I recently read that Sardinia is fast becoming the new Monte Carlo for rich holidaymakers is this true

Asks JacksonC

A. Sardinia has always been a more exclusive holiday destination than your normal beach resort, but you've probably read about the Costa Smeralda area to the north of the island, which is a bit too pricey for budget travellers. It is the kind of place footballers, racing drivers and super models hang out - and of course they are all loaded. Recent celebrities spotted here include Naomi Campbell, Eddie Irvine, Gianluca Vialli and Sarah Ferguson. But you can visit other places on the island on a budget.

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Q. What is the big attraction with Costa Smeralda

A. Its coastline boasts pure white sand (it has 80 bays) and a turquoise sea. His Royal Highness, the Aga Khan spotted its potential in the 1970s and created a holiday resort for wealthy people. He stipulated that all telephone lines and electrical cables had to be buried underground, and that no house could be taller than the trees. He also famously noted that it wasn't a resort for poor people stating: 'This is a place for people with above average material possessions,' and he did indeed did attract many celebrities and royalty including Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and Peter Sellers.

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Q. Where would you recommend visiting other than the beach

A. C�gliari is the island's capital and its biggest town. Its main attractions are the city wall, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, and the Cattedrale. It is full of narrow little lanes and most of the attractions are situated in the old quarter of the town. C�gliari's citadel is a good place to start any tour of the town, it hasn't been altered much since the Middle Ages and has two impressive pulpits that were famously crafted for Pisa's cathedral, but presented here along with the sculptor's lions that stand guard outside the main door.

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In the new quarter it is mostly residential with few tourist attractions except the Church of San Saturnino that dates back to the 5th century and is a great example of early Christian architecture.

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Alghero is a good place to stop, its architecture is more Spanish than Italian in the old town - a remnant from 1354 following the Hispaniscization of the town after the Doria family were overthrown by Pedro IV of Aragon. Seven defensive towers are still standing in the old town, as is the old cathedral. The Spanish-Gothic style typical in the town is also demonstrated in two of its major landmarks the Palazzo d'Albis on Piazza C�vica, and the austere Jewish palace Palau Reial.

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Nuoro is situated below Mount Ortobene and again its old quarter is the best place to visit. A must-see here is the Museo Etnografico which contains Sardinia's most comprehensive range of local carpets, masks, costumes, jewellery and other handicrafts. It is well known as the hometown of the author Grazia Deledda (who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1927) and the poet Sebastiano Satta.

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Su Nuraxi is famous as a good site to see some of Sardinia's ancient stone nuraghi and other remnants from the island's only indigenous civilisation (it dates back to 1500BC). It is quite difficult to reach however, as it lies 50km north of Cagliari and only two daily buses stop there en route to other towns.

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Q. Are there any other activities I can do on the island

A. Apart from sightseeing and sunbathing, cycling is a big hit here. If you plan to cycle on or around the island a good tip would be to check out this web site: http://riemann.unica.it/~lucio/engl/sar.html It offers a great guide to on-road and off-road tours, urban cycling routes, where to hire bikes and good accommodation. The site is available in either Italian or English versions.

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Q. Where is Sardinia

A. It lies off the west coast of Italy, about 200km from the mainland, and is about the same distance from the coast of Tunisia.

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Q. Is it easy to travel to Sardinia

A. The island has three airports in C�gliari, Olbia and Fert�lia and they all receive daily flights from mainland Italy, with a journey time of one hour. Overnight ferries travel from four ports in Italy (Genoa, Naples, Livorno and Civitavecchia) and from Sicily, Corsica and Tunis.

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By Karen Anderson

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