Newstalk takes a look at Wellness Travel

The Hard Shoulder Goes on Wellness Holidays

This week a listener asked if we had any inspiration for wellness holidays so we are looking at healthy breaks and holidays that are good for the body and the soul.

https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/travel-thursday/travel-wednesday-wellness-holidays

If you are thinking of travelling then check out the seat sales this week.

There is a seat sale on Ryanair at the moment for the month of November with prices from €45 to the canaries as €17.99 to europe

Aer Lingus Have a sale to America too that’s worth checking out….

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Starting off with The Canary Islands – A great Winter sun and holiday destination year round

Everyone knows about the Camino de Santiago and if you have been reading my website you will know there are many others in Italy and Portugal. This week saw the launch of Canaria Ways by Camino Ways who have short breaks (4 nights), week long packages and also a Gran Tour of Tenerife that is 9 nights (up to 12 if you like to have a few relaxing days in between).

Tenerife is the largest island of the Canaries archipelago, born from many volcanic eruptions and eroded by time, it is home to a great variety of microclimates that shape the landscape in its everlasting spring. In the north, the rain is more frequent painting its forests with a luxurious green in Parque Rural de Anaga while the south of the island is drier and sunnier, very popular for its warm water beaches. The uniqueness of the habitats and microclimates turns this island into a home for species of fauna and flora that can only be found here. The highest mountain in Spain, El Teide, a 3718 meters volcano, majestically dominates the whole island and provides impressive rocky landscapes in its huge “caldera” over 2000 meters above the sea. Tenerife was discovered by Spain in the Age of Discoveries and many colonial settlements were placed all over the island. Remnants from this incredible time can be found on the historic towns and cities where there is a lot to be discovered and the rich local gastronomy can be tasted in the many local restaurants.

https://canariaways.com/ways/tenerife

Volcanic landscapes of Tenerife: https://canariaways.com/ways/tenerife/volcanic-landscapes-tenerife

7 nights from €1040 per person sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation in handpicked hotels, breakfast and 3 dinners on selected locations, luggage transfers and transfers to trail head when required.

This trip will take you hiking in the pine-forested hills of Vilaflor before going up to hike on the semi-desert landscape on the base of the big volcano peak. The isolation of the mountain and its clear skies makes it one of the best places in Europe for stargazing. Down to Santiago del Teide, the winding hills will amaze you with their unique plants and views over mount Teide. From Buenavista del Norte to Garachico the walk follows the rough coastline pinpointed by lovely small beaches. Your last walk above the picturesque village of Garachico will present you with stunning views over the Atlantic for a Grand Finale.

Grand Tour: https://canariaways.com/ways/tenerife/tenerife-grand-tour

9 nights from €1017 per person sharing including accommodation in handpicked hotels, breakfast, luggage transfers and transfers to trail head when required. Airport transfers can also be added and the package can be tailor made.

 

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Austria with Topflight

“Family Adventure Holiday” package in Ehrwald, Austria.  This charming Tyrolean village provides the perfect base for a fun and exciting holiday to the awe-inspiring Austrian outdoors.

https://www.topflight.ie/summer-sun/pkg/austria_tf/ehrwald_summer/family_adventure_week

The package price is €799 per adult  and €399 for children under 15 years old based on a shared room.

 

Price includes:

*Return flights from Dublin
*Return transfers by luxury coach
*20 kg baggage allowance per person
*All airport taxes
*7 nights half board accommodation in the Hotel Sonnenburg (Topflights’s very own hotel)
*6 day ‘Z ticket’
*Family-friendly activity programme organised by the local tourist office from Monday to Friday
*Unlimited use of the Postbus & Summerbus in the Zugspitze Arena

 

You ‘Z ticket’ includes:

