Sunday Mirror

Why Croatia's the Coolest

Unspoiled beaches & family fun are just a short flight away CHIC AT THE PRICE

Wish You Were.. Here?

1. A'jia Hotel LYING on the Bosphorus Straits, the mesmerising stretch of water that separates Europe and Asia, the A'jia is a serene blend of both old and new. An imposing mansion built in the Turkish Ottoman era for a pasha, there's a streamlined quality to the hotel these days, from the cool, collected all-white bathrooms to spacious bedrooms and balconies. A private boat can whisk you around Istanbul and then back to the hotel's bar and restaurant for the ultimate in romance.

Holidays

Top 10 ..Long Haul Hols ; Take Advantage of Credit Crunch Bargains to Visit Those Exotic Faraway Places You've Always Dreamed About.

To book today or for more Travel Top 10 ideas simply go to www.sundaymirror.co.uk/travel/top10 1. THAILAND

Your Holiday Pounds

Uk Days Out

ENGLAND TODAY There's a Victorian fair as well as cooking lessons for kids and cocktail tips for adults at the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival. Tickets cost pounds 5, under 16s free. More info at www. nantwichfoodfestival.co.uk September 26-27 Go back to 1066 for a re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings on the site of the action. Entrance is pounds 10 for adults, children pounds 5, family ticket pounds 25. More info at www.english-heritage.org.uk or call 0870 333 1183.

Cruise News

EASYCRUISE are offering a value-for-money short break to Greece for four nights departing in October from pounds 409pp. See the new Acropolis Museum in Athens before the three-night cruise around the Aegean Islands, calling at the Cyclades, Crete and Kusadasi. The price is based on two sharing and includes flights from Gatwick, a night in Athens and three nights' cruise accommodation. Details: 0800 298 7380, quoting easyCruise. SARAH WHITFIELD KING

Travel Update

TO celebrate its first birthday, Virgin Hip Hotels has slashed the prices of some of its ritziest breaks. Six nights at More Quarters in Cape Town costs pounds 1,111pp, as does a fivenight post- Christmas break at the Carlyle Hotel in New York. More details on www.vhiphotels.co.uk or call 0844 573 2460. DUTCH low-cost carrier Transavia is launching a new route from Gatwick to Rotterdam from November 2. Flying twice daily, flights start at pounds 46 one way. Book at www transavia. com or call ...

To Sur with Love ; From Wine Tasting to Whale Watching, There's Plenty to Do On the California Coast

"NOT laughing so much now, are you?" muttered Mike the watersports instructor in my ear, five seconds before I hit the water for the first time. Emerging colder, wetter and with a coating of kelp, I certainly wasn't - but it served me absolutely right.

Inside Guide

A blast from the past for husband MY husband did his National Service at Wolfenbuttel in Germany between 1955-57. He'd love to go back. Do you know if the British Army would let us visit? - Sylvia Flood, by email.

Korcooler ; for a Chilled-Out Family Break, Head for the New Place in Croatia.. Korcula

STAYCATIONS might be the trendy way to holiday this year - but frankly, I'm sick of them. As a single mum of two, I've been holidaying in the UKfor a while because going abroad - with no husband to rub on the sun cream and take over when I want a siesta - sounded too much like hard work.

Between the Sheets ; Inside Our Hotel of the Week

THE KNIGHT RESIDENCE, EDINBURGH Where and why This is one of the new breed of apartment hotels and is a stone's throw from Edinburgh Grassmarket, in the shadow of the castle. It bills itself as luxury - and lives up to it. We stayed in a pristine three-bedroomed top-floor apartment with a fully-equipped kitchen and comfy lounge - and every mod con conceivable. The great thing about an ApartHotel is you can take your kids away without messing up their nighttime routine. You just put them to be...

Win the Holiday of a Lifetime in La

WE have teamed up with Universal Pictures UK to jet one lucky reader and a friend to LA to experience a Fast & Furious holiday of a lifetime. The winner gets a seven-night stay with flights and accommodation. But better still, they will get the ultimate adrenaline rush: stunt driving at a top LA driving school! They will get the chance to learn to do terrifying stunts, perform the "Hollywood 180" and "power slide" with some of the best stunt drivers in the world, on the track featured in one ...

Deals of the Week

SHORT HAUL Fuerteventura from pounds 280pp STAY on the sun- kissed island in the Canaries, with a week from pounds 199pp when three share at three-star Broncemar Beach Hotel in Caleta De Fuste on half-board. Fly from Manchester on October 13 (www.directholidays.co.uk or 0871 664 7764). Cyprus for pounds 615pp PAY pounds 615 for a week full-board for the price of half-board at Sunrise Beach Hotel, Protaras, Cyprus, from October 17, with flights (www.olympicholidays.com or 0844 576 2386). LONG ...

The Wonder Wall ; You Can't Fail to Fall for Berlin & Its Landmarks

WHY GO THERE? TWENTY years ago, the world watched in amazement as the Berlin Wall finally came down. The longest remaining piece of wall is now known as the East Side Gallery, which is covered by the works of many international artists. MUST-SEES AND DOS START with the city's iconic landmark, the Brandenburg Gate.

Offer ; Save On Strawberries

Do It! ; Jobs for the Week

Easy Add instant impact to flowerbeds with Japanese anemones. Plant them in front of early-flowering varieties to cover their tatty foliage as the border fades.

Berried Treasure ; Each Season in the Garden Offers a New Jewellery Box of Treasure. Try These Berry-Bearers to Give Yourself a Glorious Autumn Display...

SORBUS (main picture) FINELY cut foliage, pearly-white spring blossom, good autumn colour and berries. What more could you ask of a garden tree? Sorbus Joseph Rock has a small stature and distinctive silhouette - perfect for a suburban garden.

Expert Advice

Christmas rose didn't live up to its name.. why not? LAST year I bought a Christmas rose - but it didn't flower until January. Can I do anything to ensure a display at the right time? - Kristin Barker, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks

Win 42in Hd Tv, a Freesat Box and Satellite Dish ; All with Installation!

THIS summer we teamed up with Freesat and turned an entire road in Doncaster into "Freesat Street" when lucky reader Roy Ingram won Freesat HDTV and HD digital boxes to be installed for him and FIFTY of his neighbours. And now we're giving YOU the chance to have all your digital switchover worries sorted out as well.