Get more from your visit!

November 2009

Going on holiday is a joy but often it's the interaction with local people that really makes a trip. That's why we have carefully hand-picked experiences which allow you to get more out of where you're visiting. Read on to find out how you can add an experience to ensure you find the real country.

Learn Authentic Greek Cuisine in Tolon

Away from the beautiful beaches is a traditional side of Greece which is sometimes overlooked. Our Greek cookery excursion is a hands-on experience -cooking traditional dishes while providing a true insight into Greek family life. You'll travel from Tolon on a short trip through the Argolida's beautiful countryside before arriving at a renovated stone farmhouse overlooking olive, lemon and orange groves and with views across to Nafplion Bay.

Here you'll meet Sia, who will welcome you with a glass of fresh lemonade and teach you how to cook authentic Greek dishes with fresh, local ingredients: eggs, milk, aubergines, olives, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and herbs. You'll be following traditional recipes, handed down from mother to daughter over the generations. Be it a perfect Greek salad, lathera (vegetables), dishes using locally made pasta, tender lamb shanks, meat balls or moussaka, you're guaranteed to cook up a feast. But it's not all work in the kitchen; there will also be time to learn backgammon with Sia's husband Yannis, or simply relax on the balcony with a glass of ouzo or wine. Then the table will be set and the culinary efforts enjoyed. You'll leave content and full, with recipes, tips and tricks ensuring you can return to the UK with the knowledge of how to rustle up an authentic Mediterranean meal.

Call for Early Booking Offer 2 weeks for the price of 1*

*Valid for departures before 12Jul & after 22Aug 2010. Book before 28Feb10

Azorean Experience

Take a scenic ride in a horse and carriage to a typical, family-run farm where you can taste a variety of local produce including cheese, marmalade, pate, tea and traditional biscuits. Watch how to make the delicious home-made confectionary bread and, whilst the bread is baking, take a tour of the farm - where you can even milk a cow. A light lunch (soup), using home-grown products, is provided with a chance to taste the fresh bread prepared earlier.

After lunch visit Farol da Ferraria - the largest lighthouse in the Azores - and gain an insight into the lives of the men and women who manage these amazing structures. The Azorean Experience will highlight aspects of the Azores that are not to be missed. The Azorean Experience costs £63 per person.

Special Offer on a 7 night cottage stay at Quinta dos Curubas in the beautiful bay of Vila Franca do Campo on scenic Sao Miguel in the Azores. Price now £515 per person (two sharing) - saving £68 pp - including flights from Gatwick (Manchester is a £15 supplement), car hire and 7 nights' self-catering. *Feb, Mar and Apr departures only.

Cyprus Village Inns

A fly-drive allows you to explore the island at your own pace and discover hidden valleys, picturesque villages and historic relics of the past - many of which are on UNESCO's Cultural Heritage list.

Cyprus has a timeless charm and undiscovered beauty which is best experienced on a 2 week fly-drive staying in traditional village inns.  Our suggested village inn itinerary includes 3 nights' Paradisos Hills Hotel in Lysos, 3 nights' Kiniras in Paphos, 2 nights' Little Lodge in Maroni, 3 nights' Andreas and Melanie at Governor's Beach and 3 nights' Linos Inn in Kakopetria. All our village inns can be booked on a fly-drive basis.

Prices from £722 per person for a 14 night village inn itinerary based on January departures. The price includes accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, return flights and car hire.

Early booking offers

Book before 31 Dec09

Visit the Galapagos Islands but stay on land!

Combine this with a 2, 3 or 4 night privately guided walking tour of Isabela Island, perhaps cross the equatorial line, walk to the second largest volcano crater in the world or visit a sea lion breeding area. You certainly won't miss out being based on land, as 60% of the Galapagos' flora and fauna occurs on Isabela Island. You can also snorkel - with possible sightings of rays, marine turtles, marine iguana & penguins. Prices from £1,035 per person.  The price includes 2 nights accommodation on a half board basis, daily guided walks and return internal flights from the mainland.

Galapagos Cruise Special Offer £3,487 pp* - Save £930 *Valid for Jan, Feb & early Mar departures, excl.  international flights

Book before 30Nov09

The Rota do Fresco project -  Alentejo, Portugal

The Rota do Fresco project has been set up to increase awareness of the many cultural treasures to be found throughout the Alentejo. These routes enable you to enjoy the natural and cultural heritage of the Alentejo, helping to preserve the local heritage (fresco wall paintings, museums, renovated chapels and churches) whilst allowing sustainable development. Rota do Fresco experiences are a good way to enjoy traditional and local life in the form of hands-on workshops. Try your hand at bread making, weaving, understanding herbs, sweet making and even fresco wall painting! A tailor made self-drive itinerary can follow these routes and incorporate one or several Rota do Fresco experiences.

The Hotel M'Ar de Ar Muralhas, centrally located within the ancient 14th century city walls of Evora, is an ideal base from which to explore the cultural heritage of the Alentajo. Prices from £719 per person. The price includes 7 nights' accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis (2 sharing a standard room), flights to Lisbon with Tap Portugal and Group A car hire. Prices for local activities are on request.

A Glass of Port, Porto in Portugal

Porto is the capital of Portugal's northern wine growing region. With daily flights it makes a great short break destination - especially for port wine lovers! On the banks of the meandering Douro, Portugal's longest river, are terraces lined with vineyards and wine estates producing the famous port wine. While exploring the area ensure you visit the Port Wine Academy. This experience offers the opportunity to sample gourmet appetizers accompanied by different varieties of port - an ideal way to learn about and appreciate this world famous wine.

Centrally located within the Douro Valley, the Casa de Casal de Loivos is an ideal base from which to explore this fascinating region. Prices from £600 per person. The price includes 7 nights' accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis (2 sharing a standard room), flights to Porto with TAP Portugal and Group A car hire. Prices for local activities are on request.

Lodge Trek to Machu Picchu

This small group trek follows one of Peru's ancient Inca trails, the quiet Salkantay route, through the Cordillera Vilcabamba mountains. The trail takes you through mountain scenery, past glacier lakes and over high passes.  Each evening you can relax in traditional-style lodges with en suite facilities, comfortable beds and good food. For your final night you'll stay at a hotel in Aguas Calientes (the small town below Machu Picchu) before entering the magical Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. 

Special Offer price from £2,714 per person (two sharing) including return international flights, transfers, 6 nights' full-board on the trek (5 nights' lodge, 1 night Aguas Calientes hotel), guide, 1 night's B&B in Lima and 3 nights' B&B in Cusco.  Book before 31Dec09 for departures until 15Apr10.

Farm stay in Sicily

Azienda Fattoria Mosé in Agrigento has been the country home of the Agnello family since the 1800s. A stay here offers a real sense of rural Sicilian life. The farm covers 50-hectares of countryside and the farmhouse is surrounded by fruit orchards. Guests are served breakfast at the long table in Mrs Agnello's kitchen, featuring local and home produce including fresh ricotta cheese, homemade preserves of cherry, apricot, plum and orange, figs, fresh eggs and wonderful crusty bread. Main meals cooked with seasonal produce (artichokes, aubergines, courgettes, almonds and pistachio) are served on the terrace under the trees, complemented with plenty of local wine! The farm makes a perfect base to explore the famous Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. Don't forget to sample Azienda Fattoria Mosé olive oil, which they supply to Fortnum and Mason in London.

Prices from £785 per person. Price includes 7 nights accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis (2 sharing a standard room), flight to Catania with British Airways and group A car hire.