Author: Bernice

First, you have got to decide where to go. Within just a couple of hours from London, you will find miles upon miles of unspoilt coastline, as well as cute and quaint villages. There’s Cornwall, Devon and the beautiful coastline of the Gower Peninsula which are stunning even in the cooler weather. Or how about a trip to the New Forest? Further afield – and more tempting in the autumn – here is our selection of the UK’s most beautiful cities.

STAYING IN CORNWALL

With beaches to rival the Mediterranean and a largely unspoilt landscape, Cornwall is the ideal place for a seaside retreat. The wild moorland and the tiny fishing villages feel straight out of a storybook – and despite the remote atmosphere, there is no shortage of things to do.

With beaches to rival the Mediterranean and a largely unspoilt landscape, Cornwall is the ideal place for a seaside retreat. The wild moorland and the tiny fishing villages feel straight out of a storybook – and despite the remote atmosphere, there is no shortage of things to do.

GWENDOLYN, PERRANPORTH, CORNWALL

Nestled above the sand dunes of Perranporth beach, Gwendolyn is the epitome of laid-back coastal living. With an understated design edge, this luxury self-catered cottage is a haven for those seeking a family-friendly escape to the Cornish coast. A truly tranquil setting, combining sea views, a hot tub and a calming interior scheme, Gwendolyn is a property for those looking for a beach house less ordinary.

Sleeps Up to 6 guests (+ 2 children)

STAYING IN SOMERSET

As one of the larger English counties, Somerset has stunning beaches, green countryside, woodlands, lakes & more, covering a wide range of landscapes & environments.

VIOLA, BUTLEIGH, GLASTONBURY, SOMERSET

Between the rolling hills of bucolic Somerset near Glastonbury lies a luxury country house of two wildly different personalities. A Jekyll and Hyde of elegance and chinking chandeliers on one side, and a dark, heart-racing cave where escapism is the name of the game on the other, Viola is a luxury self-catering home to satisfy all. With a heated swimming pool, Formula 1 racing simulators, tennis court and hot tub; this home is hedonism embodied.

Sleeps Up to 12 guests

STAYING IN THE COSTWOLDS

One of the most picturesque pockets you will find in all of Britain, the Cotswolds are where you will fall in love with chocolate box villages, miles of rolling countryside and grand stately homes. Covering 800 square miles of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, you can only imagine how much there is to explore – from ‘England’s prettiest village’ Castle Combe to the gardens of Prince Charles’ private residence Highgrove House.

EVANIA, BENTHAM, CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, THE COTSWOLDS

Built from Gloucestershire stone but with a beating heart firmly in the Mediterranean, this luxury self-catering holiday home in the Cotswolds is a calming oasis of luxe tranquillity. Enjoy breakfast in bed under Romanesque columns, recline in the shade of 300-year-old olive trees and float beneath the stars amidst waterfalls in the outdoor swimming pool. Evania (meaning ‘serene’) is a true paradise found.

Sleeps Up to 10 guests

STAYING IN THE LAKE DISTRICT

We cannot think of a better place for an isolation-inspired break than the Lake District, where you can make the most of the great open spaces and soak up the views of England’s wild beauty.

SKYLINE, STAVELEY, THE LAKE DISTRICT, CUMBRIA

Like a bird soaring the skies, this luxury self-catering home sits high above the Cumbrian village of Staveley behind a gated entrance, boasting both peaceful seclusion as well as 180-degree views across the valley to the fells. With a traditional Lakeland stone façade, sleek contemporary interiors, and tennis court along with 11 private acres of fields and secret woodland to explore (and its own helipad); this is the ultimate secret escape for lovers of the Lake District.

Sleeps Up to 10 guests

For more information on the properties or to make a booking, please contact your travel manager.

If what you want is utter seclusion and perfect peace, in a location off-limits to everyone but the resort staff and a few other guests, then a private island is the only place to go. Here are our favourites selection for you from around the world.

BAWAH RESERVE, INDONESIA

Opened in July 2017, Bawah is one of the world’s most exciting hideaways: remote, beautiful and with bar-raising environmental policies. Days can be spent hiking through butterfly-filled primary rainforest, gliding over pink, purple and electric-blue corals and snorkelling. The 36 villas, 11 of which are stilted above the water, are made from recycled teak and local bamboo and fit effortlessly into the scheme of things.

The best time to visit this island is between May and September.

GLADDEN, BELIZE

This is probably the most reclusive island escape out there – and yet also the most indulgent, too. A place where it feels like you are the only people on the planet, but a Daiquiri is only a wave of the hand away. From the roof terrace, the Maya Mountains shimmer in the distance and all around the island is calm blue. This is in a protected marine reserve, with whale sharks and pods of dolphins.

The best time to visit the island is between March and May.

VOAVAH, MALDIVES

Already known for running one of the loveliest hotels in the Maldives (Landaa Giraavaru), Four Seasons has taken things up a notch with the opening of Voavah. With seven bedrooms set across the five acres, it’s an extraordinary all-singing, all-dancing playground of a place. This is in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, so the best-in-the-world snorkelling is taken as read.

But there are surprises too.

The best time to visit this island is between November and April

CEMPEDAK, INDONESIA

Its 20 villas, peppered across rugged beach and through a jungly interior packed with soaring fig and pandan trees, are the brainchild of hotelier Andrew Dixon, who opened eco-trailblazer Nikoi Island in the same archipelago a decade ago. Regulars clamoured for an adults-only escape, and here is his answer. Dixon’s commitment to environmentalism means solar panels and waste-water gardens, zero plastic waste and no air-con. Indonesian bamboo has been used to build the villas, breath taking raised walkways and a restaurant that stretches oceanward in frond-like tendrils.

The best time to visit this island is between January and February and May to October.

KOKOMO, FIJI

Few places in Fiji combine culture with a barefoot vibe like Kokomo. It sits on the edge of the Kadavu archipelago, encircled by the Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the largest and most immaculate reefs in the world, far away from the mainland crowds. The 21 beachside bures and five hilltop villas are filled with authentic Fijian touched and have walled gardens heady with the scent of frangipani. Kokomo is a feast of a place, putting this speck in the South Pacific on the epicurean map.

The best time to visit this island is between late October to early November.

For more information on the above islands or to make a booking, please contact your travel manager.