Start planning your next holiday: 12 ideas for 2020
There’s no denying it, summer is over. So what’s the best way to cope with chill winds and disappearing daylight? Start planning your next travels, of course. Here’s a dozen great holiday ideas from the team at 101 Holidays.
Canary Islands with a difference
Escape the crowds in the Canary Islands this winter on the beautiful unspoilt island of La Palma. Overlooking the beach in the capital Santa Cruz, the boutique Hotel Emblematico has recently been converted from a historic building and is close to the authentic Old Town. Seven nights B&B with flights and private transfers starts at £560 pp. Details: Cachet Travel.
England cricket tour of Sri Lanka
England’s cricketers head to Sri Lanka in March 2020 for a two-Test series. It’s peak season, with perfect weather, though hotel rooms may be hard to find. You can bag a place now on a week-long trip including flights, hotel, transport, local experiences and tickets to all five days of one match, for just £1,995 pp. Details: Experience Travel Group.
If you want to get off the beaten track in Sri Lanka, this 15-day tailor-made tour offers plenty of new experiences including a three-day live-aboard catamaran cruise around Palk Bay. Prices from £3,995 pp. Details: Transindus.
Live it up in Lefkas
There’s a new opening on the lovely Greek island of Lefkas. The Katouna Suites is an adults-only hotel with eye-popping views, infinity pool and ten luxurious suites. Nightly rates from just £110 B&B. Details: i-escape.
Christmas tour of Italy and Austria
Do something different this Christmas and New Year, and join a 10-night group tour of Verona & The Austrian Tyrol departing 23 December. The trip includes visits to Bolzano’s Christmas market, Innsbruck, Munich and Salzburg, the alpine resort of Kitzbühel and Kufstein Fortress. It costs from £1,999 including flights, half-board, Christmas Day lunch and New Year’s Eve gala dinner. Details: Travelsphere.
Christmas boating on the Broads
Spend Christmas cruising on the Norfolk Broads. Waterways Holidays has new trips from the quaint village of Horning throughout the winter, including four nights from 23 December on White Emblem (sleeps 3) for £514. You need some boating experience. If you’ve not done it before, check out these options.
Luxury barge cruise in Provence
Join a new cruise of Provence on a luxury barge between Avignon and Marseillan. The six-night trip travels through some of the most beautiful countryside in France on the Hotel Barge Anjodi which sleeps just eight passengers. The cruise departs 5 July and 25 October 2020 and includes all gourmet meals, fine wines, open bar, daily escorted excursions and private transfers. It costs from £3,890 pp. Details: European Waterways.
Explore Hungary by boat
How about a boating holiday in Hungary with family or friends? New for summer 2020, you can hire your own canal boat and explore unspoilt countryside in either Hortobágy National Park or the Tokaj region where you’ll pass through the famous vineyards at the foot of the Zemplén mountains. Prices for a boat sleeping six start from €863 for a weekend break or €1,726 for a week. Details: Nicols Boating Holidays.
Explore Sicily by train
Explore the Baroque Riches of Sicily on a new self-guided rail tour of the dazzling cities and towns of eastern Sicily, staying in elegant hotels in Ragusa, Noto, Siracusa and Catania, where you can take the Circumetnea train into the lava fields circling Mount Etna. It costs from £735 pp with B&B, route notes and maps, excluding flights. Details: Inntravel.
Golf and whisky cruise in Scotland
If you love Scotland, golf and whisky, this one is for you. St Hilda Sea Adventures has a new 8-night cruise of the Inner Hebrides featuring some of the world’s best links courses, plus visits to distilleries and wildlife sightings at sea. First departure is 26 April 2020. Details here.
Join an epic journey across Africa
If you have some time on your hands, you could join a 44-day Mara to Cape Town journey by truck across East and Southern Africa. Highlights include the Masai Mara, Serengeti National Park, Zanzibar, Kruger National Park, Etosha National Park, the Okavango Delta and wine tasting in South Africa. Departures start in February 2020. Prices from £5,241. Details: Tucan Travel.
Ultimate luxury cruise in Vietnam
Vietnam’s Halong Bay is one of the country’s most popular sights, but you can now escape the crowds on a new boutique cruise aboard the Ylang in nearby Lan Ha Bay. The boat has just ten suites and represents the height of luxury. You can include it in this 10-day ultimate tour of Vietnam from £3,650 pp including flights. Details: Fleewinter.
