Why Costa Rica is on our wish list

Did you catch Channel 4’s Sunday night show Escape to Costa Rica? Environmental journalist Gaia Vince revealed how the country is leading the way in sustainable development and eco-tourism. And that’s not the only reason to visit. Here’s why Costa Rica is the place to be…

Costa Rica is one of the most eco-friendly places on the planet, and it’s easy to see how the Central American country is making the world more environmentally-friendly. Last year it managed a huge 299 days without burning oil, coal or natural gas, and already 99% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. The country even plans to become carbon neutral by 2021, and follow in Iceland’s footsteps.

And First Choice have a hand in sustainable tourism, too. Our RIU hotels, including the RIU Guanacaste, have set up a private conservation area in Costa Rica, covering over 200 hectares of land. This area provides a home to 250 plant and animal species which are facing extinction, and RIU also have plans to combat illegal hunting and prevent forest fires.

If that’s not reason enough, here’s why you should visit…

It’s the happiest country in the world

According to the Happy Planet Index, Costa Rica is the most satisfying place to live and one of the happiest countries in the world. The scale measures human well-being against environmental impact and, just to give you some comparison, Britain is 34^th on the list! Besides living in an amazing tropical location, there are several things that make Costa Ricans happy. The peace-loving nation favour a simple lifestyle, have one of the highest literacy rates in the world at 97%, and an impressive life expectancy, with residents frequently living beyond 100. You’ll even find the United Nations University for Peace located in Costa Rica, which says everything really.

25% of the country is made up of National Parks and conservation areas

Costa Rica has everything you’d expect from a tropical paradise – thick rainforests filled with thousands of species of exotics plants, long stretches of white-sand beaches and soaring volcanoes, all ripe for exploring. A quarter of the country is made up of protected conservation areas, giving you the best pick of nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries to explore. The Monteverde Cloud Forest is not to be missed. This silvery mist-shrouded jungle is not only filled with rare butterflies, toucans and hummingbirds, it’s also home to the famous eight hanging bridges where you can literally walk at tree top level.

Get stuck into extreme sports

Surfing, white water rafting, zip-lining – Costa Rica lines up so much for the adventurous traveller, you’ll be spoilt for choice. You might have been to Go Ape before, but the real zip-lining experience can be had in Rincon de la Vieja. Here there are seven zip-line platforms to cross and two Tarzan swings where you’ll fly through the impressive jungle spotting wildlife on the way. There are also dozens of volcanoes to hike – some of them still active. Arenal Volcano is one of the biggest standing at over 5,000ft high. The road to the top is pretty winding, but the breathtaking views are phenomenal. Plus, if you’re staying near Tamarindo, surfing is the sport of choice. You can either sign up to a surf school or take to the waves yourself.

Animal experiences

Animals and National Parks go hand-in-hand, meaning you’ll spot some amazing species in Costa Rica. Head to one of the protected parks and you’ll more than likely see toucans, the famous tree frogs and even sloths. Costa Rica happens to be the hummingbird capital of the world as well, with over 52 species to see, so keep that DSLR handy to get a rare snap of the super-speedy birds. If you’re a dedicated animal lover, you can visit an entire island full of 900 stray dogs called Land of the Strays, and there are several sloth sanctuaries on the island where orphaned and abandoned sloths are rescued and rehabilitated. Here are some of the sloths you can meet there.

Check out our __holidays to Costa Rica here. Or read 25 five fun facts about Costa Rica.

Brussels from £50 return: How to do this underrated - and dirt cheap - European capital in two days

Why go now?

Even in the depths of winter, the Belgian capital sparkles. Brussels is as accessible, compact and indulgent as ever, but the number of visitors has slumped following the attacks last March that killed 32 innocent people. 

To entice visitors back to Brussels, train fares from London are at their lowest ever – just £50 return. Hotel rates are also ridiculously low, especially at weekends, when politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists leave the city to hedonists.

Get your bearings

The arrival point by Eurostar train is Brussels Midi (1), to the south of the city centre. North from here is the lower town, whose focal point is the Grand Place (2). With two official languages in Brussels – French and Flemish – each square and street has twin identities. Names are given here in French.

To the east, beyond Brussels Centrale station (3), the ground rises steeply to the upper town, location for the Bozar museum (4), the Royal Palace (5), Parliament (6) and other state institutions.

A handy tourist office (7), more grandly known as the House of the Capital Region, is located on Place Royale (00 32 2 563 6399; biponline.be). It is inside the Hôtel de Grimbergen – above the 15th-century ruins of a former chapel of the Dukes Palatine. It opens 10am-6pm daily.

Further east are the key EU institutions of the European Parliament (8) and the Berlaymont (9) building, housing the European Commission.

Day one

Take a view

Just around the corner from the tourist office (7), the restaurant on the top floor of the Musical Instruments Museum (10) at Montagne de la Cour 2 (00 32 2 545 0130; mim.be) is open whenever the museum is: 10am-5pm at weekends, from 9.30am from Tuesday to Friday. You don’t need to buy an €8 ticket for the museum to enjoy a coffee with a view.

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Take a hike 

For a splendid slice of the city, turn right out of the Musical Instruments Museum (10) and down the steps to the Garden of the Mont des Arts (11), with a fountain, a statue of Albert I on his horse and a large and elaborate clock on the wall to the right, with a figure in a niche linked to each hour. 

Cross Place d’Albertine and walk down Rue Madeleine to Place Agora (12) – you might want to investigate the long, elegant Galeries St-Hubert on the right. Turn left down the cobbled street beside the Superdry store, and you quickly emerge on the Grand Place (2) – one of the greatest squares in Europe, described by Victor Hugo in 1837 as “a miracle”. He rhapsodised over the Gothic Town Hall, calling it “a dazzling fantasy dreamed up by a poet, and realised by an architect”.

The European Parliament building in Brussels (Wikimedia Commons)

Once dazzled, continue your westward progress along Rue au Beurre and Rue de la Bourse, which runs alongside the 1873 neo-classical Bourse (13) on the former site of the Convent des Recollets. It faces onto Boulevard Anspach, which was previously a busy road that bisected the city but has now been pedestrianised – making the Dansaert district on the west side much more accessible.

Rue Delvaux leads to Rue Sainte-Catherine, which emerges onto the Place dominated by the Eglise Sainte-Catherine (14) – a grand 19th-century mix of Gothic and neo-classical features.

The Gothic town hall on Grand Place (Wikimedia Commons)

Lunch on the run

Almost at the end of Rue Sainte-Catherine, at number 42, Bar Monk (15) looks a busy, friendly pub – but at the back is an excellent eating area, known as the Buffet, which opens noon-3pm daily except Sunday (and every evening of the week). The speciality is spaghetti with several intriguing sauces (such as orval, emmental and parmesan cheeses), but other dishes are available.

Window shopping

One street over, Rue Antoine Dansaert (16) is flanked with the stores of cutting-edge designers. For more traditional Brussels fare, the most interesting chocolate store is Le Comptoir de Mathilde (17) (00 32 2 503 3398; lecomptoirdemathilde.com/en) on the corner of Rue de Midi and Rue au Beurre, where a tablet of dark chocolate with lavender or white chocolate with strawberry costs €4. 

Try gourmet chocolate at Le Comptoir de Mathilde (Facebook)

An aperitif

In a city rich in good places to drink beer, Delirium (18) at Impasse de la Fidélité 4 (not to be confused with the smaller, uninteresting bar on the corner) stands out. Its cheerfully rambling, retro-decorated interior is claimed to be home to 3,162 beers – more than any other bar in the world. Just a couple from the Huyghe Brewery will keep your spirits high: Campus, the 5 per cent house blond, just €4.30 for half a litre; and Delirium Tremens, which costs €3.60 for a smaller glass of a 9 per cent brew.

Dine with the locals

In Dansaert, Fin de Siècle (19) at Rue des Chartreux 9 (00 32 2 512 5123) is just the place for generous helpings of excellent Belgian cuisine in a venue with fading Art Nouveau elegance – and eccentric pricing: the daily soup is €4.72, while a rich, tasty saucisson carbonnade is €14.32. With good food and beer at prices that don’t demand a eurocrat’s salary, demand is high so you may need to queue.

