Departure Lounge: Five holiday deals to book, including a women-only trip to Machu Picchu
This alternative route leads to Machu Picchu without seeing many other hikers on the trail
Alpaca Expeditions is offering a women-only trip to Machu Picchu lead by female guides and porters through the remarkable Andes.
The Women-Only Salkantay & Sacred Valley 7 Day Tour to Machu Picchu was created to empower women through exploration and cultural immersion.
A mix of glamping and tent camping, the Salkantay Trail is a spectacular multi-day hiking experience through startling scenery, challenging terrain, and community options that are not available on the classic Inca Trail.
Off-the-beaten path, this alternative route leads to Machu Picchu without seeing many other hikers on the trail. With Peruvian wine tasting, cooking class, the weaving women’s collective and a coffee tour all on the itinerary, it’s one special trip.
$995 per person, group size is 8-12, between May. Flights extra.
As someone who’s sampled the wild pleasures of Newfoundland as part of a two-month road trip through Canada’s maritime provinces, from Montreal to Nova Scotia and beyond, I can attest to the sheer wonder and beauty of this remote corner of the planet.
Canadian Sky is offering a 13-night self-drive Newfoundland & Labrador Explorer from €2,949 per person, including flights.
From L’Anse Aux Meadows, an ancient Norse settlement to the fjords of Gros Morne National Park and humpback whales by Iceberg Alley, this will be one epic adventure.
Book by March 31 and save an extra €100 off per booking.
Great news for parents of children with sensory issues.
Travel agent TUI has opened its first ever sensory rooms at two TUI Blue Hotels this summer. The sensory rooms in Larnaca, Cyprus, and in Ibiza will help support neurodivergent guests and their families with staff at both hotels receiving enhanced neurodiversity awareness training.
Designed to support neurodivergent guests and their families TUI Blue Nausicaa Beach in Larnaca, Cyprus, opens April 15 and TUI Blue Aura, Ibiza, on May 1 in anticipation of the summer holidays.
Celebrate spring in Mayo at The Lodge at Ashford Castle with their Best Things in Life are 3 offer. €363pps, this mid-week package invites you to make the most of the beautiful Ashford Estate with an extra night included.
The three-night stay includes B&B, dinner one evening at Wilde’s Restaurant, a sharing platter of local Irish shellfish, cheeses, and charcuterie on one evening in the Quay’s Bar, complimentary bike hire, and access to Ashford Estate’s golf and tennis courts. Don’t miss the complimentary morning walk with the estate’s resident Irish wolfhounds hounds or the history tour with a local guide on select. Available midweek until April 30.
Ocean, David Attenborough’s new feature-length documentary, hits the cinemas on May 8. Exploring the health of our oceans and how we can restore them, it’s turned our thoughts towards maritime holidays.
Responsible Travel has three appealing itineraries for 2025: Whale and dolphin research in the Ligurian Sea, Italy, from €800pp excluding flights, for six days. In Belize, there’s a lionfish spearing marine conservation project, from €914pp excluding flights, for five days. And in Norway a whale watching and Northern Lights sailing holiday, from €1,900pp excluding flights, for four days.
