Stay the night: Longevity Wellness Resort, Portugal

Everyone needs a spa these days. From the holiday cottage that engages the local woman with the collapsible massage table, to the five-star resort with over-water massage pavilion. But the Longevity Wellness Resort, now, this is serious stuff.

Almaty and Astana are just out of this world

Kazakhstan is a tale of two cities.

WIN! A three-night break for two in Dublin

We've teamed up with Hotels.com – the world's leading hotel booking website – to offer a three-night break for two in Dublin, Ireland.

Summer in the UK: The beautiful South

The Isle of Wight's only Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel, The Hambrough (01983 856333; thehambrough.com) in Ventnor, has just expanded, and is now offering a five-bedroom self-catering property, Villa Lavinia, to complement its rooms.

Tips and deals of the week: 05/09/2010

Cut-price yoga in Greece

Save 25 per cent on a holiday at the Yoga Retreat, Crete, led by Amy Redler. Price £330 per person, including half-board and daily yoga classes.

Go to freespirituk.com

Kate Simon: Cows, cows, cows. That's all there is to see on trains

Wi-Fi on trains isn't welcomed by all, it seems.

There's a harvest of food festivals to enjoy in the regions this autumn

September is harvest time for food and drink festivals around the country.

High drama in Cumbria's drowned valley

Where the fells of the Lake District tumble eastwards towards the plains and the Pennines, you'll find lonely Haweswater.

Manila ready to dazzle for historic gay beauty pageant

Fifteen muscular gay men strut the stage in a whirlwind of sequins, feathers, gold and glitter while a transvestite dressed as Lady Gaga performs the American pop-star's latest hit.

On sunny Crete, tourism season dented by Greek crisis

It's late afternoon but the relentless summer sun still beats down from a clear sky above picturesque Crete, Greece's largest island.

Tasmanian officials invite "convictourists" to explore their prisons

Tourism officials from the Australian island of Tasmania have devised a new type of tourism to describe their unique offerings - and they're calling it "convictourism."

Greece's Temple of Athena Nike restoration complete

Builders have completed another stage of restoration of the Acropolis in Athens with the removal of scaffolding from the temple of Athena Nike, the head of renovation efforts said Friday.

24-Hour Room Service: Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire

It's easy to assume that an operation as distinguished as Le Manoir ticks by while quietly resting on the laurels of the restaurant and the reputation of its proprietor. Especially when that proprietor is Raymond Blanc, who attained the first of his Michelin stars at his original restaurant, Les Quat'Saisons in Oxford back in the late 1970s.

Aeolian Islands: Italy's verdant volcanic isle

Is 11am too early for dessert wine? Not on the Aeolian Island of Salina when the heavens are about to open. And not when the tipple in question goes by the moniker "wine of the devil". We'd planned to climb a mountain, but the views over the vineyards of the Capo Faro estate up the slopes of Monte Fossa delle Felci, the highest of the island's twin peaks, brought bad news. The 962m-high extinct volcano was swathed in dark cloud. Across the Tyrrhenian Sea, the black cone of Stromboli, the "lighthouse of the Mediterranean", puffed smoke into an unsuspecting blue sky. The storm clouds crept towards it.

48 Hours In: Ljubljana

Click here for 48 Hours In...Ljubljana map

Traveller's Guide: Alternative New York tours

Trail of the unexpected: Unique Devon campsite offers seclusion and home comforts

Just don't call it glamping. "I don't really like the word," says Matt Bate, as he contentedly surveys his handcrafted glade: a treehouse here, a see-saw there, a hammock hoisted a safe distance from a swing. "This is all a bit more Heath Robinson."

The Big Six: Luxury Egyptian escapes

Go off the beaten track in Ibiza

Route 19 is not a route in the grand sense of the word. It is not a Route 66, a Silk Route, a Garden Route. In sections, it seems unrelated to logic, twisting, writhing and switching course. But here, two miles beyond Sant Miquel de Balansat, it definitely has its charms.

