Travel Agenda: QT Sydney; Cornwall Food and Drink Festival; South India; Virgin Atlantic; Brazil; Residence hotel in the Maldives

Where to go and what to know

Stylish Sydney

On Monday, the QT Sydney opens within the former shell of the Gowings department store and State Theatre building. The city-centre hotel offers bags of character and theatrical thrills in each of the 200 rooms, along with a late-night Gilt lounge, a Parlour Lane Roasters café and a luxury spa. Room rates are typically A$500 (£333) double, excluding breakfast (qtsydney.com.au; designhotels.com).

Foodie feast

The Cornwall Food and Drink Festival takes place at Lemon Quay in Truro from 28-30 September. There will be more than 60 stalls selling local produce such as seafood and pasties plus demonstrations from top chefs (cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk).

Head South

London's South Bank celebrates South India this weekend, bringing together the best cuisine and culture from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu (facebook.com/SouthIndianMela).

Mexican Pacific

Next month, the Mexican no-frills airline Volaris links Tijuana with Tepic, close to Puerto Vallarta, for less than £100 each way (volaris.mx).

Sail away

Intrepid has added six new crewed sailing adventures to its offering for 2013. Options include Croatia, Greece, Turkey and Italy, where a fortnight on the Amalfi Coast costs £832pp or the Aeolian islands £860pp – if you book by 12 October. Flights not included (intrepidtravel.com).

In the bag

Virgin Atlantic is introducing new amenity kits to its planes later this month. The bags are made from recycled materials; those supplied to Upper Class passengers can be used as a tablet or e-reader case. Economy passengers get eye masks featuring a sunglasses motif, from Ray-Ban Wayfarers, to Kanye West's Shutter Shades (virgin-atlantic.com).

Collect Brazilian stamps

"Your passport should be stamped with an entry stamp from Brazilian immigration upon arrival in Brazil," the Foreign Office warned this week. If you don't, "you may be requested to pay a fine before departing".

5

The time, in minutes, it takes to reach the new Residence hotel in the Maldives by boat from Koodoo airport. The new airport has reduced the travel time from Malé to 55 minutes (theresidence.com).