‘We hiked among thousands of sheep and visited churches with grass-covered roofs’

Volunteering in the Faroe Islands, Interrailing for the over-60s and whale-watching in Mexico are among your 2023 travel highlights

A FLUKE ENCOUNTER

Arriving in the desert of Baja California, Mexico, we collected our hire car, drove north through miles of cacti, and arrived in the tiny town of San Ignacio. After feasting on prawn tacos in our campsite restaurant, we retired to our tents and lay wondering if we would get to see a whale or two.

Next day, our boat took us onto the lagoon, which is packed with whales. These friendly creatures wanted to interact with us – they came up to inspect us, brought their calves, waved their flukes, sprayed us with their spouts, even nudged the boat. It was incredible to witness their trust and curiosity, given that they were hunted to near extinction.

Debbie Vowles, Hampshire

ALL GREEK TO ME

Sixty-one years ago, with National Service completed, my husband travelled overland from Cyprus to the UK on his trusty Lambretta “Christabel”. Married for 60 years, but with scooter declined, we recreated the Greek element of his adventure.

Being new to Greece, we loved the Acropolis, the Benaki Museum and the filo-pastry pies in Athens. Nafplio (a tiny coastal village) and Epidavros (with an ancient history of healing) were astonishing. We continued to Olympia, Galaxidi, Delphi, Kalambaka and the monasteries of Meteora. A wild off-road Jeep ride took us into the Pindos Mountains, where we crossed the Katara Pass in spite of warnings. Jennifer Marston, West Sussex

HASSLE-FREE FRANCE

If “no hassle” is high on your list of holiday priorities, head to Lake Annecy. We stayed in June, when the days were long and pleasantly warm, and the ambience relaxed, before the start of high-summer tourism.

For a modestly priced “roving” ticket, frequent buses took us to Alpine villages on the lakeside. We hired e-bikes and rode the shoreline cycle path, with views of the strikingly turquoise water. On a ferry ride to the city of Annecy, we took in panoramic views of pine forests, houses and chateaux. On arrival, we toured the old town, with its canals, bridges and medieval buildings. Our 2023 holiday proved the perfect choice.

Margaret Reed, Wiltshire

ROCKY RELATIONSHIP

Our golden-wedding trip to the Rockies began with a flight to Calgary. When we arrived by bus in Banff, our only word was “wow”. One aspect of the town is dominated by a huge, single mountain – but look in the opposite direction and you will see a whole range. We took the gondola cable car to the top, 8,000ft above sea level. Walk to the highest point and you will be treated to a 360-degree panorama of sun, sky, snow and granite.

After Banff, we took the Rocky Mountaineer train (recommended), an Alaskan cruise (port stops disappointing) and a short side trip to Victoria, on Vancouver Island (beautiful). However, it is the summit reached via the Banff gondola on a clear, sunny day that remains the highlight.

Simon Channon, Nottinghamshire

WHEN I’M 64…

At the age of 18, with no money, a new job and no time, Interrailing was just a dream. Now, aged 64, my husband and I bought a senior pass and Interrailed across Europe through 11 countries and 20 towns and cities, stopping to “smell the roses” and sample local wines.

The highlights? Traboules (hidden passageways) in Lyon, bicerin (a coffee and chocolate drink) in Turin, orange wine in Ljubljana, tobogganing near Lake Bled. We travelled on the night train from Budapest to Brasov (with border guards searching our compartment), did a tuk-tuk tour of Bucharest, took a bus ride from Thessaloniki to Athens and explored Zadar and Split.

Before the pass expired, we travelled from the north coast of Ireland to Cork and Cobh in the south. Do it again? It’s already booked – Interrailing round Switzerland and Italy this year.

Joanne Magee, County Antrim

CRUISE CROATIA

Warm April sunshine, stunning scenery, delicious food, great company… a Croatian cruise from Dubrovnik to Opatija on the MV Princess Eleganza proved hard to beat.

Spacious and comfortable, the ship was home to just 21 guests. A cabin upgrade, informative reps (Steve and Rafaella) and a lovely crew made our trip. Sunny Dubrovnik was almost tourist-free. In Korcula, we enjoyed a splendid seafood dinner, and on Vis, strolled along the pretty shore in Komiza. Showers did not spoil our enjoyment of the waterfalls in Krka National Park. Our team won the quiz, but everyone shared the slivovitz (fruit spirit) prize. In Opatija’s seafront park, we posed beside the “Wall of Fame”. Everywhere was fresh and clean, free from potholes and graffiti. In short, our 2023 Adriatic cruise was brilliant. Vivienne Seakins, Warwickshire

Time to reflect: Bour village was among the many highlights of a volunteering holiday in the Faroe Islands*