A well-travelled man: Veteran broadcaster Alan Whicker reveals his globetrotting tips

As it happens, everything I knew about travel as a boy, I learnt from Alan Whicker – starting with the extraordinary black-and-white footage of an Englishman with the moustache and the manner of an Army officer lost in the wintry wastes of America's biggest state. "After stopping a train in Alaska, the rest of your life is an anti-climax," says Whicker, raising his right arm. The powerful locomotive hauling a train that seems to be the length of the Yukon River, harrumphs to a halt to allow him to climb aboard – and deliver another brilliant piece-to-camera, as precise and clipped as his trademark moustache.

Travel By Numbers: Tahiti

My Life In Travel: Jo Whiley, radio DJ and TV presenter

On The Road: Beach bliss revisited on Oaxaca's coast

In an attempt to relive my backpacking days and catch some rays, I'd decided to follow the trail of small beach resorts that dot the Mexican Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca.

Simon Calder: Sailing by - our shrinking links with Europe

Tomorrow at midnight, the historic passenger ferry link between Dover and Boulogne will end. Already, one of the two ships that LD Lines uses for the route has been taken out of service: the Norman Bridge is expected to sail west along the length of the English Channel this weekend, then turn sharply to port around the tip of the Breton peninsula to make for the city of Nantes.

Something To Declare: America gets tougher; long-haul ferry deals; Slovenia, underground; Oberammergau

Travel challenge: a classical tour

Every week we invite competing companies to give us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a cultural tour in the Islamic world in October. Prices are per person based on two people travelling together.

Travel Agenda: The James hotel in New York; Devon Open Studios; Mistura; Iceland Express

In Venice, Singapore challenges city planners to think small

Urban planners bracing for the influx of ever more millions into finite territories should look to Singapore as a "model compact city," says architect Khoo Peng Beng.

Japan resort a hot spot for men with virtual girlfriends

Long a favourite of lovers and honeymooners, a Japanese beach town with fading sparkle has found a new tourism niche in the wired age by drawing young men and their virtual girlfriends.

Singapore Airlines curbs crew's Facebook musings

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has directed its flight attendants to avoid discussing work-related matters on Facebook and other social networking websites, company officials said Thursday.

BA passenger numbers defy strike threat

British Airways passenger figures held up well last month despite pre-August fears that the airline's ongoing cabin crew dispute could cause travel disruption.

German railway to test train in Channel Tunnel: boss

The German railway Deutsche Bahn announced Wednesday it will test a high-speed train in the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain on October 19, a move that could spur rail competition in Europe.

EU adds Ghanaian airlines to no-fly list

The European Union added two air cargo carriers from Ghana to its no-flight list on Thursday due to safety concerns about their aircraft.

Hello Kitty to have her own Tokyo theme park

Super-cute Japanese character Hello Kitty is to have her own theme park in the Odaiba district of Tokyo.

Weekly travel agenda: Ecotourism Conference

Next week sees the start of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism conference in Portland, Oregon, with public and trade attendees expected to attend talks and exhibitions on green travel. Keynote speakers include Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip and Freedom to Roam chairman Rick Ridgeway.

Weekly hotels top five of five - South Korea

This week the 8th edition of the Gwangju Biennale gets underway in South Korea.

SAS says to host first mile-high gay wedding

Scandinavian airline SAS said Wednesday it plans to host the first-ever in-flight gay wedding in December, and is searching for a suitable couple to walk down the airplane aisle.

What can travelers expect in Tokyo's latest terminal?

The new international terminal at Haneda Airport will revolutionize shopping and eating as well as travel for Tokyo's travelers, if recent reports are anything to go by.

Bumper-to-bumper again as epic China traffic jam returns

A huge traffic jam stretching at least 120 kilometres (75 miles) reappeared in northern China Thursday, with thousands of cargo trucks stuck in a bottleneck, state media said.

A tale of two websites

This summer saw major relaunches for the official tourist sites of both Britain and France, with both proving that enticing visitors both online and in person isn't as easy as it seems.

