Travel

British men are spending a fortune to be crowned the owner of the country’s best man cave. More than 1,000 contestants have entered the UK Games Room of the Year competition - with some entrants spending thousands of pounds on their alpha-male renovations. Now, they've been whittled down to ten regional finalists, including two wild card entries. Features in the dens include snooker tables (top right), a football pitch (bottom right), games machines (inset and top left) and bars (bottom left). The winner with receive £3,000 cash and be crowned the proud owner of the best games room in the UK, 2017.

They are, of course, one of the most feared animals on earth. So it's perhaps not surprising that footage of a man's first-hand encounter with a great white shark makes for startling viewing. Anthony Kobrowisky was sailing in shark-infested waters off Gansbaai, South Africa, when he was greeted by the ferocious hunter - and captured the moment on his GoPro (pictured).

Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2018 book, whose sections include 'top 10 countries', 'top 10 regions' and 'top 10 cities', has also picked out Portugal, Djibouti, Alaska, Seville, Belfast and the Causeway Coast (bottom right) and Canberra (bottom left) as places you should make a beeline for - plus many more. One of Chile’s (top left) star attractions, according to the book, is its ‘ever-trendier capital’, Santiago, which it enthuses has been ‘turned into a gourmand’s playground in recent years’ and Lonely Planet insists that ‘after decades of neglect, Detroit (top right) 'is rolling again'.

La Maison D'Ulysse – a former fortified farmhouse near the stunning citadels of Avignon and Nimes - has been transformed into a boutique hotel of considerable delightfulness. The garden, designed and tended to by co-owner Gauthier, sits amid a beguilingly higgledy-piggledy building that has rustic charm in spades, writes Ted Thornhill. Tranquility is more or less guaranteed because not only is the village it's in minuscule, but there are only nine bedrooms at La Maison D'Ulysse. And each one is utterly individual. There are comfortingly crumbly parts - where leaves sprawl across cracked stonework that has weathered the elements since the 16th century, when the house was built - stone flagstones and passageways, vaulted ceilings and ancient beams aplenty.

A mum and daughter have slammed Thomson over ‘cold, inedible’ food on their £1,150 all-inclusive holiday - where a microwave was apparently placed in the dining room below a ‘just in case’ sign (left). Carol Morley and her daughter Emma (inset bottom), from Edinburgh, had booked an all-inclusive holiday at the Globales Playa Santa Posa in Majorca, Spain. But the venue's restaurant was closed and they were forced to dine in a sister venue next door (inset top), which offered guests the microwave and 'inedible' food (right).

Called ‘Under’, the restaurant has been designed by the Snohetta agency and will be located at the southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline by the village of Baly. The structure, Snohetta says, will ‘surface to lie against the craggy shoreline. The structure will become a part of its marine environment, coming to rest directly on the sea bed five meters below the water’s surface’. Diners need have no fear of the walls caving in, because they’re a metre thick. And the structure, it’s hoped, will become a reef for mussels

EXCLUSIVE: They say you've got to speculate to accumulate - but sometimes, not by much, as a new competition proves. It's offering entrants the chance to win a stunning, once-in-a-lifetime prize of epic proportions - in exchange for a mere $2 (£1.50) entry fee. The eye-popping draw, by jewellery retailer V Diamonds, will see the lucky winner receive an 18-course dinner by Michelin-starred Singapore restaurant Jaan (top right), served on board a $30million (£22million) private jet as it flies above Asia (top left). The prize also includes a trip on a luxury yacht (bottom left) and the dinner will be eaten using diamond-encrusted chopsticks worth $34,000 (bottom right), which will be gifted to the guests. Those entering the competition are asked to pay between $2-3 for a fragment of a 2.08 carat fancy vivid blue diamond called the Jane Seymour (inset), which is inspired and endorsed by the Bond actress. Each fragment gives every entrant one chance of winning the prize.

The sleeping quarters presented here are the 10 nominees for being named World’s Sexiest Bedroom by Mr & Mrs Smith, the travel club for lovers of extremely ship-shape hotels. It has to be said that the judges – staff at Mr & Mrs Smith and experts including fashion designer Olivia von Halle and Molly Guy, the creative director of wedding site Stone Fox Bride – have got their work cut out. The list includes a jaw-dropping suite carved into a Spanish cliff-face (top left), an opulent boudoir in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower and a retreat in the Maldives with a retractable roof and private water slide (top right). There’s also a luxury lodge in South Africa that turns the wow levels up to 11 (bottom right) and a beach-front villa in Indonesia that has a four-poster kings-sized bed and outdoor shower (bottom left).

