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It’s not too late – family summer holiday deals

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Family holidays 2011 - late summer availabilityFamily holiday deals summer 2011

From 101 Holidays newsdesk

It’s not too late if you want to find a summer holiday for the family, whether you fancy something close to home or further afield. We’ve scoured the market to find some great holidays, all with availability for July and/or August.

1. Glamping in Somerset

You don’t have to fly to Africa to stay in a safari tent. Swallowtail Hill, in Rye, Somerset, offers The Tent by the Pond and Tent by the Wood, each with comfortable beds and quirky furnishings. Cook over your own fire pit, feed the animals on the nearby farm or try your hand at tractor driving. From £90 per night for up to four in July and August. Contact Canopy & Stars

2. Working farm in Sidmouth, Devon

Harris Farm is a thatched 17th century listed farmhouse on a working farm where you can help feed the calves and watch the milking. Relax – there’s a hot tub, swimming pool and sauna on site too. One week for up to 7 people from 13 August costs £1,585 self-catering. Contact Farm & Cottage Holidays

3. Family hotel in Watergate Bay, Cornwall

Sands Resort might have been built for children – there are indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, crazy golf, adventure play areas and even a maze. Add to that early evening visits from the local Aquarium and zoo, a beach on your doorstep and three-course dinners from £11 and you have family heaven. One week from 23 July reduced by 10% to £1,506 for a family of four on a BB basis. Contact Sands Resort, Cornwall

4. Portugal beach club

The Ocean Club Beach Resort on the Algarve is ideal for families with younger children with child care for ages 2 years and over plus a free drop-in crèche each evening. Depart 23 July for one week; a two-bedroom apartment costs £2,960, a saving of £1,022, for a family of four on a half-board basis including flights and transfers. Contact Mark Warner

5. Walking in the Austrian Tyrol

Perhaps the ultimate outdoorsy holiday, step out en famille for a gentle walking holiday across the Leutasch Valley, staying in three family-friendly 4 star hotels en route. One week in August costs £2,110 for two adults and two children staying in two rooms on a half-board basis. Flights and transfers extra. Contact Inntravel

6. Holiday village in the Vendee

Les Mas de St Hilaire is a family-friendly holiday village just 650m from a safe sandy beach. There’s an on-site heated pool and paddling pool plus, nearby, the Planete Sauvage Safari Park and water sports in Notre Dame de Monts. One week from 30 July costs approximately £820 for up to five people sharing a two-bedroom villa. Contact Wake up in France

7. Volunteering in Costa Rica

Tour the jaw-dropping sites and sights of Costa Rica whilst also lending a hand in a local animal conservation project. 14 days departing in August costs £8,080 for two adults and two children including luxury hotels, all transport, most meals, guides and activities plus a donation to the local conservation project. Contact Hands Up Holidays

8. Safari and beach

Head to the Madikwe and Waterberg Game Reserves in South Africa for thrilling malaria-free safari adventures, including the chance to spot wildlife on horseback, make bows and arrows and wallow in the pool back at your luxury camp. Then wash off the dust with a luxurious stay at a family resort in Mauritius. 11 nights from 31 July or 2 August costs £11,650 including all flights, transfers, accommodation and full-board safaris. Contact Aardvark Safaris

9. All-inclusive family resort in Jamaica

What more could kids want – a kids camp, crafts studio, Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street®, XBOX 360® Games Garage, Pirates Island Waterpark, Trench Town teen lounge and Liquid nightclub for under 21s. It’s all included at Beaches Negril Resort & Spa. 7 nights from 2 August costs £5,860 for two adults and two children (saving 30%) on an all-inclusive basis, with scheduled flights from Gatwick. Contact Beaches Resorts

10. Peru

Make like Paddington Bear and head to Peru for an amazing adventure. Visit Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon and the Sacred Valley on this tailormade family holiday of a lifetime. Departing in August (various dates available), 15 nights costs from £4,600 per adult and £2,000 per child including all flights and transport in Peru, guiding and full board hotel accommodation. Flights to Peru extra. Contact Dehouche

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Charity auction from Destinology

Monday, June 13th, 2011

From 101 Holidays newsdesk

Congratulations and good luck to Destinology and Six Senses who have launched an online auction this afternoon – with proceeds going to Global Giving’s Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami Relief Fund.

Simply make your bid (via a dedicated account at Ebay) for a seven night stay at the Six Senses Soneva Fushi Resort in the Maldives. All the money from the winning bid will go straight to the charity. The deadline is 15.05 on Monday 20th June 2011.

