DESTINATIONS EUROPE ACTIVE & ADVENTURE RIGHT: The Dolomites
FAR RIGHT: Rafting in Slovenia
the destination that most people would know, in the Julian Alps clients can discover breath-taking scenery and miles of unspoiled countryside,” says Chris Rand, sales and marketing manager at Balkan Holidays. Clients will be accompanied by an
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Taber Holidays offers a five- night Trolltunga Experience holiday from £1,370 including return flights
from Heathrow to Bergen, car
hire, three nights’ accommodation in Lofthus and two in
Bergen. Departs daily until September30.
taberhols.co.uk
Balkan Holidays has a seven- night Julian Alps Explorer holiday from £624 including half-board accommodation, flights to
Ljubljana and transfers.
balkanholidays.
co.uk/agents
50
travelweekly.co.uk 18 August 2016 LEFT: Prosecco
vineyards, Veneto
experienced mountain guide, and hikes are graded according to difficulty, ranging from moderate to challenging. As well as the opportunity to enjoy the jagged limestone peaks of the Julian Alps, clients can choose to take to the alpine streams for white-water rafting, or cycle along scenic lakeside paths. Intrepid Travel this year added an eight-day Active in Slovenia holiday, whose highlights include hiking on Mount Vogel, cycling in Triglav National Park and rafting on the Sava Dolinka.
w COUNTRY LIFE Italy lovers can eschew the crowded
Clients are quickly absorbed into the Veneto region and all it has to offer, including lots of delicious prosecco
piazzas of Venice or Verona to discover the wider region of Veneto by foot instead. The town of Valdobbiadene is the capital of prosecco country, though the rolling vineyards that grow the grape stretch past Treviso and as far as Vittorio Veneto, meaning there’s plenty for clients to discover. Chloe Knott, senior walking and trekking programme manager for Exodus, says the popularity of its holiday there is partly due to its active group element.
“With little English being spoken in the area and very few tourists, clients are quickly absorbed into the destination and all it has to offer, including lots of delicious prosecco,” she says. For adventurers looking to explore some of Europe’s lesser-known gems in one stint, an escorted tour is a good option that allows clients to learn about new cultures and traditions at the hands of an expert guide. Insight Vacations used feedback from past clients to devise a bespoke, one-off departure, and the outcome reflects the overall increase in interest in eastern Europe. The 18-day Mystical Heart of Europe tour includes walks through baroque palaces and castle ruins, and allows clients to marvel at natural sights including mountain peaks, waterfalls and forests. In the same region, G Adventures’
National Geographic Journey to the Balkan Peninsula takes clients from Montenegro – popular with hikers and kayakers – to Plitvice Lakes National Park in central Croatia.
w WHEELY GOOD The British obsession for cycling holidays shows no sign of braking, especially as Olympic fever sets in. Budding Chris Froomes or Lizzie Armisteads who wish to pedal the road less travelled should consider Sivota in Greece, which benefits from far fewer tourists than islands such as Crete or Kefalonia. The scenic region is dotted with hills cloaked in pine, cypress and olive, and there are plenty of rocky coves and sandy bays to discover by bike along coastal roads. Neilson has upgraded its cycling
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