SATURDAY MAGAZINE 67Words by: Kirsten JonesTRAVEL
BARGAIN BREAKS
Stay close to home on one
of these short breaks
JERSEY
WHY: The largest
Channel Island
is famous for its
beautiful beaches,
cliffside walking trails
and historic castles.
Rent a kayak and
take in the views
from the water.
HOW: EasyJet Holidays (020 3499 5232,
easyjet.com/holidays) has five nights at
the five-star Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa
in St Helier on a B&B basis from £556
per person, with flights from Southend
on August 17.Above:
The
Dylan
hotel
entrance
archway
and Bar
Brasserie
OCCO
(left)PARIS
WHY: It couldn’t be
easier to reach the
city of love, where you
can climb to the top
of the Eiffel Tower,
visit the Mona Lisa at
the Louvre and see
the sunset along
the Seine.
HOW: EasyJet Holidays (020 3499 5232,
easyjet.com/holidays) has three nights
at the three-star Ibis Paris Alésia
Montparnasse on a room-only basis from
£145 per person, including flights from
Bristol departing on August 11.BELFAST
WHY: Touch down
in Northern Ireland for
a chance to see the
hilltop castle and
grand City Hall or visit
Titanic Belfast, an
interactive journey
through the sunken
ocean liner.
HOW: TopCashback (topcashback.co.uk)
has three nights at the four-star Holiday Inn
Belfast City Centre on a room-only basis
from £196.72 when booking through
ebookers, based on two adults sharing
with flights from Gatwick on August 19.Suite dreams
Our hotel The Dylan was a great base for the
weekend. Just 40 guest rooms and suites are
housed within a number of striking old brick
townhouses, set back off a cobblestone square
on picturesque canal Keizersgracht. You enter
through the archway, which dates back to 1632- when the property was the Netherlands’ first
theatre (Vivaldi once conducted here). Oddly,
though, the hotel takes its name from Dylan
Thomas (the owners are fans of the poet).
Stepping inside, we discovered that the
décor was as grand as the façade. There’s an
intimate lounge, leading through to Bar
Brasserie OCCO. And for foodies, there’s
Michelin-starred French restaurant Vinkeles.
The wow factor continued in our loft suite where
we climbed a spiral staircase and entered an
open-plan bedroom and living room, with
plenty of luxury touches. It’s a room to get
seriously comfy in.
part of it is an indoor food market, lined with
more than 20 street-food vendors serving a
range of international cuisines. We were keen to
sample a Dutch speciality, though, and made our
way to De BallenBar for some bitterballen. These
deep-fried stuffed balls, filled with anything
from goat’s cheese to shrimp and truffle, are
arguably the Netherlands’ national dish.
Loading up on stodgy food left us in need of
some exercise, and we found a walk round
Vondelpark – Amsterdam’s largest green space
- a great way to burn off
calories. The park is also
near the Museum Quarter,
so we headed to the Van
Gogh Museum afterwards
to marvel at the world’s
largest collection of the
Dutch painter’s
masterpieces, then to the
Rijksmuseum to check
out famous works by
Rembrandt, Vermeer and
other home-grown greats.
It proved to be an awe-
inspiring ending to our
weekend in this historically
and culturally rich city.
WAY TO GO EasyJet
(easyjet.com) flights from London
Gatwick to Amsterdam start from
£25.27 per person (one way,
including taxes and based
on two people on the same
booking). Stays at The
Dylan start from €223 in
low season and €278 in high
season, including breakfast (but
excluding city tax). For further
information, please email
[email protected]
or call +31 20 530 2010.●Amsterdam