The desert city of Palm Springs, once home and playground to the rich and famous in the early days of Hollywood, reveals a natural beauty beyond the glitter of a bygone agereports Jeff Fuidge

Blue sparkling swimming pools seem to guide your plane through the Coachella Valley as it approaches Palm Springs and its small and wonderfully simple airport.

This fabulous desert city, Christened the City of a Thousand Stars, was home and much vaunted playground to entertainers and movie stars from a time when nearby Hollywood was in its infancy.

The celebrity elite poured into town to take advantage both the privacy of the historic gated inns, natural hot springs, the hot, dry climate and, of course, the need to be be seen rubbing shoulders with the A-list elite of the day.

Even today they are celebrated with street names like Kirk Douglas Way, Dinah Shore Drive and Bob Hope Drive among the many. A statue of former mayor Sonny Bono (of Sonny and Cher fame) and bronze stars line a route around the town along a Walk of Stars to honour the city's famous visitors and residents.

Many of the stars stayed loyal to the city and successive generations of Hollywood elite flew off to playgrounds elsewhere around the globe, but their departure did not mean the end of Palm Springs, it just continued to thrive beyond the glitter of that bygone age.

In recent years, though, the stars and celebrities have returned thanks to one of Sonny Bono's successes as mayor in which he spearheaded the creation of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, now held each year in his memory.

Sunshine is guaranteed as the valley enjoys 354 days of sunshine and less than 6ins of rain a year. The winter months are warm with temperatures ranging from 21C to 27C and rarely dipping below 4C. The dry desert heat of summer pushes daytime temperatures well above 38C and they frequently exceed 43C.

Bob Hope

For golfers there are 125 courses throughout the area with prices to suit all pockets. If you want to follow in the cart tracks of the top US pros, the truly magnificent Classic Club fits the bill perfectly. But, if you don’t want to break the bank but still want to enjoy top quality courses, you do not have to look far. Your hotel manager will gladly point you in the right direction and most probably book the tee times as well.

If you visit in January the course holds the Bob Hope Classic pro-am tournament with top US golfers like the likes of Mark O’Meara, John Daly and Justin Leonard join celebrities like Alice Cooper, Meatloaf et al, to take on the beautifully manicured fairways and magnificent greens. More on the courses

It's not all golf though. There are so many more things to do while in Palm Springs. You can shop until you drop in malls and huge designer outlets where you can pick up bargains galore.

The nightlife is buzzing. There are so many bars and restaurants, I reckon you could eat and drink in a different one every night for months on end. There are nightclubs and casinos so you should never be short of entertainment.

The list of pastimes to enjoy include anything from art galleries, baseball or wine tasting. You can even try hiking, go on a jeep tour to the San Andreas fault or take a cable car ride up to the peak of Mount San Jacinto.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tram is the world’s largest rotating cable car which takes around 50 passengers at a time two-and-a-half miles to the top of the mountain to an almost pristine wilderness.

The cable car alone makes the trip worthwhile as it sways up the wires and reveals the desert city below and the sheer drops as you 'scale' the mountain. If you're really lucky you could even glimpse mountain lion - so I was reliably informed.

Once at the top and depending on the season you can hire skis to go cross-country skiing on marked routes or hike through the forests and mountain paths.

If you prefer taking photographs or simply enjoying the clean mountain air there are amazing photo opportunities as well as cafes and restaurants catering for all tastes.

For details: www.pstramway.com

An open jeep is perhaps the best way to experience the desert canyons. You could easily spend a whole day as you follow the footsteps of native Americans who inhabited the hills around Palm Springs. The terrain is fascinating and has a beauty all of its own. The quiet eeriness of the landscape leaves you whispering so you don't disturb the peace.

Inspirational guides drive you deep into the wildnerness and you get up-close-and personal with the San Andreas Fault where hot springs bubble up to the surface. For me this was as awe-inspiring a trip as I've made anywhere. An unforgettable experience.

For details www.red-jeep.com

How to get there:

Connections to Palm Springs International Airport are available from a number of major US airports. I flew American Airlines from London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare for my connection.

For tickets and flight information: www.americanairlines.co.uk

Or you could fly direct to Los Angeles from any major UK airport and take advantage of many of the fly-drive breaks on offer.

Where to stay:

There is an abundance of accommodation from hotels to charming bed and breakfast apartments.

I stayed at the delightful Hyatt Regency Suites in Palm Canyon Drive. The Hyatt is in the heart of the city and just three miles from the airport. The hotel provides information and even golf packages with good discounts to guests. A word in the manager’s ear could also give you access to a pretty nine-hole private course next door.

For reservations www.palmsprings.hyatt.com

For all other information on Palm Springs contact the bureau of tourism on Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism should be our phone number 020 7978 5233 or http://www.palmsprings.org/