- view
- (2332)
-
A glorious spa hotel in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It was almost empty when we were there (early June), meaning we had the entire spa, featuring infinity pool falling away into a valley panorama with snow-capped mountains in the distance, all to ourselves.
We had booked a room without a view, but were upgraded on arrival, and thank goodness we were- the view was breathtaking. Considering it's unlikely to be fully booked in the summer, I would recommend doing the same, and paying for an upgrade if it's not provided.
Not exorbitantly priced- our bill came to just over £200 including decent supper and bar tab.
One other tip- while the map makes it look like the journey from Lake Geneva to the hotel is a quick jaunt, it is actually straight up and down some fairly perilous mountains- the motorway via Bern is far quicker!
The ancient city of Kourion is the perfect place to visit on a day-trip if you are staying in Limassol and hire a car. Situated on the cliff-tops, the ruined city offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea and you can see the remains of a number of significant Roman buildings.
The Roman Theatre has been recently restored to its former glory and is used as a venue for concerts and plays during the summer.
Sip your aperitifs while dangling your feet in the water... and then enjoy your curry supper (or a pizza or anything else that grabs your fancy) while watching the boats slip by...
Open every day from lunchtime onwards. And yes, the ice creams here too are very special. It was banana and lemon for me last night.
Right next to the ''Small Globe'', the wooden theatre in Yverdon, on the lakeside where the canal joins the lake.
The terraced vineyards of Lavaux, overlooking Lake Geneva, were made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. You'll see why as you ride from Lutry up the Route de la Petite Corniche, the Cote aux Vignes and then the Route de la Corniche before a fabulous descent down to Vevey. Then home, along the lakeshore.
As a hardcore roadie, it was my lunchtime training ride while working in Lausanne. But every variation is possible. You can even take the train up to Chexbres from Montreux and ride the route in reverse, downhill all the way. Stunning vineards, lakes, villages and mountains. You'll taste the effort everytime you drink the local white (with perch from the lake or fondue from nearby Gruyere) and it will have been worth it.
A large family cottage near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. The cottage enjoys wonderful sea views and is only a short way from the sandy beach at Ventnor.
Beautiful rural holiday cottage located within a short drive of the sandy beach at Shanklin.
An unbelievably beautiful cottage with luxurious furnishing and large garden overlooking the sea at Ventnor.
The location has to come first, only 30 minutes from the Lakes but nowhere near as over run. This part of the North Lancashire coast is relatively undiscovered - an spectacular area of natural beauty - and you can have the beach all to yourself.
The Holgates park is wooded, with lots of wildlife, including rare birds that nest at the nearby RSPB site. We stayed in a very luxurious caravan that we hired, but you can take your own and there is also some space for tents. On the day that it rained, we used the truly luxurious swimming pool and spa - incredibly clean changing rooms and decent lattes in the cafe.
The village of Silverdale is a short walk away and had a great butcher and greengrocer as well as a couple of good pubs. There is also an art and pottery gallery with a good cafe attached.
The kids were happy running wild - the park is about 24 acres I think, but feels rural and safe with a great play area. We were happy outside the van with a glass of wine watching the most amazing sunset I have ever seen in my life. It takes quite something to get me to relax so quickly but this place certainly has it.
Littlehampton is a pretty little town just a two-hour drive away from London. This is the perfect destination for a family outing. It’s got tradition, entertainment and beautiful scenery for the loveliest getaway break. It has been a port since Roman times portraying the historic side of this resort. It doesn’t just have this traditional side because it holds a very modern nightlife. Although it may not be the liveliest it’s definitely worth checking out. The gorgeous beach spreads out to be a wondrous aspect of the town and during popular holidays it can be hard to find a spot. There are always beach chalets to rent which are lined across some of the beach. The harbour is another must see part of Littlehampton and its limits stretch to six miles. I love to walk down this harbour because of the amazing scenery and the interesting sites along the way down. For more fun you can go to the oyster pond. It acquired its name because the fishermen used to store large amounts of oysters in the pond. It was converted into a boating pond in the late 1870s which will entertain the kids. If your feeling peckish there is no need to look elsewhere as it holds many popular fish and chip shops reaching up to five stars. In my opinion is the best way to end a summer’s afternoon in the happy town of Littlehampton.
Address:
Littlehampton Town Council,
Manor House,
Church Street,
Littlehampton,
West Sussex,
BN17 5EW
Telephone: 01903 732063
Email: ltc@littlehampton-tc.gov.uk
Noisy, crowded, great food, good service, excellent MaiTais and a view to kill for.
located on the beach in the Outrigger Waikiki Beach hotel
Kakakaua Ave
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu Hawaii
An original old Irish cottage that has had an eco-renovation (hemp lime plaster, geothermal heating, etc). Puts to shame all the horrible tacky and tasteless 'holiday cottage' developments that blight the Irish countryside. It's in an exquisite setting in hills with a view of a mountain waterfall from the front door, a lake behind the house, and yet only a short drive down to the glorious beaches of the Dingle peninsula, great pubs, etc. It has two lovely large bedrooms (double and single bed in each), characterful sitting room with wood-burning stove (we watched Life on Earth dvds every night!). Gorgeous spot - only minus are the midges in the front garden (insect repellent is a must). It's near lots of lovely places for kids. You can drive into Tralee to the waterpark with water chutes or on to Dingle town, which is a very atmospheric place.
