That the festival is on such a grand scale isn’t surprising given the locals’ love of food – the customary greeting from residents of the city state isn’t “how are you?” but “have you eaten?”.Details for this year’s festival are still being finalised but for more information contact the Singapore Tourism Board nearer the time (08080 656565; ). A FORK ON THE WILD SIDEIn March, New Zealand’s most adventurous foodies make a beeline for the annual Hokitika Wild Foods Festival, on the South Island’s west coast. If the thought of hares’ testicles, magpie pies or huhu grubs makes your stomach rumble, this is the place for you – fortunately, there’s also rhubarb champagne, home-cured bacon and whitebait for the rest of us (00 643 755 8321; ). A more conventional grazing experience is on offer at the annual Great Long Lunch in Napier.

Here, also in March but at the other end of the dining – and geographical – spectrum (it’s in the east of the North Island), up to 700 visitors sit spread out along 250m of the city’s Marine Parade Gardens, eating special dishes and sipping the local Hawke’s Bay wine (00 646 834 3917; ).I’M STARTING TO FEEL FULL NOWThen head to the infamous Tomatina in Bu? Here, food isn’t to be eaten so much as thrown, using the surplus from the tomato harvest. On the left of the main entrance is a hydroponic farm, where the hotel’s herbs and salad vegetables are grown, and on the right is the spa. It may sound like a catering company, but CuisinArt is in fact the most luxurious resort on Anguilla. The land was bought by a businessman who also owns the brand of kitchen equipment after which the place is named But what he has created is anything but functional. Turn off what passes for a main road, and prepare to be dazzled by the greenery and flowers that are splashed across the arid landscape.

The Canadian travel advisory says: “Nineteen deaths have been reported so far, and many other individuals who consumed the bootleg raki have been hospitalised after losing consciousness or suffering temporary blindness.”Bargain of the week: on the buses The terrestrial battle of Britain is intensifying, as train and bus operators vie for market share. National Express (08705 808080; ) has a million-seat deal that is offering a flat fare of £10 one-way from Monday, 4 April, to 25 May Over-60s pay only £5. The small print: you must book at least a week in advance; a £1 charge applies for booking by phone; and airport trips are excluded. Its partner company, Eurolines (same contact details) is launching a range of new services for the summer – with new direct services from London to Strasbourg and Luxembourg.. Thousands of counterfeit bottles, bearing the “Yeni Raki” label and containing fatally high levels of methyl alcohol, have been confiscated from restaurants, bars and grocery stores throughout the country. The basic itinerary departs from London Waterloo on scheduled services via Brussels and Cologne to Berlin, where you board the charter train for Kaliningrad, Riga, Tallinn and St Petersburg.A rival company, Captain’s Choice (020-8879 7710; ), has a different private train running in July through Eastern Europe from Berlin via Prague, Budapest and Krakow to St Petersburg and Moscow. The three-week trip costs £6,595.Warning of the week: choose your poison carefully in Turkey The Canadian government is warning its citizens of the risk of illness or death due to methyl-alcohol poisoning from bootleg raki – the aniseed-based alcoholic drink that is popular throughout Turkey.

Destination of the week: St Petersburg by rail

Destination of the week: St Petersburg by rail
Problems have beset the new charter train that is due to be running from Berlin through the Baltic republics to St Petersburg from the autumn. Rolling stock for the German-operated rail cruise, which was revealed in The Independent last year, is apparently behind schedule. Great Rail Journeys (01904 521900; ), the UK agent for the service, now says the first departure should be early in 2006. After a meal of rotten shark meat, pickled testicles and congealed sheep’s blood – washed down liberally with Black Death, the lethal local liqueur – you’ll be lucky if you manage to follow local revellers on to the dance floor (00 354 535 5500; ).Mango Madness, IndiaTemperatures may be soaring to unbearable levels but at least there is one good reason to celebrate the onset of summer in Mumbai; it’s also the start of the Alphonso mango season. During the month of May, the city goes barmy for the sweet, tropical fruit with a whole host of promotions, events and stalls (00 91 22 202 5420; ). TRAVELLER’S GUIDECheese rolling, UKThis traditional event takes place this year on Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire, on 30 May.