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Fancy flying through the air at tree level? You don't have to go to Kew Gardens or Alton Towers, this can be found in one of London's oldest forests. Even better - it's free and uncommercialised. Some anonymous tree enthusiasts have erected a series of swings from the ancient trees of this hidden wood. Scramble up one slope inside the wood, jump onto the rope and swing 50ft high into the air. Go any time - you are unlikely to find a queue. Oh, and there's a lovely family-run cafe nearby in the wood.
Queens Wood Road London N10
www.fqw.org.uk/
Listed as one of Sardinia's nest beaches, Spiaggia della Pelosa is about an hour's drive from Alghero up to the north-west coast. It's a dreamy crescent of white sand and sparkling emerald water guarded by an ancient stone watchtower. It's very popular in summer though, so be prepared for traffic jams. The nearest town of Stintino is a little port that makes a nice stop for lunch.
on the SP 34 road, past Stintino
A stunning group of coral islands 60 miles off Key West, only accessible by boat or seaplane.
The name comes from “tortugas”, referring to the then abundance of nesting sea turtles on the islands, with the word “Dry” added later to indicate to sailors that there was no water here.
The main island is home to the amazing brick construction of Fort Jefferson, built to protect young America’s shipping routes from the Spanish and then the English. It was later used as a prison for civil war deserters.
The islands have been called “the Galapagos of north America” because of the diversity of wildlife. While snorkeling – in perfectly clear water - you can see sharks, rays, hundreds of types of tropical fish and spectacular coral formations. Many rare birds, including masked boobies, sooty terns and frigate birds, only nest on or visit these islands.
Turtles lay their eggs here too, and you can occasionally see them popping their heads up above the surface.
There are two boat services and a seaplane to choose from.
We went on the Yankee Freedom ferry, which costs $139 per person, and includes breakfast, lunch, cold drinks and all snorkelling gear.
You can also camp on the island.
Yankee Freedom ferries: www.yankeefreedom.com/
Dry Tortugas
www.nps.gov/drto/
The original and oldest Everglades airboat tour is one of the first stops along the Tamiami trail – the road from Miami across to Naples and the Gulf of Mexico coast.
The exhilarating ride lasts for about 40 minutes and goes out through the waterways, which are actually made up of one big grass river.
The driver slows down to point out birds, many alligators and will give you some local natural history.
US 41, 11 miles west of the Florida Turnpike
www.coopertownairboats.com/
A great three-hour trip into the 10,000 Island section of the Everglades, which is made up of islands and inlets of mangroves.
You’re transported on a larger boat right out to the edge of the park where the Everglades meet the Gulf of Mexico, then dismount into kayaks in groups of about eight.
The guide, friendly and knowledgeable Captain Charles, leads you up small creeks, through mangrove areas and stops for a while on a sandy beach on one of the island.
Spring and autumn are said to be the best times to go because of the migrating birds and water levels - which encourage more wildlife - but even in summer we saw brown pelicans, egrets and herons, rosette spoonbills, ospreys, terns and dolphins.
The tours leave from Everglades City and cost $115 per person. The boat drops you off right outside the Seafood Café, where you can get a great lunch of fresh fish and crab.
Everglades Area Tours
P.O. Box 670 ~ Everglades City, Florida 34139
Phone: 239-695-9107
Email: captwright@evergladesareatours.com
www.evergladesareatours.com/kayak_tours.htm
From Penny Black to BQ, the bars at the top end of Boat Quay are a world class place to hang out in the early evening.
Where else can you find a place as idyllic as this, just seconds from the centre of the city's financial district? Light rippling off the water, multi-coloured converted "go-downs", old river taxis still plying the river and historical buildings on the other bank?
Yes, the restaurants further down the river really are pure tourist fodder, so you'll want to go somewhere else to eat, and Harry's Bar might be more famous for Nick Leeson than anything else, but don't let the stigma of going to an "expat hangout" divert from a genuine part of Singapore's culture.
The expats have been here since the place began, after all, and you may know someone who works nearby - an ideal excuse to drink in the atmosphere.
If this doesn't appeal, stroll up to The Fullerton, cross the bridge, and head for Indochine and its Opium Bar where you can stare back at Boat Quay from the other bank - and probably get some better food.
Boat Quay, Raffles Place MRT.
Great old pub with al fresco seating (get there quick), great gourmet pizzas and tons of different rare Aussie beers - what more do you need?
100 Cumberland St, The Rocks;
tel: 9247 2229;
www.australianheritagehotel.com
www.australianheritagehotel.com
Outdoor in the summer and indoor in the winter - quite marvellous and beautiful, well-kept and some of architectural interest too.
www.wien.gv.at/baeder/stadtbad/ (only in German)
Most of the villages around Valencia have outdoor swimming pools which open during the summer months (July and August). These are incredibly cheap (less than a couple of euros to get in) and you can spend the whole day there.
The easiest ones to get to are those served by Valencia’s metro. Try Rocafort (right next to the station), Moncada (a bit of trek from the station, but in a nice location on top of a hill) or Betera (quite far from central Valencia, but the swimming pool is one of the best).
