09 November 2009 - The Sunday Times - Stephen Bleach & Chris Haslam
The signs are unmistakable: it’s wet and windy, and dark at four, so it must be time to head south and bask in some winter sun. The only problem is, whenever you scour the newspapers for suggestions, it’s always £3,000-a-week luxury hideaways . That’s where our cost-conscious guide comes in: dozens of sunshine breaks, each one under £1,000pp. Cheap, then – but not nasty. The fact is, anyone can find mass-market packages to the sun for less than a grand, especially with prices tumbling this season. What’s not so easy is avoiding the grim concrete all-inclusives and homing in on holidays with charm and character – places that are worth your time as well as your money.
They’re out there, though, and to prove it, here are 44 of ’em, from traditional fincas in the Canaries to barefoot resorts in the Caribbean to fully fledged desert-island idylls in the Maldives. So, pack the T-shirt and sunnies, and get going. You can afford it.
AFRICA
At its best, the Gambia is all about friendliness, charm and history. That’s why the mass-market hotels, with their bland food and hustling beach bums, do it a disservice. Ngala Lodge, on the other hand, shows the country’s feelgood side: it’s a refurbished colonial mansion on low cliffs, overlooking a lovely bay, where the 18 suites are decorated with superb local paintings and sculpture. The restaurant has earned a reputation as one of the best on the coast, with excellent fish, and the bar stages jam sessions for local and visiting musicians. The price is £599, B&B, leaving on December 8, with The Gambia Experience (0845 330 2087, gambia.co.uk).
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