How hot do you like your summer holidays? There are a lot of answers to that question of course ‒ and in the UK, right now, many of them will simply be “Hotter than it has been here, please”. But even so I’m pretty sure not many of us would say “above 40C”.
And that’s a problem for our favourite Mediterranean destinations because, increasingly, those are the kind of temperatures they record whenever a heatwave rolls in. Last July in Sicily, for example, the top temperature was 47C. This year, Chania in Crete has already recorded 44.5C, the earliest heatwave in the country this century — and when it gets that hot, the only sensible way of holidaymaking is to go indoors and crank up the air conditioning. Or, perhaps, to buy a snorkel and spend the whole day underwater. Recent weeks have sadly shown the dangers of continuing with plans to hike during soaring temperatures, with several walkers reported missing or dead after heatwaves in Greece.
• Europe’s heatwaves: what you need to know before your holiday
• We all need a ‘coolcation’ this year — here’s why
So it’s no wonder, then, that our collective gaze is turning either north or uphill. Danish islands, Estonian forests, Canadian lakes, German beaches, Alpine villages: previously these would all have been regarded as niche destinations, best left to wannabe lumberjacks and outdoor fanatics (like me). But now holidays in such places have a sobriquet — coolcations — and they’re turning into a trend. This year, the Nordic specialist Best Served Scandinavia (best-served.co.uk) reports a 21 per cent increase in online traffic to its summer holiday webpages, year on year, with Leading Hotels of the World reporting a 34 per cent increase in bookings to its Swedish properties in the same period.
If you’ve not yet caught the bug, here are 30 holidays to warm you up to the idea of cooler climes. They do not, you’ll notice, involve white-water rafting, mountaineering or (in most cases) wild camping ‒ the kind of activities usually associated with such places. Instead, we’re opening the door onto a more soothing world of elegant beach hotels, serene canals, innovative off-grid cabins and lush mountain pastures. That said, you shouldn’t rule out the idea of energetic activity when you book them, because as well as being cooler they can also be cloudier and wetter. So you’ll need to do more than sit on a sunlounger to enjoy them. Pretty soon, however, you’ll realise that’s an essential part of their appeal. Cooling breezes were made for busy people. They’re best enjoyed when you’re on the move.
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All temperatures are August averages according to holiday-weather.com
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1. Explore Tallinn then relax in Rooslepa, Estonia: 17C
Tallinn may be a sensational small city ― its medieval core packed with merchant houses, churches and riveting museums — but the two nights you’ll spend there on this City Break and Nature Escape are sure to be overshadowed by the second half of the trip, bunking down in one of Ood’s luxe mirrored cabins at Rooslepa on the northwest coast. Imagine, floor-to-ceiling views of the forest outside, white sand beaches nearby and a private sauna. Hours of quiet reflection await.
Details Five nights’ B&B from £1,075pp, including flights (regent-holidays.co.uk)
2. Brittany’s windswept beaches, France: 18C
The name says it all. Finistère, or “end of the earth” ― Brittany’s most westerly protuberance, buffeted by Atlantic winds and waves. But we say, bring it on. We don’t want to bake, we want a constant coastal breeze, which is exactly what Cornouaille village delivers. There are surf and sail schools on the seafront, cycle and hiking paths meandering behind, and sandwiched between them is Cap Marine. The Breton-style coastal residence contains studios and apartments, giving guests independence to explore, while offering outdoor heated pools, table tennis and a meal delivery service.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for three from £333 (pierreetvacances.com). Fly or drive to Nantes
3. A low-carbon tour of Gothenburg and west Sweden: 20C
West Sweden’s mix of forests and freshwater lakes makes it a serene and rejuvenating destination. Doubly so when you book into off-grid, solar-powered accommodation such as the cabins at InForest, the glass, lake-view cabins at Dalslands Aktiviteter and the Lugnasberget Ekohotell. This low-carbon self-drive trip equips you with an electric car and knits five such properties together into a two-week trip, giving you time to unwind, find a different rhythm to your days and start exploring. Glassblowing, boat trips, design emporiums and bicycling are on the itinerary.
