POWDER BYRNE OFFERS  EXCEPTIONAL CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO  WINTER SUN DESTINATIONS

With a blink of an eye, it seems our summer is over before it's begun.  The winter looms and thoughts turn to buying Vitamin D supplements and solar lights, to prevent SAD Syndrome from setting in.   No wonder more and more families are looking to take a break in the sun during the long grey winter months. 

There are, of course,  a myriad of reasons why people look to escape during this time.   But choosing the right destination can be a daunting process when each member of the family enjoys different  things and parents are looking for new ideas to inspire their children.  Powder Byrne has made it its mission to seek out some stunning destinations all over the world which offer families a wide choice of facilities, activities and local attractions  and offer the opportunity for some new skills to be gained. 

Our round-up of winter sun resorts and programmes includes some exceptional exclusive rates and illustrates the different activities that are available to tempt our clients away.  It goes without saying they are all beautiful destinations with fabulous accommodation, pools, spas and fine dining coming as standard, but the extended release below highlights the different choices that are available and what makes each destination different.

WINTER SUN PRICING ROUND-UP

Stay at The Residence, Zanzibar to specifically experience stunning snorkelling, culture, action sports and a fabulous beachside 5 star resort.  Price from £2,235 per person for 7 nights in February staying in a luxury garden pool villa on HB basis.  Price includes one complimentary night, transfers and PB Concierge Service.  Flights can be quoted for separately.  

Stay at The Residence, Mauritius and specifically experience walking under water and many water and action sports from its own white sandy private beach.  Price from £1,200 per person for 7 nights from 16th December sharing an Ocean View double room on HB basis.  Price includes 7 nights for the price of 5, transfers and PB Concierge Service.  Flights can be quoted for separately.

Stay at the uber luxury Carlisle Bay, Antigua and specifically experience SCUBA, cookery and cocktail classes, amazing local culture and plenty of water and action sports and activities.  Price from £5,370 per person sharing a beach terrace suite for 7 nights at Easter on B&B basis.  Price includes 7 nights for the price of 6 , afternoon tea, transfers and PB Concierge Service.  Flights can be quoted for separately.

 Stay at Palm Tree Court, Jebel Ali, Dubai and specifically experience fine dining in its 15 restaurants.  With its own 800m private  beach, it offers a huge variety of water and active sports  Price from £850 per person for 7 nights from 21st January  sharing a Forest Deluxe room on B&B basis.  Price includes exclusive offer of 35% off accommodation, transfers and PB Concierge Service.  All inclusive rates available on request. Flights can be quoted for separately.

 Travel on a PB Air & Space Adventure to Oman and your itinerary will focus on Oman's unique scenery,   wildlife and culture.  There will also be time for some activities such as snorkelling, safaris by jeep or camel and maybe a hot air balloon flight over the desert.  Price from £3,500 per person for a 10 day adventure staying in hand-picked luxury hotels and camps.  Price includes all accommodation, local guides and drivers, transfers, activities and PB Concierge Service.  Flights are quoted for separately.

 Travel on a PB Air & Space Adventure to Sri Lanka and specifically experience the amazing  wildlife and culture to be seen in this stunning country.    Price from £3,000 per person  for a 10 day itinerary  staying in hand-picked luxury hotels and camps.  Price includes all accommodation, local guides and drivers, transfers, activities and PB Concierge Service.  Flights are quoted for separately.

 Travel on a PB Air & Space Adventure to Costa Rica  and specifically experience this eco-friendly country and its diverse wildlife.   Price from £4,000 for a 10 day adventure staying in hand-picked luxury hotels and eco-lodges.   Price includes all accommodation, local guides and drivers, transfers, activities and PB Concierge Service.  Flights are quoted for separately.

For more information call 020 8246 5300 or visit www.powderbyrne.com 

HOW POWDER BYRNE CAN  HELP YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE

Our experienced travel consultants will talk through what our families are looking for on a winter sun escape and depending on what  they are dreaming of doing, they will recommend the best options.  The ideas below are provided to whet the appetite and inspire ideas.

SCUBA DIVING, SNORKELLING OR EVEN WALKING UNDER WATER
If you want to explore the underwater world, we have some amazing options at our destinations which are particularly renowned for their clear, crystal seas and safe bays.  Always in the hands of our hand-picked instructors, it really is the perfect way to learn a new skill or to continue to experience the wonderful world of tropical waters:

Stay at The Residence in Mauritius which offers the opportunity to Walk under Water.  With just a wetsuit, weights and an aerated helmet, you can explore the reef and feed the fish which come right up to your mask seemingly  inspecting  these strange aparitions which look more like characters  from an  old science fiction movie!  Learn all about life on the reef without having to go through all the training of SCUBA. 

Stay at Carlisle Bay, Antigua where you hardly need to don an aqualung to experience the wonderful clear underwater world.  However, you could not want for a better place to learn SCUBA diving,or progress your skills, and  explore the wonders of the Caribbean Sea.

