FAR-FLUNG FLOPPING

When Palm Heights Hotel opened last autumn it became the reason to go to the Cayman Islands. Its winning combination of zingy Caribbean-byway-of-Manhattan cuisine, exuberant retro design, vast wellness centre and cultural happenings comes with an inclusive bonhomie. Lunchtime margaritas and jerk chicken, a book from the library, a daybed on one of the best beaches in the Caribbean – the week will fly by.

Suites from £650 B&B (020 3301 1718; palmheights.com)

SLOW DOWN MEXICO’S WAY

Boho-chic Tulum on the Yucatan peninsula is just the ticket for a five-star fly-and-flop, but head along the coast to the island of Holbox and you will find the Mexican Riviera of yesteryear: slower pace, slower Wi-Fi, lazy lolling in rainbow hammocks rather than slick white cabanas, eating lobster at beach shacks and sleeping in thatched guesthouses along the shellwhite shore.

A week’s holiday staying at Las Nubes B&B costs £1,583 per person, including flights and transfers, with Journey Latin America (020 3733 6773; journeylatinamerica.co.uk)

THAI BACK AND RELAX

If there’s a Thai island for every mood and Koh Lanta is the one for peace and barefoot floppage. You have to go the extra nautical mile or two to reach it (part is protected marine park), which is enough to put most tourists off, so there are no big parties or bright lights, just long sandy beaches dotted with lodgings. These range from bamboo treehouses to beach resorts full of pool villas, the newest of which – Avani+ Koh Lanta Resort – opened in January. Seven nights B&B at Avani+ Koh Lanta Krabi Resort in September costs from £839 per person, including flights from Heathrow, with Kenwood Travel (020 7749 9220; kenwoodtravel.co.uk)

MELLOW IN THE MALDIVES

“The Maldives is the ultimate fly and flop destination because it’s like being shipwrecked – a castaway experience in luxury,” says James Bell, managing director of Turquoise Holidays. On the smallest of those Robinson Crusoe islands there’s nowhere to go, but there’s always diving or turtle-watching and inevitably a spa, where hours can slip by in a haze of frangipani.

A week in a Deluxe Bungalow at Velassaru Maldives in June from £2,699 per person, including flights and transfers, with Turquoise (01494 678400; turquoiseholidays.co.uk)