Two weeks of living dangerously

by Kieran Falconer

Looking for a cheap holiday in a hot holiday destination? Highly publicised health risks such as swine flu have seen holiday prices to Mexico and other popular tourist destinations plummet over the last few months. But would you go?

For cash-strapped travellers, there’s a big temptation to risk personal health and safety in order to take advantage of such attractively cheap offers. One travel agency has seen a 38% rise in bookings to Mexico since the swine flu epidemic broke, and there are currently a number of two-for-one offers on holidays to Sri Lanka, where the civil war with the Tamil Tigers has just come to an end.

But are you prepared to travel to some of the world's trouble hotspots to save money - and what will you find when you get there? For those who fancy a walk on the wild side - without being needlessly reckless - read our essential guide on how to minimise the risk in 10 gorgeous but occasionally difficult destinations.

Before planning any trip, always look up the full Foreign Office advice at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/. FCO advice is updated frequently and may change substantially from that quoted below.