Inspiration for May

May is the perfect time to escape the gloomy start to Spring and and enjoy some early summer sunshine….Here are our top tips for ideal escapes at this time of year: Early summer will have arrived in the Med – wild flowers in the fields, fresh strawberries in the markets and most destinations will have sunny, warm weather, and in the case of Cyprus/Canaries/Greece/Malta/North Africa – will be will be in full summer mode with high temperatures and hours of unbroken sunshine. Unlike high summer however, there will be no crowds, and prices are much lower - so it’s an ideal time to try luxe for less - whether that’s a largeluxury resort, a chic boutique hotel or a fabulous villa with a cook and babysitter. Further afield, Mauritius, the Maldives and the Caribbean are very popular destinations for May. The weather is still excellent, yet there are very good offers for even the most exclusive resorts – making these exotic and luxurious destinations surprisingly good value. May is also a great time to take a city break – it’s much easier to admire the sights when the weather isn’t nudging the 90’s – good destinations would be Palma, Paris, Rome, Venice, Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, Prague, Nice, amongst many others. For more detailed ideas just contact us. Short haul destinations Longhaul sun Short haul destinations Malta Malta is a good destination for early summer sun. We recommend the Westin Dragonara - 5 star hotel with great facilities and service . Kids club from 3 mths - 13 yrs, childrens menus, and dining services (eg phone ahead ordering to minimise waiting time).The hotel also offers suites with kitchenettes for flexibility. Also very good, with an exclusive atmosphere and more gardens than the Westin, is the Kempinski on Gozo – a short ferry ride from Malta. The Algarve Villas on the lovely Monte Da Quinta resort - restaurants, spa, golf, tennis, good indoor pool, horse riding and kids club from 3 yrs. The Vila Vita Parc for hotel luxury with childcare for all ages from 4 mths. The Pine Cliffs apartments and villas on the Sheraton site – again, great childcare and luxurious apartments offering space and flexibility with no compromise on level of service or facility. Balearics Easy to get around, great food, good beaches and interesting towns to visit. Palma, Northern Mallorca and Menorca near San Lluis and Mahon, and Ibiza near San Jose or near Sant Joan are our favourites. For a luxurious hotel stay with golf, childrens clubs from 3 we recommend the Arabella Sheraton and Mardavall just outside Palma, or see our Balearics pages for some great villas of all sizes. France France is a great location for May as it has so much to offer beyond sun and sea, and the weather won’t be so hot that you can’t enjoy making the most of it! . Plenty to explore, great food, culture, activities. We have some wonderful villa and hotel recommendations – there are 2 excellent luxury options with childcare from 2 yrs – just contact us for options. A great option is Country Kids: Luxury quality self catering in the Languedoc with crèche and activities for both adults and children. Italy Again, a wonderful destination with some much to offer culturally and scenically. Wide choice of hotels and villas, great food. Sardinia offers arguably the best beaches in the Med, is free from the ravages of mass market tourism and has some good resorts with childcare from 6 mths. Switzerland Glorious destination – clean, clear air, warm sunshine, stunning scenery. The Hotel Royal Park Evian is beautifully located overlooking Lake Geneva and has superb childcare from 6 mths to teenagers and excellent all round facilities. Cyprus Hours of sunshine, in May, very warm temps-. It boasts a huge variety of hotels, most with excellent facilities for all age groups . We recommend the Almyra, The Anassa, Le Meridien Cyprus, The Elysium, Aphrodite Hills. Tunisia Tunisia offers a shorthaul holiday with a difference – exotic, with a fantastic range of scenery. Tunis just a 2.5 hrs flight from the UK offers an intriguing mix of European boulevards and atmopspheric medina. Children of all ages respond to the vibrant colours and sounds of this fascinating destination. Beach Club holidays These holidays offer good quality accommodation (5 star in some cases) with excellent facilities and activities for both adults and children, with superbv childcare from 6 mths. This is the place to improve your tennis, practise yoga each day, learn to sail or windsurf or just relax in the sun or be pampered in the spa…..May really is an ideal month to enjoy this type of holiday – lovely sunny weather,, but not so hot that you can’t make the most of all the exciting activities on offer. UK If you prefer to stay closer to home, then we’d recommend The Rosevine, Cornwall: brand new, sought after mix of self catering flexibility and hotel style facilities from the team behind Family Holiday House. Spacious and stylish suites and mini appts, with shared indoor pool, restaurant, den with xbox, dvd etc, gardens, childrens play area, babysitting and a stunning location at Portscatho overlooking the beach. VERY good offer of low season rates up to the end of May inc April school holidays, for babygoes2 visitors, representing weekly savings from £630.Nightly rates also available. Also superb self catering in Cornwall: Spinneywood –stylish 4 bedroom cottage set right beside the sea. Comp champagne and chocolates for babygoes2 visitors! Contact us for suggestions. Longhaul sun Mauritius Fabulous location for May. White sand beaches, azure sea, a very high standard of accommodation and service. Some of the world's leading hotels, some smaller hotels too and some great self catering options, from luxurious villas with private pools to simple, on the beach properties. Flights can be non stop and overnight, so travel is relatively stress-free. South Africa Wonderful destination with so much to offer – great weather, gorgeous hotels in Cape Town, wine tasting, a wide variety of family friendly safaris, and low jet lag. Ideal to combine some time in Cape Town with a safari – a really excellent destination for an exciting family holiday with children of all ages. Contact us for suggestions, quotes, information etc and visit our South Africa pages Caribbean A great choice for all year round with great weather and VERY good value in May, when the prices drop considerably but the weather is still perfect. The Caribbean offers a superb variety of childcare options, different types of island from sophisticated to entirely unspoilt, plenty of villas, hotels, or villas with hotel facilities which are so popular. Hot weather, warm seas, golden sand, plenty of sports, spas, diving, snorkelling. The unique, laid-back Caribbean atmosphere makes for a wonderful, relaxing holiday. Hard to beat. All our Caribbean recommendations are on our Caribbean pages, but we have plenty more hotels and villas to recommend, just contact us and tell us what you'd like from your holiday, whether that's childcare, value for money, contemporary chic, absolute luxury, barefoot luxury, villas with hotel facilities... Contact us for a quote/availability.