GREAT break
Secrets out of the bag For more great holiday ideas, see page 39
lot to do with ruminating about life, health and friendship in a lovely riverside setting. Many anglers agree that being there is almost as important as catching fish. When it t comes to lovely settings, gs, you can’t fault the rivers rs Wye and Usk, in Welsh border country. A stay in the Gliffaes hotel on the river Usk costs from £149 for a double room, and an extra £32 for a day’s trout fishing, see gliffaeshotel.com.
The river Wye is ideal for rainbow trout, barbel, carp and pike. A destination specialising in fly fishing is the Bigwell Fly Fishery in Redbrook, just outside Monmouth. A good base for a fishing break here is the Pilgrim Country House hotel, located mid-way between Hereford and Ross-on-wye, with ROYAL Caribbean’s Explorer Of The
Seas cruise ship is getting an £89million makeover ahead of its trip trips to Italian resorts and G Greek islands next summer.
New additions include w waterslides, s, a redesigned p pool deck and bar and double do rooms from £135. Fishing permits are ar extra. See pilgrimhotel.co.uk.
Up U the creek Paddle Pa adventures
Canoe-based Canoe journeys are increasing in popularity, popular particularly with the recent opening of the first coast to coast canoe trail, from Liverpool to Goole. See canalrivertrust.org.uk. In Cornwall, the Helford river south of Falmouth Bay is ideal canoe territory, where the ancient woodlands reach down to the water. You can explore the creeks and inlets as far up as Frenchman’s Creek – made famous by Daphne du Maurier – with the chance of seeing kingfishers, ospreys, and maybe a seal or dolphin. A guided kayaking trip up the Helford costs from £45pp. See korukayaking.co.uk.
For something a bit less remote you can now kayak beneath the magnificent seven bridges of Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen restaurant. There is also a Playmakers sports bar and arcade, American-themed diner Johnny Rockets Express and a Starbucks. Seven and nine-night sailings from Rome begin on May 7. Newcastle’s river Tyne – including the Millennium Bridge – for from £44pp.
Be prepared for a chill if you try these adventures outside the summer months. See cullercoatsbikekayak.co.uk.
Raft of mad users Wild things
Sometimes the wild things on the water are not just the creatures that make up the river’s ecosystem but also its visiting humanity. Winter is a particularly good time for devotees of whitewater rafting, who want plenty of foam.
Wales makes an excellent venue for this, particularly the rapids of the river Teifi, see llandysul-paddlers.org.uk, or the River Tryweryn, located in the Snowdonia National Park, where a full day session costs from £6.
See nationalwhitewatercentre.co.uk. Secret Escapes gift vouchers From £50