Top 5: Chocoholic experiences

Chocolate relaxing: The Chocolate Spa Club, Hotel Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

Does dunking yourself in gooey chocolate fondue sound too good to be true? Well, taking chocolate experiences to a whole other level is the raison d'être of the Chocolate Spa Club at Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania. They offer mouth-watering treatments such as the Whipped Cocoa Bath, Chocolate Bean Polish, and the Chocolate Fondue Wrap. Sinking into a warm chocolate bath is something dreams are made of, but at The Chocolate Spa it's for real - it doesn’t get any more sinful than this. Take the pampering a little further and check into Hotel Hershey, with its plush suites and woodside cottages.

Chocolate exploring: Hacienda Monterosa, Choroní, Venezuela

Want to get back to the basics and know exactly where the glorious chocolate you eat comes from? Then make your way to the rainforests of Venezuela to explore the chocolate farms of Choroní. These haciendas, as they are known, have a long and complicated history - their existence came under threat during the 19th century when plagues nearly exterminated the criollo tree (which produces one of the most sought-after cacao beans in the world). In recent times they’ve bounced back, owing to a surge in demand for single origin chocolates.

For a completely off-the-tourist-highway chocolate experience, make your way to Hacienda Monterosa. Here a small team have dedicated themselves to making sure the criollo bean is well taken care of. Together with a local employee, you can take a walk through the working grounds of the hacienda to see cocoa trees, colonial irrigation systems and maybe even try and comprehend the extensive process of chocolate-making. The hacienda has four rooms and the price includes breakfast and other beverages. The corridors in the hacienda are lined with hammocks and there’s also a resident cook who prepares meals in the traditional wood-fuelled kitchen.

Chocolate eating: Chocolate Street, Oaxaca, Mexico

This experience for obvious reasons might excite chocolate-lovers the most, but we decided to make things a tad more exciting by going off the Toblerone, Lindt and Godiva route, amazing as they are. The relationship between Oaxaca and chocolate is an unwavering one that’s lasted centuries. It’s sold on street corners, mixed with sauces known as moles and even used to honour and revere their ancestors.

Here, the morning drink of choice is not coffee, it’s hot chocolate - one part fresh powdered cocoa with two parts sugar and almonds, vanilla or cinnamon. This is considered a ‘grown-up’ drink because it’s too strong for children. Tejate is another popular traditional drink made with maize and cacao and served cold. You might also hear the term ‘mexican chocolate’ a lot, which refers to the way traditional Oaxacan chocolate is prepared: ground with sugar, cinnamon and almonds, and formed into bars which can be eaten as they are, used to make the aforementioned hot chocolate, or prepare other dishes.

Head to Mina and 20 de Noviembre streets for the several chocolate shops; Mayordomo, la Soledad and Guelaguetza are the most famous chocolate brands. Chocolate here is an integral part of the community and the culture. Many believe it has mystical powers (chocoholics around the world will agree to that) making eating chocolate in Oaxaca an experience like none other.

Chocolate learning: Shiroi Koibito Park, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Ever heard of Shiroi Koibito? If yes, then well done! If not then you’re one step closer to being a global chocoholic. Shiroi Koibito literally translates into ‘white lovers’ and is an extremely popular chocolate snack in Japan consisting of a creamy white chocolate filling sandwiched between two squares of cookie-esque deliciousness.

The home of Shiroi Koibito is Sapporo where there is a Shiroi Koibito Park. Run by Ishiya, the company that produces this delectable treat, it’s a sort of theme park, with shops, restaurants and of course the Chocolate Factory itself. If Willie Wonka was Japanese this is what his factory might look like. The cookie-makers are all dressed in white and the system works like clockwork. Families can take tours of the factory, attend cookery classes and visit the two museums - one contains a collection of the best teacups from around the world and the other is a museum of children’s toys, most of which are collector’s items.

Keep an eye out for the incredible musical clock with dancing figures which plays every hour. If all that chocolate learning and watching has made you hungry, there is a lounge on the top floor which serves fantastic hot chocolates, cakes and of course Shiroi Koibito cookies.

Chocolate drinking: Various locations, Belgium

What chocolate lover hasn’t been wooed and seduced by enticing Belgian chocolates? Make things even more sinful than usual, with a selection of little cafés and lounges around Belgium that dish out the best choco(alco)holic drinks.

In Leuven you’ll find Nosh, known for its great Belgian food, reasonable prices and fabulous chocolate cocktails (or choctails as we like to call them). Especially delicious is the chocobailey (milk chocolate and Baileys) and the chocoretto (chocolate and amaretto). Another favourite is the Quetzal Chocolate Bar in Ghent which serves up an array of delicious alcohol and chocolate combinations. There are two more branches in Antwerp and Leuven. Or if cocktails aren’t your thing, grab a combination of two Belgian favourites by ordering a chocolate beer at Delirum Café in Brussels. One for only the most devoted of chocolate-lovers!