Welcome to the pleasure dome

A new £1bn resort opened on the Turkish coast last weekend with the most lavish hotel launch party in history. Carole Cadwalladr couldn't quite believe her eyes

Readers’ tips … Agriturismos

Suggestions on the best rustic retreats on working farms in secluded parts of France, Italy and Spain

Rave Om!

A short boat ride away from Koh Phangan's full-moon frenzy, a laid-back yoga retreat offers ravers calm after the party storm

And on that farm there was a … masseur

For Sally Weale's allergy-riddled, animal-averse townie family, only a luxury option with flatscreen TVs and no farmyard pongs would do

Nothing doing

The most relaxing holidays are all about simple pleasures, says Kevin Gould, who perfects the art of idling in a sleepy enclave of the Algarve

Lazy sunny escapes

Travel writers pick the best places to unwind

Bulgaria’s coastal defence

Bulgaria's Black Sea has been ravaged by development, but its hippies and artists are fighting to save the remaining wild beaches. Benji Lanyado joins their camp

The best-kept secret in the Indian Ocean

Paul Richardson discovers that sleepy Rodrigues is the complete antithesis of its glitzy sister island Mauritius

Great British escapes … Forest of Dean

Everyone should experience springtime in the ancient Forest of Dean, England's largest oak woodland, at least once, says Katie Jarvis

Riding the Atlantic’s waves

Gauchos take Kate Kellaway on a week-long trail ride along Uruguay's stunning coast, and teach her how to herd cattle on a working farm

A new look at the ways of ancient Japan

Forget high-rise and hi-tech. Kate Graham gets an inside view of a project on little-visited Shikoku island that is trying to preserve the country's rural heritage

Classy beach cabins on Europe’s coasts

From eco-luxe chalets to family-friendly huts, here are 20 of Europe's best seaside stays - all for less than £50 a night and just a lazy stroll from the beach

Germany’s lake district laid bare

For Andrew Eames the Mecklenburg lakes near Berlin offer peace and beauty - and the chance to take up the locals' nude bathing habit

Island hopping in Cambodia

Cambodia's south coast is littered with pristine tropical islands offering the peaceful beach shack living of Thailand 20 years ago

Skye’s the limit for designer pads

A Scottish architecture practice is making its mark on the island with its stunning holiday homes and B&Bs, writes Phyllis Richardson