Travel deals, tips, insider news and comment by 101 Holidays editors, Mark Hodson and David Wickers
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Holiday details: 7 nights in Ibiza at La Ventana, a classic whitewashed villa that sleeps four overlooking the sea above the small town of Siesta. Just a few hundred metres from the beach, the villa has a hexaganol pool with sun loungers and a BBQ for evening meals on the patio.
Price: the villa rental price is £1,995 – saving £775. Flights and transfers extra.
Dates: departs July 31, 2010.
Book with: CV Travel
Fancy getting away for Valentine’s Day? We’ve selected some of the most romantic breaks both in the UK and abroad. Here’s our pick of the best.
Chic love nest: as well as great beaches, cosy pubs and its own Tate gallery, St Ives is home to the ultra-chic Sail Lofts apartments: 4 nights in Driftwood from February 12 costs £194 pp including a welcome hamper. Extra touches: pre-book a local chef to whip up dinner in the privacy of your apartment (from £30 pp).
Cosy cottage: romantic Stove Cottage has all the requisite ingredients for a cosy weekend in the country, not least a sumptuous four poster bed, log burner and sexy panelled bathroom with roll top bath. It’s within easy driving distance of Suffolk’s glorious heritage coast, and costs £240 for 2 nights from February 12 with CV Travel.
Urban chic in the country: with its “groovy grand” interiors and romantic grounds, a night with dinner and breakfast costs £385 per couple at The Grove, Hertfordshire. Add on a 2-hour treatment for 2 with lunch in the Sequoia Spa (£400) or a 2-ball round of golf with lunch (£230). Extra touches: hand-made chocolates and a copy of ‘Love Letters of Great Men’.
Gourmet indulgence: head for The Hambrough, a 7-room seafront boutique hotel in Ventor, Isle of Wight. Departing February 13, champagne breakfast, dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant and a bottle of champagne costs £230 pp including Wightlink ferry crossings. Extra touches: Chef’s pulling out all the stops with his 6-course Valentine’s tasting dinner - oysters, langoustines, roast duck, wild strawberry mousse.
More gourmet indulgence: overlooking stunning St Ouen’s Bay on Jersey, The Atlantic Hotel has 2 nights B&B for £260 pp from February 12 including a 3-course dinner and 5-course gourmet Valentine’s dinner in the Michelin-starred Ocean Restaurant. Fly or take the ferry. Extra touches: a half bottle of Taittinger, handmade chocolates and car hire.
Chocks away: take the helicopter from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly for 3 nights at the über-romantic 16th century Star Castle Hotel (Great Britain’s Island Hotel of the Year 2008/2009 in the Cesar Awards). £349 pp half-board including helicopter transfers (10% off the usual rates).
Sheer indulgence: wave goodbye to Luton as your own private jet whisks you off for lunch in the Michelin-starred Château Les Crayères, Reims in the heart of France’s Champagne region. Not cheap but jaw-droppingly romantic at £3,400 each with private jet experts, Jeffersons. Extra touches: private tasting at a prestigious Champagne house.
Roman Romance: The so-called ‘city of light’ has all the ingredients for the perfect romantic break. 3 nights of amore in the 4-star deluxe Hotel d’Inghilterra with Kirker Holidays costs from £710 pp including flights and private transfers. Extra touches: 3 nights for the price of 2 - you’re saving £175 each.
Natural wonder: cruise through the Lofoten Islands and cross the Arctic Circle as you look out for the Northern Lights on Hurtigruten’s special Valentine’s sailing. Departing February 11, 4 nights full-board costs £845 pp including flights from Heathrow.
Dubai Desert - escape the city’s big lights and head for the newly-opened Banyan Tree Al Wadi. Four nights departing throughout February costs from £1,050 pp (saving £450 pp) in a Deluxe Pool Villa, including flights, taxi transfers and accommodation with breakfast. Extra touches: a falconry centre on site.
Fine dining in Tenerife - Sovereign Holidays is offering 5 nights from February 11 for £989 pp at the 5-star Hotel El Mirador, overlooking Tenerife’s Playa del Duque beach. Extra touches: free upgrade to half board.
From 101 Holidays newsdesk
We’ve had to scratch around a bit for this week’s round-up of late offers but we’ve managed to find an eclectic mix.
One week from August 28 for up to 4 people at Cleveland Cottage on the Devon/Somerset border now costs £399 in total, a saving of £100 pp. Try your hand at the nearby clay-pigeon shooting school with one of Britain’s top shooting coaches. Details from Classic Cottages.
3 nights at the 5* de luxe Lapa Palace in Lisbon now costs £672 pp including return flights, private car transfers, B&B accommodation and a 48-hour Lisboacard for free public transport and entry to selected museums. Valid for departures up to August 29. Contact Kirker Holidays.
Save £400 pp on a 15-night escorted tour along Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles via St Louis, Oklamhoma, Albuquerque, Sante Fe, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Scheduled flights departing September 18 and accommodation with breakfast are included. Details from Jetsave.
