From quirky trips on houseboats to great deals on cosy beach escapes – the perfect Easter staycations
YOU may still be exhausted from half-term, but we are already looking towards Easter.
Now is the time to book if you want to bag the perfect staycation.
There are quirky trips like on houseboats where you can float your way through the countryside, and great deals on cosy Cornwall escapes.
Sophie Swietochowski shares her top Easter ideas.
DRIFT OFF ON AN ADVENTURE IN WALES
BOOK a stay on this floating home and you’ll be treated to waterfront views no matter which window you’re looking out of.
Board the 65ft-long Anna narrowboat and sail along the Llangollen Canal in North Wales, from the town of Trevor to historic Ellesmere in Shropshire.
The pet-friendly boat sleeps four and comes with two bathrooms and a modern yet simply decorated kitchen — although it’s the experience you come for, not the decor.
You’ll cross over the Unesco World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, above the Dee Valley, on a 14-hour trip, passing through four locks.
The narrowboat costs from £784 in total, from March 29 to April 1.
The price includes boat hire, gas, car parking, tuition on arrival, buoyancy aids, bed linen and towels.
See drifters.co.uk.
COSY COTTAGE IN NORFOLK
WHY bring just the kids when there’s space for your pals too?
There’s a great modern cottage in Norfolk with enough room for eight guests, a living space featuring a roaring fireplace to cosy up next to during colder evenings and a large garden with a patio for sipping wine or playing games.
And for a change of scenery, you may prefer to potter off to the local pub, The Beeston Ploughshare, which serves an excellent Sunday roast — if you can’t decide which meat you fancy, they’ll give you all three.
If your tots are nature lovers, then Thetford Forest is a 30-minute drive away and is teeming with wildlife and plants.
There’s also a children’s play area and, immersed in the trees, a den-building zone.
Seven nights’ self-catering at the eight-person Hillside Cottage costs from £146pp for arrival on March 30.
See sykescottages.co.uk.
ROYAL ADVENTURES ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT
WANT to feel like you’ve escaped the UK without actually leaving?
The Isle of Wight is the place to head, just a 45-minute ferry ride from Portsmouth and home to rugged beaches backed by chalky cliffs.
It’s a favourite among British royals, especially Queen Victoria and Prince Albert whose grand estate, Osborne, stands at the northern coastal edge with breathtaking views of the crashing waves.
You can’t get any closer to history than a stay at No 2 Sovereign’s Gate, an English Heritage property which offers guests exclusive out-of-hours access to the estate’s glorious gardens and the private beach.
Take the kids to Tapnell Farm Park with trampolines, slides and animals to pet, or take a boat trip to see the Needles, a famous landmark.
Three nights’ self-catering at the four-person home costs £230pp, for arrival on Good Friday.
GREAT YARMOUTH AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
YOUNGSTERS won’t know what to do next at Haven’s Wild Duck holiday park, not far from the windswept coast of Great Yarmouth and completely geared towards outdoorsy types.
Spend a long weekend in a three-bedroom caravan where you’ll have nature-themed walking and biking trails from your front door as well as access to outdoor swimming pools, crazy golf and even a kart-racing track.
Action-loving adventurers will want to get stuck into the new Nerf Zone where they’ll be tasked with firing balls into their opponents’ net, while more mellow youngsters can focus on building their own bear or following the Easter trails.
A three-night break for up to eight in a three-bedroom caravan costs from £335 in total arriving on March 29.
See haven.com.
COUNTRYSIDE RETREAT IN CORNWALL
CORNWALL is a staycation haven, but with so many enviable spots that are home to rolling hills overlooking sandy beaches and restaurants dishing up seafood plucked straight from the sea, it can be hard to narrow it down.
If you really want to take advantage of this region’s rugged rural landscapes, the rustic converted stone barn at The Cornish Place will let you do just that.
You won’t need to worry about packing a thing as there are towels for beach and bath, ice creams, board games, body boards for the waves, an enclosed field for dogs, highchairs and cots, and unlimited firewood for the log burner.
The highlight is the wood-fired hot tub in the garden, from where you can watch the sunset beyond a grassy horizon.
Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm with its vintage tractor rides and farm-animal petting zoo is just ten miles away.
A three-night self-catering weekend stay at The Barn is from £209pp, based on four sharing.
See thecornishplace.com.