Browse the following varied menu of food and drink experiences, and savour every last moment. Bon appetit!

1. Have a hangi

Who needs an oven when there are natural methods available? Prior to European colonisation, New Zealand's Maoris had perfected the hangi, a way of cooking food below the ground with the aid of heated rocks. Traditionally, the meat was laid out on bark, leaves or bowls, which were laid above the rocks. The food was then covered with another layer, before being buried in the ground to slowly cook. Nowadays more modern materials are used to speed the process, but the resultant cooked meats still have a special flavour and texture that's much appreciated at special occasions. Many hotels and tour operators offer hangis, but you might just get lucky and be invited to one by a local. www.maorifood.com/hangi.htm

2. Knock back a Singapore Sling

The symbol of colonial-era Singapore was the Raffles Hotel, a piece of 19th century luxury accommodation named after the city's British founder. This grand Victorian edifice still operates as a hotel, and is the perfect setting to sample one of its most famous cocktail creations, the Singapore Sling. This blend of gin, brandy, Cointreau, Benedictine and pineapple juice was first mixed together by Ngiam Tong Boon around 1910, and is the ideal refresher at the end of a humid tropical day. www.drinkboy.com/cocktails/recipes/SingaporeSling.html

3. Picnic in Cairo

With a history stretching back millennia, Egypt is full of old traditions — but none is older than the annual ritual of Sham el Nessim. This special day in March or April, literally translated as 'sniffing the breeze', has been celebrated since the time of the ancient pharaohs, and is a welcome to the season of spring. On the day, both Christians and Muslims head for the nearest patch of grass — even the median strips of highways will do — to eat a picnic lunch of salted fish and colourfully decorated boiled eggs, as their descendants have done for thousands of years. Pull up a picnic rug and take part in the festive meal. www.touregypt.net/featurestories/shamelnaseen.htm

4. Dine at Maxim's

If you had to choose just one legendary restaurant for a special dining experience, it'd have to be Maxim's in Paris. This famous establishment was founded in 1893, during the era known as the Belle Epoque, regarded by many as a golden age. Over the years it became the most highly regarded restaurant in the world, both for its excellent cuisine and its beautiful art nouveau interiors. You can still dine there today, joining the illustrious list of guests including King Edward VII, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Pierre Cardin. www.maxims-de-paris.com

5. Brave a fugu

It's one of Japan's most exotic dishes, but potentially one of its deadliest as well. The pufferfish, known in Japan as fugu, contains lethal amounts of poison in certain of its organs. However, it's still regarded as a delicacy in Japan, though only specially trained chefs are allowed to prepare it. Done properly, the poison is removed, though a small amount may remain to give the tongue a stimulating tingle. However careful the chefs are, however, a few thrill-seekers die each year from eating improperly prepared fugu. If you're still determined to try it, a good place to go is the Takefuku restaurant in Tokyo. japanesefood.about.com/cs/seafoodfish/a/fugublowfish.htm

6. Enjoy Thanksgiving

Around the world, feast days often mark the passing of seasons. In the USA, Thanksgiving arose as a way of marking the end of the autumn harvest. Held on the fourth Thursday of November, it's a special day on which families gather and eat a generous meal at which a turkey is the central dish. Cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and corn are usually also on the table, as is pumpkin pie. Join an American family or eat at a restaurant with a Thanksgiving menu, and if you're in New York you can enjoy the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. www.holidays.net/thanksgiving

7. Drink gold in Gdansk

Poland's Baltic port city, Gdansk, was famous in the 1980s for producing the Solidarity trade union, which eventually brought about the downfall of the nation's communist regime. However, long before that it was producing another local icon, goldwasser. This spicy liqueur was invented in the 16th century, and gains its name from the thin flakes of 22 carat gold that float seductively in the liquid. It's a sexy drink to knock back, and one of the best places to do it is the Restauracja Pod Lososiem, a restaurant in whose cellars it was once distilled. The restaurant also specialises in salmon dishes. www.podlososiem.com.pl

8. Eat to peace

Sharing food and drink has long been a way to break down differences and bring people together, and that's the aim of the Table of Peace and Unity, held each April in three cities across South Africa. Seated at 300 metre long tables in beautiful locations, hundreds of people from all backgrounds and occupations break bread together as a symbol of peace, and then enjoy a three-course meal designed by the nation's top chefs. It's a memorable dining occasion with good food and fellowship on the menu. www.gourmetsa.com/gourmet_events/table_of_unity.html

9. Go Jamaican

One of the biggest celebrations of Jamaican food isn't actually on the Caribbean island, but across the water in the USA. The annual Jamaican Jerk Festival held in September in Sunrise, Florida, is an event showcasing the best of Jamaica's distinctive cuisine, especially jerk, a fiery spice mixture including some of the hottest chilli peppers known. The festival's stalls sell plenty of the usual jerk pork and jerk chicken, but there are also more unusual variants such as jerk ice cream. Cooking competitions and displays round out the Caribbean culinary experience. www.jerkfestival.com

10. Consume Sacher Torte in Vienna

Austria is famous for its traditional coffee houses and their rich cakes. The most famous sweet treat is Sacher Torte, a dense chocolate cake with dark chocolate icing and a layer of apricot jam. It's usually served with unsweetened whipped cream and coffee. It was invented in 1832 when substitute chef Franz Sacher had to whip up a dessert for Prince Metternich, and his creation was an instant success. Nowadays the original recipe is kept a closely guarded secret by the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, where you can enjoy the famous cake in suitably luxurious surroundings. www.sacher.com/sacher/SacherTorte