From a stay at a game reserve in South Africa to painting in Achill, Joan Scaleshas the best of the week's offers
DEAL OF THE WEEK:
Cornwall break with dinner at Fifteen: from €160pps
Stay in the Beachcombers' Apartments in Watergate Bay, near Newquay, and explore Cornwall. A four-night deal costs £129-£159 (€160-€200) per person based on four sharing, including two dinners, one at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen (above) and one at Porth Veor Manor. Book on 00-44-1621-784666, quoting code ASW/405. Air Southwest flies to Newquay from Dublin and Cork.
HOME BREAKS
Blue Stacks: from €249pps
Discover Donegal, the Blue Stack Mountains and the Lough Eske region with a guided hillwalk on September 8th and 9th, staying at Harvey's Point Hotel. The two-night package, including dinner both nights and a packed lunch, costs €249pps. 074-9722208, www.harveyspoint.com.
Fitzwilliam deals: €105pps
The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an offer of BB for €105 per person sharing. Add dinner for €25 each, or opt for the shopping package at €150 each. www.fitzwilliamhotel.com.
Mount Wolseley: from €50pps
Mount Wolseley Hotel and Golf Resort, in Co Carlow, has an August sale. Overnight stays cost from €50 per person sharing. Two nights' BB with one dinner costs €139pps, or include a round of golf for €189. 059-9180100, www.mount wolseley.ie.
Art in Achill: €50 per day
Achill Painting School is running weekly and weekend courses on August 30th and 31st, September 8th to 12th and September 27th and 28th. The courses cost €50 per day. www.achillpainting.com. (And see Island life, page 10.)
Free night: if you're a Rose
In honour of the Rose of Tralee the Carlton Hotel Group is giving a free night to guests named Rose during August. You have to bring a passport or driving licence to claim your free night. www.carlton.ie.
Dublin shopping deal: €155
Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel in Killiney, Co Dublin, could give you an opportunity to spend some money at Dundrum Shopping Centre. Its two-night package, available from Sunday to Thursday, includes free transfers to Dundrum and dinner one night in PJ's restaurant. From €155pps. 01-2305400, www.fitzpatrick hotels.com.
Galway hotel: one day sale
Watch out for the one-day sale at Hotel Meyrick, in Galway, on Tuesday. www.hotelmeyrick.ie.
OVERSEAS BREAKS
Paris: three nights for two
Tempted by three nights for the price of two in Paris? You could stay for prices ranging from €210 to €465 in a variety of hotels in the French capital, including Villa des Ambassadeurs, Malherbes Hôtel, Hôtel Trianon, Hôtel Rive Gauche, Mercure Terminus Nord and Astor St Honoré. www.1800hotels.ie.
Game reserve: from €879
Shamwari Game Reserve, in South Africa's Eastern Cape, is a pioneer in the conservation of animals. You can be part of this as a conservation volunteer. Volunteers assist in ongoing projects, such as game monitoring, game counts, predator ID and anti-poaching controls. Prices range from £1,149 (about €1,450) for two weeks to £3,459 (about €4,375) for 12 weeks. www.worldwide experience.com.
Deals in the Algarve
Oceanico Resorts, which has three properties on the Algarve, in Portugal, is offering seven nights for the price of five for holidays booked by the end of August, for travel up to Christmas. A week in a three-bedroom town house, sleeping six, will cost from €600. 01-6177967, www.oceanicoresorts.com.
11 Kerala nights: from €1,950
Sunway has 11 nights in the Indian state of Kerala from €1,950. A trip to the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan for 10 nights costs from €2,470. The prices include flights, accommodation, transfers and sightseeing tours. 01-2886828, www.sunway.ie.
Late sun deals: from €1,796
Late sun offers for next week from Stein Travel include Knock to the Costa del Sol for a family from €1,796, and Shannon to the Algarve from €1,836. 1800-405406, www.steintravel.ie.
Med cruise: from €929pps
The Island Escape cruise, from August 28th, will fly you from Dublin or Shannon to Palma, in Majorca, to join the ship. You'll then visit Sicily, Naples, Florence, Pisa, Toulon and Barcelona before heading back to Majorca. The deal, including flights, costs from €929pps. 1850-839110.
September break: €319
Departures in September from Dublin, Cork, Knock and Shannon with Falcon Holidays include Bulgaria from €459 and, in Spain, Majorca and the Costa del Sol, from €349, Gran Canaria from €369 and Costa Dorada from €319. 1850-453545, www.falcon holidays.ie.
Week in Turkey: from €399
Sunworld has some good deals for Turkey at the end of the month, with a week in Kusadasi from €399. www.sunworld.ie.
Egyptian break: from €529
Explore Egypt with a week in Naama Bay, on the Red Sea, staying at the Kahramana Hotel from €529. 0818-202020, www.panoramaholidays.ie.