Where is ... the scariest runway?
The rollercoaster drop into London City airport is enough to get us clammy-palmed, and we usually opt to take the mountain-skimming approach to Innsbruck with the window blind firmly down. But neither even makes a new list of the top 10 scary runways as compiled by American magazine Travel + Leisure.
Highlights include the Matekane airstrip in Lesotho, which is just 400m long, is at an altitude of 2,300m and ends in a huge ravine 600m deep. Because the runway is so short, planes often don't have enough speed to get airborne, so speed off the end, plunge off the cliff into the gorge, and in doing so hopefully increase their speed enough to start flying. Then there's just the small matter of clearing the mountains on the far side.
'It's a little bit hard to do the first time,' says bush pilot Tom Claytor, who took this photo.
Also on the list are Toncontin airport in Honduras, Funchal airport in Madeira and Princess Juliana international airport on St Maarten in the Caribbean (where a short runway forces pilots to skim a few metres above the heads of sunbathers on the beach).
But number one is Paro airport, 2,220m up in Bhutan. Here the pilots - in fact only eight are qualified to land there - have to weave their way down a narrow channel of steep tree-covered hillsides before centring the plane and touching down. Phew.
How to ... stay green in China
China's greenhouse gas emissions may be growing faster than any other nation's, but the country's first carbon-neutral hotel is due to open next month in Shanghai. The URBN Hotel Shanghai (no, it's not a typo) is the first of a string of boutique hotels planned by URBN Hotels and Resorts, and they all drip with green credentials.
The 26-room hotel is built with local materials, from reclaimed hardwoods to old Shanghai bricks, and all energy consumed - including staff commutes and food and beverage deliveries - will be tracked and offset through carbon wholesaler Climate Bridge. Guests can also buy carbon credits to offset their flights.
Just a block from bustling Nanjing Road, it is in a perfect location for exploring the city on foot, and there are bicycles for rent. Back at the hotel, guests can enjoy classes in Chinese cooking, Mandarin and tai chi, and there's a sleek spa for zen pampering. Doubles from 2,000 yuan (£144).
urbnhotels.com
Where to find ... the highest restaurant in England
Food lovers with a head for heights should put 14 May in their diaries - the highest restaurant in England is set to open for just one day atop one of the country's highest mountains. As part of the Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival, local chef Peter Sidwell (owner of the Good Taste Cafe in Keswick) is setting up a restaurant on the top of Skiddaw, which soars to 931m. The idea was inspired by William Wordsworth, who dined with friends on top of Skiddaw to celebrate victory at Waterloo in 1815.
Diners can expect a spectacular feast using local ingredients such as lamb and damsons, with dramatic views of the Lakelands. Tents will be set up, and diners will be escorted up the mountain by local guide Tim Mosedale. (Tim has climbed Everest, but don't fear: participants need only be up for a 'moderately strenuous fell walk').
Martin Lankester of the Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival says: 'Most hikers end up having a cheese and pickle sandwich; these lucky diners will enjoy a luxury meal.' Just 30 tickets are being sold, at £35 a head. To book call Good Taste on 017687 75973. The festival runs from 14-18 May (keswickmountainfestival.co.uk).
