Each week, we round up a selection of offers and news from some of the best hotels, airlines, cruises and travel agents
Holidays abroad:
Jewels of Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta & the Centovalli Railway
Explore Italy’s lesser-known lakes on this seven-night holiday with group travel specialist Travel Department, offering the perfect combination of activity, exploration, and recreation.
You’ll take in the crystal blue waters of Lake Maggiore and Orta with panoramic boat rides and stop to explore some of the lakeside towns and the famous summer palace on Isola Bella, one of the Borromean Islands. You will also visit Lake Orta, considered a hidden gem by locals who refer to it as ‘La Cenerentola’ or Cinderella.
You’ll take a scenic train journey between Locarno and Domodossola, which runs through the magical ‘Hundred Valleys’. This Italian holiday also offers plenty of free time to stroll around Lake Maggiore, soak up the sun, or immerse yourself in Italian culture.
Departures on 4th and 21st September, as well as 13th October 2022. Priced from €999pp. Includes return flights, transfers, seven nights accommodation on a half-board basis and an expert guide.
Click here to book or for more information
Long-haul getaways this winter
For winter 2022 and 2023, Sunway has some wonderful new destinations like escorted tours to Japan, alongside the perennially popular New York and Caribbean cruises.
Sunway is now offering escorted tours to Japan with Wendy Wu Tours who have over 25 years’ experience on the ground. With four different options, ‘Japan Uncovered’, ‘Jewel of Japan’, ‘Discover Japan’ and ‘Japan by Rail’, you can get an in-depth experience with local knowledge for tours stretching from 11 to 21 days.
For example, ‘Discover Japan’ is a fantastic tour and is ideal for travellers who want to experience the wonders of Japan; from traditional Kyoto to the modern and futuristic Tokyo. Spend 13 days seeing many highlights of Japan including Mount Fuji, Kinkakuji Temple, Koya-San, Osaka Castle and much more. Price: €6,210pp.
Or plan ahead for your Christmas shopping and book New York for November. With the Christmas lights twinkling and New York’s iconic department stores or outlet malls, it’s the perfect magical option. Soak up the atmosphere at the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree, or go ice skating in Central Park. Plus, visit the Holiday Markets dotted around the city whilst enjoying a hot chocolate.
Travel for three nights on 24th November for €954pp which includes accommodation in a 4-Star hotel (two sharing) and direct flights.
Call (01) 231 1868 or check out Sunway.ie
Last-minute sun holiday deals
Find your last-minute holiday deals, city breaks and sun holidays with Holidays with Aer Lingus. For example, travel to Lanzarote in October 2022 from €679pp, staying seven nights in the 4-Star Sands Beach Resort Apartments, Costa Teguise. Price includes return Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to Lanzarote, accommodation on a self-catering basis, and airport taxes and charges. Click here for the link to offer.
Or stay at the 4-Star Las Palmeras Hotel in Costa del Sol for seven nights in September 2022 for €439pp. Includes return Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to Costa del Sol accommodation on a B&B basis, and airport taxes and charges. Click here to book.
Visit holidayswithaerlingus.com or call (01) 539 7777 to talk to an experienced reservation agent
Staycations
Lawlor’s of Naas
Lawlor’s of Naas is determined to put Naas on the map as a fashionable holiday and shopping destination, with its impressive new multi-million-euro 4-Star deluxe standard hotel extension.
The new look Lawlor’s boasts additions like Vi’s Restaurant and iconic round bar (named for the famed Violette Lawlor), a decorative private garden space for cocktails on long summer evenings, increased capacity to 138 bedrooms, and a new underground car park for 120 cars.
Lawlor’s combines decadence, a respectful nod to history, a contemporary approach to sustainability and the hospitality with which the name has become synonymous. From brass plates that were once the floor heating grates for Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin to the 100-year-old hand-laid parquet floor, Lawlor’s Hotel is a treasure trove.
