Nestled behind sandy dunes, the Gallivant Hotel is a former motel with a contemporary, laid back feel. All 18 bedrooms are individually decorated with artisanal driftwood and retro touches. I loved the colourful 70′s phone so much it became my mobile wallpaper. We chose to stay in a Beach Hut room, which is ideal for families or for extended stays as it is the most spacious.  A quick peek in the bathroom revealed a generous white suite with shower and bath, complete with fluffy white bath robes and toiletries from The White Company.

After a brisk walk along the beach – which is just a three minute walk from the hotel – our appetites were well and truly whetted, and we couldn’t wait to see what Head Chef Trevor Hambley (a former colleague of Marco Pierre White and Jean Christophe Novelli), could conjure up. We sipped locally-produced sparkling wine in the pretty Beach Bistro restaurant, surrounded by young couples and cheerful families from the local area, while we feasted our eyes on the menu. Pan-fried scallops to start were plump and juicy while the fillet of Dungeness cod with mushroom duxelles and tomato fondue was divine. My husband enjoyed his duck breast with peppercorn sauce but after much discussion, we concluded that the moreish platefuls of seafood were by far the best choice. We rounded proceedings off with a spectacularly good vanilla-infused Pear Tarte Tatin, complemented by five-year-old Somerset brandy.

Well-rested after a peaceful night’s sleep in the huge, comfy bed, we headed down to breakfast the  next morning. Admittedly still sated from the previous night’s gluttony, we were confronted with yet more reasons to tuck in. Breakfast at the Gallivant is a bright and breezy experience with a variety of mouth-watering options, including a huge Full English. I took a trip down memory lane with scrummy boiled eggs and Marmite soldiers; childhood comfort food at its best – and the perfect way to end a lovely stay.

A stay in the beach hut room costs £195 per person, including breakfast and dinner, or £135 B&B. For more information, see thegallivanthotel.com

IN THE AREA…

The Gallivant Hotel is the perfect base for visiting the lovely Dungeness – a popular spot for fashion shoots – and the quintessentially English town of Rye. With only one day to explore, we spent most of our time wandering the cobbled streets of Rye, which felt a bit like stepping back in time, with old-fashioned sweet shops, beautiful old churches and curio-packed antique shops to discover. We ate lunch at Edith’s House, a cute vintage café which offers a warm welcome courtesy of Roux, the owner’s inquisitive dog,  before stopping for a piece of homemade Lemon Drizzle cake and coffee in the quaint surroundings of The Apothecary. More information on Rye and the surrounding area, see the Visit 1066 Country website. 

Suddenly, the ground is wrenched from beneath my feet, like some sort of Brontë-esque illusion. Or, rather, I remember I’m standing on a Segway and have leaned too far forward. I compose myself, not wanting to make the rather undignified mistake of falling off a vehicle that can only hit a maximum of 20mph. I’d seen it happen earlier to another member of our group. It wasn’t pretty.

The Segway is a fascinating beast. Having never used one, I’d imagined them to be mainly for carting lazy people around shipping malls, but it turns out there’s a whole other side to the contraption – in this case, the off-road side. Here, at Laggan Outdoors in Gatehouse of Fleet, a town nestled in the small pocket of Scotland directly north of the Isle on Man, the Segway becomes a hill-climbing, chunky tyre-wielding, brute of a machine. Such a thing can barrel along stone paths and race up hills – and plough over sheep’s mess – like nobody’s business.

The activity centre not only offers two-wheeled off-road tours, but archery, clay pigeon shooting, grass sledging (basically sliding down a hill on a glorified square bucket) and mountain balling – think of this as being strapped inside a huge rubber sphere and being pushed down a hillside. I hope I haven’t sold it short with that description because it’s hilarious. The jewel in Laggan’s crown, however, is the 820 metre-long zipwire, which, up until just weeks ago, was the longest in the UK (it’s since been pipped at the post by the Big Zipper at Penryhn Quarry in Wales). It even offers the chance to zip in pairs, so you can realise that ‘flying in a magic double sleeping bag’ fantasy you’ve always harboured.

Frustratingly, the Scottish wind was up to its usual gale-force tricks so we weren’t able to participate, but the view from the top of the ride was almost adequate compensation. Factor in the 4×4 Jeep journey to the summit, bounding along inclines and narrow paths, plus the fact that I felt compelled to sprint back down the mountain, meant I got enough of a thrill without.

But Castle Douglas isn’t just about throwing yourself down a mountain or trying not to throw yourself off a Segway. Just along the coastline lies somewhere to indulge the palate after you’ve maxed out your adrenaline reserves: Cream O’Galloway is an award-winning ice cream manufacturer. The team know what they’re talking about, too: I learned at the Visitor Centre that ‘soft scoop ice-cream’ is effectively just standard ice cream with extra air pumped in to save on resources – the ‘softness’ is just a well-marketed byproduct of stinginess. Cream O’Galloway offers the chance to create your own ice cream in their on-site kitchen, the amusingly-entitled ‘Ready, Steady, Freeze’. Our concoction, whisky and ginger – using only natural ginger and a local tipple, of course – was a resounding success, even if I say so myself.

