Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s you! Experience the rush of fresh air, the weightlessness of free-fall, the serene beauty of drifting up near the clouds, and feel on top of the world on a sky-high hotels adventure.

Are those stars in your eyes the sparkling lights of Chicago at 1362 feet – or the result of a diamond or sapphire infused massage from The Spa at Trump? The new Trump International Hotel and Tower has 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed lake, river or city views and is the second-tallest building in the United States. Within the bedazzling 92-storey structure is the Rebar bar where you can fuel your body at the ‘Liquid Kitchen’.

Drift over charming Quebec City in a one-hour Hot Air Balloon Flight. Watch as the balloon is inflated, then glide over the St. Lawrence River, the ile d’Orleans and the Laurentian Mountains. Back on earth at the Dominion 1912 Hotel, tuck into a continental breakfast. Or, if you take the sunset flight, sip cocktails and admire the view of the river on the terrace.

Keep an eye out for King Kong as you experience the Empire State Building’s NY Skyride, including virtual and real experiences. First, you’ll see above, below and around New York City on a giant screen, with special effects and custom seating. Then go up to the observation deck a quarter of a mile above ground and gaze over the Big Apple in all its glory. Continue the high life theme with Manhattan Art Deco decadence at the Beekman Tower Hotel, and dine at the 26th floor Top of the Tower Restaurant, with a pianist and Gotham city views – a highly recommended spot for romancing.

Experience a 60-second free fall - ahhh – then drift back to earth – mmm – on a Las Vegas tandem skydive which starts two miles from the earth at speeds of 120mph. Who’s going to believe you did it? Don’t worry, they can capture it all on DVD for you. Fuel the high by staying at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in the 1149 foot tower with its revolving restaurant and rides such as the Insanity, which spins you at 3Gs over the edge of the tower. We suggest Insanity before dinner… if you get our drift.

You Tarzan and Jane on the commando-like Canyon Canopy tour in the Boca de Sierra National Park, Mexico. There are zip lines to whizz along, climbing walls to scale and a Tarzan swing to holler your lungs out during this safe eco-tour with trained guides and the latest equipment. Let the adrenaline settle relaxing on the private beach of the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort or enjoy a massage treatment at their spa.

Put down the knife! It’s time to let someone else do the slicing and dicing for you on a multicultural selection of food and wine holidays across New Zealand.

Do your soufflés fall flat and your mash turn to mush?  You can learn from the best and eat scrummy food too at the Food Show in Wellington from 8-10 May 2009. Watch internationally renowned cook, Donna Hay, whip up a ‘no time to cook’ demonstration feast, and witness the battle of the steak knives as Ramsey wannabes compete for the Chef of the Capital title. Return to the InterContinental Hotel Wellington for a whirlpool, sauna and some good ole TexMex food at the Arizona Bar and Grill.

Get your rocks off in Rotorua with a traditional Maori Hangi feast where The Heritage Hotel offers culinary fare of the more European kind at Chapmans restaurant, including smorgasbord and à la carte menu, as well as exceptionally stunning views of the geothermal wonders of this special city.

You might spot a wobbly hobbit while on a personalised Gourmet tour of Central Otago’s wineries.  At a maximum of 10 people, your guide takes you to an underground wine cave and the ‘Big Picture’ experience – an innovative way of exploring wine via visual and aroma cues – and a great way to stimulate your appetite for the cheese tasting and gourmet lunch platter (technically known as ‘getting the munchies’). Over 7 hours, you’ll soak up the beauty of the Kawarau Gorge, Otago Goldfields, and Lake Dunstan. With senses and tummies satiated, it’s time to sleep like a sloth at Peppers at the Beacon hotel on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. Ok, maybe after a sauna and massage.

Easter eggs, bunnies and shows may have come and gone, but does that mean chocolate should  feel neglected and unappreciated for the rest of the year? Why not show how much you care with a tour of Cadbury World in Dunedin, complete with its irresistable five-storey high chocolate fall and Wonka-like gift shop. Take your newly adopted goodies back to the Cable Court Motel, where you and the family can devour and concoct chocolate creations to your heart’s content.

Like a bit of Picasso with your pillowtalk, or Brunelleschi with your bedside manner? Motivate your inner muse on an arty hotel stay – there’s everything from in-house galleries and custom conjured rooms to prized collections of colourful and creative slapped on, snapped, moulded and pondered stuff. Slip on the beret, its time to lounge around swanky hotel bars discussing ice-cubism, splash into some surrealist swimming and take in the top end – you’ll see soup cans, art and holidays in a whole new light.

