Down in Cornwall you should visit the giant biomes of the Eden Project, Cornwall's best-known and best-loved landmark. The three giant greenhouses here - the largest on earth - recreate natural habitats from across the world, whether it's the rainforests of South America, the deserts of Mexico or the savannahs of South Africa.
Cornwall's wildest corner is the Lizard Peninsula, where you can explore the flower-covered headlands and jet-black bluffs that sit above the churning seas.
Stay at nearby Helston or Porthleven.
Down at Land's End you'll find West Penwith, which is astonishingly rich in prehistoric monuments. The area's granite hilltops are littered with quoits, tombs and ancient settlements left behind by Cornwall's earliest settlers, many predating Stonehenge.
On your way back to the capital, pass through Somerset to visit the beautiful city of Bath, with its porticoed mansions, elegant crescents and Palladian terraces.
Apart from being home to one of the best- preserved ancient Roman baths in the world, it is one of the most lively and cosmopolitan cities in England.
Canada and all that jazz
I would like to go to the Montreal Jazz Festival this July. Could you please give me any information on accommodation at that time, ie how early should I book, are there any places that you recommend and are
there any booking agencies that I should go through? I'm on a sort of mid-range budget.
Diana Cochran
The first Montreal International Jazz Festival drew 12,000 visitors. Now it attracts around two million people each year and is said by many jazz fans and musicians to be the best jazz festival on the planet. It's the biggest tourist event in Quebec, and this year there will be 650 concerts over 13 days, many of which are free. Over the years the festival has seen the likes of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Al Jarreau, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and John Scofield.
This year you can expect to see such disparate performers as Norah Jones, Ray Charles, Prince and Jeff Beck. There are also a number of concerts leading up to the festival itself, including Leonard Cohen, Diana Krall and Chick Corea.
Go to montrealjazzfest.com to check out the line-up and purchase tickets to some events. This year is the festival's 30th anniversary and tickets are bound to sell quickly. Most tickets do not go on sale until May, but you should book your accommodation as soon as possible as rooms will go quickly. If you do miss out on tickets or you change your mind about going, you face losing a hotel deposit. We suggest you check up on your hotel's cancellation policy.
The festival website has a link to accommodation and concert packages,
but they are limited. For accommodation, also try Centre Infotouriste; Downtown B&B Network and Montreal Oasis.
Don't discount hostels; with most accommodation places raising their prices by 30 per cent or more during the festival, they might be the only affordable option.
Try Alternative Backpackers, UQAM Residences, Auberge de Jeunesse-Centre Option Plein Air (tel 872-0199), HI Auberge De Montreal, McGill University Residence Halls, Y Des Femmes (accepts both sexes; and Le Gite du Parc Lafontaine.
