“We are opera and music junkies, so we are looking forward to a dinner with the conductor Zubin Mehta, and we’re also requesting cookery classes in the palace’s high-tech kitchens,” says Elaine, 57. “We’re next staying there in July, and have asked them to book a wine tasting, a visit to one of the art-conservation labs and a tour of the Vasari corridor on the Ponte Vecchio, not normally accessible to tourists.”

The real draw, she says, is their “little black book of places to go”, drawing on recommendations from other owners. “They are trying to make this a proper cultural club, with members really wanting to socialise and interact with others in the palazzo, not spend days out touring, then slink back into their flat for a hot bath and a G&T.”

More organic experiences are in store for buyers at La Masseria, in Puglia, southern Italy, where you can buy a five-acre plot on which local craftsmen will construct a bespoke stone farmhouse. Prices, including building, start at about £640,000. “You are free to grow your own fruit, vegetables, olives and grapes, or, if you would rather enjoy the fruits without the labour, you can sign up to a scheme where local farmers do it for you, providing you with a share of the produce,” says Rupert Fawcett, head of the Italian department of Knight Frank estate agency, which is marketing the property. “Tending your own olives or vines is a full-on job, so people who aren’t going to be there for much of the year are happy to pay more for a high-quality property where they can reap the benefits of owning land without the hassle of doing it themselves.”

Such closeness to nature — or “ luxury”, as it is known — is the appeal of Minthis Hills, near Paphos, Cyprus, where light-filled, contemporary three-bed villas start at £900,000. Each is on a large landscaped plot with vines and olive trees. “It’s a stressful world at the moment, so we’re trying to promote escapism,” says Tony Nathanael, commercial director of Pafilia, the developer. “Minthis Hills is three times the size of Hyde Park, so you feel surrounded by nature, with houses that blend inside and out. But we realise that buyers are unlikely to spend more than a few weeks here each year, so for about £50 a month we will find staff to look after their vines and trees when they’re not there. We’ll teach people what growing grapes and olives is all about.”

For those who prefer their barefoot luxury more exotic, Limpopo-Lipadi, in eastern Botswana, allows buyers to become involved in all aspects of working on a game reserve while staying in five-star lodges set in 32,000 hectares of unspoilt African bush. Buyers are shareholders in the project — with one share costing £130,000, for which you can stay as often as you like in any of the camps or lodges.

“We train you to become a game ranger and be directly involved in reintroducing endangered wildlife such as black rhinos and cheetahs,” says Alan Marneweck, the project’s founder. “You’re not just a passive observer — you do a job.” Also on offer to investors are lessons in the local Setswana language, astronomy and bushcraft.

“This is one of the last African wildernesses, so family holidays here are spent being trained to track wildlife on foot or darting wild dogs,” he adds. “Or if you prefer, you can just lounge under a 100-year-old tree in front of your luxury lodge.”

Learning experiences, it seems, are highly fulfilling — provided you can return to the lap of luxury at the end of the day.

Les Carrasses; 01360 770045, domainedemeure.com. Palazzo Tornabuoni; 0870 609 8555, palazzotornabuoni.com. La Masseria; 020 7629 8171, knightfrank.co.uk/international. Minthis Hills; 00 357 99 381684, minthishills.com. Limpopo-Lipadi Game & Wilderness Reserve; 0871 244 5152, limpopo-lipadi.com. Phinda Private Game Reserve; 00 27 11 809 4300, africanhomesteads.com

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