In a city of excellent hostels, the Lisbon Poets Hostel stands out. It has everything you could want from a hostel: great central location, clean and comfortable rooms, nice décor and free provision of the facilities which many hostels charge for such as breakfast, internet and lockers. Best of all though is the feeling that the young owner and staff really want you to experience and enjoy their country. They are full of useful information, unstintingly helpful, and even organise meals or events to mark important dates in the Portuguese calendar. Success would be no more than poetic justice.

Address: Rua Nova da Trindade No.2, 5th Floor.
Location: Around the corner from A Brasileira, on Largo do Chiado.
Telephone: (351) 213461058.
Website: www.lisbonpoetshostel.com

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Christchurch has a certain line in unusual transportation/dining experiences that has to be unique. Not only can you eat while riding around town on an old tram, but you can also do so in a gondola. Okay, I exaggerate – the Summit Cafe where you dine is at the top of the gondola – but it’s close.

You can of course use the gondola to go up to the ridge of the Port Hills at any time during the day, and the views over the city, or down the other side to Lyttelton Harbour, are superb. And hiring a bike there to speed back down is a thrill, albeit a mild one by NZ standards. But getting up there just before dusk, in time to see the sun set across the plains and the city lights come on, well, it’s romantic enough to bring a tear to an All Black’s eye. And the food is worth staying for too.

Telephone: (63-3) 3840707
Location: Top of the Gondola.
Website: www.gondola.co.nz/dining

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A little bit of Spain, right at the heart of Little Britain. The Botanic Gardens are very Victorian – lots of hospital-corner flower beds filled with roses. Ho hum. But the old museum curator’s house bursts with Hispanic flavours, courtesy of its chef. Tapas, tortillas, spicy chorizo, herbs and veg from the garden at the back, a shot of strong coffee … it’s enough to make you forget where you are.

Address: 7 Rolleston Avenue, Botanic Gardens, Christchurch.
Telephone: (64-3) 3792252
Website: www.curatorshouse.com

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By far the most photogenic street in Christchuch – perhaps in NZ. The beautifully preserved art-deco buildings are painted in a variety of bright, Mediterranean colours and are home to some good cafes, restaurants and fancy shops. So grab a seat outside, get your camera ready and wait for the tram to trundle by.

Location: Between Gloucester and Armagh Streets.

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Fantastic arts and crafts market, on Saturday and Sunday every weekend. Located in the warren-like former premises of Canterbury University, which give it an old-fashioned feel, all sorts of artisan products from the sublime to the ridiculous (possum down nipple-warmers) are available for purchase. But better again is the food, with a monster variety of stalls selling hot dishes from all over the world, fresh fruit and veg, and great cheese. Highly recommended.

Address: Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch.
Telephone: (64-3) 3660989
Website: www.artscentre.org.nz

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Kitsch … you either love it or hate it. But in New Zealand, where so many bars are basic at best, the sensual overload that is the Wunderbar (in Lyttelton, of all places) is very welcome. It is also very, very kitsch. The funky front lounge is swathed in purple velvet, the pool table with red velvet, the bar is lined with bamboo and the “elusive” toilets – if you can find them – papered with 1950’s adverts. Wunderbar’s location – behind a supermarket – says it all: a corner of weird surrounded by banal.

Address: 19 London Street, Lyttelton.
Telephone: (64-3) 3288818
Website: www.wunderbar.co.nz

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Part pub, brewery and restaurant, the Dux has its own distinct niche in Christchurch’s social scene.

Situated behind the Arts Centre in tree-lined grounds, it’s the perfect place for an afternoon pint of their own brew while sitting outside in the sun.

Address: Corner Hereford and Montreal Streets.
Telephone: (64-3) 3666919
Website: www.thedux.co.nz

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Lyttelton likes its kitsch, there’s no denying it. Home not only to the over-the-top Wunderbar, but also this strange little gem of a restaurant.

Located in a gaudy red and yellow art deco building, with cheap formica tables and Mex-influenced menu, the Volcano and its Lava Bar buzz with an energy lacking in most city centre eateries. Maybe Lyttelton is where Christchurchians go to get their groove on.

Address: 42 London Street, Lyttelton
Phone: (64-3) 3287077
Website: www.volcano.co.nz

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Christchurch’s outdated styling as Little Britain is nowhere more obvious than in its approach to pubs: that they still cling to a Victorian notion of Britishness is apparent on crossing the threshold of many hostelries.

Check out the stale-beer carpet, or decor seemingly designed with fistfights in mind. Don’t even think about the food.

All of which make The Bohemian, by the banks of the River Avon, all the more enjoyable to discover. The beech and brick decor create a warm atmosphere, the food is delicious (the antipasto plate is superb), and you can even sit on the street outside in the summer.

How very continental.

Address: 256 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch.
Telephone: (64-3) 3662563
Email: thebradleys.4@xtra.co.nz

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Another chain pub/brewery, the Hog is a decent, fairly run-of-the- mill place – lots of hardwood, good bar food, and nice beer. But it’s when Thursday night rolls around that the place really hots up. Latin Night is something special in otherwise reserved Christchurch, when the small Latin American community come out to shake their hips.

A swinging band provide the thumping beat, and salsa dancers bump and grind on the packed dancefloor. Let the cerveza and salsa flow.

