Ultimate travel bucket list Part 4

When we were young children, Walt Disney ran riot through our lives, dancing in colour across cinema screens, as hordes of children bounced excitedly upon their seats to the antics of Mickey and Goofy. Generations had their hearts broken and repaired by Bambi and Dumbo. We stared aghast when the Magician’s Apprentice lost control of those mischievous little broomsticks. So if anyone suggests that Walt Disney World is just for children, dispute it. Grandkids and grandparents all want to be admitted into the Magic Kingdom.

Las Vegas epitomises a very human desire: to have no-holds barred, twenty-four hour fun. Some people mistakenly believe that Las Vegas is purely about gambling, about coins slots and rolling dice. It is not. Vegas is a city where adults let their hair down and enjoy showgirls dancing at MGM’s world-famous clubs, or ride rollercoasters across hotel rooftops, take selfies at the Bellagio fountains or glide gracefully down a canal in a gondola at the Venetian Hotel. This eternal party town knows how to have fun. The question remains: do you?

When we retreat we are not running away; we are searching for another route to the same destination. The answer, we are often told, lies within. There is a journey we can all undertake to allow us to find peace of mind. Leave the stress of everyday life behind at The BodyHoliday in Cariblue Bay in St Lucia, one of the world’s leading premier well-being resorts combining a desert island beach holiday with a programme of rejuvenation and relaxation. And now, breathe….

If there is one pastime that allows us to explore other worlds, without the aid of space travel, it would be the world of wonder and weightlessness under the sea when you go scuba diving. If you could choose anywhere in the world that is perfect for this marine adventure then it must be the Maldives, where even your overwater villa is suspended above a crystal clear lagoon. The waters around these atolls are a haven for shoals of butterfly fish and oriental sweetlips, turtles, dolphins and manta rays. A PADI course in paradise awaits.