Kick off 2018 with a few global travel ideas from around the global – from classical music in the Arctic to humanitarian holidays in Malawi.
Stay in a Manor House – from £159 with Pride of Britain
Pride of Britain Hotels (0800 089 3929) offers an indulgent one-night stay at Buckland Tout-Saints, (main photo) a charming 17th century manor house near Salcombe, set deep in South Devon’s country lanes. An overnight stay costs from £159 total/£80 pp including a glass of bubbly and an indulgent cream tea on arrival, two-course dinner and full English breakfast. Valid on Fridays only, subject to availability.
Scotland in Miniature by Train – from £1,145 pp with McKinlay Kidd
Enjoy a flavour of Scotland’s spectacular lochs, mountains, islands and wildlife on a trip combining Oban, the Isle of Mull, Loch Lomond and the Isle of Arran. Highlights include a ride on the West Highland Line – one of the world’s most iconic rail routes – and a guided wildlife safari on Mull to spot eagles, otters, deer and seals. Scotland in Miniature by Train costs from £1,145 pp (two sharing), including nine nights’ B&B, train travel (Glasgow to Oban, Oban to Loch Lomond & Loch Lomond to Ardrossan), return ferry crossings to Mull and Arran, a wildlife safari, a waterbus trip on Loch Lomond and a RIB excursion from Arran. Departures April-October. Call AITO* member McKinlay Kidd on 0141 308 8009 (www.mckinlaykidd.com). (Image from Visit Scotland).
Humanitarian Malawi holiday – from £2,150 pp with TravelLocal
If you’re travelling to Malawi, you’ll likely want beach time and a safari experience, too, with night game drives and riverboat cruises. But what might be just as important is getting involved with local communities. This 14-day trip features two volunteering project stays – addressing socio-economic conditions encountered by orphaned children and those affected by HIV/AIDS in villages in the foothills of the Zomba Plateau. The cost is from £2,150 pp (two sharing) including accommodation, most meals, transfers, excursions and the services of a local guide. Fights extra. Call TravelLocal on 0117 3257 898.
Summer painting in Tuscany – from £1,560 pp at The Watermill at Posara
Enjoy a relaxed week of painting in rural Tuscany based at a restored Italian watermill near the walled medieval town of Fivizzano. Led by the enthusiastic and encouraging Australian artist Terry Jarvis – Watercolours (and oils, pastels and acrylics) (7-14 July) will equip artists of all levels with tips and techniques to capture local landscapes, townscapes and people with your brush.The price of £1,560 pp (two sharing) includes all tuition, seven nights’ full-board accommodation, drinks, transfers (Pisa) and a mid-week excursion (Luca or the Cinque Terre). Flights extra. Contact The Watermill at Posara on 020 7193 6246.
Architectural wonders of Andalucía – escorted Spain from £1,175 pp with Jules Verne
Travel from the Andalucian coast to the Sierra Nevada mountains, taking in historical and cultural highlights, on this fascinating seven-night tour. Explore Gothic architecture in Seville, stroll around Córdoba’s historic Jewish quarter, enjoy flamenco in Granada and indulge in homemade tapas with locals en route to the seaside city of Almuñécar. Departing February to June, and September & October, A Journey Through Andalucía costs from £1,175 pp (two sharing) including return BA flights (Gatwick), transfers, B&B, two lunches and one dinner, excursions as per the itinerary, and the services of guides and local representatives. Call Jules Verne on 020 3553 3722.
Classical music & spectacular scenery in the Arctic Circle – from £3,125 pp with Kirker
How better to get through a cold, dark January than by dreaming about long, Scandinavian mid-summer days? This , sailing on Fred Olsen’s Black Watch, takes in the dramatic fjords and islands of Norway’s north coast, the Arctic outpost of Spitsbergen and the remote Faroe Islands, accompanied by on-board concerts from the world-class Sacconi Quartet, performed exclusively for Kirker clients. Departing 27 June from Liverpool, the price is from £3,125 pp (two sharing) including full-board accommodation, private drinks parties, all concerts, and the services of a local guide and Kirker Tour Escorts. Call Kirker on 020 7593 2283.
