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Hilton Park, Co Monaghan

10 best: Valentine's Day escapes

From cosy hot-air balloon rides for two and Champagne by cottage fires to a romantic foodie feast, we’ve tracked down the top getaways around the country for February 14.

Maldives magic

By Pol O Conghaile

I'm diving off a reef in the Maldives, floating among colours you wouldn't see in a packet of Skittles, when my world is turned on its head. A huge manta ray glides into focus. Its wings are angelic. Its huge mouth scoops up tiny threads of plankton. Its white belly, its radiator gills, its long, thinning tail steal by like a bird on a thermal. And then, just as mysteriously, it's gone.

48 hours in: Geneva

By Nicholas Murray

This 'Rome of Protestantism' stands amid dramatic peaks and breathes opulence and artistic expression, writes Nicholas Murray

Argentina: Time to raise the steaks

By Sophie Linehan

At this stage, I have come to accept that Christmas, though very enjoyable, really only serves to highlight just how miserable January is, and so, with that in mind, this year I fled. And where do people in the movies go when they flee? South America, of course.

Why Haiti needs tourists

By Gemma O'DOherty

There's been a lot of tut-tutting from the politically correct brigade about holidaymakers who have the gall to go to Haiti in the aftermath of its cataclysmic earthquake. How distasteful, they sniff, to want to bask on a beach sipping Pina Coladas when, just an hour down the road, its capital city lies in ruin and families are still searching for their dead.

Forte years on resort is still young at heart

By Sarah Caden

If I had to pick a highlight, it might be the spaghetti alle vongole, but only if I really had to. Because there are a lot of highlights to choose from. The spaghetti and clams shared with the toddler in the beachfront restaurant that became our daily haunt was lovely, but there was also the near-perfect beach, the nightly feast of Sardinian pastas and ice cream, the bubbly on the balcony, the leisurely breakfast ... this was a holiday with many elements.

The best of Ireland

By John and Sally McKenna

From coffee shops and cupcakes to bistros and butchers, John and Sally McKenna have scoured the country to bring you their top choices in a new guide. Here's a sneak preview...

48 hours in: Berlin

By Mick Webb

As the German capital prepares for the Long Night of the Museums festival, extend your enjoyment of the city, writes Mick Webb

Weekend away: Culloden hotel Holywood Belfast

By Kim Bielenberg

First impressions

Jewel of Jordan

By Michael Hinch

Nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of Petra, Jordan's most-famous ancient wonder. Carved out of soaring sandstone rock, this "rose-red city half as old as time", with its magical tombs and temples, is without doubt one of the most remarkable sights in the Middle East.

Inside Travel

The Complete Guide to the ski Season

Take a peek inside P�l � Conghaile's ultimate guide to the slopes this winter .

10 best New York bolt-holes

Boutique hotel gurus Mr & Mrs Smith reveal their 10 favourite hotels to bed down in the city that never sleeps, with rooms starting from €117 a night.

Walk of the week: Fairy castle Dublin mountains

The three grey granite rocks in the foreground broke through the waves of frosty moor grass, like humpback whales about to breach. In the distance another wave of mountain, slate-blue and seamed with white, rolled to the horizon where white snow-clouds billowed.