LIFESTYLE TRAVEL
Summer Europe
Our favourite holiday when the children were younger was in Cyprus. The lovely Anassa Hotel on the Akamas Peninsula is my absolute favourite for family holidays in the Mediterranean. It’s pricey but it comes with all the trimmings – watersports, tennis, a spa, great staff and a beautiful beach. Although beaches on the Greek islands are predominantly pebbly, there are some sandy ones too. Glyfada on the west coast of Corfu is a lovely one. Zakynthos, meanwhile, is home to the Peligoni Club another playground for well-heeled British teenagers, particularly those with a penchant for sailing and windsurfi ng. Navagio is the island’s most picturesque beach and is only accessible by boat. Really cool kids, however, go to Tarifa in
, t e w
Sp g a d k g c l o
as a tented desert camp, it also has its own private beach club a 20-minute drive away.
Spain, the windsurfi ng and kite-surfi ng capital of Europe. Be warned, however, that the Hurricane Hotel, right on the beachfront, can get fully booked a year in advance. For younger children, the tour operator Powder Byrne offers a fantastic programme of family beach holidays, including nannies, kids clubs and celebrity football coaches. The Hermitage Hotel on Elba is one of their best-sellers, though they operate beach holidays in Mallorca, Portugal and Spain too. A little closer to home and very popular with chic Parisians is the beautiful Ile de Re – think sand dunes, windswept beaches, bikes and oysters.
d Make plans
To fi nd out more about the Anassa Hotel, visit
www.thanoshotels.com. For villas in Corfu, go to
www.cvtravel.co.uk or www. fi
vestargreece.com. For information on the Ile de Re, go to
www.holidays-iledere.co.uk
Summer further afi eld
The summer months are some of the best for visiting the Caribbean with children in tow. True, it rains a bit more and it’s hotter and steamier than in the winter high season but it is also dramatically cheaper. There are lots of places to choose from but the Coral Reef Club in Barbados gets my vote for families visiting in July and August. Mauritius is also a bargain island at this time of year – probably because the weather can be a little unpredictable. Most of the
hotels are all-inclusive – including
watersports – a great concept for big families. Le Paradis on the Morne Peninsula is my top choice. Even further away is Bali, commonly
believed to be at its best in winter. Wrong. Bali’s high season is July and August (the same as Australia’s Barrier Reef). Seminyak beach is where all the action happens, from surfi ng to sandcastles to sunsets. Check into The Legian hotel – it’s grand but gorgeous.
d Make plans
Discover more about the Coral Reef Club at
www.coralreefbarbados.com, Le Paradis at
www.paradis-hotel.com and The Legian, Seminyak at
www.ghmluxuryhotels.com
Winter beach holidays
For those planning a little further ahead, we have a few beach suggestions for the Christmas holidays. Let’s look at the obvious ones fi rst: Dubai (guaranteed sun but not my personal favourite), Oman (a great option) and Egypt’s Sharm-el-Sheikh (wonderful for diving). All are pretty reliable on the weather-front but where you stay is crucial. My choices are the One&Only Royal Mirage (Dubai), the Shangri-La Bar al Jissah (Oman) and the Four Seasons Sharm-el- Sheikh. My hot tip for this year, however, is the new Banyan Tree Al Wadi at Ras-al-Khaimah, which is the most northerly Emirate. Designed
Lamu and the Kenya coast is a guaranteed winner with favourites including Peponi on Lamu, Manda Bay and Kiwayu Safari Village or the slightly cheaper but no less fabulous Island Camp. I have yet to meet a family who didn’t adore every moment. Travel company Abercrombie & Kent will help you get there. Further south, off Mozambique’s Indian
Ocean coast, is the island of Vamizi, home to 12 thatched villas, endless beaches and a warm, blue sea. Not just for honeymooning, the island is an all-embracing family paradise with deep-sea fi shing, diving and a host of nature- hugging activities. The same applies to the Maldives and the Seychelles. Pick the right resort and your family will have a ball. In the Maldives, the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is pick of the bunch, though I’m rather keen on the Conrad Rangali (of underwater restaurant fame). In the Seychelles, the new Four Seasons on the main island of Mahe is great or try the even newer Constance Ephelia also on Mahe – designed with families particularly in mind. Talking of the Seychelles, Anse Victorin on the island of Frégate, is the most beautiful beach I have ever laid eyes on.
d Make plans
For details on the Four Seasons hotels worldwide, go to
www.fourseasons.com. To discover Vamizi Island visit
www.vamizi.com. Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent will help you plan your trip,
www.abercrombiekent.co.uk %
PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO: ROBERT SWIFT, RYUIVST, DAVID SAFANDA/WALKING ON WAVES
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