Big on the Broads
The best way for a group of friends or a family to explore the 150 miles of waterways that make up the Norfolk Broads is on an easy-to-handle cruising boat. The larger cruisers sleep up to 11 people and come fully equipped with TV, galley, shower and head. Tie up at will to discover the area's attractive villages, nature trails, pubs and restaurants.
Where to book: Norfolk Broads Direct (0800 9173206, Norfolk Broads Direct). From £945 for the whole boat (about £86pp) for one week.
Caribbean through a glass-bottom boat
The Turks & Caicos is a group of 40 small islands and tiny cays scattered to the south-east of Cuba and to the north of the Dominican Republic. The serene white-sand beaches are unspoilt, and the coral reef is so sensational that these are considered to be the best waters in the Caribbean for snorkelling and diving. Sailing in a glass bottom boat is a unique way of spying the underwater wildlife without actually getting wet, and trips are free to guests at Beaches Resort & Spa. The hotel has four freshwater swimming pools and unlimited watersports.
Where to book: Beaches (0870 1626060, Beaches). From £1,659pp for seven nights including all food and drink, flights and transfers, wet and dry sports, entertainment, kids' club and nursery for children.
Diving in the Red Sea
Ever since Jacques Cousteau explored its waters four decades ago, the Red Sea has attracted divers from around the world. The coral is abundant, with infinite underwater life. Sharm El Sheikh is one of the world's classic dive destinations, with pristine visibility all year round. West of the Sinai peninsula, the sea hides some fascinating wrecks, and July to August is the best time to spot manta rays and whale sharks. The rugged mountains and desert scenery offer a striking backdrop to the beaches where you can sail and windsurf.
Where to book: Harlequin (01708 850330, Harlequin). From £566pp for seven nights' B&B at the Hyatt Regency with its three terraced swimming pools, waterfalls, grottoes and whirlpools. Six-day diving packages with two dives per day cost £163pp, PADI diving courses from £134pp.
Exploring the source of the Blue Nile
A 20-night journey through the heart of Ethiopia takes you to the source of the Blue Nile at Lake Tana. The lake is close to the dramatic Blue Nile Falls, and boat excursions are made to two of the lake's monasteries that house the remains of the country's ancient emperors. The trip begins in Addis Ababa and includes visits to the great castles and palaces of medieval Gonder, and the remote northern hill town of Lalibela. Accommodation is a mixture of camping and simple guest houses, accompanied by a local cook to provide an insight into indigenous - and by no means indigestible - cuisine.
Where to book: Dragoman (01728 861133, Dragoman).£765pp for 20 nights, with about £195pp contribution to the group kitty for food etc. Includes travel, camping and hotel accommodation, all camp meals, and the services of a leader and driver. Flights are not included but cost from £500pp.
Fishing in the wilds
Salmon and giant halibut abound in Tasu Sound, in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. Whales and sea lions are other regular visitors. Black bears prowl the shoreline and, as you cast, the occasional bald eagle hugs the thermals overhead. Accommodation is in an isolated lodge reached only by helicopter. Native American Indians own the surrounding land, and ancient tribal burial sites are well worth a visit.
Where to book: Anglers World Adventures (01246 221717, Anglers World Adventures). From £2,206pp for five nights, including international flights, private return flights to Queen Charlotte Islands, private helicopter to the lodge at Tasu Sound, with accommodation, all gourmet meals, guided wildlife watching, fishing and tackle, and a night in Vancouver en route.
Lakeside city
Lucerne's lakeside setting once attracted Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy and Queen Victoria. Today, the medieval town in the German-speaking heart of Switzerland has two covered wooden bridges, and cobbled streets with market squares interspersed with designer boutiques and small cafes. In warm weather, you can swim from the lido, or take a paddle-steamer cruise - one even houses an onboard Indian restaurant. The waterside Palace Luzern, with its eight-storey art nouveau facade, was the height of elegance in the 1920s, and retains a solid luxury.
Where to book: Bridge Travel (0870 1917280, Bridge Travel). From £391pp B&B for two nights at the Palace Luzern, including flights and rail transfers.
