Well folks, that was a gorgeous weekend wasn’t it? Summer has officially begun and what better way to celebrate it’s arrival than a week devoted to our favourite season. Every day you will find a post with a summer vibe, guaranteed to get you in a holiday mood.
We’re kicking off the week by talking about travel destinations. Charlotte mentioned about her search for the perfect UK family holiday in her post this morning, and this afternoon it’s all about breaks for couples abroad. Does anyone else find the prospect of choosing a holiday destination a bit overwhelming? Even a cheap week away can set you back upwards of £300 per adult so it’s blinking expensive to choose the wrong location.
Today’s Reader Request comes from Tracey and she is in need our help to plan a week in the sun. Over to our intrepid traveller…
‘Hello! My husband and I are hoping to go away on holiday next month for a beach holiday. Our most recent holidays have been travelling round Thailand and snowboarding in Switzerland so we’d prefer somewhere that has a few watersports and other sights to keep us entertained.
We’re open to flying up to six hours to get to our destination and are fairly easy on the accommodation. However I do think I’d prefer a hotel over self catering. We both like to have a few cocktails so we’d like to be at least a taxi ride away from nice bars and restaurants. It’s fair to say we have a modest budget so nothing overly luxurious but nothing too basic either!
Thanks!
Now Tracey already has quite a few stamps on her passport having visited South Africa, Cuba, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey and Florida in the last few years so it’s clear she likes to take in the culture when she’s on her jolly-days. She’s also mentioned that she’d prefer a more couple-centric area away from larger groups so they can both have some well deserved R&R.
My first thought for Tracey was to recommend Croatia. I went there last year and loved it; loads of history, beautiful architecture, good food and very reasonable prices. We stayed near Zadar though and one thing this town doesn’t have to offer is a glorious beach. In fact we spent most of the week sunbathing on a concrete ledge. However this doesn’t rule out some of Croatia’s more well-known resorts so I’d love it if you would share any of your recommendations.
If you have any thoughts on where Tracey and her other half could holiday please drop her a comment below. I know she would love some help with making a decision! (Image by the very talented Gray Malin.)
oooh yes Lauren Croatia is amazing! We travelled from Dubrovnik to Hvar and Korcula then to Split. The islands are super lovely with beaches and actually quite affordable. Some luxury hotels and some nice B&Bs. I would say its one of the best holidays I’ve been on.
I’ve heard fab things about Hvar. I’d love to go back to Croatia so it’s definitely on my must-visit list. Let’s hope we can convince Tracey!
I would vote for Croatia as well. We had a fab honeymoon there last year.
We stayed on an island called Lopud for a few days, which is an hour or so away from Dubrovnik and has a sand beach. It’s very low key and chilled. There was one hotel on the island plus a few much smaller and more basic accommodation options. We didn’t stay in the hotel, but we went there for a cocktail a couple of times and it looked lovely. The island isn’t huge, so nice for a quiet few days but paired with a few days in Dubrovnik and you have the perfect combo of city and beach! We loved it!
K x
Eeeeep – glad to hear it’s good Victoria is that is the Croatia trip that my husband and I will be taking in September!
At first I was going to suggest Dalyan in Turkey – gorgeous little town on the banks of a river – you can take the boat to a huge, world heritage beach (turtles lay their eggs there so it’s super clean) or to the fresh water lake which has villages and markets round the edge. There are mud baths and Roman ruins – it’s an amazingly beautiful place!
But if Turkey is a no then Sicily is also a recommendation – food, beaches, sun! It’s phenomenal!
Bryony, it really is a lovely place. Korcula was my favourite – two amazing resturants on the sea wall Filippi Restaurant and the other is Lesic Dimitri Terrace. The waiters are so good with their wine suggestions too – Croatian wine is amazing, who knew?! And there’s a cocktail bar in a tower further round the walls where they pulley your drinks up. So fun!
In Hvar, there’s a cool beach (rocky not sandy) called Hula Hula with nice sunloungers and a bar. Another amazing resturant here called Divino right overlooking the sea.
In Dubrovnik there’s a bar out on the rocks called Buza – worth a trip.
We really relied on Tripadvisor – it was our go-to-guide and worked a treat.
Victoria, as you mentioned wine – Croatia will be high on my list to start with!
I agree about Trip Advisor – we used it so much when we went to Thailand on our honeymoon last year.
Bryony I went to Sicily a few years ago and absolutely loved it.
You are going to love Croatia! x
Croatia seems to be very popular Lauren. We will look at this at the weekend and may be convinced. Thank you xx
The RMS readers are a very helpful bunch aren’t they? Let us know how you get on my lovely x
Eek, exciting. I think one should either be on holiday or planning a holiday all the time!
6 hours away and sunny – I can think of:
Madeira – I had a lovely time in Madeira when I went a couple of years ago – there’s lots to do, gorgeous scenery, nice weather. We stayed at Quinta da Bela Vista which I’d highly recommend. There’s also plenty of, um, Madeira to drink.
Oman – I haven’t been there yet but it’s on my “To See” list. I’ve heard amazing things, it’s meant to be really stunning.
