If your dream holiday is a cruise, and your passport is up to date, then here’s news of some great last minute bargains being offered through Mature Times from one of the most respected operators, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

 BBC presenter Steve Carver spends much of his time in Nepal where he runs Angel Holidays – an ethical holiday company that takes travellers on a two week journey around Nepal, visiting ancient cities, staying in the jungle, and  trekking in the Himalayas; whilst also raising money for a local orphanage.

Steve presents travel and other documentaries for BBC Radio Four and the World Service.

A visit to the States, for most of us, means the traditional tourist spots of Florida, New York or perhaps California. But if you want to see the real heart of the country and discover how the majority of its people live, and used to live, then the place to go is Missouri.

 Forget traditional  package deals; a new report has confirmed that British travellers planning breaks in 2009 holidaymakers seek a deeper experience when they travel abroad than the customary fortnight in the sun.

The gap travel market is now big business. And the biggest growth is being seen amongst older 'gappers', who are currently spending an astonishing £1billion each year. 

The tropical vegetation and rich wildlife of Costa Rica make it a fascinating place to visit. But there's much more to the Central American country than flora and fauna, as Nigel Heath discovers.

Of all the popular holiday resorts, few can have such a varied – and frankly different! – geography as Lanzarote. One of the main Canary Islands and just 60 miles off the coast of Africa, it was created by a series of volcanic eruptions, the last in 1824, and this has endowed parts of the island with a moonlike landscape – most notably in the area of the Timanfaya National Park. The government has protected the nature of the island well: In 1993 UNESCO declared it a "World Biosphere Reserve”.