Looking for solo trips, a Russian weekend or late spring deals?
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Dawn chorus in Cork: from €50
The first national dawn chorus event with bird-watching guide Michael Cobley will take place in the grounds of Longueville House, Mallow, Co Cork, on May 17th. The day begins at 5.30am with coffee and scones and then Cobley will lead the tour. It will be followed by a group discussion and breakfast. Prices are €50 for adults and €25 for children under 13. Or stay overnight and have dinner from €205pps. 022-47156, www.longuevillehouse.ie.
Escape to the west: from €210
Golden Holidays at the Connemara Coast Hotel include transfers from the rail station, a trip on the Corrib or to the Aran Islands, free guided walks, yoga, aerobics and swimming lessons, and discounts at selected shops and visitor attractions. Three nights in April is €210pps, including dinner on three nights. www.sinnotthotels.com, 091-592108.
Leitrim yoga: from €595
Refresh mind and body with a five-day detox retreat in Co Leitrim from May 1st to 6th. Based near Dromahair, the Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat will provide yoga, exercise, guided talks, sauna and hot-tub sessions and a specially-designed detox menu. Prices from €595pps. www.ardnahoo.com, 071-9134939.
Learn a new skill: from €375
Cnoc Suain, located on 200 acres of wild landscape overlooking Galway Bay, is beginning residential courses from May 1st. The first course is Traditional Growing and Forgotten Skills. Organic gardener Cait Curran and chef May Cahalan will pass on their skills and tips. Prices from €375 include accommodation, meals and tuition with live traditional music and dancing in the evenings. www.cnocsuain.com, 091-555703.
Pint-sized city break: from €235
Guinness is celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, and Brooks Hotel in Dublin’s city centre has a luxury mini break that includes a pint of the black stuff in the Jasmine Bar, two tickets for a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, and bed and breakfast for two sharing, from €235. 01-6704000, www.brookshotel.ie.
A night on the town: from €190
In Ballsbridge, Dublin, the Pembroke Townhouse on Pembroke Road is also celebrating Guinness’s birthday with a rate of €190 per night for two, including tickets to the Storehouse. 01-6600277, www.pembroketownhouse.ie.
Kerry getaway: from €199
The Brehon Bridge and Golf event takes place from April 28th to 30th in the Brehon Hotel, Killarney. Two nights bed, breakfast and dinner, with bridge each night and a round of golf, is from €249pps. For non-golfers, it’s €199pps. www.thebrehon.com, 064-6630700.
All aboard a barge: for €360
Explore the Shannon-Erne waterway in a traditional barge and get a feel for the countryside. Riversdale Barge Holidays is perfectly located at Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, for exploring the Erne and Shannon. The barges are modern and wider than the older boats. A weekend in a four-berth vessel costs from €360. www.riversdalebargeholidays.com, 071-9644122.
Overseas Deals
Amalfi Coast: from €989
Explore the Amalfi Coast with a stay at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio near Sorrento. A week’s half-board in the hotel from July 3rd to August 14th will cost from €989pps and the price also includes a voucher of €120 per room to be spent in the hotel’s bars and restaurants. www.sunway.ie, 01-2886828.
London in bloom: from €365
The Chelsea Flower Show is coming up in May and you can go with Keith Prowse Travel. A two-night stay in London with an all-day ticket for the show and a ticket to Chicago in the Cambridge Theatre is from €365pps. 01-8783500, www.keithprowse.com.
Explore Lebanon: from €1,034
Explore, the adventure-travel company, has reintroduced Lebanon to its tour programme. The “Lure of the Lebanon” will explore this diverse country over nine days, with visits to temples, palaces, mountains, Beirut, the Qadisha Valley and crusader castles. Prices are from £935 (€1,034) with flights from London. Maxwell’s Travel, 01-6795700, www.explore.co.uk.
Walk the French Alps: from €282
Join a group for a four-day women-only walking weekend in the French Alps, with accommodation in an alpine lodge in the French resort of Grand Bornand. The weekend will include walks suited to varying levels of fitness and takes place on July 16th and September 24th. The price from £255 ( €282) includes accommodation, guided walks, transfers from Geneva airport, accommodation, dinner, bed and breakfast. www.walkweekender.com, 00-44-1202-661865.
To Russia, with love: from €273
Russian airline S7 has flights on sale to Moscow from Dublin for €273 return, including taxes. The sale continues until April 24th for travel until October 24th. There are also good fares onwards to other Russian cities. www.s7.ru, 01-6633933.
Family sun: from €1,799
Family deals for the summer holidays with Topflight
include a week in the Sol Lanzarote Aparthotel, half-board, from €1,799 for two adults and one child in June. In July, a week in the Hotel Sandos will cost from €2,519 for two adults and two children, and two weeks will cost from €2,999. www.topflight.ie, 1890-240170.
No single supplements in May: from €319
Deal of the Week
Budget Travel has a number of packages for May without single or under-occupancy supplements. A week costs from €314 in the Verdemar Studios in Majorca, €319 in the Lyda Apartments in Crete, €389 in Zakynthos (above), and €334 in Torresmolinos on the Costa Del Sol. There is also availability in Corfu, Ibiza and the Algarve. 01-6311111, www.budgettravel.ie.
Please bear in mind that all deals are subject to availability