The family trip
If World Cup fever has your kids in its grip, you could take them to a Eurocamp (0870 366 7552; Eurocamp.co.uk) soccer school. The free sessions last two and a half hours and are divided into age ranges of 5-7 years, 8-12 and 13-16. They run from 26 June to 1 September at the Chateau des Ormes at Dol-de-Bretagne in Brittany and La Garangeoire at St Julien-des-Landes in the Vendee. Prices from £714 for two adults and three children sharing a mobile home, including ferry crossing from the UK.
The safari
Rose Jere, Zambia's first fully qualified woman safari guide, will introduce you to leopards, lions, giraffe and wildebeest on a 13-day safari exploring South Luangwa National Park in Zambia with Wildlife Worldwide (0845 130 6982; Wildlifeworldwide.com). Until 14 July it costs £2,395 instead of the usual rate of £2,995pp, and includes flights, accommodation and all meals.
The flight
The Cape Verde islands, which lie 400 miles off the west coast of Africa, are being hyped as the Next Big Destination. The first direct flights there will be launched in November by Astraeus (01293 819 8000; Flyastraeus.com), which will fly weekly from Gatwick and Manchester. It takes around six hours to get there, and returns cost from £329.
The gap year
The Year Out Group (01380 816696; Yearoutgroup.org) has launched a series of courses so gap-year travellers can learn a new skill while exploring the world. An 18-week professional yachtmaster traineeship in the UK, Australia and New Zealand costs £10,990pp and includes flights and accommodation, or they could train to work as a chef in the ski and travel industries, which have a shortage of qualified cooks, at the UK's Tante Marie School of Cookery, four weeks cost £2,245.
The book
No Holiday: 80 Places You Don't Want To Visit turns the traditional travel guide on its head. From Murdering Creek in Australia where aborigines were massacred, to the polluted shores of the Aral Sea, Martin Cohen aims to uncover the suffering that hides behind the scenes of global tourism. It is published by the Disinformation Company on 6 July. To order a copy for £8.99 with free UK p&p go to Observer.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0885.
The website
A new web-based portfolio of 244 luxury pads in hotels in London, Berlin and Florence has been launched by TT Serviced Apartments (0870 345 6550; ttapartments.com). They combine usual hotel facilities and services with the added comforts of home, such as private kitchen facilities (complete with fully stocked fridge).
The hotel
London's Dorset Square Hotel (020 7723 7874; Dorsetsquare.co.uk) is supporting Dorset by using food and drinks from local farmers and producers on its menus, including the local blue vinny cheese, and is encouraging foreign travellers to visit the county.
The product
Squeeze more into your suitcase with compression bags from Pack-Mate (0800 652 7730; Packmate.co.uk). They squeeze clothes down to as little as 25 per cent of their original bulk, using the vacuum-pack principle. Some bags are simply rolled up, others use a vacuum cleaner to suck out the air. From £10.99.
