IF you go down to the woods in Lithuania’s Zemaitija National Park you’re in for a big surprise. You can take in the fresh country air or sit by one of the many beautiful lakes.

FROM former staunch communist strongholds to the two latest members of the EU, Bulgaria and Romania have a lot to offer.

A STROLL in the sewers isn’t a normal tourist attraction – unless they are those of Vienna, immortalised in The Third Man. Cate Hope sees the underside of Austria’s capital.

PAUL GOGARTY offers a taste of what people may see offshore on a whale-spotting expedition to New Zealand.

MORE than 100 years ago, artist Paul Gauguin brought fame to the remote islands of French Polynesia. Jill Hartley retraces his steps to the land that so inspired him.

THE Cook Islands comprise an archipelago of some 15 islets, mainly of volcanic origin, scattered over an area the size of India and set in the South Pacific.

If you are planning the long-promised vacation Down Under, there are some experiences you shouldn't miss.

Leaning back on a well-padded rattan sofa, I gazed lazily at the green river banks slipping by and the waving sugar cane in the distance.

If you thought Nicaragua was just volcanoes and revolution, then think again. Paul Mansfield receives a warm welcome and is charmed by the Latin American gem

Alison Harvey journeys through South America from Argentina to Chile in the treadmarks of Ché Guevara, portrayed in the hit film The Motorcycle Diaries.