By Nadine Mellor
Family Holidays: Our 10 Best Special Offers
It’s that time of year again to nab a bargain. But not just any bargain — these are bona-fide special offers for 2019. Book one of these stylish family hideaways by 15 December and you could get up to 50% off! How’s that for fabulous family holiday inspiration?
1: Best for Family Adventure
Pristava Lepena, Slovenia
What: A cluster of chic wooden cabins in the glorious Soca Valley, in the heart of Slovenia’s Julian Alps. There are heaps of family adventures to try, from horse riding and rafting to kayaking and paragliding, making this rural hideaway one of our top special offers for family adventures.
Best for: Outdoorsy families with primary school age kids (and older) interested in discovering a great value under-the-radar destination.
Getting here: Fly to Venice or Trieste or Ljubljana and then hire a car; the journey time is about 2 hours from all three airports.
Special offer: Stay 7 pay 5 nights, valid all 2019
Prices: From £112/night including breakfast for a couple + a baby in Room D
2: Best Staffed Villa
Summertime Villa, Goa, India
What: A secluded 3-bedroom staffed hilltop villa in chilled North Goa with a huge infinity pool and long views across tropical forest, plus golden beaches nearby.
Best for: A family party keen to explore a new culture in comfort and with ease.
Getting here: Dabolim airport is only 45 minutes away. Complimentary airport transfers are included in the rates.
Special offer: Stay 7 pay 5 nights, valid 7 Jan – 14 Dec 2019
Prices: From £317/night including breakfast for up to 7 adults + a baby
3: Best Country Hotel
Praia Verde, Portugal
What: A cool contemporary hotel a 15-minute walk from a long sandy beach, with a pool and friendly open-plan vibe, set amidst protected pine forests in the under-developed eastern Algarve close to the Spanish border.
Best for: Families who want to fly-and-flop. There’s a playground and playroom, free kids activities during the summer (think treasure hunts and Mediterranean cuisine workshops), and the nearby magnificent beach (a golf buggy can bring smaller kids back if needed). You get a relaxed restaurant as well as suites with kitchenettes (and a deli shop on site).
Getting here: Fly to Faro, and hire a car or get a taxi transfer (45 minutes) to Praia Verde.
Special offers: Stay 7 pay 5 nights, valid 1-13 Jan, 17-28 Feb, 5 Mar – 18 Apr, 21 Apr – 30 Jun, 1 Sep – 31 Dec 2019
Prices: From £92 in a Garden View Suite for a couple + a baby
4: Best Luxury Resort
The Sanchaya, Bintan Island, near Singapore
What: A colonial-chic flawlessly realised luxury estate with a 50-metre infinity pool and a white sand beach frontage on Indonesia’s Bintan Island, just an hour from Singapore by ferry.
Best for: Special family occasion when only the best will do. There’s a sublime spa, fabulous service, incredible food and thrilling activities including blo-karting on the beach and night mangrove tours.
Getting here: Fly to Singapore then take a high-speed catamaran ferry to Bintan Island (services up to 5 times a day); The Sanchaya offers free transfers from the port to resort.
Special offers: Stay 7 pay 5 nights, valid 1 Jan – 4 Feb; 10 Feb – 18 Apr; 22 Apr – 23 Dec 2019
Prices: From £469 for a couple + baby in a Junior Suite, including breakfast
5: Best Island Villa
Xenon Estate, Spetses, Greece
What: Just 3 stylish villas (ranging in size from 1-4 bedrooms, sleeping 2-8) sharing beautifully landscaped gardens, a huge pool and stunning sea views from beguiling Spetses island, a short hop from Athens.
Best for: Island lovers, or an extended family party: book all three villas or choose one that best fits your family size!
Getting here: Fly to Athens, take the hydrofoil or ferry for 2-3 hours to Spetses, a taxi can take you from port to Xenon.