Ryanair dethrones Iberia in Spain: airline

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair said Wednesday it had overtaken Spanish flag carrier Iberia as the largest airline in Spain in terms of the number of passengers carried.

Manchester Airport welcomes world's largest passenger plane

Manchester Airport today welcomed its first Airbus A380 superjumbo - the world's largest passenger plane.

Holidaypedia: I know what you did this summer ...

Here, at long last, The Holidaypedia, all the facts and figures you need to know about family summer holidays and the subsequent ordeal of returning to work – unless, of course, you were coerced into the hell that is the water park at Le Touquet, in which case returning to work will seem like a breeze and a delight and if you wish to kiss your desk and embrace it, everyone will understand.

Is Ryanair taking musicians for a ride?

My friend has a sticker on her cello case which reads: "NO, I DON'T WISH I PLAYED THE FLUTE". The inconvenience of lugging around this outsized contraption is the price cellists pay for making possibly the most beautiful sound ever created by humankind. The size is trumped only by the double bass. My college next-door neighbour played one. I wondered why she chose it, since she was even shorter than I am, until I noticed that whenever she returned from a rehearsal, a different man would be carrying the bass for her.

Rio slums are Brazil's newest tourist destination

Brazil on Monday launched a pilot project allowing tourists to visit some of its notorious slums, after the shantytowns have been cleared of drug dealers and other criminal elements.

Shanghai gets the nod as China's most popular city

Back in the 1930s it was known to foreigners as "The Paris of the East" - a place full of romance and excitement - and a survey just released has revealed that the international community's love affair with Shanghai has not dimmed over the years.

Qatar follows Etihad into India

Middle Eastern airline Qatar has followed its rival Etihad in targeting the Indian market, announcing a wave of expansion in the area August 30.

Ryanair boss blames delays over Belfast airport pull-out

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary today blamed government delays over approving a controversial runway extension for his decision to pull out of George Best Belfast City Airport.

Not using a travel app yet? Don't feel bad...

With a slew of hotel and flight booking apps hitting both iPhone and Android app stores, travelers could be forgiven for feeling like they're in the stone age when booking online.

Record tourism numbers lift the gloom in Hong Kong

The common thought was that it had been a pretty tough year for the Hong Kong tourism industry thus far with accusations and embarrassment lingering over local guides' much publicized treatment of Chinese visitors and the rapid development of rival regional destinations such as Taiwan and Singapore eating into the city's market share.

Singapore counts winnings as casinos boost tourism

Singapore's massive bet on two casino resorts is already paying off after the number of arrivals in a single month crossed the one million mark for the first time in July, analysts said.

Middle Eastern airlines embrace in-flight connectivity

Egypt Air has become the latest airline in the region to offer in-flight connectivity to passengers.

Japan artist at French chateau sparks protest

A show of outlandish sculptures by a cult Japanese artist in the historic Chateau of Versailles near Paris has enraged traditionalists who say it dishonours France's past.

WIN! A two-night break for two in Düsseldorf

We've teamed up with Hotels.com – the world's leading hotel booking website – to offer a two-night break for two in Germany.

Summer in the UK: Make tracks around the Midlands

The cultural heart of the Midlands will unveil its new look this autumn when the Royal Shakespeare Company stages the first performances at its £112.8m new theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Take a spin around Iceland – by hot tub

It was disorientating to leave Britain in summer and touch down just a couple of hours later in the midst of winter.

A star from the Sixties is still swinging

Once upon a time the singer Peter Sarstedt demanded "Where do you go to my lovely?" before answering his own query. "When you go on your summer vacation/You go to Juan-les-Pins," he told us.

The other side of Mallorca, where nightingales sing and there's not a tattooed lobster in sight

What does the name of Spain's largest Mediterranean island conjure up for you? Sun, sand and sangria? Bars crammed with tattooed, lobster-hued Brits, getting noisily sloshed? Probably – if you have never been there.

