Spring into Summer!
Shake off the winter blues... book early and reap the rewards of a great holiday
WE’VE had more than our fair share of unwelcome intruders this winter... Ophelia and Eleanor and a host of other party crashers (there was a James I didn’t even know about). And, of course, that Beast from the East.
Easter spells the beginning of Spring, and that begins the countdown to Summer. And so all that is left to do is to check out where are the best places to go.
SPRING IS SPRUNG
FORGET about April showers... let’s have some April flowers.
Morocco is bursting with colour at this time of year. And the most wonderful colour of all is the yellow ball in the sky... remember that?
Morocco is sunny and early 20s at the moment... and it has camels. It is less than a four-hour flight from Dublin to exotic Agadir.
Sunway is offering seven nights’ self-catering at the 2* Tilla Studios Apartments from €385pp. Departs April 7.
Ring (01) 2311800 or book online on www.sunway.ie.
AN OLD FAVOURITE
CYPRUS, long a favourite of Irish holidaymakers, had its challenges like many a destination when our economy crashed. But the good news is that it’s back!
Cobalt Air has been reconnecting Ireland and the Isle of Aprhodite with twice weekly services from Dublin to Larnaca, the country’s third largest city.
And then there’s family favourite Paphos too which is new for this season with TUI. TUI is highlighting its Holiday World and Splashworld holidays.
TUI has thousands of free child places and low booking deposits. Visit www.tuiholidays.ie, call 1850 45 35 45 or contact your local TUI store or travel agent.
So it’s not all Ayia Napa... and Leaving Cert students, then.
GET INTO SHAPE
FANCY stretching your legs in the Alps.
Well, yes, you can go for a long walk, but you can also tone up with a spot of yoga in one of the most idyllic spots in the world.
Yoga sessions on Topflight’s yoga retreat week are a synthesis of Flow, Hatha, Somatic movement and Qi Gong (it’s more interesting finding out for yourself) and will include a mixture of seated medi- The Mediterranean life: Irish people are flocking back to Cyprus tation, active meditation and walking meditation.
Yoga teaching for the week will be led by the ever-so-lithe Kathryn Fa of Yoga Atelier.
The offer is for June 24, €769pps. You will get return flights from Dublin and seven nights accommodation at Topflight’s 3* Sonneburg Hotel with five days of guided yoga. To book or for further details: Call Topflight on 01 240 1753 / 00353 1 240 1753 or email: hillwalking@topflight.ie.
FOR THE KIDS
SEEING it’s the most Magical Place on Earth... and we’re all big kids at heart!
It has to be Disney. If you want to visit Mickey Mouse and his pals in the Good ol’ US of A then Budget Travel USA (https://budgettravel. ie/(01) 435 0056 offers seven nights to Orlando in May from €479pp.
Or if you want to visit the gang in Paris, and Disneyland Paris has been celebrating its 25th anniversary then if you book before April 25 then you will receive up to 25% off on your hotel and park ticket package and get a free half-board meal plan. For arrival between March 21 and November 6.
See holidays.disneylandparis. ie/offers.
DON’T FORGET THE ADULTS
WHETHER you’ve empty-nested or just want to set up an empty nest for a little while, us adults need our alone time.
Abbey Travel (01) 8047100/ info@abbeytravel.ie, www. abbeytravel.ie will look after you.
Abbey offers seven nights fullboard at the 4* H-Top Royal Sun Hotel, Santa Susanna, situated between Malgrat de Mar and Pineda de Mar near the Costa Brava in Spain.
It’s a quiet village with 2kms of broad beeches and that local culture and history which is so alluring. Here, it’s watchtowers which were built from the 15th to the 18th centuries to defend against pirate attacks. One is home to the train station for trains along the coast and to Barcelona.
Seven nights from €399. Return flights from Dublin.
HOP ON A CRUISE
IF you’ve always promised yourself a cruise, then there has never been a better time to reward yourself, with a bundle of offers out there and the ships improving
all the time in terms of pricing, facilities and entertainment. Click&Go offers a 12-night fly/ cruise taking in China, Vietnam and Japan from €1,499pp in a balcony cabin including flights and one night in Hong Kong. Departing on May 4. See www.clickandgo. com/holidays/cruise/royalcaribbeaninternational.
If you love the Canaries and Madeira, and even better love the idea of a no fly cruise then JMG
Travel has a 15-nighter on the Magellan, departing Dublin, sailing on August 11. Twin Inner from €1869pp, down from €3109pp or Twin Ocean View from €2,069pp. Multi-Generational Cruise – child fare €239. Visit htttps://jmgcruise. com. Book (074) 9135201.
COME FLY WITH US
OUR flight providers are bending over backwards to get us away.
Our national carrier offers flights from €22.99 to Britain, travel until 15 June, to Europe from €34.99 – that’ll be party cities Amsterdam and Hamburg, then.
And to North America from €159 each way as part of a return trip. Travel April 1-June 15. Visit www. aerlingus.com.
Remember too that you’ll get pre-clearance. And that Miami came on stream last year and Philadelphia and Seattle are their exciting new routes this year.
Ryanair’s (www.ryanair.com) Spring City breaks are attractive. We found a one-way ticket to Bremen for €12.99, Paris Beauvais €19.99 and Venice Treviso €24.40.
The no-frills airline has a new twice-weekly Dublin service to Marrakech with other new routes going to Munich, Naples, Paphos and Stuttgart.
Seats from Dublin start from €16.99 for travel in April and May, only available for booking on the website until midnight tomorrow.
WOW Air specialises in cheap flights to North America via Iceland. We found Dublin to New York via Reykjavik on May 8 from €139.99.
Also check out Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Etihad and Emirates for long-haul trips and best offers.