Bargain flights to the USA
Who said LA is just for rich, tanned celebs? Pah! Wow Air, Iceland’s low-cost airline, is launching flights to the city from £139 one way this summer. If that’s not your scene, you may prefer booking onto one of its new flights to San Francisco, for the same bargain-bucket price. You’ll be travelling via Reykjavík in Iceland, where you can stop off for up to seven nights, meaning you could, in theory, have a break within a break. wowair.co.uk
Seaside revial
Unless you’re ridiculously young, you’ll probably remember the fire that all-but destroyed Hastings pier in 2010. Since then, the structure has been renovated from the ground up, and it reopens this month with a line-up of gigs and events to celebrate. Head down from London and you’ll be visiting a town that’s also home to the World Crazy Golf Championships every October. Do holidays get better than that? Almost certainly not.
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Field of Light in Australia
Where else to make the most of solar power than the sun-scorched landscape of Uluru in Australia’s Northern Territory? We’re not talking luke-warm showers or flickering light bulbs, either – the remarkable Field of Light art installation is the work of acclaimed artist Bruce Munro. He (with help, we hope) will install more than 50,000 slender stems, each crowned with frosted-glass spheres that will ‘bloom’ with light as darkness falls over the remote desert of Australia’s spiritual heartland. The installation will be lighting up the area until April 2017 – plenty of time to plan. australiasoutback.com
Hard as nails in Italy
Nothing says ‘badass’ like completing an Iron-distance triathlon. Or half-Iron-distance, at least, which is exactly what Sardinia’s Chia Laguna Half Triathlon is – all 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run of it. It takes place on Sunday 16 April, and before you say, “sounds a bit much like hard work to me”, consider this: we’re doing it. As a team, admittedly, which isn’t cheating – it’s just sharing the pain. Rest weary limbs at the Chia Laguna Resort. halftriathlon.eu; chialagunaresort.com
Reach new heights in Brazil
The problem with Brazil is it’s just so damned big. You’ll want to make the most of your trip there, and thankfully you can now save time and avoid those multi-day bus journeys. A new internal flight from Azul Airlines now links the oh-so-cool coastal town of Florianópolis (hello, 42 beaches) with that stonking great mass of falling water – the Iguazu Falls. Leave your accommodation and flight plans in the good hands of Bespoke Brazil. bespokebrazil.com
Relax your mind in Morocco
If you’ve ever spent any time in chaotic, bustling Marrakech, you might find the idea of going there to relax a little far-fetched. A recently launched four-night trip to Marrakech with Tonic Retreats might change all that. The trip includes accommodation in a luxury boutique riad, twice-daily rooftop yoga, a yoga workshop, all food (think wholesome but delicious) and a few tours too, all for a rather reasonable £500.Beginners and pros welcome. Book ahead with ryanair.com for great-value flights. tonic-retreats.com
Set sail with Intrepid Travel
If you’re looking to channel Enya’s Orinoco Flow and sail away (sail away, sail away), how about doing it with Intrepid Travel? The company’s new sailing trip around the jaw-droppingly gorgeous islands of Sardinia and Corsica lasts seven days, and you’ll drop anchor at pristine bays full of nice beaches and, er, goats. You won’t have to worry about any tedious logistics – there’s a skipper and crew for that, silly. From £930pp. intrepidtravel.com
Pure pods in Kaikoura, New Zealand
Love nature? Love cool design? Love wandering around your room starkers on the off-chance that the neighbours will catch a glimpse? Us too. That’s why we’re excited about the launch of two new Pure Pods in Kaikoura, New Zealand. The pods are made completely from glass, allowing you to make the most of Southern Cross star views, the Pacific Ocean and New Zealand’s native bush (lol). purepods.com
New hotel in Galle, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is this year’s hot ticket, so if you’re considering a trip make sure the newly opened Owl and the Pussycat is on your radar. The 18-room boutique hotel is located a short tuk tuk ride from the UNESCO fort town of Galle, where cobbled streets are lined with Dutch colonial buildings. Spend a while exploring then retreat to the bohemian-style bedrooms with furniture designed by local artists. otphotel.com
City and beach break
For those who get a bit restless lazing on a beach all day, check out a range of new additions to the Chic Retreats website, including Sun Gardens, a boutique hotel just ten miles outside of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It’s a win-win holiday – basking in glorious sunshine gawping at the Adriatic in the morning, then strolling the 16th-century streets of the nearby city’s old town in the afternoon or evenings. Or you could just lie on the sand all day, churning through Lee Child books. Can’t blame ya with that view. From £70 per room per night. chicretreats.com
Discover Iran