There are cultural treats aplenty too, including the chance to visit to Threave Gardens and Estate - a quick skip (or a regal saunter) across the River Dee. The holder of second place in the Independent‘s ’10 Best Gardens to Visit in the UK’, the estate comprises a restored Scottish baronial-style house, landscaped gardens with sculptures in themed  ‘outdoor rooms’ and a nature reserve. For the fans of flying mammals out there, the property is one of Scotland’s bat hotspots, as well as a wildfowl sanctuary. (Coincidentally, bats are the only mammals truly capable of sustained flight; animals like flying squirrels can only glide and so their name is actually a misnomer.)

Heading back to Glasgow for the start of the journey home, we moved from the baronial to the borderline homeless – the Cail Bruich Restaurant, in Glasgow’s West End. Here, modern Scottish cuisine is influenced by French cooking techniques – using ingredients than can be foraged by guests from the nearby Botanical Gardens. Indeed, the exquisitely-presented dishes of produce from “Scotland’s outstanding natural larder”, including from local suppliers such as Campbell’s Prime Meats, were not only delicious but packed with remarkable foraged foods I had never even heard of, including scurvy grass, sea aster and gorse flowers. As we dined, we agreed that the restaurant was a perfect mixture of high-end dining and ‘low-end’ product sourcing – and why not encourage visitors to learn more about the natural world as they eat?

Such is the character of southern Scotland in general: a fascinating mix of natural and urban, historic and modern. I once heard that “if Scotland was 4,000 miles away, it would be packed with English tourists”, but because it’s on our doorstep, we don’t feel the need to visit. I wholeheartedly agree; for a flight time of less than one hour, there is really no excuse to not go.

Flights to Glasgow start at £79 return with British Airways. See ba.com for more information and to book. For more on southern Scotland and the adventures available, see visitscotland.com

You should visit Edinburgh because… it’s a beautifully picturesque city, positioned between undulating hills and a magnificent coastline. It also has a fascinating history, great places to go out and the best cultural festivals around. Edinburgh is best explored by foot so take your time to walk around and explore the city’s historic churches, medieval alleyways and well-preserved architecture.

The best thing about Edinburgh is…you can walk everywhere, people are welcoming and it’s a very young city with a vibrant music scene.

The worst thing about Edinburgh is… the bagpipes on Princes Street. If you live there and have to endure them daily, the novelty wears off.

Edinburghians are…proud of their heritage and not that hard to understand!

My favourite district is… Old Town, the oldest and most authentic part of Scotland’s capital. The contrast between New Town and Old Town is what makes the city so distinctive. New Town was the city’s project of the late 18^th to mid-19th century, but the Old Town preserves buildings dating from the 16th century.

My favourite shops are…The Old Children’s Bookshelf, a curious second-hand and antiquarian bookshop which has all your childhood favourites and Crombie’s butcher on Broughton Street, started in 1955 and three generations old. Hanah Zakari on Candlemaker Row stocks original handmade products by British and international indie designers with an emphasis on quirky and unusual designs.

When you’re in Edinburgh be sure to try… deep fried mars bar petit fours at the Hotel du Vin – and Irn-Bru. For the more adventurous, sample some traditional haggis, served with ‘neeps and tatties’ (the Scottish version of swede and potato!)

My favourite place to eat is… Under the Stairs, which is ensconced under the George IV Bridge and great for dinner in style thanks to its shabby chic, eclectic interiors.

Start your night out at…. Bramble cocktail bar where Edinburgh’s fashionable crowd cosy up in its cubbyholes and the Queen’s Arms on Frederick Street, which has an extensive whisky selection and a library room at the back.

The best parties take place at… Cabaret Voltaire, or ‘Cab Vol’ where you can rave in a cave to a stellar range of funky bands and Opal Lounge to experience Edinburgh’s late night clubbing scene.

Edinburgh’s fashion scene is… exactly as you would imagine. Young, hipster university students wearing Barbour and Jack Wills and kilts and sporrans – even if you aren’t Scottish! For fabulous vintage shopping, head to the Grassmarket in Old Town with its independent merchants, designers and artisans.

The most overrated sight in the city is… Edinburgh Castle but you definitely shouldn’t miss climbing Arthur’s Seat – one of Edinburgh’s seven hills – visiting The Royal Botanical Gardens, and walking up Calton Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage site to see the half-built Athenian-style Pantheon.

To experience the city like a local…wander through its cobbled streets at 2am on a Saturday when all the locals suddenly appear.

Something you won’t find anywhere else is…Grave robbing – Greyfriars Kirk graveyard has mort safes on top of graves which prevented body snatching before the Anatomy Act of 1832. You can see their death masks and other artifacts at the Surgeon’s Hall Museum.

