Escapism
There are still places available on a surfing and yoga week in Sri Lanka. Soul & Surf, based in Kerala, India, is running a Sri Lankan pop-up throughout February. Guests stay in a lakeside villa handy for numerous surf breaks near Weligama on the south coast, with afternoon guided surfing, evening yoga, and healthy meals.
• From £650pp, 1, 8, 15 and 22 February, soulandsurf.com. Fly to Colombo from £539 with Sri Lankan Airlines (srilankan.com)
Travel trend
Nelson Mandela won't be buried until 15 December, but you can already book a "legacy" tour of South Africa now. Mandela's Legacy: A Political Tour is led by Peter Sullivan, former editor of the country's biggest newspaper, The Star. From Durban to Cape Town, the 10-day inclusive tour examines issues such as unemployment and corruption.
• £3,440pp, flights extra, departs 24 January, politicaltours.com
Glamp watch
It is a bit chilly for camping at this time of year, but a cosy wooden cabin with a woodburning stove is a different matter. Bilberry Lodge is a romantic, Scandinavian-style bolthole in Staffordshire, on the edge of the Peak District. The lodge sleeps two, and there is a wood-fired sauna and hot tub just outside.
• oneoffplaces.co.uk, £125 a night
What's new?
Colombia trips
Holy Monkey, a UK tour operator specialising solely in Colombia, offers tours ranging from a seven-night whiz through the highlights, including Cartagena, to trips to beaches and islands, the coffee region or the Amazon.
• From £805pp a week, international and internal flights extra, holymonkeytravel.com
Gap year course
Lost Earth Adventures has a new one-day course aimed at helping young people prepare for a gap year. Subjects include what to pack, how to find a place to stay and how to remain safe. The course leaders have 20 years' experience of travelling all over the world – including being in a village stormed by rebels during a civil war – so are well-equipped to answer nervous parents' questions.
• £89pp, 8-9 February in York, 15-16 February in Leeds and 22-23 February in Sheffield, lostearthadventures.co.uk
Short break
The Point at Polzeath, Cornwall, has new Fitness and Fun weekends for people who want to be active without forgoing lovely food. They include training sessions (from dune jogging to kettle bells) and use of the pool, tennis courts, gym and spa, plus a three-course Cornish dinner with local gin and wines.
• Three nights from £385pp B&B, with two lunches and one dinner, dates from 27 February, thepointatpolzeath.co.uk
How much?
Velaa, a private island in the Maldives, is now an ultra-luxury resort. It has 45 villas, 18 of them over the water and one that can only be reached by boat, plus a Clarins spa and a Michelin-starred chef.
• From $1,500 a night for a beach pool villa to $30,000 a night for a pool residence. Opens in January, velaaprivateisland.com
Travel trash
Designed by a geographer and made in Cornwall, this new rucksack from Vamoose turns into a waterproof jacket, but retains a big pocket for your essentials. Why not just carry a waterproof in a normal rucksack? Who knows. It would certainly be a lot cheaper.
• £285, vamooseuk.com
Snow watch
Skiers in the French Alps have a new stomach-lurching attraction this winter: an all-glass viewing capsule at the summit of the Aiguille du Midi. Step into the Void is 3,842m high, can be reached by two cable cars from Chamonix in about 20 minutes, and is as close as you can get to Mont Blanc without crampons. Opens on 21 December.