Stay at The Residence Zanzibar where you will be spoilt for choice of things to do.  You might not want, therefore, to spend too much  of your precious  time having SCUBA lessons.  Worry not, you will see all there is to see on the reef in the shallow, turquoise waters of the lagoon at  this stunning hotel, by snorkelling with mask and flippers.  

CULINARY CONCEPTS AND CLASSY COCKTAILS
All of our destinations offer the most amazing culinary experiences when dining in the wide range of restaurants available, some offering dine around and all inclusive rates.  Some hotels offer cooking classes to learn how to create local delicacies for you to show-off to your family and friends when you return home; others provide the most exceptional settings for sampling regional cuisine.  Or you might wish to learn the art of creating cocktails (although we don't guarantee you will become an expert at cocktail flairing in just a week!). 

Stay at Carlisle Bay, Antigua  and be shown by their head chef how to create the very best in local dishes such as fungie, ducana, jerk meats and saltfish.  Rum tastings are offered as well as cocktail making courses.

If it is just the right atmosphere you wish for  to experience the local fare, you can do no better than travel to The Residence in Zanzibar and enjoy your own private butler to serve you dinner by your private pool or on the beach.  What better way to savour the very best food the island has to offer with its diverse ingredients,  specialising in exotic spices.  

The Jebel Ali Palm Tree Court in Dubai has a choice of 15 restaurants, and guests staying there can choose the all inclusive dine around option to ensure all of these can be experienced for either lunch or dinner.

WATCHING THE WILDSIDE
All of our winter sun destinations offer some of the best wildlife spotting opportunities to be found on the planet.  Whether its going on dolphin safaris, whale watching or visiting turtle reserves when staying by the sea; or walking through nature reserves, visiting national parks to see leopard, elephants, jaguars, monkeys & sloths,  or be dazzled by amazing tropical birdlife.  We can offer it all.

As part of our itinerary for th Air & Space Adventure to Oman you can stay in a Turtle Research Station  at Ras Al Jinz and learn about some of the more endangered species and watch them lay their eggs and see the babies hatching (depending on time of year). As well as staying in an eco lodge at the Turtle Research station, you will also enjoy some unique accommodation on this adventure holiday ranging from tented desert and beach camps to  5 star hotels; the choice is yours. 

On our Air & Space Adventure  programme to Sri Lanka, there are many different National Parks to visit with amazing wildlife to see.  Stay in tented camps and enjoy the sounds of the parks at night.  You will see elephants, leopard, buck, as well as some amazing  birdlife.

In Costa Rica, a country which now demonstrates some of the most advanced aspects of ecotourism, there is so much wildlife to see such as turtles, howler monkeys, sloths, jaguars, ocelots, and pumas, as well as  a huge range of tree frogs and reptiles such as lizards, iguanas  and snakes.   And if that's not enough, the birds and butterflies, so large and colourful, have to be seen to be believed.  Our Air & Space programme to Costa Rica  includes an itinerary which visits all regions of this diverse country, so you will be sure to see them all!   

CULTURAL ESCAPES
All our Winter Sun & Air & Space Adventure programmes will introduce you and your family to many different cultures of the world, which when all said and done, is such an important part of travelling.  Destinations which would rank high, however, if you are looking for a cultural escape with your family this winter, would be:

Zanzibar – this spice island in the Indian Ocean boasts the unique historical town of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a completely fascinating place to visit if you can be lured away from the white sandy beaches of your resort.  This Swahili coastal trading town, off the East African coast,  brings together the cultures of Africa, Persia, India and Europe.  It is located on the ancient spice route and was therefore originally an important town for the spice and slave trade.    Its original urban townscape remains virtually intact, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.  Visit the Old Fort, a large ceremonial palace built by Sultan Barghash,  the Old Dispensary, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Anglican Cathedral (built to commemorate the work of David Livingston in abolishing the slave trade), the Malindi Bamnara Mosque, Persian baths just to name a few of the buildings accessible from the old town with its narrow, winding streets.

Stay at The Residence, Zanzibar,  and experience the cultural contrast of the historical and tourist attractions of this exotic island.  The Residence offers the perfect place to relax with beautiful sandy beaches, fringing coral reefs and turquoise lagoons, all within a short distance from Stone Town.  Powder Byrne can arrange visits to Stone Town as well as local villages and schools, and a spice farm.  

Antigua -   another island offering a wealth of culture for its visitors to soak up, be it the European colonial influences dating from 17th century  to the more recent  post colonial era embodying the national identity of Antigua since independence.   The historic district of English Harbour has to be explored.  The original base for the British Navy, Nelson's Dockyard has been completely restored being the only Georgian dockyard to be found in the world.  Above the harbour at Shirley Heights, where the partially-restored fortifications of the harbour's observation post are to be found, you can experience barbeques and live music with Steel Bands and reggae artists performing most Sundays.  There is much to see in St Johns, the capital of Antigua including its Cathedral and Museum of Antigua and Barbuda located in the old colonial Court House.

Stay at Carlisle Bay Resort, Antigua  for a varied holiday combining visits to see Antigua's rich culture and history with active sports, spas and fine dining direct from the hotel  – this resort really does have it all. 

