La Tomatina

Where: Buñol, Valencia , Spain

When: A week long celebration culminating with a squashed tomato fight on the last Wednesday of August

What: There is no reason for this event other than pure fun.

From Nice airport it was a pleasant tootle along the twisty N8 coastal road. I was heading for the tiny town of Théoule-sur-Mer where they say, the water quality around its cliffs is the best in Europe.

I had chosen the Tiara Yaksta boutique hotel for its discreet location and found it was so hidden that I passed it at least three times.

Isle of Eriska Spa & Golf

Where:
On the small, secluded Eriska island on the west coast of Scotland north of Oban. It nestles on a rift valley created by cataclysmic upheavals that took place 600 million years ago. The island is virtually a nature reserve, with nature trails and seals, otters, badgers and roe deer all around.

Accommodation:

A new sister cocktail to the Singapore and Paris Sling has been created – it's the Praslin Sling, a heady mix of coconut milk, gin with a hint of vanilla and it is the baby of the team at the newly launched all-villa Raffles resort in Praslin, one of the granite islands of the Seychelles.

Supping the sling at the bar with views over the Indian Ocean was enough to set in motion waves of relax

Nothing unearths that feeling of being at one with the world more than a beautiful view, especially if that view has Jurassic origins.

The lights are low, the floor is of black marble and the walls are covered in a black velvet-like material. Dotted around are appealing paintings and sculptures with an Asian theme. The air is heavily scented with jasmine.

This is the scene of the reception area at the newly refurbished (to the tune of £25 million) 174-bedroom Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street hotel.

Throughout my youth and childhood, I must have watched countless repeats of the Sound of Music.

The mile-high city of Denver, famed for the Dynasty TV series (remember those padded shoulders and over-the-top fashion the women wore?). It's not just a place to land before heading on to the Interstate 70 Highway to Vail, Aspen or Crested Butte ski resorts.

When going to Orlando en famille you could choose to squeeze into a hotel room close to Disney where space is at a premium. Or you could rent a spacious, high specification condo in a manicured village resort that offers peace and tranquillity after a hectic day at a theme park.

Reunion resort is such a place.

Orlando is famous for the Disney attractions and a nightlife zone the size of Manchester. Together they attract British holidaymakers in droves. Yet, I couldn't help wondering whether the region of Orlando and Kissimmee is a destination in its own right?

The telephone rang in my bedroom at the Bon Sol hotel. It was my travel companion. "I've just been to the gym" he informed me. "Now I am having breakfast at the beachside restaurant. Come quickly its gorgeous out here"

This autumn, the Grand will be revered as the third structure in Brighton and Hove to be recognised by the Walk of Fame committee. A ceremonial plaque will be unveiled in Brighton Marina in its honour.

Some parts of England are still quintessentially English and the medieval town of Lavenham in the Suffolk countryside is just so.

Small streets replete with stunning 15th and 16th century buildings are laced with quaint tapestry boutiques, farm shops with restaurants and cosy tea rooms where nothing is rushed.