Bohemian rhapsody

A castle need not be a des-res only for the stars anymore. Not when you're rich even if not famous; there's little that money can't buy these days. And what better way to be one up on the Joneses than by chilling in an Irish castle restored by an actor from a complete ruin into a wonderful fivebedroom vacation home?

Welcome to Jeremy Irons' Kilcoe Castle. Located an hour and a half from Cork Airport, the medieval tower house is perched on rocks overlooking a huge bay and offers residents spectacular views as well as fishing in the bay. While the property may not be suitable for the elderly and the very young, crammed as it is with masses of steep steps and winding corridors, it's quirky and suited to guests with a well-developed spirit of adventure!

With six bedrooms, it can sleep up to 12 and comes with a housekeeper. There is a central living area where guests can relax in front of the fire, eat gourmet meals prepared by the castle chef and generally hang out.

Lovers of history may like to learn that Kilcoe was the site of the last stand against the English by the McCarthy clan in west Cork in 1603, before the local clans were finally subdued.

In 1998, Irons and his Irish wife, Sinead Cusack, bought the property and poured well over 1 million (Rs 6.9 crore) into Kilcoe's restoration, making it one of the most painstaking undertakings of its kind in Ireland. Those interested in checking out Irons' efforts first-hand would do well to make enquiries@ltr.co.uk. While the owners prefer to let out the property on a weekly basis, a minimum of three nights is also possible.

Riding up a storm
Calling all adventure buffs. Royal Enfield, which promotes the spirit of adventure through biking trips across the country, has scheduled a 'tour of Spiti Valley' from July 18 to 25. Nestled high in the Himalaya, the semi arid valley offers some of the country's most challenging biking terrain. The trip begins and ends at Chandigarh, and is meant only for owners of Royal Enfield motorcycles.

The bike company restricts the group size to 30 and riding pillion is not allowed. The trip is operated on a twin sharing bed and breakfast basis, with each participant expected to take care of his own fuel and meals. In case the night halt is in an isolated place, dinner is arranged by the organisers. In larger cities, participants are free to eat wherever they wish. Registration is now open at http://www.royalenfield.co m/app/ride_calendar.aspx

FAMILIES AND OTHER ANIMALS
This one is for people travelling with small children. Want to know which private Greek isles cruise comes with a captain who will treat your kids like his own? Want a calligraphy or martial arts lesson for your child while touring China, or cooking lessons for you and your child with a Cordon Bleu chef in Paris? Or maybe access to the best safari camps in Africa, with children under 12? You might find My Little Swans more than a little useful.

This is a luxury family website for people looking for tailormade, one-of-akind holidays. The real USP: the company's 30-plus featured destinations are based on trips that have been actually taken by company founder Katrina Garnett, travelling with her three children in tow. My Little Swans began life as a way for Katrina and her friends to share their experiences but has grown into a formidable site that offers travel tips and 'been there' guides, helps with itineraries for layovers, provides travel advisors, makes bookings, and creates customised travel plans. www.mylittleswans.com/home.php

Airline food
Singapore Airlines is launching Above & Beyond, a collection of exclusive recipes by the airline's international culinary panel, this July. The book has a collection of 50 recipes contributed by ten celebrated chefs, including India's Sanjeev Kapoor, of Khana Khazana fame, three Michelin-starred French chef Georges Blanc, Singapore's Sam Leong, Matt Moran from Australia, Yoshihiro Murata, Japan's Michelin-honoured master of kaiseki, and England's Gordon Ramsay.

Private moments
The UK carrier and CitationAir have launched a private jet service exclusively for British Airways passengers flying within North America and the Caribbean. The 'Private Connect' service will give clients 'pay-by-the-trip' access to a network of private planes operated by CitationAir and its parent company Cessna, with none of the hassles of a long-term commitment or upfront fees normally associated with private jet hire.

The service, which costs between $6,000 to $10,000 (Rs 2.7 lakh to Rs 4.6 lakh) per plane per hour, is available to BA executive club members, employees of the airline's corporate clients as well as anyone who has flown with the carrier in the past 12 months. Chauffeured transport will be on hand to drive customers between their commercial flight and the private jet. Lufthansa Private Jet offers its clients a similar service in Europe.

Gem of a show
Time to look for the best hotel deals in Mumbai. The city is hosting India's first-ever Jewellery Week between August 15 and 19. Celebrating India's special position in the world of jewellery design and production and as a retail destination, the event is being organised by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. The event will comprise of 33 shows and have a grand finale showcasing the 'Best of the Best' designers' collection.