You don’t have to be a serious hiker to enjoy the spectacular scenery »»]]> A unique experience walking with St Bernards on the Great St Bernard Pass

By Ingrid Hoffman

You don’t have to be a serious hiker to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Swiss mountains. This summer, I found the perfect solution for families and people looking for a novel and easy way to go walking in the mountains.

Walking with St Bernards in the Swiss Alps (Picture by Ingrid Hoffman)

The St. Bernard is the Swiss national dog and the Barry Foundation in Switzerland runs the oldest Saint Bernard kennel in the world.
 
Every year, the St Bernards from the Barry Foundation spend the summer in their place of origin on the Great St Bernard pass and visitors have the opportunity to accompany these wonderful dogs on a 1½ hour walk.

Our children are between the age of 10 and 14 years old and were not very keen on walking. However, when they realised they would be walking with St Bernards, they immediately were very enthusiastic! You can choose to do the easy or the athletic walk. We’re not experienced, but are in good health and quite sporty, so we chose to do the athletic walk. You need a little perseverance, but we found the walk very enjoyable and quite easy to do.

There’s a museum at the hospice and your entry fee is included in the price of the walk. You can find out everything about the history of the pass and the dogs and there’s an interesting exhibition about the vegetation and wildlife in these parts of the Alps.

Prices are €32 for adults and €5 for children. The walks are very popular so be sure you make a reservation in advance via the website.

Thank you to Your Travel Planner member, Ingrid Hoffman, for sending in this review of this very special experience. To find out more, please visit the Barry Foundation’s website: www.fondation-barry.ch.

It’s not difficult to see why glamping is all the rage. Luxury camping combines home comforts »»]]> A hassle-free, low-impact luxury camping holiday for families and romantics

By Ching Lee

It’s not difficult to see why glamping is all the rage. Luxury camping combines home comforts with the freedom of the great outdoors; it’s a winning formula for families (and romantics) who are looking for a hassle-free, low-impact holiday with a difference.

Your Travel Planner is back from a glorious week in the Ardèche, France. With proper beds, stylish shower rooms, dinner provided and the stunning location of the Ardèche Gorge and Nature Reserve, the yurt holiday provided by Canvaschic is an exceptional outdoor experience for people who want to enjoy home comforts while camping.

After a day’s travelling, arriving at the camp feels like entering a haven. Even in the height of August, the camp feels peaceful and discreet and, best of all, we knew we didn’t have to worry about cooking; your week’s stay during July and August includes breakfast and five nights dinner.

The Yurts

The dome-shaped family yurts are handcrafted from oak and ash wood and covered in natural canvas. The tents are well-spaced throughout the forest and each yurt has its own deck and hammocks giving guests their own relaxed, private area.

There are 9 family yurts and three other more secluded yurts for couples can be found further into the oak forest.

Inside, each of the 12 yurts are individually styled. The family yurt is spacious, with a king-size bed, 2 camp beds for children and a portable style wardrobe. Decorative touches such Moroccan lamps, tealights, mirrors and pictures add to the homely atmosphere.

Shower Rooms

There are 5 spacious shower rooms in the shower block, each with a shower, toilet and washbasin…and there’s no need to bring soap if you don’t want to as locally produced, biodegradeable Savon de Marseille is provided in dispensers in the shower rooms.

Dinner with room to play

It’s a real luxury not to have to cook when you’re on holiday (though guests in the family yurts also have access to a fully equipped kitchen tent). At Mille Etoiles, breakfast and 5 nights dinner (Mediterranean style vegetarian buffet, using locally sourced produce, with one barbeque night) takes place on the outdoor terrace/restaurant and is included in the week’s stay in July and August. The bar offers drinks, local wines and even ice-creams for the children, charged as extra.

For both parents and children, it’s a wonderfully relaxing dinner experience, when you can eat and the children can go and play (within safe view) in between courses. There’s a swing and climbing frame, a pirate boat, a ping pong table, a small plunge pool…and even nets for catching butterflies and grasshoppers!

Things to Do

The Ardèche offers a huge array of things to do for holidaymakers - canoeing, forest adventure and zipwires, shopping in local markets, exploring caves, dining in superb local restaurants, but the hidden gem of staying at Milles Etoiles is the trail from the camp that leads down to the Ardèche Gorge.

