Camping Le Bourniou

To start hols with a bit of monkeying around, head first to the Réserve Zoologique de Calviac (five minutes’ drive from base) to get up close with lemurs, tamarinds, marmosets and a load of non-primate endangered animals, then swing along to Monkey’s Forest for some treetop adventure courses and La Forêt des Ecureuils (that’s squirrels…) for more treetop time, as well as paintball and climbing walls. Returning to solid ground, take a step back in time with visits to the many châteaux within 45 minutes – including Marqueyssac, Milandes, Castelnaud, Puymartin and Beynac – or with a stop in Sarlat-la-Canéda to be awed by the cathedral, mosey around the indoor food market and sample the wares at the local brewery. For an afternoon in the fresh air, there are plenty of jardins très jolies hereabouts: Les Jardins de Cadiot are worth strolling around 10 minutes away, the spectacular aquatic botanical garden of Jardins d’Eau (15 minutes) should be paddled towards at great speed, and appreciation for exotic plants should be allowed to grow at the Bambousaie de la Roque-Gageac bamboo gardens. If that’s enough above-ground exploration, dive below the surface to view replicas of the Lascaux caves and their prehistoric art – but not before tracing the winding streets of stunning Rocamadour, 45 minutes away.