yachts and for cruise ships sailing from South Africa.
Non-resident buyers are restricted to two types of property: Integrated Resorts Schemewhere the entry level is $750,000 and buyers get citizenship after three years. The other is the Real Estate Schemewhere entry level is $500,000, but “only certain schemes offer access to citizenship”, advised Berry Everitt,Chas Everitt International Property Group. “Properties in these schemes are typically freehold, stand-alone villas with at least three bedrooms on 1,000sqm of land within a secure golf-course or estate development.” Prices can go up to $3 or $4 million for top properties.This archipelago of ten islands is also off the coast of Africa, but Cape Verde is in the Atlantic. A Portuguese colony for 500 years, its mix of West African, Portuguese and Brazilian cultures have produced some of its most famous exports: singers like Cesoria Evora. There are four international airports on the islands of Sal, Santiago, Sao Vincente and Boa Vista, with packagers like Thomson flying in holidaymakers on the five-and-a-half hour flight from the UK.
it was rumoured that Ryanair was also going to launch a route from the UK. The islands are not as green as the name would have you believe, but there are excellent water sports, including surfing and windsurfing. The local rum is called “grogue”, the main ingredient in Cape Verde’s drink pontche, which is especially nice at sunset overlooking the harbour in Mindelo on Sao Vincente or one of the beaches on Sal.
Property here is typically either a private villa or apartment blocks, with new properties built to European standards. On Sal a two-bed apartment costs between 85,000 and 200,000 euros, while a villa can start at 350,000, but go quickly to 500,000 euros. “It is possible for a non-resident to obtain a mortgage from a Cape Verdean bank,”
, agent and media manager for Property Showrooms, “as long as they can prove they have the means to repay it”.

The ghostly shore of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast

Venture to Namibia’s Skeleton Coast and you get the sense that nature is warding you off right from the start. A slim no-man’s land between life and death, it is known to the Khoisan Bushmen of the interior as ‘the land God created in anger’. Everywhere there are huge bleached whalebones, the crumbling hulks of shipwrecks, dead plants, and the footprints of infrequent desert creatures, all on a desperate search for sustenance.

It’s a place where a few drops of water have at times been far more precious than the diamonds that famously litter its coastal sands. In an environment far too dry to sustain much life, the flora and fauna have adapted, enabling them to glean just enough moisture from the ocean fog that spills inland at dawn.
The fog has cleared as I move clumsily across a towering sand dune that rolls down into the foaming white breakers. There are no plants, no animals, no hint of anything alive. As I take a swig of water from my flask, a male oryx appears out of nowhere. Alone and weak from thirst, he stumbles down to the shore, tastes the salt water, and collapses on the beach. It is a stark reminder of the struggle to survive in this, one of Africa’s great wildernesses.Tearing up from Antarctica, the trade winds of the Benguela system batter the shoreline night and day. No-one knows quite how many ships they’ve swept onto the barren rocks, but wreckage is visible every few miles. There are the remnants of ocean liners and trawlers, galleons, clippers and gunboats – testament to the perfidious current and unrelenting winds.
The most infamous of the wrecks is the Dunedin Star. A Blue Star liner, it was washed ashore in 1942. The ship was laden with munitions, crew and a few paying passengers, and its rescue has gone down in history as a catalogue of errors. A Ventura bomber and a tugboat, both sent to help, foundered as well. Their wreckage can still be seen. A slew of other vessels unable to get close were forced to leave the survivors stranded on the desert. Yet, amazingly, most were rescued in the end.
Not so lucky were the shipwrecked crew of an unknown vessel washed up in 1860. The 12 headless skeletons were found 70 years ago, along with a slate buried in the sand. It read: ‘I am proceeding to a river 60 miles north, and should anyone find this and follow me, God will help him.’ The writer’s remains have never been found.My guide, Gotfod, drives us towards another wreck down the coast. A quiet man with a wry smile, he’s made sacrifices to be here. His family lives so far away that he sees them only a few times a year. The Skeleton Coast is no place for family life. Slowing the Land Rover, he cocks his head towards a twisted heap of rust and iron chains. ‘That’s the Suiderkus,’ hedarkly, ‘a trawler wrecked on her maiden voyage 40 years ago. Every time I pass it, there’s a little less left.’ Gotfod glances out towards the rocks. ‘Sometimes I wonder how many ships have met their end here. The wreckage disappears over time, but the ghosts are left.It’s not hard to imagine the elation of a shipwrecked survivor clawing his way to shore, only to be confronted by a new terror: yet another ocean, stretching north, south and east – an endless barrier of dunes. Shifting constantly, the mighty mountains of sand are born when a few grains collect around a nest of grass. Gradually, the mound gets larger, kills the plant, develops into a dune, and roams the desert for eternityNot far from the mortal remains of the Suiderkus, at Möwe Bay, is surely the world’s most remote police station. It’s so cut off, the handful of officers rush out at the sound of an engine. They man a tiny museum, filled with remnants of wreckage, bones, and more bones. Inside are human skulls, life vests from Japanese whalers, the proud figurehead of a galleon, brass cannons, rigging and sea-worn chains. Walking along the lines of skulls, I am reminded once again that the Skeleton Coast is a place where death looms large.