After a steep 30 minute walk through the forest, the 35km Ardèche river meandering through spectacular limestone cliffs is a breathtaking sight. All the Mille Etoiles guests agreed that the gorge provided a fantastic, natural bathing area that had something for everyone: younger children were happy with their fishing nets, older children (and adults!) enjoyed jumping off the rocks and cooling off in the fresh water.

Things to Note

• The beds for children are camp beds and these may not suit everyone. One of the guests did end up purchasing an airbed!
• The walk down to the gorge is steep and rocky in places, so sensible shoes are required ie. no flip flops! Swim shoes or jelly shoes are useful for the rocks in the river.
• Each yurt is provided with its own solar lamp, but it’s useful to bring your own torch too.

For more information, visit the Canvaschic website. If you like the idea of  a glamping holiday and need need help planning your trip, please feel free to contact me, Ching Lee, at Go2 Holiday Research, www.go2research.com.

Last weekend (23 July), 100 ping-pong tables popped up across London’s landmarks - from Soho Square to »»]]> Looking for things to do in London this summer in London?

Last weekend (23 July), 100 ping-pong tables popped up across London’s landmarks - from Soho Square to Westfield Shopping Centre, Tate Britain to the British Library, St Pancras International to Heathrow’s Terminal 3.

Marked ‘Stop and Play’, the tables are up for four weeks for all to enjoy. Bats and balls are supplied so it’s great for those impromptu moments.

Having tried the ping pong tables on Saturday, Your Travel Planner can thoroughly recommend “Ping London” also as a great day out for adults and children alike. Don’t forget to drop into Ping Pong Parlour - a one-of-a-kind table tennis social club located just off Carnaby Street - set up just for four weeks this Summer.

Ping! has been created as a partnership between the ETTA and Sing London, the participatory arts organisation that produced last year’s Street Pianos Project with artist Luke Jerram.

For more information or to find a table near you, visit Ping London.

This time, she recommends this delightful agritourismo »»]]> Here’s another review for Your Travel Planner readers from Annette Kirkley, a therapeutic, sports and remedial masseuse and fellow local networker.

This time, she recommends this delightful agritourismo in Puglia, Italy:

Agriturismo Masseria Aprile in Locorotondo, Puglia is an old 18th century “masseria” farmhouse to which traditional “trulli” rooms have been added. The agritourismo is surrounded by its own fields of olive trees, vines and animals, with a beautiful view of the small town of Locorotondo perched on the hill. At 1 kilometre south of the town, it’s a perfect distance to wander up to explore the town, which has beautiful whitewashed baroque buildings, and eat a meal before walking back.
 
The Aprile family are very hospitable and sometimes invite guests to join them for dinner, after the opportunity to have a go at making the local pasta. We were also lucky enough to witness the first pressing, by hand, of their red grapes in traditional barrels. The daughter, Stephania, runs the business and speaks good English.
 
The accomodation is good, with great, home-baked food for breakfast, and lots of laughter (mostly at our Italian!) There is plenty of space for children to run around in, all in all a perfect place to just chill out, or to explore the many interests of the surrounding area if you have a car. This is a very unspoilt, undiscovered part of Puglia.
 

See Annette’s review for Your Travel Planner of Viglatoras Apartments, Crete here. If you have a review of your favourite place, why not share it with Your Travel Planner. Please contact me at www.go2research.com/contact_Go2.php.

The Easter holidays are »»]]> I recently wrote a guest blogpost for Trish Gant’s Little Gems Photography blog and thought Your Travel Planner readers would find it useful too…

The Easter holidays are upon us. If you’re looking for last-minute things to do for families over Easter, here are some suggestions from Your Travel Planner: 

Easter Egg Hunts

Which child does not love an Easter Egg Hunt? Cadbury are supporting the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland’s Easter Egg Trails for the 3rd year running. Properties close to London:

Claremont Landscape Garden, Surrey; 2 & 3 April, 11am to 4pm; Polesden Lacey, Surrey; 2-5 April, 10 am to 5pm; Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire; 2-5 April, 10am to 4pm; Morden Park Hall, London; 5 April, 11am to 3pm

Days Out

There’s more Easter fun to be had on a day out. Join in the Easter Garden Trail at Wisley Gardens, Surrey on 2-5 April.

Kew Gardens’ new tree-themed outdoor play area opens this Easter. Children (between 3 and 11 years old) can climb up ladders, brave wobbly rope bridges and fly down zip wires.