Special offer: Stay 7 pay 5 nights, valid 1 May – 20 Jun 2019
Prices: From £150/night for a villa for a couple + a child
6: Best Desert Camp
Camp Adounia, Morocco
What: A tented eco-camp in the spectacular Sahara Desert where you can ride camels, star gaze and sand-board down dunes.
Best for: Families with older kids seeking a once-in-a-lifetime glamping experience.
Getting here: It’s about 8 hours south of Marrakech airport by 4×4, or 4 hours from Ouarzazate.
Special offers: Stay 3 pay 2 nights, valid 4 Jan – 19 Apr; 4 May – 20 Dec 2019
Prices: From £335/night for a family of 3 in a tent including all meals and drinks (excluding alcohol)
7: Best Self-Catering Bolthole
Ea Astei, Spain
What: A quirky and delightful mix of traditional and eco-designed apartments in gorgeous elevated countryside in Spain’s Basque region, 45km from Bilbao, with half-a-dozen sandy beaches a short drive away.
Best for: Families with primary school age kids or younger. There are tractors and scooters for them to ride, a barn with table tennis and foosball, a heated pool, swings, hammocks and rabbits to pet.
Getting here: Fly to Bilbao and hire a car: you’ll probably want one to explore the wonderful countryside.
Special offers: Stay 3 pay 2 or stay 7 pay 5, valid 2 Jan – 18 Apr; 27 Apr – 14 Jun; 16 Sep – 20 Dec 2019
Prices: From £137 in a modern cabin for a family of 4
8: Best Tropical Boutique Hotel
Why House, near Galle, Sri Lanka
What: A bijou boutique hotel with a swimming pool and large lush tropical gardens featuring games such as badminton, cricket and volleyball, just a 15-minute walk to the beach, and a 20-minute drive to wondrous UNESCO-listed Galle Fort.
Best for: Families keen to learn about local culture. There’s also a turtle hatchery nearby, and you can cycle the paddy fields or book cooking classes.
Getting here: Fly to Colombo airport, and book a 2-hour transfer to the hotel, or take the train to Habaraduwa and then a tuk-tuk to the hotel!
Special offer: Stay 7 pay 5, valid all 2019
Prices: From £278 for a family of 3 in a double room, including breakfast
9: Best for Living like a Local
Xaghra Farmhouse, Gozo, Malta
What: A large rustic-styled 400-year-old townhouse with a pool in a small authentic town, just a short walk from the main square, with local butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers nearby (when you’ve eaten your way through the welcome pack). Xaghra is a small town on the charming island of Gozo, Malta’s smaller cousin, and has an amazing coastline with picturesque coves.
Best for: Families on a budget. The house sleeps up to 8 in 3 bedrooms (there’s a double sofa bed in the twin room).
Getting here: Fly to Malta International Airport, then take an express bus (45 minutes) or taxi transfer to the ferry port, then take the ferry to Gozo (25 minutes), it’s a 10 minute taxi ride (or car journey if you’ve hired one) to Xaghra.
Special offers: Stay 7 pay 5, valid 1 Jan – 31 May; 3 Nov – 31 Dec
Prices: From £228/night for a family of 6 (£20/night for an additional person over 2 years of age)
10: Best for Barefoot Luxury
Mukan Resort, Tulum, Mexico
What: Castaway-chic eco-lodge found on a peninsula with a palm-fringed Caribbean beach to one side, and a huge lagoon behind, on the vast Sian Ka’an Reserve south of Tulum, in Quintana Roo state, Mexico.
Best for: Nature-loving families who will be fascinated by the howler monkeys, abundant bird life, marine turtles, dolphins, giant rays, manatee, crocodiles and colourful fish.
Getting here: Fly to Cancun, and then either self-drive (note: the roads are pretty rough!) or get a transfer to the lagoon – it’s a 45-minute boat trip across the lagoon to Mukan.
Special offers: Stay 3 pay 2 or stay 7 pay 5, valid 2 Jan – 20 Dec
Prices: From £328 for a couple + baby in a Main Villa Room
See our full list of family-friendly Limited Edition 2019 deals