Take home… A tartan trinket and a bag of fudge from The Edinburgh Fudge Kitchen on the Royal Mile which sells every flavour possible.

Flights to Edinburgh start at £81 return with British Airways. See ba.com for more information and to book. For more on Edinburgh, see edinburgh.org or visitscotland.com.

But don’t let that give you the impression that Lough Eske Castle is rustic: the reality is anything but. Nestled in the heart of the unspoilt, Irish countryside, between a beautiful lakeside reserve and the foothills of the Blue Stack Mountains, you can’t help but feel overawed as you arrive. Inside, you’re immediately greeted by a lavish Tudor interior, complete with a grand split level staircase, original Chesterfield leather sofas and a roaring open fire. While the castle prides itself traditional on traditional décor, the hotel has 96 modern and comfortable guest rooms, including the incredible two bedroom presidential suite – it’s a fresh and contemporary take on castle life. My room featured a grand four poster bed, a walk-in wardrobe and a marble bathroom equipped with twin sinks and heated flooring. It is a place where every little detail has been thought out carefully and it shows. Yet, the beauty of Lough Eske is, despite its luxurious settings, the wonderfully low key atmosphere.

I kicked off my first full day in Ireland with a hearty breakfast that included a delicious omelette and some traditional potato bread. The rest of the morning saw a vain attempt to burn it off, via team-building activities led by an enthusiastic Irishman with a passion for the outdoors (think Bear Grylls in a medieval setting) in the hotel’s 43-acre grounds.  Lunch was followed by an afternoon spent exploring the vibrant, bustling market town of Donegal with its array of independent boutiques and lovely quaint pubs, which, bizarrely, has become something of a surfer’s paradise.

Along with the beaches that bring surfers from across the globe to Donegal, the town also has a surfer-friendly Sea Sessions Surf and Music Festival, held every July. Like me, festival-goers are also partial to a taste of the local brew – Guinness – which, as I discovered is harder to pour than you might imagine. But there’s more to the area than a perfectly poured pint: Donegal has a steeply rocky coastline with cliffs that plummet 300 metres down to the surf, deserted white sandy beaches and jaw-droppingly beautiful loughs. You don’t have to go far for the latter when you’re staying at Lough Eske Castle: there’s one just outside the front door.

But if outdoor pursuits, surfing and boozing aren’t enough for you, there is another option: Lough Eske’s award-winning spa, which is located within the castle’s old walled garden. Spa Solis won the Tatler award for the best spa treatments in the UK, and – with beautiful wood and sandstone floors, cosy neutral walls and a pool big enough to please Henry VIII – it’s easy to see why. Then there are the products, which are made by a brand called OGRA [Irish Gaelic for ‘youth’] that are based on – wait for it – peat. Yes, the brown contents of all those Irish bogs actually do good things for your skin, unbelievable as it might sound.

Not quite ready to plump for peat, I tried out the Spa Solis massage instead, which was done using a combination of Swedish techniques and Aromatherapy Associates products. I loved how the scents were perfectly in tune with the strokes made by the therapist – it really worked for me and went some way to ameliorating the muscle-busting effects of the team building exercises.  After my treatment, I spent some down time in the hydrotherapy pool for a moment of quiet reflection before leaving feeling rejuvenated and a little lighter.

Although Lough Eske does sell itself as a spa hotel, wellness was by no means the main part of what was on offer. I was really struck by the sheer amount of cultural and historical activities on offer. From learning how to weave to whale watching and white water rafting, there’s no shortage of things to do in and around Lough Eske. If you’re planning a quick getaway this year and are looking for something a little different, then Donegal is perfect. You can throw away the map and have a woodland adventure, relax all day in the spa or even take to the chilly Atlantic waves with the surfers. Whatever you choose, Donegal is a relatively undiscovered part of Ireland that’s well worth getting to know.

Aer Lingus flies from London Gatwick to Knock, with prices starting at £99 return. See aerlingus.com for more information, special offers and to book. Rooms at Solis Lough Eske Castle start at £168 per night based on two sharing. For more information or to book, see solishotels.com. For more on Donegal and the surrounding area, see donegaldirect.ie.

Back at the lodge, it was breakfast time and at Singita Lembombo, they don’t do breakfast by half. Sitting overlooking the pool in the bright morning sunshine, I sipped the second coffee of the day and tucked into a huge platter of fresh local fruit, including pineapple, mango and an incongruous kiwi fruit. Next came a similarly large plate of Eggs Benedict, a mound of toast large enough to present a challenge to even the most gargantuan of appetites and a carton’s worth of freshly squeezed orange juice. Replete, I stumbled back to my room to sleep it all off before lunch.

