From nights at Galway's G Hotel to autumn tours of Spain, Joan Scalespicks out holiday choices at home and abroad
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Half board at Lake Garda for a week: from €539pps
Hotel Savoy Palace, in Riva on Lake Garda, in Italy,
is a great base for exploring the beauty of the region and the
surrounding mountains (see Double-0 Heaven, page 8). With its
indoor and outdoor pools, live music and ballroom dancing three
times a week, plus four-course evening meals, it sounds like a
perfect spot for a relaxing break. A week's half board from
€539 per person sharing. 01-4331080,
www.crystalholidays.ie.
OVERSEAS BREAKS
Explore Bangkok: from €1,075pps
Eye-catching offers to Bangkok with Shandon Travel.
Flights to the city from €870, including taxes. Bangkok and
Phuket for 10 nights from €1,111pps, and citybreaks from
€1,075pps for 10 nights or from €1,850pps for the
16-day Thailand Discoverer Adventure tour.
www.shandontravel.ieand
021-4277094.
Orlando for four: from €1,946
School's out, and maybe Orlando awaits for families
next week. Two weeks at Comfort Inn Universal Studios for a family
of four from €1,946 (including tax and fuel surcharge), or a
family of six from €2,830. Or two weeks at Doubletree Castle
Hotel from €2,606 for a family of four. 01-6733840,
www.americanholidays.com.
Go Greek: from €309
There are great deals to the Greek island of
Santorini (aka Thera) from Cork in June, with packages from
€309 with XL.com. June flight-only to Portugal from
€149, Zakinthos from €169, Majorca from €179,
Bulgaria from €229 and Santorini from €249.
01-8147500,
www.xl.com.
June deals from regional airports
Deals next month from regional airports with Falcon
include, from Shannon, a week in Mojácar, on Costa de
Almería, in Spain, from €349, a week in Fuengirola, on
Costa del Sol, from €399, and a week in Puerto del Carmen, in
Lanzarote, from €299; from Ireland West Airport, in Knock, a
week on Costa del Sol from €359. Travelling from Kerry, a
week for two adults and two children in Santa Ponsa, in Spain,
costs from €1,426, or Cala D'Or from €1,266. 1850-
453545,
www.falconholidays.ie.
Explore Spain: from €1,375
Explore the hidden corners of Spain with Lorna
Roberts Holidays in the autumn. In September an eight-night tour
will explore Andalusia; guests will stay at Hotel Alhambra Palace,
in Granada, Hotel Inglaterra, in Seville, and the paradors at
Carmona, Cadiz and Ronda, from €1,475 plus flights. In
October a tour will explore northern Spain from €1,395 plus
flights, and at the end of October a seven-day tour will circle
around Madrid, with visits to Segovia, Ávila and Toledo from
€1,375 plus flights. 095-23511,
www.lornarobertsholidays.com.
Yoga in the Algarve: €600
Revitalise yourself with a long weekend of yoga and
gourmet vegetarian cooking in the Algarve, in Portugal. Freerange
Holidays knows that not everyone can get away for two weeks, and so
has devised a short trip. The holiday, from June 26th to 30th,
includes all yoga classes, meals and accommodation, for €600
to
Irish Timesreaders. Flights are available to Faro with
both Aer Lingus and Ryanair. For the energetic, there is a week of
yoga and surfing from July 5th to 12th. 086-8377171,
www.freerangeholidays.com.
Placid in Paris: €300 per night
A chic boutique hotel has just opened in
Saint-Germain des Prés, on the Left Bank in Paris. Le Placide,
which has just 11 rooms, was designed by one of the Philippe Starck
design team, with great attention to detail. From July 15th to
August 25th it is offering a rate of €300 per night including
breakfast. 00-33-1-42843460,
www.leplacidehotel.com.
HOME BREAKS
Adventure at Westport House: from €129pps
Westport House & Country Park, in Co Mayo, is
now hosting events by Killary Adventure Company. The woods around
the house and the lake are ideal for land- and water-based
activities, including laser combat games, canoeing, kayaking,
archery, and rock-wall climbing. Adult weekend packages from
€129 per person sharing for two nights' accommodation, dinner
one night and one day's activities. 095-43411,
www.killaryadventure.ie.
G is for good value: midweek rooms from €170
For good value in five-star accommodation in
Ireland, the G Hotel, in Galway, is worth a look. In June, midweek
rooms for two with breakfast cost from €170.
091-865200,
www.theghotel.com.
Cabaret and stay at Harvey's: from €189pps
Wednesday cabaret returns to Harvey's Point Hotel,
in Donegal, from June 25th. Entertainers lined up for this season
include Linda Martin, Gary Gamble, Malachi Cush, Fiddler Adam and
Celtic Dance Fusion. The show and dinner costs €66 - or you
could stay the night and enjoy the surroundings of the Blue Stack
Mountains from €189 per person sharing an executive suite.
074-9722208,
www.harveyspoint.com.
A cottage on the coast: from €450 per week
Looking for a picture-postcard cottage for a
holiday? Then check out the Cottage Collection from Trident Holiday
Homes. Located mostly around the coast, from Cork to Donegal, these
cottages look ideal for traditional home holidays. Most sleep six
and cost from €450 per week. 01-2018440,
www.cottagecollectionireland.ie.
Friday fun in Clane hotel: from €225pps
Take a half-day on Friday and escape to the
four-star Westgrove Hotel in Clane, Co Kildare for a luxury Elemis
spa treatment, dinner, bed and breakfast from €225 per person
sharing. 045-989900,
www.westgrovehotel.com.