Monkey around
GET inspired by Dame Judi Dench’s Wild Borneo ITV show and book a trip to see the island’s orangutans.
Rainbow Tours has an eight-day holiday that takes in Sukau and Danumvalley, with a cruise up the Kinabatangan river and a visit to the
Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, where Dame
Judi adopted three orangutans. Full board, it costs from £2,895pp. See rainbowtours.co.uk.
THERE are six weeks of peak travel season stretching ahead of you plus the school holidays to deal with. So if you want to a break now, either strike away from the crowds in search of peace or take a deep breath and plunge right in.
Slow streaming North Wales by canal
Like a mobile country cottage that unfurls the best of British countryside at little more than a walking pace, a canal boat makes for a great and inexpensive family summer holiday.
Learn how to work the locks, as well as spotting wildlife and exploring traffic-free towpaths. It is a wonderful way of living life al fresco, and while today’s narrowboats may look traditional from the outside, inside they have well-equipped kitchens, flushing toilets, hot water, TVS and many have wi-fi.
GO: Head for the Llangollen Canal in North
Wales to glide across “the stream in the sky”.
From the hire base at Chirk, boaters heading for the pretty town of Llangollen cross the magnificent World Heritage status Pontcysyllte
Aqueduct. Soaring 38 metres above the rushing
River Dee, the aqueduct was built in 1805 by the great canal engineer Thomas Telford.
At Chirk, a narrowboat for six people is available for a weekend break in August for £944. See drifters.co.uk.
Festival heaven The Isle of Wight
The island, one of the warmest places in the UK in summer, has earned itself a reputation for staging big bashes. Its new festival, the Great
Wonderfest, from August 1-4, has a fantastic line-up of music and family entertainment.
Shortly afterwards, from August 10-17, comes
Cowes Week, which will make the island a hive of sailors and parties.
And the Garlic Festival, running from
August 17-18, which showcases the island’s famous produce, with garlic ice cream, jelly beans, fudge and beer. It may sound like an acquired taste but even this one attracts around 25,000 people and features live music and children’s entertainers.
GO: Cross to the island with the Red Funnel ferries and splash out on somewhere cool to stay such as Tom’s Eco Lodges, where a two-night stay in a newly opened dome that sleeps six costs from £231.20. See redfunnel.co.uk and tomsecolodge.com.
It’s all go with Ho Hoseasons Resorts
If you have active children or grandchildren you will know the importance of keeping them occupied – and making sure they stay away from screens.
Hoseasons has a range of resorts up and down the land that understand this too.
The company’s Go Active breaks combine a wealth of activities to take part in on site, such as tennis, golf and archery, and places to explore from your doorstep.
All have pools, many are dog friendly and some even have private hot tubs. Typical choices are a resort in the countryside up by the Norfolk coastline, one in the woodlands on the Lincolnshire Wolds or one within striking distance of the north Cornwall beaches.
GO: The Hemsby Beach Holiday Park by Great
Yarmouth has new luxury lodges with hot tubs, a Yacht Club Bar and an array of family-friendly activities. Here you can have a go at everything from sea-scooters to climbing, laser clays to body zorbing.
A three-night break at Hemsby Beach Holiday
Park Pa in accommodation that sleeps up to four costs co from £284. See hoseasons.co.uk.
Oyster O bay Ireland’s Ir coastline
It is hard to guarantee a rain-free break on the w west coast of Ireland but August has to offer so some of the best odds. And besides, Ireland do does not get to be so gloriously green without a d drop o’ the wet stuff.
Some 88 of its beaches have been awarded
Blue Flags yet you hardly see a soul on them.
Particular winners are Inch Strand in County
C Cork, Silver Strand in Galway, Renvyle Beach in
G Galway and Rosses Point in County Sligo.
GO: If it does cut up rough, Galway Bay offers sh shelter from the Atlantic and some fabulous se seafood opportunities too. The waters here are so clear. There is an oyster festival in September
BG