Travel Advice for Summer 2010

Mary O'Sullivan, Features Editor Sunday Independent Top Picks

Kerala

- a great place to ease yourself into India as it’s the most prosperous part and so we, who are really so comfortable, are not confronted by the extraordinary extremes of wealth and poverty of Calcutta and Delhi . Her trip was organised by Sunway which brought her to three different parts of Kerala, which allowed to observe to some extent ordinary Indians going about their daily lives

Italy

From lazing in islands like Sicily or Sardinia ,devouring the art and culture in Venice and Florence or walking around Amalfi and Positano. Got brilliant Aer Lingus fares and they're pretty good at the moment too. We got a pretty good deal in the hotel too, from ebookers.

Cadaques: Northern Spain

It's on the Costa Brava which means wild coast and parts of it are just like West Cork. Access: fly into Barcelona, get a train to Figueres, a taxi to Cadaques and from then we're ensconsed.

Fionn Davenport, Travel Writer Lonely Planet

Vietnam

Including Ho Chi Minh City (which everyone calls Saigon).

Hue – old imperial capital and the traditional home of Vietnamese ‘haute cuisine’,

Mui Ne Beach – one the most wonderful untouristy beach solace paradises in southeast.4 hours from Saigon.

Nha Trang – Best beach in Vietnam, but overrun by dropout backpackers looking to party in the DMZ.

Dalat The old winter capital – beautiful colonial mansions in an elegant city that isn’t as wild as others.

Sapa- Best Experience in Vietnam Worth the overnight train ride... just don't stay at the Green Bamboo in January (no heating!). For luxury, head to the Victoria for lunch/ drinks/ afternoon snack by the fire. In summer, stay in the Hmong village- and don't miss the local kids.

Sicily

Although most tourists move east and south of Palermo – to the stunning ruins of Agrigento, beautiful Syracuse and picturesque Taormina, my favourite bits of Sicily are to the west of the capital. It’s a little rawer, less touristy and more Sicilian. Marsala is elegant and Baroque, Mazara del Valle has a strong North African flavour.

Deirdre Mullins, RTE Travel Writer

Damascas in Syria

Very beautiful and old, feels like you are stepping back in time or that you are walking onto a film set. The people are extremely friendly, the markets and hammas (baths) and the food is amazing. You do have to cover up but you don’t have to wear a burca.

Rio de Janeiro

It must be the most beautiful city ever made, the backdrop of beautiful beaches and a jungle skyline and lovely neighbourhoods.

Tanzania

If you go north you can see the best Wild life parks in the world, you can climb Kilimanjaro, you can then go and rest in Zanzibar which is the quintessential bounty island with white sands and palm trees.