TRAVEL

FAR & AWAY

From a culinary extravaganza in Umbria’s cypress-studded hills to a starlit sleep-out in the Zambian bush, allow us to introduce ten of the world’s most extraordinary experiences…

1 SIP TEQUIL A IN MEXICO’S Y UCATAN JUNGLE

THE EXPERIENCE: All dew-drenched jungle and sacred cenotes, there’s magic at play in the Yucatán and, though sun-sleepy afternoons here are quite something, never is the magic more palpable than at last light, when fireflies turn the air to seas of glitter. A painstakingly restored 19th-century hacienda, Chablé

Yucatán has a swishy sort of glamour about it. Sweeping lawns, crumbling stone columns and grand façades painted calamine pink and sunburst yellow provide a backdrop for languid lounging – and master-led tasting journeys featuring some of the most sought-after tequilas on the planet. From the floral to the herbaceous and spicy, every pour is different and married with offbeat flourishes to draw out the notes in each one.

THE STARS: Emily Ratajkowski (right) is very fond of Mexico.

DETAILS: Berkeley Travel can arrange seven nights at Chablé

Yucatán from £8,250pp based on two people sharing, including business class British Airways flights from London; visit berkeleytravel.co.uk.

2LIVE LIKE MARIE ANTOINETTE AT VERSAILLES

THE EXPERIENCE: The allure of the Château de Versailles is not up for debate and royal fans can live out their fantasies at the adjacent Airelles Le Grand Contrôle. You can float through the palace’s chandelier-hung halls after hours, contemplating its rich history, or take to the hunting lanes on horseback, gawping at the lavishly planted parterres, fountains and tree-lined groves. Days come to a close in the lofty dining room, where flames flicker atop brass candelabras and suppers are as theatrical as they are delicious. After coffee and petits fours, creep upstairs to the silkdraped sanctuary of your suite.

THE STARS: Olivia Palermo has spent time at the Château de Versailles.

DETAILS: Rooms at Airelles Le Grand Contrôle begin at €2,000 (£1,700), including a butler, tours and breakfast; visit airelles.com. Eurostar offers fares from London to Paris from £39; visit eurostar.com. Airelles can arrange limousine pick-up from Gare du Nord.

3SUPERCHA RGE YOUR WELLBEING IN THE MALDIVES

THE EXPERIENCE: All crystalline waters and pastel-toned sunsets, the appeal of the Maldives never falters, and the freshly opened Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort – with its stylish villas and next-level approach to wellness – is irresistible. Along with mind-quieting