Holidays are generally looked upon as a free-for-all when it comes to food and drink. All-you-can-eat buffets and daily fry-ups. Sickly sweet cocktails by the jug.

Bring it on. But imagine coming back from your hols significantly lighter instead of 10 pounds heavier . . . and glowing with health instead being a toxic shell? Natural Physical Conditioning (NPC) is a health and fitness organisation that provides specialist holidays at some of the UK's most peaceful country homes. Whether weight loss, improving your diet, increasing your fitness or just unwinding is the goal, NPC holidays are designed to help you succeed. Because the number of guests per holiday is only six-to-eight people, personal attention is assured and they promise no bootcamp theatrics, only gentle encouragement.

See www. npconline. co. uk for details.

Hot dreams

It's so pedestrian to talk about the bad weather but seriously: what's going on?

Upping sticks and buying a cottage somewhere in the south of France has never seemed so appealing but, failing that, start planning a sunny Christmas break instead because you're not going to be catching any rays on Irish soil for the next two months, according to the experts. Sunway has launched its winter sun programme and destinations include Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife, Morocco and Tunisia . . . and new for Christmas and New Year is Turkey. Prices start from 379.

Visit www. sunway. ie for more information.

Absolute chic

The Hunt Museum in Limerick is currently running Fashion and Photography 1950s and 1960s, a fabulous exhibition with clothes from Christian Dior and Chanel, and photography by Terence Donovan. Now it has teamed up with the rather chic Absolute Hotel in Limerick to offer a package which includes overnight stay with breakfast, admission to the exhibition, lunch in the Hunt Museum and a 10% discount on items purchased in the museum shop . . . all from just 79 per person. Other packages also available are as above but with dinner in the Absolute Hotel and an hour in the thermal suite of the Absolute Spa from 129, or just dinner from 109 per person.

Call 061 463600 or visit www. absolutehotel. com for details.

Medieval breaks

Roughly two-and-a-half hours from Bordeaux and two hours and 15 minutes from Toulouse lies the Black Perigord region in the Dordogne, famed for its medieval castles and gastronomy (foie gras and truffles specifically). The Club Hotelier du Pays de Sarlat, an association of 46 hotels ranging from two to four stars, is offering the opportunity to explore the region with a number of packages.

These include Castles from the Skies, a three-day break with stops at three interesting places of your choice from a list of castles, prehistoric caves and gardens, with a 15-minute fly over the Dordogne Valley, starting from 197 per person in a two-star hotel. The wonderfully titled Greedy Escapade in Black Perigord also sounds brilliant, although not for the veggie contingent. Here, you'll discover how foie gras is cooked, visit a traditional farm where goose liver is produced and take a canoe trip in the Dordogne river.

Visit www. hotels-sarlatperigord. com for more information.