Madeira… Yep, we couldn’t believe it either.
But forget your preconceptions as these destinations shake off their
package-holiday reputations and reinvent themselves as cool and luxurious
places to visit
Trendy, Exotic Downtime In Funchal, Madeira
The
funchal Municipal Gardens are a cool oasis in the summer heat
The
pool at the Choupana
My grandma used to holiday in Madeira. Not
to knock her taste, but it’s the kind of place I’d expect to see grey-haired
golfers and a lot of Jesus sandals worn with socks. But it seems I was wrong:
increasing numbers of young Lisbonites from Portugal weekend in Funchal. They
eat at beaches and attend the annual digital-music festival. Their influence is
changing Madeira’s reputation and it now has serious cool appeal. The island
sits just off the north-west coast of Africa, with plunging sea cliffs and lush
forests of palm and banana trees. Check out the surfing scene along the north
coast – the Atlantic breakers are the island’s best-kept secret among
wave-chasers. In the capital, Funchal, everything resolves around the bustling
marina. Diving schools offer trips to swim with manta rays and dolphins. Or
spend a few hours exploring the bright montage of fruit and flower market
stalls. Contemporary seafront restaurant Rioso serves up local delicacies like espadarte
(swordfish). But forget shuffling to bed early – the town comes alive at night.
Head to Café do Teatro, which turns into a club after eating hours, or sip
Champagne cocktails as the Vagrant, a super-chic yacht that once belonged to
The Beatles. My grandma wouldn’t like it, but I did. Stay Choupana Hills Resort
& Spa, set in the hills overlooking Funchal, is an exotic Asian-inspired
retreat decked out in natural stone and dark wood. The villa-style rooms have
four-posters beds, wraparound balconies and comfy loungers – or for extra
luxury (and a private hot tub), book one of the suites. Laze by the pool among
eucalyptus trees, slope off for a hot-stone massage and tuck into locally
sourced, fusion-style dishes at the hotel’s restaurant with its
amphitheatre-like views.
Romantic hideaways in Valletta, Malta
A place that has never crossed my mind for
a romantic break is Malta. I pictured outmoded beach bars selling 1980’s
‘cuisine’ to portly men with knotted hankies on their heads. But, in fact, I
discovered a tiny island with intricate medieval palaces, sophisticated
candlelit restaurants and cobbled streets perfect for strolling hand in hand.
Our evenings were spent pottering around Mdina (a tiny, walled, car-free city),
while our days were spent in Malta’s capital Valletta, where every street
throws up something new – from renaissance frescos to kitsch shops with vintage
signs. A water taxi-ride across the bay is a fun way to reach the bars and
restaurants. Head to the cosy Trabuxu for a pre-dinner glass of local red wine
and nearby Palazzo Preca – a refurbished 15th-century palace – for incredible
food. Malta is small enough that, by bus or car, it’s easy to enjoy charms
beyond Valletta. Sip tea in the opulent Palazzo Parisio, stroll along Golden
Sands beach and people-watch at the chi-chi café of St Julian’s Bay, with not a
knotted hankie in sight.
Valletta’s
architecture is influenced by both Europe and the Middle East
Stay The perfect base is the Xara Palace, a
17th-century aristocratic residence in Mdina. Our deluxe suite had a cavernous
living room filled with beautiful paintings, antique rugs and furniture, plus a
spiral staircase leading to a cosy mezzanine, where a luxurious duck-down duvet
covered our king-sized bed. Breakfast is served on crisp, white tablecloths on
the hotel’s terrace, and we finished our evenings sipping prosecco in the
central atrium bar.
The
treehouses at Center Parcs in Longleat Forest are surprisingly luxurious
Family fun in Center Pares Longleat Forest
Designer interiors, five-star accommodation
and breathtaking views are probably not what spring to mind when you think of
Center Parcs. But this is what greeted ma and two other families on our arrival
at our treehouse in Longleat Forest. My previous experience of Center Parcs was
more than 12 years earlier, when I’d traipsed there with six girls and a crate
of cheap wine for a hen do. Memories of shabby accommodation, a cheesy disco
and snotty kids in the swimming pool remained with me long after my hangover
faded. And yet my curiosity had been piqued recently by friends who described
Center Parcs as “amazing” and their “favourite family holiday”’
Family
fun in Center Pares Longleat Forest
They were right. Having undergone extensive
renovations over the last few years, and with the building of these treehouses,
the Center Parcs of old is long gone. Of course, you get what you pay for, and
there are eight different types of accommodation, each with varying levels of
luxury and comfort. But for those looking for the quality of top class spa
accommodation, the treehouse is up there with the best.
Center Parcs’ strength lies in the fact
there’s something for everyone: the water rapids, horse-riding, soccer academy
and face-painting are great for kids, while a football bar, archery and
badminton appeal to the men. For the women, there’s a fantastic spa with an
indoor/outdoor swimming pool, a huge range of treatments and delicious, healthy
food. And for parents who want some me-time, there’s a great kids club. My
problem? The treehouse was so incredible, with four bedrooms, an en-suite games
room, private sauna, outdoor hot-tub and enough space to comfortably
accommodate three young families, we could barely drag ourselves away. There’s
always next year.
