Are you up for an early summer jaunt? Joan Scalestakes a look at some of the top holiday choices in Ireland and abroad
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Pamper yourself at Sheen Falls Lodge: €670pps
Take your walking boots, or maybe your slippers, and explore Sheen Falls Lodge, in Kenmare, Co Kerry. Indulge yourself with afternoon tea and be pampered in the spa with YonKa treatments. Its May bank-holiday package, which has just been reduced to €670 per person sharing, includes three nights' bed and breakfast and dinner on two nights. 064-41600, www.sheenfallslodge.ie
OVERSEAS BREAKS
Safari in Kenya: from €1,710
Kenya is trying to encourage tourists to return after its recent political unrest, and Sunway Travel has a good deal next month for a safari on the Masai Mara. Return flights with Virgin to Nairobi, five nights' full-board four-star accommodation and daily safari costs from €1,710. Call 01-2311888; www.sunway.ie.
Caribbean cruise: from €1,249
If you're looking for something extra in Florida after a week of Orlando theme parks, you can spend a week cruising on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Sea for from €1,249. Available from September 1st to November 30th, with eastern or western Caribbean sailings. Contact Touramerica on 01-8173535, www.touramerica.ie.
Self-catering in the sun: €319
Panorama has self-catering deals from Dublin for the first week in June. Choose from the Timor Sol apartments in Torremolinos, Spain, from €339pps; Club Praia da Rocha on the Algarve, Portugal, from €319pps; the Oasis Dunas apartments in Fuerteventura, in the Canararies, for €319pps; and Sol Alcudia Centre, in Majorca, for €349pps. 0818-202020, www.panoramaholidays.ie.
Get to the Algarve: €329
Among XL Holidays' June deals from Dublin are the Praia Vau or Alvor Ferrias apartments in the Algarve, Portugal, from €329pps; the Plazamar and Jardin de Playa in Majorca for the same price; and, for €399pps, the Kalina Garden and Wela apartments in Bulgaria. June departures for the Greek islands of Zante (aka Zakinthos), Santorini (aka Thera), Skiathos and Mykonos start at €369pps. 01-8147500, www.xl.com.
Apartments in May: from €239
Shandon Travel in Cork has some great offers for May. A week self-catering in Zante (aka Zakinthos), in Greece, from €239pps; Majorca from €349pps; Portugal from €299pps; Salou, in Spain, from €269pps; and Bulgaria from €349pps. 021-4277094, www.shandontravel.ie.
Apartments in Spain: €259pps
Sunworld's offers for June include the Los Hibiscos apartments in Lanzarote, the Bahía Pollensa in Majorca and the Oasis Park in Menorca, all from €259pps for a week's self-catering; plus Club Sitar in Alanya, Turkey, from €389pps. www.sunworld.ie and your local travel agent.
Five-star stay in Barcelona: €155
If you have nothing booked for the bank-holiday weekend, and can get flights to Barcelona, then the Richard Rogers-designed five-star Hesperia Tower Hotel is offering reduced rates for
May 1st-5th of €155 per night per room for bed and breakfast, including shuttle transfer from the airport. Details on www.ghotw.com/ offers.aspx.
A scare from Disney: €739
Halloween may be ages away, but you might want to consider what could be a great party at Disneyland in Paris. Two nights, with three-day park tickets, for two adults and two children up to the age of seven will cost from €739 for a family staying at the Newport Bay Hotel. Halloween-party tickets are €29 per person. Details from Breakaway Tours on 01-6079999, www.breakaway.ie.
HOME BREAKS
Dodge it all at the lodge: from €199pps
Delphi Lodge, in Leenane,
Co Galway, is in the heart of some of the most beautiful scenery on this island, and a good place to get away from it all. Two nights with dinner one night cost from €199 per person sharing, or three nights with two dinners from €299 per person sharing. 095-42222, www.delphilodge.ie.
Painting in the Burren: two-day course for €199
Burren Painting Centre, which is in its 35th year, has announced its courses for this year. Running until the end of August, they cover a variety of styles, from land- and seascapes to botanical paintings in watercolours, oils and pastels. Two-day courses cost from €199 in May and June, including B&B. Programmes from Burren Painting Centre, Lisdoonvarna,
Co Clare, 065-7074208, www.burrenpaintingcentre.com.
Watercolours in Barrow Valley: from €150
At the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains, in the lovely Barrow Valley, Mairead Holohan will be teaching painting in watercolours and acrylics for beginners and intermediates. Two-day weekend courses from €150; five days from €300. Full-board accommodation is available in nearby Mulvarra House from €73.50 per day. Details from 051-424570 and www.paintingholidaysireland.com.
Explore Galway: €239 for two
The two-for-one midweek special at Hotel Meyrick, on Eyre Square in Galway, is a great opportunity to explore the city. Two nights' B&B and dinner for one night in the Oyster Bar and Grill cost from €239 for two. 091-564041, www.hotelmeyrick.ie.
Irish courses: from €140
Travel to Glencolumbkille, in Co Donegal, for one of Oideas Gael's summer activities. The programme includes not just Irish but also archaeology, pottery, bodhrán playing, dancing and hillwalking. Bilingual courses cost from €90, with accommodation from €50 for a weekend and €175 for a week. 074-9730248, www.oideas-gael.com.