London's art attack

Forget the Tate Modern or White Cube. To get a real taste of the bleeding edge in British art, you need to head south of the river, to the backroom of a pub, or the roof of a multi-storey carpark.For years, when the name of Peckham, a district of southeast London, was mentioned, people thought of two things. First, Del Boy Trotter, the fictional dodgy dealer who was the area's most famous resident thanks to the hugely successful1980sSecond, gang culture and teenage knife crime.
Foreboding council estates and concrete tower blocks overlook rundown high streets full of fried chicken shops and stalls offering knock-off mobile phones. It is  a ghettoised place, ridden with poverty and violence. This was the London that tourists never saw, with good reason
But while Peckham had – and still has – its problems, the stereotypes never quite rang true. Nearbyhave long brought a steady stream of art students, lending a bohemian edge to the area. And in just the past three years, the artistic revival has really stepped up the pace of change . Increasing rents in Hackney, the east London borough that has been home to the capital's creative community for the past 15 years, have begun pushing artists south of the river, and the epicentre of London's art scene has started to shift with them.
Peckham's definitely become the name to drop,the local Asylum Arts gallery. “A lot of my artist friends used to pretend they didn't even know where southeast London was – now they're all planning to move here.” To celebrate the burgeoning sceneindependent website and magazine, has set up a Peckham art tour that introduces the area's teeming creative riches to a wider audience.The tour startsa community-run gallery that aims to engage local young people with artists. The most recent exhibition was a film project by David Cotterrell, titled Slipstream. He attached a camera to a remote control helicopter and flew across the new build apartment blocks of North Peckham estate, filming the journeys once taken by residents along the now-demolished elevated walkways that linked tower block to tower block.
Across the street from Peckham Spaceroom is full of grizzled men supping pints of bitter, playing pool and watching a TV blaring out horse racing. It is the kind of place where you would suspect a dismissive reaction to Modern art. But step through to the back room, and an exhibition by Austrian artist Ulli Knall appears – a sculpture made of napkins and bottle tops, shards of broken tiles on the walls. Outside, a quick clamber up a wall ladder to the roof reveals a sculpture made of duvet covers and pillow cases, twisted on a stool. On a recent visit two men were having a pint next to it. “No, we're not the artists,” one laughed. “We're just having a drink.”It is this juxtaposition of the quotidian with the bleeding edge that makes the Peckham scene so refreshing. This is an art scene actively engaging with its surroundingsa minimalistic white room in an industrial warehouse, the evangelical exertions of a preacher at a nearby Pentecostal church might be heard as artist Joschi Herczeg talks about his work.  Panels of black glass hang from the ceiling and blowing hot breath on them, he explained, reveals engraved hidden messages. Around the corner, the Methodist church agreed to allow artists to use its aisles for a new exhibition.The final stop on the toura literal totemic symbol of Peckham's art-driven resurgence. The top two floors of a miserable grey carbuncle of a multi-storey car park have been transformed into a sculpture gallery. The space is made cooler with the additioncafebar that is fast becoming the one of the most popular new hangouts in the capital. The views across the city are worth the visit alone. Works from 14 international artists are scattered across the concrete. Huge metallic claws resting on uplit pedestals compete for attention against giant inflatable rats singing love songs to each other and a boardwalk twisted into rollercoaster-like hoops by a pallet truck.

