The Club enlisted the help of some seasoned explorers and adventurers to discover the top travelling hacks they’ve learnt over the past 12 months. Here’s what they said

Bear Grylls, adventurer
I’ve learnt it’s not really an adventure until something goes wrong. So when it does, STOP – Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. Most disasters happen because one thing goes wrong and people panic, turning an annoying situation into a bad situation. Think logically, take your time to observe what’s around you, then form a clear plan. It’s my biggest tip for travellers – yes, things go wrong, but embrace it, be smart and never give up!

Simon Calder, travel journalist
For some of the most wonderful seaside sunsets and salted dark chocolate made from the local salt pans, head for Portoroz on the Slovenian Adriatic. While you’re there, don’t forget to visit the charming town of Piran (pictured above), which sits right on the end of the peninsula.

Sarah Baxter, editor of ZiNG Caribbean magazine
The Picos de Europa National Park (pictured page top) in northern Spain was a revelation. The mountains are dramatic, and only 25km from the sea. The food is excellent value, the walking is wild and wonderful, and there are some lovely places to stay nearby. For example, Le Casona de Con, in Cangas de Onis, is an old hamlet turned into a beautiful rural guesthouse.

Katie Melua, singer
My favourite flying hack is making economy seats as comfortable as possible. I have a carry-on Tumi bag which sort of turns your seat into a feet-up lounger. The bag fits under the seat in front, and when the flight takes off, I pull it out and rest my feet on it. You need to be short to pull this off though.

Lucy Thackray, commissioning editor at The Sunday Times Travel Magazine
If you’re working in Los Angeles, book a cabana on The Peninsula Beverly Hills rooftop (pictured below). They have strong Wi-Fi, shade, minibars, sunscreen and curtains for a quick change, so you get to meet that deadline while sunning yourself like a VIP.

Matt Fox, CEO of travel startup Snaptrip.com
When it comes to an amazing UK staycation, hold your nerve. You can save a lot on a cottage break if you book at the last possible moment, even saving up to 60 per cent on the original list price with last-minute sites like ours. And I’m not just talking about traditional-style cottages – you could bag a modern pad with a swimming pool, or even a long weekend in a lighthouse.

Rick Stein, chef, author and TV presenter
In my current book and TV series, The Road to Mexico, I visited a hotel in Puerto Vallarta called Casa Kimberly, which was once a house owned by Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Order the chocolate martini, personally favoured by Elizabeth. Just up the road is another little hotel called Hacienda San Angel (pictured below), also owned for a while by Richard Burton, and here you can stay in his original bedroom. It has, predictably, a rather nice view.

Ianthe Butt, freelance travel journalist
My tip for thrill seekers would be to try ‘mystery travel’. This year I took a trip – destination unknown till the airport, activities revealed via an app during my time away – with Wix Squared. The result? An adrenaline-filled stay in Morocco, where not knowing what was around the corner made me experience everything in the moment.

Estée Lalonde, beauty and lifestyle blogger
Visit Mount Yoshino in Japan during the cherry blossom season, where it transforms a sleepy set of villages on an idyllic Japanese mountainside into a fairytale hike that has a festival atmosphere as well as stunning incredible views of the surrounding hills, everything popping with cherry blossoms. You feel that you are on the set of a real life Japanese anime movie.

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This article has been tagged Adventure, Travel Tips