Sri Lanka – when travelling to Sri Lanka, if you have an interest in history and culture you must visit this country's renowned Cultural Triangle to see the ancient cities, temples and carved Buddhas built centuries ago.  Must-see sites are the famous rock at Sigiriya, the ruined cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura and ancient temples such as the Cave Temple at Dambulla and The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.

Experience our Air & Space Adventure programme to Sri Lanka and let us craft the perfect itinerary for you and your family to see the very best cultural highlights of this island in the Indian Ocean.  

Oman – One of the more sophisticated countries within the United Arab Emirates when it comes to tourism.  In the beautiful and varied Sultinate of Oman you will get to discover some of the rich culture of Arabia with the chance to meet a Bedouin family and learn about their way of life;  visit a  souq to discover local art and trades -  try your hand at bargaining for some treasures of your own to take home; visit ancient forts dating back to the 17th Century; take a tour round the old city of Muscat and visit its exceptional museum and palace as well as other historical Arabian buildings.

Choose  our Air & Space Adventure to Oman where we will design a bespoke itinerary for you so that you get to see the very best of this exciting country, staying in a variety of romantic desert and beach camps and 5 star hotels along the way..

THRILL-SEEKING ACTIVITIES
Whilst holidays are all about re-charging the batteries, for most of our clients, destinations where you can combine rest and relaxation with some activities (gentle or fast paced, we have it all) are those that are sought for a perfect winter sun holiday.  All our destinations offer a huge choice of action-based activities but the following stand out as having exceptional facilities for adrenaline seekers: 

Stay at Carlisle Bay Antigua:  Try your hand at Sailing (including weekly regattas), windsurfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding, doughnut rides, nature hikes, tennis (9 courts, some floodlit) basketball, rainforest canopy tours, helicopter tours, horse-riding, jet skiing, glass bottom boats, reef fishing, deep sea fishing, catamaran cruises.

Stay at Palm Tree Court, Jebel Ali Resort, Dubai:  Enjoy their Watercooled Watersport Centre (complimentary use of non-motorised watersports such as sailing, paddle boards, kayaks and windsurfing), RYA Powerboat Courses, waterskiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, horse-riding, clay pigeon shooting, football.

Stay at The Residence, Mauritius.  Perfect for trying your hand at some water sports in the safety of the nearby lagoons – windsurfing, waterskiing, hobi cat sailing, kayaking all available on complimentary basis.  There is also tennis, horse-riding and volley-ball all on site.  Kids will enjoy a range of sports including snorkelling, going on hikes and picnics, boat trips, pony rides to name but a few. 

Stay at The Residence, Zanzibar.  Highlights are cycling, kayaking, snorkelling, kite surfing, deep sea fishing, dhow cruises, as well as tennis, and volley-ball.  The all-villa resort means you have your own private pool, but there is also a 40m pool for those who take their swimming seriously.

Travel on our Air & Space Adventure to Oman.   Learn how to drive a 4x4 vehicle through the sand-dunes of Oman, or go on a camel or quad-bike safari.   Take a hot air balloon ride across the desert for a picnic in one of the beautiful wadis of this amazing Arabian country.

SUN, SAND, SPAS & STUNNING SCENERY
All of our Winter Sun destinations offer stunningly beautiful places to stay for those who just want to lap up the sun in a classic beachside resort.  However, we believe that most people want to do  a little bit more than  just lie on a sun lounger when on holiday,.  All of our destinations mentioned above have been hand-picked to offer a variety of activities to do but all offer everything you would expect for families to enjoy  a break where complete relaxation is top of the list; superb accommodation, fabulous pools and worldclass spas.  The above activities highlight what's different about each destination, but rest assured, sun, sand, spas and stunning scenery come as standard with every one of them! 

Other destinations where we offer winter sun  Air & Space Adventure programmes  are Australia, New Zealand,  Uruguay, India and Myanmar.

Powder Byrne Media Contact:  Jenny Trevor                                      

Tel: 020 8246 5300

Email:  jenny@powderbyrne.com 

Website:  www.powderbyrne.com 

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Notes to Editors

Powder Byrne was founded in 1985 by Rory Byrne, whose aim has always been to deliver tailor-made holidays with a focus on quality combined with flexibility and great personal service. 

In 1988 Powder Byrne became the first operator to specialise in corporate ski weekends, offering companies complete flexibility of travel dates and event arrangements.  In 1989 Rory Byrne won The Independent's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  In 1994 the decision was made to specialise exclusively in high service hotel-based holidays specialising in family skiing, and Powder Byrne now offers a range of exclusive ski destinations in Switzerland, Austria and Italy.  In 1994 a Summer Resorts programme was added.  Their award-winning exclusive winter and summer kids programmes offer inspirational childcare and sports tuition for kids from crèche age right up to teenagers.   In 2009 Air & Space was created providing adventure experiences for families wanting more discovery from their travels, but with the same levels of luxury and seamless service that Powder Byrne are now renowned for.   Whilst seen to be the family travel specialists, they continue to specialise in arranging private ski weekends for adults as well as bespoke events for corporate groups.