Daily Mail - 21.08.2019

Page 58 Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Escape

RELAX, IT’S CHILD’S PLAY!

Travel Notes

by KATHERINE

SPENLEY

Kids’ clubs for the

little ones and a spa

for grown-ups — Corfu’s

new all-inclusive resort

is a hit with all the family

B

ritain’s so-called uncertainty
seems to have done wonders
for the all-inclusive holiday.
new figures show how we’re
dead keen to pay up front and
then never having to trouble our

wallets again.
What’s more, here at the new ikos Dassia
resort in Corfu — about eight miles north of
Corfu town — all-inclusive even extends to
the mini-bar and dinners in some restaurants
beyond the hotel gates.
this is the fourth ikos Dassia in Greece. it
aims to provide the definitive answer for
frazzled parents who love their children but
yearn for some time away from them.
What’s more, it remains open until the end
of October, when temperatures are still
around the 23c (74f) mark.
the rooms — there are 411 spread over 25
acres — are simple but tasteful, decked out in

spot for a few lazy laps and

a chapter of a novel on the

elegant double sun-loung-

ers with billowing white

drapes. then, a Pure

rejuvenation massage

using olive oil. Pure joy.

Far, far away from the

calm of the spa, there’s an

engagingly rowdy chil-

dren’s area full of little

ones playing happily and

splashing about under

giant sprinklers.

T

here are kids

clubs for all ages —

the creche takes

babies from four

months (at a charge of £32

per session), but from four

up to the teenage years,

the craft-and-sports

packed activity schedules

are all included, so there’s

no need to worry about

forking out for childcare.

For sundowners, we

swerved the mini bar and

headed to the stylish

terrace for cocktails

looking out over the beach

and the mountains. the

next evening we nipped to

the hotel’s own jetty for a

beautiful, if blustery, boat

trip up the coast — lovely

as it was, it seemed rather

a shame to loop straight

back to shore.

Perhaps, mindful of this,

the hotel has now added

another boat trip option

which sees guests sail to

nearby Vido island for

supper at a taverna.

this so-called ‘dine out’

experience is part of ikos’s

clever ‘escape button’

option. For the island is a

delight, and it would be a

great shame to stay in the

grounds for your whole

holiday and miss out.

ikos has addressed this

rather brilliantly: guests

looking to explore the

island get a day’s hire of a

Mini Cooper. and it’s

included in the price — so

you can whizz round

winding roads bordered by

olive groves in search of

the perfect little bay.

For the more adventur-

ous, there’s the option of

exploring the picturesque

17th-century monastery

at the top of Mount

Pantokrator, which has

360-degree views out over

the sea.

Or, if you like, you can nip

across to the other side of

the island. Be sure to stop

for a bite in the charming

village of ano Korakiana

on the way. then drop in

at Paleokastritsa bay —

where, according to legend,

the shipwrecked Odysseus

clambered ashore on his

way home to ithaca from

troy. and scale the

atmospheric ruins of

angelokastro, a Byzantine

castle that beetles over the

sea from a precipi-

tous 1,000ft drop.

For our evening

on the tiles —

another part of

the package —

we headed to Corfu

town, starting with

a stroll around the Old

town’s ancient streets,

soaking up the pretty

Venetian architecture and

photogenic squares, and

indulging in some surpris-

ingly good shopping.

so stylish were the

boutiques that one of our

party picked up her

mother-of-the-groom dress

before dinner.

For supper, we headed to

rex, a buzzy spot for

delicious spinach pie and

equally good people-

watching. then a short

mini-bus ride back to the

resort and the terrace bar

for a nightcap. no credit

card required. Bliss.

TRAVEL FACTS

KATHERINE travelled with

Sovereign Luxury Travel

(01293 832 459, sovereign.

com) which has a seven-

night all-inclusive holiday

at Ikos Dassia from

£1,239pp based on two

travelling. The price

includes private resort

transfers and return flights

from Gatwick with

EasyJet. Based on a

October 19 departure.

white and blue, with super-smart
toiletries in the generous bathrooms.
ikos has plumped for anne semonin,
an under-the-radar brand long adored
by Parisian women, including Catherine
Deneuve. a good sign.
some guests have rooms with their
own swimming pools, but for the rest of
us, there are seven to choose from,
including some which, mercifully, are

adults only. One afternoon, i dragged

myself away from the private beach as

the sun dipped and headed to the spa

— a haven of creamy marble and

scented candles.

the thermal suite, complete with

pretty Bisazza-tiled steam room, was

empty when i visited, allowing me to

spend a dreamy hour padding between

steam and sauna (although

i didn’t quite brave the ice-

cold bucket shower — a fun,

but daunting, option). the

spa pool was much more my

speed. again, i had it to myself (chil-

dren are not welcome after 4pm, a mas-

terstroke for mums looking for a some

time to themselves). it was the perfect

Pictures: HEINZ TROLL/ALAMY

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF

BOOKINGS for direct flights to the Isles

of Scilly are now available online with

Penzance Helicopters. The only sched-

uled helicopter service to the islands

will depart from the new Penzance

heliport and land at Tresco and

St Mary’s. Launching on March 17, 2020,

flights will take 15-minutes and will

operate six-days a week year-round.

Book at penzancehelicopters.co.uk

from £122.50 one-way.

PACK THE POOCH

CELEBRATE National Dog Day this bank

holiday by taking yours to the De Vere

Estates. Their 15 country hotels

welcome pets from £30 per night,

including bed, bowl and treats. Loca-

tions include Cotswold Water Park and

Wokefield Estate, Berkshire. B&B

doubles from £99 at devere.co.uk.