The Travel Gurus
We take the hassle out of your holiday planning
Dear Karen,
Thank you for asking the Travel Gurus to organise your holiday.
We have provided our options based on your requirements:
- A 40th
birthday celebration for your husband on Friday 5th
– Sunday 7th
May
- Strongly activity based, especially walking and watersports
- Some opportunity for good food
- Near or easily accessible to home to return if necessary for your children
- Mobile phone reception
- Budget £1000
We have three recommendations for you, along with our special Travel Guru
Twist. This incorporates some of your requirements, but is something just a
little bit different...
If you have any questions about our recommendations please just drop us a line
at [email protected] and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
We’re sure that at least one of these will hit the holiday spot for you. But if
nothing grabs you let us know and we’ll provide one more recommendation.
Please note these are recommendations and we advise you to contact the
owner/provider directly to confirm details and ask any questions you may have.
Happy holiday choosing!
The Travel Gurus’ Holiday Recommendations
For the Maslen Weekend Break, May 2017
Recommendation 1
Austwick, Yorkshire Dales
We know you like hiking and climbing, so the Dales is a great destination for
you. And the accommodation we’ve chosen for you – The Traddock in Austwick
– caters specifically for walkers.
But The Traddock is no bare mountain hut – it’s a chic but cosy country hotel
with an award-winning restaurant. The package we suggest is for dinner, bed
and breakfast, but you could stay more cheaply by eating out. The Game Cock
Inn – just around the corner – is very good, or there’s two Indian restaurants
down the road in Giggleswick.
Activity-wise, there are some great and well-recognised walks right on your
doorstep here. These include the route up to Crummack Dale, which treats you
to some of the best views in the Dales.
We’ve also spoken to The Traddock, who tell us that if you send details of the
type of walk you’d like to do then they can organise a route and maps for you.
They can also organise a host of other activities, including caving, climbing,
canoeing and mountain biking.
Or – if you’d rather go further afield – you could try How Stean Gorge over in
Nidderdale. This is a spectacular limestone ravine that is perfect for activity
junkies, where you can try gorge walking, ghyll scrambling, climbing and many
other activities.
If you have a bit of time on your way up to the Dales or going home, we also
heartily recommend a short diversion through the Forest of Bowland. It’s an
area that – sandwiched as it is between the Lakes and the Dales – is somewhat
overlooked. But it’s a beautiful place and also remarkably quiet. Well worth a
look if you have time.
Vital statistics
Travel – by car, journey time approx. 4.5 hours
Accommodation price – £450 for two nights - dinner, bed and breakfast
(through hotel website)
Pros
In the UK and travel by car so independent
Very activity focussed
Cons
A longish drive
The Dales can be busy, even in May
Testimonials/Reviews
“I did the abseiling and gorge walking and what an experience. I sat in
waterfalls, jumped into pools, scrambled through caves and walked through the
cool water. I would recommend this experience for anybody.”
How Stean Gorge – via TripAdvisor
“We enjoyed a lovely relaxed stay at this very comfortable hotel. Our room in
particular was beautiful, very traditional but oozed charm and character with an
absolute sumptuous bathroom. We stayed on a dinner, bed and breakfast deal
and I personally think it was excellent value for money.”
The Traddock – via TripAdvisor
The Travel Gurus’ Holiday Recommendations
For the Maslen Weekend Break, May 2017
Recommendation 2
San Sebastian, Northern Spain
You mentioned good food, good weather and watersports to us and this, is why
we suggest San Sebastian. It’s heaven for all three! It’s also absolutely beautiful.
Food-wise, you have the Michelin-starred heights of world famous restaurants
such as Arzak and Akelarre, but also hundreds of bars serving the famous
Basque-country ‘pinxtos’ – delicious little snacks held together by toothpicks.
There are few better ways to spend an evening than a pinxtos bar crawl!
But we know you want some activity to go with your food, so we suggest that
you try the very highly-rated San Sebastian hiking tour provided by Urban
Adventures. This takes you up on part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route,
where you’ll enjoy a spectacular clifftop walk before stopping for lunch and
wine in a little village up the coast. You then return to San Sebastian on public
transport.
There are plenty of other activities on offer, particularly water-borne ones as
San Sebastian has four beautiful beaches. The surf is great and so windsurfing
and surfing are big favourites here – with lots of companies offering private
lessons.
For your accommodation, we’ve chosen Villa Soro – a majestic 19th
century
townhouse situated just outside the centre. The rooms are spacious and
luxurious and there’s a seriously cosy bar, with log fire, for relaxing. The hotel
also provides bikes, if you want to see the city from your saddle. It’s a 15-
minute walk or short taxi hop into the centre, but we’ve deliberately chosen a
hotel away from things as San Sebastian can be a little frenzied at night!
There are no direct flights to San Sebastian from the UK, so you fly into Bilbao,
which is an hour away by road. Buses run every hour from the airport to San
Sebastian city centre.
There are several flights each day back to the UK, if necessary.
Vital statistics
Accommodation Price – From €464 (£400) for a double room for two nights
(through hotel website)
Flight Price - £234 for two return flights (excluding baggage costs)
Total price - £634
Flight Info (provided by Skyscanner):
- Airline – British Airways (Heathrow to Bilbao)
- Outbound - Depart 15.45. Arrive 18.50. Inbound – Depart 12.20. Arrive 13.15
Pros
Good weather
Great watersports
Foodie paradise
A little bit different from England!
Cons
Need to fly there and not in the same country as the family
Need to take bus/taxi rom Bilbao to San Sebastian
Testimonials/Reviews
“I took a half-day hike of the Camino de Santiago through San Sebastián Urban
Adventures, and am I very glad that I did. Our guide, Tomasz, was fantastic - he
was friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. We hiked about 8 km out of San
Sebastián to Pasaia de San Pedro, and the views along the way were simply
breath-taking.”
