DESTINATIONS — GREECE & CYPRUS
Sunny savings
Help clients get a beach break even on a budget, says Katie McGonagle
– wages have just started to outstrip inflation, public finances are in better health, and unemployment is falling. Despite all these positive signs,
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it takes a while for us to feel the effects, meaning most of us are still feeling the pinch, especially when it comes to planning our annual summer holiday. But there’s no need to go
raiding the kids’ piggy banks just yet; an array of budget-friendly breaks lie just a short-haul hop away in Greece and Cyprus – meaning canny agents can help clients stretch their precious cash that bit further. All prices are for seven nights, and include flights and transfers.
l BEST
FOR...ROMANCE Thought Santorini was just for those with budgets as sweeping as its vast caldera views? Not necessarily. Follow Sunvil
Holidays’ advice to avoid peak season and enjoy those caldera views from bars and restaurants rather than paying a premium
ritain’s economy is finally on the road to recovery
to see them from the hotel window, and clients could bag bargains such as £664 for bed- and-breakfast at Kalimera Hotel in May or late September. Sister brand Planet Holidays
has introduced several value options on Santorini – largely because its weddings business must accommodate guests with lower budgets – including three- star Dimitris Studios and Blue Sea Hotel & Studios, and two-star-plus Limnes Villas and Alexandra Hotel Apartments. Self-catering stays at Limnes Villas start at £700 departing September 10. Five-star luxury isn’t necessarily
out of reach though: with a gym, hot tub, sauna and sun deck, Astro Palace in quiet Firostefani is luxurious, but time it right and it needn’t come with a price tag to match. Islands of Greece offers a stay with Gatwick flights departing May 10 from £635. Adult-only romantic retreat Proteas Blu in Samos has stays from £619 from the same operator, in May. Equally stylish is the five-star Angela Suites Boutique Hotel in Crete – think outdoor Jacuzzi and
cocktails by the pool – yet with May 6 prices starting at £369 with Jet2holidays from Leeds Bradford, guests won’t have to have a huge bank balance to settle their bill. Over in Cyprus, help couples
make time for each other at adult- only boutique Library Hotel in the traditional village of Kalavassos. This tiny resort has more spa treatments than it has rooms – there are just 11, each named after famous writers such as Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka. Stays start at just £559 for B&B and car hire with Sunvil.
l BEST
FOR...NIGHTLIFE Saving money for booze and bars is as good a reason as any for needing good-value accommodation. Bustling Corfu is top of the pack,
according to Olympic Holidays commercial director Photis Lambrianides. He says: “Kavos in Corfu is a good choice for those who like a lively night of clubbing and bar-hopping. Agents can certainly recommend it to young people on their first boys’ or girls’ holiday as it’s smaller than most
1 May 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 55
TOP TIP
Sunvil Holidays suggests using Greece’s cheap
and reliable local buses rather than hiring a car
PICTURE: CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION/F CAPPELLARI
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