You might not believe it, but having a local show you New York, explaining intriguing history or showing you extraordinary modern art, can be done without costing a cent. This spring and summer in New York will be packed with memorable free tours to experience the city at ground level. Here are just five that you may not have heard of:

1. Cruise to Governors Island for free guided tours, art and great views

Open during summer, historic Governors Island is a great day out. It is hard to believe you can cruise to the island, have a guided tour, check out some art installations, and enjoy great views of icons like the Statue of Liberty – all for free! Check out www.nps.gov/gois from mid May for their schedule of events, ferries, tours, etc for 2011.

2. Free guided tour of Union Square – Crossroads of New York

Head to Union Square on Saturdays at 2pm for a 90 minute exploration of the vibrant social and political history of the neighbourhood. Check out www.unionsquarenyc.org.

3. City Hall free guided tours

Get online to reserve a place on a behind the scenes look into New York’s historic City Hall to learn about its fine architecture and rich history. Check out http://www.nyc.gov/html/artcom/html/tours/tours.shtml

4. Free guided tour into the Lower East Side’s artistic world

Join one of the ELS LES Art Gallery Crawls to discover inventive works and creative forms you would have a tough time finding on your own. These are on every last Sunday at 1pm from April to October (except August). Check out www.lowereastsideny.com.

5. Take a mystery tour with some passionate locals: Keep up with www.manhattanwalkingtour.com on Facebook or Twitter to see where these New Yorkers will take you each month in their beloved city. You could end up on a photo shoot of famous buildings, a behind the scenes look at Greenwich Village, or on something tailored to blokes for some “Guy” sights of the city.

At the foot of the Arabian Peninsula, just south of the regions travel-hub Dubai, lies one of Arabia’s best kept secrets. The Sultanate of Oman.

Oman, only recently on the travel map, is a coastal delight. Picturesque, pristine beaches cover the 2,000km of coastline. The crisp blue waters are cool and welcoming with a diverse array of sea-life for both the beginner and experienced diver. Old dhows, traditional Arabic yachts, have been converted for day trips along the coast to take in the breathtaking sunsets over the rugged mountains surrounding the capital, Muscat.

Muscat lies just a few hours drive from Dubai’s main airport or a short 45-minute flight. Even closer is the country’s ecologically diverse northern province of Musandam at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which boasts some of the best diving in the region. The country is a popular escape for Emirati’s from the hustle and bustle of Dubai and perfect for a weekend getaway for holiday-makers spending a few weeks in the UAE.

In 2009 Oman was awarded one of the Lonely Planets prestigious Top 10 must see countries. With a coastline brightly lit with the traditional white huts, stunning beaches and a desert fitting of Lawrence of Arabia, it is not hard to see why.

Just a few hours drive from the coast, travellers can spend a night gazing at the desert stars with the luxury adventure travel company Desert Nights Camp. The company offers FWD adventure tours, camel rides, and traditional Bedouin music.

Camping and trekking trips to the beautiful Jebel Ali mountain are a must. Stop off and visit one of the 500-odd mudbrick towers and forts, explore the immense wadis and rugged moonscape mountain ranges of inner Oman. While the old capital, Nizwa, maintains a wonderful souk and farmers market where you can buy or trade your family goat.

Relatively untouched by the wave of unrest gripping the region, Sultan Qaboos has led the country to top the UN’s 2010 Human Development Index, almost doubling life expectancy since coming to power and making significant headway in literacy and healthcare.

The country’s southern region of Salalah is a popular summer escape for the entire region. The yearly monsoon turns the southern desert green. Flora and fauna explode over the rolling hills of the southern region and temperatures drop to a beautiful 20 to 30 degrees – unique for a region where summer temperatures can rise to 50 degrees Celsius.

Oman is etched in the history of the region, once a powerful seafaring state that stretched from Baluchistan in modern-day Pakistan to Zanzibar in Tanzania. Their long seafaring history has made local Omani’s warm and welcoming. Climb aboard a local fishing boat for a taste of local life, lose yourself in the maze of the wonderful frankincense-scented souk in downtown Muscat or try your hand at gutting a fish at the local fish market.

From luxury to adventure to the history buff, The Sultanate of Oman offers a fantastic and truly unique travel experience for all.

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Think of anything you would want out of a diving holiday and you’ll find it in Indonesia: exciting sea life from the bizarre to the whopping huge, perfect coral, and a bit of an adventure. In no particular order, here is the Top Five dive sites in Indonesia for all budgets.

1. “SS Liberty” Wreck in Tulamben on the north coat of Bali

Lying only 50m from the beach in depths between 5 and 45m, SS Liberty is a World War II wreak that was torpedoed, run around with the idea of being repaired, abandoned and pushed to its final resting place by lava from a volcano eruption. It is unrecognisable as a ship now but that’s not the point. Dive here for schools of 50cm jackfish in their hundreds, massive rock cod, stunning hard and soft corals and intriguing macro-life (shrimp, pipefish etc).

Stay in Tulamben or Amed and dive it early morning or late afternoon to avoid the day-trippers from Kuta.

Price^#: $
Ease of access^*: 5
Big stuff^*: 3
Corals^*: 5
Critters^*: 4
Current: Negligible (suitable for all divers)

2. “Sardine’s Reef” in the Raja Ampat archipelago off the western end of Indonesian Papua

Arguably the most “complete” reef dive in the world, you’ll find everything here: from the bizarre 1cm pygmy seahorse to 2m sharks, schooling barracuda and jacks, perfect hard and soft corals, cryptic octopus… it just goes on! “Sardine’s Reef” is not easy or cheap to get to but that is what has kept it so special.

