6 of the best luxury green and amber list holidays to book now
Audley Travel has stays from Croatia to the Caribbean
With the news that quarantine-free travel is to resume on 19 July for fully vaccinated passengers returning from amber-list countries – as well as green-list ones – it’s finally time to book a summer holiday with confidence. And there's no better place to start than with Audley Travel, specialists in tailor-made holidays and private tours – who will be with you every step of the way to help navigate any testing or entry rules.
Whether it’s an escape to Grenada and St Lucia in the Caribbean, or to Portugal and Crete in Europe, your journey starts here…
Antigua
Carlisle Bay sits on its own beautiful expanse of beach and bay in a peaceful and secluded location, 20 minutes’ drive from English Harbour. Accommodation is in 87 ocean-facing suites, each with a private balcony or terrace. The spacious Garden, Bay and Ocean Suites are for couples, with family-friendly Beach and Carlisle Suites in a separate area of the property. Carlisle Bay offers some of the best food in the Caribbean in its four restaurants. Indigo on the Beach is a relaxed venue serving fresh, healthy grilled seafood, salads, homemade breads and pastas. Ottimo! serves Italian classics by the pool for lunch, while East offers delicious pan-Asian cuisine in the evenings. The Jetty Grill provides adult-only dining by the beach, offering light lunches, as well as grilled meat and fresh seafood. Guests can spend their time at the onsite spa which offers serene treatments using organic ingredients, or you could hike through the forest, sail on a catamaran or scuba dive under the waves. Children and teens are well catered for at the hotel, with kids’ clubs and scheduled activities.
Audley offers a seven-day stay at Carlisle Bay from £3,150 per person. The price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more visit audleytravel.com/antigua.
Grenada
Calabash is a luxury, boutique hotel by Relais & Château. It is situated on the south coast of Grenada, on the white-sand Lance Aux Espines beach. Guests stay in 30 suites across five room categories, all boasting views and some with private pools. Activities include everything from yoga and lawn games to sunset cruises, rum tasting and relaxing spa treatments. An on-site dive facility and water sports offers paddleboards, kayaks and Hobie Cats. There is also a fully equipped fitness room as well as tennis courts. Meal options include Rhodes, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant and the more casual Beach Club overlooking the sea. Breakfast at Calabash is an à la carte offering, served on the beach or via room service.
Audley offers a seven-day stay at Calabash from £3,270 per person. The price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more visit audleytravel.com/grenada.
St Lucia
Cap Maison is an elegant, boutique hotel situated on the northern headland of Saint Lucia, with views to Pigeon Island and Martinique in the distance. The property is set on the site of a former sugar plantation and offers sophisticated luxury with Spanish Caribbean architecture. The resort is home to one of the leading restaurants on the island, serving a contemporary French-West Indian menu. A more casual dining, The Naked Fisherman Beach Bar & Grill, offers grills, drinks and a laid-back Caribbean vibe. There are two small pools at the hotel, including an infinity pool overlooking the sea. Complimentary non-motorised water sports at the beach include kayaking, Hobie Cat sailing, snorkelling on the house reef and windsurfing. Accommodation is in 49 rooms, junior suites and one-, two- and three-bedroom villa suites, designed in a classic, Spanish Caribbean style. The villas have either private grounds or a roof terrace and pool for guests to enjoy in private, as well as making the most of the resort’s facilities.
Audley offers a seven-day stay at Cap Maison from £2,625 per person. The price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more information visit audleytravel.com/saint-lucia
Crete
Chania in West Crete is known for its vibrant social lifestyle and sub-tropical white beaches. Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, is found in a quiet but convenient location on a private section of Chania’s pebble beach, with sandy beaches nearby and the Old Town a 10-minute drive away. The hotel is part of Domes Resorts group, Greece's fastest growing hotel chain and was Europe’s most celebrated resort conversion last season. Public areas are designed in a relaxed architectural style with sociable open spaces. The 102 handcrafted, earthy colour-tones bedrooms are quiet and intimate, offering enriched comfort and laid-back luxury. The Beach House Bar offers cocktails and other drinks, and options for food include the Beach House restaurant with fine dining at Enino Gastronomy restaurant.
Audley offers a five-day stay at Domes Zeen Chania from £1,230 per person. The price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more information visit audleytravel.com/greece.
Croatia
Maslina Resort is located in Maslinica Bay on the island of Hvar, covering two hectares of lush pine forest with the Adriatic Sea on its boundary. It is near the Unesco-protected town of Stari Grad, a historic city dating back to Ancient Greece/Roman days. Guests staying at the hotel will enjoy multiple pools and beach access, and the concierge can help arrange activities including kayaking, diving, rafting, sailing, snorkelling, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing and speed boat excursions. The region is ideal for trekking with hiking paths covering the island and passing olive trees, lavender fields and vineyards. The hotel has 53 spacious rooms, suites, and villas with stunning sea views. The hotel’s Mediterranean inspired restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner, with a poolside menu in the day. The bar’s drinks menu includes local boutique wineries, Champagne Maison, craft beers, signature cocktails and renowned international wines and a second bar on the beach offers a casual vibe to enjoy drinks. The hotel’s Wine & Culture Club is the ideal choice for clients wanting to enjoy tastings, classes and winery visits at the same time as learning about winemaking on Hvar.
Audley offers a five-day stay at Maslina Resort from £2,670 per person. The price includes flights, speedboat transfers, accommodation on a B&B basis and excursions. For more information visit audleytravel.com/croatia
Portugal
Sublime Comporta is an elegant woodland retreat 15 minutes’ drive from Comporta’s beaches. Guests stay in sleek, modernist villas and cabanas, scattered throughout the grounds. Facilities include a central outdoor swimming pool and fire pit, a secluded spa with indoor pool and a dramatic biological swimming pool, complete with waterlilies. Direct access to the water via private terraces is a perk for guests staying in bio pool suites.
Dining options include a poolside bar, outdoor terrace restaurant Tasca da Comporta and the exclusive Food Circle organic restaurant, which seats just 12 people in the hotel’s organic garden.
Audley offers a five-day stay at Sublime Comporta from £1,480 per person. The price includes flights, transfers and accommodation. For more information visit audleytravel.com/portugal
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