Many countries have now lifted their sanctions on Iran, which means the country has been opened up to UK tourists. The aim is 20 million tourists by 2025, which shouldn’t be too hard with new trips from the likes of Imaginative Traveller. Its new Iranian Days and Nights group tour departs on 23 May and takes in the best of the country’s ancient sites and hospitality. From £2,100pp, imaginative-traveller.com
Mountain adventure
Fancy yourself as a climber? Grab your ice-axe and crampons and gear up for a new trip from adventure company Secret Compass. The aim of the mountaineering expedition to Mongolia is to attempt to summit two previously unclimbed peaks, including Nariin Ekhin (3,952m), located deep in the country’s Siikhem National Park. You’ll cross rivers and trek over glaciers, and will be rewarded with epic views and full-on bragging rights. Experience isn’t necessary, although you’d probably find it easier if you’ve left sea level and seen snow on the odd occasion. 14 nights from £2,999 for the June expedition. secretcompass.com
Selfconnect flight booker
If you’re looking to save on your long-haul flights, check out flight booking platform SelfConnect. The new website allows travellers to book two or more flights – combining multiple airlines (low cost and national) – in one transaction. That means you can book a long-haul flight to Rio and an onwards internal flight simultaneously. selfconnect.flights
New holiday blues helpline
Dealing with the holiday blues is a flipping nightmare – trust us, we know. It comes as some relief, then, that villa-holiday specialist Oliver’s Travels has launched an emergency Holiday Withdrawal Helpline to help those feeling particularly blue. The number (080 0133 7652 – go on, try it), features a selection of audio recordings of classic holiday sounds; dial one for tropical birds and four for the “gentle sound of Mediterranean waves kissing the shore”. If you can’t quite bring yourself to make the call, we recommend turning your bathroom into a pop-up beach instead. Sand, sun-lounger, daiquiri, shower gel – done.
Stopover buddies in Iceland
Flight stopovers don’t have to mean trying to get some sleep on an airport floor. Budget airline Iceland Air has introduced a ‘stopover buddy’ concept for those travelling to the likes of New York, Vancouver and the other 32 long-haul destinations on its flight routes. The scheme allows you to book a 24-hour buddy in Iceland, allowing you to take Reykjavik down in just one day – whether it’s hitting bars or sampling the city’s finest food. Twin-centre trips with flights from London from £397 return, with travel completed by the end of April 2016. icelandair.co.uk
Bootcamp break
You don’t have to live off cucumber and give up the wine to kick-start your new year fitness. We’d rather get outdoors and punch things, and you can do just that with Ibiza-based 38 Degree North’s new pop-up UK bootcamps. Each three-day break takes a unique approach to high-intensity interval training, boxing, circuits and a calf-quivering hike or two. From £699 person; thirtyeightdegreesnorth.com
Snowbombing festival
For those who like to party as hard as they ski, combine the two at Austria’s Snowbombing festival, which hits the slopes from 4-9 April. The lineup is chocca with big-name acts, including the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim and Andy C, but be sure to check out London-born-and-raised emerging talent Anna Wall. As for the mountain? Well, the Mayrhofen ski area is one of the finest in Europe. snowbombing.com
Chasing waves
As if surfing weren’t hard enough anyway, actually finding waves is a whole other obstacle. Surfguide is a new website that’s been crafted specifically to deal with that hassle, allowing you to plan your next surf break with minimum fuss. The surfer-curated, regionally focused online planning tool will have you finding destinations to suit your exact needs. Simply select the filters (no sharks; city; cheap, etc) and it’ll narrow down choices with all your requirements. Pretty rad stuff, that. surfguide.com
Fly to the fjords
For a long time, getting to the east and north of Iceland meant a flight into Reykjavik and a schlep across the country. Now the remote fjords of East Iceland will be easy to access thanks to a new flight route from London Gatwick to Egilsstaðir, which is as hard to pronounce as it is to spell. But it’s easy to reach, thanks to Discover the World, who are chartering the planes. Book now for flights from 28 May to 24 September. discover-the-world.co.uk
Cairngorm festival
For a fest in the snow without actually having to leave the UK, try Groove CairnGorm, a new festival in Scotland. The party-come-ski-sesh, which is happening for the first time this year over the 11 March weekend, is hosted in conjunction with Natural Retreats CairnGorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands, and will see a line-up that includes Hot Chip and Glasgow-born synth group, Prides. Two-day tickets including ski passes and entertainment cost from £115. cairngormmountain.org
Looking for travel inspiration? We've gathered together the latest travel news from across the globe.
Whether you're looking to relax on a beach in Croatia, dance your pants off at a festival in Scotland or beat the post-holiday blues with an emergency helpline, this is how and where you should be travelling to right now.
