More girls' holiday ideas: Italian chill-out
A genuine get-away-from-it-all girls' break is the perfect solution for stressed, hard-worked bods. And that's when a proper retreat is needed - like the restored farmhouse of Casa Latini near the medieval village of Casperia in Lazio's beautifully unspoilt Sabina mountains. There are no raucous nights out to be had here, but if you're after complete rest and relaxation, it hits the spot.
Options are plentiful - from wild hot springs, open-air Roman baths and yoga classes to horse-riding, canoeing and cycling - and the idea is to do as much, or as little as you want, even if that means just heading into Casperia for cappuccino and chats. Cycling and walking is the best way to get around - and the best way to work off all that delicious Italian cuisine. Get more details from Responsible Travel.
Snow chicks
Nestled in the Lizard Range slopes of southeast British Columbia, Canada lies beautiful Island Lake Lodge, which offers an all-girls cat-skiing packages. Powerful, comfortable snow-cats ferry skiers through the wilderness to the softest, deepest Rocky Mountains powder, which covers 7,000 acres of bowls, steeps and glades. Expect to ski around 10 to 15 runs a day - you'll be more than ready for a spot of after-ski fun back at the lodge where a stone fireplace and slideshow of the day's photographs await.
In the spirit of pampering, the lodge also runs Island Lake Health Spa. Relax those tired limbs with hot stone therapy or enjoy an alpine foot and leg treatment. There's a wellness room with Japanese soaking tub and a mountainview al fresco hot tub.
The Lodge is 15 kilometres from the popular ski centre of Fernie.
Girls on boards
Ever fancied surfing but felt a bit nervous about taking lessons? A girls-only surfing holiday might be just the ticket. Head to Morocco for an exotic and exciting week of lessons with Errant Surf Travel, who innovatively combine skating with core-strengthening Pilates sessions. You'll stay in Tamraght in a traditional Moroccan guesthouse with a rooftop terrace, two huge lounges and beach shack.
The tour team includes a female surf coach, Pilates expert and a UK pro-surfer. Everyone is catered for, from beginners seeking their first surf to girls looking for point break waves. And the Pilates sessions teach balance and exercises that target movement patterns in surfing.
Girls' nights in
You don't have to be going on a hen weekend to book a gorgeous, rambling cottage or slick city apartment for a weekend of wining, dining, relaxing and playing games with your favourite friends. Search for cottage owners' websites or browse through the many options available on sites like Holiday Rentals and Cottages4you which has 15,000 properties in the UK and abroad.
Top tip: nominate one person to shop online for food and drink in advance and have a stack of wine, pizzas and chocolate delivered in time for your arrival.
Shop and pamper, Scottish-style
Sometimes, a little pampering goes a long way. The elegant Edinburgh Residence offers special Girls' Weekends, staying in one of their five-star home-from-home Town House Suites, five minutes from the city's famous Princes Street.
The price includes a Jo Malone gift, a one-hour in-room pampering treatment and a private three-course dinner for the group served in the suite. The luxury suites are genuinely gorgeous so make the most of them. Have a night in, throw on your PJs, stick on a chick-flick and polish off the complimentary bubbly. On Saturday, there's more bubbly to sip at the one-to-one personal shopping appointment at Harvey Nichols before indulging in a spot of shopping, lunching and bar-hopping in Edinburgh's lively city centre.
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