Day two

Sunday morning: Go to church

Slightly stranded on the edge of the lower town, the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula (20) (00 32 2 217 8345; cathedralestmichel.be) is a mostly 16th-century Gothic structure whose elaborate pulpit dominates the nave. It was given cathedral status only in 1962. It opens for visits 8.30am-6pm at weekends, from 7am on weekdays. For €1 you can see the underground remains of the 11th-century Romanesque church, which contains the relics of St Gudula.

The Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula (Maria Firsova/Flickr)

Out to brunch

Peck47 (21) at Rue Marché Aux Poulets 47 (00 32 2 513 0287) promises “fresh-made food daily with lots of love” in the shape of dishes such as eggs benedict on waffles, as well as Italian-grade coffee. 

Eggs benedict on waffles at Peck47 brunch (Facebook)

Take a ride

Brussels has an easy-to-use city bike scheme, Villo!, with stations dotted around the city, about 450 metres apart. A one-day subscription costs €1.60, including all rides less than half-an-hour (up to one hour costs an extra 50 cents). Use a bike to explore the parks east of the centre.

The cheap Villo! bike scheme is easy to use (Thomas Quine/Flickr)

A walk in the park

Brussels has three very different parks. The Parc de Bruxelles (22), unfolding north of the Royal Palace (5), is flat and formal, with statues of forgotten figures. Parc Leopold (23), which tumbles down from the European Parliament (8), is more of a jumble, with a pretty pond at the foot. It opened in 1880 – the same year as the Parc Cinquantenaire (24), which was intended to commemorate Belgium’s 50th anniversary but wasn’t fully ready. Today it houses AutoWorld (25) (00 32 2 736 4165; autoworld.be), a lavish collection of cars stretching back to 1885. Open 10am-6pm at weekends, and until 5pm on weekdays, admission €10.

A summer day in Parc de Bruxelles (William Murphy/Flickr)

Cultural afternoon

Sharing the park, the Cinquantenaire Museum (26) (00 32 2 741 7301; kmkg-mrah.be) was the creation of Leopold II to house artefacts appropriated elsewhere in the world – ranging from Egyptian sarcophagi to a giant moai from Easter Island. It opens 10am-5pm at weekends (weekdays from 9.30am), admission €8.

Back in the city centre, the name of the Bozar museum (4) (00 32 2 213 1919; bozar.be) at Rue Ravensteinstraat 23 is a play on Beaux-Arts. The 1928 structure itself is a work of art squeezed grudgingly into an awkward site by the architect, Victor Horta.

Today, as the Centre for Fine Arts, it houses a frequently refreshed series of exhibitions – such as Picasso Sculptures, which runs until 5 March, for which admission is €9; you can access the main building free of charge. It opens 10am-6pm daily except Monday, with late opening on Thursdays to 9pm.

The icing on the cake

The Cafe Victor, within the Bozar museum (4), celebrates Victor Horta’s vision – it occupies the shopfronts that he was ordered to incorporate into the building. A Victor Burger (€15.90) will set you up for the journey home.

Travel essentials

Getting there

Eurostar (03432 186 186; eurostar.com) runs eight trains a day from London St Pancras to Brussels Midi station (1), taking an average of 2 hours 8 minutes (less from Ebbsfleet or Ashford). Fares are as low as £50 return if you book via snap.eurostar.com. This is an intermittently available deal for which you must sign in with Facebook; you choose the date and time of day, and a service is assigned to you shortly before departure.

You can take a train from Midi to Centrale station (3). A single journey is €2.

By air, Brussels airport (27) is served from a wide range of UK airports, with Brussels Airlines (0333 222 0777; brusselsairlines.com) flying from Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Heathrow, Manchester and Newcastle. British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) also flies from Heathrow.

The airport (00 32 9007 0000; brusselsairport.be) is eight miles north of the city. Trains run from the airport to the Centrale station (3) in the city centre; tickets cost €8.50. 

Staying there

Place Agora (12) is ideally located on the western edge of the lower town, a couple of minutes’ walk from Centrale station (3). Pick of the bunch is the four-star Hotel NH Brussels Carrefour de l’Europe (00 32 2 504 9400; nh-hotels.com), which occupies a handsome old building with plenty of character. A comfortable double costs €84.55, even at the last minute, or €112.87 with breakfast included. The adjacent Novotel and Ibis are competent alternatives.

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Two days in New Orleans: From restaurants and nightlife to Garden District architecture

There’s something winningly classic about New Orleans - from the French Quarter’s elegant European architecture to its celebrated Creole cuisine, and an almost sacred notoriety as the birthplace of jazz. But while it’s true all this gives the city a unique, almost cinematic character, there’s more to explore beyond age-old tradition: post-Katrina, a number of neighbourhoods are being revitalised with ambitious modern art projects and an influx of new, creative businesses. The perfect trip, then, should make time for both classic and contemporary Nola. And it’s now easier than ever to access the Big Easy, as British Airways (ba.com) launched the first non-stop service from the UK on 27 March. The new flights take off four times a week from Heathrow. 

Get your bearings

Most popular on the visitor’s hit-list are the French Quarter (1), New Orleans’ most historic neighbourhood and a picturesque mish-mash of colonial Spanish and French influences; and the leafy Garden District (2), known for 19th-century mansions built by well-to-do Americans after a swathe of Louisiana was bought from the French. The former is adjacent to Downtown, sitting on a bend in the Mississippi River, while the latter lies around four miles south-west and is best accessed by streetcar. 

More up-and-coming areas that are beginning to garner attention include hip Bywater (3), east of the French Quarter, and the new Arts District (4), separated from the French Quarter by the high-rises of the Central Business District (5).

Day one

Window shopping 

Get an immediate fix of French Quarter romance with a stroll along Royal Street (6). The antithesis of its neon-charged neighbour, hen-do favourite Bourbon Street (7), this elegant thoroughfare is known for its antique shops and iron lace balconies strung with hanging baskets. Enjoy a leisurely nosey, passing the odd horse-and-buggy ride or busking brass band. Don’t miss Frank Relle Gallery (8) (frankrelle.com), which rotates exhibitions of the photographer’s striking shots of New Orleans and Louisiana swamp country. Serious antiques hunters: head for M.S. Rau Antiques (9) (rauantiques.com), which sells everything from Baccarat to Tiffany.  

Iron lace balconies on Royal Street ( Zack Smith)

Lunch on the run

New Orleans has always been a cultural melting pot, thanks to its trade links at the mouth of the Mississippi. One of the most glorious examples of this fusion is 200-year-old Napoleon House (10) (napoleonhouse.com), most famously owned by a Sardinian former mayor of the city, who was plotting to rescue Napoleon from exile in St Helena and make it his refuge. Napoleon died before the plan could come together, but the name stuck. Then, in 1914, it was bought by a Sicilian family who started serving its now legendary muffulettas - ginormous meat-and-cheese-stuffed sandwiches. The story goes that the family poured Pimm’s to keep customers at the bar longer, as drinkers tended to retire early when swigging bourbon. Recently sold to a local restaurant group, Napoleon House today has the distinction of feeling like a bohemian Parisian bar, all snug alcoves and peeling paint, while offering Sicilian sandwiches and British booze. Get there for midday, or expect queues. 

Grab a Sicilian sandwich and a Pimm's Cup at Napoleon House (Chris Granger)

A walk in the park 

Facing the riverfront, Jackson Square (11) was the heart of old New Orleans. Catch jazz quartets performing in front of The Cabildo (12) - once the seat of the Spanish colonial government, and now home to the Louisiana State Museum (louisianastatemuseum.org) - and browse the artists’ colony bordering all four sides of the square. There’s everything from classic New Orleans scenes, to painterly portraits of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

Cultural afternoon 

Next to The Cabildo (12), Saint Louis Cathedral (13) (stlouiscathedral.org) is a fairytale-worthy landmark, its three steeples stretching grandly from an all-white facade. Inside, stained glass windows recreate scenes from the life of Louis IX King of France, to whom the church was originally dedicated; buy a self-guided tour brochure at the entrance for $1. To the right is The Presbytère (14) (louisianastatemuseum.org). Formerly a courthouse, the ground floor now hosts a fantastic permanent exhibition about Hurricane Katrina. Videos and interactive exhibits tell the story of the storm, from build-up to impact, how infrastructure failed the city, and hear from those who fought to save their neighbourhoods.  

