TO celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary last year, banker Christophe Billard and his wife headed for the South Tyrol in northern Italy, where he discovered to his delight that life begins at 1,500 - metres, that is.

At that level, built on a hillside just next to a pine forest and surrounded by panoramas of the majestic Dolomite Mountains, the relatively new and virtually unknown Vigilius Mountain Resort offers pristine air as well as a welcome respite from the stresses and strains of the modern world.

Because the hotel is accessible only by cable car, there is also no danger of getting stuck in traffic.

Vigilius is an example of the design-driven, eco-friendly and well-integrated boutique resorts that are becoming increasingly popular in various parts of the world these days.

The 35 room-hotel may feature a stunning spa and a restaurant serving healthy modern European cuisine, but the main attractions come courtesy of nature.

It is typical of the getaways that appeal to well-heeled, well-travelled types wishing to indulge in the hedonistic pleasures of doing nothing.

'When you want to escape the hordes of tourists on the Riviera, this place offers something different,' says Mr Billard, Singapore-based executive director (Asia-Pacific) of Societe Generale.

'You get rid of the car and arrive up there, where the air is so pure and the views are outstanding - we spent eight days basically paying attention to the environment.'

Over the recent Christmas period, Mr Billard took an equally memorable trip to Luang Prabang in Laos, where he enjoyed a different kind of tranquility.

'For us French people, it is nice to see French colonial charm, beautiful scenery and local culture,' he says. 'Going there allows you just to relax, to read and to think. After four days there, it's as if I had been away for a week or more.'

He adds: 'It is the kind of small town you want to preserve from mass tourism.

There is a nice blend of locals, tribal people and tourists who are interested in local culture.

There are also a few H-I-P expats who might turn it into a kind of Bali, where you have trendy jetsetters - but I hope it will not happen.'

Laos was the last country in the region he had not visited, says Mr Billard, who estimates he has been to about 50 countries - and counting.

Luang Prabang certainly has its charms, but Mr Billard says that one place he really wants to re-visit is the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, which is without doubt the most unique place he has been to.

'What you see is so different - you cannot reference it against anything else. I had a feeling of being lost, and in a state of constant discovery.

'Those in search of instant enlightenment - who are also reluctant to forgo certain essential luxuries - will take comfort in the knowledge that discreetly upmarket operators like Amanresorts and COMO Hotels and Resorts already have a presence in Bhutan.

Speaking of luxury, there is but one name on everyone's lips when it comes to exotic new destinations with an over-the-top streak in them - Dubai, which is making a strong name for itself as the tourism mecca of the Persian Gulf. In just a few short years, it has progressed to a stage where it threatens to put even Las Vegas in the shade.

The rise of Dubai

According to Janet Brice, editor of Dubai-based magazine Living in the Gulf, Dubai's oil wealth is enabling it to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top leisure and business destinations in the world. Some of the projects currently under construction include the world's tallest building, exclusive man-made island communities like The World and Three Palm islands, an underwater hotel, a Disney-style leisure complex called Dubailand, eight world-class golf courses and - why let a little desert stop you? - a snow-skiing centre.

There are over 40 shopping malls (the Mall of the Emirates ??? under construction - has its own ski slope), brand name restaurants (Gordon Ramsay is at the Hilton) and a clutch of top-quality hotels, led by luxury hospitality group Jumeirah International.

Jumeirah manages the Burj Al Arab (whose seafood restaurant is reached by submarine), touted as a seven-star property where everything that looks like gold - definitely is gold.

Outside the city, dune dinners are de rigueur at the newly-opened Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, a hotel within a walled fortress.

Indeed, food exploration is another fast-growing form of leisure travel. Good-food addicts have long headed to culinary capitals in Europe and Australasia, where the discovery of a good restaurant is celebrated with much gusto.

Restaurant owner Ignatius Chan travels to Japan at various times of the year in a bid to revisit regular haunts as well as make new discoveries about the culinary seasons. He also goes to France, Spain and Australia for the same reason, but Japan - and Osaka in particular - remains a firm favourite.

'My travels are always food-driven,' says Chan, whose modern European menu at his restaurant Iggy's is unabashedly influenced by a few Japan-based chefs.

'I spend a lot of time thinking out the food concepts during these trips,' he says. 'In Osaka, you have the most fun eating places, from different types of udon (thick noodles) to kushiage (deep fried skewers) to a wild boar restaurant.'

Renato de Guzman, CEO of ING Private Bank here, cites relaxing island stays as his idea of the perfect family vacation. A frequent traveller who goes regularly to the Big Island in Hawaii, he camps at the Four Seasons in Kona and spends his days driving around and sampling the food at different resorts.

He also recommends a South African safari, combined with a visit to Capetown, for a family holiday. For the past six years, he has spent Christmas at Hermana Mayor, a friend's private 50-hectare island in the Philippines, where, surrounded by sea, beach and mountain, the most strenuous activities involve lounging around and devising games for the children to play.