Wanderlust and Envy: The Booklover's Dream at Pera Palace Istanbul

Turkish tea and a library perfect for any bookworm feature in this opulent 115-room hotel in Beyoglu. Dating back to 1895, the hotel has been furnished in luxury decor with pinks in the patisserie to a mix of gorgeous purples in the library. From the ornate lobby with marble tile floors, to the elegant afternoon tea, to the live piano music, to the (working!) original wrought-iron elevator, everything about Pera Palace evokes the bygone days when posh Europeans traveled to Istanbul on the Orient Express. Part of the Jumeirah stable, it's to be expected really. The hotel is old, but the sympathetic design and refurbishment make it an exquisite place to spend a weekend exploring the city.

One of the hotel’s luxury suites is even named after Ernest Hemingway who had one of his characters stay at the hotel. Others are named after Greta Garbo, the gorgeous Swedish silent movie actress, mystery writer Agatha Christie, and Pierre Loti, a French writer.

Rates for this hotel aren't cheap. A standard twin room costs just under £200, with a weekend in the Hemingway suite costing over £1,000. But when there's so much old school glamour and elegance, it's the experience rather than just a bed to sleep the night.

Interested? Read on...

Wanderlust and Envy: BBQ, Boules and Butchery at Chateau Lou Casteou

Having spent an evening slicing and dicing salmon at Jamie Oliver's Recipease*, I've decided cooking is something I should do more of. Learning skills, such as descaling fish or how to spatchcock a chicken, is only ever going to be a good thing.

So, in my quest to find another great cooking excursion, I stumbled upon celebrity chef and former I'm a Celeb contestant Rosemary Shrager, who is hosting a gastronomic break at Chateau Lou Casteou in France. Also the star of Ladette to Lady, I literally shouted OH IT'S HER when I found out, which made everything way, way more amazing. Located in the glorious Cote D’Azur, South of France, this isn't just one evening's worth of food and fun, it's an entire week.

The getaway held mid-October, which costs £5,600 for two, includes a six night stay in the French castle, daily cookery classes, food and wine pairing and you even get that chance to try your hand at butchery which can be enjoyed over a roasting hot barbecue. Definitely one for foodies, the week includes olive grove tours, lots of champers, views over St Tropez and quaint market town trips.

Certainly not in my price bracket, this is firmly in the Envy category for me.

Have you ever been on a foodie holiday? Let us know below!

*Read all about it folks, read all about it!

Interested? Read on...

Wanderlust and Envy: Song Saa, Cambodia's first private island resort

South East Asia, as I'm sure most of you will know, will always hold a special place in my heart. The people, the culture, the heat and the rain... it's just a wonderful part of the planet I hope to explore more in the next few years.

Song Saa has recently popped up on my radar. Based on the Buddhist tradition of metta bhavana or loving kindness, it's Cambodia's first private island resort. Featuring just 27 luxury villas, the two private islands Koh Ouen and Koh Bong have been developed with conservation in mind. Even the spa uses products which benefit the local communities.

The Song Saa Foundation promotes sustainable development and community wellbeing throughout the Koh Rong Archipelago, on land, in the sea and with its people. Their aim is to improve the lives of local villagers by through health and education services, and by protecting the local environments. Even if guests are set on not leaving their room, the resort works with Pack for a Purpose which encourages travellers to use spare luggage space to bring over much needed school supplies for the local children.

It's a gorgeous place with sustainability at its core. Complimentary yoga mornings, in-room cinema experiences and traditional Khmer cuisine mix with buffalo cart expeditions to local villages and trips around the rainforest to learn about the economy. And we just love that.


For more information: Song Saa, Cambodia

Interested? Read on...

Wanderlust and Envy: The £750,000 drinking holiday

Who doesn't love a good cocktail? But while most of us prefer to only be down a few quid (and a little bit of dignity) after a night on the booze, this holiday could well send most of the population into outright bankruptcy. Costing £750,000, it's bound to leave most people with a massive Ouch, as well as a wicked hangover.

The 40-day tour, starting in London and visiting everywhere from Monaco to Dubai, sees travellers sample some of the most exclusive drinks on the planet ranging from just a mere thousand pounds, to prices that could outright buy a house.

The cheapest drink on the tour, a £50 Singapore Sling served in the bar where it was first created (pictured), is a massive contrast to the most expensive; a Scottish Highlands whisky costing a huge £100,000, Penfolds Ampoule red wine costing £110,000,which are both trumped by Armand de Brignac 'Dynastie', the most expensive champagne in the world, costing £330,000.

The trip isn't just about sampling the most expensive and rarest drinks. Punters stay in the finest hotels, such as the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, fly business all the way, and are on guests list to some of the most exclusive bars. As one would expect when shelling out almost a million pounds for a month's worth of travel.

A spokesman from holidaysplease, who curated the trip, Byron Warmington says: “This is the first time that anyone has been able to bring together so many incredible experiences into one trip. Many people quote once in a lifetime holidays, but we think this genuinely is.” It certainly beats a watered-down cocktail from an all-inc trip to Benidorm, doesn't it.

And while most of us will never be able to afford even a sip of the delicacies on offer, here's a list of what's on offer. Well, this is Wanderlust and Envy, after all.

COCKTAIL

Winston Cocktail, pictured, which contains a shot of 1858 Croizet cognac worth £99000 a bottle.
£16,400

RUM

Legacy by Angostura, the world's most expensive rum.
£8,000

BEER

Vieille Bon Secours, one of the world's most expensive beers.
£1,400

WHISKY

Dalmore Trinitas, the world's most expensive whisky, aged 64 years, only three ever made.
£100,000

CHAMPAGNE

Armand de Brignac 'Dynastie', the world's most expensive champagne collection, direct from Flavio Briatore's Billionaires Club.
£330,000

RED WINE

Penfolds Ampoule, an expertly made red wine, only 12 ever made, contains ultra-rare 2004 Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon.
£110,000

TEQUILA

Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario Tequila, one of the world's most expensive Tequilas.
£400

MARTINI

Diamond Bader & Garrin, which includes a diamond from in-house jeweller Bader & Garrin.
£12,000

Interested? Read on...

Wanderlust and Envy: Iceland's Lofthellir Lava Cave

A real mix of fire and ice. And danger. Unsuitable for children, or those with claustrophobia, the caves are found below Iceland's lava fields. Carved from a volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago, they trail underground and make for one surreal experience of ethereal icicles in cavernous chambers. As you can see from the images, the natural formations are astounding.

As someone with a borderline obsessive fascination for caves and secrets of the underground, WANT.

I've been advised by Off The Map Travel, a tour company that arranges the expedition, this isn't a walk in the park. The route is slicked with ice, and you'll need to slide down precarious slopes, squeeze through gaps of 50cm, clamber up slippery ridges and slither down ropes draped in frost. And that's just to literally enter the caves.

The caves themselves have ice and water on the floor and maintain a pretty constant 0°C – so not too chilly. Waterproofs and thermals are definitely worth it though.

Adventurers are given all the safety equipment you'd expect, including helmets with headlights and studded ice boots, and each walk is led by an experienced guide. It's an hour's drive to the ice fields, another hour across them, a brisk mile or two walk, and then on to the caves themselves.

Prices start from £599 per person and includes 4 nights accommodation as well as a whale watching tour in summer or Northern Lights tour in winter.

This is definitely on my bucket list. Slippery slides and all.

Interested? Read on...