St Louis Cathedral, as seen from Jackson Square

An aperitif 

The white columns, low-hanging ceiling fans and potted palms at Arnaud’s (15) (arnaudsrestaurant.com) speak to the traditional flavour of this French Quarter restaurant, open since 1918. Kick off your evening with a cocktail in its adjoining French 75 Bar, where staff in white jackets and bow-ties mix up the brandy and champers. Whether you dine at the restaurant or just pick at the bar snacks, don’t miss the soufflé potatoes - like airy, puffed-up pub chips, best dunked in the accompanying bearnaise sauce. 

Day two

Out to brunch

For one last fling with the French Quarter, head to the daily Jazz Brunch at The Court of Two Sisters (16) (courtoftwosisters.com), served 9am-3pm. The courtyard setting is fairly unbeatable, shaded with overgrown vines and set around a red-brick fountain, while the all-you-can-eat buffet is your chance to try all the staples - think jambalaya, gumbo and turtle soup. A jazz trio provides a live soundtrack. It costs $30 per person. 

Take a ride

Now hop on the creaky St Charles streetcar (17) (norta.com, single fare $1.25) at Gravier Street for an old-style ride over to the Garden District (2). It’s been rumbling along since the mid-1800s and passes the masses of gorgeous pre-Civil-War mansions along oak-lined St Charles Avenue. Get off at Washington to start exploring. 

The St Charles streetcar trundles along oak-lined St Charles Avenue

Take a hike 

You don’t have to follow any kind of route - or be any sort of architecture buff - to enjoy the Garden District’s collection of incredible houses, built to show off the wealth accrued from booming Mississippi River merchantry. Wandering the blocks between Washington Avenue (18) and Magazine Street (19) is pure property porn, though if you want to seek out particular buildings, look up the likes of Sandra Bullock’s Swiss-cottage-style estate, and the columned house once home to an adolescent Anne Rice. (Alternatively, book a small group walking tour at $30 per person from gardendistrictwalksnola.com, meeting on Washington.) When you hit Magazine (19), have a browse of the indie boutiques, selling everything from New Orleans tees to local art. 

Dine with the locals

For homey food and casual company, family-owned Joey K’s (20) (joeyksrestaurant.com) is a neighbourhood favourite - one of its most loyal customers is John Goodman, who lives down the street. Sure, there’s fried catfish and po' boys aplenty, but better still are signature standouts Eggplant Napoleon (stacked fried eggplant with fried shrimp and crawfish cream sauce) and Shrimp Magazine (garlicky butterfly shrimp, ham and artichoke hearts on a bed of delicate angel-hair pasta). 

The Garden District's mansions are pure property porn

Take a view 

New rooftop bar Hot Tin at the recently refurbished Pontchartrain Hotel (21) (thepontchartrainhotel.com) on St Charles Avenue gets packed on warm evenings - inevitable, given its lofty balcony views over Downtown and zippy seasonal house tipples. Stuffed with young professionals fresh from the grind, and playing indie Brit classics instead of the uniform jazz, the vibe here is a lot more contemporary than the French Quarter. 

The icing on the cake

Bywater (3) is home to Music Box Village (22) (musicboxvillage.com), a “musical sculpture” meets art installation and performance venue. Comprising a series of musical treehouses and other structures-turned-instruments (a phone booth; a water tower) that play sounds when you enter or engage with them, it’s a sort-of sonic playground hidden in a yard that previously belonged to a steel fabricating plant (yup, on-trend). Or head into the formerly dilapidated Warehouse District, now the revitalised Arts District (4) (artsdistrictneworleans.com), where Julia Street (23) offers a cluster of 15 galleries showing local, modern works. 

Explore the musical treehouses at Music Box Village

Staying there 

The Windsor Court Hotel (24) (windsorcourthotel.com) was built in 1984 by a local, Anglophile developer who wanted to create something echoing the style of his favourite London hotel, Claridge’s. That pleasantly old-school, upper-crust feel remains today, even after a recent $22 million restoration. The hotel is a five-minute walk from the French Quarter and rates start at $326 (£252) per night, room only.  

For something completely different, brand-new boutique hotel The Troubadour (25) (jdvhotels.com) is all up-to-the-minute cool - think craft coffee drinks in the mini-bar and live bands in the mezzanine lounge. Also a short walk from the French Quarter, rooms here start from $198 (£153) per night, room only. 

The Polo Club Lounge at Windsor Court Hotel

Truly budget hotels are hard to come by, but it’s worth seeking out deals with the likes of Best Western (bestwestern.com) or Holiday Inn (ihg.com) if you’d rather pay around the $150 (£116) mark. 

Getting there

Touchdown is at Louis Armstrong International Airport (26), around 11 miles west of Downtown. Cab rides carry a flat rate of $36 (£28) to the French Quarter for up to two passengers, or $15 (£12) per person for three or more. The E2 Airport bus costs $2 (£1.50) and should reach Downtown in a little over half an hour (jeffersontransit.org).

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What to do in Belfast when you've only got two days

Why go now? 

The last few years have seen Belfast emerge from a turbulent past, and shake off its reputation as a troubled city. For years it was off the tourist scene, but now it’s firmly established itself as a destination worthy of a mini break, with bars, museums and sights to rival many a European city. 

With a surge of hip new restaurant openings (and a couple of Michelin stars), there’s never been a better time for excellent food in the city, as well as a bit of craic after dinner. The short flight time and ease of access from all over the UK is a bonus, too. 

Get your bearings 

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A relatively small city, Belfast is divided into several “quarters”, each known for its own distinct character. You’ll likely spend most of your time in the centrally-located Cathedral Quarter, with its rambling streets, buzzing pubs and top-notch restaurants. Further south is the leafy Queen’s Quarter, where you’ll find the Botanical Gardens (1) and Queen’s University (2), alongside some cool coffee shops and restaurants that are well worth the half-hour stroll. To the east, on the other side of the River Lagan, lies the Titanic Quarter, named after the infamous ship that was built there in 1912. It’s home to an impressive Titanic-themed museum (3), an 11,000-seater sports and entertainment arena called the Odyssey Complex (4), and plenty of swish new apartment buildings and restaurants on the harbour-front. Meanwhile, the Gaeltacht Quarter in the west of the city is all about Irish language and culture. Highlights include important political sites, cemeteries and locales where you can take in the best traditional dance and music Belfast has to offer. 

Queen's University of Belfast is in the leafy Queen's Quarter ( Getty Images/ iStockphoto)

The Visit Belfast Welcome Centre is at 9 Donegall Square North in the Cathedral Quarter (5) (028 9024 6609; visitbelfast.com). It’s open 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday (7pm in the summer) and 11am-4pm on Sundays.

Day one

Take a hike

Get acquainted with the city and its culinary highlights with a guided food tour. The Belfast Food Tour with Taste & Tour (tasteandtour.co.uk) starts at St George’s Market (6). Tours meander around the stalls, while you taste all the local delicacies – Suki tea, blue cheese, Broughgammon goat and “fifteens” fridge cake. Walks continue through the city, stopping at chocolatiers for truffles, bars for cider and pubs for champ. Tours cost £50 and generally run on Saturdays at 10am.         

Lunch on the run

If you’re not too full from a morning of grazing, head into Coppi (7) (028 9031 1959; coppi.co.uk) opposite St Anne’s Cathedral (8), a contemporary Italian restaurant with a cool, industrial-chic vibe. A selection of their small 'cichetti' dishes make up a good lunch – try the feta fritters, sharp little bites of cheese swathed in truffle honey (£3.30). If you’re more peckish, the duck ragu with porcini mushroom ravioli (£14.50) is decadently rich, topped with crisp shards of duck skin and slivers of truffle. It’s open every day from 12pm-10pm or 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Food tours run from Belfast's St George's market ( Getty Images)

Window shopping

Stroll along Wellington Street just west of Belfast City Hall (9) and you’ll find some great shops within steps of each other. Envoy of Belfast (10) (028 9031 1110; envoyofbelfast.com, closed Sundays) is home to vaguely androgynous, Scandi-style pieces, while Octopus's Garden (11) (075 63147949; belfastrecordshop.co.uk) is a must for fans of vintage and vinyl. Around the corner on Chichester Street, Co Couture (12) (078 8889 9647; cocouture.co.uk, closed Sundays) is a dreamy chocolate shop, selling divine brownies.

