Learning to surf on South African waves and passing on your fresh skills to disadvantaged local youngsters are two of the goals of a new travel project in Cape Town.
Volunteer travel specialists i-to-i are offering six- to 12-week placements at Gary Kleynhan's surf school in Muizenberg. The longest running training centre in the country, it teaches around 1,000 tourists and locals each year.
"Gary guarantees you'll get up on the board in your first lesson," says Treaisa Rowe, i-to-i co-ordinator for South Africa. "Once you're good enough, you'll be able to help with instruction - although always supervised for safety reasons. If you arrive a competent surfer, you'll be able to coach immediately."
Those lessons will include assisting Gary to provide free tuition to local communities. Around 1,000 township children have graduated there since 1989 with two boys going on to national level surfing events.
The attachment allows you to get involved in all aspects of the business including spending time with a local board maker. "It's a skills-based placement that's particularly useful for anyone contemplating a tourism career," says Treaisa. "If you're also interested in surfing, it's amazing."
You don't require peroxide hair or a six-pack, but you will need to be a reasonably fit, strong swimmer with good customer service skills.
Get on a high
It's not the obvious destination for anyone searching for serenity and yogic bliss, but from this week New York's Meatpacking quarter will host some of the most spectacular yoga sessions on the planet.
Each sunrise, guests at the Hotel Gansevoort will be able to stretch, breath vaguely clean air and contemplate the epic Manhattan skyline from its rooftop garden 14 storeys above the chaotic streets.
The hotel is also starting aquaerobics and aqua-yoga in its ultra-hip rooftop pool, complete with mellow underwater music. "It's really going to take off with baby boomers," said a spokesperson with a soothing voice. "The water makes the sessions much less intimidating. You feel nurtured."
Intimate on the grand scale
Spa therapies have never been bigger. Not only are they more popular, but rubs, massages and hot stones are taking up more space than ever before. Hilton's Phuket Arcadia Resort has just opened the island's largest spa with 15 Thai-style treatment villas spread throughout the coconut groves and frangipani, which general manager Peter Hourigan calls "an intimate resort within a resort". With the spa expecting to provide 18,000 treatments a year, it's an interesting interpretation of intimate.
An introductory package, running until October, includes a deluxe room, daily treatment, bottle of sparkling wine and tropical floral bath for £360pp per week.
Economy drives
Portuguese golf is now within your driving range even if you're watching the pennies. Pestana (00351 213 615 678, pestana.com/en) is offering an Unlimited Golf Package of a week's B&B at any of seven Algarve hotels from £382pp including car hire and as much swinging as your hands can take. You have a choice of two courses: Championship Pestana Carvoeiro Golf-Vale da Pinta, or Gramacho, where there are 18 holes and 27 greens allowing you to play it several times with varying degrees of difficulty and confusion.
There's also good value healthy breaks this month on this side of the Channel. From now until May 27, the Woolacombe Bay Hotel (01271 870 388, woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk) in North Devon has two nights' half-board for £99 (Sunday and Wednesday arrivals) and three nights for £148.50 (Sunday and Tuesday arrivals). Along with four-course dinner, there's unlimited use of sporting facilities including tennis, squash, aerobics and bowls; with horse riding, mountain biking and fly fishing available for "a modest supplement".
Bath spa watch
1,581: That's how many days the Thermae Bath Spa is behind schedule. But don't despair - treatments can finally be experienced at the city's spanking new, architecturally groundbreaking spa. There's one slight problem: they are only available on the rather lovely website of the future operator (thermaebathspa.com). With the latest opening date predicted to be autumn 2005 - we're no longer counting down to avoid raising false hopes - you can at least check out virtual treatments such as the Aromatic Fango Wrap's fusion of orange, sandalwood and lavender oils with Canadian mud. Mmm, lovely. Bet you feel more relaxed already.