The week is worth £6,500. The winning bidder and companion will stay bang on the beach in the Robinson Crusoe villa – which, at 235 square metres, is larger than a tennis court. Breakfast is included but the cost of flights and transfers (which Destinology will arrange) is extra.

Find out more from Destinology.

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Camping in the Antarctic…?

Friday, June 10th, 2011

From 101 Holidays newsdesk

One Ocean Expeditions has introduced a new ‘Antarctica Off-The-Beaten-Track’ adventure cruise incorporating extraordinary outdoor pursuits not usually available on Antarctic and Arctic cruises.

Passengers will have the option to experience ski touring, overnight sea kayaking trips  – exclusive in Antarctica to One Ocean Expeditions – and full-day expedition field photography with renowned Polar photographer, Daisy Gilardini. There is also snow shoeing, hiking, cruising in inflatable Zodiacs and overnight camping in the stunning Polar terrain, all included in the price.

The new cruise sails from Ushuaia on 8 November 2011 on Akademik Ioffe, an impressive and comfortable ice-strengthened ship designed for Polar research.

As the ship journeys to the Antarctic Peninsula through the Drake Passage Polar experts will give presentations on snow safety, icebergs, wildlife and history.

It is planned that excursions will include Neko Harbour, Wilhelmina Bay and the southerly Petermann Island to observe Weddell, crabeater and elephant seals, skuas and other seabirds as well as an abundance of penguins, including some very large colonies of the comical Adélie penguin.

This 12-night expedition includes one hotel night in Buenos Aires pre-cruise, return flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, all meals and accommodation plus Zodiac excursions and landings, special hiking programmes, ship transfers, foul weather gear and overnight camping.  Prices start from US$8,390 (approx £5,250) pp.

Find out more from One Ocean Expeditions.

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Deal of the Day: save £450 pp on Kenya

Friday, June 10th, 2011

   

Holiday details: Rainbow Tours are offering a saving of £450 pp on an Indian Ocean beach break in the Lamu Archipelago off the north coast of Kenya.

Spend 7 nights at the Majlis resort on Manda Island, a charming boutique beach hotel offering just 25 high-ceilinged rooms and suites, two pools and a wellness centre.

Price: £1,995 pp, saving £450. Price based  on 2 sharing on a full board basis, and includes international and domestic flights from London Heathrow, airport taxes and transfers in Nairobi.

Date: departures until 31 July 2011

Book with: Rainbow Tours

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Great value summer glacier skiing

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

By 101 Holidays newsdesk

Peak Retreats is reporting a bumper – and unusual – late fall of snow which makes the glacier at Les Deux Alpes in perfect condition for summer skiing. Amazing prices, too, make it one of the best value options for those seeking an active summer holiday.

Peak Retreats’ Katie Knowles tells us: “After such a dire winter snow record, the Northern Alps have seen quite a lot of snow. Just last week, there were 40cms in Meribel. Snow depths across the Alps this morning were over 40cm in Les Arcs and Courchevel, 35cm in La Plagne and 30cm in Tignes and Val d’Isère.”

Tignes and Les Deux Alpes both open their slopes for glacier skiing on 18 June – but if the snow continues they may well bring it forward.

Glacier skiing in the summer is usually from 9am until around 1pm – then it’s off to laze around the pool or urn off some more energy with a wide range of activities such as mountain biking, white-water rafting, kayaking and more.

Summer glacier skiing suits any level of skier; for beginners the slopes are quieter and the snow is much softer so it hurts less if you fall.

It’s also ideal for intermediate and expert skiers wanting to perfect their technique or learn tricks in the park. New for 2011, Les Deux Alpes has introduced piste performance/ski technique/freestyle technique courses for all ages (from £174 pp for a 6 day course).

Peak Retreats’ Ski Active packages are available until end-August in Les Deux Alpes, home to Europe’s largest glacier.

Prices are from £406 pp based on four sharing a two-bedroom apartment in Le Goleon Val Ecrin, a four star residence. The price also includes a 6-day ski pass, free sports passes and, for 3 half days, mountain biking with a guide and white water sports – plus a short Channel crossing for a car and passengers.

Find out more from Peak Retreats.

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Deal of the Day: save £607 pp in Cyprus

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Holiday details: Sovereign Luxury Travel are offering a huge saving of £607 pp off the price of a 7 night stay at the InterContinental Aphrodite Hills Resort in Cyprus.

