Ranged over three levels of ground, all rooms have sea views. Nearby attractions include a beach, the old fishing village, and a ferry service to Falmouth, 20 minutes away. Then begins a tour by light aircraft, taking in the massive sand dunes, the Wilderness camp, the Skeleton Coast and remote Damaraland. After that, it's on to the Etosha National Park for a safari expedition.Further details: Southern Africa Travel (01904 692469); pounds 2,492 until 5 April.6CREAM OF CORNISH HOTELSOwner Olga Polizzi, sister of Rocco Forte, rebuilt a cluster of old houses and opened it as a luxury hotel last year. Fly from Heathrow in the evening, and arrive at Windhoek the next morning, where you'll stay at the Kalahari Sands Hotel. You, too, can rest up here (pounds 81 a night), and sample the chateau's renowned restaurant.
The main reason to visit, however, is the sprawling Saturday market, which gave its name to the term "bric-a-brac"; a further attraction is the Trappist monastery, which is open to the public Briquebec is a mere 20 minutes' drive from Cherbourg. Further details: Hotel du Vieux Chateau (00 33 2 33 52 24 49); pounds 81 per night.5NAMIBIA HIGHLIGHTSFor a break with a difference, take an 11-day tour of this fascinating, windswept southern African country. It's wonderful." You may also see seals if you take a cruise along the coast from Inverness, which can be reached by plane from Gatwick or Luton.Further details: Moray Firth Cruises (01463 717900); Mar-Oct, 6 tours daily; pounds 10 for adults, pounds 5 for children (pounds 8 if booked in advance).4BRIQUEBEC, FRANCEQueen Victoria slept in Briquebec's Hotel du Vieux Chateau, which is built into the ramparts of the town's 14th- century castle. "The Scottish islands are heaven on a stick," enthuses Jennifer Cox "You just go out on a boat into the mist. Keen on the horses? Then why not take the whole family on a special five-day riding course run by Acorn Activities, who specialise in action holidays around Britain.
As well as learning how to mount, dismount and encourage the animal to move, you will be taught every aspect of equine care. If horses are not your thing, there is a choice of many other activities, from sailing to rally driving.Further details: Acorn Activities (01432 830083); from pounds 250 per person.3WHALE-WATCHING IN SCOTLANDGet back to nature with a whale- and dolphin-watching holiday on the Moray Firth. Owned by Phileas Fogg entrepreneur Roger McKechnie, all rooms are individually furnished, with CD players, videos and fax machines. There's even a theatre in an old barn, which doubles as a recording studio.
Further details: The Samling at Dovenest, Ambleside Rd, Windermere (01539 431922); pounds 375 per couple per 24 hours, incl meals & drinks, based on a minimum of six couples sharing.2HOLIDAYS ON HORSEBACKIf there's one activity you always wanted to try but never got round to, spring is a good time to go for it. Daffodils and early blossom announce the end of winter, while just around the corner the Easter holidays are beckoning. How better to get in the swing for spring than with a short break? Rachelle Thackray asked a panel of experts to recommend 50 great getaways, including one or two longer holidays, to suit every personality and every pocket THE EXPERTS This week's 50 Best panel comprised travel writer Cathy Packe; Sarah Miller, editor of Conde Nast Traveller magazine; Jennifer Cox, press officer for Lonely Planet publications; Jerry Bridge, founder of Bridge The World travel agency; Richard Stone, director of Short Breaks Direct; and Rhiannon Batten of The Independent's travel desk.n 10 BEST UK LUXURY BREAKSn 10 BEST UK FAMILY BREAKSn 10 BEST ALTERNATIVE IDEASn 10 BEST EUROPEAN GETAWAYSn 10 BEST LONG-HAUL GETAWAYS1LAKE DISTRICT LOVENESTOffering understated luxury and fantastic views over Lake Windermere, it's not surprising that the likes of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman jet in for weekends at this 70-acre country estate. What this means is that London parents with children who want to be professional footballers before they become brain surgeons (like mine) have to send them to private schools that still have playing fields and gyms and PE teachers (who, by the way, teach brilliantly).. The trouble is, there are no male teachers there any more and women teachers get terribly excited when children fall over and scratch their knees. Indeed, the oldest became so enthusiastic about running and jumping and football that at his insistence we sent him to an extremely expensive boarding school outside London surrounded by playing fields, where he did precious little else.This bucolic idyll came to an abrupt end when the master who taught swimming was dismissed (something to do with his preference for making the prettier boys swim naked, and only teaching them back-stroke) and worried mothers like me brought their children home mid-term and sent them to the nearest day school, which in our case turned out to be one of the 2,126 without a gym.Meanwhile, the primary school down the road had changed, as my other children were discovering Norman had gone and a new headmistress had arrived Instead of gym they did computers. The middle one told me last week that she's been sponsored to run in the London Marathon.None of this, I appreciate, will endear me to the fanatical female footballer lobby, but the truth must out and anyway I feel I'm vindicated by the way I educated the boys.No nut biscuits and spiky dancing with bells on their wrists for them.