There’s nothing remarkable about the high street shops in the Victoria Square shopping centre (13) (victoriasquare.com), but head there anyway and climb up the spiral stairs into the glass dome for great free views of the city and out to the mountains.

Bear in mind a lot of the city’s shops are either closed on Sundays or operate on limited opening hours (usually 1-5pm).

An aperitif

There’s no shortage of great pubs in the city, particularly in the Cathedral Quarter. The party starts early on a Saturday, with groups often gathered for an afternoon pint to kick off the weekend. The Duke of York (14) (02890 241062; dukeofyorkbelfast.com) is filled with antique memorabilia, cool copper tables and an old printing press (with some dirty words hidden within the letters). It’s open every day from 11am-1am, with shorter hours on Sundays and Mondays. 

Muddler’s Club focuses on seasonal ingredients (Muddler’s Club )

Game of Thrones fans should head over the road to sister pub The Dark Horse (15) (028 90 237807; dukeofyorkbelfast.com), where you’ll find a door carved from fallen trees of the Dark Hedges (AKA Kingsroad).

Dine with the locals

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The lights are low in the Muddlers Club (16) (028 9031 3199; themuddlersclubbelfast.com), also in the Cathedral Quarter, and the air is scented with wafts of citrus smoke from many an artisan Old Fashioned. But the food is so good that you barely notice how cool the space is. The menu is small, with a focus on solid, seasonal ingredients – think tender slices of lamb, served with fresh spring greens, pea puree and a dollop of tangy sour cream (£24). It’s open 12-2.45pm and 5.30-10pm, closed Sundays and Mondays, and booking is essential.

Down in the Queen’s District, The Barking Dog (17) (028 9066 1885; barkingdogbelfast.com) is the place to go for laidback gastro food and, unlike many Belfast restaurants, it’s open on Sundays (their roasts are epic). Hours vary. 

Day two

Out to brunch

It can be tricky to eat out on Sundays, with a lot of restaurants closing up shop. Established Coffee (18) (established.coffee) next to the cathedral is one of the few stellar joints open every day, and their weekend feasts are well worth a trip. Their Cheesy French Toast is made with a doorstop of sourdough, topped with braised kale, smoked bacon, sage hollandaise and a poached egg (£7.50). It's open 9am-6pm Sundays, other days differ. 

The Botanic Gardens make for a pleasant stroll ( Getty Images/ iStockphoto)

A walk in the park

The Botanical Gardens (1) are in Queen’s District, around a 30-minute walk south from the Cathedral Quarter, and a great spot to spend a sunny afternoon. Stroll past the flowerbeds and trees to the Palm House, a beautiful Victorian glasshouse home to tropical plants and birds. The gardens are open every day from 7.30am-9pm, and entry is free of charge. 

For a unique walk in the city centre, book in for a Street Art Tour (seedheadarts.com) which guides you through the incredible art and murals that line the streets of the Cathedral Quarter. Walks run at 12pm every Sunday from outside the Dark Horse (15), for £8. 

Cultural afternoon

Belfast is synonymous with shipbuilding, and particularly its most infamous accomplishment, the Titanic. The exhibition centre, Titanic Belfast (3) (028 9076 6386; titanicbelfast.com), is based in the Titanic Quarter a short walk east from the city centre, and a striking sight in itself. The self-guided tour is insightful and sensitively interactive – a ride takes you through the “shipyard”, complete with face-warming coals; a handrail vibrates as you look out over a televised sea view. Voices from survivors depict the moment of disaster in a darkened corridor, as sounds of Morse code fill the air. Submarine footage of the wreckage is shown on a huge cinema screen and also underfoot, below a glass floor. Tickets cost £18, and include access to SS Nomadic. It’s open daily from 9am-7pm in the summer, hours vary slightly in other months.

The Titanic Belfast exhibition centre offers a self-guided tour ( Getty Images)

Take a ride

The city is compact, so you’ll rarely need to use public transport. Taxis are fairly cheap, with a 10-minute ride costing around £5, and much of the city can be reached on foot. If you need them, buses run through the city and out to the airport. 

To see more of the outskirts while learning about the complex history of the city, take a Blackcab Political Tour (077 9860 2401; touringaroundbelfast.com) with someone who knows the city and its intricacies inside and out. You’ll see the Peace Wall (19) and murals, and learn about The Troubles from someone who has lived through them. Tours cost £35 for up to three people or £15 per head for more. 

See the city's murals on a political tour ( Getty Images/ iStockphoto)

Travel essentials

Getting there

British Airways (ba.com) flies to George Best Belfast City Airport (20) from Heathrow from £88 return; Flybe (flybe.com) from 14 UK airports, from £50 return. It's 3 miles from the city centre - a taxi takes less than 10 minutes and costs around £10. Alternatively the Airport Express 600 bus takes around 15 minutes and costs £2.50.

Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to Belfast International Airport (21) from Gatwick from £26 return; Easyjet (easyjet.com) from 10 UK airports from £34 return. Belfast International Airport is about a 30-minute drive from the city centre – a taxi costs around £33. The Airport Express 300 takes 45 minutes and costs £7.50.

Staying there

There’s a serious buzz to Bullitt Belfast (22) (028 9590 0600; bullitthotel.com), with the courtyard bar hopping every weekend, and locals gathering for a glass of wine in the afternoon. Rooms range from dinky (read: tiny) to roomy, and include a breakfast bag hung on your door come morning. Doubles from £100, B&B.

As well as a location right on the edge of the Cathedral Quarter, Malmaison Belfast (23) is also a handy hop away from the Titanic District (028 9600 1405; malmaison.com). Doubles from £115, room only.

The only five-star in the city, The Merchant Hotel (24) (028 9023 4888; themerchanthotel.com) is home to a seriously impressive façade and an elegant cocktail bar. Doubles from £180, room only.

48 Hours in Athens: hotels, restaurants and places to visit

Travel essentials

Why go now?

The Greek islands are renowned as summer hotspots, yet the capital is rarely seen in the same light. But Athens is a fine prospect in August, a starting point for twin-centre holidays which also visit the nearby Peloponnese peninsula, 50 miles to the west and - with a wealth of untouched little villages and ports - a rising star itself. The Athens and Epidaurus Festival (00 30 210 327 2000; greekfestival.gr), a feast of drama, dance and music staged at various venues, continues through the month.

Touch down

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (1) (00 30 210 353 0000; aia.gr) is 17 miles east of the city. It is linked to the UK by Aegean Airlines (0871 200 0040; aegeanair.com) from Heathrow and Birmingham, and by British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) from Heathrow. easyJet (0330 365 5000; easyjet.com) flies direct from Edinburgh, Manchester and Gatwick, while Ryanair (0843 504 7252; ryanair.com) offers a connection from Stansted.

Line Three of the Athens metro ties the airport to the heart of the matter, including central stations Monastiraki (2) and Syntagma (3), in 40 minutes; single fares are €10 (returns within 48 hours are €18). Airport bus X95 makes the journey to Syntagma Square (3) in 50 minutes, for €6. Taxis take 40 minutes at fixed rates of €38 in the daytime and €50 between midnight and 5am.

Get your bearings

Athens is located almost at the south-east corner of the Greek mainland, and is the capital of the Attica region as well as the country. It spreads out, as it has for at least 7,000 years, around the Acropolis (4) – its landmark rock bluff, crowned by the Parthenon (5) temple since 447BC.

It is easily explored on foot – although the three-line, 65-station metro system covers the city in detail. Single tickets for all journeys in the centre (metro, buses, trams; 00 30 214 414 6400; stasy.gr) cost €1.40, 24-hour passes €4.50. A tourist information kiosk (6) is open on Amalias Ave Dionissiou Areopagitou Street, daily 9am-9pm, between May and September (00 30 210 321 7116; thisisathens.org). A year-round kiosk is available at the airport (1) (daily 8am-8pm; 00 30 210 353 0390). Further details can be found at visitgreece.gr.

Explore ancient history in the National Archaeological Museum (Ricardo André Frantz, WikiCommons)

Check in

The Hermes Hotel (7) is a three-star close to the heart of the action at 19 Apollonos Plaka in Plaka (00 30 210 323 5514; hermeshotel.gr), with a cool bar and a children’s play room. Double rooms from £64, with breakfast. 

