Mark Warner has been the topic of conversation a lot recently. But what’s the appeal of their holidays and are they right for you? We take a look at the most frequently asked questions.
From the fascinating and quirky to the weird and wonderful, here’s our pick of the top most unusual places to stay. Featuring glass igloos, treerooms and an underwater hotel.
With the New Year upon us, it’s time to check out what’s on offer in 2016 and firm up those travel plans. We’re definitely in the adventurous camp although having a 5 year old in tow does mean the days of sleeping the jungle, trekking over molten rock and walking behind waterfalls are behind us. For the time being anyway!
The Telegraph Travel Show, in association with Dubai & Emirates, takes place from the 8th to the 10th of January at ExCeL in London. It provides the opportunity to immerse ourselves in what the world has to offer whether it’s exploring an incredible rainforest, sipping cocktails in a trendy city or booking that once in a lifetime trip. The Telegraph Travel Show provides superb destinations, insider travel tips in the talks theatres plus you can meet travel experts in the Travel Genius Bar.
The most well renowned place for street art is around Brick Lane and Shoreditch. This part of East London is a mecca for talent with artists travelling there from all over the world. Banksy, Roa, Stik, Malarky, Dscreet, Jim Vision and D*Face are just a few of the names associated with the area. There are truly incredible pieces to be found and, while organised tours are available, I took to the streets with my camera with a view to capturing some of the creativity.
The Côte d’Opale is just a 15 minute drive away when you emerge from Eurotunnel onto the continent. Named after the beautiful sea colour the area now offers visitors wonderful views back to Blighty, beautiful French seaside towns to explore and fantastic seafood sample. It was once famed as Germany’s starting point for the invasion of England, ‘Operation Sea Lion’ in World War II. Thankfully Hitler changed his mind about invading and postponed the operation indefinitely in September 1940.
I recently spent a fabulous weekend in North Devon courtesy of holidaycottages.co.uk. Our accommodation was Lympscott Barn which is one of their larger properties set in a 300 acre dairy farm. Situated just a few miles from Kilkhampton and Bradworthy, it is perfectly positioned for exploring the likes of Summerleaze beach in Bude and Tamar Lakes.
Zermatt is nestled in the shadow of the Matterhorn and the perfect destination for a fantastic ski holiday, on and off Piste. The town is 1,620 m (5,310 ft), and lies about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the over 10,800 ft (3,291.84 m) high Theodul Pass bordering Italy. With no cars allowed you can explore the snow covered streets with ease and drink in the atmosphere of this quintessentially Swiss resort.
The historic Cervione is a little known village in Corsica, located just half an hour from Bastia. From the magnificent bell tower to the stone houses with wooden shutters, cobbled streets and quirky cafes, it’s an enchanting place to visit. The views are so astonishing, they almost take your breath away. It’s no wonder this hidden gem was nicknamed the balcony by the sea.
Mark Warner makes everything so easy. From checking in, the BA chartered flight and the transfer the other end to the array of activities available on resort and of course the childcare. Earlier this year, we had our first family holiday with Mark Warner at the Levante Beach Resort in Rhodes, Greece. We’d never put POD in childcare on holiday before but a few hours each morning meant we could finally dust down the rackets. The POD Father even dilly dallied with sailing although it was short-lived – simply because we ran out of time.
To date we’ve had four holidays with Mark Warner and have enjoyed the fabulous tennis set up each time. Before POD came along, we played several times a week and we’d be on court come rain or shine. We drew the line at ice although we did have a memorable and very slippery attempt!
As a couple we loved the academy course and classic tennis course Mark Warner offered at San Agostino and Lakitira in Greece. We also got to play each other and join the social tennis on offer at the back end of every day. The Mark Warner model works well for us as it means we can partake in a sport we love and combine it with exploring the local area or relaxing by the pool. Being active meant we were able to enjoy the food and drink excesses a holiday brings without all the guilt too. We also found ourselves meeting lots of people who share our love of tennis – and mojitos!