Most bed-and-breakfasts are modest affairs. So it's perhaps not surprising that a sprawling Cotswolds construction from 1320 has officially been crowned the UK's ultimate guesthouse, this week. The dramatic Abbots Grange, which is nestled in the lea of Broadway hill, was originally constructed for the Abbot of Pershore - and is now a heavenly guesthouse and officially an industry leader. Guests can expect four-poster beds (top left), roaring fires (bottom left), lounges (bottom right) and the 'world's most romantic suite' (top right).

It's often considered one of Europe's most stylish cities, so - keen to test this theory - The Daily Mail's Mark Palmer paid a visit to Stockholm's capital, Sweden. There, he found good design everywhere from his handy hotel bar to the opera house. Here, the 18th-century cut-glass chandeliers are a marvel. And if you do go to see a performance, expect to pay little more than £60 for seats in the Grand Circle.

The iconic car-maker has broken ground on a 66-storey waterfront tower in Downtown Miami, which is expected to be completed in 2021. Prices range from $600,000 to $8.5million for a ‘residence’ and from $14million to $50million for a penthouse. The rooms will have marble floors and custom-built kitchens and bathrooms. Situated on levels 52 to 55, are ‘Sky Amenities’ - for all residents to enjoy. The sky-high perks include everything from a double-level fitness center with a spinning studio, boxing gym and his & hers spa facilities to an art gallery, virtual golf room, two movie theaters, and a full-service beauty salon and barber shop. And the building will feature carbon fiber furniture and hand-stitched leather door tabs.

The basic igloo is, of course, made from carefully crafted snow blocks. But, thanks to the advent of technology, holiday-makers can experience a rather more luxury version in Finland. Levin Iglut Golden Crown has created 24 glass equivalents in Lapland, Finland's northernmost region, which allow guests to star-gaze without stepping outside (top left). They can also enjoy the Northern Lights (bottom right), motorised beds (inset) as well as stunning local scenery.

It's considered America's iconic camper van brand. But Airstream's latest product, the recently-unveiled Globetrotter, offers its loyal customers a refreshing European twist - with an interior design inspired by the continent. It's kitted-out with softer curves, cleaner lines and symmetrical features and boasts a fully-fitted kitchen (bottom right) and European fabric on the upholstery. The bedroom, meanwhile, comes with an adaptive mattress (bottom left).

They say dogs are a man's best friend. But, for one family, they can also be the perfect companion on adventure trails - as they prove by taking their beloved 10-stone Saint Bernard on weekly treks across the North West. The four-year-old canine, called Wilfred, has become something of a local celebrity for his expeditions, which include canoeing (top left) and hiking, everywhere from the Welsh valleys to the Lake District (all pictures except bottom right, which is in Yorkshire) - regardless of the weather.

The footage shows a hiker, with apparently no safety equipment whatsoever, casually walking along a very narrow ledge (main) to the top of a remote precipice (top right) in south Iceland, then swinging the camera around to reveal a stunning view of the Fjaorargljufur canyon (bottom right), where a huge river runs for two kilometres between dark cliffs around 100 metres (330ft) tall.

There's only one fitting way to describe these ancient pilgrimage routes running across Europe - and that is 'heavenly'. Acclaimed photographer Derry Brabbs from Yorkshire presents incredible images of sights across Europe in new book Pilgrimage - The Great Pilgrim Routes of Britain and Europe, which will take you through fields, over mountain ridges and inside magical churches. In total there are ten epic rambles covered in his new tome. Pictured: The imposing 14th-century Pont Valentre in France (top left), the tiny Romanesque chapel of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe (main image), a view of the Via Francigena route through Switzerland (top right), the town of San Gimignano in Tuscany (bottom right) and the small clifftop village of Rocamadour in south-central France (bottom left).

Boulder tops a list of 25 of America’s happiest cities, revealed in new book The Blue Zones of Happiness, by National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner. Along with National Geographic and Gallup, he developed an index to measure a population’s happiness based on 15 metrics including civic engagement, walkability and healthful food options. Boulder tops the list with walkability, access to nature and sense of community as contributing factors to its residents’ happiness. The metro area of Santa Cruz-Watsonville California came second in the list, followed by Charlottesville, Virginia, Fort Collins, Colorado, and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande in California.

A British family (left) were forced to sit next to a pool of sick during a four-hour flight - after cabin crew simply covered the mess with paper towels. Keeley Casewell, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was on the Jet2 flight home from Paphos, Cyprus, with her relatives when she noticed the vomit underneath her daughter’s seat (main) from a previous passenger. The 27-year-old, who jointly spent £8,000 on her break, claims the smell was ‘unbearable’ throughout the journey, ultimately distressing her children.

They usually strive to please passengers. But a team of AirAsia cabin crew decided to ditch their professionalism in favour of a bizarre plane prank, instead. Footage, filmed over the South China Sea, shows staff taking part in a strange 'moaning' competition over the commercial craft's PA system, while bemused travellers look on. Pictured inset left and right are Harry and Audrey, a couple from Chicago who filmed the audio atrocity. The main image shows the cabin crew at the front of the plane wailing into the PA system.