*A cable car to the top of Germany & the Zugspitze Glacier
*Use of the main gondola/chairlifts in Ehrwald, Lermoos, Biberwier, Berwang and Bichlbach
*A boat trip on Lake Heiterwang
*Daily entrance to the outdoor swimming pools in Lermoos & Berwang
*Daily entrance to the indoor water centre in Ehrwald
*Daily entrance to the swimming lake at Bichlbach
*Summer toboggan run in Biberwier once a day
*1 hour per day use of the indoor tennis court in Ehrwald
*1 x round of mini-golf in Bichlbach each day
*1 x mountain scooter run in Biberwier (minimum age applies)

 

Available dates: 19th July, 26th July, 09th August & 16th August 2020

 

Booking deposit is €150 per person and the balance due 10 weeks before departure.

http://www.topflight.ie

Tel 01-2401784

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Cycling in Tuscany with TD active

€2349 April 2020

There’s also €50pp off this holiday when booked before Fri Sept 20^th using the code VP-SEP50!

Tuscany Cycling Holiday Accommodation Tourist Class

Accommodation during your Tuscany Cycling Holiday will usually be a mixture of 3 and 4 star hotels and “agriturismi” (local farmhouses). When you reach your accommodation for the evening, your bags and rooms will be waiting for you. Most breakfasts are continental style buffets. Picnics will be provided en route for lunch, and dinner can be taken at your leisure and own expense at the hotel or at a local restaurant. The exact accommodation arrangements for your holiday will be advised with your final documents approximately 10 days before departure.

https://www.tdactiveholidays.ie/Tuscany-Cycling-Holiday

Call TD Active on 01 637 1633

What’s included in your price

• Flights & transfers
• Expert local guide
• 7 nights’ accommodation
• 5 cycling days
• Daily breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 2 dinners
• Bike hire
• Support vehicle
• Vineyard visit

Highlights

• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of San Gimignano. Famous for its white wine this town is one of the best preserved medieval settlements in Italy.
• Cycle past the stunning plains of Colle Val d’Elsa and see the spectacular views of the surrounding woodlands and stone villages.
• Experience the “Oasi Naturale di Castelvecchio” – this unique micro climate has been key to the survival of the peregrine falcon.
• Visit a family-run organic winery in the outskirts of Montalcino where you will taste Brunello wine overlooking the picturesque countryside hills.
• Ride through the eroded clay badlands landscape of the Lauretana route. Admire the famous 13th century Monte Oliveto Maggiore and its botanical garden.
• Visit the walled city of Asciano, the Castle of Monteriggioni and the Val di Merse, a natural bridge between the Sienese hinterland and the Tyrrhenian coast.

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Wellness in Iceland with G Adventures

https://www.gadventures.com/trips/wellness-iceland/ELRRW/

7 days

Reykjavík to Reykjavík

From€2499

Valid on May 24 2020

The otherworldly landscapes of Iceland offer perhaps the closest thing one can have to an out-of-body travel experience. Equal parts rugged and tranquil, the country’s beauty offers the perfect sanctuary from daily distractions back home. Your soothing journey across the country’s southern coast starts with a hike up Öskjuhlíð Hill overlooking the mosaic-like architecture of Reykjavik. Private transportation offers you the luxury of time to see the iconic sights of the Golden Circle and Thingvellir National Park before heading to the stunning black-sand beaches of Reynisfjara for a unique meditation session.

 

And, of course, a visit to Iceland wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Blue Lagoon, a naturally-heated hotspot for travellers willing to go halfway around the world just to unwind.  Discover awe-inspiring destinations combined with rejuvenating activities like yoga and meditation, and healthy food experiences to recharge the body and nourish the mind

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Also with G Adventures this Trip to Costa Rica is on Sale

G Adventures Wellness Costa Rica tour is currently on special offer when booked before the end of September.  The trip is the perfect combination of exploration, slow travel, and wellbeing. Highlights include yoga sessions overlooking the impressive Arenal volcano, hiking in Costa Rica’s national parks, soothing aching muscles in hot springs and calming the mind with guided meditation sessions.