Tips and deals of the week: 29/08/2010

Save £150 in Barbados

Take advantage of the British Airways sale and book an all-inclusive week at Almond Beach Village in Barbados from £799 per person.

Go to ba.com/sale

Harriet O'Brien: Watch out for the big beasts of the highway

How happy are you driving abroad? Arriving in Newfoundland's capital, St John's, earlier this month, I immediately headed for the car rental desks and collected my keys.

Katy Holland: Get your safari experience on a shoestring...just give Africa a miss

Ask my kids where they'd like to go on holiday and they always give the same answer.

Stay the night: White Cross Bay, Cumbria

A site right on the shores of Lake Windermere might seem an ideal location for a holiday park – and until the floods came it was.

My Life in Travel: James Lavelle, DJ and recording artist

The Big Six: Tented camps in Australia

Exeter: West is best for an Indian summer

Summer lasts longer in Devon's county town. Thanks to its benignly south-western location, warm days endure through September. The August crowds melt away, revealing the fabric of England's most engaging cathedral city. Furthermore, it is easily accessible, astride the Exe river at the point where high-speed trains slow down and the motorway network ends – with the headquarters of Flybe handily down the road, at Exeter airport.

Traveller's Guide: Uruguay

The £1m cruise: Simon Calder calculates the appeal of a voyage around the Greek islands

On the quayside in Corfu, she was dwarfed by the intimidating bulk, in the adjacent dock, of an Italian cruise ship – the MSC Musica, doing a good impression of a Milanese apartment block. Yet even though the Thomson Spirit was a mere slip of a ship, for us passengers newly arrived from Luton, Newcastle or any of a dozen other UK airports – plus a few guests from Dublin and Helsinki – she was a welcome sight.

The Hedonist: Palma de Mallorca

The island of Mallorca has everything from romantic boutique B&Bs to Bikram yoga, painting classes to Pilates – but those wanting a highly charged weekend away would do well to stick to the capital, Palma. Built around the sensational 14th-century sandstone cathedral, the city is a gorgeous hub of cobbled streets, olive trees and teeny-tiny plazas, with stunning hotels, bars and restaurants dotted throughout. It's a brief cab ride from the airport: fly out in the morning and you can be poolside by lunchtime.

Trail of the unexpected: Tampere

Anna is doing what every bride-to-be does a fortnight before her wedding. She is handing doughnuts to travellers at her local airport. I must look especially bemused as I accept her gift, because she pauses to explain. It is her hen weekend, she says, surprised that I am surprised. And giving sugary snacks to strangers is a ritual certain to bring good luck. I decide not to quibble. The doughnut, full of apple jam, is the best I have eaten in a while.

24-hour room service: La Réserve Ramatuelle, Côte d'Azur, France

St-Tropez has been synonymous with jet-set glamour ever since Brigitte Bardot filmed And God Created Woman here in 1955, popularising both the French Riviera and the bikini in one sultry swoop. Today, it remains the place where film stars, rock stars, footballers, supermodels and the super-rich step off their mega-yachts to preen and be seen. But once the partying is done, and the long lenses start to pry, where do the well-heeled turn for privacy and respite?

Simon Calder: When 'helpful' advice is worse than none at all

Travel, I need not remind you, is fraught with all manner of pitfalls. To reduce the scope for high-season stress, earlier this month I practised what I preach: booking a proper package holiday – the cruise described in the next few pages – through a travel agent.

BA passengers told in error of imminent crash

Passengers on a British Airways flight were told they were about to crash into the sea after an emergency message was played in error.

Travel Agenda: Matakauri Lodge; Manchester airport; Whitley Bay beach huts; The Dorchester

Today: Check into Matakauri Lodge, which opens on the shore of Lake Wakatipu outside Queenstown in New Zealand. The luxurious lodge features contemporary styling and stunning lake and mountain views (matakaurilodge.com).

