We know how it feels when the shooting season finishes. Life seems to grind to a halt without a ray of sunshine on the horizon. So, we chatted to luxury travel company Bailey Robinson’s MD, Rory Pilkington, to discuss the best course of action for combating post-shooting blues.

Bailey Robinson are the sister company to Roxtons, who you may know for their sensational shooting and fishing forays in world class destinations from Russia to Canada. Rory, an expert in matching perfectly suited luxury holidays to discerning clients, gave us these three great ideas for life after you’ve put down your gun.

Private Escapes in the Maldives

When the weather is looking decidedly gloomy, it’s best to make a break for the sunshine. Rory recommends the ever-glorious Maldives for a dose of tropical bliss. Fairly new to the scene is Joali, a luxurious resort that has turned its back on recent trends for rustic-chic. Here you’ll find a focus on comfort, immersive art, smart marble bathrooms and really good service. Youngsters are well catered for on the island with scuba diving, paddle boarding and parasailing and hands-on cookery lessons at the culinary school. Couples will love the vast and decadent ESPA spa and nobody ever complains about the abundance of fish flitting in the colourful coral gardens.

Also rather special, but different again is The Nautilus, a hotel that comes highly recommended by Bailey Robinson. Known as ‘the place beyond time’, The Nautilus offers complete flexibility and freedom, so you can holiday how you want. This gives the island a bohemian feel, where each guest can dance to their own beat. Add to the mix sprawling beach and ocean hideaways and an island encircled by whiter-than-white sand and translucent water, you’ll find the ultimate paradise – just for you.

Off-The-Wall South Africa

Some say safari is the greatest of all African experiences but at Leobo, wilderness adventure is taken to another level. Leobo is an exclusive-hire lodge, set in 20,000 acres of private game reserve in one of the most wildly beautiful areas of remote South Africa, where your family and friends (the lodge sleeps up to 9 but surrounding chalets can accommodate a further 18) will discover extraordinary experiences that push the boundaries of your imagination. Paint balling from a helicopter? No problem. Target shooting with military sniper rifles? Let’s go. Sleep in tree house above a pod of snorting hippos? Get your toothbrush.

Adrenaline junkies will feel right at home, although the timetable is entirely in your hands so there’s plenty of scope for less hair-raising activities like stargazing in the observatory, yoga in the bush under a vast sky and swimming in the infinity pool. Of course, there’s also game viewing via jeep, foot or horse. What Leobo does brilliantly is cater for families of different ages: younger thrill-seekers will have plenty to brag about, there’s opportunity for new experiences for everyone plus the sheer joy of a traditional safari. If you’re stuck in a holiday rut, Leobo will fire up your imagination and give you back a lust for life.

Argentinian Adventures

The shooting season may well be over in the United Kingdom but that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue your favourite country sports elsewhere. Bailey Robinson, who often plan travel for clients from Roxtons, recommend heading to Argentina. Guayascate Lodge, in Cordoba, is known for its prolific dove shooting, where the quarry is in excess of 32 million. The birds fly continually throughout the day, enabling guns to shoot from dawn to dusk, over the lodge’s 22,000 acres.

The lodge has supremely comfortable surroundings including a spa, infinity pool and jacuzzi. Evenings can be spent on the outdoor terrace sampling Malbec from nearby Mendoza with a hefty T-bone steak. From here, oenophiles may like to continue onwards to Relais and Chateaux property Cavas Wine Lodge, at the foot of the Andes in Mendoza. Surrounded by nature and vineyards enjoy strolls, horse rides with bone fide gauchos, or sampling sparkling wine as the sun slides behind the Andes, setting the landscape, and possibly your heart, aflame.