FAMILY HOLIDAYS OCTOBER DESTINATIONS


– non-motorised water sports, sunset cruises, daily snorkelling trips, minibar, kids’ club activities and one excursion of their choice – the resort is offering a 60% saving on rates, plus a free room upgrade and a stay-and-eat-free deal for up to two under-14s. But for the ultimate October


savings, look to Thailand, says David Carlaw, head of faraway at Premier Holidays. “It’s a great winter sun option. October is still low season so there’ll be bargains at many hotels, and although you’ll likely experience a few showers, the rain clears almost as soon as it appears,” he says. Recommend The Front Village,


a recently refurbished resort in Phuket for free-night deals and exclusive family offers, including a kids-stay-free deal for under- 12s when they share a room with two adults.


w WINTER SUN Back in Europe there’s been a swathe of new openings this year, so push them to families after some shorter-haul winter sun. In Tenerife – where October temperatures rest at a comfortable 22C – the new GF Victoria opened in March. A splash park, specialised pool


zones and family section at the spa make it an excellent bet for


For fewer crowds, cooler temperatures and a wallet-friendly price tag, suggest Montenegro


RIGHT: Ikos Dassia, Corfu


BELOW: Melia Hotel Sol Katmandu


Park & Resort, Majorca


families after an upscale option. Jet2holidays has added it to its programme for this year, with a week’s B&B starting at £829 per person, based on a family of four sharing from October 21, with flights from Stansted. Meanwhile in Corfu the much anticipated Ikos Dassia opened its doors in spring. The five-star, all-inclusive sibling of Ikos Oceania and Ikos Olivia will be offering a range of complimentary kids’ and teens’ clubs in half-term and beyond – think mini discos, Olympic games, treasure hunts, cookie- making classes, beach volleyball and plenty more – plus a creche for under-fours.


Elsewhere in Greece, Sunvil


recommends Kefalonia. “Families will love the milder climate in October as well as the variety of beaches – from long stretches of the finest golden sand to tiny white-pebble coves and turtle- nesting spots,” says director Dudley Der Parthog. He suggests the Anemona Apartments for family-friendly self-catering in a peaceful location, a 10-minute walk from Katelios village. As with the Canaries and


Greece, plenty of sunshine is pretty much guaranteed in Turkey, which enjoys an average of 26C in October. Suggest Thomas Cook’s four-star SunConnect Liberty Hisaronu hotel in Dalaman for a centrally located, good-value option with plenty of children’s activities, including the brand’s signature Lollo & Bernie’s Kids’ Clubs, waterslides, two pools and a good choice of dining spots. But don’t just limit possibilities


to the obvious options. The Balkans are growing in popularity, so for somewhere with fewer crowds, cooler temperatures (averages of 16C) and a wallet- friendly price tag, suggest Montenegro, says Alex Stuart, general manager at Novasol. The operator offers a week


in a four-star apartment in Herceg Novi from £629 for the whole two-bedroom apartment, sleeping up to seven, from October 20. That makes it a good option for larger families


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or multigenerational groups wanting some valuable time together. So that’s half-term sorted, and without raiding the piggy bank.


New family offerings


Columbia Beach Resort, Cyprus: A revamped kids’ club and new teens’ club offer archery, badminton, paddleboarding, waterskiing, mocktail-making classes and art sessions.


Melia Hotel Sol Katmandu Park & Resort, Majorca: This hotel meets theme park combination has a new kids’ entertainment programme featuring games based on the fictional legend of Katmandu.


Efteling, the Netherlands: The Dutch theme park has launched Caro, an international show featuring dancers, music and acrobats at its on-site theatre.


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