Posts in October half-term
Planning for an Autumn 2021 Escape…

MAURITIUS | October is one of our favourite months in Mauritius on the west & east coasts. Due to reopen its borders to UK tourists from 1st March 2021, this Indian Ocean island is a fairly secure bet for guaranteed sunshine & unspoilt beaches. All of our preferred hotels are offering very flexible terms for October half-term bookings, refundable until 6 weeks prior to departure. And with early bird discounts offering 20-30% off their standard rates, Mauritius is a brilliant value option for the Autumn.


BHUTAN | This small Kingdom bordering China to the north and India to the south closed its borders very early-on in the pandemic and has been widely applauded for its approach. Whilst there are no set dates for borders re-opening, we are optimistic that an Autumn break in this quiet Himalayan haven will be possible, and October is an ideal time of year to visit. Your mornings will be spent hiking, biking, rafting and visiting monasteries, with lazier afternoons spent by the pool, learning the skills of archery, camp craft, Bhutanese art techniques and fly fishing.


BAWAH RESERVE | Private islands are very appealing at the moment and this Indonesian retreat is one of our favourites. Reached via a seaplane from the island of Batam, off Singapore, we’d recommend a few nights in the Garden City first assuming borders are open. Once you reach your island retreat, you’ll have five lush jungle-covered islands, three sapphire blue lagoons and thirteen brilliant white beaches to explore. Deposits are payable only 30 days prior to arrival. And did we mention that a daily spa treatment is included in your room rate?


MEDITERRANEAN | If you prefer a short-haul flight and have a more relaxed approach to Autumn temperatures, the southern Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Crete are excellent options in October, as is Puglia in the heel of Italy. The adjacent sister properties, Annabelle & Almyra, are offering complimentary Half and Full Board upgrades for children under 12, for bookings made during the month of March. And Masseria Torre Maizza in Puglia is offering 15% off all stays and €150 in-resort credit.


NEW YORK | A family trip to New York in the Fall makes a lot of sense to us. Central Park will be at its absolute Autumnal best and your packed sightseeing schedule will be that much easier in this temperate month. We love the stylish Ludlow Loft rooms offering a separate living/bedroom for the kids, and floor-to-ceiling views over Manhattan. If a pool is a must, the Park Hyatt just two blocks from Central Park would be another hotel to ask us about. To escape the city for a few nights, head north to the Hudson Valley - home to fabulous wineries, hip market towns and plenty of opportunities for a morning of river kayaking, forest hiking, pumpkin-picking or fishing.


OMAN OR DUBAI | If a direct, short flight & guaranteed high temperatures are top of your tick list, you can’t go wrong with a quick & easy week on the beaches of Oman or Dubai. And if you want all of the above with an additional hit of adventure, a few nights in the Hajar Mountains & an Arabian night under the desert sky will create lifelong memories. As Four Seasons Preferred Partners, all of our clients booking suites at the Four Seasons Jumeirah Beach will receive in-resort credit for their stay.

Long-haul in the Fall…

Long-haul family travel has historically been reserved for the Summer and Easter holidays, and occasionally Christmas. With many schools now introducing a two-week October half-term, our wanderlust families should be rubbing their hands with glee…

Why? Well, firstly, October means lower hotel prices & airfares. It also means quieter beaches and, as long as you choose your destination well, a wonderful hit of sunshine just as the nights are drawing in and temperatures are beginning to drop at home. Worried about splurging on an Autumn 2020 holiday before Christmas? Don’t be. We are able to hold flights and accommodation for you now, secure your holiday, and your pennies won’t part from you until Summer 2020.

Over the coming days, we’ll be sharing our favourite October destinations and hotels with you. Stay tuned & ping us an email if you’d like prices.

First up is the Maldives; notoriously expensive at Christmas, and peak monsoon season during our summer months, October marks the end of the rainy season. Como Maalifushi is a spectacular 60-minute seaplane flight from Malé; for a truly remote setting with a wondrous house reef and uninterrupted horizons, you couldn’t ask for better. The activities on offer are equally as impressive; daily yoga, kayaking, paddle-boarding, night-snorkelling, and splash-net dolphin-spotting cruises (where you sit in the net of a dhoni and get dragged through the ocean!). Maalifushi is also one of the few Maldivian resorts to have a TropicSurf Guide at the resort who will escort you to three secluded surf swells on different atolls. For younger guests, Play by COMO offers 4-12 year olds a creative choice of high-energy and quieter activities to suit all characters. Their ‘Family Getaway’ offer for October half-term includes complimentary half board upgrade for adults, and complimentary full board upgrade for children below 12 years of age. Up to two children in the family will also receive complimentary return seaplane transfers; so quite a saving.

Sun, star-gazing and sustainability…

Are you thinking of sun or snow for your Easter holidays? We're going with snow but one of our clients is considering Jordan for some early spring sun and we think it's a brilliant choice. April is the ideal month to visit and it's a fantastic location for families with older children who are ready to explore. Float on the Dead Sea, walk along the streets of the Roman Decapolis in Jerash, star-gaze from a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, even learn how to make baba ghanoush in Amman's finest cookery school. All this before you've even arrived in Petra! As this is the third most water-scarce country in the world, our superb guides will be sure to drop the topic of sustainability into the conversation...

Jordan features in our Native Kids brochure out later this month, sign up here for a copy, or if you're ready to chat now, call us on 0203 371 7203.

Hoping for an Indian summer?

Book a slice of guaranteed autumn sunshine for October half-term. Since for most of us, the holiday is only a week long we've selected our favourite short-haul destinations which deliver on temperature, but don't leave you exhausted for your Halloween celebrations. For those families lucky enough to have a longer holiday, we've got some alternative long-haul destinations up our sleeve.  Here are just a few of our fall favourites...https://www.my-native.com/october-halfterm

Contact us at info@my-native.com.

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