St George Lycabettus (8) is a boutique gem - with a glorious rooftop pool - on the lower slope of Lycabettus Hill, above Kolonaki (2 Kleomensus Street; 00 30 210 729 0439; sglycabettus.gr). Doubles from €88, room only.

Hotel Grande Bretagne (9) (00 30 210 333 0000; grandebretagne.gr) is the five-star king of Syntagma Square (3) – all 19th-century echoes, with doubles from €230, room only.

Day one

Take a hike

Begin a morning wander into antiquity in central Monastiraki Square (2). Stroll south on Areos, past Hadrian’s Library (10), a seat of learning from the Roman era that was built in 132AD. It still stands firm, all staunch columns.

Find more of the same as you go south on Dioskouron – where the Roman Agora (11) was one of the city’s focal points in the 1st century BC. The Tower Of The Winds, a grand marble clocktower, is still visible.

Take a hike up Mount Lycabettus for an overview of Athens - or, if you're feeling lazier, hitch a ride on the funicular (Shutterstock)

From here, cut west on Polignotou, and take the path around Areopagus Hill. This gives a leafy view of the Acropolis. Continue to pedestrian drag Dionysiou Areopagitou, and follow it clockwise to number 15 – where the Acropolis Museum (12) is a treasure trove of ancient heritage (00 30 210 900 0900; theacropolismuseum.gr; entry €5). Open daily 8am-8pm (Monday to 4pm; Friday to 10pm), it makes a case for the return of the “Elgin Marbles” – the reliefs which were chiselled from the Parthenon (5) by aristocratic magpie Thomas Bruce from 1800 to 1803. A gallery displays the carvings which survived this act of appropriation – alongside replicas of those that currently reside in the British Museum.

Read more

• Summer without the crowds: escape to Greece's quiet corners
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• Five new hotels to check out in Greece

A walk in the park

The main entrance to the Acropolis (4) (00 30 210 321 4172; odysseus.culture.gr; daily 8am-8pm; €20) is directly opposite the museum on Dionysiou Areopagitou. You need at least two hours to explore this craggy wonderland, hiking up towards a date with the Parthenon (5), the temple to the city’s patron ancient goddess, Athena. It ranks as an epic symbol of civilisation, as does the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus (13), on the south side of the hill. Dedicated to the ancient Greek god of drama and wine, this 4th century BC auditorium held 17,000 people in its heyday – and retains its splendour in the present.

Lunch on the run

The eateries on nearby Makrigianni are tourist traps, but Yard Cafe (14) at No 17 (00 30 210 923 9792; yardcafe.blogspot.co.uk) is a solid pitstop, serving dishes such as pork fillet with figs for €12.

The Theatre of Dionysus is dedicated to the Greek god of drama and wine (Славен Косановић, WikiCommons)

Window shopping

Ermou is the city’s main pedestrian drag. Le Chocolat – Matsouka (15), at No 18 (00 30 210 331 8010; chocolat.com.gr), is a hive of olive oils, wine and Greek produce, as well as fancy chocolate.

The chic Kolonaki district, meanwhile, has some of Athens' best stores. Home décor specialist Box Architects (16) at 9 Charitos (00 30 210 724 8600; boxarchitects.gr) sells lights and lamps in an array of shapes. Jack In The Box (17) at 13 Charitos (00 30 210 725 8735; jackinthebox.gr) is a superb toy shop, full of tricycles and cuddly bears.

An aperitif

Set parallel to Ermou, Kolokotroni is an avenue abuzz with bars. Booze Cooperativa (18), at No 57 (00 30 211 405 3733; boozecooperativa.com), is one of the liveliest; part watering hole, part gallery, with modern artworks on the walls and craft ales for €4.

Dine with the locals

Thissio has many food options on the narrow lane of Herakleidon. The Sowl (19), at No 10 (00 30 210 345 0003; thesowl.com), is a Latin hotspot that dispenses a citrus-heavy seabass ceviche for €10.60.

Psirri is a maze of restaurants. Oineas (20) at 9 Aisopou (00 30 210 321 5614; facebook.com/oineas) serves modern Greek fare, including grilled octopus for €9.50. Liosporos Jazz Cafe (21), at 24 Miaouli (00 30 213 024 9151), clings to Greek traditions – such as soutzoukakia (minced lamb with tomatoes and basil) for €6. 

The Sowl is a sizzling Latin-themed hotspot serving a mean sea bass ceviche (The Sowl, Facebook) 

Day two

Sunday morning: go to church

A religious jewel on Plateia Mitropoleos, the Metropolitan Cathedral (22) (00 30 210 322 1308; daily 7am-7pm; Sunday mass at 6.30am) is one of the city’s most important buildings. It was one of the first landmarks constructed in the capital after Greece wrested itself away from Ottoman control in 1829 – built between 1842 and 1862, using masonry from 72 demolished churches, as a statement of national identity. A place of contemplation, it holds the tombs of two saints (Philothei and Gregory V of Constantinople) who were killed under Turkish rule. Adjacent, the Mikri Mitropoli (23), a tiny church, dates to the 13th century.

Out to brunch

Grab a bite next to the cathedral at Commerce (24) (00 30 210 322 5533) at 5 Evangelistrias, one of a clutch of eateries on this Monastiraki street that are raising their level above photos-on-menu mediocrity. A plate of grilled Crete sausages with sour cabbage is €9.

Cultural afternoon

If you want to experience more of the past, the National Archaeological Museum (25), at 44 Patission, in the slightly more northerly Exarcheia area (00 30 213 214 4800; namuseum.gr), is an Athens essential. Open daily 8am-8pm (€10), it has been a shrine to Ancient Greece since 1889. Exhibits include the Artemision Bronze – a sculpture of (probably) Zeus that was discovered in a shipwreck off the country’s northern coastline in 1926 – as well as the Mask of Agamemnon (a gold funeral mask, dated to 1,500BC, which supposedly belonged to the Mycenaean king who commanded the Greek forces at Troy).

Athens' Technopolis is a 19th-century gasworks repurposed as a hipster-ish hive of music and art (Dinos P, Flickr)

To glimpse a more modern side of the city, try the Technopolis City of Athens (26) at 100 Pireos Street in the Gazi district (00 30 210 347 5518; technopolis-athens.com). A 19th-century gasworks reimagined as a hotspot of music and art, it includes the Industrial Gas Museum (daily except Monday, 10am-6pm; €1), which preserves machinery of this oil-rag era. It also has the Skywalk, an aerial nest of suspended bridges and walkways (daily 10am-10pm; free).

Take a view

Rising to 908ft (277m), north-east of the centre, Mount Lycabettus (27) offers a wide snapshot of the city. You can approach the summit on foot, taking the trail which presents itself on Kleomenous, to the rear of the St George Lycabettus hotel (8) – an upward route which is awash with cacti and slow-moving tortoises. Or you can take the funicular - its base station waits at Aristippou 1 (28) (daily 9am-2.30am; €3.50 each way). This saves on shoe leather, though you have to walk up steep Ploutarchou to find it. The 19th-century Chapel of St George is a whitewashed joy on the hilltop.

The icing on the cake

Elsewhere on the summit, you can take in the sunset from the terrace at Orizontes Lycabettus (00 30 210 722 7065; orizonteslycabettus.gr) – a seafood specialist serving specialities including sautéed sea bream in citrus sauce for €19.

Click here to view our Classic Greece Tour, with Independent Holidays

Why a SuneoClub holiday gives you more bang for your buck

Everyone’s a fan of getting more for less, and there’s no feeling like heading off to make holiday memories knowing you haven’t broken the bank. Enter, our SuneoClub collection.

All the hotels in this range are geared around getting the most out of your trip, and having plenty of pennies left over for absolutely necessary extras – like that celebratory piña colada at the airport, for instance. But, that doesn’t mean there’s been any skimping either – every SuneoClub hotel is filled to the brim with all the must-haves, and they all stick to a tried-and-tested, no-frills formula.

Location, location, location

Budget shouldn’t mean being stuck at the back, so we’ve made sure that all of our SuneoClub hotels are less than a 10-minute walk to the beach – and some are perched right on the sand. They’re all less than a 20-minute drive from the city centre, too, making souvenir shopping super easy. . Take one of our brand new hotels for example – you’ll find the SuneoClub Odessos bang in the middle of Bulgaria’s Golden Sands resort, and the beach is just a five-minute stroll away. Plus, every single hotel’s in a top Mediterranean holiday spot, so whether it’s a waterpark in Cyprus or a Greek island boat trip that’s on the agenda, you’re sorted.

