Your clients don’t always have to fly to a far-flung destination to have the holiday experience they dream of — they can save a lot of time and money, and reduce their carbon footprint, by staying right here. By Dave Richardson





Safari

If the plains of the Serengeti are beyond your budget, how about. . . er . . . Kent? Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Hythe (above) has over 500 African animals roaming free, but overlooking the English Channel rather than the rolling savannah. Safari vehicles take you on a 90-minute ride with on-board commentary on the creatures and surroundings of The African Experience, including black rhino, giraffes, ostrich, wildebeest, blackbuck and antelope. It isn’t commissionable, but on April 1 Port Lympne opens Livingstone Lodge, an overnight safari experience. After the safari guests can relax on the balcony before a six-course dinner while a ranger regales them with stories from Africa.  A stay in a twin-bedded luxury tent costs £175 for adults and £95 for children – and you can forget the malaria pills.

Sample price: Superbreak charges from £38.45 per person for day entry to the park plus one night with breakfast at the Grand Burstin Hotel, Folkestone.
www.superbreak.com/agents

 

Island-hopping

You don’t have to head for Greece or the Maldives to do this – and the islands you can visit are truly quirky. Guernsey is a 45-minute flight from Gatwick or Southampton, or a two-hour fast ferry trip from Poole or Weymouth. From here it’s easy to discover the lesser-known Channel Islands. Sark hit the headlines recently during a local election challenging the rule of the “seigneur”, a role which has controlled the island for centuries. Away from the politics, tiny Sark is a real throwback with no cars or street lighting, but secluded beaches and lovely views. Also visit Herm (below) with its long shell beach. There are frequent inter-island ferries, and you could spot dolphins on the way and indulge in some wreck diving.

Sample price: Premier Holidays’ seven-night Island Hopping holiday includes stays on Guernsey, Sark and Herm, from £535 by sea including breakfast.

www.premierholidays.co.uk


Surf’s up

It’s a long way to Bondi Beach or the vast rollers of California, and Cornwall has rightly become known as a hot spot close to home. But surfing is also available in the Irish Republic, and for Britons the crossing by air or sea gives the impression of “going away”. Tramore beach in County Waterford, easily reached from Rosslare ferry port, has three miles of flat sand which attracts not just surfers but also windsurfers and kite-surfers. Tramore Bay’s broad tidal range means that when the swell and wind are in the right direction, surfers can enjoy some of the longest rides anywhere in the UK or Ireland.

Sample price: Irish Ferries Holidays offers a week’s rental of a self-catering holiday home (sleeping four) at Pebble Beach in Tramore, including return ferry crossing for car and two adults, for £427 for travel up to May 22. 

www.irishferries.com


Wham bam

Big boys’ (and girls’) toys are all the rage on stag and hen weekends in Europe, but in England you can take aim at innocent clay pigeons and the like before retiring to elegant country-house luxury. Clay pigeon shooting – they don’t even squawk – is the cheaper option, but you can also try more daring options and even have a go at being William Tell. Nunsmere Hall (below left) is a country house hotel in Cheshire within a lakeside and wooded setting, with 36 rooms and a fine dining restaurant. In addition to onsite activities, you can join Go-Ape Experiences in nearby Delamere Forest.

Sample price: On site are clay pigeon shooting (£67.50), air rifle shooting (£550 for half-day, £650 full day), and crossbow shooting (£450/£650). Off-road driving and quad bikes are available locally. Nunsmere Hall is bookable through Utell from £165 per night per room.

www.utellluxury.com


All shook up

You’ve heard about weird and wild heart-stopping activities in New Zealand or South America, but you can do this much closer to home which saves on repatriation costs when your leg’s in plaster. The Brecon Beacons national park in Wales is true adventure country, and the market town of Brecon is a charming place to while away the evenings away from the crowds. HF Holidays has its own hotel here, Nythfa House, which acts as a base for everything from guided walks to adrenaline rush activities. Caving, climbing, mountain biking, canyoning, kayaking and sailing are among the activities available, Brecon being one of six HF centres with a similar range.

Sample price: A “Classic Rush” land activities trip is available at Brecon on May 1 (three nights, £350) and July 4 (four nights, £499), with full-board.

www.hfholidays.co.uk


I will survive

For some families just getting through the day is a big enough test, while others want to bond as they eat witchety grubs in the Australian Outback. A Family Survival Weekend in Scotland is now available to agents through adventure operator Explore!, as part of its expanded range of UK holidays. Leading this escapade is a character called Gordon the Viking, who previously lived in Papua New Guinea and has appeared in films including Braveheart, Rob Roy and The World Is Not Enough. After walking beside Loch Ness, the family sets up base at Stromeferry, beside Loch Carron. Here they learn about edible local plants, look for animal tracks, build shelters, create fires, find and purify water, and cook wild foods for dinner.

Sample price: Departures are on July 24, August 7 and October 23, with prices from £395 (£295 aged 8-11) for three nights including transfers and activities.

www.explore.co.uk