Details 13 nights’ B&B from £2,995pp, including some meals (sustainablejourneys.co.uk). Fly to Gothenburg or take the train via Brussels, Hamburg and Copenhagen
4. Family fun in Kaprun in Austria’s Alpine Salzburgerland: 17C
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Fun for families is easily found in the Alpine village of Kaprun. The four-star Tauernhof hotel has comfortable suites and plenty of activities available to book, such as hiking and biking. A short walk from the hotel, the Maisi Flitzer toboggan whizzes down the mountain on rails (family tickets from £32; kitzsteinhorn.at). A short bus ride takes you to the Tauern Spa waterpark (family day ticket from £68; tauernspakaprun.com), while nearby at Zell am See there are three lidos with heated pools (adults from £9; zellamsee-kaprun.com). After all that excitement your children may consent to a soothing mountain walk.
Details Seven nights’ half-board for four from £813pp, including flights (tui.co.uk)
5. Rustic hideaways in the mountains of Cantabria, northern Spain: 20C
The Basque Country, with its starry cities-on-sea Bilbao and San Sebastian, has had its moment in the sun. But few of us know much of its next-door neighbour Cantabria, one region over to the west, equally green and fresh, and with the same beautifully blustery coastline. It has Santander city for summertime boulevard walks, the Picos de Europa for mountain hikes, ancient stone farmhouses to sleep in, and direct ferry routes from the UK. Your best bet is to build a trip independently, matching low-cost flights (or the ferry) with an affordable but charming villa stay. The company Rustical has lovely homes in the area, including a two-bedroom cottage in “idyllic seclusion near Santander”.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £575 (rusticaltravel.com). Fly or take the ferry to Santander
6. Cold-water dips and windswept beaches in Minho, northern Portugal: 20C
We found out the hard way how chilly this part of Portugal is compared with the more famous parts when we headed there for sun-seeking one summer, only to experience temperatures much cooler than in Lisbon or the Algarve. In fact, where the River Minho meets the icy Atlantic at Praia Foz do Minho it was too cold to swim. If you hanker after invigorating dips and windswept beaches the Minho Valley is perfect. Sunvil has a week staying at a historic pousada ― Pousada de Viana do Castelo — with a breezy clifftop spot overlooking the port, the Lima River estuary and the sandy beaches of Cabedelo. There are tennis courts and mountain bikes to use free of charge, as well as a funicular that trundles you straight down to that cooling coastline.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £752pp, including flights (sunvil.co.uk)
7. Learn the ropes on a traditional wooden schooner in Svendborg, Denmark: 21C
Funen is Denmark’s third largest island, with a constellation of smaller, agricultural isles off its southern shore. Together they create a benign and confidence-boosting place to sail. Join the Aaron ― a 98ft traditional schooner built in 1906 ― and you’ll get seven days of gentle tuition and hands-on experience as you explore this secret and charming world. Expect quiet jetties, onboard feasts and plenty of communal effort as you learn the ropes with your fellow guests. Next dates in July and August.
Details Six nights’ full board from £1,265pp (venturesailholidays.com). Fly to Copenhagen
8. Explore the limestone valleys near Samoëns in the French Alps: 23C
Once upon a time the little town Samoëns was known for its brotherhood of stonemasons. So it’s no surprise it’s peppered with fine carving and well-crafted chapels. But it’s what lies beyond, at the far end of the Vallée du Giffre, that makes it irresistible. Here, a vast limestone cirque closes the valley with 609m cliffs ― and after rain, waterfalls seem to thunder down wherever you look. You can stand beneath the spray to cool off from your walk. There are 400 miles of waymarked trails to explore in the area, so book into one of the comfortable Reine des Prés apartments and give yourself a week to explore, making time for the resort’s enormous municipal outdoor swimming pool.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £175pp, including return ferry crossing (peakretreats.co.uk)
9. A historic boat journey along the Gota Canal, Sweden: 20C
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Starting on August 24 in Gothenburg (after a night in a B&B) you’ll join an early 20th-century steamer that seems to have chuffed straight out of a black-and-white photograph. Then you’re off ― eastwards, along the historic Gota Canal to Soderkoping, before skirting the Baltic coast and burrowing back inland to Lake Malaren. The views are of course mesmerising. Thick forests, historic aqueducts, lush farmland, Baltic islands, Drottningholm Palace ― en route you’ll see them all, with plenty of stops to allow for closer inspection. The last port of call is Stockholm, where you’ll spend a night. So you’ll get a taste of Sweden at its most bustling as well as at its most serene.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £2,799pp, including five nights’ full board on the boat and flights (fredholidays.co.uk)
10. Mountain lake swims and villages in the French Alps’ Maurienne Valley: 25C
You could easily make your week in Bessans a sweat-fest of high-Alpine hikes. After all, this remote mountain village is overlooked by several peaks over 3,650m high and is well served with mountain guides (bonneval-sur-arc.com). But that would be missing the point. What makes this place exceptional is its unhurried atmosphere. So book into the easy-going Chez Mamie Anna B&B and be sure to visit the Ludi-lacs swimming lake, which has a beach and paddleboards and kayaks to rent, plus inflatables in July and August. On warmer days, stock up with a picnic from Le Pontet delicatessen and make the two-mile valley walk from the neighbouring mountain village of Bonneval sur Arc to l’Écot, a village at 2,000m. It’s one of the cutest half-abandoned hamlets in the Alps.