Easily one of the chicest lodges in Africa, you won’t find the usual heavy heirlooms and teak wood floors at Singita Lembombo. Instead, it’s all light, bright and white – none of which would look out of place in a New York boutique hotel. But it’s not all city slicker does safari. Everything from furniture to floor is made from natural materials, intended to complement the Kruger National Park wilderness that surrounds the lodge, while the gorgeous waterfall chandeliers are made from recycled glass. Not that any of the green initiatives make it feel any less luxe: with a personal butler permanently on call, the effect is more modern memsahib.

From my balcony – and my conveniently located day bed – I had a perfect view of the Lembombo River, which meant I ended up spending hours staring at the hippos and Egyptian geese as they went around their daily business. At one point, a prehistoric looking crocodile emerged through the acid-bright weeds, snapping at one of the geese which beat a hasty retreat.  By midday, it was too hot to lie outside any longer, so I retreated to the air conditioned comfort of my room for a cold drink and a quick flick through the spotters guide that the staff had helpfully left on my bed.

In theory, lunch should have come next, but I was still too full from breakfast, so sped off to the spa, a short walk down the hill, for a soothing massage. In the cool darkness of the treatment room, I almost dozed off watching the hippos – now sleeping – through the glass doors. I got a bit closer later on, on the day’s second game drive, which took us deep into the park. Peeking through the trees was one solitary hippo, which was watching – and being watched in return – by a group of inquisitive young lions. ‘He’ll be fine – they won’t dare catch him,’ Dylan reassured us, before launching into a story about a man-eating pack that apparently has a taste for refugees from Zimbabwe.  I gulped and settled more firmly into my seat, as in front of us, the hippo lumbered off, leaving the lions disappointed.

After an alfresco gin and tonic presided over by an inquisitive giraffe, we headed back to camp, where Dylan joined me for supper in the open-air boma, where tables decked with white linen and silver cutlery had been laid out. On the menu for our barbeque deluxe was most of what we’d seen that day, lions and hippos excepted. There was buffalo, cooked rare and wonderfully bloody. Kudu, flavoursome and dense, and Springbok, tender and moreish. To go with our game-heavy feast, there was just about every sort of salad imaginable, plus potato done 20 different ways and organic red wine from the Stellenbosch region in the south. We talked animals as we ate; the world’s scariest lion and a too-close-for-comfort brush with a Great White Shark. I shivered as I laughed, leaning in closer to boma’s central fire.

Then, out of the darkness, came the lodge staff stomping, singing and sporting colourful local garb. They snaked in a line around the fire, singing and ululating around the fire; looking up to the sky where fat stars twinkled in the violet dark. We clapped and cheered before a low rumble cut through the music. ‘Better walk back to your room with a security guard,’ said Dylan sagely. ‘The lions are out tonight.’

One night at Singita Lebombo starts at £880 per person, per night on a full board basis, two safaris per day, all drinks including premium wines, spirits and liquers and return transfers. See singita.com for more information and to book. South African Airways offers return flights to Kruger National Park (Hoedspruit) from London Heathrow via Johannesburg from £779 per person. For more information, visit flysaa.com or call +44 (0) 844 375 9680.

IN THE AREA…

Kruger National Park is one of the largest national parks in Africa, covering more than 7,850 square miles. A protected area since 1898, the park is home to all of the big five – buffalo, lion, elephant, rhino and leopard – as well as 517 species of bird, including the majestic Bataleur eagle and the endangered Ground Hornbill. Along with the big five, expect to see a huge variety of African mammals such as the giraffe, zebra, cheetah and blue wildebeest. Kruger even has a small population of threatened black rhino, although both it and the white rhino are becoming increasingly endangered thanks to the activities of poachers, who sell the horns to Chinese gangs for use in traditional medicine. To find out more and to get involved in the fight against poaching, see the WWF’s website.

That said, this is not a humble place, clinging to tradition despite a tide of modernity. Quite the opposite. Zermatt is without doubt, one of Europe’s most chi chi mountain resorts. The surviving traditions and an inclination to shun more brash forms of wealth, only consolidate the old-school, old-money charm that Zermatt oozes. A charm perfectly encapsulated by our first stop, a night and dinner at the five-star Grand Hotel Zermatterhof.

Like the rest of the resort, the Zermatterhof prides itself on understated style and repeat visitors. Guests return every year, and have done so for decades, bringing with them new generations and friends. The warmth of such repeat visits is apparent throughout the hotel and there is little of the showy or stuffiness that I expected from the grand entrance. Alongside hosting high-flying guests such as Saudi royalty and Robbie Williams, children can be found tearing through corridors in high spirits, while their grandparents look on lovingly.

After a long but stunning train journey up the valley, being greeted at the train station by a traditionally dressed chauffeur with an electric taxi to whisk us off to a five-star hotel, was just what the doctor ordered. Class and comfort aren’t done in half measures here. Excitement peaked on walking into our traditional luxury suite (there are rooms and suites with a more modern design too). The sheer size of it was mind-blowing.