Top-notch pools

Every SuneoClub hotel has a huge pool, meaning there’s bags of room for a splash about. They’re all really central, too, so no long walks to the water. It’s a friendly scene poolside, so meeting new people or just having a chat’s the norm around these parts. And, we always make sure there are loads of sunbeds up for grabs. At the SuneoClub Garden Nevis, in Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach, you’ll find a jumbo pool, and a snack bar sat right next to it for topping up those energy levels.

Eat your way around the world, jet lag not included

SuneoClub’s signature WorldCuisine set-up does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an All Inclusive outfit, and you’ll find a mix of buffet stations, fresh salad bars and grills, with flavours thrown in from more countries than you can shake a breadstick at. Plus, we always have at least two spots where live-action cooking happens – think personalised stir fries, and your pizza twirling in front of you.

Catch some Z’s

We’ve revamped the idea of hotel bedrooms – after all, how often are you actually going to use that fancy in-room hot tub, when the beach, the pool and the bar’s outside in the sunshine? __holidays aren’t about sitting in your room, so we’ve stripped it back to basics – without dialling down the style. You’ll find bright, welcoming rooms in all our hotels, with comfy beds and a few mod-cons. Plus, we make it easy on solo travellers, families and groups, by having single and triple rooms, as well as apartments, across our SuneoClub roster.

Smiles come as standard

Our friendly teams are on hand to make sure you have a holiday to remember, for all the best reasons. Forget any ideas of sprawling resorts with staff that you barely see – we’ve got a friendly vibe going on. Fancy playing cards at your sunbed? Just ask. Looking to keep the kids occupied? Our SuneoClub team love a poolside game or five. On that note, we’ve also made sure younger guests are taken care of – our SuneoPlay zones are designed with an airport theme, and are chock full of interactive games. Plus, when it’s time for the little ones to get out of the sun for a while, this is the ideal spot.

Fancy heading off on a SuneoClub holiday? Check out our hotels, or find out more about the collection.

11 Things You Didn’t Know About Varna

Bulgaria’s pretty new to the tourism game, but more and more holidaymakers are getting wise to its secrets – The Varna region is one of the country’s best kept. This wedge of north-eastern Bulgaria is our new destination for summer 2018. And it’s got lots to offer, lining up gorgeous beaches, plenty of history and mysterious natural wonders. Read on for some of Varna’s most surprising quirks…

Beaches

When you think beaches, Bulgaria might not spring to mind, but in fact the Varna region plays host to some stellar swathes of sand. Its biggest beach sits at the mouths of the Kamchiya and Shkorpilovska rivers and stretches out for 13 kilometres.

Wine

Bulgaria’s one of the world’s biggest winemakers. Around 200,000 tonnes of the tipple is produced there every year, and a third of that comes from the Varna region. There’s even an annual festival celebrating the patron saint of wine on the 14th of February. Growers water their crops with wine, then gear up for an all-night party.

Yoghurt

Bulgaria’s famous for its yoghurt, which is said to taste better than its Greek rival – yum. The secret ingredient’s a type of Bulgarian good bacteria which is used to make the stuff.

Thermal Springs

You can splash around in natural thermal springs in Varna – the Ereka spring’s a good spot. You won’t be the first, though. Varna’s springs have been used for centuries, famously by the Romans, who’ve left the 2nd Century Roman Thermae behind as proof.

Ski Slope

Varna’s got its own ski slope. It’s called Valchi Dol, which translates as ‘wolf ravine’. Don’t worry – swooping down the slope’s not as scary as its name.

Stone Forest

The region features Bulgaria’s only desert, which is home to a mystical natural wonder. The Stone Forest or Pobiti Kamani, is a group of massive rock structures arranged in a circle. Legend has it that they have magical powers.

Rocky History

History buffs will feel at home in Varna. Some of the region’s sites, like the Aladzha monastery, are carved right into rock, and they’re still in really good nick.

Ostriches

You might think that ostriches only live in far-away, exotic countries, but it turns out Bulgaria’s home to a few of these big birds, too. Varna’s Ostrich Valley – a working farm – even gives you the chance to cuddle a baby ostrich.

Cape Kaliakra

This red-cliffed cape’s the longest on the Black Sea coast. It’s got some stories to tell, including one about a group of 40 14th-century girls with their hair tied together (don’t ask). Now, it’s bursting with history and ruins, along with a couple of golf clubs for good measure.

Music

The country’s oldest music festival is hosted in the city of Varna in June and July. The Varna Summer International Music Festival made its debut in 1926 and has shown off the best of Bulgaria’s classical music scene every year since.

World Record

Varna made a worldwide name for itself in 2016, when 4,000 volunteers set a new world record on the city’s beach. What was the record? Well, it was for the longest DNA strand made by people. Of course.

Intrigued? Book your summer 2018 holiday to Varna and see it for yourself.

48 Hours in Hong Kong: hotels, restaurants and places to visit

Travel essentials

Why go now?

The oppressively hot days of summer will soon be coming to an end and the high-rise metropolis of Hong Kong will once again be a joy to behold. Throw in new flights, a wave of new bars and restaurants and some of the most iconic sights and experiences in the Far East and you’ve got a city break of epic proportions.

Touch down

Hong Kong is served by a number of direct flights from the UK. I travelled with Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 2770; virginatlantic.com), which departs every evening from Heathrow on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Return fares from £460.

British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) also operates from Heathrow, as does Cathay Pacific (020 8834 8888; cathaypacific.com), which from 2 September will also fly from Manchester and Gatwick.

Around 12 hours later you’ll touch down at Hong Kong International Airport (1), located on Lantau Island, 34km north-west of the city centre. The Airport Express train whisks new arrivals to downtown Hong Kong in 24 minutes. Services depart every 10 minutes between 5.54am and 12.48am bound for Central (2) and Kowloon (3) stations. A one-way ticket costs from HKD60. A taxi will cost from HKD285 to Hong Kong Island and HKD220 to Kowloon.

Currently, £1 is worth HKD10.31, while US$1 is worth HKD7.76.

Get your bearings

The British have long had a love affair with Hong Kong. A colony until it was handed back to China in 1997, it is now an autonomous “special administrative region” of the People’s Republic. It consists of 263 islands and a peninsula that juts down from mainland China.

The principle destinations for visitors are historic Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, located to the south on the other side of Victoria Harbour and known for its futuristic shoreline crammed with gleaming skyscrapers. But the outlying islands – notably Lantau, the largest in the archipelago – are also worthy of some attention.

The Star Ferry is a ride that's not to be missed, offering unique city views (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

The main tourist information centre (4) is at the Star Ferry Concourse in Tsim Sha Tsui (00 852 2508 1234; discoverhongkong.com; 8am-8pm daily).

Check in

Dating back to 1928, the Peninsula Hotel (5) on Salisbury Road (00 852 2920 2888; hongkong.peninsula.com) may be the oldest hotel in Hong Kong but there are 21st century touches throughout: rooms with king-sized beds, waterfall showers and specially designed control panels. Elsewhere, unwind at the heavenly spa with treatment rooms overlooking Victoria Harbour. Doubles from HKD3,880, room only.

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Unwind at the Peninsula's spa, with treatment rooms overlooking the Victoria Harbour (Peninsula Hotel)

Design property Hotel Icon (6) at 15 Science Museum Road (00 852 3400 1000; hotel-icon.com) is kitted out with contemporary Chinese art but it’s the harbour views that really impress. Doubles from HKD1,846, room only.

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The 148-room Butterfly on Hollywood (7) at 263 Hollywood Road (00 852 2850 8899; butterflyhk.com) is stylish, well located and reasonably priced. Doubles from HKD710, room only.

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Day one

Take a hike

Start at one of Hong Kong’s oldest temples. Dedicated to the gods of war and literature, Man Mo temple (8) at 124 Hollywood Road (00 852 2540 0350; 8am-6pm) was built in 1847 and its crimson interior is heady with the aroma of countless coils of burning incense. From there, cross the road and walk down the short flight of stairs, turning left onto Cat’s Street (9). This pedestrianised strip is lined with stalls selling faux antiques and quirky souvenirs. Chairman Mao watch, anyone?