Details B&B doubles from £101 (chambres-hotes-bessans.com). Fly to Lyons, or drive
11. Explore the Norwegian fjords by train, ferry and on foot: 17C
How many superlatives do you have? There surely won’t be enough of them for this one-week self-guided walking tour, which starts in the mountain town of Voss before following Norway’s longest fjord towards Bergen. The toughest hike is a 13-miler along Aurlandsdalen Canyon ― although typically for this itinerary you can skip it in favour of an easier four-mile stroll. You won’t, however, want to miss the nine-mile circuit from Balestrand. That one takes in the magnificent fjordside summit of Raudmelen.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,759, including flights and some meals (headwater.com)
12. Mountain meadows and a five-star spa in the Italian Dolomites: 15C
They may be sheer-sided and stupendous, but the Italian Dolomites are also home to some of the easiest walking in the Alps ― courtesy of the meadows that yawn wide beneath their crags. For cooler temperatures, head up ― resort villages down in the Alpine valleys may be pretty warm but it’s cooler up top. The Seiser Alm plateau ― an elevated meadowland at 1,500m-2,958m ― is the place to start. Accessed from Ortisei by gondola, it serves up eye-popping views as well as a mouthwatering range of mountain restaurants (seven-day lift pass from £70; seiseralm.at). Meanwhile, in Ortisei the five-star Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti will soothe your tired limbs with saunas, massages and swimming pools.
Details Seven nights’ half-board from £1,763pp (adler-resorts.com). Fly to Bolzano
13. Houseboat heaven in Europe’s largest lake district at Heinola, Finland: 19C
The trip begins and ends with a capital city’s buzz, courtesy of Helsinki. In between, however, life turns tranquil once you’ve taken the bus to Heinola and picked up your houseboat. Essentially, you’ll be spending a week in a floating summer house, complete with sundeck, shower, kitchenette and sauna. And with Europe’s largest lake district beckoning you’ll have no shortage of moorings. Don’t expect to do any sightseeing. There’s nothing out there but trees and water. But hire some bikes and a couple of paddleboards (£21pp per day; visitheinasaari.fi) and it will quickly become your playground.
Details Nine nights’ self-catering for four from £1,845pp, including flights (discover-the-world.com)
14. Boating the cool waterways of Alsace, France: 25C
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Putter east from Hesse in a six-berth river motorboat and you’ll find yourself in a blended Franco-German world of half-timbered towns, castles and delicious white wines. This is Alsace made easy ― thanks to the Canal de la Marne au Rhin and its boat lift at St Louis Arzviller, which helps you through the Vosges by sliding a short section of the canal up and downhill. The boats are fairly easy to drive and you don’t need a special licence. Strasbourg’s richly decorated gothic cathedral is the star attraction on this route, but you may love gliding through the middle of Saverne even more, with wine bars and cafés beckoning on either side.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £2,020 (leboat.co.uk). Drive to Hesse or take the train to Sarrebourg
15. White-sand beaches in Sankt Peter Ording, Germany: 21C
Sunloungers have never been so stylish ― or useful. Strandkorb, they’re called: natty wicker beach chairs built for two with stripy cushions, pull-out foot rests and just enough roof and side-panelling to keep out both sun and wind. The North Sea resort of Sankt Peter Ording has 1,200 of them, so there should be plenty to go round: and they’re the perfect place to snuggle up together between long, white-sand walks and bike rides. Meanwhile, just behind the dunes the Zweite Heimat awaits with posh, sun-bleached rooms and saunas. Just in case your coolcation turns chilly.
