olimpo hotel majorca

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SHROPSHIRE STAR TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2009
EXTRA
Island of such charm
Sitting in the departure
lounge at Birmingham Airport
I thought: “It was 20 years ago
today that we flew as a family
for the first time and that was
with Monarch, and that was to
Menorca.”
Well I can report that the island has
lost non of it’s charm and the airline is as
reliable as ever.
I was lucky enough to visit the quietest of the Balearics for a weekend of
relaxation and fine dining in early May.
After a comfortable flight aboard one
of Monarch’s Airbuses we arrived (15
minutes) early at Mahon’s International
Airport.
Now this was one place that had
changed.
The terminal building was bang up to
date with extending walkways enabling
the passenger to reach the main building without boarding a bus.
After reclaiming our bags we were
whisked to Mahon’s picturesque harbour for a boat trip around Europe’s
deepest natural harbour courtesy of the
BY JOHN HINDMARCH
Yellow Catamaran company. The guide
pointed out many of the places interest
including a villa where Lord Nelson was
supposed to have stayed with Lady
Hamilton in 1791.
However there is no official record of
the great admiral actually visiting the
island – he was probably far too busy
sinking French ships at the time.
Menorca retains strong links with
Britain as it was a crown colony for more
than 200 years and what could be more
British than gin.
After a superb lunch at the Restaurant
Club Maritimo which as the name suggests overlooks the port we moved
along to the Xoriguer distillery, the last
one on the island.
Xoriguer is the name for the old windmill, the trademark of the world famous
gin, distilled using wine spirit, water and
juniper berries.
The Menorcans take their gin with
soda and lemon, which makes for a
refreshing drink. Visitors to the dis-
capital
Ciudadela was the old
tillery are invited to sample the goods
which includes several gin based
liquors.
The Menorcan Tourist Board are keen
to promote the island as an unspolit
haven where nature and tourism can coexist, along with adventure holidays.
Trekking and windsurfing and popular
pastimes.
One superb walking area is the S’Albufera des Grau nature reserve which
includes dunes and wetlands that
stretch 8.5km northwards along the
coast and feature Talayotic and Roman
ruins.
On arrival at Cala Galdana we were
given a breathtaking view of our hotel,
the Hotel Audax, positioned 100m from
the beautiful sandy bay, quite a sight as
the sun was going down, but more of
the hotel later.
Golf
As the sun beat down on Saturday
morning we headed for the island’s only
golf course, the Golf Son Parc, owned
by an enthusiastic Manchester businessman Hugh Brown, who battled for
18 years with the authorities to transform a run down nine hole course to the
18 hole championship venue it is today.
The Menorca Amateur Open was in
full swing while we were there but Hugh
gave the three golfers among us a
guided tour of the course which he
carved out of an area of outstanding
beauty. The holes looked interesting
and the greens were in superb condition.
The course also has a driving range
and practice area and lessons are available from the PGA trained staff.
We were royally treated for lunch at
the Restaurant Es Pla, right on the jetty
at the harbour town of Fornells. I say royally because that’s where the king of
Spain eats when he’s on the island. The
paella was of sovereign standard.
After a leisurely lunch (two and a half
hours, they know how to do things in
Spain) we headed for Monte Toro, the
highest point of the island which offers
a panoramic view of the island and over
to Majorca on a clear day.
Ciutadella was the old capital of the
island and is situated at the opposite
end to Mahon.
The town is unmissable with it
LATE DEALS ● LATE DEALS ● LATE DEALS
HOTEL DEAL
Thomson offers seven nights at the 5T
Don Pancho in Benidorm, part of the
Summer Collection, on a half board
basis from £365 per person based on
two people sharing – saving £180 per
person. Departing on July 16 from London Gatwick Airport, the price includes
return flights, accommodation, transfers
and all taxes and charges. To book visit
www.thomson.co.uk or call
0871 231 5595.
FRANCE
A seven night summer holiday at Eurocamp’s Le Clarys-Plage parc near St
Jean-de-Monts, in the Vendée, arriving
July 15, now costs just £619 for the
whole family, staying in a 3 bedroom
‘Comfort’ mobile home (sleeps up to
eight), with free Dover-Calais ferry crossings available – saving £369. For further
information call 0844 406 0552 or visit
www.eurocamp.co.uk.
EGYPT
Departing from East Midlands Airport on
July 22, stay at the 5-star Jaz Mirabel
Beach in Sharm El Sheikh on an all inclusive basis for seven nights from £550 per
person based on two sharing, a saving of
£200 per person. Price includes return
flights, accommodation, resort transfers
and taxes and charges. For further information/reservations call Portland Holidays Direct on 08712 313 237 or book
online at www.portlanddirect.co.uk and
save an extra £20 per person.
SICILY
Thomson offers 14 nights at the 4T Parchotel Olimpo in Letojanni, part of the
Summer Collection, on a half board
basis from £595 per person based on
two people sharing – saving £140 per
person. Departing on July 19 from London Gatwick Airport, the price includes
return flights, accommodation, transfers
and all taxes and charges. To book visit
www.thomson.co.uk or call
0871 231 5595.
IBIZA
Cala Llonga
Departing from Manchester Airport on
July 15, stay at the 4-star Fiesta Hotel
Cala Llonga on a half board basis for
seven nights from £359 per person
based on two sharing, a saving of £231
per person. Price includes return flights,
accommodation, resort transfers and
taxes and charges. For further information/reservations call Portland Holidays
Direct on 08712 313 237 or book online
at www.portlanddirect.co.uk and save an
extra £20 per person.