These historic features are contrasted by the sleek, but homey and understated, modern style of the bedrooms, where comfort and convenience are the number one priority. Each of the 74 new rooms is built to a 4-Star deluxe standard and all with NFC technology for mobile check-in and high-speed Wi-Fi. All with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems and air conditioning. Bespoke divan beds and mattresses with elegant, handcrafted furniture by Alana Creations Ltd in Dundalk.
Room rates in the new extension at Lawlor’s of Naas start from €159 per room single occupancy bed and breakfast. Current specials include a mid-week stay for two nights (B&B) with three-course dinner on one night in The Bistro and Golf at Palmerstown House golf course, and one round of golf from €320.
Visit lawlors.ie
Late Summer Slumber at the Ice House Hotel
After a busy summer of socialising, bring your focus back to self-care with the new experience at the serene Ice House Hotel in Ballina, north Mayo.
Check into your contemporary riverview room for a blissful two nights and make your way to the newly refurbished Chill Spa. Indulge in the Mindful Moments treatment, a sleep-encouraging treatment that incorporates full body lavender sugar glow body exfoliation followed by a muscle melting back, neck and shoulder massage that includes facial and scalp massage.
Afterwards, relax in the luxurious outdoor thermal suite, with sunken hot tubs, bucket shower and sauna and breathtaking views over the River Moy and Belleek Woodlands. You will also be treated to dinner in Restaurant 54° 9° on an evening of your choice, before slipping away for a blissful night’s rest.
‘Late Summer Slumber’ at the Ice House Hotel includes a two-night stay in a deluxe river view room, dinner on one evening, breakfast each morning, and a 75-minute Mindful Moments treatment. It starts from €480pps and is available from September.
Visit theicehouse.ie or call reception at (096) 23500
Suir Blueway adventure
Experience a blissful adventure along the Suir Blueway Tipperary this month. With 53km of stunning scenery and hidden historical gems which you can explore on foot, on bikes or over water, there is a piece of Blueway bliss to suit everyone.
With many visitors looking for low-cost, experience-rich travel options, The Suir Blueway is the perfect opportunity for all the family to sample Ireland’s beautiful countryside and rich cultural heritage.
The Suir Blueway has 21km of walking and cycling trail from Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel, and a further 32km of the waterway to canoe and kayak as far as Cahir.
With Carrick-on-Suir being the hometown of Sean Kelly and Sam Bennett, many consider this area to be Ireland’s spiritual home of cycling. This off-road route shouldn’t disappoint the experienced cyclist. Running through the rich valley of the River Suir and the surrounding pasturelands of the Golden Vale, the trail provides wonderful views of some of Ireland’s most beautiful countryside.
The river towpath from Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel is ideal for leisure cyclists and walkers of all abilities. The stretch between Cahir and Clonmel is mainly for water-users, except for the short 4km stretch between Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage which offers an idyllic opportunity for a leisurely stroll.
Whatever way you choose to travel the Blueway, you’ll get close to centuries-old castles, tower houses and churches and discover their history of drama, romance, intrigue and deadly rivalries all set against a world of natural wonders in Ireland’s Ancient East.
A trip along the Blueway is the ideal way to see the best of Tipperary at your own pace. For further information, maps, sample itineraries and places to eat, stay and play, visit tipperary.ie
Clodagh Dooley
Latest posts by Clodagh Dooley (see all)
- Carlos Pinto de Oliveira appointed Director of Visit Portugal Ireland - January 12, 2023
- jump! innovation agency appointed by Fáilte Ireland to help further develop the country’s tourism offering - January 9, 2023
- Travel Department offering savings of up to €200 per holiday booking in 2023 - January 3, 2023
- James Villas in the UK launches ‘The Big Villa Sale’ - December 28, 2022
- The Holiday Show in association with Shannon Airport returns for its first show in three years, and brings expert travel advice to Limerick - December 22, 2022