London Wetland Centre has a packed programme of Easter activities for children. See the adorable newly hatched ducklings take their first swim, plus Easter egg hunts, pond dipping, puppeteers and storytelling.

It’s Easter lambing time at Bocketts Farm Park. 300 lambs are due - including 35 sets of triplets! Join in the Easter Egg Hunt Trail which will be happening every day throughout the holidays.

Theatre

Try some local theatre this Easter. The New Wimbledon Theatre still has tickets left for the last few performances of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (until 3 April). Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play is on at The Polka Theatre, Wimbledon until 15 May (suitable for 4-7 year olds) and under 3’s can enjoy Egg and Spoon (until 10 April), a multi-sensory, interactive journey through the seasons.

Short Breaks and Holidays

Grab a last minute staycation. Haven Holidays seem to have plenty of availability during Easter, prices from £134* for 4 nights. Or how about a place recognised for its lower environmental impact? Mazzard Farm in Devon, awarded Gold by the Green Tourism Business Scheme, have 3 options left during Easter, including Russett Cottage (sleeps 4)). Available 9-12 April for a long weekend, original price £345, now £225*.

*Please note that all prices and availability shown are correct at the time of writing (1 April 2010).

There was a moment on the ferry that I thought, ‘families should travel like this more often’. I was looking out across the calm Adriatic »»]]> By Ching Lee

There was a moment on the ferry that I thought, ‘families should travel like this more often’. I was looking out across the calm Adriatic Sea, between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. The sun was warm and we were sheltered from the wind, listening to the sound of our children’s laughter as they played tag on the top deck.

We were in the middle of a two week trip to Greece and Italy (Summer 2009). The aim was to discover how feasible and enjoyable a green family summer holiday could be. In the previous week, the children had seen for themselves the importance of travelling responsibly, when we stayed on the Gerakas Peninsula of Zakynthos, one of the last nesting sites of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. (Read more about our stay here).

We had flown directly from London to Zakynthos, but now we were on a more relaxed journey back to London, via Italy and Paris.

Our journey had started the previous morning at the bus station in Zakynthos town. With our bags loaded onto the bus, we travelled all of 20 minutes to the port where we boarded the local ferry for the hour long trip to Zakynthos to Kilini. Our bags and the bus were expertly reversed onto the ferry and we would meet again in Kilini.

There’s something very regal about sailing out of a harbour. As we shouted and waved goodbye to Zakynthos, the memories of our wonderful week seemed to stay with us for longer as we sailed alongside the coast of this beautiful Ionian island. Being cocooned in a plane just doesn’t compare. On the ferry, we were still witnessing the hustle and bustle of life in Zakynthos, still feeling the sun on our faces, still marvelling at the beautiful views around us.

It’s exhilarating to sail into a harbour too. OK, so it was only Kilini, but it was a taster of things to come. From Kilini, it was another hour (on the same Zakynthos bus) to Patras.

Patras port was lined with huge international ferries and our hopes of being conveniently deposited by our Anek ferry were quickly extinguished. I don’t think the impromptu game of ‘Find Anek’ was entirely appreciated by the children (nor us for that matter), but our excitement soon returned as, once on board, we were carried smoothly by escalator up to Reception. The ferry was a far cry from the ones we’re used to crossing the English Channel. Think cruise ship and you’ll get the picture.

Excitement turned to joy as the children saw the bunk beds in our cabin and two sets meant no arguments as to who was going to get the top bunk. The overnight 22 hour sailing meant we had plenty of time to explore (and enjoy) the facilities on board: restaurants, bars, lounges, shops and even a swimming pool. A cabin was definitely the most comfortable choice for a family, although plenty of people had opted for airline seats and even sleeping on deck.

The crossing was unbelievably calm. The mint tea and ginger biscuits I had packed to combat seasickness were thankfully not required. In fact, the beds in the cabin were very comfortable and we woke up the next day, refreshed and looking forward to our next week in the beautiful Italian region of Le Marche.

We spent the last hours before our arrival in Ancona on deck. The journey so far was proving a big hit and a success. We had reduced our carbon footprint and we arrived in colourful Ancona, certain that we would be travelling by ferry, rather than plane, to Greece again.

Still to come: Leg 2 - Ancona to Paris.