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Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Last minute 7-night package holidays on sale for final weeks of school summer break from £149pp
MAKE A BREAK FOR IT Last minute 7-night package holidays on sale for final weeks of school summer break from £149pp Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) YET to book your summer holiday? Or looking to squeeze one more in before the kids are back to school? The last week of August tends to be the cheapest time to have a summer break and there are plenty of scorching deals still up for grabs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up From family beach breaks to city escapes for couples, Sophie Swietochowski picks out her top last-minute deals for the end of summer. RHODES 6 Sentido Sunrise Beach hotel in Rhodes gives guests great access to the ocean Credit: Supplied PALM-FRINGED sands frame the clear blue ocean behind the four-star Sentido Sunrise Beach hotel in Rhodes — and guests have direct access to it. Neat and spacious rooms give off a cool Scandi vibe, with wooden furniture and plump pillows on the beds, while the gardens resemble a laid-back beach club, with tables facing the sea and loungers dotted around a long pool. All-inclusive stays don't just include buffet brekky, lunch and dinner, but also limitless ice cream, plus snacks and local spirits. GO: Five nights' all-inclusive costs from £219pp including flights from Stansted on August 24. See LA ROCHELLE 6 La Rochelle is a family holiday favourite for a reason Credit: Getty THIS city on the south-west coast of France is a family holiday favourite for a reason. Its historic streets are crammed with boutique cafes serving proper French grub, it's not short of rainy-day attractions — such as the aquarium — and there are sandy beaches aplenty. Rest your heads at 3* Le Domaine Du Château, which features modern studios and apartments, plus a swimming pool. GO: Seven nights' room-only costs from £149pp, based on two adults and two kids sharing and including flights from Stansted on August 29. See Top 3 Budget-Friendly European Vacation Spots TENERIFE 6 Some bedrooms at this resort have been decorated to look like a fortress Credit: Getty KIDS will love the playful bedrooms at this 4* family-friendly resort on the island's north coast. Some have been decorated to look like a fortress, with 3D tree sculptures bulging from the walls and a set of double bunk beds, that look like a mini castle, plastered in wallpaper that resembles stone bricks. Aside from an outdoor pool, there's a mini playground for younger kids, and a tennis court, on site — and some of the island's top beaches are a short stroll away. Even the fussiest of eaters will be kept happy at the buffet, which has endless international options, both hot and cold. GO: Seven nights' B&B costs from £339pp including flights from Liverpool on August 31. See PARIS 6 In Paris's culturally rich Latin Quarter, the 3* Hotel André Latin makes the perfect base for city explorers Credit: Getty HOW good does this sound? a brief city break enjoying a coffee and a croissant while admiring the Eiffel Tower before a sunny stroll along the tree-lined paths of the Champs-Elysees? In Paris's culturally rich Latin Quarter, the 3* Hotel André Latin makes the perfect base for city explorers, with the Luxembourg Gardens right on your doorstep and very comfortable beds to welcome you back after a busy day of sightseeing. The hotel has a very swish cocktail bar, so night-time tipples here are a must. GO: Two nights' room-only costs from £223pp including flights from Gatwick on August 31. See BOA VISTA, CAPE VERDE 6 The 5* Hotel Riu Touareg has six pools Credit: Alamy THIS one's for grown-ups seeking a luxury fly-and-flop, where sleepy beach days drift into sundowners with the ocean and an orange-tinged sky as your backdrop. The islands, off the coast of West Africa, are likely to be a comfortable 30C towards the end of this month, and the 5* Hotel Riu Touareg has in-pool loungers that will keep you cool while you soak up those rays. With its seven bars, six pools and six restaurants on site, you'll never need to leave. GO: Seven nights' all-inclusive is from £658.51pp, based on two sharing and including flights from Manchester on August 29. See DALAMAN 6 Enjoy the rugged Turkish countryside at the Loryma Resort Credit: Getty THE rugged charm of the Turkish countryside is yours at the Loryma Resort — which at first glance looks more like a family-owned villa than a holiday resort, with its rustic stone facade and quiet pool carved into the cliff face. Even so, there are facilities on site that are suited to families with kids, including a playground and a couple of bars and restaurants. The resort has a great vantage point from the pool, with breathtaking views of towering mountains and the sun-drenched ocean. GO: Seven nights' self-catering is from £522pp, based on four sharing and flying from Leeds Bradford on August 25. See
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Scotsman
23-07-2025
- Scotsman
Travel with me to the Maldives for my delayed honeymoon
Dear diary, I awoke on an island in heaven. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Admittedly, the aforementioned heavens opened and I lay awake at 3am as my husband slept, listening to the crashing of rain and waves in our water villa at OBLU NATURE Helengeli by Sentido in the Maldives' North Male Atoll. But the dramatic weather, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, heightened the desert island experience and feels far away from cookie-cutter Instagram images of young couples wearing designer clothes amid luxurious over-water Maldives villas. Reality is far better and when we reached morning to the sounds of exotic seabirds swooping down to breakfast on tiny unseen fish, the sun shone like nothing ever happened. Of course that is not to say perfection (and luxury) wasn't around us in our romantic escape. But the luxury is not a must-have handbag or designer bikini but the caring, smiling, staff and the incredible array of home-made, carefully sourced, food and wine on offer. It's in the careful decisions made about renewable materials, planting, and privacy. It's