Luxury for less

The Villa Stay
Seven nights at the Casa da Galé on the Algarve, Portugal, for €5,597, or…
Seven nights at LA CIME DES ARBRES, Dordogne, France, for €1,735.

The rolling hills of the Dordogne are a magnet to countless Brits, who hit the south-west French département every summer in the hope of the one thing they just can’t guarantee at home – cheap wine (and sun). La Cime Des Arbres is a stunning restoration of a 16th-century farmhouse, replete with oak floors, Italian tiles, oriental carpets and a private pool – and just the place to live out your mini (if geographically incorrect) A Year in Provence fantasies. Casa da Galé, meanwhile, has a private tennis court and a sea-view Jacuzzi.
TEL: +44 (0)845 618 2205, WWW.ABERCROMBIEKENT.CO.UK;
WWW.DORDOGNE-VILLA.COM

The Private Island
Seven nights at the Falcon’s Nest, on Peter Island, The British Virgin Islands, for €4,220pp (based on 12 people sharing), or…
Seven nights on BARON ISLAND, an excusive nature resort off the southern coast of Spain, for €1,160 per person (based on 10 people sharing).

Formerly a royal hunting estate, Baron Island is a little sliver of Europe that you can have all to yourself. As well as a small army of staff at your beck and call, you have access to a sailing boat, windsurfing gear and even an outdoor playing court, where you can try badminton, petanque and archery. To really arrive in style, charter a helicopter from the airport, and land on your own private helipad. Not sure if you can do that at the somewhat more upmarket Falcon’s Nest – which is also more than three times the price.

TEL: +1 941 966 6017, WWW.SEVENSEASCHARTERS.COM;
TEL: +385 2131 2577, WWW.LUXURY-YACHTING-CROATIA.COM

The Gourmet Break
13 nights in Eastern Australia, for €6,070, or…
One month in MONTPELLIER, France, for €2,100.

Admittedly, shifting from our “luxury” remit a bit, Gastronomicom’s month-long French cookery course is the kind of adventure that could change your life. For 30 hours a week, you will learn about hot and cold starters, fish dishes, meat and desserts, and your bossy mentor will even give you a certificate when you’re done. Lodging falls some way short of the five-star accommodation you’ll enjoy on the Aussie food-tasting odyssey, but the luxury of your food will more than make up for it.
TEL: +44 (0)15 6478 4595, WWW.GLOBALGOURMETTOURS.CO.UK;
WWW.GASTRONOMICOM.FR

The Yachting Adventure
A week aboard the Hooter Patrol in The Bahamas, for €26,660, or…
A week on a SUNSEEKER MANHATTAN in Croatia, for €12,320.

The Adriatic Sea off Croatia is packed with islands and cliffs, and haring around in a super-cool yacht worth as much as a house is always going to be an unforgettable week. The Manhattan is the cheapest boat that the company running this package does, but it’s nonetheless the kind of floating playpad that will make guests swoon and wonder whether you’ve one the lottery. You get nearly 16m of yacht, three separate sleeping cabins and Philippe Starck-designed fittings. That Caribbean boat, meanwhile, is named after a pair of breasts!
TEL: +1 941 966 6017, WWW.SEVENSEASCHARTERS.COM;
TEL: +385 2131 2577, WWW.LUXURY-YACHTING-CROATIA.COM