ACTIVE & ADVENTURE EUROPE DESTINATIONS
offering in Sivota, adding two new expert tours for road cycling in the area, as well as giving guests at its Retreat Beachclub the option of booking premium full-suspension mountain bikes from £95 per week. (A one-week holiday starts from £449). As well as cycling, clients visiting
Sivota can explore the surrounding waters of the traditional Greek village by sailing boat, or take advantage of the mild conditions and flat water for waterskiing, wakeboarding or kayaking. An off-the-beaten-track holiday doesn’t have to be inaccessible: a direct flight will take clients to La Palma, the greenest of the Canary Islands, and one which has avoided mass hotel development to maintain a serene sense of beauty. La Palma benefits from balmy temperatures in the autumn months, making it especially appealing to hikers at this time of year, though its dramatic volcanic landscape and reputation as one of the world’s steepest islands make it a tougher choice. Alison Hall, head of product
ASK THE EXPERT
Clare Collins, Europe product manager, Explore “There are plenty of alternative European destinations which lend themselves to adventure or activity holidays. To help sell some of these lesser- visited countries, focus on the quirky activities clients can enjoy there – it could be anything from spending the night in the Romanian Ice Hotel and snowshoeing in the Transylvanian Alps, to exploring former Yugoslavia by train or kayaking on the Sava River in Serbia.”
development at Inntravel, says: “True adventure-seekers should take a hike in the spectacular Caldera de Taburiente National Park, with its towering five-mile-wide crater walls, or walk in the Natural Cumbre Vieja Park, a string of volcanoes that form a ridge from the caldera to the south of the island.” Inntravel’s La Palma Volcanic Trails trip costs from £690.
ABOVE: Caldera de Taburiente National Park, La Palma
The hike to Trolltunga takes a gruelling eight to 10 hours but reward comes in the form of epic panoramic views
w CHILLING OUT A winter holiday to undiscovered Romania will allow clients to marvel at the country’s captivating towns and cities in a romantic, snow- covered setting. Explore has a trip incorporating a night at an ice hotel above Lake Balea, visits to Transylvania’s Bran Castle and Brasov, and snowshoeing and tobogganing excursions (from £799). For an active break the whole
family can enjoy, Nordic Experience recommends a trip to the Vesterålen archipelago in northern Norway, where clients can see the northern lights, encounter Arctic wildlife and avoid the tourist hordes. Its Winter Aurora and Wildlife Encounter is an educational trip where clients can learn about Norwegian culture, spot eagles, sail through the fjords, take a husky ride and go on a reindeer safari. Serious hikers can head to Norway’s
LEFT:
Trolltunga, Norway
Hardanger region, where the craggy cliff of Trolltunga juts out across Lake Ringedalsvatnet. The hike takes a gruelling eight to 10 hours but reward comes in the form of epic panoramic views. Clients can tag on a couple of nights in the charming coastal city of Bergen as part of Taber Holidays’ Trolltunga Experience itinerary.
18 August 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 53
PICTURES: EXODUS, INNTRAVEL, INTREPID TRAVEL, NEILSON, TABER, THOMSON, MARK BADER
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