On The Road: All gain and no pain on the Green Ways of Brittany

Here in Brittany, getting out on two feet or two wheels is an irresistible urge. In any weather conditions, hundreds of miles of Green Ways are accessible and free of the mud that clogs up more undulating country tracks. They are based on canal towpaths and disused railway lines, forming a network of long-distance routes. No cars allowed, and there's plenty of nearby accommodation for the traveller and his bike or horse.

Travel challenge: A late summer break in Tuscany

Every week we invite competing companies to give us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a seven-night holiday in Tuscany in mid-September. Prices are for two people travelling together.

Something To Declare: BA Club World beds; cheap New York flights; Passport problems; Heathrow offline

Mustang region of Nepal threatens to bar tourists

Residents of a remote former kingdom in the Himalayas that has been part of Nepal for more than two centuries said Friday they would bar tourists from entry to protest against the government.

Sri Lanka holds withdrawal of on-arrival visa

Sri Lanka on Saturday suspended plans to scrap on-arrival visas for most nationals, including visitors from the US, Europe, Australia and Japan.

Tibet Airlines eyes European market: state media

Tibet Airlines, which plans to launch its first domestic flights from the remote Himalayan region next year, is eyeing direct flights to Europe to pull in tourists, state media said Wednesday.

Swords clanging, tourists learn gladiator skills in Rome

Two American tourists, kitted out in glinting helmets and handsome tunics, grapple with each other, swords clanging, as if their very lives depend on it.

Swiss Alpine valleys get leisurely 'gold rush'

With a slight drizzle, a chilly breeze and a sunless sky, it was not quite the perfect summer's day to spend hours alongside the Upper Rhine river in eastern Switzerland's majestic Alps.

London to host celebration of Japanese pop culture

London is to get its very own festival of Japanese pop culture with the opening of the very first Hyper Japan London in early October.

This 747 is going to ditch... er, cancel that!

British Airways passengers prepared for a possible crash into the sea after an emergency message was played in error on their flight, it was revealed today.

Why traveling from Australia is about to get easier

Australia's second-largest airline Virgin Blue has announced a major tie-up with a Middle Eastern carrier as it tries to compete with flag-carrier Qantas in global reach.

Weekly hotel openings roundup - London, Paris and New York

This week saw new hotels opening in London, Paris and New York, as well as new properties in Syracuse, NY and Tulsa, OK.

Destination guides and social networking - Canadian chain debuts the next generation of hotel app

Luxury hotel chain Fairmont has launched its first iPhone and iPad application, expanding the functionality of traditional hotel-booking apps and promising that it "isn't like any other application."

New 787 Dreamliner suffers another delay

Travelers will have to wait until at least February 2011 to fly in the new 787 Dreamliner, Boeing announced August 27.

Weekly travel agenda: Tannkosh 2010

Aircraft from all over Europe will descend on Tannheim this weekend for the annual Tannkosh Festival, an aviation enthusiast's dream. Next week, US brand Aloft brings its trendy loft-style hotel theme to Europe with the first European property opening in Brussels.

'I'm always looking for trouble': Why Dom Joly prefers to take his holidays in hell

I think that deep down I’m a coward. I’m not sure if I was actually born “yella” or whether growing up in Lebanon during the Civil War made it inevitable. But I can remember being constantly terrified for periods of my childhood as the noise of fighting from Beirut permeated our entire house.

Nepal's capital hosts gay pride march

Hundreds of gays, lesbians and transsexuals braved monsoon rains to hold a gay pride parade in the Nepalese capital on Wednesday, led by South Asia's only openly homosexual lawmaker.

Abu Dhabi tries to woo Indian market

Abu Dhabi flag-carrier Etihad has set its sight firmly on the Indian market, launching a new program for travelers to and from India.

Passenger flights up again in July

International air travel was up by 9.2 percent in July, according to figures released August 25.

It's a whole lotta fun on board 2011's cruise ships

US cruise line Carnival Cruises has released details of the attractions that will feature on board its latest cruise liner, the Carnival Magic, when it debuts next May.