With two marble bathrooms, a huge four-poster bed, a lounge and dining area (complete with champagne on ice and fresh fruit) and two balconies looking out over the church tower and a dusk-tinged Matterhorn, it was hard to sit still for the first hour. Dominated by pine, soft lighting and cosy fabrics you cannot forget you’re in the mountains here. With the open-fire lit, champagne poured and mountain air drifting in from the balcony, I wanted to move in permanently.

Dinner in the Zermatterhof’s old-fashioned Prato Borni restaurant (there an informal Italian option too) continued in the same vein. Old-school is the operative word in this wood-panelled room, filled with light from crystal chandeliers and elegantly dressed customers being served classic dishes by waiters in tails. The food lived up to the atmosphere as we indulged in a feast of  Gillardeau oysters, Chateaubriand topped with foie gras, flambéed fruits and a little too much from the cheese trolley.

The Prato Borni is also where breakfast is served in such a vast continental spread; it’s hard to drag yourself away and onto the slopes before it’s time for lunch. Besides the main restaurant the hotel also has two bars – one in the lobby with a large open fire and piano music in the early evening (perfect for pre-dinner drinks) and another called ‘Stars’, which is a small cocktail lounge with live jazz nights and an uncharacteristically blingy ceiling made to look like the night’s sky. For daytime relaxation, the hotel’s Alpine Spa has an indoor pool, sauna, steam bath, ice grotto and various facial and massage treatments on offer.

Unsurprisingly (this is Switzerland after-all), Zermatt is eye-wateringly expensive. But despite the pretty town, luxury hotels and fine dining experiences, you only really find out why when you head to the slopes. With over 350km of ski runs and a ski area that spreads over two countries (a highlight is skiing over into Italy for a day), Zermatt’s slopes are refreshingly quiet. Queues for lifts are almost non-existent and if you pick the right weeks to visit, you will often have runs entirely to yourself. Without doubt some of the best skiing I’ve ever experienced.

But unlike so many purpose-built resorts, the mountains here aren’t just about skiing, which makes them feel that much more real. There are toboggan runs, cross-country skiing, ski touring, glacier climbing, star gazing and moonlight tours on offer. But what I loved the most were the 70km of winter walking routes and snow-shoeing trails, which offer a whole new perspective on The Alps. Gone are the people, the lifts, the gadgets and equipment and in comes the true solitude, fresh air and epic magnitude of the mountains.  And thankfully, the walking routes also lead hikers to some of Zermatt’s finest mountainside restaurants.

Zermatt is renowned for its mountainside gourmet scene, in which quaint wooden chalets become home to the resorts’ most renowned chefs. Once you’ve spent a lunchtime basking in the sun with such fine food and wine, a holiday here quickly becomes as much about the food as it does the sports. And since one justifies the other, it’s a match made in heaven. I could wax lyrical about calf’s liver, roesti, steak tartar, home-made quiche, lamb salad, puff-pastry topped soups for another 900 words but you’ll just have to go experience it for yourself. The experts consider the top five lunching spots to be Blatten, Fluhalp, Frank & Heidi’s, Zum See and Chez Vrony. And to go the whole hog and really indulge you can even book your very own Gourmet Ski Guide through the luxury chalet company Mountain Exposure. When it comes to winter sports in Europe, I doubt anywhere else could offer such a luxurious experience.

Zermatt is four hours from Geneva by train, which costs from £70 with a Swiss Transfer ticket. Rooms at The Grand Zermatterhof start from £343 in a standard double room. The Zermatterhof is part of the Preferred Hotels group. For more on Zermatt, see zermatt.ch or myswitzerland.com

But my penchant for extravagant weekend breaks doesn’t quite tally with the eco-friendly persona I aspire to. Harmonising the two has proved quite a challenge. But thankfully, things are changing. It’s not that country house hotels have downgraded: quite the opposite. The world of luxury travel is now, more than ever embracing its environmental responsibilities, and, by and large, the results are fantastic. What made the Combe House Hotel experience that bit better was discovering that the hotel’s unobtrusive environmental efforts had won it a Green Tourism Business Scheme certification and the ‘Most Excellent Innovation in Sustainable Hospitality’ award from Conde Nast Johansens. Yes, I discovered, you really can have your luxury cake and eat it.

Gone are the days when eco travel was reserved for frumpy hessian-wearing worthy types and revolved around bamboo huts and compost toilets (although it’s worth mentioning that the latter have improved a lot). Sustainable, responsible, eco hotels, tour operators and transport companies are becoming increasingly mainstream. What’s more, attitudes are changing too. In 2011, 58% of Conde Nast Traveller readers said that their hotel choice was directly influenced by the support the hotel gives to a local community and, according to a Trip Advisor survey in 2012, 71% planned to make more eco-friendly travel choices in the next 12 months,compared to 65% the year before.

