Best last-minute holiday deals for March
February’s bonkers weather has long outstayed its welcome – enough to inspire anyone to head off to a place that’s more agreeable.
Try somewhere far away and hot, or closer to home and in the mountains. If you’re planning on a March getaway, take a look at some of these ideas.
Go now
Sri Lanka
If the thought of lying on a sandy beach by the Indian Ocean is too good to resist, then take a look at the Trinco Blu by Cinnamon on Sri Lanka’s east coast. Most of its light, airy rooms look out over the pool and/or the beach, and it takes just seconds to reach the sands. Teletext Holidays has seven nights from £683pp, including flights and breakfast, for a 17 March departure.
Tobago
Trinidad’s smaller and more laidback sister island has a lush interior of rainforest nature reserves and soft, sandy beaches squeezed into jungly coves. At Blue Waters Inn in northeast Tobago, you’ll have golden sands just a few feet away from the hotel, along with a dive centre and beachfront pool. Seven nights’ B&B with Tropical Sky from £1,259pp, including flights and transfers, departing 9 March.
France
Make the most of longer days on the slopes with a late-season ski trip to France. Saint Gervais shares the Mont Blanc ski area with Megeve, and offers a relaxed village atmosphere that befits this 19th-century spa town. Peak Retreats has a one-bedroom apartment in Grand Panorama, by the main gondola, from £543 for a week’s self catering. It’s for a 28 March departure and includes Eurotunnel crossing.
Suffolk
Look out for early signs of spring in the Suffolk countryside when you stay at a cosy cottage in the absurdly pretty village of Lavenham. Rural Retreats has availability at Hylton Cottage, a romantic, dog-friendly one-bedroom cottage in the centre of the village, where you can cosy up in front of the fireplace. Three nights from 20 March cost £414 and include a welcome pack.
Book now for June
Croatia
Before the summertime crowds descend, June is a superb time to visit Croatia’s Adriatic coast. Head north to the Kvarner Gulf and the island of Krk, one of Croatia’s two largest, for an appealing combination of lovely beaches and the old quarter of Krk Town. Less than 20 minutes from the town is Villa Malinska I, a sleek three-bedroom villa offered by Oliver’s Travels. Set in the coastal village of Malinska, the house has a rooftop pool and stylishly modern decor. A week’s rental from 13 June costs £2,093.
Turkey
From March, you no longer have to pay for a visa to enter Turkey. Now’s the time to book a chilled-out holiday in the pretty coastal town of Gocek between Fethiye and Dalaman. Ultramodern D-Resort Gocek is handy for the beach, the town centre and its lively marina, and there’s a pool as well as a spa. Inspired Luxury Escapes has a week’s B&B from £769pp, including flights, departing 8 June.
Ghent
This attractive Belgian city has the charm of Bruges but not the crowds, and this year it’s in the midst of a city-wide celebration of painter Jan van Eyck. Be in the heart of things at the Hotel Verhaegan, a beautifully restored 18th-century mansion that’s now an elegant maison d’hotes with wonderfully rococo interiors, original artworks and a French-style landscaped garden. Booked through i-escape, doubles start at £167 a night, room only.
Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk
