Zanzibar savings
ZEN out in Zanzibar and save yourself more than a quarter. Tropical Sky has savings of up to £490pp on seven-night stays at five-star The Residence Zanzibar in May – if booked this month. It means a break on the island off the east coast of Africa is from £1,289pp, half-board. Includes return flights from London, transfers and two free nights. See tropicalsky.co.uk. SPRING is here at last, with the countryside waking up from the winter gloom. So here is our pick of the top places to take in the best and brightest blooms Those nodding yellow heads first bring a glow to Cornwall in February, then spread the cheer steadily northwards.
They inspired William Wordsworth 200 years ago, after an encounter with a golden host on the shores of Ullswater. And they are still putting on a fine display there to this day. HOW: See the Ullswater daffs on a guided walk with hfholidays (hfholidays.co.uk) from its country house base at nearby Derwent Bank on Derwentwater. A four-night stay costs from £399pp, full-board. WHEN: Book for a stay from April 17 and 28. After the blazing yellow comes a softer flower that hides away in woodlands. The iconic bluebell is shaped like a fairy hat and arrives along with new leaves and nesting birds.
They are best experienced in the mature oak woodlands of Scotland’s Perthshire, particularly Blairgowrie’s six-mile circular Bluebell Wood trail (walkhighlands.co.uk) that takes in Darroch Wood, Ardblair Wood, Fingask Loch and White Loch, where osprey are also seen fishing. HOW: A self-catering wooden lodge in Blairgowrie Holiday Park (woodleisure.co.uk) sleeps six and costs from £318 for three nights. WHEN: Late April to early June. The back end of March sees the beginning of the most high-profile floral tourism in Europe.
The Dutch bulbfields light up in vivid, almost luminous, stripes of colour. And the 79-acre park of the Keukenhof Gardens, dubbed the “most beautiful spring garden in the world”, blazes with seven million daffs, tulips and hyacinths. Many tours also take in the flower auction at Aalsmeer, in a trading hall the size of Monaco. HOW: The popular options are by river cruise or bus. Shearings’ Holland in Bloom package (shearings.com) includes Keukenhof, Antwerp and Amsterdam, with all travel, four nights in hotels and some meals, from £309pp. WHEN: Late March to early May. Majorca has two blossom seasons. Almond blossom comes first, bringing what looks like puffs of smoke to lower land. Then it is the orange blossom’s turn, particularly in the Soller Valley in the Tramuntana hills.
The antique tram that runs up from Soller to Palma is an attractive ride all year round, but in season, the section down to Port Soller, through groves of oranges and lemons, is christened the Orange Blossom Express. HOW: Jet2holidays (jet2holidays.com) has a week half-board in Puerto Soller’s Boutique Minister for £793pp, with Manchester flights. WHEN: Mid April to early May. Spring comes later, and in more subtle forms, to higher ground. This is edelweiss season and Slovenia hosts a wildflower festival in the Julian AlpsA around Lake Bohinj, a glassy calm blade of water surrounded by mountains, which th themselves rise to 2,864 metres at Triglav.
Expect to see orchids and gentian, primula an and arnica, as well as edelweiss itself. In a se setting like this, you can’t help but sing. HOW:H Inghams (inghams.co.uk) offers a three-nightth stay in Bohinj’s Hotel Gasperin, B&B,B plus flights, for £478pp. WHEN: The festival runs May 26 to June 11. ThisTh season is huge in Japan, not only because theth blossom itself seems much fluffier, softer andan more vibrant than in Europe.
There’s something about it that touches the so soul, perhaps because it signifies the end of the lo long winter over there. Families and lovers pack p picnics and head out for ritual hanami – the