But let’s be honest; holidays are for indulging, relaxing, letting someone else take care of things or inspiring the mind with new and interesting sights, sounds and experiences. While we all know that we should minimise our impact on the world when travelling, it’s rare that that’s the main consideration when booking a trip. Although the feelgood element of an eco holiday has significant value, what people are increasingly turning to eco travel for is its ability to innovate and provide richer and more novel experiences. Low impact and environmentally sensitive accommodation (aka glamping) gets you closer to nature and allows you to experience a destination without the paraphernalia of large-scale resorts and is often as romantic as it gets.

Canopy & Stars exemplify this sort of experience, and they’re not just about tents.  ’We’re taking 50% more bookings this year than last,’ reveals marketing manager, Nada Matti. ‘It’s just growing and growing. We’re amazed and inspired by all the new places that keep popping up and I think this is what’s driving things forward. People are coming up with quirkier, more creative types of spaces and that’s what people are looking for. We’re on the constant search for more unusual places and have recently added a boat with a thatched roof, as well as a more ‘normal’ converted fishing boat, to go with our Iron Age roundhouse, wheat silo, horse-truck and army fire truck conversions… People are looking for an experience that’s completely immersive. So the space, the setting, the food, everything needs to be special.’

And Canopy and Stars aren’t alone. Nestled in the mountains above Lake Geneva is White Pod, one of the world’s first luxe eco resorts, which offers white dome tents, complete with Scandinavian furnishings, wood burners and organic luxury bedding. Similar are tree house suites, the accommodation of choice for the coolest glampers. Head to Chewton Glen’s enormous treehouse suite for the ultimate luxury tree-top experience, including your own private hot tub, huge terrace and a breakfast hamper delivery every morning.

Along with the chance to sleep in an igloo or a wigwam, an eco resort or travel company is much more likely to take part in efforts to conserve destinations, whether Marrakech’s crumbling old Medina or Kenya’s Masai Mara. ‘Isla Palenque was an uninhabited island, when we arrived,’ remembers Ben Loomis, founder of the 400-acre Isla Palenque eco resort off the coast of Panama. ‘This is what we’ve worked to preserve for guests and for future generations by maintaining the island’s ecosystems in their wild, undisturbed state’.

Bespoke travel and honeymoon specialists Sally & Alice, have also noticed a growing trend for high-end properties that focus on conservation. ‘We work with lodges and camps who support their local community and protect their wildlife and natural surroundings,’ says Sally. ‘People often ask us why safari is so expensive. Well, in order for these wildlife areas to be protected, revenue has to come from park and conservation fees and a percentage of profits from accommodation income. People are increasingly aware, and pleased, that some of this cost goes towards anti-poaching, protecting natural habitats and educating locals to do the same.’

If a resort or trip has eco and responsible credentials, the chances are it will be more interesting and authentic – usually without sacrificing an ounce of comfort or style. These days, it’s the eco holidays that have the strongest brag potential: natural products result in lovelier interiors, locally sourced, organic foods are always tastier and being at one with a beautiful natural environment is one of the best detoxifiers out there. But don’t take my word for it, get out there and experience it for yourself.

You should visit Düsseldorf because… you’ll be surprised by what you find. The city is packed with music and culture, including 26 museums. There are also green spaces, great spots to eat and drink, not to mention a vibrant night-life.

The best thing about Düsseldorf is… everything is so very accessible. It’s easy to get around as distances are short. Most things to see and do are within the city centre which is just ten minutes from the international airport. And cycling is a safe option here!

The worst thing about Düsseldorf is… getting a room during exhibition time.  Forget it!

Düsseldorfs  are… known as ‘Rheinlanders’ and are a people with a real joie de vivre. They can be boisterous, loud and love to celebrate. Consequently the city is full of outdoor life, while the calendar is packed with festivals and events.

My favourite district is… Pempelfort, where you’ll find the Rhine and the rambling Rheinpark,  as well as the beautiful Hofgarten; Germany’s oldest city park, which borders the Altstadt [old town]. Pempelfort is also the home of the Ehrenhof; a majestic complex of historical buildings which includes two museums – the Museum Kunstpalast and the NRW Forum, plus the Tonhalle, Germany’s first planetarium.

My favourite shops are… Unterhaltung Lieblingsstücke, an intimate boutique where everything has been carefully selected. There’s always something new to discover there. Wandel is another gem, and is an antiques warehouse stuffed with everything you can imagine, from  cowboy memorabilia to cocktail tables. They regularly supply the film and stage industry.

When you’re in Düsseldorf be sure to try… Killepitsch, a local herbal liqueur, made from 90 different herbs, fruits and spices. Warming on a freezing day, you can get it in the heart of the Old Town at a traditional kiosk and drink it at wooden table with the locals. Although I’m not a beer drinker myself, you also have to sample the local brew Altbier. Düsseldorf has five privately-owned breweries  and the oldest is 150 years old.

Start your night out at… LiQ Bar which serves the best cocktails in town or the Pebbles Bar at the Hyatt – a beautiful bar in the trendy Media harbour.

