Summary
Exploring a city A week's pampering in Paris Briony Foster, 33, an illustrator hopped over to the continent for an indulgent break. Alone in Paris you can feel comfortably anonymous, but kind of cosy at the same time. I found a nice little hotel through eurocheap.com - the Peletier Haussmann Opera, which is around e70 a night B& B. And then I spent an indulgent week as a 'fantasy Frenchwoman', having coffee in old cafes, browsing boutiques and going to the steam baths at the Hamman de la Mosquee. The best part was a facial at the Dior Institut spa at the Hotel Plaza Athenee (plaza-athenee-paris.com): e175 for a morning of drop-dead glamour.
A tranquil Moroccan retreat Writer Graciella Grigg, 48 -- married with two children -- took a break from family life at the Hotel Caravan Serai near Marrakesh (tel: 00 212 524 300302, hotel- caravanserai.com). This is about 20 minutes from Marrakesh, about e155 a night, just 17 rooms, and very peaceful. I needed sunshine and solitude, to take off my hats as mother and wife. I swam in the pool every day, sunbathed, read and enjoyed the silence. At dusk someone would light the fire in my suite and bring me Moroccan tea and biscuits (almond and honey - out of this world). I came back feeling me again. I have a passion for meeting locals and finding out what they do with their lives. Hashmir, the security man, introduced me to his family and showed me his mother's kitchen. She was a renowned cook and it was a room like a cupboard, full of plastic pots and old tins, a sink and a hole in the wall instead of a window - no shutters, no glass.See the full content of this document
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Go solo to find yourself ; Whether you're single or simply in search of some me time, Adriaane Pielou rounds up the best tried and tested holidays for solo travellers - from city breaks to beach getaways, health retreats and activity tours [Eire Region]
On tour in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires Helen While, 33, an office worker, signed up for a tour to the Brazilian and Argentine capitals with Just You (tel: 0044 800 567 7393, justyou.co.uk).
I'd always wanted to go to Rio, but you hear stories of pickpockets, and I didn't want to go on my own. I found this company by...See the full content of this document
