10 Places to find yourself

1. Tennis in the tropics

Perfecting a killer backhand is the order of the day for aspiring tennis players visiting Australia's Hamilton Island next month. Tennis legends will be on hand to tutor players during a four-day sports clinic in the heart of Queensland's Whitsunday Islands.

The USP: Todd Woodbridge will lead a team of pros including Ken Rosewall, Nicole Bradtke, Sandon Stolle, Josh Eagle and Noel Callaghan. Players will receive intensive coaching in all aspects of the game. The winner of the end-of-holiday tournament will receive a Todd Woodbridge Masters trophy. Non-tennis playing partners may also be pleased to learn that Maurice Esposito, a renowned Melbourne-based chef, will host a chef's table dinner at the end of the course.

The deal: The Hamilton Island tennis event (00 61 2 9433 0444; hamilton island.com.au/tennis) takes place between 18 and 23 October and costs A$3,765 (£1,525), including five nights' accommodation and most meals. Flights cost extra.

2. How does your garden grow

Green-fingered gardeners keen to improve their horticultural skills should make a beeline for the Lake District next month.

The USP: Taking place at Rothay Manor, an elegant Regency hotel near Ambleside, the autumn gardening holiday covers all matters horticultural over its five-day duration. Gardening experts will give talks, and students are also taken on a series visits to private gardens in the area. Participants should be willing to get their hands dirty in the practical plant propagation sessions, which will focus on subjects such as the preparation of cuttings, seed sowing and potting.

The deal: The Autumn Gardening Holiday takes place 8-13 October at Rothay Manor (01539 433605; rothaymanor. co.uk) and costs from £510 per person including half-board accommodation for five nights.

3. Wildlife through a lens in Lapland

A visit to the heart of Lapland in the winter months is a memorable experience ­ and surely one worth capturing on film. From the northern lights and Arctic snowscapes to the resident reindeer, moose and huskies, a flurry of subjects is available to study during a photographic expedition to Finland's far north.

The USP: The trip promises to show visitors an authentic slice of Sami culture. Led by experienced Sami tour guides as well as Wildshots photographer Peter Cairns, the trip will involve staying in a laavu ­ similar to a North American tepee ­ and sleeping on reindeer skins, with limited access to electricity. Photographic guidance and advice will be dispensed on the field. Tripods, wide-angle lenses and medium telephoto zooms are recommended for those keen on making the most of capturing the white landscape and the Sami culture. Photogenic Arctic activities include dogsled rides through the remote Sarek National Park, a moose safari and a reindeer herding.

The deal: Wildshots (01540 651352; wildshots .co.uk) offers an escorted tour 8-15 February 2007, from £1,595, including full-board accommodation and transfers but excluding flights.

4. Get all stirred up in Mexico

Crunchy, fried grasshoppers, chocolate-covered chicken and cactus juice may not sound like the most appetising of dishes. But few visitors to Mexico's colonial city of Oaxaca are able to resist the charming tastes of the region's famous cuisine. Join one of the Oaxacan cookery classes held at the 18th-century Hacienda Los Laureles.

The USP: Foodies would do well to time their visit with next month's annual Festival of the Gods from 7 to 14 October. This celebrates the pre-Hispanic roots of the region's cuisine, from its cheese and spices to pastries and

coffee. When not slaving away over a hot stove, do some practical research in the city's numerous restaurants or kick back with a massage in the hacienda's spa.

The deal: In October, seven nights at the Hacienda Los Laureles in Oaxaca costs from £1,029 per person with Journey Latin America (020-8622 8491; journeylatin america.co.uk). The price includes return flights, transfers and b&b.

5. Bikini boot camp in Brazil

Ever wondered why Cameron Diaz looks so good in a bikini? Follow in her and several other Hollywood A-listers' footsteps for a celebrity-style detox deep in the Brazilian rainforest. Body & Soul Adventures may masquerade as a stylish spa retreat but is in fact the celebs' favourite bikini boot camp.

