Brighton is a mini-London by the sea

Brighton's reputation for hedonism harks back to the 1780s when Prince George used to skive off to gallivant here with his mistress.

Formerly a nondescript southeast fishing village, these days Brighton is the English seaside resort with the mostest. It is home to celebrities, artists, handsome Georgian buildings, bohemian boutiques, pedestrianized laneways, trendy pubs, fabulous restaurants, world-class nightclubs, a buzzing gay scene, party-hard students and a rocky beach with a promenade and a fabulously kitsch Palace Pier.

Essentially a mini-London by the sea, Brighton makes a good day trip from the English capital - trains run here several times an hour and the express service takes little over 50 minutes.

When you've had your fill of ice-cream and sunshine, Brighton also has some mighty fine museums to escape to. Top of the list is the decadent Royal Palace - Prince George's former playboy pad - which resembles something from a Bollywood movie. The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery has a first-rate collection of modern art, while the National Museum of Penny Slot Machines, the Brighton Fishing Museum and the Sussex Toy and Model Museum are fine monuments to nostalgia. For the kiddies, the Sea Life Centre is quite simply a stroll along the bottom of the ocean.