The gadget
Can't bear to be away from your favourite films, songs and photos while you're crossing the Kalahari? You need the new £150 wind-up media player from Natural Collection (naturalcollection.com). It's a video player, FM radio, voice recorder, torch, phone charger, photo viewer and data storage device. One minute of winding provides 40 minutes of play. It has a 1.8in LCD screen and speakers.
The talks
More and more skiers are heading off-piste, but few have any training in avalanche risks. The Ski Club of Great Britain is hosting a series of talks by mountain guides on the dangers of skiing off piste, how to recognise the warning signs and how to use avalanche transceivers. There are still places on the seminars, in branches of Snow and Rock on 27 November (Hemel Hempstead) and 5 December (Manchester). Tickets cost £2 with proceeds going to mountain rescue charities. Contact 0845 100 1000; snowandrock.com or skiclub.co.uk.
The hotel
The 11th Hotel du Vin (0845 365 4438; hotelduvin.com) opens in York on 26 November. The grade-II listed hotel is located on The Mount near the city centre and has a bistro with wine-tasting room, a champagne bar and 44 bedrooms. A special opening rate of £99 a room for midweek stays and £120 at weekends is available until the end of January (excluding Christmas and New Year).
The package
Immerse yourself in all things Egyptian with a visit to the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition at the O2 Centre followed by a stay at the Hilton London Docklands' (0870 590 9090; hilton.co.uk) unique Egyptian-themed room. Inspired by a visit to Queen Nefertari's lavish tomb, designer Venetia Laing has decked the room in rich fabrics, furnishings and wallpaper. The twin room costs from £159 per night and guests can enjoy a three-course meal from an Egyptian menu.
The sun deal
Catch some winter sun in the Caribbean before it gets too pricey. BA Holidays (0870 243 3406; ba.com/caribbean) has seven nights at the four-star St James Club in Antigua from £745pp departing on 5 December. The package includes flights from Gatwick, transfers and room-only accommodation.
The snow deals
The snow is already falling in the Alps. Austria has been deluged, with many resorts opening ahead of schedule. Kitzbuhel's lifts open this weekend and BA Holidays (0870 243 3406; ba.com/travel) has a week at the four-star Sporthotel Reisch from £597pp, including flights to Salzburg. Ski Solutions (020 7471 7777; skisolutions.com) also has deals to Lech, where the lifts open on 1 December, but which is already under a deep blanket of snow.
The museum
The London Transport Museum in Covent Garden (020 7379 6344; ltmuseum.co.uk) reopens its doors on Thursday, following a two-year redesign. Children will be able to ride around in miniature London taxis, buses, tube trains and a riverboat, and drive a bus featuring lots of interactive exhibits. Actors dressed in Victorian costume will help to bring the exhibits alive, and cartoonist Steven Appleby has created transport-themed cartoons and a mural. All the old favourites, including the iconic Routemaster bus, will also be there. Entry is free for children under 16; adult tickets cost £8.