Urban Adventure hiking tour - via TripAdvisor
“Everything was wonderful. The location outside the hubbub of San Sebastian
was perfect for relaxing and still an easy walk into town. The service was
excellent. The property is lovely. The rooms and the entire hotel are beautiful and
comfortable.”
Villa Soro – via TripAdvisor
The Travel Gurus’ Holiday Recommendations
For the Maslen Weekend Break, May 2017
Recommendation 3
Rutland, England
Perhaps not the most exotic destination. But, if you want to be closer to home
and nearer to your children just in case (we know how you feel!) this is great.
It’s just a couple of hours away from you, via the A14 and A1.
And Rutland – England’s smallest county - is a beautiful, quiet and enticing area
featuring some of the most unspoilt countryside in the UK. Being here is almost
like stepping back in time, with picture perfect villages, woods, meadows and
rivers. This is countryside like it used to be and this makes for some lovely
walking routes.
Yet activity junkies are also well catered for thanks to Rutland Water – a huge
lake that dominates the county. Here you’ll find plenty in the way of
watersports - such as sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing – on offer. If you
want someone to organise it all for you, try Adventure Rutland – a local
company who do the whole range of watersports, as well as hiking and
mountain biking.
Where we recommend you stay – the Olive Branch – is just gorgeous. Nestled at
the end of a leafy lane in the pretty village of Clipsham, it offer a choice of
elegantly-themed rooms. The food is equally excellent and the pub has held a
Michelin star. If you don’t like the look of the menu, there are plenty of other
good dining pubs nearby, or a wider choice of restaurants just down the road in
Oakham.
Perk Alert!
As a Travel Gurus client, the Olive Branch are offering you these discounted
rates for your dates:
Superior Room - £350
Standard Room - £300
Small Room (with shower, no bath) - £250
Vital statistics
Travel – by car, journey time approx. 2 hours
Accommodation price – From £320 for two nights bed and breakfast.
Pros
Nearby and travel by car so independent
Beautiful, unspoilt countryside
Cons
Perhaps a bit close to home
Testimonials/Reviews
“The Olive branch and Beech House pay close attention to detail that makes the
difference between somewhere to eat and stay and a pleasurable experience. We
come here regularly and are never disappointed.”
The Olive Branch – via TripAdvisor
The Travel Gurus’ Twist
This is our gift to you – a suggestion that takes in some of your requirements to
offer you something just a little bit different…
Lake Bled, Slovenia
This may be a bit further than you were planning to travel, but Slovenia is still
just two hours from the UK.
And where we suggest – Lake Bled – is well worth the trip. It’s arguably the most
stunning part of a beautiful country. This emerald-green lake is fringed by the
Julian Alps and regularly tops lists of the most scenic destinations in the world.
A Disney-esque church is perched on an island at the centre of the lake, whilst a
huge castle towers majestically from a crag-side at one end.
In short, it’s gorgeous.
It’s also ideal for an active holiday, as you have walking, climbing and
watersports opportunities on your doorstep. You could also try out the locals’
favourite sport of tubing, which is flying down the mountain streams on
inflated inner tubes!
Obviously, you haven’t got much time so you may want to tee up your activities
before you go. We’ve heard good things about the guys at 3 Glav Adventures,
who can organise everything from hiking to canoeing to skydiving for you.
There most popular activity is the Emerald River Adventure – an action-packed
day where you explore all the most beautiful places around Triglav National
Park and Julian Alps and have the opportunity to go hiking, swimming and
rafting. It has sensational reviews on TripAdvisor – in fact, we’ve never seen
better.
Back in Bled, you are also spoilt for places to eat and drink, as it’s a major
tourist hotspot. It should, however, be relatively quiet in early May.
For accommodation, we suggest Villa Preseren, which is on the waterfront just
under the castle. It’s a boutique hotel with a terrace restaurant, so you’ve got
somewhere on your doorstep to eat. It’s not massively luxurious but is a great
location.
You fly in to Ljubljana, then it’s about 40 minutes by car or taxi to the lake.
There are two flights each day back to the UK, if necessary.
Perk Alert!
3 Glav Adventure are offering you, as a Travel Gurus client, a 5% discount on air
activities (Paragliding, Ballooning and Skydiving) and a 10% discount on all
other activities.
Vital statistics
Travel – by plane and taxi/car/bus
Flight Info (provided by Skyscanner):
- Airline – Easyjet (Stansted to Ljubljana)
- Outbound - Depart 13.05. Arrive 16.10. Inbound – Depart 16.45. Arrive 18.00
(We realise the return flight is later than your requested return time of 4pm.
However, if that’s an issue, you could get a return flight to a different airport -
Luton - via a Wizz Air flight that departs at 11.20 and gets in at 12.45.)
£211 for two return flights (excluding baggage costs)
Accommodation – £293 – One-bedroom apartment for two nights bed and
breakfast, via booking.com
Total cost - £504
Pros
Stunning scenery
Wide range of activities
Cons
Food, although in plentiful supply, has a reputation for being a little ‘hearty’ –
not much finesse here!
Testimonials/Reviews
“We did the Emerald River Adventure and it was amazing, the guide Jaka was
really enthusiastic, informative and friendly. The lady in the office was extremely
friendly and helpful too. I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.”
3 Glav Adventures – via TripAdvisor
“If you are looking for a nice and lovely place to stay for a day or even longer,
then I would totally pick this one again. Awesome location near the lake. 5
minute walk away from the beach. Great rooms and service.”
Vila Preseren – via TripAdvisor