Boasting stunning views over Aphrodite’s Rock and looking out to over the Mediterranean, the hotel is also offering a complimentary room upgrade as part of the package.

Price: £879 pp, based on 2 sharing 7 nights on a half-board basis. Price includes return flights from London Gatwick and private transfers

Date: book by 14 June for departure 29 June 2011

Book with: Sovereign Luxury Travel

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Deal of the Day: £500 off Tuscany villa with pool

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

  

Holiday details: Vintage Travel are offering a saving of £500 off the price of a week’s stay at Casale Fonteluccia in Tuscany.

Set in large grounds below the medieval town of Cortona, the Tuscan cottage has 2 bedrooms, sleeping 4, with a private pool, table tennis and extensive lawns.

Price: £595, saving £500 for 4 people for 7 nights. Flights and car hire extra.

Date: departs 4 June 2011

Book with: Vintage Travel

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Tweet a hotel review, win a £400 hotel stay

Monday, April 11th, 2011

Today we launch a great new competition. Just Tweet a review of a hotel – any hotel in the world – and you could win 2 nights B&B for 2 people at any Hotel du Vin, worth up to £400.

For every person that enters, 101 Holidays will donate £1 to the Family Holiday Association, which sends deprived children on much-needed holidays.

See how to enter.

Below you’ll find our first 3 entries. Can you do better?

 

 

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Deal of the Day: save £355 in Lanzarote

Friday, April 8th, 2011

Holiday details: Vintage Travel are offering £355 off the price of a week’s rental of their Casa Mariola in Las Breñas, Lanzarote.

Sleeping 6, the house is just 5 minutes from the coast, and boasts a private fenced pool and terraced grounds.

Price: a total of £1,095, saving £355, for 6 sharing.

Date: a week starting 14 or 21 April 2011

Book with: Vintage Travel

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Where to take your dog on holiday

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

By Polly Crossman

April is National Pet Month in the UK and two holiday companies – Wightlink and Helpful Holidays – are encouraging dog lovers to travel with their pets.

Dogs travel free of charge on Wightlink ferry trips to the Isle of Wight and are even allowed into the passenger lounge for the duration of the journey.

With more than 500 miles of footpaths for dogs and their walkers to enjoy and many beautiful beaches welcoming dogs outside of the peak summer season, the Isle of Wight makes a fantastic family choice.

Wightlink’s new Green Getaways programme also encourages guests to visit with their dogs, staying at a range of pooch-friendly self-catering properties. At Niton Barns (pictured above right) a week’s stay for a family of 4 and their dog in a newly-converted luxury barn costs £665, including return ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington.

Helpful Holidays has more than 330 properties welcoming man’s best friend on holiday in the West Country. Properties on Exmoor and Dartmoor will be perfect for those with big dogs needing long walks, with options aplenty for lengthy rambles over the moors – a week’s stay for two at The Retreat, Dartmoor, located on a 70 acre farm, welcoming dogs and also boasting a hot tub, is £435.

For smaller or older pets, Helpful Holidays suggests houses close to gentle walking trails near the coast and sandy beaches. An 18th Century Cottage (sleeps 4) at St Kew, near the north coast, costs from £368 for a week, while water loving dogs would be at home at Carsilgey (sleeps 9), a detached house overlooking the 4-mile stretch of sand at Gwithian Towans, south of Newquay – this is available for Easter week, costing £843.

Options for holidays in the UK and abroad at this time of the year abound – with or without your dog. See our other recommendations for Easter Holiday ideas and holidays in April for more inspiration.

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Easter Truffle Hunt in South Africa

Monday, March 21st, 2011

By Polly Crossman

Bridge & Wickers have come up with the perfect grown-up alternative to the much loved Easter Egg hunt this year: truffle hunting.

Guests are welcomed to the exclusive Tswalu Kalahari lodge in South Africa – a fantastic destination at this time of the year – for a unique take on the traditional safari. With the use of a private vehicle, personal guide and tracker, you will go in search of the elusive Kalahari Truffle.

The chances of finding truffles are better than ever this year, after a period of excellent rainfall promises a flourishing truffle season. In between hunting for, digging up, cooking and tasting truffles, you can also enjoy game drives, game walks and horseback safaris or relax in the spa and the surrounding dunes.

The Tswalu Kalahari is South Africa’s largest private game reserve covering 100,000 hectares, with the only accommodation found at these 2 luxury lodges, catering for only 30 guests at a time: this is an exclusive opportunity to do something a little different for Easter – with children under the age of 12 staying for free, this is also a great family option.

