STAY AT HOME IN SUPER STYLE

Travel is no longer what it was.  When Evelyn Waugh wrote his book on travels “When the Going Was Good” , published in 1946, it was still possible to travel around the world largely unchallenged, with just a wave of the good old British passport and a ready supply of trinkets. Now, the four horsemen of the travel trade, Terrorism, Ecology, Security and Oil threaten to trample our wanderlust underfoot, as airport chaos, bureaucracy, soaring prices and guilt spread in their wake.

Why bother? Why not stay cool in England’s green and pleasant land, luxuriating in one of the stunning piles that may be rented from Unique Homestays? The small detail of a hefty rent aside, these places provide palatial facilities and, depending upon where you live, are just a short drive along a UK byway.

Selecting just one of the many super pads on their books, Swinbrook Manor, shown here, deep in the lovely Cotswold countryside, quite simply puts jetting off to the Palm, Palm Beach or any other palm-dotted hot spot in the shade. Near the delightful town of Burford, just an hour’s drive from London, it combines old world charm with the latest luxury facilities.

Set in its own fully staffed country estate, with swimming pool, Zen garden, tennis courts and fishing lake, it really is a gem of a place, sleeping up to 12. Not least of its attractions is its splendid wine cellar. A week may be booked at around £17,000.

For a more concentrated wine experience, Homestays also has some wonderful chateaux, villas, castles and farmhouses on its books for France, Italy – and Cornwall -  where wine tours and  tastings may be organised. For further details go to www.uniquehomestays.com

CORONATION PARTY IN SHANGRI-LA

Combine a trip to Shangri-la with the coronation party of a king who will reign over one of the happiest countries on earth.

This is Bhutan, a tiny kingdom in the Hiimalayas, bordered on three sides by India and by China on the fourth. It is known as The Last Shangri-la, though the Bhutanese call their country The Land of the Thunder Dragon, and on November 6 this year, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will be crowned in the capital of Thimpu and spark off three days of celebrations.

It is only in recent years that the country has begun to let in the outside world, with television finally allowed in 1999, and the first democratic elections held in December last year.  Instead of a Gross National Product, Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness measurement, and according to a Business Week survey in 2006, it is the happiest nation in Asia, and the 8th happiest in the world.

The three-day coronation party therefore provides a great focal attraction for a visit to this little-known happy state, across what is pretty virgin tourist territory. The 16-day ‘Red Rice Trade Route’ tour in Eastern Bhutan, organized by Himalayan Kingdoms, departs November 4 and takes in a festival in Bumthang as well as time in Thimphu during the last day of the coronation ceremony.  It costs from £3,895 per person, including flights, hotels, camping, lodges and all meals in Bhutan. An 18-day trip focuses on easier day treks rather than camping out and will also visit Thimphu for the big party. It costs from £2,885. For full information, go to http://www.himalayankingdoms.com

COVERING THE BIG COUNTRY

The might of the pound against the dollar may have diminished recently but the Land of the Free is still attracting many British travellers since the euro-zone countries became more costly. And though rigorous and time-consuming security checks now in force in the U.S. have been something of a barrier, efforts to at least make the officials more tourist-friendly are promised to improve Stateside welcomes.

Choosing where to visit in the Big Country is solved by a new coast to coast train trip organised by Page & Moy.  Starting in New York, with a city tour and cruise around Manhattan harbour, travellers embark on a train ride to Washington, there boarding another train for the 760 mile journey to ‘windy city’ Chicago and then on to Denver aboard the California Zephyr train. The most spectacular part of this journey is through the Rockies, with further highlights along the way including the famous Monument Valley, the former Wild West town of Flagstaff, awesome Grand Canyon, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Prices start from £2,724 per person and include return flights from the UK. Go to www.pageandmoy.com for this an other new trips.