For stays up to December 18, save £575 pp on a 7 night stay at the new Four Seasons resort on Mahe in The Seychelles. One week on a B&B basis now costs from £2,190 pp. Details from Bailey Robinson.
Luxurious and contemporary Villa Ca’n Jordi (pictured below) on Ibiza sleeps up to 12 and is available for a week from September 5 for £7,050, a saving of £1,750. Details from CV Travel.
Each week at 101 Holidays we meet the boss of one of the UK’s finest tour operators. This week it is the turn of Debbie Marshall, who has been managing director of the villa holidays specialist CV Travel and its sister company, Ski Verbier, since 2004.
Debbie began her career in travel on the ski slopes of Val d’Isere more than 20 years ago. She now lives with her husband and four children near Kingston-upon-Thames. She says she would love to have some hobbies, but doesn’t have any spare time.
• Where are you planning to go on holiday this year, and why?
I tend to leave things until the last minute but my annual travel plans are not complete without a week at one of our villas in Corfu. There is something special about arriving in Corfu and getting that first glimpse of the northeast coastline and the view across to Albania, knowing that within the hour I’ll be sharing a bottle of wine on the balcony, gazing out to sea, planning a perfect day on a boat. Equally, I couldn’t contemplate a winter without at least a few days on the ski slopes.
• What is your favourite bolthole in the UK, and why?
Since we launched CV Travel’s British houses programme at the start of the year, I’ve become a convert to holidaying in the UK. My favourite bolthole so far has been a wonderful farmhouse in Suffolk set in glorious rolling countryside, with low ceilings, beams and an Aga. Just as captivating were the luxurious bathrooms, Cowshed toiletries and fine bed linen.
• If you could spend a long weekend in any city abroad, which would you pick, and why?
I am not too keen on crowds so would avoid large cities and would probably choose Lucerne in Switzerland. It’s somewhere I have never been and I am told it is beautiful and almost tropical. I would travel by train and include a couple of mountain expeditions as part of the break.
• Please tell us three items that are always found in your luggage.
I travel light and avoid checking bags wherever possible. As well as the essential items (including a full range of bathroom products neatly packaged in 100ml containers), my hand luggage would contain my iPod, at least two bottles of sparkling water purchased after the x-ray machine, and my yellow notebook (as I always have my most lucid thoughts at 30,000ft and need to write them down before I forget them).
• What one thing would most improve people’s overall holiday experience?
A sense of humour when not everything goes according to plan.
• What has been your worst holiday experience?
A holiday in France in May a few years ago. We landed in sunshine at Nice airport and the heavy rain set in about 10 minutes after picking up the hire car and didn’t stop for the next five days. We stayed in a house belonging to friends which needed some serious TLC, the sort of place where you would have overlooked the lack of hot water, blocked pipes, grotty kitchen and uncomfortable beds if only the sun had shone. One outing to the beach ended up with us spending about 30 seconds out of the car getting blown across the promenade by a horizontal gale.
• Tell us your favourite hotel: in the UK; in mainland Europe; in the rest of the world.
In the UK, I would choose the Connaught which has been refurbished with luxurious tradition and uncompromising good taste – the wonderful mahogany staircase alone is reason to visit. Apparently, there is a replica of it at Ralph Lauren in New York because the great designer was not allowed to purchase the original.
In mainland Europe, it would have to be the Hotel le Mont Gele in Verbier – it has a fantastic atmosphere and the service is great. It’s also equipped with everything the keen skier could need: a proper breakfast, lots of hot water, comfy beds, satellite TV, and a well-stocked bar. Best of all it’s in a rare ski-in ski-out location meaning you can catch the first lift in the morning and ski straight back to chocolate cake at the end of the afternoon.
In the rest of the world, I was fortunate enough to spend a week last year on Peter Island resort in the British Virgin Islands. Just thinking about it brings back wonderful memories of the perfect beach, snorkeling amongst the multi-coloured sealife, the fabulous food, the live music and dancing, and a body scrub which made me feel like a million dollars.
• Thank you, Debbie.
By Angela Papageorgiou of CV Travel
For such a small island, Corfu offers surprising diversity. You can live here for over 35 years – as I have done – and still discover places you never knew existed. These are some of my favourites.
BEACHES
Take the kids to the vast sandy beach of Halikouna, in the south-west. There are few facilities here so pack your own food, drinks and some portable shade and luxuriate in the peace and privacy.
Still in the south-west, Paramonas is another ideal family beach, its sand scattered with boulders that hide intriguing rock pools. Kids can play for hours, within sight of their parents who can safely relax at the friendly beach tavernas.
Corfu’s most exclusive villas are grouped along the spectacularly beautiful north-east coast; here you will find Kerasia (top left), beloved of yachtsmen, backed by eucalyptus trees, with one superb taverna. Tiny Kaminaki (top right) is impossibly pretty, while the glorious pebble bay of Avlaki has staggering views of Albania and is open to the prevailing afternoon winds - perfect for sailing and surfing.