This quirky house gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'living in a cardboard box'. Designers in Amsterdam have created kit houses made out of cardboard, which can be put up in just a day. The Fiction Factory's Wikkelhouse is a recyclable abode that costs just £26,617 (€30,000).

A private plunge pool is one thing, but a plunge pool with a view like this is quite another. Oded David, from Israel, checked into the Dana Villas complex in Firostefani and he was blown away by the infinity pool he found in his room. Video footage, posted to YouTube , shows Oded walking through the bathroom in his swimming trunks before he goes through a secret door and wades through a tunnel of water to the outdoors, where a breathtaking sunset is waiting.

A woman has told how she decided to test one hotel's pet-friendly policy by checking her horse in. Lindsey Partridge from Pontypool, Ontario, took her dappled grey mare Blizz to the Super 8 hotel in Georgetown, Kentucky. Video footage shows the receptionist looking relatively unfazed as the four-legged creature walks in. She charges Lindsey $10 extra for the equine's stay.

The advent of social media has heaped pressure on holidaymakers to take better pictures. So one five-star venue in the Maldives has offered - in what's possibly a world first - some help, in the form of Instagram 'butlers'. These are knowledgeable team members who will show guests the very best places to take photographs and guide them around 'Instagram Trails', itineraries that take in some of the prime spots for envy-inducing image creation, from restaurants to dreamy atolls. The hotel in question is the five-star Conrad Hilton Resort (inset) on the island of Rangali. And the results, as MailOnline Travel reveals, are rather effective. Guests have already wowed followers with pictures on palm trees (top left), in an underwater restaurant (top right), swimming in the Indian Ocean (bottom left) and relaxing on a beach swing (bottom right).

Great Britain has never looked greater. The 11th edition of the Landscape Photographer of the Year book is out now and, just like the previous 10 editions before it, contains some of the most stunning images of Britain you’re ever likely to see. They are photographs that have a magnetic quality, drawing you hypnotically in. Here MailOnline Travel offers a jaw-dropping sneak peek at some of the images inside the tantalising tome. Pictured clockwise from top left: Porthcawl Lighthouse in South Wales; the Caban Coch Dam in the Elan Valley in Mid Wales; Buttermere, Cumbria, and the Grand Union Canal in the West Midlands.

The Sistine Chapel is, of course, home to the world's most famous ceiling. But, because it's part of the Vatican - which attracts millions of curious tourists each year - its beauty can never truly be appreciated in the quiet solitude it deserves. Fortunately, Italy also has the next best thing: The Grand Hotel Continental in Siena, which boasts epic overhead frescos of its own. 

The Canadian-made Track-N-Go ‘wheel driven track system’ can be installed in as little as five minutes. Amazing footage shows just how easy the system is to use, with pick-up trucks driving onto the tracks and off again in the blink of an eye – then speeding away across snowy landscapes.

Shocking footage has captured a brawl on an aircraft sparked by a drunk passenger who allegedly swore loudly and punched the woman he was travelling with. The clip shows the unidentified man eventually being restrained in his seat by passengers and crew. The dramatic incident took place on a journey from Turkey's Antalya Province to the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan earlier this month.

MailOnline Travel's Mark Porter drove through France, following in Napoleon's 1815 footsteps, from Golfe-Juan to Paris, in a Jaguar F-Type, taking in Michelin-starred restaurants and stunning Alpine scenery along the way. He passed through Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, the beautiful Parc Naturel Régional des Préalpes d'Azur, the stunning towns of Sisteron and Digne-les-Bains and he dined at the Michelin-starred Bonne Etape restaurant and Paris' acclaimed Le Comptoir, overseen by TV chef Yves Camdeborde.

They say a lot happens in a New York minute. So, even day-trips to Manhattan are always worth the effort - especially with Norwegian's new morning flight, says Peter Lloyd. To prove it, he hops on its 6.45am service from London Gatwick and, by 9.45am ET, was bitng chunks from the Big Apple. He explains why you should follow suit. Pictured are some of the highlights of the trip. After landing at JFK (top left), Peter lunches at The Knickerbocker (top middle), visits National Geographic's Ocean Odyssey (top right), goes shopping in Soho (bottom left), sips a cocktail at the Rainbow Room on the Rockefeller Center's 65th floor (bottom middle) and finally catches the 11pm red eye back to London (bottom right).

The slightly creepy set of pictures all show the footwear and legs of people in cubicles – and the items they have placed on the floor next to them. They were uploaded to U.S-based site Imgur and show a pair jeans (top left), a hand gun (top right), a hamburger and fries (bottom left) and a small dog (bottom right) on cubicle floors.

