There’s plenty to do off the beaten track this summer, from music festivals in Aspen to spa bliss in the Maldives. Plus hotel reviews from Shanghai, the New Forest and Madrid

SUMMER is the time for lazing on the beach or conquering peaks, for touring vineyards or breathing clean air in the sunshine. With the Mediterranean’s beaches well covered elsewhere in this issue, I’ve focussed on some slightly different news and getaways. Whether you’re getting inspiration for next weekend or planning a trip for the future, hopefully these will inspire. DS

OCEAN WAVES

Huvafen Fushi, the super-beautiful Indian Ocean resort for the ultra-beautiful crowd, just got another string to its bow with the expansion of its fine wine cellar, which is now a match for any restaurant in San Francisco – pretty cool for the Maldives. And if you’re teetotal, you can still get a buzz from watching manta rays through the glass floor of your overwater villa, checking out the underwater spa (with Crème de la Mer treatments, naturally), chilling on the beaches or sipping a Virgin Mary while slumped on a bean bag in the bar. They don’t call it the best resort in the Indian Ocean for nothing. www.huvafenfushi.com

THE OTHER TYROL

One of my favourite, and relatively undiscovered, areas for touring in Europe is the Alto Adige region of northeast Italy, also known as South Tyrol by its largely German-speaking residents. As well as Alpine scenery and Italy’s best white wines, the area now has a host of slick, new mountain retreats aimed at providing a tonic for body and soul in the area’s fine climate (which can be summed up as a cooler, cleaner version of Venice). Hotel Nives in Val Gardena features light, modern architecture and a Scandinavian spa; Arosea Life Balance Hotel in Val d’Ultimo aims to do what it says on the tin. www.hotel-nives.com; www.arosea.it

ROCKY NOTES

America is its own playground in summer, and a wonderful alternative to the hubbub of the Hamptons or the California coast is high up in Aspen, the chic ski resort that turns into ‘festival central’ in summer. The Aspen Music Festival, which runs from 19 June to 17 August, brings together some of the continent’s greatest classical musicians and orchestras, and the jazz festival, which follows in late August, does the same for its medium. You can listen to it all while breathing the champagne air, gazing at the peaks, and enjoying the town’s superb, if expensive, cuisine. www.jazzaspen.org; www.aspenmusicfestival.com

AUTUMN CHEER

I f you’re planning a break for the autumn in the Mediterranean, when the crowds have gone back northwards but the sun still shines, look no further than the Gran Hotel Son Net in the hills of Majorca. A tranquil spot, overlooking olive groves in the valley below and looking out across the Tramuntana mountains, Son Net, the former home of Stein Group chairman David Stein, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by offering rooms all through October at October 1998 rates. When you go, have an apéritif on the terrace while taking in the vistas: Son Net is far from the madding crowds, but just 25 minutes from Palma airport. www.sonnet.es