Take it easy

Slow travel is all about embracing the place you’re visiting and taking your time to explore its culture, history and food. Rebecca Miles picks 10 of the best slow holidays to book now for travel by foot, bike, train or boat

MEKONG RIVER CRUISE, VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA

There’s only one way to experience the fabled, timeless Mekong River and that’s on it. Set sail on the only vessel to cruise this stretch of the Mekong, the Victoria Mekong (above), and you’ll travel in four-star comfort between the sumptuous greenery of Can Tho in Vietnam and the heart of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. With just 35 staterooms on board, all with private balconies for sundowners, as well as a spa, infinity pool, gym and impeccable eco-credentials, this is proper small-ship cruising. Details The Mekong River Cruise is a three-night downstream – or four-night upstream – cruise with Wendy Wu Tours.

WALKING AND WINE IN THE DOURO VALLEY, PORTUGAL

Could there be anything more pleasurable than ambling through Portugal’s UNESCOlisted Douro Valley? It’s rich with as many stories as it is vineyards, and is ideal for combining leisurely walks with visits to port- and vinho verdeproducing vineyards. Thought to be home to vines for over 2,000 years, the Douro Valley was once one of the world’s most dominant trading powers and remains a lush, captivating country. Details Exodus offers an eight-day walking tour with premium accommodation and lots of wine tasting with six trips running before the end of the year.

Your holiday could help fund surgery for a child like Jocy!

CURE children’s hospitals provide free world-class surgical care for children with disabilities in developing countries. With your help, we can ensure that every child has access to the life-changing healthcare they desperately need.