Wales-Watching

Q We will be in London in July and would like to tour Cardiff, Wales. Can we do this on our own or is there a company offering tours?

Gloria Yockelson

Kensington

A For travelers in the United Kingdom, the Welsh capital of Cardiff is a welcome respite from the summer crush in London. "It's crowded only if there is a football match, but not in the same way as London," says Anna Hegedus, a travel consultant with Visit Britain, the U.K.'s official tourism office. "It's a nice place to get away."

Cardiff is less than two hours by rail, and trains leave frequently from London's Paddington station. For schedules and other details: National Rail, http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ . Once in Cardiff, you can opt for a tour (check with Visit Wales for a list of operators) or explore the city independently.

For solo tours, the Wales Tourist Board publishes a guide that highlights the top attractions, including the Millennium Stadium and its cutting-edge architecture; the Wales Millennium Centre, an arts complex featuring opera, theater and other performances; the waterfront area, which buzzes with cafes and boutiques; and the National Museum Cardiff, which has the second-largest collection of impressionist paintings after Paris.

For a more in-depth or specialized experience, Hegedus recommends going with a tour group such as Blue Badge Tourist Guides ( http://www.blue-badge-guides.com/ ), whose guides are certified by the British tourist board. For a more unusual ride, Dragonride Trike Tours ( http://www.dragonride.org.uk/ ) shows visitors the city sights, castles and Welsh countryside from the seat of a two-passenger Rewaco HS5 family trike (like a domesticated Harley). And if you decide to extend your trip in Wales, Hegedus says Cardiff is "a nice base for a trip to other parts of Wales," but warns that "it is not a destination for the week, like London or Manchester."

For more information on Wales: Visit Wales, 011-44-8708-300-306, http://www.visitwales.co.uk/ , or Visit Britain, 800-462-2748, http://www.visitbritain.com/ .

We're looking for a warm locale with excellent scuba diving and spa options within a three-hour flight from Florida or the East Coast. Any suggestions?

Frank Connolly Oakton

Divers looking for tropical fish, reefs and seaweed wraps don't have to fly off to Fiji -- not when there are scuba and spas a couple of hours south of Miami. "Stay in the Caribbean," says Buck Butler, editor of Scuba Diving magazine, although he points out that "Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys has good diving." The Caribbean is a fail-safe diving destination, thanks to its warm, crystal-clear water, colorful marine life and mix of reefs and wrecks. The islands also cater to upscale travelers and honeymooners, so many properties offer full-service spas, fine dining and other luxuries. What's tougher is the flight-time restriction, since some Caribbean islands require two plane changes or hours-long layovers (Tortola, for example). But in many cases, you can be in the water by afternoon or early evening. Below are Butler's recommendations for dive-and-indulge destinations and resorts:

· The Little Palm Island Resort and Spa (800-3-GET-LOST, http://www.littlepalmisland.com/ ) sits on the five-acre, private Little Torch Key, a three-hour drive south of Miami's airport. The resort has a swank spa, dining and dives to the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary and nearby wrecks.

· In the British Virgin Islands, Butler recommends Peter Island Resort (800-346-4451, http://www.peterisland.com/ ) on Peter Island, which is accessible from Tortola by ferry, helicopter or the resort's private yacht; and Little Dix Bay (284-495-5555, http://www.littledixbay.com/ ) on Virgin Gorda. On Peter Island, divers flock to the RMS Rhone, a British mail steamer wreck where the 1977 film "The Deep" was made. Virgin Gorda is known for its reef diving and the Chikuzen, a 246-foot Korean refrigerator ship.

· On Grand Cayman, choose from more than 159 dive sites -- or a full menu of spa treatments at the Westin Casuarina (345-945-3800, http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ ). Butler says Grand Cayman has the world's best wall diving, which allows divers to swim along the dramatic reef drops and feel suspended in the deep blue.

· The B and C of the ABC islands (the A is for Aruba) are good picks because of their diving reputations, and because they are situated on the southern end of the hurricane belt (so they are less likely to get hit by a storm). Bonaire, in the Netherlands Antilles, has numerous diving resorts, including the Harbour Village Beach Club (305-567-9509, http://www.harbourvillage.com/ ),which offers low-key luxury. Scuba fans enjoy the Bonaire Marine Park, and reef and shore diving. On neighboring Curacao, the Habitat Curacao Resort (800-327-6709, http://www.habitatcuracaoresort.com/ ) has "house diving," which involves a dock and a long guide rope. Guests can dive the reef 24 hours a day, with tanks available around the clock.

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