SUMMER CASTAWAY – Maldives
Surrounded by endless vistas of sparkling cerulean water, you’ll find Velaa Private Island nestled in the Maldives’ Noonu Atoll, a serene and intimate escape that vaunts world-class luxury while honouring the pristine nature surrounding it. And when the GCC’s mercury begins to hit new heights, it’s also the ideal getaway from the desert heat. Inspired by the sea turtles that have inhabited the island long before intrepid travellers discovered its pleasures, nods to the creature’s colours and patterns can be subtly seen throughout the resort.

The decadent all-villa destination includes accommodation on land and over water, but no matter where you choose, private pools, idyllic views, teak furnishings and spacious rooms flooded with natural light will welcome you each time you return to your abode from island adventures or indulging in the resort’s ample facilities. With six restaurant and bar venues to satisfy gourmands, a spa for pleasure seekers, a golf academy to help improve your swing and as many marine activities as there are fish in the sea, it’s a private-island experience with something to suit everyone. For bookings made now, with stay dates between May 16 and September 30, guests who book a minimum four-night stay receive a complimentary night, along with breakfast daily at beachfront Athiri. If you’ve been wondering where to spend the upcoming Eid holidays, we think we may have found your answer.

PRICE: From US$1,600 per night
AVAILABLE: Summer promotion available from May 16-September 30
BOOK: www.velaaprivateisland.com

STARMAN’S STAR STAY – Mustique
There are many astounding Caribbean homes but The Mandalay Estate on the island of Mustique has some added, celebrity-studded x-factor. Once owned by British music-hero David Bowie, the five-bedroom Balinese-style estate, built for Bowie back in 1989 with renowned architect Arne Hasslqvist, “AKA the man who built Mustique”, is now available to rent – retaining all the original fixtures and styling from the rocker’s ownership. Die-hard Bowie fans can move in (temporarily, at least) into five bedroom suites, each with its own private veranda connecting to the pool, while hiring the property exclusively also includes Mandalay’s 10 on-site staff – including a personal chef.

There’s a dining pavilion, games room, study, a split-level koi pond, waterfalls and an infinity pool as well as a number of private garden decks, ideal for sunbathing with some Bowie tunes in the background. Literary types will love The Writer’s Cottage set away from the main villa, which was used regularly by poet and publisher Felix Dennis who purchased the property from David Bowie in 1995 and wrote many of his well-known pieces of work there, including How To Get Rich and A Glass Half Full. Deep within the property’s tropical gardens also lies The Studio, a private, exclusive accommodation pavilion which was originally Bowie’s recording studio.

PRICE: A seven-day stay starts at US$40,319 during low season
AVAILABLE: Now
BOOK: www.mustique-island.com/villa/mandalay

COMING UP ROSES – Oman
Some may anticipate the coming of spring with trepidation on the Arabian Peninsula as summer’s soaring temperatures begin to make an appearance, but up in the cooler climes of Oman’s so-called Green Mountain – Jabal Akhdar – the landscape is carpeted with greenery and thousands of damask rose shrubs burst into magnificent, fragrant bloom. And offering arguably the best way to experience the mountain’s pleasant spring is Alila Jabal Akhdar’s “Rose Package”.

Rose season is brief – barely a month – but this getaway is ideally suited for a spontaneous mini-break out of the desert to drink rosewater and elderflower spritzers, relax in an in-suite rose-petal bath, sip sparkling rosé wine and enjoy a Balinese massage with rose oils. In addition to dinner and breakfast daily and a special turn-down service, you’ll also have the opportunity to tour the bountiful rose terraces in the surrounding mountainsides, where rose harvesters pluck the blooms to produce rose water, which will be used in fragrances and medicines after being distilled in clay urns for 90 days.

PRICE: “Rose Package” from OMR240 (US$623) per room, per night in a Mountain View Suite; two-night booking minimum
AVAILABLE: April 5-May 2
BOOK: www.alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar

START YOUR ENGINES – Italy
If you’ve ever dreamt of zooming through the Italian landscape while behind the wheel of a sports car, you’re in luck. Elegant Resorts and Aston Martin have teamed up to create “Italy Unpacked”, a five-night journey through northern Italy’s most exceptional sights and experiences from behind the wheel of one of Great Britain’s most beloved marques. Starting in Venice, where Bauer Palazzo will be your host, an artisan tour of the City of Bridges and a sumptuous dinner overlooking the Grand Canal kick the tour off. From there, buckle up for a countryside drive to Verona for luncheon at a Michelin-starred restaurant, before racing to Lake Garda.