River walking in the West Country
The River Parrett Trail is a 50-mile hike, which takes three to four days to complete, through some of England's most mellow countryside, and is split into manageable sections of about five miles each. The route takes you through the hills of Dorset and Somerset, and across moors and the wetlands of the Somerset Levels. There are no guided walks as such, but the River Parrett Trail officer can guide you through parts of it.
Where to book: South Somerset Tourist Information Centre (01935 462991, South Somerset Tourist Information Centre). River Parrett Trail Officer (01823 356138, River Parrett Trail Officer ). The trail guide folder costs £6.95 (including p&p) and contains a map showing the pubs and local attractions, where to stay en route, plus a children's trail and information about the art and crafts to be found on the journey.
River rafting on the Grand Canyon
The four-day, 100-mile river expedition starts at Whitmore Canyon below Lava Falls on the Colorado river in Arizona and continues all the way to Lake Mead in Nevada. From the river launch site, you spend three days shoot ing the whitewater rapids, which are classified as three to six on a severity scale of 10.
The river journey ends at Pierce Ferry, with a coach to take you on to Denver where the group spends two nights. You then travel on to Bar 10 Lodge, part of a working cattle ranch on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Here you can take part in a variety of activities, including horse riding and a mini rodeo.
Where to book: American Round-Up (0870 7472624, American Round-Up). £2,356pp for two-week holiday, including all meals and accommodation on the ranch and rafting trip, flights and transfers.You can extend your stay with one night in Las Vegas before and after the rafting, followed by two nights in Denver. Hotel accommodation in Denver and Vegas costs about £60pp per night.
Staying on a Scottish loch
The gothic watery experience begins before you even reach the hotel, when a restored steamship collects you from Loch Awe railway station. Ardanaiseig was built as a baronial manor house in the 19th century and lies outside the hamlet of Kilchrenan in Argyllshire.
It is set among 200 acres of delightful woodland gardens that stretch down to the shores of the loch. Six of the master bedrooms have loch views, and two of them have canopied four-poster beds. The dining room overlooks the loch and serves fresh produce including catch from the loch, all of it flavoured with herbs from the hotel's walled garden. You can fly-fish and sail on the loch, or take a motor launch to picnic on the hotel's private island.
Where to book:
Ardanaiseig (01866 833333, Ardanaiseig). From £93pp per night B&B until the end of September, from £41 in the autumn, gourmet three/four course dinner £39.50pp, three nights' half-board £330pp.
Walking in Austria's lake district
The village of Bad Aussee lies 50 miles southeast of Salzburg, and from here a network of paths takes you through a variety of scenery, from rolling wooded hills and picturesque lakes to mountain summits of over 8,000ft. Activities during the week include a three-lake tour by boat and on foot, and a visit to the ancient town of Hallstatt, which is dramatically situated on a narrow lake shore with a backdrop of soaring cliffs. The walking is over moderate to easy mountain terrain for up to five to six hours a day.
Where to book: Ramblers Holidays (01707 331133, Ramblers Holidays). One week's walking between June and September costs from £395pp half-board including flights, transfers, and the services of a guide.
Water, water, everywhere
Le Meridien in Cyprus is a veritable oasis set in lush gardens only 15km from the tacky lights of Limassol, but it seems a lot further once you are there. Your biggest daily decision revolves around which of the seven swimming pools you will choose to bathe in as a sand-free alternative to the adjoining beach.
The pools - fresh and saltwater - include two of the largest on the island, one for over-16s and another for children up to 12. The hotel has a watersports centre and a state-of-the-art spa. Here, the signature thalassotherapy treatments take you to four additional outdoor pools. You start with a 10-minute float on a pool of saltwater mixed with mineral-rich dark volcanic mud, before moving on to a blossom-filled pool designed to emulate the Dead Sea.
This is followed by two rock whirlpools housing water-jets of varying strength to hone your body, before a final pore-cleansing visit to a steam room.
Where to book: Body and Soul (020-7590 1777, Body and Soul). From £940 for a five-night Stress Recovery Break, including half-board accommodation, seven spa treatments, free kids club, flights and transfers. Thalassotherapy treatment costs C£45 for 75 minutes.