Bridge & Wickers are offering the Kalahari Truffle Safari from £2,520 pp. The price is inclusive of 4 nights in a Motse Suite at Tswala Kalahari, all meals, local drinks, walking and horseback safaris as well as the use of a private vehicle and personal truffle tracker.

Also included in the offer are return internal flights from the Oppenheimer private hanger in Johannesburg to Tswalu Desert Reserve. International flights are extra and children under 12 stay free.

For more African holiday inspiration, see our top 10 Africa holiday ideas.

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How to help Japan tsunami victims

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

By Mark Hodson, Editor of 101 Holidays

If you’ve been watching television images of the unfolding horror in Japan this week you may be wondering, “How can I help?” If you donate to an international aid organisation, will it reach the people most in need, and will your money get there in time?

Our friends at Inside Japan Tours – the UK’s leading specialist tour operator to the country – insist it is possible to help those most badly affected. They are aiming to raise £25,000 for Civic Force, a local not-for-profit organisation which is providing immediate disaster relief. Its rescue teams were the first to reach tsunami victims by helicopter and deliver emergency aid.

PR manager James Mundy says: “We wanted to support a local aid organisation and with Civic Force we feel sure the money will go to the people who need it most. We all know people in the affected areas and some of them we still haven’t heard from.”

You can make a donation at the company’s Just Giving page.

Inside Japan Tours says many of its clients in Japan have declined offers to be flown home and the majority of those due to depart in the next few weeks are still going ahead with their trips. Some are rerouting away from Tokyo.

“We’ve offered the chance for anyone that doesn’t want to travel to rebook their trip anytime in the next 13 months, and in addition we will give them an extra 5% discount to say thank you,” says Mundy. “A lot of people are telling us they want to support Japan and the local economy.”

The team at Inside Japan Tours, who have been working all hours to help clients, have also been providing up-to-date information and updates on their Facebook page. If you can’t manage a donation, you can show your support there.

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Deal of the day: free museums and £62 pp off Amsterdam

Monday, March 7th, 2011

  

Holiday details: Kirker Holidays are offering 3 nights for the price of 2 at the 3* Owl Hotel, Amsterdam, saving £62 pp.

The central Owl Hotel is close to the famed Van Gogh Museum. Kirker includes an Amsterdam Duo Card with its package, entitling free entry to the museum and the Hermitage.

Price: £399 pp, saving £62 pp. Price includes 3 nights B&B accommodation, return flights from London Gatwick, private car transfers and an Amsterdam Duo Card.

Date: departures until 29 March

Book with: Kirker Holidays

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Deal of the day: save £785 pp on Botswana Safari

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

 

Holiday details: W&O Travel Rainbow Tours are offering a huge saving of £785 pp on small group mobile camping safaris to Botswana, on selected departures in May.

Enjoy the services of top guides and a professional chef throughout a 9-night safari, visiting Moremi, Khwai and Chobe – the best game viewing spots in the country.

Price: £2,545 pp, saving £785 pp. Price based on accommodation in semi-luxury tents at small private campsites. Includes return flights from London, all meals and most drinks.

Date: departs 5 and 19 May 2011

Book with: W&O Rainbow Travel

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How to research your West Country holiday

Friday, February 18th, 2011

By Polly Crossman

Helpful Holidays has created a great tool for finding things to do in the South West – just in time for February half-term week. It’s handy for booking cottages on the site, but is also a valuable tool for any holidaymakers wanting to explore Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Created in conjunction with West Country Tourism, the interactive map suggests a wealth of things to see and do, relative to the location of your holiday home and colour coded for quick reference.

You can narrow your options by selecting attractions (pink), activities (green), events (purple) or food and drink (orange) to make the best of your stay.

With a separate map for each cottage, the tool can be used to help decide which property to plump for, as well as a great resource for planning what to do after booking your holiday

Once an attraction takes your interest, simply click on the pointer for a short description, then choose ‘more details’ to get further information and to visit the website of the relevant company or operator for full details.

If, for example, you’d booked half-term at The Shippon, Swimbridge (the yellow icon in the image below) you’d see that there is something for everyone.

You are just:
7 miles from Exmoor Zoo
10 miles from Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park
12 miles from The Big Sheep centre
13 miles from Damien Hirsts Quay Restaurant and White Hart Bar
Less than 20 miles from ‘Snowdrop Valley’ on Exmoor

Helpful Holidays offer hundreds of holiday homes across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

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