JOAN SCALESanswers your travel questions

Q As a surprise I am bringing my boyfriend to Manchester after Christmas. I have flights and accommodation sorted, but what I really need is some suggestions for what to do while we are there for four days. Suggestions for New Year’s Eve would be fantastic. Also, is there anything to do there on New Year’s Day?

Anon, Cork

In the past 10 years Manchester has been transformed by regeneration of its centre and its quays. It has many attractions, including the Lowry centre, a huge entertainment and leisure venue; Imperial War Museum North, designed by Daniel Libeskind; the Museum of Science Industry; and Urbis, an exhibition of city life in a dramatic glass building.

In addition, Manchester Art Gallery (manchestergalleries. org) has one of the finest art collections in Britain. Expect to find exhibitions of everything from the Pre-Raphaelites to 20th-century craft and design.

If you like clubbing, then one of Britain’s most exciting live-music venues is the Warehouse Project (thewarehouseproject.com), beneath Piccadilly railway station in a former air-raid shelter. You can see what’s on at whathappenedlastnight.net.

The Northern Quarter (northernqtr.co.uk) is the city’s Temple Bar, with bars, cafes and music. The area is also a home to the creative industries, particularly fashion, with designers and wholesalers populating its back streets.

The after-Christmas sales will be on, so there could be time to pick up some bargains at the Arndale Centre, which has 240 shops. You can see what will be open on New Year’s Day on visitmanchester.com.

Q My wife and I, together with five other family members and partners, would like to visit the north Antrim coast. We would like to combine some walking and sightseeing with good-quality accommodation serving equally good food.

KND, Kildare

The Co Antrim coast is a very beautiful, quite unspoilt part of the country. The Bushmills Inn (048-20733000, bushmillsinn. com), which began life in the village of Bushmills in the 17th century, and is all nooks, crannies, turf fires and secret rooms, is now a four-star hotel. It is close to the Giant’s Causeway and, of course, Old Bushmills Distillery. The inn’s food is well regarded.

The Ramada overlooking the sea in Portrush (048-70826100, ramadaportrush.com) is also a well-regarded hotel.

Near Portrush is Maddybenny Country House (048-70823394, maddybenny. com), a bed and breakfast that also has modern self-catering houses for rent – and stables, if you’re interested in horseriding.

You’ll be spoiled for places to see, such as the Causeway Coast, Carrick-a-Rede to Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and White Park Bay.

Glenariff Forest Park has four waymarked trails suitable for all walkers. The Waterfall Walk, which follows the Glenariff River downstream, is probably the most stunning.

You can find further details of these walks and places to visit on discovernorthernireland.com and walkni.com.

E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com