in the staggering customer service and the never having to pay for anything during our stay thanks to the package. Not forgetting the constantly refreshed mini-bar, the not wearing shoes, and the complete absence of cars on your castaway paradise. Then there's the elaborately hand crafted swan made of cotton sheets and scattered with rose petals for your arrival - along with a bottle of champagne. Nicola stayed in a water villa with pool at OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO | OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO The nature in this astonishing part of the world is a luxury in itself. The seas that turn a greenish blue after storms, the stingray making its nonchalant laps around the lagoon, the sharks never far away from the carefully managed reef and the bats flying from tree to tree like ghouls. A privileged moment in time in a fragile world with a finite amount. The unique Maldives experience - and the reason it is a honeymoon favourite - is in the strangeness of the warm and sometimes stormy evenings, sandy roads and transportation via golf buggy and bicycle, and the busy crabs scuttling across their beach domain, stopping only occasionally to touch base with each other. And yes, it's living in a luxurious wooden villa with a pool above the changeable ocean, far away from home and yet home. There's a reason Helengeli has clinched the coveted Best of the Best title in the Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, placing it among the top 1% of hotels worldwide for 2025. We treated our visit as as part one of our long-delayed honeymoon. But for us the trip was not about tanning or starting our lives as we are already well on with the latter and my complexion does not do baking in the sun. Don't let filtered images of tanned, 20-something, influencer perfection put you off visiting. Everyone here is treated like royalty, greeted by staff members with a wide smile and hello. Nothing is too much, no request too inconvenient, on a resort which is never busy even at full capacity. I can confirm those endless, empty, sandy beaches are not just staged for the 'gram'. The extraordinary house reef at Helengeli island | OBLU NATURE Helengeli We arrived at Helengeli island after a long flight, arriving at Male airport where we were whisked into a speedboat by a friendly boat crew for the 50 minute journey to the island. Further islands often require a trip by tiny seaplane but Helengeli is boat only and quite unique as it sits away from other islands next to its own house reef, making the snorkelling mind-blowing. For the latter I donned my flippers and snorkel and was treated to my own guided tour. My guide pointed out a large turtle, grazing on the seabed as Nemo and his friends burbled about, seemingly unfazed by the human with flippers staring down wide eyed from the surface. It's a once in a lifetime experience. A privileged moment in time in a fragile world with a finite amount Nicola Adam Food and drink is also taken seriously at Helengeli. We were greeted with an astonishing meal paired with wine to showcase parent company's Atmosphere Core's dedication to careful and quality sourcing and selection. For context, alcohol consumption in the Maldives is restricted to licensed resorts and boats for tourists and there are also import restrictions. Here they have built significant relationships with global partners through an extensive wine programme with family-owned businesses. These include Champagne Guy Charbaut, Bodegas Viñátigo, Glenelly Estate ( Stellenbosch) and Bodegas Martín Códax ( Rías Baixas ). The sommeliers and teams are not only experts on these offerings but many have also travelled across the world visit the wineries and owners themselves as part of ongoing programme to ensure the best of the best and celebrate the heritage behind each bottle. It's hard to fault and on a par with many top European restaurants who do not have to fight the red tape - their choices are delicious and attention to detail second to none. The jetty for the water villas at OBLU Nature Helengeli, Maldives | OBLU Nature Helengeli Dining experiences are myriad. From the Maldives resort dining experience at The Spice, featuring a turquoise lagoon-facing wooden deck and indoor seating with a natural sandy floor to fine dining at the relaxed Just Grill to progressive Indian cuisine at Raga Route or a chic pools side experience at the Raa Bandhi bar with its over water hammocks. You are never far way from lapping water and sand in the toes. It's all laced with romance and we were treated to another bookable experience with a candlelight dinner on the beach. And just a reminder to curry lovers that a Maldivian curry is a must on any visit - don't forget how close the Maldives are to India. There is a mouth-watering selection of curries and accompaniments on offer and I've even been known to have it for breakfast. When on holiday... READ MORE: My Maldivian date with a shark Our water villa with pool, one of 153 villas and suites available within eight categories, was perfection. To complement our gigantic bed, positioned to ensure you wake up looking at your panoramic view of the ocean, you have a luxurious bathroom with separate toilet and shower area. You can even stare out to sea from your porcelain throne - but watch out for passing boats (there IS a blind!). The fridges, with water, beer and wine restocked daily, are perfect for grabbing a cold drink and taking to your personal deck complete with sunbeds, plunge pool and steps down into the bluest of water where you can snorkel or just dip your toes and watch passing fish. Exhausted after all this relaxing ( we glimpsed but never quite made it into to the stunning over-water gym ) we headed to the ELE|NA spa. Just entering the spa is an experience, it's a stunning design with greenery-laced ponds complete with Koi and natural materials - we enjoyed a couples' full body massage and came away truly fully serene. So we were already at one with nature for our cruise at sunset, where we motored through the gleeful pods of adult and baby dolphins who were keen to show their best leaping. One of those many Maldivian moments imprinted on the memory forever. USEFUL INFORMATION
