Flying solo

Great adventures to see the world and make new friends

1.SAMPLE SOUTH AFRICA

Explore the African bush, see the Big Five in Kruger Park, go on game walks in Zululand, drift south to the Dolphin Coast and its Indian Ocean waters, dig Durban, see San art and the seaside resort of Knysna. The trip ends in Cape Town, one of the world’s coolest cities. Eat braais, drink sundowners on an 18-day odyssey. Price €1,987 for travel between September and November 2012 including all flights and transfers.

Tel: 01-2410800; Joewalshtours.ie

2.GET ACTIVE IN LANZAROTE

Departing June 23rd, spend seven nights self-catering in Costa Teguise in a mid-range apartment at Los Zocos. Take a scuba diving lesson, a windsurf lesson and a beginner’s course in kayaking; spend a day surfing (lunch included), a half-day trekking, and go on a catamaran excursion, as well spending as three social evenings with the rest of the group. The trip costs €778 excluding flights but including airport transfers.

Tel: 0044-845-5121600; Activeadventures.co.uk

3. GET INTO POLE POSITION

Petrolheads will love four nights at the Hungarian Grand Prix practice. Departing July 26th, the package includes entry to the practice session on Friday, the qualifying session on Saturday and the Grand Prix race on Sunday, plus coach transfers with guide assistance. Accommodation is in the four-star Best Western Hotel Hungaria on a B&B basis. Race by day and revel in the city’s thriving cafe culture by night. Price €1,144 including Aer Lingus flights.

Tel: 01-8783500; Keithprowseireland.com

4. AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS

Marvel at Mother Nature in some of America’s finest national parks with a 13-day escorted walking tour. See Zion’s Great White Throne and Bryce Canyon’s “hoodoos”; watch out for bears in Grand Teton; make a date with Old Faithful, the best-known of Yellowstone’s geysers, the sandstone buttes of Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon’s mighty Colorado River. Departing June 12th, the tour costs €3,729 with Sunway.

Tel: 01-2886828; Sunway.ie

5. LUXE IT UP IN PORTUGAL

Overlooking Olhão's new leisure marina and the Formosa Estuary Natural Park, the Real Marina Hotel and Spa offers a slice of the real Algarve. Regular ferries depart Olhão for the beaches of Armona, Culatra, Farol and Barreta – most of these islands are a 15-minute boat trip away. Departing May 24th. One week B&B, including Aer Lingus flights from Dublin and Cork, costs €679, €849 on June 11th and €759 on August 21st. 01-6371699; Clickandgo.com

6. LOVE ANIMALS?

Marry your passion for animals with the adventure of a life time on a volunteer holiday at a sea turtle conservation project in Costa Rica. Fly to San José where you spend five days volunteering. The rest is a holiday. You’re taken to the cloud forests of Monteverde and on to La Fortuna before returning to San José. The 15-day trip costs from €1,775 ex Dublin and includes some meals and simple multi-share accommodation. Add €229 for a room of your own.

Tel: 01-2886828; Sunway.ie.

7. DRAGON’S DEN

This being the year of the dragon, you might like to explore the world’s powerhouse, China. Fly to Beijing and see the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China, the Imperial Summer Palace and the pandas in Beijing Zoo. Marvel at the Terracotta Warriors In Xi’an. Fly on to Shanghai and get a bird’s eye view of the city from the Oriental Pearl Tower. The 13-day trip costs from €2,239.

Tel: 01-6371600; Thetraveldepartment.ie

8. EGYPTIAN WONDER

Discover the land of the pharaohs with a city, cruise and beach holiday. Fly to Cairo and stay at the Mövenpick Pyramids hotel, near the Giza landmarks. From Luxor, board a Nile cruiser for five nights. Sail to Edfu to see the Temple of Horus, on to the Temple of Kom Ombo and south to Aswan, the frontier town of Ancient Egypt. Travel overland to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada for five days of sunshine. Price from €1,899.

Tel: 051-421629; Hilarymurphytravel.com

9. SAIL OFF INTO THE SUNSET

Give in to dreams of sailing your way around the Greek Islands on this 10-day odyssey of the Cyclades Islands. Departing from Santorini, you get to jump into Ios’s vibrant nightlife, visit ancient ruins on Amorgos, take time out on Naxos, swim in crystal clear turquoise seas and bliss out. Price from €1,355, excluding flights.

Tel: 01-5240071; Intrepidtravel.com

10. STONE CRAZY?

Marvelled at Michelangelo's David in Florence? Why not try a beginners' sculpting course in the Tuscan mountain village of Azzano? One and two-week basic courses cost €590 and €790 respectively, starting on June 3rd and 10th. A single room is €288 per week pp (6 nights) and €624 for two weeks (13 nights). A seventh night is €48. Ryanair flies to nearby Pisa. Train to Pietra Santa. Tel: 0039-0584-773281; Campo-altissimo.de