Barely are the New Year festivities over when every shop window and every web site we visit wants to remind us that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Hotels send us details of romantic Valentine packages with the promise of red roses, chocolate strawberries, champagne and truffles; all of which is highly tempting, unless of course we have no one with whom to share these delights. If you are on you own, all the hype can result in feelings of loneliness and the irrational idea that we are 'missing out on life' without a partner. Being alone can be perfectly satisfying and healthy and is very different from feeling lonely. So here are a number of ways that single people can avoid feeling lonely and enjoy Valentine week feeling happy and productive without a partner. How to avoid feeling lonely Remember that Valentine's is partly a matter of 'hype' Choose to be in places where you can face challenges that will help you feel positive and purposeful Do something you have never done before, such as hang gliding, orienteering or take singing lessons Go somewhere you have never been before and somewhere that isn't likely to be pushing the Valentine's Day theme Spend time with your other single friends and you can even refer to it as an 'Un-Valentine's Day' celebration What to Expect There are an infinite number of tour operators throughout the world that offer holidays specifically designed for singles. With an infinite variety of places to go and things to do, they are an ideal opportunity to meet people and make new friends, so here are just a few providing tours on and around 14th February 2001. Walking in Madeira UK based tour operator Solo's offers a seven-night break 'Walking in Madeira' where nature lovers have the opportunity to trek along the 'levadas', the man-made water courses, of this beautiful island. With 2200 kilometres of levadas to negotiate, you can view the numerous indigenous species of birds, flowers, plants and trees that inhabit the 65 kilometre-long island. The professionally guided walks are geared to the group's ability and alternatives are provided for anyone who finds some of the terrain a little difficult to negotiate. Accommodation is in the five-star Pestana Carlton Park Hotel, which is a short walk from Funchal, the island's capital, and is set in colourful gardens overlooking the sea. The weekly entertainment programme includes candlelit dinners, theme parties and floor shows, plus the hotel also has a casino. Age range: 28 to 55 Cancun - Yucatan Peninsula From 10th February for seven days, US-based Singles Scene Junkets can whisk you away to Cancun for sea, sun and sand. The company claim to offer 'travel packages to suit your likes and dislikes, common interests and other like-minded people to travel with'. The advantage of Cancun, at this time of year, is the weather - tropical sunshine means you can enjoy the beaches and get involved in an infinite variety of water sports, such as snorkelling, windsurfing and sailing. The Jack Tar Village Resort is an all-inclusive, all-adult resort which at night comes alive with nightly shows and there's always the Cancun strip where the nightlife is legendary. St. Valentines Day Singles Pub Tour For a unique experience and an unusual way to spend Valentine's Day, Pub Tours of Ireland offer a seven-day tour in the Emerald Isle visiting a broad selection of the country's pubs and the magical towns that house them. The tour includes visiting local hostelries in Cobh in County Cork, a visit to Blarney and its famous castle, whiskey tasting in Midleton and then heading for Dublin, stopping at the Waterford Crystal factory and the mediaeval city of Kilkenny, en route. Once in Dublin, the tour covers trips to Trinity College, Guinness Brewery and St Patrick's Cathedral with an evening literary pub tour, visiting the haunts of some of Ireland's best known writers. The tour ends with a visit to Galway and the beautiful Connemara region, with more pub visits and Irish music along the way. http://www.irishpubtours.com/PTIStvals.html Pre-travel Checklist For further information on the above packages visit the companies' websites: Solo's - www.solosholidays.co.uk E-mail: travel@solosholidays.co.uk Singles Scene Junkets - http://www.singlesscenejunkets.com/jtv.htm Tel: +1 800-876-8425 Irish Pub Tours - www.irishpubtours.com Address: 47 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel: +353 1 6770502 Fax: +353 1 6773611 E-mail: cmurire@indigo.ie