Take in the historic Man Mo temple, built in 1847 (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

Backtrack onto Hollywood Road and walk east. Pause for a maca-taha smoothie (coconut yoghurt, maca powder, chia seeds and spinach) at Grassroots Pantry (10) at number 108 (00 852 2873 3353; grassrootspantry.com; 9am-11pm) and continue, keeping watch for the interesting street art on display at the junctions to other streets. Finish at Shelley Street where you’ll find the Mid-Level Escalators (11), a pioneering elevated walkway system that extends over 800 metres in a bid to provide the thousands of residents living on the steep hillsides with easy access to Central.

The Mid-Level Escalators were built to connect the city's steep hillside areas to Central  (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

Window shopping

Mong Kok (12) in Kowloon is the place for gadgets, but far more interesting are the fine art and rare Chinese artefacts on show in the antique stores along Hollywood Road (13).

Hong Kong is also home to some of the best tailors in the world. Gents can get a bespoke suit from Cuffs (14) at 2F 27 Lee Garden Road (00 852 241 36033; cuffs.hk), which has recently opened its second store in Causeway Bay. Favouring more contemporary designs, owner Ian Fong has devised a unique process that customises everything from the cut to the thread of the buttons. Typical opening hours are 10am-8pm daily.

Lunch on the run

Read more

Where to eat in Hong Kong: Join the queue for a culinary

Replenish your energy levels with a plate of stir-fried scallops with black garlic (HKD248) at SohoFama (15) at 35 Aberdeen Street (00 852 2858 8238; sohofama.com; 12pm-10.30pm daily) – best enjoyed at an outdoor table beside the restaurant’s vegetable garden.

SohoFama forms part of the PMQ complex (00 852 2870 2335; pmq.org; 7am-11pm daily), a former police station transformed into a creative space with around 100 independent food and retail outlets, many design – and fashion – focused with local connections.

Take a view

There’s no better vantage point to appreciate Hong Kong’s vertiginous skyline than from Victoria Peak (16) (00 852 2849 0669; thepeak.com.hk; 10am-11pm daily), best seen at dusk. If time permits, walk the one-hour circular Peak Trail for a different perspective. The nicest way to reach the 552m summit is on the gravity-defying 125-year-old Peak Tram which departs from 33 Garden Road (17), in Central, every 10-15 minutes between 7am and midnight. A return ticket costs HKD83. Pre-book tickets as queues are often lengthy.

Victoria Peak is the best place to get a full view of Hong Kong's extraordinary skyline (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

An aperitif

The newest and hottest bar in town is Ophelia (18) at 1/F The Avenue, Lee Tung Avenue (00 852 2520 1117; ophelia.com.hk; 6pm-2am closed Sunday and Monday), where cocktails are served in birdcages. Pass through the aviary-themed entrance and into a decadent and dimly-lit space inspired by the city’s 19th century opium dens. The attention to detail is astonishing – there are 600,000 handpainted ceramic tiles with peacock eye motifs and resplendent feathers. Try the “Cheongasm” cocktail with tequila, homemade pomegranate cordial, lemon and cinnamon mist.

Dine with the locals

Hong Kong’s culinary scene is not only exciting but also constantly evolving with new innovative restaurants opening on an almost daily basis. One such eatery is Cobo House (19) at 8/12 South Lane (00 852 2656 3088; cobohouse.com; 12pm-11pm daily), from celebrated pastry chef Janice Wong. Dishes include duck breast with herbs and mocha mugi (a Japanese glutinous barley), and cod with smoked aubergine puree and dill cream. Mains from HKD168.

Another new hotspot is QI Nine Dragons (20) at 20/F Prince Tower, 12A Peking Road (00 852 2799 8899; qi-ninedragons.hk) which serves blow-your-socks-off Sichuan cuisine. Even the chocolate ice cream is spicy. Try the fried calamari with Sichuan miso (HKD128) and cool off with a nightcap on the rooftop terrace.

Day two

Sunday morning: out to brunch

Do as the locals do and dine out on dim sum. But not just any old dim sum. Upon first impressions there’s nothing particularly special about Tim Ho Wan (21) at 2 Hoi Ting Road (00 852 2332 2896; timhowan.com; 10am-9.30pm daily) – the dining room crowded and a little drab with people eating on black plastic plates – but looks can be deceiving. Considered to be the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, the dumplings are simply divine. Go early to avoid the queue. The slightly sweet barbequed pork buns are not to be missed. Dishes from HKD18.

A walk in the park

Kowloon Walled City Park (22) on Tung Tsing Road (00 852 2716 9962; 6.30am-11pm daily), with pavilions and peaceful pathways, is based on the Jiangnan gardens of the Qing Dynasty and has a fascinating history; it stands on the site of a former ungoverned settlement that was once the most densely populated place on the planet.

Kowloon Walled City Park was once a bustling sought-after space, now a city garden (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

Fought over by both sides when Britain leased Hong Kong from the Chinese, it was eventually abandoned by both nations and became a place of brothels, opium dens and unlicensed health practitioners with 350 residential tower blocks crammed into an area the size of four football fields. The city was torn down in the 1990s.

Cultural afternoon

Discover more of the city’s colourful past at the Hong Kong Museum of History (23) at 100 Chatham Road South (00 852 2724 9042; lcsd.gov.hk; 10am-6pm daily except Tuesday; HKD10), which traces 400 million years of geological and cultural history.

Immerse yourself in Hong Kong's rich history with the sea (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

Alternatively, focus entirely on its relationship with the sea at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum (24) at Central Pier 8 (00 852 33717 2500; hkmaritimemuseum.org; HKD30) which documents the naval history and trade of the city and the surrounding Pearl River Delta.

Take a ride

No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without at least one ride on the green and white Star Ferry (starferry.com.hk) across Victoria Harbour. Boats depart every 8-12 minutes between 7.20am and 11pm from Tsim Sha Tsui Pier (25) in Kowloon, and two piers on Hong Kong Island: Central (26) and Wan Chai (27). The crossing takes around eight minutes and one-way tickets cost from HKD2.50.

Icing on the cake

Green and mountainous Lantau Island, which sits at the mouth of the Pearl River, is ripe for adventure. Ride the panoramic cable car, stand under the 34m-tall bronze Tian Tan Buddha (28) and hike the three-hour Dragon’s Back Trail for views across the island, its peaks and bays.

Lantau Island is the ideal destination for those looking for adventure (Hong Kong Tourism Board/discoverhongkong.com)

Also set aside time to visit the traditional fishing village of Tai O, where homes are built on stilts above the tidal flats. Stay overnight at the charming colonial style Tai O Heritage Hotel (29) on Shek Tsai Po Street (00 852 2985 8383; taioheritagehotel.com). Doubles from HKD710, including breakfast.

Click here to view Asian tours and holidays, with Independent Holidays.

Oakland: How San Francisco's poor cousin became the coolest city in the Bay Area

Why go now?

Long dismissed as a dangerous ghetto on the wrong side of the Bay Bridge, industrial port city Oakland has lately earned itself a rep as a more down to earth, soulful version of rival San Francisco, which twinkles in all its tech-dollar glory just eight miles away, across the water.

In fact, Oakland grudgingly owes this new lease of life - and falling violent crime rates - to its better-known older brother. Thanks to SF’s increasingly unaffordable rents, Bay Area creatives are decamping here, reviving neighbourhoods with exciting restaurant, bar and arts scenes. Where once gritty Oakland was considered a no-go area, today it is attracting curious visitors with new venues like car-dealerships-turned-brew-bars and warehouse wineries, and the inherited beauty of the Oakland Hills and Lake Merritt. So much so that, on March 28, British Airways launched flights to Oakland International from Gatwick.  

But even if you consider Frisco the main attraction, basing yourself in Oakland can be a shrewd move. The East Bay airport is a smaller, quieter operation to fly into and only a mile further from SF’s Downtown than SFO; plus, if you don't mind settling for basic accommodation, the hotels can be much cheaper. And Oakland certainly deserves at least two days of your time: people might say the heart left San Francisco in a flood of Silicon Valley money, but you can find it again here. 

