Global Village: Model Gisele Bundchen chills in Costa Rica

The Brazilian model is the proud owner of a house in Costa Rica, along with her husband, American footballer husband Tom Brady, and the couple regularly visit the Central American country next to Panama and the Caribbean Sea.

This summer they were spotted, along with their young children, Vivian and Benjamin, out and about enjoying the many tropical beaches along the coast - you can travel from coast to coast in just three hours by car (or 45 minutes by plane).

Costa Rica is a popular honeymoon destination, and the newly loved-up can go sailing around the coast, or take diving classes or go kayaking in the year-round warm waters.

visitcostarica.com

What tops the hand-luggage hit list

London is a very popular choice for a city break, so it’s well worth noting that staff at London City Airport are warning passengers to be mindful of any souvenirs they plan on buying.

In the first six months of this year, 72 snow globes were confiscated from the hand luggage of passengers departing from London City, making it the most confiscated non-food related item. The top 10 items which were confiscated from passengers from January to June this year at London City Airport were:

1. Jams and preserves (including lots of lemon curd)

2. Snow globes

3. Wine

4. Vodka

5. Body lotion/hand cream

6. Whiskey

7. Tennis racquets

8. Scissors

9. Footballs

10. Champagne.

Doodle your way to a happy journey

The Usborne Travel Pocket Doodling and Colouring Book is a handy pocket-sized book jam-packed with doodling, drawing and colouring activities perfect for keeping children occupied on long journeys.

Interestingly, a new report has found that French women use colouring in pictures with crayons as a method of calming themselves down in times of stress, and for reducing anxiety.

French publishers have started marketing colouring books specifically at adults — replacing pictures of kittens and clowns with images of scenery and architecture.

In fact, colouring books now sell more than cookery books in France.

The Usborne Travel Pocket Doodling and Colouring Book costs €6.

usborne.com

Fear and fun in South America

“Here was a white man with 12 Yankee dollars in his pocket ... hauling a typewriter, grinning, sweating, no hope of speaking the language, no place to stay,” wrote Hunter S. Thompson in 1962 of the start of his yearlong trip across South America in search of inspiration for his writings.

The Footloose American; Following the Hunter S. Thompson Trail Across South America, by journalist Brian Kevin, captures the eventful journey made by of the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

It’s published by Random House.