Details B&B doubles from £200 a night (hotel-zweiteheimat.de). Fly to Hamburg, or drive
16. Viking heritage and beaches Vejle, Denmark: 21C
Not everyone flying into Billund is going to Legoland. Push on eastwards to the harbour town of Vejle, and you’ll find a well-heeled waterside development that includes the chic, on-trend Kirk Suites apart-hotel and Olafur Eliasson’s sculptural Fjordenhus tower, which sits just offshore with the waters of the fjord flowing beneath its arches ― you could kayak beneath it. Six miles inland, Unesco-protected Jelling is home to Denmark’s largest Viking burial mound as well as Harald Bluetooth’s rune stones and an excellent free museum with some impressive tech (en.natmus.dk). Meanwhile, to the east Trelde Naes is a pretty, forested headland poking into the sea.
Details A night’s self-catering for two from £240 (kirksuites.com). Fly to Billund
17. Forests, lakes and cabins in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada: 28C
Join a guided, five-day canoe and lodge tour of Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, and you’ll enjoy not just a blissful break from the high-tech world, you’ll get a proper sense of how the First Nations — and later the Europeans — lived in this vast continent. The park is an intricate patchwork of lakes and forests and on the first two nights you’ll camp as you paddle through it, with eyes peeled for grazing moose, jumping in for a swim often. Nights three and four are spent in the luxury of the Algonquin Log Cabin guesthouse. Then explore more of the state on a road trip; the website hipcamp.com lists campsites and RV parks across North America.
Details Four nights’ full board from £774pp (voyageurquest.com). Fly to Toronto
18. An adventure in Turkey’s High Taurus mountains: 15C
Cappadocia’s otherworldly “fairy chimneys” — stacked rock formations — are just one highlight of this hiking tour, through Turkey’s underrated mountainous terrain. Arriving in central Kayseri, your group of walkers (ready to do five or six hours each day), will traverse the pine-forested Aladaglar Mountains, with possible sightings of Capra ibexes, wild boars, bears, lynxes, wolves and rock eagles, before making for the Siyirmalik Valley, seeing shepherds’ camps and semi-nomadic settlements, and the underground city of Derinkuyu. Daytime treks typically take place in high-altitude passes with temperatures around 15C in the sun, while you’re put up in humble guesthouses and campsites (one at 3,723m), with a cook on hand for local dinners. There are some relaxed days for easy walks and sightseeing included.
Details 11 nights’ full board from £1,165pp, including guide (keadventure.com). Fly to Kayseri
19. Hiking and cider in verdant Picos de Europa, Spain: 16C
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Finally emerging as one of Spain’s best-kept secrets, this northerly mountain range in the countryside between Bilbao and Oviedo has the height to keep you cool. While only 12 miles inland from the sunkissed north coast, which can heat up during August, a high-elevation, hut-to-hut trekking adventure through the southern side of the Picos will keep you in refreshing temperatures of about 12-20C. You’ll climb to the summits of Pico Jario (1,913m), Pico Cotalba (2,026m) and Pico de la Padiorna (2,319m), and stay at some of the area’s most gorgeously situated refuges. Another cooling feature of this region is its cider, so expect to be taken to a typical Asturian sidreria by your local guides.
Details Six nights’ half-board from £841pp, including airport transfers, ground transport, guides and hiking poles (muchbetteradventures.com). Fly to Bilbao
20. Trekking Armenia’s Transcaucasian Trail: 15C
Thirteenth-century monasteries, abandoned villages, parts of the historic Silk Road and family cheese farms pepper your route through Armenia’s portion of the TCT. But the jewel in the crown is Dilijan National Park, whose pristine peaks, forests and mineral water have earned it the nickname of “Little Switzerland”. Follow intriguingly named trails from the Drunken Forest route to the Whispering Waterfall option, before camping by the forest-encircled Lake Gosh. Responsible Travel has a ten-night deep dive into Armenia’s high-elevation trail, staying in locally owned hotels as well as camping and buying from small businesses.
