affordable seaside getaways
A HOLIDAY to a beautiful seaside destination does not have to blow your budget. Travellers who plan their visit for the right time – shoulder or off-season, perhaps, or on a weekday – can find plenty of deals. Here are options for your luxury beach escape.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
In Santa Monica, Hotel Casa del Mar, which has panoramas of the Pacific Ocean, guests who book three nights get a fourth free. There’s also a daily $75 (R1 100) breakfast credit. Bookings from $489 a night after the discount. The promotion is valid until the end of the year.
A LONG WEEKEND IN BERMUDA
Cheap Caribbean has an airinclusive package to the British island territory from New York and Boston to Bermuda. In addition to airfare, the package includes a three-night stay at the Fairmont Southampton beach resort. Bookings are valid from November 1 to December 30, and start at $629 a person.
A BRAZILIAN BEACH ESCAPE
In the beachside village of Trancoso, in Brazil’s Bahia state, UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa offers three-, five- or seven-night Ultimate UXUA Experience packages which include a scenic boat trip, lunch, a private cooking class and a daily massage. Prices start at $475 a night for two people. You can book at any time.
A PRIVATE COUPLES GETAWAY IN BALI
The Belmond Jimbaran Puri, in Bali, has a Suite Life promotion, which includes a stay in a villa with a private terrace and pool, butler service, breakfast, dinner for two at the property’s Tunjung restaurant, a couple’s massage and a one-way airport transfer. Bookings are valid indefinitely, and start from $550 a night for two people.
FUN IN THE MEXICAN SUN
In Los Cabos, the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa, which has three pools and a private beach, is offering the Los Cabos Getaway package. It includes accommodation in a two-bedroom villa and a private sunset sailing trip. The promotion is valid until the end of the year and bookings start at $169 a night.
WELLNESS OPTIONS ON THE
AMALFI COAST
Monastero Santa Rosa, a former 17th-century monastery overlooking the Gulf of Salerno, has the Health & Hike package. Included are three nights’ accommodation, a guided hike through the Amalfi hills, a picnic lunch prepared by Michelin-starred chef Christoph Bob, a cooking class and an arnica body wrap treatment. The promotion is valid from October 15 to November 4. Bookings start at $2 835.
Hotel Santa Caterina, in the town of Amalfi, offers the Sense of Well Being package, which includes accommodation, breakfast, a welcoming package of sparkling wine, a fruit basket and flowers, a low-calorie lunch and a massage for two. The promotion is valid from October 7 to November 3, and tickets start from about R10 000 a night.