1/28/2011 07:32:00 am | 
Posted by
Jemma Marke and Sue Arscott
Destination:
Corfu
Depart:
Gatwick
Dates / Times:
Departing 08/05/2011
Returning 16/05/2011
Duration:
8 Nights
Staying in:
Sailors Apartments
Star Rating:
3
Room Type:
Standard
Board Basis:
SC
Description:
The facilities available for guests includes a swimming pool, sun loungers and parasols (local charge) and a pool bar which serves snack. Bars, clubs and restaurants are all within walking distance and there is a variety of water sports available at the beach.
There are 18 apartments which are simply furnished and are provided with twin beds, a private bathroom, kitchenette, air conditioning (local charge) and a balcony or terrace. Maid service is provided 6 times a week.
To book this offer, call us on
0182 347 8305
and quote reference no: 978844-HAY
Prices are subject to change and availability. Hays Travel reserve the right to withdraw promotional prices at any time. All prices are based on maximum occupancy in standard rooms.
Labels:
When a gooey-eyed couple sits down in front of me and utters the word ‘honeymoon’ the pressure is on to come up with something special.
The good news is that if my lovebirds are looking for luxury and pampering but lack the five-star budget, they may still be in luck thanks to the abundance of special offers and great value deals currently on offer.
Hit the Med
According to Mathilde Robert, managing director of Planet Holidays, some short-haul options such as Greece can offer just as much romance and luxury as long-haul escapes. Moreover, she points to the fact that many Greek hoteliers haven’t increased their prices for 2011. “One of our top-selling honeymoon destinations is Crete, which has many five-star resorts,” says Robert.
Couples can pay as little as £1,499 to stay in a Royal Villa in the grounds of Aldemar’s Knossos Royal hotel, in Hersonissos. Loved up guests can choose to have a massage in the comfort of their own space, and dinner on their 
Another good-value destination that appeals to all age groups is Cyprus. “My personal favourite is the Four Seasons in Limassol,” says Robert. “Even the standard double rooms have a Jacuzzi bath big enough for two.” Seven nights’ half board costs from £937.
For something smaller and more boutique she recommends the Londa Beach Hotel, also in Limassol, where the honeymoon suite boasts a round bed. Prices for March departures start from £614.
Turkey and Egypt
Turkey offers particularly great value and Turkey specialist Anatolian Sky offers a selection of chic hotels in traditional towns beyond the large-scale tourist hubs.
“This year we have some exciting new properties in our portfolio that have particular appeal for honeymooners, such as the 29-room Kanuni Kervansaray – a newly renovated former Ottoman travellers’ inn in Cesme,” says Akin Koc, owner and managing director. A seven-night stay starts from £585.
Egypt is another good bet for honeymooners. One of Planet Holidays’ most popular itineraries combines Cairo and El Soukhna on the Red Sea. Seven nights in June start from £997.
Morocco
For those seeking something different from a classic beach escape, Prestige Holidays is championing Morocco.
“Marrakech is a really vibrant and exciting city; eating out is very reasonable compared to many European destinations and there’s a fantastic range of high quality accommodation,” says David Nash, Prestige’s director of group travel.
“I’d recommend honeymooners stay in Maison Arabe, a delightful riad hidden in a quiet street on the edge of the medina. The property’s beautiful suites include two with Jacuzzis on their large terraces and super views.”
A week in June costs from £726 including British Airways flights, transfers, breakfast and a free hammam at the hotel spa.
Asia
Andrews singles out the luxurious Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo as being especially romantic. “It’s set in 400 lush, tropical acres beside the exquisite Pantai Dalit beach and adjacent to an interactive orang-utan education centre,” she says. Seven nights cost from £1,375 from May until July, with honeymooners receiving a 20% discount on spa treatments.
“Koh Lanta island in Thailand is an up and coming honeymoon destination,” adds Andrews. “The island has wonderful beaches, magical sunsets, great diving and verdant jungle.” A seven-night stay costs from £1,375 for travel between May and June at the Cha-Da Beach Resort & Spa. Honeymooners will receive a free Thai massage.
Indian Ocean
Virgin, Cosmos and Kuoni are all tipping the Indian Ocean as the honeymoon hotspot for 2011.
“As the area has become more developed, competition for customers has increased and hoteliers have lowered prices,” says Hayat Bourner a weddings supervisor at Virgin.
“I’d suggest the Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa in the Maldives. It has water villas and costs from £1,465 all-inclusive for seven nights. It’s fantastic value for money.”
With the launch of its new Maldives and Indian Ocean brochure, Cosmos Distant Dreams is aiming to increase its share of this market. “The brochure features lots of value-added offers for honeymooners,” says product manager David Fraser. “For many, this is the deciding factor when making the all-important decision about where to stay.”
Hoteliers in Mauritius are offering some particularly great deals. Twelve nights’ half-board at the Mövenpick Resort & Spa in May costs from £1,629. Honeymooners receive a 50% discount for the bride, room upgrade (subject to availability) and a candlelit dinner.
