THERE'S NO DOUBT that sipping cocktails poolside and indulging in room service with abandonment can be beneficial to the soul. But for many holidaymakers, the high is soon replaced with feelings of post-indulgence guilt. One way to strike a happy compromise is to embark on a luxury biking holiday which combines exercise with gourmet foods and fine wines.
One of the most tempting on the market is courtesy of luxury lifestyle group Quintessentially Escape (quintessentiallyescape.com). The company's 'Luxury Cycle Tour in Provence' package makes sure guests experience France's picture-perfect region in all its glory. Accommodation is at the Crillon le Brave (crillonlebrave.com), a charming rustic hotel and ideal base to explore the vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields.
Day one starts with a gourmet dinner in the hotel, but don't despair; the next day you work off the calories with a cycle to Avignon for wine tasting in the famous vineyards of the region, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Gourmet lunch and picnics are on offer before guests peddle back to their private chateau.
Croatia is fast impressing the jet-set crowd and reclaiming its reputation as one of Europe's must-see destinations with its crystal-clear coves and harbour towns along the Dalmatian Coast. Seeing its potential, adventure travel group Austin-Lehman Adventures (austinlehman.com) has added Croatia to this year's itinerary, with a trip exploring the city of Split, with its treasure trove of palaces, churches and bridges.
Participants can bike around the island's vineyard and olive grove-clad hills, and after a day on the saddle get to check into the Hotel Adriana (the hotel's rooftop salt-water pool should help relieve tired muscles). The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik near the city's old town provides extra comfort on the trip's final night - think fluffy bathrobes and slippers.
Fitness and nature junkies seeking something a little more challenging can head down under for some outback action courtesy of All Trails (alltrails.com). Billed as Australia's first luxury outback bike trip, the journey takes in the remote areas of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, a region bordered by coral reefs and tropical forests. Bikers get to visit the Split Rock art site - one of the world's largest collections of indigenous art - and partake in moonlit cinema around a fire after a gourmet camp-oven dinner.