Something To Declare: Destination of the week - The empire of the Aztects

The Column That Gives The Global Picture

Destination of the week: The empire of the Aztecs

"Aztecs" is the name of a new exhibition opening today at London's Royal Academy.

It includes a reconstructed temple and a virtual-reality film, plus nearly 400 ancient works of art. The exhibition opens 10am-6pm daily, with late opening on Fridays to 10pm, until 11 April next year. Book in advance on 0870 830 0201 or at www.aztecs.org.uk.

To see the remnants of the culture in situ, you could take advantage of current low fares between the UK and the Mexican capital. The specialist agency South American Experience (020-7976 5511) has a fare of £467 on Iberia from London Heathrow, Birmingham or Manchester via Madrid; for more comfort, there is a business-class fare of £1,669 on the same airline.

A rival company, Journey Latin America (020-8747 8315, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk), has a fare of £417 from Gatwick on Northwest via Detroit. JLA has also been appointed by the Royal Academy to run a tour to Mexico led by the curator of the exhibition, Dr Adrian Locke. The nine-day tour, departing on 10 February next year, costs £2,980, with a single supplement of £480.

Warning of the week: Threats to tourists in the Philippines

The Australian government yesterday warned travellers to the Philippines to maintain "a high level of personal security awareness" in the light of new information: "Further bomb explosions are possible across the country ... exercise extreme caution throughout the country including in Mindanao and coastal resorts ... be alert to the dangers of kidnapping."

Bargain of the week: Under-12s fly the world for £50 or less

On the average British Airways flight, one in four seats is empty. Bookings this winter are strong on routes to India, south-east Asia and Australia, but less impressive to other destinations. So BA (0845 77 333 77, www.ba.com) plans to fill aircraft with young flyers at cut prices.

First, a parent must buy an adult and child ticket for a U or PG film at an Odeon cinema. You then qualify for what British Airways describes, not entirely accurately, as a "free child's flight ticket" when booked with an adult flight, to be taken before 8 April, 2003.

BA says you must pay what it calls "standard taxes on the ticket". But as well as Air Passenger Duty (the only UK tax), the airline imposes a range of other fees. These typically total £50 for long-haul routes, £20 for Europe.

Even so, this promotion is unusually valuable because it applies also to tickets bought through discount agents, and has no "blackout" days at Christmas, New Year and half-term. But if your aim is Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok, Singapore or anywhere in India – tough luck. BA has no trouble filling these flights.