The best parties take place at… The Attic, a club on the rooftop of one of the city centre department stores, or at Trinkhalle, a tiny club in Flingern. Toykio, a designer toy store and art gallery, also has brilliant one-off event nights.

Düsseldorf’s fashion scene is… in Flingern and around the Loretto Strasse in Unterbilk. Most of the local designers have their studios in these parts of town.

The most overrated sight in the city is… the café on the Rhinetower, although you definitely shouldn’t miss the view from the top of the tower which gives you a great view of the river and the city.

To experience the city like a local… visit the Carlsplatz Market in the centre of town. A food and vegetable market of superior quality, it’s one of the best in Germany. The oldest merchant has been there for three generations and the locals really do shop there. Join them for lunch one of the many food stands, which range from Italian to Indian, or go really German at the soup kitchen Dauser.

Something you won’t find anywhere else is… The Crypta. Originally built for the students of church music to practice their craft, this tranquil spot in the Robert Schumann Conservatory of Music was decorated by Emil Schult, formerly of Kraftwerk, who painted the walls, floor and ceiling with spiritual themes incorporating all religions for a truly peaceful, global world. Another spot, would be to visit the costume department of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. The opera house puts on 300 performances a year and as a result has 50,000 costumes stored in the cellar. It’s an amazing visit that never fails to impress any visitor, opera fan or not.

Take home… some Killepitsch or some Düsseldorf Lowensenf. Our ‘lions’ mustard’ comes from the oldest mustard company in Germany. The mustard store doubles as a tiny museum, which not only offers numerous flavours of mustard including fig mustard and Altbier mustard, but also has a working mustard mill and photographs from the past 100 years. Chocolate lovers should head to Heinemann for the most delicious cakes and chocolates in Germany.

The Düsseldorf tourist board offers a ‘Düsseldorf á la Card’ package, which starts £42 per person including B&B accommodation and a Düsseldorf WelcomeCard (city pass). See  duesseldorf-tourismus.de  for more information and to book. Flights to Düsseldorf start at £112 return with British Airways from London Heathrow. Visit ba.com for more information and to book. 

Though getting my retail therapy in Marrakesh was a new experience for me, the city has hosted more than one satisfied shopper during its 951 years in existence. Founded in 1062 by Berber chieftain, Abu Bakr ibn Umar, the city began life as a trading post deep in the Sahara desert and in many ways; it’s changed little over the years.  The central Medina, redolent with the mingled scents of saffron, sweat and leather, is at the heart of the old town and has been trading for centuries.

Hardly a surprise, then, that its bustling crowds of shoppers and salesmen know what they’re about. ‘Come, try!’ is the refrain that you’ll hear every few metres, whether from behind a pile of slowly toasting pistachio nuts or next to a neat rank of brightly coloured babouches. In Djemaa el-Fna, the bustling square on the edge of the Medina, it’s hard to know where to look first. In one corner, there’s groups of cobra tamers, scaly hissing companions peeping balefully from their woven baskets, while weaving through the crowds are the monkey men, each of whom trails a miserable ape wearing a child-sized red fez. Behind are the fruit sellers, their stalls piled high with golden grapefruits and spiky green pineapples. Under a row of flowering jacarandas wait the carriages, all pulled by pretty pairs of Berber Arab horses; some skinny, some sleek and well fed.

One such well fed Berber Arab was Azir, a dapple grey stallion at Club Med’s La Palmeraie resort. Not for this horse a lifetime of toil between the shafts: instead he, and the rest of the hotel’s stable of horses and camels, spends his days giving travellers a closer look at some of the dusty villages and flat, barren land around the edge of the city. Dull yellow and scarred with scrubby bushes, it’s a world away from the lush gardens and neat buildings of the resort, which – despite local staff and Berber names – feels more European than Arabic.

Nevertheless, it’s a quiet haven from the city’s bustling lanes, with sunny swimming pools, a soothing spa and gargantuan squashy beds. It’s good too for getting a taste of Morocco’s food culture without having to brave the Medina.  El Kébir, one of the resort’s smaller restaurants, specialises in local fare and it quickly becomes clear that there’s more to Moroccan eats than bowls of couscous and heaps of dates. For a start, there are steaming dishes of tagine, a heavily spiced meat stew enlivened with a sprinkling of pistachios and a handful of dried apricots. Then an oddly tasty tomato concoction cooked around an egg, served up with fragrant coriander studded salads and a neat little dish of dried fruit.  To finish, bitter Arabic coffee, thick and black and spiced with cardamom pods, which reappeared the next morning, at breakfast.

