A friend in South Africa wants to come to London for a few weeks in the summer. This sort of letting has become increasingly popular in the capital over the last few years, and a surprising number of agents have sprung up to meet the demand. They deal in properties ranging from basic bedsits to luxurious flats. You'll find there is something to suit most travellers. Holiday Serviced Apartments, based in central London, rents places nightly or weekly.
Prices often vary according to season.
Cruising Chile's fjords I've been recommended by a friend to take a boat trip through the Chilean fjords. Harvey Williams, email The ferry trip, which runs from Puerto Montt in the Chilean Lake District to Puerto Natales in Patagonia, takes you through some of the continent's most breathtaking scenery. En route, you'll pass glaciers, waterfalls, isolated fishing communities, and if you're lucky have dolphins and seals for company along the way. The trip on the Puerto Eden, a cargo and passenger ferry, takes four days and three nights and is a brilliant introduction to the natural wonders of the tip of South America. It's also a great way to meet fellow travellers heading on into the Torres del Paine national park.