Travel agenda: From Dumfries & Galloway's Wild Spring Festival to a 53-day world tour by train
Where to go and what to know
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Your support makes all the difference.1. Rio roost
Villa No. 174 soft-launched last summer on top of Santa Teresa hill in Rio and is due to open officially in June when the World Cup begins. The four-suite hotel occupies an old mansion surrounded by tropical gardens. There's also a pool and a resident parrot named Nino da Costa. From €300.
2. Spring watch
From 5 April to 5 May, Dumfries & Galloway hosts its Wild Spring Festival, with 100 family events to help celebrate the season. Wildlife watchers will be encouraged to look out for 39 bird, insect, mammal and fish species – including puffins and basking sharks – with local guides on hand to help.
3. Port of call
Next month, Mallorca gets a new design hotel in the shape of OD Port Portals. The name refers to the hotel's position on Puerto Portals – an exclusive marina on the south-east coast, that brims with bars and restaurants. It's also close to the island's capital, Palma. From €100.
4. Grand tour
Great Rail Journeys has a 53-day world tour on 18 May that travels by train, plane and bus from London across the US, China, Russia and Europe. Highlights include New York, Shanghai, the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Five-star hotels and meals are included in the price of £21,995 per person.
5. Adriatic ace
Thomson's Kalamota Island Resort opens in Croatia on 4 May. The adults-only, all-inclusive property is located on the traffic-free Adriatic island of Kolocep. It will offer a four times daily boat transfer to Dubrovnik and an al fresco bar, with Balinese day beds. Weekly from £554pp with flights.
6. Local flavour
Urban Adventures has a new range of "Home Cooked" half-day tours in the southern Indian city of Cochin, the Romanian capital Bucharest and the Silk Road city of Samarkand. Travellers are invited to see how typical dishes are prepared, before eating. The tours cost US$25-$49pp (£17-£33) .
7. Southern star
The southernmost city in the world gets a new hotel from May when Arakur opens in Ushuaia. Raised on a hillside overlooking the capital of Argentina's remote Tierra del Fuego region, it will offer rooms with views of the Beagle Channel and an indoor pool. From US$263/£175.
8. Buddy up
Friends in Amsterdam is a new service that aims to highlight the city's hotspots. The team behind it meets guests on arrival before suggesting what to visit (and what to avoid). The company will arrange fast-track entrance tickets, bike tours, restaurant bookings and more. From €40.
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