Moncada - POLIDEPORTIVO MUNICIPAL BADIA – PEDRERETA,
C/ Lepanto final.
Tel +34-96-1395555
A boat trip out to the archipelago is a fantasic day trip if you're here for a few days. The trip alone is great fun, on board old-fashioned steam boats, but the islands are stunning. You will have whole meadows, sandy coves and rocks to bask on all to yourself, and if you’re brave the water’s cold but invigorating. Grinda is a lovely small island, with the trip taking about an hour and stopping at Vaxholm on the way there and back.
In the late 17th century, when the Portuguese Bandeirantes (literally standard bearers or pioneers) discovered gold and precious stones in Minas Gerais, a safe deep water port was required to ship these riches back to Europe. The calm, sheltered waters of the Baía da Ilha Grande, accessed by the precarious Indian trails that traversed the Serra da Bocaina, were ideally suited for this purpose. Thus, in about 1670, the settlement of Paraty was founded and within 20 years was one of the most prosperous ports in the Iberian Colonies.
Unfortunately for the good burghers of Paraty, but happily for the modern traveller, by 1720 a much shorter trail had been blazed from the prospecting towns of Minas to Rio de Janeiro. Despite a brief disturbance during the coffee and sugar booms of the 19th Century, this historical accident, and the fact that Paraty only became accessible by motor vehicle in the 1950s, left the region in its own development-free time bubble.
Today Paraty is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its former wealth is reflected in some of the most beautiful and assiduously preserved colonial architecture in the whole of Brazil. The Centro Histórico is a masterpiece, with its baroque churches, roughly cobbled streets that flood with the rising tide and graceful merchants’ mansions. Set all this man-made elegance in a heart-stopping setting of rainforest-clad escarpments, the dramatic Costa Verde coastline, dozens of near deserted beaches and the tropical islands of the Baía and you have a combination of sophistication and natural exuberance that is hard to beat anywhere in Brazil.
It has to be said that, as a popular weekend retreat for the well-heeled of São Paulo and Rio, Paraty is not cheap by Brazilian standards but if anywhere around Rio is worth a bit of a splurge, this is it. One lower priced accommodation option is the Cigarras Pouso Familiar near the bus station. It is a popular location for makers of period movies and novellas and has en suite rooms including breakfast at R$100 and small self catering apartments for around R$150. My personal favourite, however, is the gorgeous Mercado de Pouso, Paraty’s former coffee market, on the old quayside beside the Santa Rita church, where a double room with air conditioning, ceiling fan and bathroom with breakfast included will set you back around R$250. The hotel also has its own 80 foot schooner and organises dolphin spotting, diving and beach cruises to the islands. For the truly budget minded, camping is available at the Camping Club do Brasil a short distance out of town beside the Praia do Pontal.
One of the real pleasures of Paraty is its bewildering profusion of excellent restaurants. In a high class field there are two that really stand out. The Restaurante da Matriz is situated in a colonial house on the main square, Praça da Matriz. It is rightly famous throughout Brazil for its deliciously authentic Caiçara dishes, named after the natives of this coastal region. Try the mouthwatering sea bass and shrimp moqueca, a traditional fish stew spiced with ferociously piquant dendê oil, or the prawns fried in batter with ginger and mango sauce.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, on Rua do Comercio you will find Merlin o Mago, an award winning establishment with an idiosyncratic fusion style that incorporates the best of Europe, Asia and Brazil. The restaurant is aptly named as its chef, the German-born former restaurant critic, Hado Steinbrecher, is truly a magician. His onion ice cream (yes, that’s onion ice cream) dumplings on tomato with grilled goat’s cheese are a sensation and you’ll have to go a long way to find anything to beat the lobster in orange sauce.
A good, if expensive, time to visit Paraty is during the low season months of July and August when two events draw visitors from all over the world. Every August since 1972 the town has organised the Festival da Pinga. Time was when the town and surrounding area had over 200 distilleries, or “alambiques”, producing Brazil’s sugar cane spirit, cachaça, the principal ingredient of the ubiquitous caipirinha. Whilst the alambiques are somewhat less numerous today, Paraty is still a major producer and the festival attracts some 20,000 aficionados who take their cachaça as seriously as any single malt whisky drinker.
For those of a less bacchanalian disposition, for four days every July Paraty becomes a sort of tropical Hay-on-Wye as it presents the annual Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty. Run by Bloomsbury Publishing founder, Liz Calder, the festival has played host to the likes of Martin Amis, Ian McEwan and Salman Rushdie and, after only three years, is already established as one of the world’s premier literary events.
Do bear in mind that accommodation prices can double and even triple during these busy periods and hotel bookings should be made weeks, if not months, in advance.
As far as activities are concerned, clearly the sea plays a major role. A number of companies offer skippered sailing and motor yacht charters in modern, well equipped boats and Paraty is also one of Brazil’s scuba diving meccas with a host of companies to choose from. On the other hand, if just lazing on a palm-fringed beach is your thing, the boat ride to Praia do Sono is an absolute must. Quite simply, they don’t make beaches any lovelier. Praia do Sono and the larger, busier beach at Trindade can also be reached by bus.