MALLORCA
With self-catering accommodation making financial sense for families and savings of 20 per cent off selected
properties during the school holidays, a
break with Mallorca Farmhouses
(www.mallorca.co.uk 0845 800 8080)
ticks all the boxes for the cost-conscious. Properties available commencing July include 18 Finca S`Hort Des
Misser available for under £236 per person, per week based on seven sharing,
saving £412 and Can Corso, available for
£286 per person, per week based on six
sharing, saving £428.
ancient streets, historic churches and
stately homes.
Ciutadella springs from its fortified
medieval past. It is renowned for its cultural events, fiesta, the bay, the best
beaches and gastronomy.
There are restaurants all along the
harbour, prominent among these is the
Cafe Balear where the baked hake in
garlic sauce was as good as it gets.
Sunday was a free day and our party
was offered the choice of a kayaking
tour exploring the caves around Cala
Galdana or use of the Hotel Audax Spa.
I opted for the less adventurous
option and after a morning spent relaxing beside the hotel’s terrace pool I
reported to the Spa and Wellness Centre for the thermal circuit – 90 minutes of
pure relaxation.
The centre features a stunning array
or water features, from
warm soothing waters and
freezing cold plunge pools
(I had no idea 12 degrees
C was so cold) and water
jets to the more traditional
jacuzzis and water beds in
the pool which bubble
and foam at the flick of a
switch.
Before heading to the
sauna and Turkish baths
it was time to check out
the series of showers.
These included a
bucket shower which
does exactly what it says
on the tin – pull the chain
and a suspended steel
bucket dumps a load of
freezing water on you.
After a while the
women in the party said
they could feel the texture of their skin
feeling softer and healthier. I just felt
relaxed to an almost horizontal degree.
In fact wellness and relaxation are the
key words at the Hotel Audax, which is
surrounded by a natural zone protected
by the island’s authorities.
Rooms are spacious and well furnished and the modern building covers
six floors, tastefully decorated in contemporary style.
As evening approached we had one
treat left in store – an evening trip to the
Cova d’en Xoroi to watch the sun go
A local pizzeria, Maho
n
down. Terraces have been built on the
cliff-face and a visit to the caves are a
treat for young and old – especially the
young. When the sun goes down it’s
party time with the sounds of Ibiza
thumping out from the disco.
On Thursday nights the caves and the
partygoers are flooded with foam.
The whole Menorca experience was
arranged and hosted by Monarch Airlines and could not be faulted – I’ve
become a Monarch-ist and long may
they reign!
TRAVEL FACTS
Monarch offers year round flights
to Menorca from London Luton
and flights during the summer
from Birmingham, Gatwick and
Manchester airports.
Fares including taxes start from
£56.50, one way (£96.99 return).
Passengers travelling on
scheduled flights can avoid
queues and take advantage of the
online check-in which is available
between seven days and 4.5
hours before departure.
For more information go to
www.monarch.co.uk
Enjoy a sprinkling of
magic dust at theatre
Peter Pan is a wellloved story sprinkled
with magic, fairies and
pirates and is being
performed in a temporary theatre in Kensington gardens.
To celebrate the stage production
the Royal Lancaster Hotel, on the
edge of Hyde Park, have created a
dinner and accommodation package.
The inspiration for the classic
tale Peter Pan is said to have been
born in Kensington Gardens, so
what better place to put on the production of J. M. Barrie's book in the
London park itself?
The show, written by Tanya
Ronder, and directed by Ben Harrison, is performed inside a
large, waterproof, white pavilion
marquee, surrounded with more
than 1,000 seats.
The shows props, set and costumes were great and the highlight
was seeing Peter Pan and friends flying around on wires – leaving the
audience desperate to have a go too.
For theatre-goers wanting to
avoid a long drive home, the four-
Royal Lancaster Hotel bedroom
ANTIGUA
Tropical Sky
(www.tropicalsky.co.uk/0870 907 9600) is
offering seven nights on an all-inclusive
basis at the popular Hawksbill by rex
resorts from £839 per person. Valid for
selected departures throughout September and October, the price includes
scheduled flights from London Gatwick,
accommodation in a garden bungalow,
resort transfers, all taxes and surcharges.
A small cove on the island of Menorca
A temporary theatre houses the production
star star luxury Royal Lancaster
Hotel offers an impressive bed for
the night.
The public areas, with their large
mirrors, are ornate and grand with
rooms elegantly kitted out and many
offer a breathtaking view of London
with all the landmarks of the city.
They say you should dine like a
king at breakfast and the Hotel’s
restaurant, The Island, offers an a la
carte with a wide range of choices
from fruit to a full English breakfast.
The “Peter Pan Special” package
includes an overnight stay at the
Royal Lancaster Hotel for two people, including continental breakfast
and a two-course, pre-theatre dinner in the hotel’s restaurants, Nipa
or Island.
The package is priced at £185
and is valid from Friday to Sunday
until August 30.
● Call 020 7262 6110 or visit
www.royallancaster.com quoting
the Peter Pan Special. Performances are Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday matinees
at 2pm and Sunday matinees at
3pm until August 30.
● Tickets are £22.50, £32.50,
£42.50 and £47.50, with concessions.