At the Limes Hotel in Brisbane, hotel designer Alexander Lotersztain has created an inviting blend of high-end function and funkiness. The vibe buzzes throughout the 21 rooms, and you’ll feel like a red carpet jet-setter as you stroll through the hip interiors on your way to the rooftop cinema. Afterwards, ponder the plot at the fashionable rooftop bar while sipping on cocktails and musing over the eye-popping machinations. Then sink into bed and let your goose down pillows and duvet refresh your inner artisian.

Feel the throb of the arts world in the heart of Melbourne’s art district at the Adelphi Hotel – consistently listed as a hip hotel amongst travel’s in crowd – whoever ‘they’ are. The converted warehouse is now a chic and unusual accommodation including a clear bottom rooftop pool on a cantilever, where you can float around like a Monet lilly viewing nine storeys of air beneath you. Shimmy out of your swimsuit and into something slinky to dine on seafood at the Adelphish restaurant, with its gallery of work from young and upcoming artists.

Go from happy snapper to high fashion photographer, portrait guru or papparazzo pro on a People Photography Workshop in Sydney, where a professional photographer will take you under his wing and reveal the tricks of the trade. You’ll even shoot real life models and an assortment of characters at exciting locations. Once you’ve perused your pixels on a laptop, celebrate with a working style lunch. Folio under arm, head back to the Rendezvous Stafford Hotel in Sydney CBD, where you can keep the bohemian dream alive in one of their renovated two storey terrace cottages.

If you’ve always thought Ken Done was where Aussie art got its start, jump on a 1-day Aboriginal Rock Art Tour for a peek at the way it was ‘Done’ thousands of years before Ken, Rolph and Mr Squiggle ever lifted a brush, kangaroo or pencil. You’ll experience the beauty of a flight from Cairns to Cooktown, before Nugal-warr elders take you on a private tour of 6 rock art spots near Hope Vale, and explain the stories behind the sites and the land. Filled with mystical tales, it’s time to relax at the Cascade Gardens Resort in Cairns and share a few yarns, beers and BBQ tucker by the poolside.

Like to do more with your holiday break than lounging around at home in your pyjamas, but don’t want an exhausting sight-seeing experience, bouncing from photo-opportunity A to souvenier shop Z and everything in between? Nothing wrong with that. In fact, we love those lazy kind of holidays. 

Sure it’s great to explore a new destination, but sometimes it’s nice to spend time loitering around your hotel.  Forget the sights – buy a postcard -and check out these holidays in your hotel – NZ style.

The Westin Auckland Lighter Quay hotel is a great place to give your body, mind and soul a break. Check in and kick back, go for a jog using a mapped track around Auckland harbour, or use the Westin Workout gym and pool. Have lunch outside at Toast Cafe, then spend the afternoon at their Senses Spa and Wellness Centre for a wide range of spa and beauty treatments. Relaxed and refreshed, enjoy an elegant dinner at Q restaurant followed by a Westin Heavenly Bed experience. Now do you see what we’re talking about?

You can stay in a cottage at Kauri Cliffs Lodge with his and hers walk-in wardrobes, private veranda backing onto native NZ forest and views over the golf course to the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy the entertainment of the main building’s games room, dining room fireplace, spa and heated pool. And when you need a stretch you’ll find walking tracks, three private beaches, tennis courts, and kayaking to work up an appetite for the a la carte dining at the Lodge.

You’ll need an explosion of energy just like the nearby volcano of Mt Ruapehu to get through all the activities and facilities at the Bayview Château Tongariro. Everything from petanque/boules, snooker and tennis to golf on the highest course in NZ with spectacular Mt Ruapehu as a backdrop. Relax with a visit to the bar and restaurant, and finish the evening with a flick at the hotel’s on-site cinema, which shows three recent release movies each night.

A hotel that’s huggable? Well, the complimentary bear provided by The George Hotel in Christchurch is there to welcome you. Within its walls, this hotel is full of entertainment and the one-to-one ratio of staff to guests ensures attentive service. Use the gym or mountain bikes for a ride in nearby Hagley Park, then come back for a cocktail, followed by a special dinner at the award-winning Pescatore restaurant. Head back to your room and curl up with your favourite bear or bearette.