Paraty’s other major attraction is the Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina, which straddles the border of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and is home to endangered species such as spider and howler monkeys, harpy eagles, tree porcupines and giant anteaters. Four wheel drive and horseback tours of the Park and the Trilha de Ouro (gold trail), with English speaking guides, can be arranged at the Centro de Informações Turisticas on Avenida Roberto Silveira.
Paraty is a magical, almost unreal place with a delight round every corner. From the moment you arrive your senses will be overwhelmed by a heady confection of sights, sounds, smells and tastes that few places in the world can equal. Don’t take my word for it, though. While anchored in the Baía da Ilha Grande during his second South American voyage of 1501, Amerigo Vespucci wrote in a letter home, “Oh God! If there was a paradise on earth, it would not be very far from here!” He was not wrong.
To reach Paraty from Rio, take an air conditioned coach from the Rodoviária Novo Rio bus station. The journey time is about four hours. Here are some useful websites: Paraty, www.paraty.com.br/iindex.asp. Mercado de Pouso, www.mercadodepouso.com.br/. Cigarras Pouso Familiar, www.paraty.com.br/cigarras/ICIGARRA.HTM. Merlin o Mago, www.paraty.com.br/merlin. Restaurante da Matriz, www.paraty.com.br/matriz/index.asp. For yacht charters, Coconut Yacht Adventures (www.geocities.com/bra1868/) is a reliable German run company and for diving, Mr. Big Paraty (tel. 024/3371-1327) has a good reputation.
You can take a cab or just walk into the forest in Horto to get away from the city for a while. Within minutes you see monkeys and waterfalls, and are surrounded by serene and peaceful forest.
You can take Pacheco Leão up into the forest from Jardim Botanico. I didn't have a car when I was in Rio, and this is convenient to get to by public transport or on foot. From Leblon or Ipamena you can take the Horto bus straight there.
Get a bike and ride the Taff trail. You can go from the centre of Cardiff all the way out to Castle Coch, following the river on safe bike paths.
www.tafftrail.org.uk;
Affan Valley Cycle Hire, tel: 01639 893661, 07952 577316 (mobile);
www.afan-valley-bike-hire.com
My favourite green space in Cardiff is a section of the old Glamorgan canal, which was used to transport coal down from the valleys out to the Cardiff docks. You begin by walking along the canal, through a green tunnel of trees, alive with wildlife. Halfway along you can fork off left to Forest Farm, or to the right, where you cross a lock, climb up a steep hill and look back down at the canal through the canopy of beech trees. It’s a very peaceful place and there’s so much wildlife to see at all times of the year.
If you're searching for a romantic spot, get out of the city and head for the peace of the countryside. The Vale of Glamorgan has some lovely spots for a picnic and its green, rolling fields, lush woods and pretty villages immediately make you forget your troubles. But if you’re not the outdoor type, you could see if romance blossoms over Cardiff’s biggest steaks like Gav and Char at Charleston’s.
It's a brilliant free outdoor museum 10 minutes west of the centre showing how Welsh people lived, worked and spent their spare time through the ages. Set in 100 acres of beautiful parkland in the grounds of St Fagans castle, a 16th-century manor house, over 30 buildings have been painstakingly moved from various parts of Wales and reassembled brick by brick. Native farm animals roam the fields and farmyards, and there’s a working flour mill and blacksmith. There are also some great old-fashioned shops including a baker’s and a sweet shop. The village of St Fagans itself is worth a look, with pretty thatched-roof cottages, a picturesque cricket ground and decent pub.
Walking tours of many parts of central Vancouver, run by Simon Fraser Uuniversity Architecture Department (www.sfu.ca)
Slide shows about outdoor activities in Canada and around the world at Mountain Equipment Co-op (www.mec.ca).
Slide Shows about kayaking activities locally and around the world at Ecomarine (www.ecomarine.com) on Granville Island, monthly from January - July. Also go to their free kayak try out day at Jerico in July, and try paddling 20 different types of kayaks.
Water Parks for kids at False Creek Community Centre, Stanley Park and other Parks Board venues (www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Parks/events/events.htm).
Go to the Stanley Park Bike Fetival in June and try out the races for kids or one of the guided trail rides (www.stanleyparkbikefest.ca).
Watch the Tour de Gastown (www.tourdegastown.com).
Watch The Kite Festival at Vanier Park in July, and make your own kite to fly (www.bcka.bc.ca/Events/PacRim.htm).
From Gamla Stan, cross the bridge over the main north-south link road towards the west of the island, onto Riddar-Holmen. On the westernmost point of this island there is an outdoor cafe serving nice sandwiches and drinks, including beer and wine.
It's a real sun trap and you can see right across the city part of Lake Malaren, where numerous ferries and pleasure boats go to and fro. Because it's off the main tourist trails it's generally peaceful. Some tables are under trees, some are for pro-sun-worshippers. There is no better place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon reading the Observer you picked up from the main railway station earlier.
Western edge of Riddar-Holman island, just off Gamla Stan
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