Escapism

In Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) in south-east India, a new hotel, Pondy 2, reflects the city's French colonial heritage. It's one of a crop of new hotels in India's Western Ghats, Puducherry and Cochin being offered by Western & Oriental (020-7666 1234, wandotravel.com), and has doubles from £115 a night.

Travel trend

The trend for survival skills holidays continues apace. Ray Mears has a bushcraft school (raymears.com) and now Bear Grylls has one too. The first course is in the Scottish Highlands and includes building shelters and foraging for grubs (though none are taught by him).
• £2,999pp for six days, starting 3 November, including accommodation, meals and knife, beargryllssurvivalacademy.com

Travel trash

Camping and caravanning are still do-able in autumn, as long as you stay cosy. This two-person sleeping bag from Coleman might do the trick – the Hampton Double is oversized, with a flannel lining, and zips on both sides.
• £79.99, coleman.eu

Cheap date

Bridge The World (0800 988 6884, bridgetheworld.com) has some autumnal deals on long-haul trips, such as 10 nights in Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket, and return flights from Heathrow from £699, for departures before 31 October. Meanwhile, STA Travel (0800 988 0390, statravel.co.uk) has discounted flights to Australia for around £800 until mid-December.

Bangers, beer and boar: the best autumn food festivals

Sausages have been one of the year's surprise food trends, with the likes of Bubbledogs (bubbledogs.co.uk) in London serving only hotdogs and champagne to hip young things. Just as tasty is the Beer and Bangers festival (beernbangers.com) near Millom in the Lake District this weekend, showcasing local ales and cumberland sausages. Cornwall's Falmouth Oyster Festival (falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk) 11-14 Octobercould provide the shuck of your life, alongside masterclasses and fishing boat races.

In Cheshire, the North West Food Lovers Festival (nwfoodlovers festival.com) comes to Knutsford on 19-21 October, with 120 stalls and celebrity chef demonstrations from Simon Rimmer and Andrew Nutter, and classes for kids. The Good Food Show Scotland (glasgow.bbcgoodfoodshow.com), 19-21 October, will feature our Travel columnist and MasterChef winner Emma Kennedy battling it out on stage in Glasgow. The 10th Dartmouth Food Festival in Devon (dartmouthfoodfestival.com) brings Mitch Tonks, Manna from Devon and more top local chefs and producers to the harbour on 26-28 October.

Gwledd Conwy Feast (gwledd conwyfeast.co.uk) is one of the best in Wales, taking place on 27-28 October, with some quirky additions such as a mobile phone-led trail around food and drink heritage sites. Rye in East Sussex is returning to its medieval roots during Wild Boar Week (27 October- 4 November, wildboar.org.uk). Pubs and restaurants are putting wild boar on their menus, shops and farmers' markets are selling the meat and there will be hog-themed parties, exhibitions and quizzes.

What's new?

Family
The Legoland Hotel at Legoland Windsor is running themed weekends this winter. The Ninjago weekend (16-17 November) includes model making and a Spinjitsu tournament, while elf workshops and Lego Christmas decorations feature in Santa Sleepovers (selected nights from 30 November to 23 December). There is also an Atlantis weekend, budget breaks between Christmas and New Year, and a New Year's Eve party.
• legoland.co.uk/hotel. One-night stays for four from £89, with park entry

Fitness
Boot camps are usually aimed at those wanting to kickstart an exercise regime, but Champneys in Hertfordshire has a new weekend for the super-fit. The Xtreme Boot Camp has six hours of intensive circuits, boxing, biking and assault courses a day, plus two cryotherapy sessions – a treatment used by elite athletes such as Mo Farah.
• champneys.com. Two nights from £350. First camp 26 October

Pop-up shop
The adventure tour operator Wild Frontiers, winners of the Guardian and Observer Travel Awards 2012 Ethical award last weekend, has set up a pop-up travel store in the iconic travel bookshop Stanfords in London's Covent Garden, 12-14 Acre Lane, until 1 November, with talks and events.
• wildfrontiers.co.uk/events