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upcoming ski season with most dates and destinations very well sold. Two hidden gems with availability are Andorra and Livigno. Tony says “Having understandably missed out during the 2020/21 season, our customers are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get back to the slopes and we very much look forward to welcoming them from December onwards.” For more info on ski vacations, visit topflight.ie
Ski Time!
WITH KEVIN FLANAGAN Skiing Again! My Christmas arrived early with news that I will be travelling to Westendorf on January 29th, 2022 with Topflight to spend a week skiing! What’s more, I will be bringing my grandkids Kuba and Maya! As readers of this column will know, the three of us have been getting ready for the slopes at the Ski Club of Ireland in Kilternan (skiclub.ie). During the week, I met Tony Collins, the founder of Topflight, for one of our regular gettogethers. After the challenges of the lockdown, which was particularly hard on the travel industry, he was in good spirits. Bookings are strong for the
And you can book your 2021/22 ski holiday now with Directski. com. For example, travel to La Plagne, France on 26th March, 2022 and stay at the 5-Star White Pearl Lodge from €619pps. Price includes return flights from Dublin, transfers, accommodation for six nights, taxes and rep service. Price based on four sharing. Book on directski.com
Iceland Discover the natural wonders of Iceland with Travel Department on this unforgettable three-night guided short break holiday. You’ll chase the Northern Lights and explore the country’s versatile landscape. Spend time soaking in the Blue Lagoon, visit thundering waterfalls and spouting geysers on a full-day tour of the Golden Circle, and then spend some free time exploring the cosmopolitan Reykjavik. Prices from €769pp. Includes
Clodagh at the Blue Grotto, Malta
Kevin with Tony Collins, Topflight flights, transfers, accommodation for three nights, B&B and guided tours. Departures on: 25th November, 2nd December, 2021 and also in March 2022 Visit traveldepartment.com/ holiday/iceland-the-northernlights
Clodagh Dooley’s Pick of the Week: Malta This week, I’m sharing the highlights of day three and four of my recent trip to Malta. I’d highly recommend visiting these places if you’re considering travelling to Malta! On day three, we visited Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, megalithic temples that are among the most religious sites in the world. These fascinating UNESCO World Heritage sites are 2km south-west of Quendri village. From there,
we went to the magnificent Blue Grotto nearby, taking a boat trip through the sea caverns – this is one of Malta’s most extraordinary sites! Lunch was in the colourful fishing village of Marsaxlokk, in a family-run restaurant, Tartarun (tartarun.com), which has a focus on fresh fish. That night, we had dinner back at one of our hotel’s restaurants, the Hilton Malta’s Blue Elephant Restaurant, which is an extravagant Thai restaurant with delicious cuisine, and ended the night with cocktails and views of the Mediterranean shoreline at the Beefbar Lounge (malta.beefbar. com) in St Paul’s Bay. Our fourth and final day included a visit to Domus Romana, a ruined Roman-era house in Ir-Rabat, and a tasting of Malta’s traditional pastry, pastizzi, at local spot Crystal Palace (IsSerkin). Pastizzi is a must-try! We also explored the medieval Mdina, known as the ‘Silent City’,
which was a sight to behold. The fortified city was even a filming location for ‘Game of Thrones’. Then, we had an indulgent Maltese afternoon tea at Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa (corinthia.com/ palace-hotel-and-spa), which was beautifully displayed and also tasted beautifully! To finish off an amazing trip before heading back to Ireland, we stopped off at San Niklaw Winery (sanniklawestates. com), a family-owned estate comprising vineyards and olive groves. I really enjoyed this, not just because there was winetasting (!), but because it was fascinating to speak to a local producer and discover their Maltese wines. In next week’s column (and my final piece about my Malta trip), I’ll be sharing a great holiday offer for Malta, as well as some details about planning a trip to the beautiful destination – so stay tuned! For more Malta travel inspiration, see visitmalta.com