1. Be creative in Mexico

The town of San Miguel de Allende has an artists' colony, numerous galleries and the Bellas Artes Institute. Take classes in anything from painting to jewellery-making. Casita de las Flores costs $20-25 a night. Sanmiguelartists.com, Casitadelasflores.com.

2. Run the Reggae Marathon

Jamaica's Reggae Marathon on December 2 is the full 26-mile monty but with one big party taking place on the sidelines. Recuperate at Jakes (Islandoutpost.com, £60 a night). Reggaemarathon.com.

3. Drive to Africa

Go hell-for-leather to Mali in the second Budapest-Bamako rally, which runs 8,000km over 15 days, leaving January 13. Despite the name, there's a London departure point and the cash-strapped can even hitch their way round. Budapestbamako.org/en, from €300pp.

4. Go foraging for your food

The Wild Food School in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, runs two-day courses on identifying and cooking some of Britain's edible wild plants. £145 excluding accommodation. Countrylovers.co.uk/wfs.

5. Get your holiday paid for

Tour operator Black Tomato is on the look out for a talent scout to spend two weeks on an all-expenses-paid trip searching for the next must-see destination. Got what it takes? Go to Blacktomato.co.uk, click on talentscout.

· Some of these ideas appear in Fifty Great Escapes published on September 18 by Prestel (Prestel.com), £15.99.