If you like your beer with a bit of nature, head for the Stadtgarten. The venue is popular with students and has a bar, a beer garden complete with shady trees, concert hall, nightclub and a friendly clientele. It's a 15-minute walk from the city centre. It will be showing games for the 2006 World Cup.

Venloer Strasse 40, tel: 9529 9433; www.stadtgarten.de/Information.htm

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It may not be as swish as the The Mirage or the Venetian, but The Luxor is a good cheaper option. It's housed in a huge glass pyramid, topped by a light that can be seen from outer space. The pyramid is hollow, which means there's an impressive amount of space when you look up. Try and get a room on the top floors of the pyramid facing the Strip. The view as the lights of Vegas turn on is brilliant.

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The fountains outside the Bellagio dance to the sound of opera and classical music from 3pm to midnight. It may sound cheesy, but it's an imopressive sight, especially at night.

Bellagio Hotel, 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip); www.bellagio.com

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Vegas can be an expensive place once you've gambled, shopped and seen a few shows. Save a bit of money by eating at one of the buffets. For around $12 you get all you can eat. There's a surprisingly good range of food, including plenty of friut and veg if you starting to tire of burgers and Coke.

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If you fancy a break from Vegas's 24-hour noise and neon, then get yourself on a tour of the Grand Canyon. The canyon is only an hour away by helicopter and you'll fly over some of Vegas's most famous sights on the way. The view as you come over the top of the canyon is unforgettable - a once in a lifetime experience.Try and book a tour for early morning and you'll see the sun rise over the desert. If you're jet-lagged the early start won't hurt you too much, so think about going at the start of your trip.There's loads of operators, so shop around for the best deal.

One company worth looking at can be found here:www.lasvegasgrandcanyontour.com

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From November to January, the courtyard of Somerset House, one of London's most beautiful buildings, is used as a giant ice rink.

Ideal for first dates - you'll probably have to grab on to each other at some point.

Somerset House, The Strand; nearest tube: Temple; www.somersethouseicerink.org.uk

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The lungs of Birmingham. Come down here on a summer's day to see Brummies relaxing under the shady trees and floating on the boating lake.

Russell Road, Moseley, Birmingham

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It's worth considering a trip over to Tasmania, once you've had your fill of Melbourne. It's only an hour away by plane and you can get pretty good deals from companies such as Virgin Blue.

You can get to Tasmania by ferry or plane

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Small, cosy club. The interior resembles the inside of an egg and offers decent drum and bass nights.

45 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham

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A word of warning to heterosexual males and homosexual women. You may have heard the rumour that there are six women for every man in Nottingham. Unfortunately this was only true during the second world war, when Nottingham's men were battling the Nazi menace. Today, the city's population is strictly 50/50.

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Vietnamese drivers gleefully ignore traffic signals, so crossing the road can be a coronary-inducing experience. If you walk calmly and slowly across the road, you should be OK. Better still, wait for a Vietnamese person to cross and follow them, using them as a shield between you and the traffic!

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Head up to the Caravelle Hotel's rooftop bar in the evening and watch the sun set over Ho Chi Minh City.

Non-residents are welcome, although it's probably a good idea not to turn up in a scruffy T-shirt and shorts.

It's a five-star hotel, so expect to pay five-star prices, but it's worth it for the view.

19 Lam Son Square, District 1.
www.caravellehotel.com/

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Many of the taxi drivers at the airport are on comission from the hostels in Hanoi. They may agree to drive you to the city centre and then tell you your hostel has closed down once you get there. Don't listen to them and insist that they take you to the correct hostel. If they don't, just pay them and get out of the taxi, walk to the nearest bar, and figure out how to walk to your hostel.

It may be worth emailing your hostel and arranging an airport pick-up in advance, most of the larger hotels and many hostels provide this service.

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The Bridge Cafe is one of Manhattan's oldest boozers - and, thankfully, one of the least known. It sits beneath the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge and gives you good honest food and good draft beer at its long bar.

Walk down Water Street to get there - it's one of the city's last remaining cobble stoned streets and is a small shout away from the touristy South Street Seaport. Have a pint of Brooklyn Brewery white beer - made just across the East River - and then wobble up to the bridge, walk halfway across, turn around and take in Manhattan- it's just like the movies.

You'll never forget the view and to reacquaint yourself with the Bridge Cafe - right down below- totter back to the long bar for another Brooklyn.

279 Water Street, Manhattan; nearest subway: Chambers Street and City Hall

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This food store never seems to fail you - is it sour cream you need, raisin bagels, Iranian gaz sweets or those little olives with pimentoes? Or how about Honduran coffee or unputdownable Reese's Peanut Butter cups?

Hamid sits behind his counter reading his Farsi literature and unfailingly comes up with the goods- the best place in the midlands by the way for Halva and Turkish delight.

103 Alcester Road
Moseley
Birmingham

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One time prisoner of war camp and former home of the BBC, you get a great view over east London from here.

There's also a pub and 200 acres of parkland surrounding the palace. Muswell Hill's cafes and bars aren't too far away either.

Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, N22 7AY; www.alexandrapalace.com

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Cologne’s best curry house. The bhuna washed down with a cold glass of lassi is particularly recommended. Thali also does a range of veggie options. You can sit outside on the pavement in the summer and enjoy an al fresco curry. Mains are between eight and 13 euros.

Engelbertsrasse 9

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Good for the Vegas beginner. The rules are simple, just place your chips on your lucky number and hope for the best. You can also shorten the odds by betting on the ball landing on odd or even numbers or red or black.

Unlike poker or blackjack, it's pure chance, so the novice is as likely to win as a Vegas veteran.

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Gambling is off limits for under-21s, and there's a good chance you'll be asked for ID if you look under 30.

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Approaching one of the poker tables can be quite intimidating if you don't know the rules. However, nearly all the casinos offer free lessons for beginners - anything to start you losing your money.

Any of the big casinos

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