Doc Holiday: Wanted: winter sun, but no package-deal ‘meet and greet’
John and Donna want winter sun, but strictly no package-deal ‘meet and
greet’, oh - and they've 'done' Europe already
John and Donna Williams want to
spread their wings. “We’ve never been further than Cyprus,” says Donna. “We
feel we’ve done Europe — France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark. Now we
want to go long-haul. We’re just not sure where.”
Winter sun is the main draw. “We
both work really hard and we need some serious R&R,” says Donna, as she gets
comfortable on the surgery couch.
“We like the usual things:
sunshine, swimming, sightseeing.” When I probe further, a more interesting
picture emerges. Donna is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and
the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. John loves geology and golf.
The couple are allergic to
package holidays full of welcome meetings, coach excursions and organised
entertainment.
“Normally we book everything
independently, but we feel less confident going long-haul,” says Donna. “We
were looking at Cuba, but we don’t like the look of the hotels.” Their
budget is £1,000pp for a fortnight in February.
JOHN AND DONNA WILLIAMS
John, 47, is an air-traffic
controller for the RAF. Donna, 37, is a bank manager. They live in Ickenham,
Middlesex.
PRESCRIPTION THREE
St Lucia
There are few better ways to unwind than Caribbean-style: on a beach,
cold drink in hand, watching a fiery sunset.
St Lucia has the beaches in abundance, plus rainforests humming with
birdlife, spice gardens and waterfalls. John will find golf courses and
volcanoes, too. Hotels are relatively expensive, so the answer here is to go
self-catering, buying food at markets, eating at inexpensive local
restaurants and really getting under the skin of the island.
Fond Bay (00 1 758 714 1177, www.fondbaysuites.com), on the tranquil east
coast, has spacious, smartly furnished suites and villas overlooking a
sweeping secluded beach. The property has two pools, its own botanic gardens
and private picnic areas, and is romantic, quiet and atmospheric; there is
no organised entertainment and very little nightlife. An ocean-view suite at
Fond Bay costs £66 a night, room-only. Direct flights to St Lucia from
Heathrow on BWIA cost £529 with Ebookers (0870 010 7000, www.ebookers.com).
Airport taxis will cost about £24. Total for 14 nights: £2,006.