Throwing a fishing net into the water might sound easy, but to do it properly takes skill, as this video footage uploaded to U.S-based site Imgur reveals. It shows an unnamed fisherman in a park demonstrating how to throw a gigantic cast net and pulling off the technique with mesmerising grace and precision.

Meet the buff doctor in training who has been setting pulses racing on social media with his impressive physique and travels. Envy-inducing pictures show Matt Olesiak, 28, who works in the Greater New York area, performing impressive handstands all over the world. One shows him working out at the gym (left), while another sees him in his scrubs (bottom right). Other snaps show the Warsaw-born doctor making a splash in the Virgin Islands (top middle, bottom middle and top right).

It is the accommodation site that has changed the way we stay. And, clearly, part of Airbnb's international appeal is the wide variety of properties it offers - as some of its more unusual listings have proved, this week. Some of the platform's quirkier options have raised eyebrows for their unconventional approach to hospitality, ranging from a real gingerbread home (bottom, right), an abandoned plane (top, left), an old Umbrian tower (centre), a modern cabin in Iceland (bottom left) and an Italian trullo dating back to the 1800s (top right).

We all have different holiday objectives, but the wealth of choice can make decision-making overwhelming. Fortunately, the travel experts at Lonely Planet have created a literary road map that details the best places to work through your bucket list in the form of a beautiful coffee table book called The Cities Book - A Journey Through The Best Cities In The World. So, whether you're looking for clubbing, culture or child-friendly travel, the book pin-points precisely where you'll find it. Here's a sneak preview of what the stunning book reveals.

Most people love Halloween because it's their one chance, all year, to be someone else. And, as these fascinating images from 1970s America show, that's nothing new. From a demonic incarnation of The Pope to a devilish Dolly Parton, they reveal young men and women showing off their spirited creative streaks with aplomb. The photographs were all taken at yearly parties in Kennett, Missouri, and the outfits range from the surprisingly innocent to costumes most would consider highly inappropriate, such as Nazi and KKK clothing.

Water covers almost three-quarters of the earth's surface and there's still lots to discover about the deep blue. But in a bid to shed some light on how our mysterious seas, rivers and lakes work, a new book titled The World of Tides contains a fascinating raft of facts. From the world's biggest whirlpool to the tallest tsunami and the highest tide, MailOnline Travel has fished out a selection of highlights for you to have a quick swim through and added a few more insights from elsewhere.

For travellers, there are few things more grinding than a flight delay. So the man who grabbed the microphone at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport during some unwanted wait time and burst into song found himself being heartily applauded. And unsurprisingly, footage of his performance, which saw him belting out Blackstreet's No Diggity at gate B7, has made him an internet sensation.

For most, a health spa is a haven for rest and relaxation and nothing more. But in the USSR they were designed to further the needs of the country, to restore the health of the workers so they could be even more productive. Sanatorium visits were distributed through the workplace and a fascinating new book – Holidays in Soviet Sanatoriums by Maryam Omidi - offers an insight into these architectural gems, about which very little is known in the West, with a comprehensive collection of photographs and text on their history. Treatments available in them include sterilisation lamps (top left), magnetic sand (top right), oxygen steam baths (bottom left) and mineral water plunges (bottom right).

You won't need to worry about condensation or rocks poking you in the back at these uber-luxury camping spots. Adding a hefty dose of glamour to the great outdoors, tents have been decked out with proper beds, fluffy rugs and even crystal chandeliers. Pictured (from top left, clockwise to centre): Beverly Wilshire A Four Seasons Hotel's rooftop glamping experience; Singita Mara River in Tanzania; Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand; Arctic Safari Camp and (inset) White Desert Camp, Antarctica.

If it's too much effort to cross the world to see a tourist attraction, there's always the option of moving the attraction to you. From entire bridges to Buddhist temples and even historic Tudor mansions, a whole host of constructions have crossed oceans for a new life abroad. Read on to learn more about these fascinating architectural relocations.

There's a whole other world that's not visible to the naked eye. But thanks to these stunning macro and micro shots, we're transported to a land of teeny-tiny creatures and plant life. The Royal Society of Biology has revealed the shortlist for its 2017 Photographer of the Year and Young Photographer of the Year competitions, with this year's theme being 'the hidden world'. Pictured from top left, clockwise: Two big-eyed damselflies, an egg of a Bombay bush frog, a curious goose-eyed crab and a tiny springtail insect.

Photographer Martynas Charevicius, who's based in Lithuania's capital city, Vilnius, has used a drone to soar above his homeland and capture stunning aerial views. These include lake Asveja (top left), the main artery through Vilnius (top right), Trakai Island Castle (bottom right) and Dubingiai (bottom left), plus Vilnius Cathedral Square (inset).