Few things are nicer than a lazy breakfast outside under a shady Jacaranda tree and La Palmeraie does this brilliantly. But just as lovely is lunch in the heart of the souk, where you can watch the locals bustle past, interesting looking packages in tow. Perhaps the most fascinating of all though, were the tiny pharmacies dotted throughout the souk, each of which looked more like Dumbledore’s office than a medical establishment thanks to the shelves stacked with jars filled with mysterious rainbow coloured liquid. You could spend hours inspecting the baskets filled with a quirky mixture of shells, powders and rocks, although if you’re smart you’ll go straight to the musk: a traditional solid scent that smells a little like Bond No.5’s Nuit de Noho and lasts just as long.

Away from the sensory overload in the Medina, Marrakesh does have its quiet places; among them, the Bahia Palace. Built by the Grand Vizier, Si Moussa, and named after one of his wives, the building looks innocuous from the outside with its plain white walls broken only by a simple turquoise door. But once through that door, it’s a different story with courtyard after courtyard, each with its own intricate mosaics and central fountains, leading to a series of breathtakingly ornate rooms. Every inch of space within is decorated with filigree mosaics, brightened with splashes of crimson paint and patches of gold leaf. Ignore the crowds, and just for a moment, it feels like you’ve stepped through the pages of Arabian Nights. The local men, many of whom sport unusual hooded cloaks that wouldn’t look out of place on Lord Voldemort, flit through the columns, inadvertently heightening the effect.

As with the Medina, it’s hard to know what to look at first when strolling through the Bahia, and the same confusion applies wherever you go in Marrakesh. It’s an overload of colour, sound and smell, whether you’re strolling through the jasmine scented gardens at Yves St Laurent’s villa or elbowing your way through the crowds underneath the Bab Agnaou; the medieval red sandstone city walls. It feels relentlessly exotic in a way that Dubai or Cairo never quite manage, despite their own bustling souks and proudly Arabic outlook. But Marrakesh isn’t really Arabic either: it’s Berber with a dash of the Middle East and a heavy dose of French. It’s unique, fascinating, irritating and insane all in one go. I’m going back as soon as I possibly can.

A week in Marrakesh, staying at Club Med Le Palmeraie, staying in the 5* Le Riad starts at £1,225 per person, including flights from London Heathrow, all meals and resort activities. For more information and to book, see clubmed.co.uk or call 08453 676767.

In striking contrast to that tiny lobby, the hotel’s 48 rooms and luxury suites are spacious. Refurbished just last year, rooms have chocolate pinstripe curtains, sleek microfibre flooring, comfy sofas and chunky wooden coffee tables; and there are some lovely extra touches. A sliding screen to partition the lounge area and bedroom, and an elongated shower stall in the bathroom, which offers loads of extra space for lathering up alone – or with a friend.

Standard rooms on the ground floor are ideal if you have mobility problems and family rooms are even more roomy. Needing a bit of cocooning, I chose a Superior sea view room and loved sitting out on the balcony at sunset with a Metaxa brandy cocktail, watching lights come on around the harbour and the little fishing boats heading out to sea.

A small Jacuzzi and sauna in the basement can be booked for private use but Lato’s real strong point is the food.  The Brilliant Gourmet restaurant - quirky name notwithstanding – morphs to the rooftop Herb Garden in summer, and has been hailed as one of Crete’s finest eateries. The décor is chilled but not icy, with silver walls, cranberry-coloured crushed velvet curtains, floor to ceiling windows, serene lighting , huge flickering candles housed in upended stove pipes and plenty of other quirky touches.

Specialising in ‘Cretan food with a twist’, fans of the healthy Mediterranean diet can choose from a range of dishes cooked in award-winning extra virgin olive oil from Sitia. My starter – a zingy fresh rocket salad full of chunks of dry figs, walnuts and local cheese drizzled with a pine honey sauce – was followed by Cretan Apaki, a succulent dish of smoked pork marinated in herbs and vinegar served with roast pita bread and a sweet pepper sauce.

Portions were so huge, I felt guilty about ordering dessert, but thoughts of extra calories went out of the window when I took my first mouthful of sinfully rich and gooey chocolate parfait ice cream studded with hunks of caramelised almond. With all the food on offer, you might not leave slender but you will be very, very happy indeed. If you’re looking for somewhere cool to stay on Crete, Lato is a real find and – unlike most other resort hotels – it’s open all year round.

Prices for a night at Lato, including breakfast, start at approximately £70 per person per night. See lato.gr for more information and to book.

IN THE AREA…

Based on Greece’s largest island, the Lato is the perfect base for getting to grips with the varied delights of Crete. Its fascinatingly diverse historical remnants encompass everything from Minoan palaces to Byzantine monasteries and a cave, which as legend has it, was the birthplace of the Greek god, Zeus.

Heraklion itself is the fifth largest city in Greece and is a dynamic place, crammed with chic boutiques and buzzing cafes that bely the somnolent surrounding countryside. Don’t forget to head to the beach. Matala, to the south of Heraklion, is one of the nicest on Crete and offers sweeping golden sand at the bottom of a set of skyscraping rocky cliffs.

For more information on Crete, see explorecrete.com.