Where to find the world's best natural swimming pool
Perched on the precipice on the Zambian side of the mighty Victoria Falls is the most unlikely of idylls - a natural swimming pool within touching distance of the 'devil's cascade', the fiercest torrent of them all. One false move and over you go.
If you are feeling brave, you can clamber onto the basalt ledge and watch as the water spills over and in a split-second gathers madcap momentum to pound the rocks a staggering 100m below. The sound is deafening.
David Livingstone discovered the falls in 1855, and a trip to the secluded Livingstone Island, the spot where he first saw them, is not complete without an exhilarating dive into its crystal clear rock pool. When you pose for the guide as he snaps your daredevil antics, cast a boastful glance at the gobsmacked crowds on the far side of the gorge.
The luxurious high tea - very Out Of Africa - that follows is a gargantuan feast of shortbread and sandwiches. Sip on a cold glass of semillon as you admire the multiple rainbows that arch across the spray. This is the only way to appreciate the most ferocious of the world's seven wonders - with a splash.
· A visit to the pool and high tea are included on daily Livingstone Island tours bookable locally. See www.afrizim.com for a typical itinerary.
How to get an emergency passport
For the inefficient would-be traveller who has failed to realise their passport is two years out of date, there is an alternative to full-scale despair.
First, ring 0870 521 0410 and plead your case to the civil servant on the end of the line. The all-new Identity and Passport Service, the agency that replaced the old UK Passport Service on 1 April, has the power to spare you widespread ridicule and disdain from friends and family.
If deemed a suitable case, you'll be given an appointment for its same-day service. This guarantees you a new passport while you wait, if you deliver your documentation in person to your nearest IPS office.
Otherwise you'll be given an appointment for a fast-track passport, which guarantees that your new one will be sent to you by secure delivery in a week, though that target does exclude bank and public holidays.
If you've lost your passport or never had one in the first place, then a same-day passport is out of the question, but you can try to get a one-week passport, though to do this you must deliver your birth certificate and countersigned photos (remember not to smile) and - if your passport is lost or stolen - an LS01 form, available online and from various places, including police stations.
In all cases, your lack of foresight will cost you. The fees are £96.50 for the same-day service and £77.50 for the one-week sort, including application fee.
If it's a real emergency - if you are dealing with a death, for example - the man at the passport office says they do their best to help, although they don't advertise this on their website, www.passport.gov.uk.
Which airline does the best food?
Hurrah for Jet Airways! The Indian airline has proved that it is possible to mass-produce airline food - even for us lowly economy passengers - that is tasty, plentiful and better than you could cook at home. They even offer second helpings. As soon as you board the plane, you will receive an in-flight menu card detailing your food choices for the flight. There are four options for your main meal - an Indian and non-Indian menu, both with vegetarian options.
On a recent Mumbai-London flight, you could feast on salad, paratha bread, curry, raita and an Indian dessert. There are also half-time snacks (a beer and two hot samosas) and then an equally delicious light meal at the end of the flight: a curried chicken naan bread wrap with salad. Delicious. What's more the alcohol is plentiful with a good selection of wines from Australia. And with fares from London to Mumbai and New Delhi from £315 return (excluding taxes and fuel charges) it is not bad value either.
(08000 265626; www.jetairways.com)
