Cultural

With just a 20-minute train journey north of London you can be in St Albans.  This buzzy Hertfordshire city has long been a favourite for those wanting to move out of London.  But apart from being on most commuter’s wish list, there’s a host of things to explore for those wanting wanting a weekend break from the city, like its huge cathedral and crumbling Roman walls. There is a great selection of indie restaurants, brunch spots and a foodie lovers market.

Overlooked by an active volcano, perched on a port, and full of shabbily beautiful streets housing ancient pizzerias and buzzing bars. Naples' scruffily beautiful streets are refreshingly ungentrified: no chance of finding a chain coffee shop here. Every nook and cranny holds a baroque courtyard or a lush, leafy garden, and walls are adorned with cool street art, posters advertising all-night parties in tumble-down abandoned renaissance prisons or a flyer letting the community know a loved one has passed away.

Most of us have heard of slow travel. When you're in Fiji, however, it's more about relaxed travel.  Whether you're chilling on one of the many beaches, watching locals perform a traditional meke dance or snorkelling among kaleidoscope reefs, you can't help but absorb the archipelago's easygoing vibe - as locals have. 

There are many things that Finland does well - saunas, vodka, the hippo-like Moomins - but arguably it's the country's wild landscape that shine brightest. Nicknamed the 'land of a thousand lakes' (although it would be more accurate to say 188,000 lakes), Finland is blessed with natural good looks. Saimaa, the largest of the country's lakes, lies to the east while to the north is Lapland (more on that later), a winter wonderland high above the Arctic Circle.

Nestled in the lush Hampshire countryside is the peaceful town of Stockbridge, an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.  Stockbridge has fresh air, scenic walks and some of the UK’s best sparkling wine.  You can shelve any idea of being on a diet, as local, seasonal produce is big on the menu here, so the food is incredible.

Pack your walking boots for a country ramble.  Stroll around Stockbridge Marsh next to the River Test to spot water voles scampering along the riverbanks, or wander vast and hilly Stockbridge Down for sweeping rural views.

For me, being beside the seaside is synonymous with feeling happy in that slightly hypnotised way that sparkling blue oceans bring on. Happy and hypnotised is not how I'm usually feeling when I find myself in East London, so the fact that I can step on a plane in London's grey downtown and find myself in a chic seaside resort an hours later, is perhaps Deauville's biggest selling point. 

Dubbed the 'jewel of the Adriatic', Dubrovnik's old town (or Stari Grad) is set within city walls built from the 13th century onwards. A Unesco World Heritage listed site, it is made up of cobblestone streets, forts and museums. Despite being bombed heavily by Yugoslav forces in 1991, the city has been well preserved and is Croatia's prime tourist destination.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, known in English as The Way of St James, on the north-west tip of Spain, might just be the ultimate active break.  For more than a thousand years, tourists and pilgrims have been walking this route to the Cathedral of Santiago to visit the grave of the apostle Saint James ('Sant Iago' in Spanish).

The coastal town of Essaouira has attracted a wealth of celebrities including Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix, over the years, thanks to its chilled-out hippy vibes, bohemian shops, sandy beaches and burgeoning arts scene.  I was Gorging myself on an extravagant meal and I soaking up the relaxed atmosphere, when I decided then and there that I want to learn to cook like a Moroccan.

I choose sleek yet authentic L'Atelier Madada, a cooking workshop in the lofty grounds of boutique hotel Madada Mogador, to learn the craft.

The afternoon call to prayer rings out across Hierapolis, Pamukkale, as a  Russian wallows in the area’s famous hot pools. His nubile companion frolics nearby - slithering through the water like a porpoise, spitting it up and letting it hit her on the head. Her laughter is in pleasant contrast to the echoing message of the muezzin. From where I sit, with a glass of Turkish brew Efes in hand, it's a great view.