CLOSE TO HOME
Set in the Shropshire hills, close to Oswestry and Shrewsbury, the charming Pen-y-Dyffryn is offering 20% off stays in February and March, plus a complimentary cream tea on arrival. With just 14 bedrooms (some of them dog-friendly), it’s a low-key gem of a small hotel and a great base for walking.
Not far away, in Bishops Castle, The Castle Hotel has 25% off throughout March including at weekends. Sensitively restored, guests get a real sense of the hotel’s 300 year old history. Dogs are welcome and stay free of charge.
SHORT-HAUL
Lake Garda is the largest of the Italian Lakes, fringed with elegant towns, impressive castles, vineyards and mountain backdrops and boasting hotels from charming inns to palatial lakefront villas. Departing Gatwick on 16 May, a week at the 4-star-plus Du Lac et du Parc Grand Resort costs from £1,075 pp (saving £258 pp). Book by 28 February with Citalia.
You can get 20% off a stay at the luxurious adults-only MarBella Nido Suite Hotel & Villas in Corfu if you book by 28 February. For example, seven nights B&B for two in a Deluxe Junior Suite in May costs a total of £1,357 saving £318 with free cancellation (flights not included). Details from MarBella Collection.
Join a group walking holiday to explore the coast and countryside of Menorca, with three to five hours’ moderate walking a day. The seven-night trip departing 29 March has been reduced by £100 to £1,099 per person including flights, transfers, half board accommodation, all transport costs and guide. Details from Ramblers Walking Holidays.
VILLA HOLIDAYS
There are some good deals around now for villa holidays in the spring and summer. Oliver’s Travels has 25% off all stays at Villa Nisan in Islamlar, Turkey, between 1 April and 30 June. It sleeps four and costs from £1,049 per week (saving £349) if you book before 31 March. Book any of their villa holidays before 28 February and you’ll get a free welcome hamper on arrival and up to £100 private chef voucher. Find out more from Oliver’s Travels.
On the lovely laid-back Greek island of Paxos, GIC The Villa Collection has a 10% saving at the Harbour View where seven nights self-catering based on two sharing a two-bedroom villa costs £995 pp including flights departing Gatwick on 9 May and private transfers. Book before end-February.
Renowned for their luxury properties, CV Villas is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In addition to some juicy offers in the Greek Islands and other short-haul destinations, they also have a wide choice of villas in the Caribbean with a week’s rental from less than £2,000 for up to six people. Explore villas in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Nevis and St Lucia with CV Villas.
LONG-HAUL
For bargain winter sun, it’s hard to beat The Gambia, with an average 34ºC and 10 hours of daily sun in March. Seven nights B&B at the Kombo Beach Hotel in March costs from £579 pp (saving £356 pp) including direct flights and transfers. Flying time is just six hours with convenient morning flight times from Gatwick. Details from The Gambia Experience.
For top-drawer luxury with a saving of £600 pp, head to Mauritius. A week’s B&B stay in a Junior Suite at the Constance Prince Maurice costs from £1,799 pp (saving £600 pp) including flights and private transfers between 1 May and 29 September. Details from Turquoise Holidays.
Head to Mexico where seven nights all-inclusive at the five-star adults-only Haven Riviera Cancun costs from £1,249 pp Including flights and transfers, saving up to £700 pp. The offer applies between 1 May and 31 October if you book by 23 February. Book with Tropical Sky.
How about three nights in Havana and four nights all-inclusive on the beach at Varadero with five star hotels all the way? With a saving of £250, this two-centre holiday costs from £1,189 pp including flights, transfers and visa. Book with Cuba Direct before 28 February.
TOURING HOLIDAYS
Cox & Kings has a small-group tour to India’s Golden Triangle and the hill station of Shimla, with departures in October and November. It takes in Delhi, the Taj Mahal, Jaipur and a ride on the ‘toy train’ to Shimla. 13 days cost from £1,995 pp (saving £345 pp) if you book by 31 March including British Airways flights, five-star accommodation, most meals and all travel.
With departures up to mid-April, there’s a very strong chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis on Regent Holidays’ Land of the Northern Lights small group tours to Iceland. Costing from £895 pp for 4 nights, you can tick off bathing in geo-thermal pools, glacier-hiking and an evening on the ridges of a volcano too. Flights, transfers, three-star accommodation and guides are all included.
March 2022