Details Ten nights’ B&B from £1,300pp, including eight packed lunches, airport transfers and transport and guide (responsibletravel.com). Fly to Yerevan
21. See Anchorage, Denali and more on an Alaskan road trip: 14C
You won’t be baked in summertime Alaska, with spring-like August temperatures of between 8C and 18C perfect for being on the move. From Anchorage to the “sled dog capital” of the state, Tok, and bear-stalked Denali National Park, via quaint clapboard restaurants and Arctic creatures in Canada’s neighbouring Yukon Wildlife Preserve. To keep costs low, consider exploring and staying in a motorhome — Trailfinders has an in-depth, 15-day self-drive motorhome itinerary, taking in a scenic loop of the state, including a night in an Anchorage hotel before you set off in your casa on wheels.
Details 14 nights’ self-catering from £1,265pp, including one night in a hotel (trailfinders.com). Fly to Anchorage
22. Beaches, thermal springs and nature in the Azores: 22C
Raved about as the “Hawaii of Europe”, Portugal’s Azores islands are a tropical-looking but comfortable-feeling choice in August, with temperatures hovering between 19C and 25C due to their location out in the North Atlantic. On a gentle nature-focused tour, you might take in the astonishing emerald lake filling Sao Miguel’s Sete Cidades crater; walk the island’s dramatic coastline passing lighthouses, vineyards and waterfalls; or a soak in the natural, restorative hot tubs of Poca da Dona Beija thermal springs. Regent Holidays has a selection of itineraries, including the most affordable, the “Walk and Relax” trip to Sao Miguel and Santa Maria islands.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,735pp, including flights and transfers (regent-holidays.co.uk)
23. Explore the winelands in winter, South Africa: 13C
South Africa is known mainly as a winter-sun haven, but its reverse southern hemisphere seasons mean August is a cooler prospect: no trouble at all if you’re tempted here by food, wine and nature rather than soaking up rays. Heading off on the classic trail of Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route, you should be prepared for the odd cloudy and rainy day, but what’s a little drizzle when you’re taking in cutting-edge South African art in a city gallery, or working your way through a flight of juicy, peppery syrah wines in a tasting room with a view of the vines? Hire a car and self-drive through this nature-wrapped region, connecting up Cape Town’s great-value Hyde Hotel with Franschhoek hotel the Belmont and Eleven Plettenberg on the Garden Route.
Details B&B doubles from £108 (thehydehotel.com); room-only doubles from £88 (thebelmontfh.com); room-only doubles from £47, min two-night stay (elevenplett.co.za). Fly to Cape Town
24. Mountains and canyons of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan: 18C
July and August are the prime months to visit the spectacular mountain ranges of these “Stans”, with sunny days hitting maximum temps of about 18C. It’s hotter down in the cities, your entry point, but you’ll soon have escaped to dramatic mountain passes such as Kalmak-Ashuu, staying in traditional yurts and stopping off in tiny mountain villages to learn about carpet weaving, and breaking bread with the locals. G Adventures packs these moments of authenticity and connection into its eight-night group tour, taking you to Kazakhstan’s rust-red Charyn Canyon and Kyrgyzstan’s wild Chong-Kemin Valley among other stops.
Details Eight nights’ half-board from £895pp, including two other lunches, guide and transport (gadventures.com). Fly to Bishkek (back from Almaty)
25. Iceland’s Arctic coast road by campervan: 13C
You know what to expect from Reykjavik — cool cafés, shopping for vintage, visits to galleries and museums — but by exploring the further-flung regions such as the north coast you’ll discover the Iceland of yesterday, before the comms boom and Björk. A road trip along the Arctic Coast Way, which runs for 560 miles along the wiggling crannies of the coast, takes in old fishing harbours such as Siglufjordur, home to a brilliant (honestly) herring museum, high-design heated pools and wild natural ones too.
Hire a simple van with fold-down beds with Indie Campers and go as far as you like — Reykjavik to Akureyri is five hours if you pelt it but you could easily spend a week exploring interesting stop-offs (Dalvik, Grenivik) between the two (see arcticcoastway.is for a route guide). Camping grounds often have hot tubs (see gocampers.is for a list).
