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HIKING down the mountain, butterflies fluttering past, the sound of moo-sic fills the air. It seems the native black Hérens cows, adorned with huge bells, are on the move, too…

My daughter Ava, 12, and I are on an idyllic, hour-long trail in the Swiss Alps that starts at Cabanes-des-Violettes cable car and has us venturing across a spring, wildflower meadows and alpine forest.

And just when I think Ava is on her last legs, we round a bend to discover the Relais de Colombire restaurant, perched as high as the paragliders.

It’s the perfect spot to refuel on fondue, £27, and local Marmotte Hippie IPA, £6, while Ava makes light work of the giant cookie and ice cream, £11.20 (Colombire.ch/en/restaurant).

Fun-icular times

We’re kipping in the pretty town of Crans-Montana, with its elaborate flower displays, boutiques and eight lakes, in the French-speaking region of Valais.

It’s a scenic two-hour train around Lake Geneva then a thrilling funicular ride to get here from Geneva airport, and Hotel Valaisia makes the most of the scenery, with roomy balconies leading off its comfy doubles.

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There are indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, cosy snug and games room, and at Eteila Brasserie, we feast on tasty dishes such as salmon with baked potato and mango salsa, £42 for three courses. You can also bike and hike from the doorstep.

Hopping on two wheels is a great way to get your bearings – more so if you’re over 16 and can e-bike!

We do our best to keep up with guide John, and even test our skills on a forest obstacle course.

Afterwards, we treat our wobbly legs to pulled veal burgers, £33, on La Plage’s terrace at Lake Moubra, where I try (unsuccessfully) to tempt Ava to sample my bourguignon-style escargots, £11 (Restaurant laplage.ch).

A one-hour bike tour costs £61 (Esscrans-montana.ch).

Love at frost bite

Even in August, you can still find snow up high. We catch a gondola to 3,000m above sea level, spying cute mountain goats and Roger Moore’s Bond pad on the way.

At the top, Plaine Morte Glacier – an 8km expanse of glistening ice – is breathtaking, as are views of the snowy peaks of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn – the mountain Toblerone was modelled on.

It’s that same chocolate I find myself scraping out of my bowl that evening at Le Mayen, a short stroll from our beds, where the Toblerone mousse, £12, is a must.

Surrounded by check tablecloths, dirndl-wearing waitresses and a waft of cheese, we soak up the full Swiss experience, carb-loading on rosti – a heavenly mix of raclette, fondue and local dried meat, £31 (Mayen.ch).

Wakeboard me up, before you go, go!

On our last morning, we swap snow for the palm-tree-lined beach of Étang Long lake and watch a 140m wakeboarding cable give people the ride of their life, from £23 (Cransmontana.ch).

It looks easy, until I nose-dive into the water.

The lake inflatables – free with the MyExplorer Card hotel guests receive – are more our bag, then as we await our Beach Club crêpes with goat’s cheese, walnuts and honey, £17, Ava challenges me to a volleyball match. . .

I’ve done more exercise in just a few days here than I have in weeks back home.

There’s clearly something in the air – and it’s not just cheese.

Ruben Chorlton-Owen, 24, from North Wales, visited the popular destination with his partner, Amber. He admitted he wishes he knew what it was really like before visiting the hotspot

Holidays are meant to be one of life’s greatest pleasures, but sometimes the reality can be vastly different from expectations, with certain mishaps leaving travellers utterly floored. Ruben Chorlton-Owen, 24, recently jetted off to a sought-after travel destination hoping to bask in the sunshine and escape the daily grind.

Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out quite as smoothly as he’d anticipated, with several surprises along the way, and one particular episode left him genuinely shocked. Despite the country’s growing reputation as a trending holiday hotspot, he insists there are important warnings potential visitors should heed before booking their trip, describing the travel advice as absolutely essential.

Ruben, hailing from North Wales, recently recounted his experiences in detail. He’s far from the first traveller whose holiday has taken an unexpected turn either.

He explained: “I paid £170 each for a sunrise hot air balloon ride while in Morocco, and there’s one thing they don’t really tell you beforehand. The flight itself was smooth and the views were incredible, but the landing was something else entirely.

“The basket slammed into the ground three times before tipping over. A woman next to me hit her head, my partner did too, and I hurt my back slightly, although thankfully we were all ok.

“Afterwards, I found out that this type of hard landing can sometimes be considered ‘normal’, depending on wind conditions, but that’s not something clearly spelled out to tourists before they go up. In the air, it feels calm and controlled, so the impact comes as a real shock.”

However, this wasn’t the sole disappointment during his trip, as he revealed he encountered several other “issues” whilst there. The travel enthusiast warns that visitors really need to exercise caution when travelling to the destination.

“Seemingly friendly people approach tourists offering to ‘guide’ them near the markets ‘souk’ before demanding a lot of money,” he explained. “I fell for this myself.

“[There were] suggestions to use illegal taxi apps involving drivers who are not licensed nor vetted, and strict Moroccan currency rules which mean you can’t get dirhams in the UK before you travel, and to exchange back you must keep bank receipts etc. A lot have been caught out on this.”

For those unfamiliar with the country, Morocco is an incredibly popular African holiday destination. It attracted more than 17.4 million international tourists in 2024 alone, according to reports.

The North African nation is renowned for its easy accessibility from Europe, rich culture, varied landscapes and budget-friendly, genuine experiences. Popular destinations include locations such as Marrakech and Chefchaouen.

This may explain why Ruben was eager to visit. He travelled with his partner, Amber, earlier this month, and it was actually her suggestion to go.

Their expectations of the trip were vastly different. Nevertheless, he maintained they had an enjoyable time, though he believes travellers need to remain vigilant when visiting.

When questioned about why he chose Morocco, Ruben revealed: “It was my partner’s idea, but something I’ve always wanted to do on my bucket list too. A lot of people do it (the balloon ride) unless they’re afraid of heights.

“I wouldn’t say Morocco itself is a holiday from hell, but there are a few things people should be cautious about. It’s quite up and coming, and I think more people are starting to go there.

“Morocco is somewhere I would go back to. It’s not that Morocco is necessarily a bad place. We stayed at a hotel near the beach and all the staff were really friendly, really helpful and couldn’t do enough.

“People just need to stay safe on holiday. There are a few things you should be cautious about.”

Regarding the balloon rides, however, it’s reported they frequently involve bumpy landings. Hard landings (referred to as a “British landing” or a controlled drag) are considered normal and commonplace for hot air balloons in Morocco, particularly when wind speeds are elevated or when touching down on uneven, desert terrain.

Although they are often characterised as “crash” or bumpy landings, they can be fairly routine. It’s regarded as a safe and anticipated procedure to bring the balloon to a halt.

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