Address: 178 Cashel Street, Christchurch.
Telephone: (64-3) 3666674
Website: www.loadedhog.co.nz/christchurch

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Nice little seaside town a short drive or bus ride from Christchurch. The beach is probably the best in the area – the fish and chips definitely are. Sun, sand, salt and vinegar.

Getting there: No. 30 bus from the Bus Exchange.

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In a country where you can get overwhelmed with entreaties to do dangerous and high adrenaline activities at every turn, sometimes it’s nice to do something utterly quaint and old-fashioned.

Dining on good solid fare while the old Victorian tram makes its stately progress through the streets and parks of Christchurch is about as far from extreme as you can get, and all the better for it.

Telephone: (64-3) 3667511
Website: www.tram.co.nz
Email: enquiries@tram.co.nz

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Home of the mighty Christchurch Crusaders rugby team, and the spiritual heart of the city. The chance to take in a Super 14 match should not be passed up, and the quality of the rugby played is superb. Just don’t expect too much from the atmosphere – the Kiwis may be the Brazilians of rugby, but the resemblance ends there. The knights on horses riding around the pitch before the game are good hokey fun, but after that the supporters only really cheer when their team scores. Then again, that is fairly often...

Tickets: Usually available at the stadium, but can be bought online.
Website: www.jadestadium.co.nz
Telephone: (64-3) 3791765

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Good Indian food is not actually that hard to find in Christchurch, but this place (part of a chain) is the best, as evidenced by its constantly thronged premises on trendy New Regent Street.

Address: Corner New Regent and Gloucester Streets.
Telephone: (64-3) 3777997
Website: www.littleindia.co.nz

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Forget Christchurch’s (in)famous “Strip” of interchangeable and forgettable bar/clubs on Oxford Terrace – head to Sammy’s for a cool and laidback night out.

This place is hidden away down a dead-end street, so it’s one of those Swingers-style places that you need to be in-the-know to find. The music is pretty swinging too, and it’s buzzing at the weekends.

Address: 14 Bedford Row (off Manchester Street).
Telephone: (64-3) 3778618
Email: murumagic@hotmail.com

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Much is made in Ireland these days about the decline of the traditional pub, and that is indeed a sad event. But on the other hand, it’s hard to halt change, and when it takes the charming form of this tapas/wine bar, why would you want to?

The atmosphere is warm and friendly all through the week, the food is small and tasty, and the wine list is copious. The prices are a little higher than the pub round the corner, but it’s a case of chalk and Camembert.

Address: 6 Bridge Street, Cork.
Telephone: (353-21) 4559049
Website: www.boqueriasixbridgest.com
Email: tapas@boqueriasixbridgest.com

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Buried in the back streets of suburban Lima, surrounded by faceless modern office blocks, lies a rich reward for the intrepid seafood lover.

A cheap painted sign over a metal door leads into the less-than-salubrious interior of the restaurant. But once you get over the decor (or lack of) you’ll notice that the place is packed with locals – a sure sign that the food is what matters there. And it does.

Scallops, crab, the freshest of fish, Pisco, and the ceviche...a hidden treasure.

Address: Leonardo Da Vinci 505 (On the corner of Marie Curie 108),
Urb. La Calera, La Merced, Surquillo.
Telephone: (51-1) 271-6455 / 9756-7394
Website: www.laislaescondidaperu.com
Email: reservas@laislaescondidaperu.com

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A long day trip from Valencia, but worth the effort. Why it is such an effort is anyone’s guess, but this is not straightforward.

The trains run at slightly odd hours, and when you get to the nearest stop (Benicarlo) there’s no information or even a bus. It leaves instead from a stop a good 15-minute walk away in the town. By the time the bus gets within view of this medieval walled city that juts out into the crystal blue Mediterranean, however, you’ll forget all that hassle.

Take as much time as you can to wander through its narrow cobbled streets, take in the views from the castle, eat lunch in one of its many restaurants, have a swim or a sunbathe. Just leave enough time to do the bus/walk/train back to the city.

Getting there: 3-4 trains per day from Valencia to Benicarlo or Vinaroz, followed by a bus to Peniscola.

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Paelltertainment. The twice-weekly paella-cooking presentation on the roof of Home Backpackers is less a gastronomic than a comic experience, as the resident chef regales his audience with a mix of instructions and anecdotes in (deliberately, you suspect) awful Spanglish. And all that while cooking up a giant, delicious version of this quintessential Valenciano dish – served with a cold beer and a joke.

When? Tuesday and Sunday evenings.
Where? Roof terrace of Home Backpackers.
Address: Plaza Vicente Iborra, Barrio del Carmen.
Telephone: (34-96) 3913797.
Website: www.likeathome.net

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Nominally an Irish bar, The Lounge gets it more right than the countless, interchangeable franchised versions. The key to a true Irish pub lies not in the old Guinness signs on the walls, nor in the over-loud diddly-idle music on the stereo, but in the atmosphere. And this place, all modern and comfy though it may be, has it in spades. Not to mention a good pint of the black stuff.

Address: Calle Estamineria Vieja 2, Barrio del Carme.
Telephone: (34-96) 3918094.
Website: www.theloungecafebar.com

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