This truly is the greatest ferry ever, The mixture of brilliant views and perfect length make this a beautiful journey, in fact one I would do simply for the ride. Starting off in central Vancouver you can take a bus too Horseshoe Bay, a beautiful cove or to Tsawwassen which ferries also go from. From Horseshoe Bay you the views you get are amazing, the contrast and sudden change from city to rural beauty is exquisite. While on Vancouver Island I would recommend exploring the Pacific Rim, a wonderful walking area and surfing beaches. Such a wonderful place.
While there you could WWOOF, which is a voluntarily work scheme in which you work for food and accommodation, usually five hours a day. A brilliant way to meet the locals and save money.
www.bcferries.com/schedules/mainland/
www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/lg/visit/index_e.asp
www.wwoof.ca/
An affordable, friendly and inspiring yoga and pilates retreat in idyllic surroundings close to Faro beaches. Guaranteed sunshine, delicious food, congenial company and, most importantly, stimulating and enjoyable yoga and pilates classes morning and evening.
Led by Beata who brings the spirit of the circus to the yoga mat, with fun, laughter and lightness spilling over from her ongoing experiences as an aerial performer.
www.beayogi.co.uk/yoga-retreats.htm
+44-7973619633
bea@beayogi.co.uk
As a single traveller, doing a tour of Uluru/Kata Tjuta/King's Canyon is the easiest way of seeing the three main sights without having to worry about transport, accommodation or companions. I did a tour with Wayoutback Safaris who were excellent - knowledgeable guides who did their best to keep us away from the hordes, camping in swags in the open air, and comfortable enough 4WD buses.
www.wayoutback.com.au/
Google map: tinyurl.com/mpddkq
A short ferry ride - or in our case an exhilarating speed boat ride - from the bustling resort of Nidri on Lefkada, lies the tiny island of Meganissi. There are just three villages on Meganissi - Vathi, Spartochori and the capital, Katomeri, all of them small with narrow streets, a handful of places to eat and a couple of mini-markets but mainly untouched by the trappings of mass tourism.
The sheltered bays round the island make it a good place to hire a motor boat for a day or two to explore some of more remote bays, caves or the "tail" of the island. The next best way of exploring is to walk - gravel tracks follow quite a lot the coastline and we took several circular walks, lasting a couple of hours. The scenery was beautiful and constantly changing as we rounded the corner into yet another bay. There are splendid views round the island to the Onassis owned island of Skorpios or over to Lefkas and towards the islands of Ithaca and Kefalonia in the hazy distance.
There are no sandy beaches on the island but some pretty pebble or shingle coves. Our favourite was Fanari Beach, a curving beach of fine shingle with mill pond like still, turquoise water and an idyllic setting. The water was quite cool but crystal clear with lots of little fishes. We also like the beach at Agios Ioannis, a narrow pebble beach, a bit more lumpy on the behind - but another pretty spot backed in places by palm trees.
We travelled there in late September with Ionian Island Holidays. We got a late deal on a lovely three bedroomed villa, set amongst the olive groves on the hillside overlooking the harbour at Vathi. Transfers were by taxi and private boat, making the whole process much easier, quicker and less stressful. Though relatively easy to get to, Meganissi feels like it is a million miles from the bustle of the livelier Greek resorts. It was certainly a peaceful and relaxing place that I would recommend to anyone who likes the quieter side of Greece.
Nearest airport: Preveza
www.ionianislandholidays.com/
www.meganisi.gr/EN/
Its a beautiful house, nestled in an enchanting coconut groove. The groove overlooks a large open paddy field to its east. Beyond the paddy field is a river, then a hill in the horizon. The sunrise is so beautiful here, its like a slice out of paradise.
There's no one around to disturb you, its just you in the lap of mother nature.
The serene Keri Beach is nearby, just 500 meters away.
The owner is Mr. Brian Fernandes, he can be contacted at Brianferns@gmail.com or at
+9108322516219
A fantastic beach, about a two hour walk from Karlovassi. The beach can only be reached by foot or boat and there are no facilities whatsoever. The walk although difficult in places offers outstanding views but make sure you take plenty of water and sun lotion especially if walking in the summer months.
From Karlovassi head towards Potami and follow the track up the hill at the end of the beach road.
www.samos-beaches.com/megalo_seitani.htm
Paros Heaven is set on the Greek island Paros in the Aegean Sea.
We stayed there for two weeks in June and felt really part of the Greek Nature and Culture. It has amazing views over Anti-Paros and Angeliki made us feel really at home.
This tiny secluded and perfect beach has clear turquoise water and beautiful multi-coloured pebbles. The climb down was steep but worth the effort and the fact it was a little out of the way meant it was almost deserted.
2 miles east of Potami on the north coast of Samos
If it seems like the whole town has turned out for the Santa Semana (Easter Week) parades, that's probably because they have. A wonderful place to view this spectacle and enjoy the Andalucian sunshine in Spring.
Fly from Almeria or Murcia
Is this your business?