Two nights in Washington, DC

Convene your own meeting of the United Nations in the heart of Washington, DC's embassy belt with a two-night Thursday-to-Sunday stayNamed one of the "best hotel bets in the city" by Frommer's, the handsomely chic boutique hotel will have you ready to draw up a peace treaty between yourself and the dapper diplomat of your choice in a luxuriously appointed superior king room, complete with daily breakfast for two, and a daily indulgence hour including wine, cheese and chocolate ($165).Act as your own ambassador to our nation'syou explorethe city's lively arts-and-music scene, countless museums and galleries, shopping and dining influences from far outside our borders.Be diplomatic when you're deciding between Moroccan, Indian, Italian or French for dinner—they're all just steps away.arguably the best restaurant in the District"Or, embargo all trade between you and the daily grind over cocktails atNormandy's sister hotel's award-winningduring a lecture aton a walking tour of the neighbourhood’s strikingarchitecture.You and your favourite fellow envoy will have a hard time invoking immunity to the hotel's complimentary Internet access, Nespresso coffee facilities and individually designed guest rooms — with sophisticated touches like toile wall treatments, nailhead trim and stately fireplaces.
Sign an accord that translates to an unforgettable weekend... designated license plates not included.

Ghosts of Budapest’s past

The 20th Century has not been kind to Hungary. When the post-WWI Treaty of Trianon partitioned the nation into a much smaller territory, WWII air and ground fights left Hungary in a battered state. Then there was communism.

Testament to Hungary’s resilience is how the country has rebuilt and paid remembrance to the past century of tumult with several poignant attractions.
After the fall of communism in 1989, most Socialist monuments from around Eastern Europe were torn down. Other countries destroyed their collections of imposing icons in the catharsis of revolution, but Hungary’s Soviet legacy was left abandoned in dusty warehouses. Now, more than 20 years later, 42 statues, busts and plaques that celebrated what Hungarians call the Soviet Occupation are a fascinating Budapest tourist attraction.
At the gates a huge statue of Lenin greets visitors. Inside is a jumbled history of the last half of the 20th Century. Post-WWII images of Lenin, Marx and Engels lie adjacent to stylised works from the 1970s.  There are also numerous crumbling monuments of Béla Kun, leader of the Hungarian Revolution who later ran afoul of Stalin before his eventual rehabilitation as communist icon.
Top buys at the bleakly ironic souvenir shop include T-shirts with the sensible motto, “Never buy anything with a handle… it means work”, and cans of air filled with the “last breath of socialism”. Darkly ironic music fans can groove to dance mix CD’s of the “Best of Communist Revolutionary Songs”, or light up Lenin and Stalin candles to illuminate the dying embers of revolution.
Back in downtown Budapest, the 20th-century tragedy is masked by stylish
cafes and Art Nouveau apartments. Number 60 the headquarters of the secret police of the Fascist Arrow Cross party in the dying days of WWII, and from 1945 to 1956 the building was used for similar purposes by the equally repressive Communists. After falling indisrepair, it re-opened in 2002 as thepowerful memorial to the thousands who experienced torture in subterranean cells under two different totalitarian regimes.The entrance is spectacular, with a Soviet tank surrounded by hundreds of photographs of victims. The exhibitions dealing with the Fascist and Communist regimes are grim and chilling. Photographs are black and white, and colours are stark and monochromatic, illuminating the swastika-like arrow cross of the Fascists and the red star of the Communists. A plush red curtain opens suddenly to illuminate the luxurious red velvet interior of a Communist Party limousine.Specially-commissioned music and soundscapes envelop visitors, but despite the hi-tech gimmickry, personal details make the experience emotional and affecting. A single room is a shrine to the global Hungarian diaspora after the Soviet crackdown in 1956. Postcards from successful refugees in Los Angeles, Sydney, Canada and New Zealand are a display of resilience. A recording of Dean Martin croons “Memories are made of this” in the background.  It could be kitsch, but is actually very touching.
The last two rooms alleviate the Terror Haza’s earlier melancholic gloom, and hope explodes with video clips showing the festive release of the events of 1989. In a new century, it is a colourful and welcome segue outside to a Budapest summer’s day.

A time to remember the Titanic

At the moment, the best way to appreciate Belfast’s role in the story is to peer into a long, deep hole in the city’s once thriving shipyards. The hole in question is the Thompson Graving Dock, where the Titanic was fitted out. Back then, Belfast was a world leader in shipbuilding, with 176 vessels launched in the first decade of the 20th Century alone. For 70 years, the sinking of the Titanic was a source of shame for the city – until it was proven that the fault was human, not mechanical. Now it’s a part of Belfast’s history that people are keen to celebrate once more.
I stood on the dock by the original yellow squat capstan – around which a cable was wound to drag the ship – and imagined the vast vessel edging forward until it towered over my little head. Alongside is the pump house, where I viewed a pump that emptied water out of the dock at a rate so speedy that it was measured in swimming pools per minute.
A £97m Titanic Built in Belfast attraction is scheduled to open near the dock in April 2012. Its design mimics the brow of the ship, and it should prove to be a signature attraction in Belfast’s Until recently, the city has tended not to make much play of its role in the story – but, this year, several exhibitions have commemorated the building of the ship. In 2012, Belfast can expect anniversary interest to be fevered: a Titanic Memorial Cruise – taking passengers across the Atlantic to pass over the wreck site on 15 April, 100 years to the day after the disaster – sold out months ago.

