ASK JOAN:All your travel questions answered
Baby-friendly breaks
I am looking to travel alone with a six-month infant in September/October to the sun. It will be my first time travelling alone with the baby. I am nervous but really want to go. Could you give me ideas for safe, cheap, baby-friendly resorts?
SM, Dublin
There are two UK-based companies that specialise in holidays for parents on their own with children and they have a programme of holidays throughout the year. They will be a bit more expensive but you have the opportunity to mix with other parents and perhaps share babysitting so you can have some time to yourself.
Most of the holidays are based around the school breaks and so the holidays in October are at the end of the month for mid-term. Smallfamilies.co.ukhas a trip to Huelva in the very south of Spain and mangoholidays.co.ukhas a holiday to Morocco. If you go it alone, then a hotel may be a better option than an apartment as you can meet other people, avail of a babysitting service and have the option of going half or full board. Out-of-season prices are more reasonable and most tour operators will give the option of choosing which board basis would suit you.
Some tour operators will drop the single supplement, but not usually until closer to the departure date. Falcon Holidays, Thomas Cook and Topflight all have good family-friendly resorts. The Falcon Villages are geared up for children and you will probably meet other mums with babies.
Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands are all family-friendly, and if you holiday in a resort, you will have somewhere to go for walks with your baby. I expect you will not want to drive alone, so resorts that are easily accessible by taxi or bus from the airport would also be a priority.
I think Marbella could work for you as you can take a bus from the airport – it is about 40 minutes to the bus station and a taxi from there to the resort would take less than 10 minutes. Puertoazul.netaparthotel opens on to the Paseo Maritimo which is lovely for walking along and the old town is about a kilometre away. A week in October will cost under €400. It is not the fanciest of places, but well located. There is a small garden and swimming pool. If you book early enough, you should get a flight to Malaga for under €200.
Value in China
Myself and my boyfriend are heading on a four-month trip in August, first stop Beijing, China. We are interested in doing a one-night camping trek of the Great Wall of China where we would go trekking for a few hours to a quieter part of the wall, stay overnight on the wall, and then the trek back the next day. There are numerous options online, some of which include camping facilities and dinner in the cost, but it is difficult to know which one to choose and which are good value for money. We would like to go in a group, with a guide, rather than just the two of us.
AP, Dublin
Doing a hiking and camping trip to the Great Wall is a good way to get off the beaten track, away from the hordes of day trippers and usually these trips will not take you via silk or jade shops.
If you want a good trip with experienced guides you will have to pay a reasonable amount for it. These two companies are well rated for their tours, greatwallhiking.comand chinahiking.cnalso known as Dandelion Tours.
Both of these companies have a number of interesting trips, hiking and camping over a number of days that will suit and you can join with others to form a small group.
Yoga in autumn
My friend and I are interested in going for a weekend yoga retreat in autumn but we are finding it difficult to find a location either in south or east of Ireland. Could you make any recommendations? Also are there any Irish companies organising group holidays abroad for single people in their 30s?
YF, Cork
In Co Clare there will be yoga weekends in September and October at eastclareyoga.comnear Tuamgraney. The September course is over two days and one night and costs €140pps and the October course will be over the bank holiday weekend with visiting Iyengar senior teacher Jayne Orton, and costs €395pps. The price includes three nights' accommodation, 12 hours' tuition and meals. Also in Clare, burrenyoga.comhas retreats.
From time to time hotels and guesthouses will organise yoga retreats. However, it is just a bit early to find dates for the autumn. Brooklodge.comin Macreddin Village in Wicklow had a yoga and rejuvenating retreat earlier this month over three days and it included meals and spa treatments. Kellys.iein Rosslare, the mustardseed.iein Limerick and glenribbeen.comin Waterford have all had yoga breaks. Watch the back pages of this newspaper for upcoming events.
The good news is that the People Alone Travelling Together (Patt) club is back and organising holidays for singles or those travelling on their own.
The programme for this year includes holidays at home, trips to sun destinations in Europe such as Spain, Portugal, Malta and two long-distance trips – one to Cuba and the other is a music-based trip to the US. Tel: 074-911 9955, thepattclub.ie.
Based in Northern Ireland, friendshiptravel.comorganises lots of trips throughout the year both in Europe and further afield. It also arranges cruises and city breaks. It can book travel from any airport. Tel: 048-9446 2211.