It‘s indicative of the country’s character that an earthquake hit minutes after our plane landed. If ever there was a place that felt alive, this was it. I on the other hand felt quite literally close to death. An excellent start.

For 10 days in July, the Danish capital becomes the ultimate destination for jazzheads. This musical celebration sees the jazz world’s finest getting busy in all manner of places, from the much-loved Tivoli Gardens to the local bus…

Ants, mosquitos, dirt and dodgy roadside food - all the hallmarks of the kind of travel I want nothing to do with any more. 

As with members of the opposite sex, we all fall in love with cities for different, and sometimes inexplicable reasons. UJ’s pick of the travel guides should see you through the most turbulent of relationships.

For escapist entertainment on a truly grand scale, Verona Opera Festival is perfect. Located in a Roman amphitheatre, it offers spectacle, star quality, and opera as it should be – big and beautiful.

I’m not always this greedy. Really. But when I’m on holiday, all that sharing and caring rubbish goes clean out the window. The whole point is to make it as special as possible, for me, without a bunch of randoms getting in the way of all that luxury.