Singapore, Russia, New York

Today thedebuts its comfortable new spa on the hotel’s fifth floor. There are six treatment rooms, including two couples’ suites, and treatments are based on traditional Chinese medicines, Oriental philosophies and ingredients such as local orchids.On 16 August, Hilton Hotels and Resorts(Chinese for “welcome”) programme at 51 properties in 13 cities around the world that are popular with Chinese visitors, such as San Francisco, Vancouver, Tokyo and Sydney. Chinese guests will find their guest rooms stocked with slippers, tea kettles, Chinese-language TV channels and breakfasts of dim sum and congee will be served. Starwood Hotels and Resorts launched19 of their properties, in hotspots like Waikiki, New York and Seoul.Best Western’s first hotel in Russia, which opened on 9 August, is also thebrand’s largest in the world. Izmaylovo, on the outskirts of Moscow, and has 970 rooms, a Finnish sauna, Turkish baths and 15 meeting rooms.stealthily opened near Madison Square Park in Manhattan on 1 August. The 64-room boutique hotel is just outside of midtown craziness, but still near many subway lines, great shopping and some of New York’s top restaurants.

Seven nights in St Maarten

You'll live large in a one-bedroom suite for seven nights ($1,569), complete with a private patio or balcony, a fully equipped kitchen and air conditioning. "The architecture evokes a European seaside village"with stucco walls and terra-cotta roofs, with some Dutch colonial touches".Keep your plans light and laze around your room, the three freshwater pools, the fully equipped fitness center, and the full-service Indulgence by the Sea Spa (a 50-minute massage and facial is included), or make a big splash and hit the on-site water sports center to rent snorkel, scuba or Jet Ski equipment.
Daily breakfast for two will give you the smart start you need for the day.
Take the long, winding cobblestone path through the resort upthe island's oldest fort, for a big-picture view of everything below.Along the way, browse the shopping promenade — your escape also includes a $150 souvenir jewelry credit — before returning to the resort'sa frozen beverage with a teeny little drink umbrella.Located just a couple of miles from the shops, restaurants and casinos of Philipsburg; seven miles from the airport; and a half an hour from French St. Martin, Little Bay and its sandy beach provide everything you need for your week of big excitement. But if you want to go island-hopping, a round-trip high-speed ferry ride to St Barts is included.

Mountains you can climb without a porter

These mountains might not be the as intense as the mighty Everest or K2, but they are certainly more than the hills you used to camp in when you were a kid. Be warned.Far from the glory-grabbing summits of the European Alps are the shy twin peaks of Mount Elbrus (5,642m), Europe’s highest mountain. Straddling the Russia–Georgia border and bulging above the Caucasus Ridge, Elbrus looks to be a daunting prospect. It is nearly 1,000m higher than any of the peaks around it, and glaciers chew at its edges, yet it offers no real technical difficulties – there is even a chairlift to 3,800m, where most climbs begin. A short distance above the chairlift is Camp 11; from here it is an eight-hour push to the summit. From the Azau cable-car station, ride or walk to the Barrels Huts, where the climb begins. But do not take the summit for granted – in 2004 the mountain claimed 48 climbers.Rub hiking boots with the gods as you ascend Greece’s highest mountain, the legendary home of the Olympian gods. Mount Olympus still draws worshippers of a sort, as trekkers make the two-day climb to its highest peak, Mytikas (2,918m). The most popular trail up the mountain begins at the tiny settlement of Prionia, 18km from Litohoro. From here it is a two-and-a-half-hour climb to Refuge A, with the summit of Mytikas about three hours further. At the summit do not forget to sign the visitors’ register. It is possible to climb and descend in two days; start from Refuge A near Prionia.
Emerging from the floor of Java’s massive Tengger crater are three volcanic peaks. The smoking tip of Gunung Bromo (2,392m) is the smallest of these but it is the one every hiker comes to climb. The easiest and most popular route is from Cemoro Lawang, on the crater rim, accessed from the city of Probolinggo. The route crosses the crater’s Sand Sea, and within an hour you will be on the summit of Bromo, savouring views into the steaming crater. Like mountains the world over, the favoured time to reach the summit is sunrise. Travel agencies in Solo and Yogyakarta can book minibuses (do not expect top quality!) to Bromo for around 100,000 to 150,000 rupiah.North Africa’s highest mountain (4,167m) is surprisingly kind on climbers. From the trailhead at the village of Imlil, a two-hour drive from Marrakesh, it is a five-hour walk into Toubkal Refuge, at around 3,200m, situated immediately below the western flank of this High Atlas giant. From here, trekkers usually scurry up and back and return to Imlil in a day. The climb’s greatest challenge is in Toubkal’s famously long scree slopes; be prepared for a walking experience like quicksand. Catch a taxi from Marrakesh to Imlil; it is an easy half-day hike to the base camp. Scree jumping on the way down is awesome fun.
The flat-topped, 1,086m-high Table Mountain that gives Cape Town its visual splendour is also said to contain more than 300 walking paths. For most people, however, it is all about getting to the summit. For this, the route through Platteklip Gorge is the most straightforward. The gentlest climb is along the Jeep Track, through the Back Table, though the gentle gradient also means that it is one of the longest approaches. The Platteklip Gorge route should take two to three hours; but you can descend in about four minutes on the cable car if you wish. There is a well-catered (albeit expensive) cafe at the top of Table Mountain.

