Part of the attraction of these holidays is the down-to-earth, sociable atmosphere among students, leading to many lasting friendships. Skyros also provides a winter programme in Thailand, Cambodia and Cuba.
Earthwatch (
www.earthwatch.org) recruits volunteers, including teenagers and pensioners, from all over the world to take part in ecological projects and help scientists in the field.
Starting next Tuesday, Earthwatch volunteers will spend a fortnight monitoring flocks of macaws in the Peruvian Amazon, observing nesting sites and feeding habits. While accommodation in the jungle is hardly five-star, it is very comfortable and the work is incredibly rewarding. Other typical Earthwatch projects include surveying a coral reef in the Bahamas, taking part in an archaeological dig at a villa on the Italian coast and assessing the consequences of environmental degradation at Easter Island.
On a parallel theme, a new Art Walk in Bangkok provides a heady alternative to the Thai capital's normal cultural offerings. Run by Exotissimo Travel (
www.exotissimo.com) and led by British-born art expert and author Steven Pettifor, the tour takes in contemporary art galleries and meetings with artists, curators and owners. Taking up half a day or more, the Art Walk concludes with a drink at Bangkok's most arty hangout, Caf? Ice.
In Europe, the new Museum of Art in Rome (
www.maxxi.parc. beniculturali.it), also known as MAXXI, and designed by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, has yet to fully open, but its striking concrete exterior is already making waves in cultural circles.
The museum's collections are centred around architecture and art, with the latter represented by such contemporary masters as Ed Ruscha, Gabriele Basilico, Domenico Gnoli, Shahzia Sikander and Andy Warhol. It will also host a series of temporary exhibitions, including photographs of American roadside architecture by John Margolies, this summer.
For travellers planning to get away from it all, smart resorts and even smarter private villas have been trumped by private island retreats. Three notably exclusive Crusoe-type hideouts in Asia include Mangenguey (
www.mangenguey.com), a clutch of suites and cottages near Palawan in the Philippines with a strong emphasis on the arts; Tiger Islands Village & Eco Resort (
www.pulaumacan.com), offshore from the Indonesian capital Jakarta, which provides bungalows or tents for its guests in a very environmentally friendly atmosphere; and Nikoi Island (
www.nikoi.com), near Bintan in Indonesia, which is an idyllic cluster of two-storey beach houses, with two pools and four bars.
Further afield, there are numerous game lodges in Africa. Sasakwa (
www.singita.com), owned by American philanthropist Paul Tudor Jones, sits in a 140,000-hectare game park in Tanzania. It has cottages with four-poster beds and an infinity pool with stunning panoramas out over the bush. However, the main reason for coming here is to view the game, which teems across the plains year-round and is best viewed on horseback, although regular safari vehicles are also available.
Lake Okareka Lodge (okareka.co.nz) in New Zealand can only be booked by one client at a time. The three luxury suites in Rotorua can accommodate up to nine guests, but it's not unusual for Okareka and its 24-hour butler team to play host to just a couple of honeymooners. Rainbow trout tempt anglers from the lodge's jetty, charming walks through the woods start at the front door and the volcanic wonders of Rotorua are only a short drive away.
Just opened this year, Capella Singapore (
www.capella singapore.com) on Sentosa Island has been restored under the direction of Norman Foster, who integrated two colonial buildings with modern western design. As a pied-?-terre for exploring Singapore or as a metropolitan bolthole, its rooms, suites, villas and presidential manor are ideally situated, with a state-of-the-art spa and delicious cuisine.
Two sister hotels in Bali - both run by the stylish GHM group (
www.ghmhotels.com) - provide excellent short breaks. The Legian in Seminyak is well placed to take in the rolling surf and superb sunsets, while The Chedi Club at Tanah Gajah is located on the outskirts of Bali's spiritual centre Ubud, offering the beauty and serenity of rice terraces and ancient temples set against the majestic backdrop of Mount Agung.
Golf enthusiasts might like to try out the course at La Jenny resort (
www.lajenny.fr) near Bordeaux in France.
There are only half a dozen holes, but here - and throughout the naturist resort - clothes are optional and players wear little more than their tan.