The USP: Not for the faint-hearted. It's set on the picturesque island Ilha Grande in Brazil, 100 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, and daily activities revolve around intense rainforest hikes and lengthy ocean kayaking trips. Combined with a caffeine-, alcohol- and meat-free diet limited to 1,500 calories a day ­ think tofu and lots of it ­ the physical and mental challenges for those taking part can be drastic. But it's not all "no pain no gain". First-rate massages, snorkelling, diving or simply chilling on the island's 106 beaches are on hand for those rare moments of relaxation between activities.

The deal: A six-day programme at Body & Soul Adventures (020-3002 0936; bodyandsoul adventures.com) starts at $2,500 (£1,319) per person, full board, including all activities, excluding flights. Programmes take place on a weekly basis until 29 October.

6. New direction in Iceland

A retreat that aims to help people take control of their lives may not sound like everyone's idea of a relaxing break. But set the experience against the Icelandic landscape of steaming geysers and volcanic rifts, it is likely to become as inspiring as it is life-changing.

The USP: Hotel Glymur, overlooking the serene waters of the Hval-

fjordur, known as "the whale fjord", provides a magical setting for this seven-night retreat offered by Lotus Journeys. Days spent doing yoga, meditation, horse riding and whale watching are interspersed with life navigation sessions, where guests receive expert help to map out their life strategy. Every evening ends with a modern take of Kvoldvaka, the Icelandic family tradition of gathering to discuss the day's events.

The deal: The next course takes place 22-29 October with Lotus Journeys (020-8965 5727; lotus journeys.com) and costs ¤6,990 (£4,725) per person, including transfers, activities and full board. Flights cost extra.

7. High-altitude yoga

Venture into the highlands of the ancient

Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan for a mountain yoga retreat high in the Himalayas. Uma Paro is a serene 38-acre hilltop retreat where minimalist design is effortlessly fused with traditional Bhutanese architecture. Its Como Shambhala Retreat is where all the action takes place: from holistic Ayurvedic massages to traditional Bhutanese hot stone baths and yoga sessions.

The USP: At 2,300m above sea level, the altitude takes yoga to another level. Classes are led in an outdoor yoga pavilion overlooking the Paro

Valley. Dawn salutations make the most of the sun rising over the pine trees and the hillsides dotted with monasteries. The rest of the day can be spent trekking and cycling in the surrounding mountains with your own personal guide.

The deal: Doubles at Uma Paro (00 975 2326 254; uma.como.bz) cost from US$710 (£374) full board. The hotel offers one complimentary yoga class every day. Private tailor-made yoga tuition costs $96 (£51) per hour.

8. Back to school with Spanish

Knowing how to order a beer in the native tongue of your holiday destination is all very well. But being able speak the local lingo is one of the best ways to get the most out of any holiday. Also spoken throughout South America, Spanish is an ideal choice. Guarantee yourself perfect Castilian pronunciation by learning it on location.

The USP: With its perennial blue skies and rich Andalucian heritage, Malaga is a good place to combine language classes with some sightseeing. The Malaca Instituto is a slick establishment for beginners and advanced students alike. Extracurricular activities include flamenco and salsa evenings, tapas soirées and excursions to small hilltop towns that dot the surrounding countryside. Trips to the nearby cities of Granada and Seville also provide the perfect outlet for practising your new linguistic skills.

The deal: An intensive two-week course at the Malaca Instituto (00 34 952 208 222; malaca instituto.com) commence 25 September, 9 and 23 October and cost from ¤348 (£248) for 20 hours of lessons per week. Upon request, the school can also organise accommodation in a hotel, student apartments or with a local family.

All prices are per person based on two sharing, unless stated

The best artistic safari

Ditch the camera and capture your African safari on canvas. Against a backdrop of the majestic Drakensberg Mountains, guests stay in a private game lodge near Hoedspruit in the Greater Kruger Area. Daily painting and sketching classes take place in the middle of the bush. Bush Art Safaris (01822 870608; bushartsafaris.co.uk) offers five-night art safaris for £750 for artists and £600 for non-artists. The price includes transfers, meals and tuition.

The best for film buffs

The idea of directing, filming and editing your own film in New York may sound like a far-fetched fantasy, but one New York hotel has created a package that enables budding Woody Allens to fulfil their cinematic potential during a weekend. The Tribeca Grand Hotel has introduced a Director's Cut package(001 212 519 6600; tribecagrand.com) starting at $624 (£367) a night, including all equipment and breakfast.