A horse-riding safari may not be for the faint-hearted. Yet if you are willing to take the risk that there could be nothing more than your horse’s speed and your ability to stay on to save you from a charging lion or buffalo, then there is little that can provide the same exhilarating thrill of close encounters in the wild.

Barcelona, Cannes, Rome, Naples, Sardinia, Majorca, Cartegena and Gibraltar – all names that paint a picture of the warm and inviting Mediterranean. But to visit all of these places in one holiday would seem a bit on the hectic side.

Picture this: dolphins spinning and somersaulting out of a turquoise sea while the sun sparkles on the water. As you sit on nearby rocks, transfixed by the close encounter of the aquatic kind, a troop of monkeys arrive, scrabbling around the shore trying to catch crabs – or each other.

Farmers turned gamekeepers. From the cabin of a Cessna the immense landscape north of Mount Kenya looks like pristine wilderness. But much of the lonely Laikipia plateau is grazed by livestock – cattle, sheep and goats who co-exist with lion, leopard and hyena.

You’re supposed to suffer for your art, but given the choice, how many of us would prefer to learn to paint or write in the lap of luxury?

When you enter the sweeping driveway of Dalhousie Castle just outside Edinburgh, you are greeted by a very impressive sight and one entirely in keeping with the history and tradition of a 13th century fortress.

The west coast of Scotland offers some of the finest sailing in the world. Not a glib statement but a testament to the endless opportunities to discover a fabulous fjord-like coastline with magical islands offshore, many of which are uninhabited.

Memories are made of this’ Dean Martin once sang. I think he too must have been on the Orient Express.

ORANG-UTANS are nicknamed the ‘old men of the forest’ and it’s perhaps no surprise that the more mature end of the British tourist market flock in their droves to see these rare gentle giants when on holiday in Borneo.

When we received our tickets in a large cardboard box, complete with leather travel pouches and luggage labels, we knew our impending cruise on board Silversea’s Silver Whisper was going to be special.

There is something quite magical about heading north and west and taking the road to the isles. No matter the time of year the scenery is always dramatic with the wide open spaces and mountainous landscapes a challenge to all.