Daily Mail - 17.08.2019

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NEED SOME SUNSHINE?

WE’VE GOT IT SORTED!

Daily Mail, Saturday, August 17, 2019

Travel Notes

Pictures: ALAMY

PAGE 58-59

FANCY A BARGAIN?

by STANLEY

JOHNSON

N

ingaloo!’ my australian friend

exclaimed. ‘That’s probably the

only place in the world you can

see the Big Three together.

You’ve got humpback whales,

manta rays and whale sharks. Just be

sure you get there by mid-July or not

much later.’

Well, as Robert Burns put it, the best-laid

schemes ‘gang aft a-gley’. i was indeed all set

to leave the UK for Western australia in mid-

July when it became apparent that, towards

the end of the month, my eldest son was likely

to top the poll in the Conservative Party

leadership election and become the UK’s new

Prime Minister. of course, i could have sent

him a text from ningaloo saying ‘congrats’,

assuming they had mobile reception there.

But i decided that wasn’t really on, considering

the circumstances.

i mean, how often does your first-born

become PM?

admittedly, in postponing my departure to

the end of July, i realised i might have missed

the chance to see the whale sharks. But i

consoled myself with the thought that at least

Swimming

giants

with

gets my vote!

Our new PM’s dad had a VERY good reason to delay

his trip to Western Australia — but once he got

there he achieved his own lifelong ambition...

Travel Notes

FULL STEAM AHEAD

EXPLORE Sicily by rail with

Inntravel’s new holiday on

the Italian island.

Visit the Cathedral of St John

the Baptist in Ragusa, the

Baroque architecture of Noto

and board the Circumetnea

train in Catania to see the

lava fields of Mount Etna.

The first trip departs August

24, book at inntravel.co.uk

from £735pp for a week B&B

including rail fares.

WINTER WARMER

HIKE CARIBBEAN is launching

a yoga and walking retreat

for the winter sun season at

Jungle Bay Eco Resort,

Dominica (below). Health

guru Petra Rakebrandt will be

leading yoga and meditation

classes but hiking to waterfalls,

snorkelling and spa treat-

ments will also be on offer.

Book the week-long retreat

from October 26, starting at

£1,999pp including flights,

meals and some activities at

hikecaribbean.com.

HUMPBACK WHALE

BUNGEE BONANZA

TAKE a leap of faith and

bungee jump over a flooded

quarry this August Bank

Holiday at the National Diving

and Activity Centre, outside

Chepstow, Monmouthshire.

An inflatable aqua park

and scuba diving sessions are

also on offer, and there’s a

cafe with spectacular views

of the action, too.

Aqua park day-tickets

cost £30 (ndac.co.uk) and

bungee jumps from £125 at

ukbungee.co.uk/bookjump/

FOODIE FORTNIGHT

HEAD down to the New Forest

for a fortnight of food and

drink-themed events from

November 3-16.

The events, in the Hamp-

shire National Park, will show-

case the area’s produce

including Pannage pork, Ring-

wood Brewery beer and flour

ground at the 900-year-old

Eling tide mill. Venues for

events will include farmers’

markets and hotels. Ticket

prices to be released at

thenewforest.co.uk.

HUGO BROWN

Ready: Stanley

in his wetsuit