Last-minute holiday deals for some Easter sun including Spain, France and Dubai
HAVE fun in the sun this Easter with a family break to warmer climes.
It’s true prices are always higher in the school holidays, but many of the best deals are all-inclusive with lots of activities and entertainment thrown in.
There are still some great offers to be snapped up.
Here, Trisha Harbord picks some wonderful ways to go and catch some rays abroad.
Playa Time: 22C
THE Canary Islands are a family favourite – not far to fly and not too hot.
By Easter temperatures will be in the mid-20s and after a four-hour flight and 30-minute transfer, you can be sipping a welcome drink at your hotel.
The 3H Livvo Apartments Morromar in Puerto del Carmen are modern and chic, right in the centre of the resort and within easy reach of the beach.
Apartments come with wifi, kitchenette and balcony or terrace and there are two pools to enjoy plus a handy poolside bar.
A mini-market on site means you can save on restaurant meals.
The island offers watersports galore from windsurfing to golf.
French Fun: 15C
GO: Seven nights’ self-catering with flights from Leeds Bradford on April 6 is from £464pp. See loveholidays.com.
KIDS love holiday villages because there is an abundance of activities and entertainment.
Save 20 per cent on a stay at Holiday Village Moliets in south-west France.
It’s in a fantastic setting, surrounded by pine forests and near the Atlantic Ocean and freshwater lakes.
There are four pools, sports including football, table tennis and basketball, and a kids’ clubs.
Teenagers can hang out at their own dedicated space, Le SpOt.
Head to the beach where surfers ride the waves or play golf on one of two courses.
It’s a great area for cycling with lots of trails and you can hire bikes.
GO: Save 20 per cent on seven nights in a self-catering apartment sleeping five people from April 8, now from £378 in total. See pierreetvacances.co.uk.
Return flights from Stansted to Biarritz with ryanair.com from £210pp.
Tunisia Treat: 22C
GIVE the kids a history lesson while on a nine-night break in Tunisia.
Sousse has popular beach resorts but the city’s Medina is a Unesco World Heritage site.
Shop in the traditional souk for jewellery, leather goods and wood crafts.
A good base is the 4H Tui Suneo Royal Kenz, which has two pools and a private white beach in Port El Kantaoui.
Nearby are lots of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and stalls.
Take a trip on a glass-bottomed boat, go fishing on a wooden galleon or try one of the watersports including paragliding, windsurfing and jet-skiing.
GO: Nine nights’ all-inclusive, including flights from Manchester on April 3, costs from £893pp, based on two adults and two children sharing. See firstchoice.co.uk.
Spanish Surprise: 19C
THE Magic Robin Hood resort near Benidorm is every kid’s dream – a multi-adventure attraction the legendary outlaw would be proud of.
Activities include archery, laser-tag battles, zip lines, a climbing wall, skate park, mini golf and table football.
There’s a gaming area with a Ferrari F1 simulator and the latest consoles.
Kids aged three to 12 can also become a princess or knight for the day.
All the family can enjoy the waterpark, which has flumes and rides, at the 4H resort.
For a bit of “me time”, adults can book into the Lady Marian spa.
The accommodation, luxury lodges, can sleep up to seven people.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive, including flights from Manchester on April 3, costs from £739pp, based on a family of four sharing a lodge. For further details see jet2holidays.com.
Dubai Dalliance
HAVE an Easter break building bricks at Legoland Dubai Resort.
The theme park’s rides and attractions are geared for children up to 12, but there’s also fun for all the family.
A Miniland light show, rollercoasters, 4D Lego movies and the adjoining waterpark has tube and raft rides with 60ft drops.
For a special treat, hire a VIP cabana beside the pools.
The Legoland hotel has themed rooms sleeping up to five people and suites sleeping up to eight.
See the city from a glass-floor observatory, 720ft up, at the Address Sky View Hotel and get a view of the 160-storey Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
GO: Five nights’ B&B, including flights from Gatwick between April 1 and 16, costs from £989 per adult, £789 per child.
For more information see valueaddedtravel.com and legoland.com/dubai.
Marvellous Majorca: 19C
SAVE 30 per cent or more on a villa break to destinations including Majorca, Cyprus and Canaries.
James Villas is offering the discount on holidays until the end of April, booked by March 13.
And many are big enough for a couple of families, such as the four-bedroom Villa Canya Vera in Pollensa, Majorca.
There are two double and two twin bedrooms, all en-suite, a private pool plus free air-con and wifi.
Pollensa is a quaint, old town with narrow cobbled streets, small shops selling local crafts and a square fringed with cafes, bars and restaurants.
GO: Seven nights self-catering at the villa, sleeping eight people, from April 1, costs from £929 (was £1,309). See jamesvillas.co.uk.
Ryanair.com flies to Majorca from a number of airports, including Newcastle from £100 return and Leeds Bradford from £130.
Florida Fling: 29C
ENJOY your chocolate eggs at home and then fly to Florida on Easter Monday on a half-price deal.
You’ll stay at the 3T+ Avanti Resort on International Drive, which is at the heart of Orlando’s amazing attractions.
There are shuttle buses from the hotel to the Universal and Disney theme parks, SeaWorld and waterpark Aquatica.
After busy days, chill beside the pool while the kids enjoy their own playscape with fountains and a waterfall.
The Avanti offers four dining options.
And there’s every worldwide cuisine you could wish for on International Drive.
GO: Seven nights’ room only, including flights from Birmingham on April 10, costs from £725pp, based on two adults and two children sharing. See tui.co.uk.
Musical Mexico: 30C
SPOIL your would-be rock stars with a holiday at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico.
The resort has a Music Lab where youngsters can play an instrument and be coached to sing in a band before performing a concert.
They can also learn how to be a DJ and star in their own music video.
There are pools across the 5H hotel, a host of sports including watersports such as paddle boarding and kayaking, a waterpark with 23 slides and a zipline over the Caribbean sea.
A kids’ club for four-to-12 year olds has educational and interactive activities, dance and sport.
The bars and restaurants offer Italian, Asian and Brazilian cuisine.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive, including flights from Gatwick on April 14, costs from £1,272pp. For details see tui.co.uk.
Lucky Sharm: 31C
MAGIC World Sharm lives up to its name as a resort designed for families.
The 5H hotel on Nabq Bay in Sharm El Sheikh has pools, kids’ clubs, sports and entertainment.
Activities range from beach volleyball and basketball to darts and football and there are shows, discos and pool parties.
If the kids are picky eaters, it’s no problem here – there are five restaurants including a buffet.
Go on a snorkelling cruise to explore crystal clear water home to 1,000 fish species and beautiful coral.
Adrenaline-junkies can take a quad bike tour in the desert and shoppers should head to the traditional market.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive, including flights from Gatwick on April 19, costs from £1,899 for two adults and one FREE child place.
Second child price on request. See easyjet.com for details.
Algarve Action: 20C
TAKE a dolphin-watching boat tour or an off-road jeep trip, hire a go-kart, jet ski or go horse- riding – you can do all this and more in Portugal’s Albufeira.
It’s renowned for great nightlife but is a perfect family destination too.
There’s also a zoo, mini golf and Parque Aventura which has high rope adventure courses for all ages.
All this is on top of the facilities at the 3HB Guarana, a hotel set in gardens, including a pool with a swim-up bar, kids’ club, sports courts and gym.
There’s also evening entertainment, a choice of restaurants, and burgers, pizza and ice cream available all day.
GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive for a family of four, including flights from Manchester on April 12, is from £2,172 in total with one child going free. See onthebeach.co.uk.