Right opposite the excellent Café Gollem (a lovely, cosy little bar where you can sample up to 200 Belgian beers) is one of the best beer shops in Holland. Selling about 500 beers from all over the world and specialising in beers from small independent brewers, it's an absolute treasure trove for the beer lover. You can buy Westvleteren there (which is reputedly the best beer in the world and extremely hard to come by), as well as some truly stunning Scandinavian and American beers. Try the Norwegian Porters and Imperial Stouts. Highly recommended.

And once you've bought some for later, why not pop into Café Gollem to try a couple on tap and maybe a Kaasplank (literally a plank with cheese & bread on it). Very satisfying. There's also a second branch of Café Gollem right by the Albert Cuyp Market in the Pijp district.

crackedkettle.nl/store/
www.cafegollem.nl/default_EN.asp
www.cafegollem.nl/bierkeuken/default_EN.asp
Both The Cracked Kettle and Café Gollem are on Raamsteeg, a small alley between Spuistraat and the Singel canal. The other Gollem is on Daniel Stalpertstraat, round the corner from the Albert Cuyp Market and the Heineken brewery

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One of the best organic farmer's markets I've ever been to. Amazing cheese, bread, vegetable stalls, even a stall selling all sorts of mushrooms in season (bought some chanterelles and a black truffle last time). Smoked mozzarellas, huge focaccias, stunning veg - a truly superb market. 9am - 4pm Saturdays (the rest of the week it's a flea market).

Noordermarkt is in the shadow of Noorderkerk, about 10 minutes' walk from Centraal Station, on the edge of the Jordaan district.

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Whilst Hoi An felt a bit like a Disneyfied version of Vietnam to us, there is a restaurant on the waterfront which did the best vegetarian food we ate in the whole of VN.

Cafe des Amis serves a set meal each evening (I forget how many courses). The only choice is seafood or veggie and it is utterly delicious food. If you are veggie, you'll be sick of spring rolls and stir-fried greens by the time you get to Hoi An, and Cafe des Amis will provide some very welcome and tasty variety.

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A stunning little island about 80km north of Nha Trang, Whale Island has only one small resort with superb food, very good diving (by VN standards) and gorgeous bungalows. It's not cheap, but it's utterly beautiful and very relaxing.

www.iledelabaleine.com/

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This place is a mixed bag. It certainly has the best rooms out of the budget guesthouses along Boeng Kak Lake, and undoubtedly the best view of the sunset. A great place for a beer as the sun sets - only rivalled by the FCC. However, you must run the gauntlet of the Scotsman who runs the place (who is mad as a box of frogs) and his pack of growling dogs.

It's not for the faint-hearted, and Brian's mad jabber can get wearing, but it's definitely worth a visit. If only for the sunset.

Down the very end of the muddy track along the side of Boeng Kak Lake, past Same Same Guesthouse etc.

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The best place to stay is the Ratanak Hotel, run by the brilliant Mr. Leng (who can fix anything for you and will undoubtedly get you very drunk at least once).

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The best place to stay is the Ratanak Hotel, run by the brilliant Mr. Leng (who can fix anything for you and will undoubtedly get you very drunk at least once).

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If you're treating yourself, the Mena House Oberoi has got to be the swankiest hotel in Egypt. Built in the shadow of the pyramids, it has a great pool and the best Indian restaurant I've encountered outside India. It's truly stunning. And having your breakfast looking out at the pyramids is something else. The rooms aren't anywhere near as luxurious as the Al Moudira in Luxor but it's an amazing place. And wandering up to the pyramids after breakfast (as soon as they open) means beating the throngs.

Mena House Oberoi, Pyramids Road, Giza,
Tel : 00 20 2 377 3222, 377 3444
www.oberoihotels.com

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What's left of the old castle is perched on top of the hill that separates Nice Town from Nice Harbour. The views from the top of the hill are arguably the best in Nice and the cemetery has some beautifully carved mausolea.

Walk to the eastern end of the beach and either climb the steps, or take the lift part of the way and climb the rest.

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La Zucca Magica is the best vegetarian restaurant in the south of France. It is located in Nice Harbour.

There's no menu as such - you get 5 small, perfectly prepared and utterly stunning courses: some of the best Italian food you'll ever eat and at a superb price. Unpretentious, delicious and fun. Highly recommended.

If you're approaching Nice Harbour from Nice, La Zucca Magica is on the left, facing the harbour.

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One of the best massages you can get in Bangkok is in the grounds of Wat Po. They will do you a one hour herbal massage which leaves you feeling wonderful, and it's amazingly peaceful there, despite the proximity of the traffic. A soothing respite from the heat of a Bangkok afternoon.

Wat Po is the temple with the huge reclining Buddha, next to the Grand Palace. The massage school is at the back of the Wat compound.

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Bangkok is well served by canals (khlongs) which run right across town. The quickest, easiest and most fun way to get from, say, Siam Square to Banglamphu is by river taxi. Don't forget to duck when you see a low bridge approaching.

There is a boat taxi terminal right by Golden Mount and another on the Siam Square side of MBK shopping centre.

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