Price: $$$
Ease of access: 1
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 5
Critters: 5
Current: Intermediate

3. “Castle Rock” in Komodo (a.k.a. “Hard to Find Rock” or “Full Moon”)

A challenging-at-times but always rewarding pinnacle site, “Castle Rock” is in the north of the Komodo region between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, 500km east of Bali. Perfect hard corals gardens adorn this site but you’ll be distracted by patrolling white tip and grey reef sharks, hunting giant jacks and visiting manta rays and dolphins. Not a site for beginners but a must-see for all other divers.

Price: $ if on a day dive from Labuanbajo, $$$ if on a liveaboard cruise
Ease of access: 3
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 4
Critters: 3
Current: Advanced

4. “Manta Bay” in Nusa Penida just southeast of Bali

Arguably the most accessible “big stuff” site in Indonesia, as the name suggests come here for an unforgettable dive with manta rays, proper 5m ones in groups of up to 10. Many operators dive the site as a long day trip from Sanur in Bali but it’s preferable to stay on the laid-back island of Nusa Lembongan from which it’s a 20 minute ride to the site.

Price: $$ if on a day-trip from Bali, $ if staying on Nusa Lembongan island
Ease of access: 4
Big stuff: 5
Corals: 1
Critters: 1
Current: Not challenging

5. Any site in the Lembeh Straits, just east of Manado in northern Sulawesi

Most new divers react poorly to their first dive in Lembeh. Gone are the stunning reefs, toasty and crystal-clear waters that characterise much of Indonesian diving. Instead you’ll find black sand, chillier temperatures, low visibility and lots of garbage. However, it is amongst the detritus from the local port-city of Bitung that divers who love the bizarre, the odd and the down-right weird find their version of an earth-bound heaven: mimic octopus and wunderpus, crazy cryptic frogfish, harlequin shrimp, the much-maligned blue-ringed octopus, seahorses, Ambon scorpionfish, and pygmy seahorses. All these and more are to be found here on a daily basis. As a new diver all you need is an open-mind and a desire to learn more about the critter-end of nature’s spectrum. This is a destination where people are still finding new species fairly regularly. If that appeals then Lembeh is for you.

Price: $$
Ease of access: 3
Big stuff: 1
Corals: 1
Critters: 5
Current: Usually not

* Out of 5 by Indonesian dive site standards
# $ is cheaper, $$ is mid priced, $$$ is more expensive

Looking for somewhere warm to head to for our winter that will surprise you? Montenegro offers something for everyone is this packed little country – natural wonders away from the hordes, a plethora of beaches, gorgeous historic towns – all at cheaper price. Here are four reasons why Montenegro is fast becoming a hot tourist destination:

1. Good value

Montenegro is a much cheaper destination than your typical Western European holiday spots; from the price of accommodation to the cost of superb local wines. Getting there may soon be much cheaper too. A key indicator of Montenegro’s rising position as a hot destination is the recent news that budget airlines Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet have completed successful preliminary talks with the Montenegrin government. Air Berlin, a semi low cost airline, will be commencing flights on 18 May 2011 to the coastal airport of Tivat.

2. A truly awe-inspiring lake

Immense Lake Skadar is a spectacular freshwater lake towered over by dramatic mountains. Wind your way along tiny roads carved into the cliffs on a mystery tour to find picturesque fishing villages and secluded beaches. Paddle out to islet monasteries or go on a hike to spot some of the wealth of birdlife. Best of all you’ll have it almost entirely to yourself – no one seems to know about it. Hiking, cycling and kayaking tours are available along with affordable accommodation with million dollar views. Check out http://www.undiscoveredmontenegro.com/.

3. One of the most beautiful bays in the world

Referred to as European’s most southerly fjord, the Boka Kotorska (Bay of Kotor) is a wondrous sight to behold. Step mountain-sides crash into the deep blue sea. Its coastline is dotted with excruciatingly charming towns rich in history; Unesco protected Kotor offers one of Europe’s best preserved mediaeval old towns. You’ll find a range of accommodation options and restaurants throughout the area.

4. Some of Europe’s best sand beaches

If you are an Aussie who thinks a pebble beach just doesn’t cut it, Montenegro has plenty of pristine sand for you. Just one example is Ulcinj. Head here for its famous 12km stretch of unusual black sand, along with a small beach filled with colourful locals in the old town.

So put Montenegro on your list quick, it is ready to boil over.

Located in north-eastern area of Vietnam, Halong bay is home to some of the most breathtaking and exotic islands the world has to offer.

Halong bay itself is just another big city on the coast of Vietnam; however, its real beauty lies a few kilometres from the mainland, where a plethora of tiny islands exist.

The first thing you think of when you start to cruise around in your boat is that the scenery is something out of a fantasy film. The islands are so pure and boast an amazing natural beauty to them.

But, it is only when you actually begin to explore the many islands where you start to totally fall in love with the place.

Inside many of the mountainous islands are some of the world’s best caves, boasting an amazing, mysterious environment for travellers.

These grottos and caves also lead to fresh water lakes and amazing and have some spectacular formations of stalactites and stalagmites inside them.

Travelling Halong Bay is done in boats and small ships, and as a result you will find yourself cruising next to many different groups along your journey.

After a few days you will begin to know what it feels like to be a pirate!

As well as the great natural beauty Halong Bay has to offer, there is also some great water fun to be had and the warm climate will be sure to keep you warm during your holiday.