Polar express

In December, a British team completed the first-ever there and- back vehicular Antarctic crossing, traversing 2,000 miles in 13 days to smash the previous record. This was their secret weapon: a biofuel, propellor-driven ice buggy. Expedition leader Andrew Moon recalls the journey:

Nothing like our ice vehicle has ever been built before. When we were planning the expedition, someone suggested a tiny kite-powered ice buggy that had been developed for a previous trip, but it was too small, too light for us. We knew that our buggy would have to be bigger and tougher, with skis large enough to handle the rough terrain.
We went to Lotus, told them what we thought would work, and they came back with this design. Even with the appalling weather we had – we were hit by one of Antarctica’s worst storms in 15 years going down onto the Ross Ice Shelf – the ice vehicle was brilliant. It was such a high to see it operating well. The skis were big enough to handle the rough stuff, and the suspension worked perfectly.
The first design had a BMW engine, but we calculated it wouldn’t produce enough power at altitude – we reached an altitude of 9,500ft on the crossing. So we ended up with a Rotax aircraft engine running on biofuel. We wanted to prove a point: if you can take a biofuel vehicle to the Pole, you can take one anywhere.
We ran a couple of cold-weather tests in Sweden, but there’s no way to accurately model the extremities of the South Pole. We had no idea how much fuel the ice vehicle would burn – according to one set of calculations, we didn’t have enough to make it there and back. Turned out we did.
Every Antarctic start is a cold start. Knowing how many tarpaulins and blankets we needed to keep the engine warm was tricky.
Everyone wanted to drive the ice vehicle. We had two six-wheeler trucks, too, but it was warmer in the buggy: you have an extra layer of clothing and a full-face helmet. It’s fun, easy to drive. You wear a five-point harness, and the controls are a bit like a powerboat: you control the throttle with one hand, pitch with the other. We improved the steering after early tests – it went from being really heavy and piggish to nice and light.We could build a better "MkII" buggy based on what we learnt: a two-seater with more fuel capacity. It could play an important role in cold climates for search-and-rescue, scientific exploration and expedition support. But in today’s economy, unless the military need one, I’m not sure how much of a market there is.
We didn’t set out to break the record for crossing Antarctica. We knew that, if we got there and back without too many hitches, we would break records, but we didn’t push ourselves to do so. We camped and we stopped to carry out research for Imperial College. It was an adventure, but a scientific mission too.
Britain has a proud history of Antarctic exploration. As a nation, we’ve got a reputation for adventure. This was only the third vehicle crossing of Antarctica in history, and the first to get there and back. There are very few places in the world that remain unexplored. For us to push the envelope of what can be done in Antarctica, that felt good.

