Lonely business travellers are being encouraged to get together for dinner at Rossini's restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur. The hotel has introduced a 'Table for One' dining plan. Guests who don't want to sit solo can book tables where they can meet other diners who are travelling alone. The Table For One is available from Monday to Friday from 8pm. Into insects? Most try to avoid them on holiday, but this weekend many will be 'winging' their way to Korea for the Muju Firefly Festival, five days of bug-watching. The Korea National Tourism Organization says the main event will be 'a prayer festival for firefly prosperity, mysterious exploration of lightning bugs, release of daseulgi (food for firefly larva) and firefly lectures'. Fireflies are said to thrive in Muju County because of low pollution, but if you want to light up your life, then it involves quite a bit of travelling. From Seoul, getting to the site involves another journey of around three hours. Turkey may be 99 per cent Muslim, but you wouldn't think so if you look at the duty-free allowance on arrival in the country: five litres of spirits (in open bottles of which three must be whisky). Pretty lax when you consider that in many other Muslim countries, nationals aren't allowed to bring in a single drop of the hard stuff. Dubai, for example, allows a liberal two litres of spirits and two litres of wine on arrival - for non-Muslims only. Drinking is out, but smoking is in, however. Locals can bring 2,000 cigarettes into Dubai. Surprising then, that its airline, Emirates, introduced a total ban on smoking at the beginning of this month. Before the ban, the airline even allowed smoking in first class. Still on the subject of smoking bans, a Web site listing smoke-free accommodation and restaurants in the UK and Europe can be accessed at www.Nonsmokingzone.com Some say the best time to visit Europe is in spring or the latter part of the year when the roads are quieter, the major sites are uncrowded, and accommodation is less expensive. P&O Travel is offering a number of winter promotions. Air fares are not included, but eight days in Italy start at $4,870, and nine days in Spain and Portugal at $4,950. Web site: www.pandotravel.com
