France

HOTEL FARINET, VERBIER SWITZERLAND
Despite its exclusive reputation and sky-high prices, Verbier is still one of Switzerland’s most animated resorts.  Although it will never be cheap, these days it’s no longer all about paying 200CHF for bottles of vodka in over-rated nightclubs.  The main après-ski focus is at Hotel Farinent in a prime location close to the lifts.

FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING CAMP WHISTLER, CANADA
If you want to ramp up your tricks and nail some extreme moves in one week, Core Snowboard Camps in Whistler are a pretty slick bet.  The Nintendo Terrain Park offers six parks of different levels, a superpipe and a snowcross track, and if that tops, hip jumps, spines, rails and fun boxes are your bag, Core's pro snowboarder coaches will show you the ropes. Groups are no bigger than four, and instructors use video analysis - as well as a degree of good-natured ribbing to show you the way.

A ski break in Les Contamines-Montjoie is a road less travelled by popular winter holiday operators and skiers alike.  I have to admit it is a break on the quiet side unlike the après-ski resorts around Mont Blanc i.e. Chamonix but don’t let this put you off.  Les Contamines has its own charm, first it has the white stuff in abundance along with its 120km of serene piste and rolling hills of untouched powder.  Little known of this charming resort even though it is only an hour’s drive from Geneva, the Swiss capital to Mont Blanc.

VAL THORENS, FRANCE
At 2,300m Val Thorens is the hightest resort in Europe (slopes 1,260m-3,230m) – and with 99 percent of its ski area above 2,000m, the white stuff is guaranteed.  It’s part of the vast 600km Three Valleys area, but Val Thorens offers skiing for all levels across a 150km pistes.  The majority of runs are intermediate blues and reds; there is also some fantastic off-piste to be found. The powder is reliably good here, too. Try the famed Lac du Lou, 1,400m of vertical easily accessed from the Cime de Caron.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Framed by craggy mountains and lush scenery.  Cape Town – the sparkly jewel in South Africa’s crown – is on every cool-hunter’s radar this summer thanks to its hip hangouts, stunning beaches and burgeoning art scene. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Just minutes from the city’s urban buzz sits an outstanding wine region.

LEARN TO DIVE IN THE RED SEA
Book a diving course with Responsible Travel who aims to employ local workers and ensure the protection of the environment in which they operate. They offer diving courses at a PADI 5-star Gold Palm Resort on the shores of the Eel Garden dive site in Dahab, Egypt.  The will teach you the basic skills before heading underwater to discover the colourful sea life and coral, secure in the knowledge you are not causing any ecological harm.

Street Luge
Presumably invented by lazy skaters who couldn’t be bothered to stand up, the extreme sport of street luge involves lying prostrate on a giant skateboard and hurtling, feet first, down a road at pant-wetting speeds.  Lugers can reach speeds above the ground, that feels even faster than it sounds.

With no hint of machine power in sight, lugers are sent crashing downhill by the force of gravity alone.  You steer around bends by leaning into them and brake by using your feet.  The fact that lugers must wear full motorcycle leathers and a crash helmet indicates that, yes, this pursuit isn’t without risk.  Street luging is popular in the States, Australia, Switzerland and Germany and UK.

Paragliding

Trek Kings Canyon, Australia
Hiking around the ochre sands of the 440 million-year-old Kings Canyon, which cuts through Australia’s Watarrka National Park, is a true outback adventure. Follow the orange signs for Kings Creek Walk, an hour-long stroll along the boulder-strewn bowels of the gorge, or hunt the navy blue sighns for the ore challenging Kings Canyon Rim Walk, will reward you with incredible views of the prehistoric red-rock gorge. It also gives you a great excuse to wear one of those silly corked hats-there are flies everywhere.

The need to pick between a ski and spa break is slowly being removed as more ski resorts are mixing the best of both worlds.  Below we have highlighted places where you can double up your seasonal skiing trip to destination that have invested time and money to create the ultimate winter breaks. These spas utilise state-of-the-art technology to cure injuries and make you feel up to face the rest of the year.

Cheval Blanc, France
Cheval Blanc is a four-star luxury hotel in the heart of the Alpine Garden. It is the first hotel to feature a Givenchy Spa Des Neiges (Snow Spa).  Covering nearly 600 sq meters, the treatment centre offers specialised pre- and après-ski  treatments, intended to prepare and relax muscles in order to enjoy the snow and the skiing.
 

Ski Resorts across the world are doing more to woo us to their resorts.  They are adding more to the usual winter sports, now there is a combination of festivals, celebrating music, food and comedy.  Starting in November, there are ski festivals through out the winter until April, when the season closes.  So if you want to add a bit more to the usual skiing on your next ski break we have collated a list of resorts drawing the crowed.

Chef’s Cup, Alta Badia – Italy
The Chef’s Cup is a high altitude celebration of haute cuisine in the heart of the Dolomites, it was created by Michelin-starred chef, Norbert Niederkofler.  It is the perfect destination for culinary enthusiasts who want to improve on their culinary skills along with their skiing. The Chef’s Cup combines the best of skiing with the best of food. The event attracts up to 400 of the world’s finest chefs; to show of their dishes and share their expertise with visitors. The Chef’s Cup - Alta Badia, takes place in the last week of January (chefscup.it).