If Turkish food experiences can sometimes feel uniform in cities like London, New York and Berlin, a trip to Istanbul is like the culinary equivalent of choosing the red pill. For a start, you can eat adana kebab and doner that will expand your notion of their possibilities – but it won’t stop there. You’ll learn about the ubiquity of mussels – stuffed and fried; mackerel wraps you’ll want to try making at home; intricately layered boreks; and rotating around horizontal spits, a lamb offal delight called kokoreç, which, when finely chopped and stuffed between a crusty loaf, may well be a contender for the world’s most flavoursome sandwich.

The pull of the sun-licked Riviera has barely faltered since the 1950s. All iridescent coves and haute hedonism, this irresistible chunk of coast – running all the way from Toulon down to Tuscany – simply screams summer. From the oft-forgotten spots and scene-stealing big hitters, to the routes between them by road, rail and sea, here’s how to squeeze every last drop out of your trip…

A week on the Yoff Beach in the north of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, was a fine start to a recent six-month trip that encompassed Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia. For those unfamiliar with travel in Africa, Senegal can represent a useful introduction to time spent on the west coast. It is one of the more economically stable sub-Saharan countries. It had a relatively clean transition from French colonial rule and has not seen a post-colonial coup. This predominantly Muslim country is peaceful. It also has those SEO-grabbing qualities that people look for in a travel destination, wherever it may be.

What influences you most when you book a holiday? Is it the food? The scenery or nature? Perhaps it’s a bit of history and culture you need. Or maybe it’s deep blue sea on your doorstep. The Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast, comprises 620 miles of beach, Aegean and Mediterranean waters and mountains on the southwest coast of Turkey – and it delivers all of the above. The town of Belek boasts pine forests and archaeological sites, including the Roman amphitheatre at Aspendos. Kemer, on the other side of the city of Antalya, also has its fair share of Greco-Roman ruins and the spectacular Olympos Beydağları National Park. And let’s not forget the delights of Turkish cuisine.

If Turkish food experiences can sometimes feel uniform in cities like London, New York and Berlin, a trip to Istanbul is like the culinary equivalent of choosing the red pill. For a start, you can eat adana kebab and doner that will expand your notion of their possibilities – but it won’t stop there. You’ll learn about the ubiquity of mussels – stuffed and fried; mackerel wraps you’ll want to try making at home; intricately layered boreks; and rotating around horizontal spits, a lamb offal delight called kokoreç, which, when finely chopped and stuffed between a crusty loaf, may well be a contender for the world’s most flavoursome sandwich.

The pull of the sun-licked Riviera has barely faltered since the 1950s. All iridescent coves and haute hedonism, this irresistible chunk of coast – running all the way from Toulon down to Tuscany – simply screams summer. From the oft-forgotten spots and scene-stealing big hitters, to the routes between them by road, rail and sea, here’s how to squeeze every last drop out of your trip…