Details Seven nights’ campervan hire from £634 for four (indiecampers.com). Fly to Reykjavik
26. Greenland’s fjords and fascinating capital, Nuuk: 8C
There are dozens of luxury cruises to Greenland, and gnarly adventures trekking and skiing on the ice, but it’s a wonderful place for a more gentle potter too. Nuuk, the capital, is like Reykjavik 20 years ago — a smattering of hipster bars and fine dining, and fascinating cultural spots such as the Greenland National Museum, where the 15th-century mummies of an Inuit family, perfectly preserved down to their facial tattoos, can be seen, along with beautiful folk costumes and thigh-high, embroidered “mukluk” boots (en.nka.gl).
Spend time in the “city” (which is more like a village) and arrange boat trips out between the icebergs to Inuit villages. Baltic Travel Company has a week starting in Copenhagen taking in Nuuk, where there’s a chance for a walk on the ice sheet (£115pp), staying in simple hotels. Or, to really push the boat out, a stay at Camp Kiattua, a luxury tented retreat (proper beds, heated blankets, private bathroom tepees) deep in Nuuk’s nearby fjords, is an incredible experience with boat trips, foraging, dry-suit swims, kayaking and private chefs laid on.
Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,865pp, including flights (baltictravelcompany.com); a night’s all-inclusive £802pp, including activities (swoop-arctic.com). Fly to Nuuk
27. Alpine cabin stays in Val d’Herens, Switzerland: 25C
One of the most unspoilt high Alpine valleys in Switzerland is the Val d’Herens, two hours east of Geneva in the Valais. The chocolate-boxy village of Evolene, where the window boxes of pretty wooden chalets tumble with red geraniums and snowcapped mountains soar above, is a popular spot for visitors. Higher up the valley, ever tinier hamlets include La Forclaz, home to Anakolodge, a collection of seven wooden “mayens” — centuries-old cabins salvaged from across the Alps — reborn with industrial-chic interiors of concrete and designer lights. Some have mini indoor climbing walls and hot tubs. Walk to the spectacular Grande Dixence dam, above bright blue lakes.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £783 (anakolodge.ch). Fly to Geneva
28. Self-drive safari through Namibia: 25C
In the southern hemisphere, the temperatures will be just perfect in July and August, even in the spectacular red deserts of Namibia, where nights are positively chilly. A driving tour with Expert Africa, called the Quiver Tree Self-Drive Safari, includes stays in stylish rustic lodges and guesthouses, and takes in the Kalahari, Namib-Naukluft and Damaraland deserts, the spectacular Fish River Canyon and the always cool and cloudy beach town of Swakopmund. Roads are good, the scenery better — look out for oryx, baboons and zebra at the roadside.
Details 14 nights’ B&B from £2,630pp, including car hire and some other meals (expertafrica.com). Fly to Windhoek
29. A slow train to the Arctic in Sweden: 17C
The Inlandsbanan is the most stridently eccentric of trains, a single-carriage service that putters along a single-track line through the Swedish boreal forests at speeds that are sometimes themselves in the single digits. A logging line reinvented for tourist traffic, the inland railway makes a virtue of slow travel — the driver has been known to park up so passengers can pick berries or swim in lakes by the railway lines. That makes for a very leisurely trundle south from Gallivare, a small town in Lapland with an airport, and the Arctic Circle to Mora and the great lakes of the Swedish interior. This week-long trip breaks up a one-way journey with stays in hotels along the line at the Sami hub of Jokkmokk and the lakeside Ostersund, and is bookable through the railway line itself.
Details Five nights’ B&B from £700pp, including rail travel and entry to some museums (inlandsbanan.se). Fly to Gallivare via Stockholm
30. Escape to the Himalayas and Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit: 22C
It’s a long way to go for a refreshing breeze but it’s much cooler — and cheaper — to see Nepal than you might think. In Kathmandu Valley there’s mild weather in August with temperatures in the low 20s, while temperatures are chillier still as you trek into the Annapurna since it’s the end of the summer monsoon (6-18C). The expert tour operator Intrepid Travel has a two-week Annapurna Circuit Trek through the snow-capped Nepalese Himalaya, staying in local tea houses en route.
Details 14 nights’ room only from £1,150pp, including some meals and private vehicle (intrepidtravel.com). Fly to Kathmandu
Have we missed your favourite coolcation destination? Let us know in the comments below
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