EATING OUT
Nothing beats a leisurely meal with the water lapping barely inches from your feet. Tavernas from Kaminaki in the north-east to Boukari in the south-east offer this experience – savour grilled fresh sardines drenched in fresh lemon juice and served with a glorious salad of fruity tomatoes sprinkled with herbs and local olive oil. So simple and so good.
Most visitors to Corfu seek good Greek food but Corfu has connections with Italy that run deep and not only influence home cooking but also result in a profusion of excellent and authentic Italian restaurants in and out of the town – my personal favourites are La Cucina in Corfu Town, Little Italy in Kassiopi.
For an authentic Greek evening, steer clear of the organised tours and head for Yannis in the town’s suburb of Garitsa. You are unlikely to see any Greek dancing, but a gifted local musician provides pleasant (Greek) background music and welcomes sing-alongs if you know the words. Go into the kitchen to choose from the simmering pots of local delights such as tsigarelli (sautéed greens with chilli) and soffrito (veal stewed to melting tenderness with wine, parsley and lots of garlic).
A favourite Sunday treat is a plate of tiny, flaky cheese pies with a drink of ouzo or tsipouro (local brandy) at one of the elegant Liston cafes in Corfu Town.
SIGHTSEEING
Visit at least one Corfiot village and travel back to a more leisurely world, where old houses cluster about a feudal mansion. Splendid Byzantine castles such as Angelocastro are now being restored, thanks to the recent award of UNESCO Heritage Site status to Corfu. Hire a boat, enjoy the views of the stunning north-east coast and pick a deserted cove for a spot of swimming and snorkelling.
MUST DO
Spend a day in Corfu Town – you can easily explore it all on foot, with frequent pit-stops at one of the many cafes. Atmosphere, history, great shopping, excellent food, open-air concerts, alleys hung with washing contrasting with grand municipal architecture, streets reverberating to the sound of the local brass bands. I would also recommend a visit to the British Cemetery, not least for the orchids that bloom there.
For villas in Corfu, visit CV Travel.
By 101 Holidays newsdesk
Sporting stars including Ray Clemence, Mark Bright, Graeme Hick, Desmond Hayne and Joel Garner will be coaching at free sports camps in Barbados from August 4 - 28.
A joint initiative between the Barbados Tourism Authority and UK children’s charity SPARKS, the sports include football, cricket and netball; the children not only have coaching from their sporting heroes but also the chance to talk to them about their careers.
Places must be booked in advance and are open to children aged 9 to 17 years. Click here for more about the Barbados Sports Camps.
CV Travel offers a choice of villas in Barbados this August, perfect for a family holiday. Gibbs Lodge (pictured above) is 2 minutes’ walk from Gibbs Beach and has 3 bedrooms and a private pool; rental for up to 6 people costs £1,380 per week during August (a saving of £230 per week). Close to Gibbs and Mullins beaches, Jacaranda also has a pool and 3 bedrooms and costs £1,225 for a week in August based on 6 sharing, a saving of £204 per week.
More about holidays in Barbados.
By 101 Holidays newsdesk
Sardatur is offering free half-board and free flights for up to 2 children aged up to 12 years sharing with 2 adults at Il Villaggio, Le Palme and La Pineta resorts in Sardinia’s Forte Village. The offer must be booked by May 29 and is available on Saturday departures from Heathrow throughout the summer (subject to availability). One week departing May 23 now costs from £2,549 for 2 adults and 2 children half-board, a saving of over £2,000.
Save 20% on a selection of villa holidays in Crete departing before the end of May with Greek Islands Club. A week based on 4 adults sharing Villa Dictamo departing May 26 now costs £605 per person (a saving of £151); surrounded by olive groves, wineyards and farmland, there is also a private pool and the villa is within a 10-minute drive of the beach at Kalives. The price includes car hire as well as return flights and self-catering accommodation.
CV Travel is offering a week at Montpelier Plantation Inn on the island of Nevis from £1,109 per person, a saving of up to £409 per person. Departing on June 6, the price includes return flights on BA’s new direct service to St Kitts, boat transfers to Nevis, accommodation with breakfast and complimentary car hire for the week - ideal for exploring this picturesque Caribbean island.
Closer to home, Classic Cottages is offering a week for two at the luxurious Bay Tree Mews in St Hilary, south-west Cornwall for £185 per person, a saving of 20%. A short walk away is a great surfing beach where award-winning Global Boarders offers tuition and gear for surfers of all levels.
Red Funnel has teamed up with over 20 of the Isle of Wight’s most popular family attractions to offer discounted tickets during the half-term and forthcoming May Bank Holiday. A family of 4 will pay £6.50 to climb Bembridge Windmill, £19 at the Isle of Wight Zoo, £35 at the Blackgang Chine theme park (including the Cliff Hanger roller coaster) and £22.75 for a day at Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s favourite home with gardens designed by Capability Brown. Tickets must be booked through Red Funnel. Red Funnel’s vehicle ferries leave Southampton around the clock; a car and up to 6 passengers costs from £32 return.