Here, amid dramatic glacier-carved landscapes, you’ll check in at Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, a meticulously restored residence, and spend time navigating the winding roads of the Dolomites and briefly swapping asphalt for water as you nosh on canapés and drinks on a private boat. Finally, you’ll zip to Milan where Aston Martin’s head of design, Marek Reichman, joins you at a private dinner in the lavish Palazzo Parigi – where you’ll also lay your head for two nights – before reaching the finish line of this exceptional driving holiday.

PRICE: “Italy Unpacked” from AED75,000 (US$20,420) per person, plus AED16,000 ($4,355) for the Aston Martin rental
AVAILABLE: May 8-13 and September 12-17
BOOK: www.elegantresorts.ae

OFF TO THE RACES – UK
Mix one of Great Britain’s most anticipated annual social events with one of its most exclusive hotels as The Ritz London celebrates its 110th anniversary. Launching a series of “Best of British” experiences this year, socialites and equine enthusiasts alike will race to book into the hotel’s Royal Ascot package, a three-night stay filled by an elite itinerary. After arriving on June 15 and enjoying a welcome dinner at The Ritz Restaurant, the next morning dawns with a (very) proper English breakfast before you set off to Ladies Day at Royal Ascot.

Here, guests board The Rosebery, an impeccably restored 1966 Routemaster bus, for an intimate Ritz party, three-course lunch and afternoon tea. Situated in the rarified Number 1 Car Park – the ultimate place to be seen enjoying a pre-race picnic – you’ll also have access to the Royal Enclosure, where you’ll find that paying attention to a dress code has never before been quite so important.

PRICE: “Best of British – Royal Ascot” package from £6,165 (US$8,920) based on two people sharing a Deluxe Room
AVAILABLE: June 15-18
BOOK: www.theritzlondon.com/royal-ascot

WILD WEST WANDERLUST – USA
Celebrate the 100th birthday of US National Parks by making like John Wayne and conquering the American Southwest over a two-week road-trip adventure – although in a decidedly less rough-and-tumble cowboy setting. The “Utah Uncovered” package from Scott Dunn showstops from start to finish, beginning with a two-night stay in the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, from where a helicopter will transport you to the Grand Canyon – arguably America’s most awe-inspiring natural sight.

Next, hit the US’s scenic highways to make your way to Utah where Zion National Park’s rich red cliffs and emerald pools beg to be hiked, and Bryce Canyon National Park where necks are craned to take in the soaring rock spires. Battle the rapids on a river raft at Red Rock Country in Moab and have your John Wayne moment in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, the breathtaking backdrop to the Old West with epic landscapes. After all that adventuring, the final three nights are spent in pampering indulgence at Amangiri, nestled in southern Utah amid mesas, canyons and deserts.

PRICE: From £3,500 (US$4,990) per person based on a family of four travelling together inclusive of accommodation, private transfers on arrival and car hire
AVAILABLE: Now
BOOK: www.scottdunn.com

GONE FISHING – Maldives
Diving and marine aficionados should start packing for an imminent trip to the Maldives for an insider look at the idyllic archipelago’s underwater wonders. Sumptuous island-retreat Cheval Blanc Randheli, hidden away in the secluded Noonu Atoll, has just announced that acclaimed marine biologist and eco-tourism specialist, Robin Aiello, will be briefly visiting the resort to lead guests on eye-opening marine safaris and interactive lectures. Whether jumping directly into the water from you villa or taking a boat to nearby reefs, Aiello will share her unparalleled knowledge of marine wildlife while leading guests on snorkel and dive safaris.

You’re unlikely to find her lectures to be dry (pun intended) either, with topics for all ages that include underwater photography and an education on how fish communicate, why they tend to be so colourful and how to identify where they live and what they eat, just by looking at them. On land, Aiello will also host pre-dinner drinks at White Bar where she can field your aqueous questions, and spend time with children, potentially inspiring one of the world’s next top marine biologists.
PRICE: Villas from US$1,650 per night
AVAILABLE: Until April 16
BOOK: www.randheli.chevalblanc.com