Passport Travel Feature
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Important updates
In trying times for travellers, there's no better bet for regular health and safety info than to get your own personal updates from the Foreign Office at: http://www.fco.gov.uk

What to do…in Toronto
Restaurants abound in the newest and biggest permanent attraction in Toronto - the Distillery Historic District, which is located just east of downtown. Locals and visitors alike are flocking to this 13-acre complex, which dates back to 1832, to check out the well-preserved Victorian buildings, stroll the traffic-free, romantic, brick-lined streets, and drop into the many galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. Special events are held every weekend - check out www.thedistillerydistrict.com

Great family fun can be had all summer at Ontario Place which features splashy water rides, open-air concerts, an Imax theater, and a large marina on the lake (www.ontarioplace.com) or on the Toronto Islands, a five-minute ferry ride from downtown.

Toronto is bursting with talent, enthusiasm, and energy, and its regular cultural offerings are fine fare indeed. Excellent theater, from classic to modern, is performed by companies such as Soulpepper, Canadian Stage and Tarragon. Well-established music ensembles such as Tafelmusik and Opera Atelier, which feature Baroque music, and the Canadian Opera Company (whose production of Oedipus Rex at last year's Edinburgh International Festival was voted best production in Britain by the Guardian newspaper), thrive alongside smaller cutting-edge companies such as Tapestry New Opera Works, which nurtures new Canadian opera. Visit www.toronto.com/section/arts for all the latest information on current shows.

Readers' tips

Lucy from Bristol visited Morocco for the first time last May, armed with her trusty Eyewitness Guide, and reports back:
"We travelled independently and used your hotel recommendations when planning our route. As a result we stayed in some exceptional places, off the tourist track as well as in the major cities. We'd recommend anyone visiting this wonderful country to go for Riad hotels in cities and Kasbahs in the countryside. The former look like nothing from outside but step through a tiny door and you enter a spectacular courtyard, usually fabulously tiled and awash with plants and tinkling fountains, with bedrooms opening off of galleries on the upper levels. We loved the Riad Al Madina in Essouira that you recommended, but think you should add the Riad Al Bartal (www.riadalbartal.com) in Fes to your next edition - it was like staying in a palace, but friendly and low-key at the same time, and not charging regal prices. Kasbah hotels are quite different - often spectacularly built of red pisé (mud!) and in superb settings. We loved the Kasba Asmaa in Zagora, and especially the Hotel Ben Moro in Skoura, both of which we found through the Eyewitness Guide. The food in all these places was delicious too, and we even enjoyed the Moroccan wines!

"Morocco suffered the terrible Casablanca bombings while we were in Marrakech. We felt totally safe, not only because security was visibly stepped up but also because the Moroccan people were so utterly charming and welcoming, and so clearly devastated by what had happened in their country. We do hope that your readers won't be put off from visiting Morocco - a glance through your guide is enough to show them what a fabulous place it is, but you just have to experience it for yourself!"

Jane Clarke from Seattle sent us this about her first visit to Thailand: "In April 2003 I traveled to Thailand - my first foray into Asia, and your Eyewitness Travel Guide was a great traveling companion. Before the 2-week vacation, I spent several hours reading up on the different parts of the country - eventually deciding on the historic city of Chiang Mai in the north, and the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi in the south with its palm trees, golden sands and unrivaled diving and snorkeling. With such a large and diverse country, the beautiful pictures in the guide, and especially the chapter introductions, helped me to focus on the places of most interest to me.

"The other background reading prior to the trip proved invaluable. The section on etiquette in the Survival Guide was a godsend - I was able to greet people in the customary way, and to avoid embarrassment by understanding the customs, such as not sitting next to a monk if you're a woman. It was important to know the etiquette in wats (temples), and having read up on this ahead of time I avoided the pitfalls that many travelers fall into. Chiang Mai is so full of wats that the portrait features on wats and religious architecture in Introducing Thailand stood me in good stead. The Survival Guide also helped me to pack the right clothing for the time of year, and to be prepared with rehydration salts and other important first-aid items.

"While reading up was important, the experience of actually being in Thailand was unrivaled. The heat and humidity, the warmth of the people, the exotic architecture, the tantalizing food, all combined to make this a memorable trip. Your phrasebook came in handy all the time, and I was glad to be able to make basic communication with people in those places I visited that were more off the beaten track - such as the elephant sanctuary and hot springs outside Chiang Mai. And your description of the sights, hotels and restaurants made my visit a memorable one.

"Thank you for this great publication - and I look forward to finding an Eyewitness Guide for my next vacation destination!"

And Karen from London recommends a great place to eat in Madrid (Beckhams take note!):
"I went to Madrid last October, visiting friends, and we went to an excellent restaurant I thought that you should know about. It was a really lovely place and I would highly recommend it - especially for vegetarians and people wanting to sample modern tapas. Also a tourist would never find it without having being told beforehand - and it's just behind Plaza Espana. Here are the details:

Zacatín
Andrés Borrego, 18. Map: 2 E5 (Madrid guide)
tel: 91 532 13 51
open: Mon-Fri 1pm-4.30
Tues-Sat 8.30pm-2am
Credit cards: no
Price for 1 with taxes and 1/2 bottle wine: 15-20 euros
no fixed price menu
tapas: yes (although modern)
email: restaurantezacatin@hotmail.com

Really lovely interior - Granadan-style Mozarabic, with tiles and brick arches, candlelight, and quite intimate but with good music, and friendly service. There is a bar, and the food was very fresh and not greasy - a lot of vegetarian dishes but Spanish/Mediterranean flavours - plate of grilled Med veg, spinach crepes, and a really tasty potato dish with jamon serrano. Menu changes every month."

This is just some of the information that the Passport travel newsletter contains - up to date issues are packed with information on new books, current travel tips, competitions and more. To subscribe click here.