Back in the green fields again
We should expect torrential rain in Somerset between 22-24 June. Because after taking a year off, Glastonbury is back this summer. If you don’t fancy the inevitably muddy camping, you should stay at Jacoby Cottage, a Glastonbury B&B, from £30 per person. Once a chapel of the abbey, this B&B now offers a bolthole for women only. Book through responsibletravel.com (+44 (0)870 005 2836; responsibletravel.com) or visit glastonburyfestivals.co.uk - JF
Ireland with a different accent
Forget outdated images of the region and think of the Ulster counties as Ireland with a different accent – and far fewer crowds. The Antrim Coast Road is rightly ranked up there with the world’s best coast drives, and the Fermanagh Lake District also deserves exploring. Ireland tourist board (+44 (0)800 039 7000; discoverireland.com) TW
Fog on the Tyne is all mine
Newcastle has to be one of the most upbeat, fascinating cities in the world: on a par with Rio for energy, character and its sheer live-for-the-moment ‘did you see that?’ personality. The Malmaison hotel rocks. Quite apart from people-watching at the bar, the Ark Royal suite has huge windows looking straight out onto the Winking Eye Bridge, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and The Sage centre for music. The room is an experience in itself – there’s a sprawling four-poster bed, luxurious lounge and, forget about footballers’ wives, it has a footballers’ bath! The Ark Royal suite costs £350 per night (+44 (0)845 3654247; malmaison.com) - JC
At home, in a stately way
Why not jump in the car and enjoy something quintessentially British – in the form of a revamped country estate? The best include Cowley Manor, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, Babington House, near Frome in Somerset, and The Ickworth near Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Cowley Manor (+44 (0)1242 870900; cowleymanor.com); Babington House (+44 (0)1373 812266; babingtonhouse.co.uk); The Ickworth Hotel (+44 (0)1284 735350; ickworthhotel.co.uk) - HY
Big boom in the golden triangle
The opening up of the Indochina trio – Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos – means Bangkok has become an arrival centre for the whole region. Vietnam is booming, but I love the relaxed pace of Laos, whether you’re exploring the Mekong riverside capital Vientiane, with its French flavour, or the up-country centre of Luang Prabang. A two-week tour of Laos costs from £1,875 per person with Audley Travel (+44 (0)1869 276222; audleytravel.com), including BA flights via Bangkok - TW
Keep the red flag flying high
Ever since I visited South Korea 15 years ago, and drove through the demilitarized zone to look over the border into North Korea, I have been fascinated with this locked-away country. Tours tend to focus on the enormous monuments to the late Kim II Sung in the capital, Pyongyang, but it’s still possible to visit, though you will be chaperoned at all times. Bales Worldwide (+44 (0)845 057 1819; balesworldwide.com) has a 12-day visit from £2,195 per person, including BA flights to Beijing - CU
See it before it disappears
In 2008, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River will change forever with the completion of the dam – so 2007 is definitely the year to visit. There’s also a sense of increasing excitement as the Beijing Olympics draw near, so expect a raft of new hotel openings in the big cities. Abercrombie & Kent (+44 (0)845 070 0615; abercrombiekent.co.uk) offers a Yangtze cruise as part of a China tour that visits Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, from £3,129 per person including British Airways flights - GK
Party like you’re Malaysian
In 2007, Malaysia celebrates 50 years of independence and there’ll be noisy celebrations culminating in a party on 31 August. I’m also particularly looking forward to a rainforest and rubber plantation night walk through Taman Negara National Park, and a pedicab shopping trip around the Indian, Chinese and Malayan markets in Georgetown. Cox and Kings (+44 (0)20 7873 5000; coxandkings.co.uk) offers an 11-night tour from £2,395 per person - JC