Kuoni is tipping Sri Lanka with its ancient cities, jungle and palm-fringed beaches. Top picks include The Fortress, a five-star boutique hotel that boasts a beautiful ocean-front setting. Five nights start from £1,383, and newlyweds are offered extras such as a private four-course dinner, complimentary room up-grade and Champagne cocktail.
Agent tips
“Bali is a romantic destination we’re recommending for honeymoons in 2011. It has superb hotels with fantastic customer service available at great prices. With rich history, stunning scenery, powder-white sandy beaches and amazing sunsets. This mystical island is a true tropical paradise and will enchant honeymooners.”
Bob Martindale, Perfect Weddings & Honeymoons, Staffordshire
“My top tip for great value honeymoons in 2011 is Caribbean cruises as there are so many great offers. Last year the Maldives and the Sandals resorts were our most requested honeymoon destinations. I can’t see this changing for 2011, however I think Dubai is going to give them a close run.”
Ian Inglis, Weddings4u
“For short haul, Cyprus is a top value destination for 2011. Many low-cost carriers fly there so you can keep costs down and accommodation options are varied from intimate boutique-style hotels to private villas and grand five-star luxury, meaning there is something special to suit every couple’s budget.”
Melanie Salt, Wedding & Honeymoon Specialist, Gates Travel, Cumbria
source: www.travelweekly.co.uk
Destination: 
Malta
Depart:
Gatwick
Dates / Times:
Departing 01/02/2011
Returning 08/02/2011
Duration:
7 Nights
Staying in:
The Bugibba Hotel
Star Rating:
3
Room Type:
Standard
Board Basis:
HB
Description:
The Bugibba Hotel (formerly known as St Paul's Bay Hotel - under new management from 2010)Conveniently situated in a quiet part of the popular holiday resort area of Bugibba, in the north of the island of Malta. The complex is less than five minutes walk away from the seafront and the town centre. The Complex has earned a reputation for the high number of return guests, hosted year after year.
Click Here to see more Late Deals.
To book this offer, call us on
0182 347 8305
and quote reference no: 974763-HAY
Prices are subject to change and availability. Hays Travel reserve the right to withdraw promotional prices at any time. All prices are based on maximum occupancy in standard rooms.
Reasons to smile...
Our low low prices are guaranteed on all our holidays, flights and accommodation
As the UK's largest independently owned travel agent we offer holidays from all the major suppliers
Our friendly staff have a wealth of travel knowledge and are waiting to help you build your perfect holiday
Hays Travel, celebrating 30 years of making people smile
For more details or to book call: 0182 347 8305 today
Every bride wants to feel that her special day really is special. And as getting married abroad has become almost commonplace, traditional favourites like beach weddings and ceremonies at local town halls may feel a little pedestrian for some clients.
Celebrities are leading the trend, with Russell Brand and Katy Perry tying the knot at the luxurious safari camp Aman-i-Khas in Rajasthan, and Devil Wears Prada star Emily Blunt getting hitched at Villa D’Este on Lake Como.
Happily, there’s a world of thrilling options out there offering couples something a little bit different. Check out our rundown for some inspiration.
1. Flying high
Where else but in Las Vegas? The bride and groom can soar above the lights of the Strip in a helicopter, make their vows midair and return to earth as a married couple.
Ceremonies start as dusk falls, and the chopper cruises past icons such as the Bellagio, the Venetian, Stratosphere Tower and the space beam of Luxor Pyramid.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Cupid Night Flight from £549, including ceremony in a private helicopter with up to three guests, a wedding cake and champagne, rose cascade bouquet, rose buttonhole, and limo transfers for the bride and groom.
2. Sleigh bells ring
For a real contrast to a beach wedding, Thomas Cook will introduce wedding packages in Lapland from this December.
Its Traditional Lappish Wedding package starts with a reindeer sleigh ride through the snow to the Kota, a tepee in the heart of the forest. Couples exchange vows by a glowing fire, surrounded by up to 25 guests, who’ll toast their union with mulled wine.
Sample package: Thomas Cook offers the Traditional Lappish Kota Wedding from £1,859, including civil ceremony and fees, marriage certificate, admin and handling fees, decorated venue, one-tier wedding cake, return transfers for the wedding couple to the venue and a wedding coordinator.
3. Mamma mia
Couples can head to Skiathos, location for the filming of the movie Mamma Mia, and have a civil ceremony onboard the Planitis, a 72-foot traditional Greek wooden sailing boat.
After vows are made in the harbour, the newlyweds and up to 38 guests can cruise off to see idyllic views of Skopelos, the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the deserted island of Kyra Panagia.
Sample package: Olympic Holidays can arrange hire of the Planitis for £2,500 per day, including the ceremony. The vessel is operated by Santikos Hotels, which owns the Skiathos Princess Hotel.
