A small fishing village just outside (or on the outskirts of) San Sebastian. It looks down-at-heel, and slightly intimidating, as you enter - with its crumbling docks and Basque graffiti - and locals will stare, but persevere.

At the end is a small pub that faces the passage of water, across the other side of which is San Juan, a beautiful, quiet village with a small square, a couple of restaurants, and a bar.

My suggestion is to hire a bike and cycle out there (about a 20 minute ride) or catch a local bus (tourist information should be able to tell you where from).

Stay on the San Pedro side and follow the path beyond the pub and up the rocks for spectacular views of the sea, then catch the tiny boat from outside the pub to San Juan when you're done and enjoy a beer and some snacks in the square.

Just near the French border;
www.etxekar.net/donibane.html (Spanish language site)

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Market Hotel is a rare find, and one so good that I'm tempted not to tell, but here goes.

It's a beautiful, affordable (doubles are 80 euros) boutique hotel in the centre of Barcelona, with a great restaurant that's open for lunch and dinner (and always full).

My words cannot do it justice, but check out the photos website. The best hotel shower I have ever experienced, and staff are very friendly and helpful.

Passage Sant Antoni Abad 10 (a little alley off Calle Compte Borrell, near Mercat Sant Antoni);
tel: (+34) 933 251 205;
www.markethotel.com.es

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Bronte beach is smaller than the other beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs, with a great ocean pool if you don't like swimming among the waves. The best way to get there (though by far not the quickest) is to walk along the ocean promenade from Bondi. The views are stunning and it's good exercise too. Once you're done, stop at any of the cafes that line the park and treat yourself to a fruit smoothie, some ricotta pancakes or a couple of slices of banana bread.

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What's great about the Tamarind Village is its lack of tack. Low-rise, with only 40 rooms set among gardens, and a small pool, this hotel has a relaxed and intimate vibe. Rooms are simple, and perhaps don't have all the trimmings that you might get in the Hilton, but the interiors are tastefully understated and the overall design seems to have a calming effect, which is something to be cherished in the heat and bustle of Chiang Mai. Staff are great too, as are the breakfasts.

50/1 Rajdamnoen Road, Sri Phom, Muang, Chiangmai 50200;
tel: 0 5341 8896 9

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One essential word that you cannot survive in Australia without is ‘daggy’. And if you’re gay (or gay-friendly), and you’re in Sydney, and you know what daggy is, this is the place to come and express it. Palms makes a nice change from the posturing that you get in so many other places along Oxford St (one of Sydney’s main gay streets). People are friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed.

124 Oxford St (in the basement), just before you get to Taylor Square

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Of all the New York cliches, the funniest for me is the way people talk, or tawk. It's not just what New Yorkers say, it's how they say it, and where. I heard a man in deep conversation with his therapist on his cell phone in the middle of Times Square, and a woman on the metro discussing her orgasms in a way that would make most Tube travellers blush. And what's great is that nobody bats an eyelid. They're all too busy tawking.

This is why story slams hosted by The Moth are such a good find. They let New Yorkers do what they do best: tell their stories publicly, loudly and competitively. They happen on an open-mic basis every two weeks in venues around town - I saw mine at the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe in the Lower East Side. Each event has a theme and stories are judged by a panel, with winners going on to compete on one of the twice yearly Grand Slams.

The Moth draw on a diverse pool of talent to host the events - actors, authors, former presidential speech writers - and the storytellers themselves are razor sharp. As a night out it's funny, sad, brash, gentle and totally unscripted.

The Moth organisation has a wider purpose of running outreach programmes for marginalised people in New York City. Through workshops they encourage participants to shape their life experiences into well-crafted stories, which are then performed on stage. Their website states that part of their mission is to "satisfy our vital need for connection by celebrating the diversity and commonality of human experience". I guess the same could be said for New York City itself.

You can find out more about The Moth at www.themoth.org/

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