Daily deal: Two nights in Aspen, Colorado

For well over a centuryhas defined the true character of Aspen with a mix of elegant décor and authentic mountain spirit. The AAA Four Diamond award-winning property is located in the heart of town, and was recently named one of "America's Best Ski HotelsSpend two nights in a junior king suite with a king-size bed between 5 September and 1 October ($485), 2 October and 22 November ($385), or 23 November and 15 December ($515). From the 300-thread-count linens to the Jacuzzi bathtub, everything is positively sterlingYou'll feel radiant each morning after your included daily breakfast for two Polish off dishes like buttermilk pancakes topped with blueberry-banana maple syrup, or Rockefeller Eggs Benedict prepared with organic poached eggs, all while admiring the mountain view.Afterward, explore the resort's chic downtown, and don't be surprised if you run into Goldie Hawn or other stars of the silver screen while browsing the luxury designer stores. When you are starting to lose your luster, head to the hotel for your included lunch for two at the legendarybeforean afternoon of skiing or more sightseeing. If you don't take a shining tothe slopes, or they aren't open yet, take a bike ride along the scenicThe handsome historic red-brick downtown is as alluring as the glistening slopes, but Aspen's greatest asset is its sceneryThe magnificent alpine environment, especially in fall when the aspen trees put on a spectacular display, adds extra sugary eye candy to an already glittering jewel."
You'll be feeling all shiny and new after relaxing in the heated pool or Jacuzzis before dining at award-winning restaurants nearby, like
Chef  renowned restaurants.

Daily deal: One night in Palm Springs, California

You'll get a one-night stay for two in a vista room, Sunday through Thursday ($175) or Friday or Saturday ($209), plus two all-day spa passes and two $25 credits to use toward golf outings or spa treatments. And with this week's escape, the resort fee is waived and the wi-fi is free.

In the morning, open the French doors of your plush accommodations and survey the gorgeous results of the recent $35 million renovation that transformed this 240-acre complex into one of the Coachella Valley's most enticing spots for recreation and relaxation.

Start by soaking in the sparkling waters of the brand-new, family-friendly
water park. Hurtle down the two 100ft water slides, submerge in a sea-size swimming pool, lounge on a sand beach, frolic in the fountains and sprayers, and finally, float into a comfort coma on the 425ft lazy river.When you're properly pruned, grab your $25 voucher and dry off on the driving range at the manicured

which epitomizes the classic California golf experience with rolling hills, mountain vistas, and palm tree-framed fairways.

Then, sink into a Desert Elements Sea Salt Bath or Restorative Coconut Milk and Honey Body Wrap with your two all-day passes
20,000-sq-ft hideaway of bliss.

Top off your treatment with a dip in the heated sanctuary pool, which sits in the spa's secluded courtyard among soothing water features and stunning mountain views.

When the desert sky fills with a sea of stars, dine alfresco amid flickering fire pits and a flaming fountain
resort's signature restaurant. Savour farm-fresh, organic ingredients and sip on local vintages — then drink a nightcap at the lounge-y and stylishSubmerge yourself in this chilled-out, sun-drenched retreat and you may never want to come up for air.

Daily deal: An eight-day trip through India

Follow your heart to the trip of a lifetimeeight-day journey across India's Golden Triangle. Founder Stacy Fiorentinos invites you to get the butterflies in your stomach fluttering as an English-speaking guide leads you and your group on an unforgettable tour, starting in Delhi. Round-trip airfare airport is included in this palpitating package that also covers transportation to and from hotels, airports, and sightseeing destinations; breakfast daily; and lunch en route from Agra to Jaipur. Enjoy dreamy accommodations and all entry fees to sightseeing destinations for just $2,217 per person.Declare your feelings of affection for the colorful country and its unique culture as you spend two nights in Delhi'sYou'll goweak at the knees after seeing Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, andMahatma Gandhi's memorial. "Drink in the atmosphereof the memorial. "Nowhere else in Delhi is as peaceful as this.Venture off to Old Delhi on a traditional rickshaw to see Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Then, let Agra woo you with the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal itself, a horse-drawn buggy ride through the former capital'smedieval past, and a stayIn Jaipur, your two-night staynothings in your ear as you explore the Palace of Winds, get starry-eyed at the Jantar Mantar observatory, and make a grand entrance atop an elephant to the famed Amber Fort.Forget plucking flower petals—there's nothing about an experience like this that will love you not.
• An eight-day trip through India for one guest, including:
• A two-night stay at Maidens Hotel, a one-night stay at Trident Hotel Agra, a two-night stay at Trident Hotel Jaipur, and a dayroom at Crowne Plaza Gurgaon Hotel
Round-trip overnight air transportairport in New York
• Round-trip ground transport to hotels and airport
• Daily breakfast and lunch en route from Agra to Jaipur
• English-speaking escort
• Dates: 30 September to 7 October; 23 to 30 October; 25 November to 2 December; 10 to 17 December; 6 to 13 January, 2012; or 22 to 29 March, 2012