Don’t miss…July travel experiences
For a family summer adventure...belize
There comes a point when your kids have passed the early years and travel starts to become not only possible, but legitimately enjoyable again. At this point you’ve got two choices for your summer hols – you can head for the obvious spots and sip on rosé with like-minded holiday friends toasting your new-found parenting freedom. Or if you’ve got more of an itch, you can plan an adventure with your crew. Hello Belize.
This part of the world is typically where North Americans and Europeans flee in winter when the blizzards rage at home. But savvy travellers know that a Belize trip in July is not just a good idea; it is so affordable that you can live like a king and enjoy all the perks of this pint-sized paradise. Hotels and lodges are literally half the price and your trip budget will stretch to doing all the cool stuff there is to enjoy here.
I’d say this is one for when the kids have turned ten, because this is when they can really get stuck into it all – from exploring caves and Mayan ruins to snorkelling, zip lining, river tubing and seeking out colourful wildlife in the rainforests and playing on wonderful white sandy beaches. And because July is technically off season, you’ll practically have the place to yourself.
Belize’s small stature is one of the things that makes it so great for families. It is incredibly easy to hop about in Belize so you explore without long hot journeys or complicated travel plans. English is also the first language – another massive plus for the unpredictable nature of travelling with youngsters in tow.
The perfect place for:
Family adventures
Travel with teenagers
Nature lovers
FOR the greatest wildlife show on earth...kenya
The Big Five get the best PR when it comes to safari experiences. But if you’re heading to East Africa in July, its all about the wildebeest and zebras – the stars of one of the biggest and boldest wildlife migrations on the planet. It starts in Northern Tanzania’s Serengeti when over the summer, over 1.5 million hungry and thirsty animals up sticks and move towards the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya in search of fresh grass and water.
Now these animals play by their own rules, without iPhone calendars in their hoove. This makes pinpointing an exact date pretty hard but July is a pretty good bet for a sighting of the crossing. Then you’ve got the option of viewing this spectacle from a permanent lodge such as Angama Mara perched on the Oloololo Escarpment, not far from the Mara Triangle or immersing yourself at one of the fabulous mobile safari camps that pop up in the best viewing spots during this exciting time…and are lot more civilised than they sound!
Perfect for:
Honeymoons and romance
Bucket list travel
Animal lovers
Adventure and escapism
for a greek island escape without everyone else...naxos
Picking the most beautiful Greek island is like trying to pinpoint the biggest ego at this month’s Oscars: virtually impossible. But if you forced me to choose one to visit in July, Naxos would be my answer.
Why? It’s the biggest of the Cyclades islands but way less famous than its respectively glitzy and romantic sisters Mykonos and Santorini. Which means an altogether more chilled out, authentic experience from the minute you set foot on the island. While its not exactly a hidden gem (if you know, you know), the pace of life here is slowwwwwww and days are happily drawn out with a beer in a beach bar or long lunches in mountain village tavernas. Laziness and drowsiness are encouraged and helped along by generous sloshes of homemade wine and local lemony liqueur – don’t say I didn’t warn you.
But as I’m talking about sun it’s impossible to ignore one of Naxos’ real draws - the incredible sandy beaches that run the whole gamut – from shallow family friendly spots in the west at Agios Prokopios to the wild southern coast where you can explore the dunes on horseback or brave the powerful summer winds on a kiteboard at Mikri Vigla.
Getting to Naxos is part of the adventure. Take the ferry from Athens in four hours across glistening seas or a local island hopping ferry from one of the bigger Cyclades islands. What Naxos doesn’t have is tons of accommodation options – so snap one up while you can.
Perfect for:
Romantic escapes
Families
Beach lovers
Rest and relaxation
For a road trip steeped in culture and castles...ireland
July is Ireland’s warmest month of the year and the height of summer. So while this probably isn’t the place for your new bikini unless you’re brave (daft) enough for a brisk Atlantic swim, with 18 hours of daylight and many of those providing bright sunshine, there is no better time for a road trip through this greenest of isles.
Ireland’s the place to be at this time of year if you’re looking for all the sunshine of a summer day without getting hot and sticky.
This is the time of year when the locals come out of hibernation to celebrate the longer days at markets and festivals, when the breathtakingly beautiful castles on cliff tops shine and the green fields of the Emerald Isle are awash with gorgeous flowers.
And if it drizzles, that’s just the heaven’s way of telling you it’s time to swing by a pub for a cold one. Sláinte!
Perfect for:
Road trips
Avoiding the heat
Nature lovers
History lovers
Foodies
For a gastronomic city break...lisbon…
For a world-capital, Lisbon is seriously underrated.
Lisbon is picture perfect. Trams weave in and out of pastel-coloured buildings from the Rococo period, skirting pretty little squares (don’t miss the beautiful Rossio Square!). Its hilly…so be prepared to get your stride on but the rewards of exploring the seven hills that its built on are the most amazing vistas of white washed buildings with sloping red roofs, cobbled streets and an abundance of castles that can’t fail to excite.
Centuries ago explorers used this ancient city as a jumping off point and a place for a last hurrah before they hit the Atlantic Ocean. The joie de vivre remains but the last few years have seen an explosion in downright incredible bars and restaurants across this sun-soaked beautiful city, and old neighbourhoods like Bairro Alto and Principe Real have been transformed into one big open-air party.
If you’re up to it, walk everywhere. This is a place to get lost in, with charming watering holes to pop in and out of as you explore the seemingly never-ending lanes, from the centre of town running right through to the river, before it hits the Atlantic.
Perfect for:
History lovers
Culture seekers
Foodies
Romantic escapes
