Escapism
The Tasmanian tourist board (discovertasmania.co.uk) is hoping this weekend's UK release of new Willem Dafoe film The Hunter, in which he plays the employee of a biotech company sent to the Aussie island to capture the last Tasmanian tiger, will attract more visitors. The thriller showcases Tasmania's spectacular scenery, even if the local loggers aren't depicted as the friendliest bunch …
Travel trend
Stylish Hotel Indigo (hotelindigo newcastle.co.uk, doubles from £99 B&B) in Newcastle has swapped Gideon Bibles on bedside tables for Kindles loaded with the text. You will also be able to download other works to it, inspired perhaps by the nearby Literary & Philosophical Society, the largest independent library outside London. The hotel claims to be the first in the world to do this.
Glamp watch
Yep, another new camping-related made-up word – the Glamavan is a renovated vintage caravan with pink 1950s kitchen cupboards and Cath Kidston furnishings, sleeping five, from £70 a night, at a site in Llandysul, west Wales.
• organicholidays.co.uk
Weird world
Channel your inner oil magnate on a new tour of the oilfields of North Dakota. The two-day Bakken Field Tour costs $325, including a workshop on energy services, development and drilling, and an 11-hour bus tour. It's aimed at tourists and locals as well as business investors.
• bakkenfieldtour.com
What's new?
Attraction
The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland has a new £18.5m visitors' centre, with a facade made of columns of local basalt – a nod to the natural wonder's 40,000 hexagonal basalt stones. There are panoramic views of the dramatic County Antrim coastline from its grass roof, and exhibitions about the myths and the science behind the causeway. Tickets cost £8.50 adult, £4.25 child.
• nationaltrust.org.uk/giantscauseway
Website
The Blink Collective (blinkcollective.com/all/experiences) compiles the services of dozens of firms offering unusual experiences – from a cinematography course using vintage 35mm cameras to escapology and fire-eating lessons.
Food festivals
If you're in London next weekend, try some tasty treats at the Vietnam Summer Festival (vietnamsummerfestival.com) on 14 July at Spitalfields (11am-6pm); or on 14 and 15 July, head to the South Bank for Riojan wines and tapas on the South Bank (riojatapasfantasticas.co.uk). From 13-15 July is the Foodies Festival in Bristol (foodiesfestival.com) and the North East Food & Drink Festival (deliciousfestival.co.uk/whats-on) next Saturday and Sunday. On 13 and 14 July Plymouth Beer Festival (plymouthcamra.co.uk/2011/festival.php) will see a few glasses raised, and the massive Birmingham Food Fest (visitbirmingham.com/what-to-do/birmingham-food-fest-2012) is on 13-19 July.