An aerial view of Lake Merritt in the centre of Oakland (Steven Dos Remedios)

Get your bearings

Oakland’s main attractions are set in a compact, walkable area to the south and east of Lake Merritt (1), a tidal lagoon and urban park in the heart of the city. You’ll be most interested in the theatres, bars and restaurants of Uptown (2), shopping in Downtown (3), and waterfront entertainment at Jack London Square (4), which sit in a neat line from north to south. The city runs a free shuttle bus along Broadway stopping at all of them; the “Free B” (bshuttle.com) comes along every 10-15 minutes. 

Day one

Take a view

To get a knockout overview of the area, head behind the 100-year-old Claremont Club & Spa (5) (fairmont.com/claremont-berkeley) in the Oakland Hills. This East Bay icon and designated historical landmark sits at the foot of the Stonewall Panoramic Trail (6), which offers a steep climb through a eucalyptus grove to give sweeping views of Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco Bay below. Though only 1.6 miles long, it really is steep - no judgement if you settle for the first lookout point just above the sports field. 

Window shopping

Now heading Downtown, Oaklandish (7) (oaklandish.com) is more than a cool local apparel store. Its Oakland-branded tees, hoodies, mason jars and even skateboard tape aim to create civic pride in a troubled town and, in using pro bono design work and marketing, the business is able to donate 10 per cent of its proceeds to grassroots, non-profit community groups and gives inner-city jobs to struggling youth. Note the realism in the designs; one represents “Oakland Paradise” with a palm tree and a port container crane. 

The Oaklandish store's Oakland apparel features down-to-earth designs (Laura Chubb)

Venture slightly south into Old Oakland and see the historic street lamps lining 9th, a street stuffed with indie boutiques. Check out the elegant homeware fashioned from reclaimed wood and Coke bottles in just-opened Shop Be Home (8) (shopbehome.com), or the American-crafted goodies in Marion & Rose Fine Goods (9) (marionandrose.com), great for funny, hand-drawn cards and uniquely scented candles (shout out to “fresh air and sea salt”). 

Lunch on the run

Oakland’s economy was built on shipyards and automobile services, and while the city can still claim the fifth-busiest port in the US, General Motors’ manufacturing facility shuttered in the Sixties. Drake’s Dealership (10) (drinkdrakes.com) pays homage to the past by slinging wood-fired pizza and house-brewed beers in an old red-brick Dodge dealership - the open-air beer garden, under the iron skeleton of the original roof, is a must if weather allows. Get your pizza “Draked” by adding a slow-poached duck egg or order up poutine with double-duck gravy. Servers dressed in Fifties-style autorepair shop shirts help you navigate the lengthy beer list. Take a moment to observe the mixed crowd of man-bun hipsters, families, couples and older groups, a sign of Oakland’s strong community feel. 

Pair pizza with craft beers at Drake's Dealership, a former Dodge showroom (Drake's Dealership)

Take a hike

Oakland hasn’t just hopped aboard the craft beer bandwagon - its surplus of warehouses and proximity to California wine country has fostered a fertile crop of urban wineries. The Urban Wine Trail (oaklandurbanwinetrail.com) stretches east to west around Jack London and is a great way to explore on foot. Each winery has its own story and style, from the lighter French-accented wines of Dashe (11) (dashecellars.com), co-owned by a couple from Brittany and LA, to the focus on family-owned wineries at Rosenblum (12) (rosenblumcellars.com), which started life in a factory on the docks in the Seventies and now occupies a more romantic waterfront position by Oakland Ferry Terminal. 

Dine with the locals

Five years ago, the stretch of San Pablo Avenue south of John B. Williams Freeway was no good to anyone. Then Hopscotch (13) (hopscotchoakland.com), a collab between a bar manager and a chef who had worked at the same SF restaurant, gave people reason to make the pilgrimage. Today, it’s a hoppin’ thoroughfare proffering craft coffee, Indian street food, and long lines for California-Korean burritos. But Hopscotch remains the main event: Japanese-meets-American comfort food, a seriously inventive cocktail menu (pisco, meet beet vodka) and a fun, unforced environment of found art and fixtures. Best reserve ahead.

Hopscotch is a Japanese-American eatery decked out in found fixtures (Hopscotch)

Day two

Sunday morning: out to brunch

Start your day a short stroll from Lake Merritt (1), where new kid on the block The Gastro Pig (14) (thegastropig.com) prides itself on its #baconslut breakfast sandwich - aleppo chile aioli, cheese, over-easy egg and bacon on sweet brioche. But better still is the waffle iron hash brown with melted cheddar and spring onion - you’ll wonder how on earth you ever lived without it. Co-owner Ann Thai, another SF refugee turned Oakland entrepreneur, walks round chatting to customers and gave us a top tip - order up a cup of their creamy tomato soup for hash brown dunking. Too good. 

A walk in the park

Work off brunch with a turn around the grassy shore of Lake Merritt (1), packed with joggers and amblers on weekends. A serene oasis in the midst of Downtown skyscrapers and traffic, spot rowing teams and sailboats on the water, and to the east of the lake you’ll see the glass-and-steel exterior of the futuristic Cathedral of Christ the Light (15). Make a pit stop at Lake Chalet (16) (lakechalet.com), serving seafood, Southern fare and craft brews from sister SF resto and brewery The Beach Chalet. Grab an al fresco table on the dock if you can. 

Hire a gondola for a tour of Lake Merritt (Jerry Ting)

Take a ride

Surreal as it may seem, for US$60 you can take a 30-minute gondola tour of the lake, rowed by a stripy-T-shirt-clad gondolier who’ll even sing to you in Italian. Gondola Servizio (17) (gondolaservizio.com) was launched by a genuine Venetian gondolier who moved to Oakland for love. He imported the gondolas, took on some local apprentices, and now offers a splash of Venetian romance in inner-city O-Town, peppered with fun local facts (who knew Oakland invented the Mai Tai and the fortune cookie folding machine?). Bonus: you can BYOB. 

Cultural afternoon

Sunday afternoons are made for museums. Right by the lake, the Oakland Museum of California (18) (museumca.org) hosts special exhibitions, like the recent “Rise of Sneaker Culture” show, as well as permanent galleries. Don’t miss the excellent Gallery of California History, which covers everything from how the state got its shape to Japanese internment and the making of Hollywood. You’ll need a good two hours to make the most of it. 

Uptown Oakland's lavish Fox Theatre has hosted some of the world's biggest bands (Tom Tomkinson)

The icing on the cake

If you plan ahead, you could catch a gig at Uptown’s Fox Theatre (19) (thefoxoakland.com), a city mascot and trippily Ottoman-ish example of lavish 1920s architecture. Upcoming gigs include Bonobo, Deamau5 and The Flaming Lips. 

Or keep it sweet and head to old-school Fentons Creamery (20) (fentonscreamery.com). This ice cream parlour dates back to 1894 and claims to have invented the Rocky Road recipe. The menu offers almost 40 regular and 18 seasonal flavours. Watch out for the gut-busting sundaes. 

Getting there

Oakland International Airport (21) is around 10 miles south of Downtown Oakland. Both British Airways (ba.com) and Norwegian (norwegian.com) fly there from Gatwick. The BART train (bart.gov) connects to Lake Merritt - a single ticket costs $7.95. Or make like a Bay Area local and order an Uber - there’s a dedicated “Smartphone App Rides” pick-up point outside arrivals. An UberPool to Downtown costs from around $13, or UberX from approx. $31.  

You can see the tower of the Claremont Club & Spa from Bay Bridge on a clear day 

Staying there

Styled as an “urban resort” in the Oakland Hills, the Claremont Club & Spa’s (5) (fairmont.com/claremont-berkeley) historic white building stands as a decadent symbol of the early days of the Gold Rush. Recently acquired by Fairmont, all 276 guest rooms have just undergone major modernisation. While the building resides in Oakland, the spa and palm-dotted gardens technically belong to Berkeley - perhaps to uphold its chi-chi reputation, the hotel has a Berkeley address. For a stylish stay in the city, and unbeatable views of the Bay, nowhere else comes close. Rates from $292 per night, room only, inclusive of taxes and facilities charge.

If you're on a budget and don't mind basic, the Imperial Inn motel (22) (imperialinnoakland.com/motel) is just a block from the McArthur BART station, which takes you to Downtown. Rates from around $80 per night, room only.

More information

visitoakland.com