 

Activites include

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Hit the snooze button with a ‘Late Summer Slumber’ at the Ice House Hotel

After a busy summer, the Ice House Hotel invites you to take some time out and enjoy a ‘Late Summer Slumber’ with their new package designed to embrace the all-important eight hours sleep.

Starting from August and available throughout the autumn months, guests can check in on Sunday afternoon and enjoy lunch in the stylish restaurant with rolling views of the River Moy and the woodlands beyond while enjoying the best of seasonal produce from head chef Anthony Holland including their Ice House Atlantic chowder or seared cod with pea and parmesan risotto.

Guests can then escape to the award winning Chill Spa for the Mindful Dreams Sleep Ritual. This relaxing 80 minute treatment which consists of a foot ritual, a mini therapeutic facial and a full body massage is a unique combination of Balinese and Hawaiian techniques allowing all the stresses and strains of the body to melt away. Following this blissful treatment guests can enjoy access to the snooze room where they can unwind in the calming dark.

To allow for a truly blissful slumber, a late check-out is offered on the Monday so you can start the week feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Available from the 18^th August and throughout the autumn, prices start from €195pps. For more information or to book the Late Summer Slumber package, visit www.icehousehotel.ie

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Three-day yoga escape at Ballynahinch Castle with

Yoga Mara from November 17th to 20th

Escape the winter blues and check into Ballynahinch Castle Hotel for a three-day yoga escape hosted by the wonderful team from Yoga Mara. Led by Galway native sisters, Rachel and Hannah Healy, Yoga Mara focuses on bringing balance and calm back into hectic lives through yoga, mindfulness, good food and great company.

Experience the pleasure of yoga in the studio of Lettery Lodge on the Ballynahinch grounds, along with the luxury of a stay in glorious Ballynahinch Castle — with all the space, luxurious comfort and stunning, natural surroundings required for a well-rounded, utterly relaxing getaway.

Throughout the escape, Hannah and Rachel will guide guests in different yoga styles, including Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Yin Yoga & Yoga Nidra. Checking in to Ballynahinch Castle Hotel from 3 p.m. on Sunday 17th November, guests will enjoy their first led Yin Yoga class and relaxing Yoga Nidra session in Lettery Lodge that evening followed by a welcome cocktail and buffet dinner in the house kitchen.

Monday begins bright and early with a light pre-yoga snack (fresh fruit platters, juices & smoothie of the day, with teas or coffee) in the kitchen of Lettery Lodge at 7.30 a.m., followed by a morning Vinyasa Flow Yoga class at Lettery Lodge from 8 a.m.

After breakfast in the hotel, there are optional extra guided activities — a cooking demo by the talented team of Ballynahinch chefs followed by a delicious lunch (€50), or a gentle two and a half-hour guided walk of the superb estate (€30), or a leisurely afternoon tea in the hotel’s elegant Owenmore restaurant (€25). Equally you might simply decide to find one of the cosy corners by the fire and curl up with a good book. Dinner on Monday evening is in the characterful Fisherman’s Pub at Ballynahinch.

Tuesday begins in similar fashion, with a light pre-yoga snack followed by a Vinyasa Flow yoga class in Lettery Lodge, then breakfast in the hotel and optional activities to choose from. In the evening there is a gentle and restorative Yin Yoga class followed by deeply relaxing Yoga Nidra, and dinner in the Owenmore restaurant overlooking the river at Ballynahinch.

On Wednesday 20th November the pre-yoga snack is served from 8 a.m. before the Vinyasa Flow class in Lettery Lodge and breakfast is available afterwards in the hotel until 10 a.m. before check-out at midday.

Including energising and relaxing yoga classes, breakfast and dinner each day and a variety of optional daily activities, the Yoga Mara Escape at Ballynahinch Castle runs from Sunday November 17th to Wednesday November 20th and is available from €850 per individual or €655 per person sharing.

https://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/en/events/ballynahinch-wellbeing-escape-with-yoga-mara

www.ballynahinchcastle.com