4. Falling in love
For a wedding to really get their pulses racing,why not a ceremony on the edge of Victoria Falls, the
Sample package: Bridge & Wickers offers a wedding ceremony on Livingstone Island with an African choir, sparkling wine, flowers, wedding cake and boat transfers to the island, plus four nights’ all-inclusive in a house at Tongabezi Lodge and flights from London to Livingstone via Johannesburg. This package costs from £3,745 per person.
5. Choo choo I do
The lavishly restored historic carriages of the Napa Valley Wine Train run through one of the world’s most famous wine areas. Couples can make their vows on the observation deck as they chug through the stunning vineyard scenery, and then enjoy a gourmet meal with up to six guests.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Napa Valley Wine Train wedding package from £1,289, including a minister, 90 minutes of photography, lunch or dinner and a welcome glass of sparkling wine for the couple. Each additional guest costs from $150.
6. Keralan calm
The luxurious Zuri Kumarakom resort holds wedding ceremonies in a temple overlooking the Vembanad Lake, and the couple can spend their wedding night on a Honeymoon Houseboat accompanied by their own butler, chef and captain.
Sample package: The basic wedding package starts from £568, including marriage registration, services of a minister, legal fees and a marriage licence. A night in a honeymoon houseboat starts from £213 plus taxes and rooms in the hotel from £156 per night.
7. Islands in the stream
A private island might seem beyond the budget of many couples, but at Secrets Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic they can get married on one for just $500.
Just off the main resort, the private island is surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Caribbean and a wedding gazebo is set up beneath the swaying palms.
Sample package: Caribtours offer seven nights in a Castle Suite oceanfront room from £1,811 per person, including British Airways flights and private transfers, plus a complimentary wedding package including the ceremony, a wedding organiser, bouquet, buttonhole, and cake and sparkling wine for up to 10 guests. Legal fees are extra and the private island location costs $500.
8. Take it to the bridge
The perfect wedding for adrenaline junkies – and a no-no for those with vertigo – is a Sydney Harbour Bridge wedding.
After a private bridge climb for the couple and guests, the ceremony takes place on a specially designed sundeck at the very summit of the bridge.
Sample package: Kuoni offers seven nights’ room-only at the Park Hyatt Sydney, Qantas flights, transfers and the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb Wedding from £4,700 per person. The wedding package includes private climb, minister fees, marriage licence, group photo at the summit, certificate, sparkling wine toast, chauffeur-driven wedding car, cake and, if required, witnesses.
9. Saddle up
Couples can literally ride off into the sunset together in Jamaica, where they can marry on horseback at Prospect Plantation in Ocho Rios.
The bride and groom can clip-clop among the lush grounds of banana, cassava, sugar cane and allspice, and the bride needn’t ruin her hair with a riding hat, as the horses will be held in place during the ceremony.
Sample package: Thomson offers this wedding package from £1,465 including all legal documents, transfers to and from the wedding location, cake, champagne, a bouquet and a buttonhole, and a wedding coordinator.
10. Top table
Married couples should feel on top of the world, and getting hitched at the summit of Table Mountain can only help enhance their special moment. After riding to the top in the 360-degree rotating cable car, the bride and groom say ‘I do’ while looking out over Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Table Mountain Wedding from £1,049 including the services of a wedding coordinator, bridal bouquet and groom’s buttonhole, one bottle of sparkling wine, entrance fees to Table Mountain and limousine transfers from hotel
source: www.travelweekly.co.uk
Destination:
Dominican Republic
Depart:
Manchester
Dates / Times:
Departing 01/02/2011
Returning 15/02/2011
Duration:
14 Nights
Staying in:
Celuisma Paraiso Tropical
Star Rating:
3
Room Type:
Standard
Board Basis:
AI
Description:
The Celuisma Paraiso Tropical is located 2km from the popular resort of Cabarete, in beautiful scenery surrounded by lush vegetation. The hotel adopts the adults only concept; it is a place where the couples, friends, and even families with children older than 17 are going to be able to enjoy some different and exclusive holidays, of extensive criterion in a hotel whose service and brotherly environment is prepared specifically for this special, original, and different concept to know people and to socialize. The rooms are tastefully decorated in Caribbean style and offer many amenities, to ensure a pleasant stay. The hotel features 2 swimming pools, coffee bar, disco and more and could be the perfect gateway place. The Celuisma Paraiso Tropical Cabarete provides everything the modern traveller wishes for and will definitely leave a lasting memory. As from the 1st of November 2010 hotel will be for adults only.
Click Here to see more Last Minute Deals
To book this offer, call us on
0182 347 8305
and quote reference no: 972815-HAY
Prices are subject to change and availability. Hays Travel reserve the right to withdraw promotional prices at any time. All prices are based on maximum occupancy in standard rooms.
Reasons to smile...
Our low low prices are guaranteed on all our holidays, flights and accommodation
As the UK's largest independently owned travel agent we offer holidays from all the major suppliers
Our friendly staff have a wealth of travel knowledge and are waiting to help you build your perfect holiday
Hays Travel, celebrating 30 years of making people smile
For more details or to book call: 0182 347 8305 today
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