Dubai – For somewhere a bit more on the beaten track, Dubai is an oldie but a goodie. I think it’s a bit lacking in warmth but it’s got loads to offer, including sun and beaches. It’s also super easy to get too (SO many flights there every day) and there are good deals to be had.
Santorini – I’ve not been but it’s not my “To See” list also! Every photo I’ve ever seen looks gorgeous and everyone I know has only nice things to say.
Croatia – another vote for this place, it’s such a beauty! We travelled from Split to Hvar to Korcula and ended up in Dubrovnik…all in one week. Was absolutely stupendous, sooo close to the UK (3 hours flight?!) and completely stunning.
Amazing suggestions Kate. I want to go on all these holidays immediately. I would never have thought of Oman, but now you mention it, I remember someone going a few years ago and raving about it.
Thank you for your suggestions Kate, they all sound lovely. Santorini is on my “must see” list too. The photos do look amazing.
I would say any of the Greek Islands. We went to Santorini for our first holiday together and it was just perfect. It really is a beautiful island, but can be really touristy in the height of summer. We went to Mykonos for our honeymoon and again had the perfect break. We stayed at the Mykonos Grace and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. It is out of the way but close enough to Hora for bars and restaurants and it has the most amazing rooftop pool/restaurant. They also have a sister hotel on Santorini which has just been listed as having one of the world’s best infinity pools.
I’m a real history nerd so Greece is ideal for me, but the islands also have some spectacular beaches and scenery.
I should just add, that the Grace hotels aren’t particularly cheap (it was our honeymoon), but there are loads of other cheaper hotels in the area. We stayed at the Veggera in Perissa when we went to Santorini. It was basic (like most Greek hotels), but it was clean and well maintained. It’s also right on the beach.
Big tick for a hotel right on the beach Alex, it sounds like heaven.
Thank you AlexH. Santorini and Mykonos both sound amazing. The hubby loves looking round historical sites too so he would love it!
Hi Tracey, I would second Mykonos, we went for Honeymoon and it’s a beautiful island. We stayed at Bill & Coo which was rather pricey but as Alex said above there are lots of lovely more reasonable alternatives.
Also Soller in Majorca ia amazing, there is a huge cobbled square with shops, cafes and restaurants, you can get a tram to the port which is about 5 mins away – more restaurants and bars! and even an old fashioned train to Palma which is just an hour for amazing shopping. We didn’t need a single taxi whilst we were there. Flights can be reasonable and there are often last minute hotel deals, we stayed at http://www.cascurial.com which was beautiful.
Good Luck! x
I was going to suggest Soller too. We stayed in Port Du Soller (the port mentioned above) and it is beautiful, with clean sandy beaches, azure water and huge yachts in the marina. It rivals any global long-haul destination with its chic cafes and restaurants. There’s loads to do in the area (Mr. Nice Out is certainly not one for lazing around on the beach) and if you fancy really maxing out, there’s the mega-luxe Jumeirah 6-star hotel (as well as loads of other places to choose from). My favorite European destination by far.
Also loved Soller – such a wonderful place! Would love to return one day!
Soller sounds absolutely stunning. Love that you get long-haul chic closer to home.
Thank you ladies. I have never heard of Soller in Majorca but… (after a quick search on google images), it looks beautiful. Charlotte – that hotel looks gorgeous, I will add that to the list and Phillipa – I really like the sound of the 6 star hotel! x
Wow!! Thank you so much for your suggestions, that will definitely help my husband and I choose and give us somewhere to start as there are so many places to go, I was really struggling to start my search.
Santorini would get my vote! Holidayed there last year and it was simply breathtaking.
We were budget conscious during this trip, but wanted to stay in ‘the’ place with the views, Oia. We stayed at a little hotel called Strogili and we weren’t disappointed – our balcony had the most magical view, our apartment was spacious, clean and well located. The breakfasts were incredible and the hospitality was second to none! Definitely worth a look if you fancy Santorini in style without blowing the budget!
I’ve always fancied Santorini but have been put off by the sky high prices. I’m most definitely taking a look at this hotel Katie! x
A left-field suggestion, but I always recommend Jordan. I went a few years ago and it is breathtaking! There are beach resorts in Acquaba – but really you want to travel up and down the country. Luxurious hotels at the Dead Sea; the incredible Petra; and then an overnight Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum desert. It was without doubt the best holiday I’ve ever had.
I have just returned from the most amazing few days in Hvar, Croatia. Highly recommended. We stayed at Amfora Beach Resort. Such a beautiful place and relatively untouched so get there soon before it becomes a tourist trap!
I would highly recommend Palermo in Sicily. It was beautiful and not far from Pompei with beautiful beaches and great weather. Unfortunately, I don’t think it has much to offer for watersports. The Sicilian food is delicious and the people are extremely nice to look at! I recently found out about Catacombe dei Cappuccini which is a burial catacomb containing hundreds of preserved bodies of the people of Palermo. I’m upset I missed it although understandably not for everyone! Have a lovely trip 🙂
Hi Anna, great recommendation. I went to Palermo a few years ago and loved it. I agree the people were very beautiful! x