Iceland
Call of the wild
Anchor at sheltered fjords and coves on a new yacht-based tour of the West
Fjords, one of the most stunning wildernesses in Europe. Go walking,
kayaking or swim in the geothermally heated pool at Reykjanes. Find mussels
for the captain/chef to cook onboard the 60ft vessel, which sleeps up to
ten. The Hornstrandir Nature Reserve has two of the biggest bird cliffs in
the Atlantic.
The July 19 trip costs about £1,400pp for a week with Borea Adventures (www.boreaadventures.com),
and includes transfers from Isafjordur, six hours’ drive from Reykjavik, and
full board with drinks. BA (0870 8509850, www.ba.com)
has return flights from Gatwick to Reykjavik from £290.
Dances with whales
Walk on a glacier and see a humpbacked whale arching out of the water on a
family adventure holiday to southern Iceland with Exodus (0870 9500039, www.exodus.co.uk).
The eight-day holiday includes a cruise on a glacial lagoon, a visit to the
Gullfoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser and a chance to swim in the
geothermal waters. The cost is £1,354pp, for children (5-11) £1,234pp.
Minimum age is 5. Seven nights’ B&B and flights from London
Heathrow to Reykjavik are included in the price.
Finland
Cub scouts
The taiga forests straddling Finland’s border with Russia are home to brown
bears. The proximity to the Arctic Circle means that you can see the bears –
and possibly cubs – in near 24-hour daylight for up to two nights in a
specially built hide. A four-day family bear-watching trip with Naturetrek
(01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk)
costs £795pp, including flights to Oulu via Helsinki, stays in a wilderness
centre and overnight visits to the hide. The trip leaves on July 30 or
August 10.
Sing up a storm
A medieval castle on a lake is the setting for two operas, Carmen and Macbeth,
during one of Europe’s oldest opera festivals at Savonlinna. There will be
time between performances to explore the Great Lakes by boat or on foot
before heading to Finland’s other renowned music event, the Kuhmo Chamber
Music Festival, and ending the tour with a visit to Helsinki.
The eight-day trip with Kudu Travel (01722 716167, www.kudutravel.com)
leaves on July 15 and costs £1,850pp. Accommodation, all meals and wine,
private transport, event tickets and a tour leader are included. Return
flights to Joensuu via Helsinki cost about £343 with Finnair (0870 2414411, www.finnair.com).
Sweden
Sun and sauna
The southern Swedish county of Skåne is where the rich and famous spend their
holidays. Do as the Swedes do and rent a cottage through www.skane.com
or stay at the Torekov Hotell (00 46 431 471600, www.torekovhotell.se),
a seaside spa hotel on the Bjäre peninsula. Explore the Hovs Hallar nature
reserve, play golf or have a sauna with a sea view at the hotel. A summer
spa package costs £123pp a night and includes buffet breakfast, dinner,
access to the spa and a 25-minute treatment. Return flights from Stansted to
Malmö cost about £66 with Ryanair (0871 2460000, www.ryanair.com).
Cabin fever
Buy fresh shrimps and barbecue them on the private beach at your campsite
north of Smögen on west Sweden’s Bohuslän coast, where you can sail, kayak
or take a seal safari. The campsite beach is sandy with shallow waters –
ideal for families. Solvik Camping (00 46 523 18890, www.solvikscamping.se)
has cabins and caravans or you can take your own tent. A four-berth cabin
with a shower costs about £48 a night between August 12 and September 2.
Ryanair (0871 2460000, www.ryanair.com)
has return flights from Stansted to Gothenburg, leaving on August 12, from
£50.62.
Denmark
Cycling for softies
Spend four days exploring the Danish Riviera, with its half-timbered houses,
moated castles and fishing villages, while your luggage is transported
between hotels.
The six-day trip with Scantours (0207-554 3530, www.scantours.co.uk)
costs £680pp, including flights from Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester, maps,
bike hire, B&B and three dinners.
Leap into Legoland
The West Jutland coast is renowned for its clean and sandy beaches.
Unpredictable weather, however, means holiday centres with lots of indoor
activities, such as SeaWest (00 45 7652 3000, www.strandhotellerne.dk),
are a safe bet. Only 45 minutes from the ferry port of Esbjerg, this centre
has New England-style houses, a water park, spa, mini-golf, windsurfing,
badminton, tennis and bowling. The original Legoland at Billund is close by.
One week’s self-catering in a two-bedroom house costs about £455 in late
August.
Return ferry crossings from Harwich to Esbjerg with DFDS Seaways (0871
8820886, www.dfds.co.uk) cost from £592
for a four-berth inside cabin and car.
Norway
Walking cure
The Lofoten Islands have jagged mountains, sandy beaches and rocky headlands.
Stay in a fisherman’s cottage – some jut over the water on stilts and have
large windows to make the most of the view. Go walking or take a rowing boat
for fishing.
Inntravel (01653 617906, www.inntravel.co.uk)
has one week’s self-catering in a one-bedroom cottage on Vestvagoy for
£635pp in September. Prices include taxi transfer from Leknes and six days’
car hire.
Return flights on September 9 from Heathrow to Leknes via Oslo and Bodø cost
£298 with SAS (0870 60727727, www.flysas.co.uk).
Oslo chic
Oslo’s first boutique hotel opens on August 1. The 42-room and 24-suite Grims
Grenka is near Akershus castle and has rooftop lounge, nightclub and an
Asian fusion restaurant modelled on Hakkasan in London. The rooms are
decorated with natural woods. Essentials will include wi-fi access and
flat-screen TVs. Rates start at about £197 a night, including breakfast. To
book: 00800 3746 8357, www.designhotels.com.
Tourist information: Iceland (00 354 535 5500, www.visiticeland.com);
Finland (020-7365 2512, www.visitfinland.com);
Sweden (020-7108 6168, www.visitsweden.com);
Denmark (www.visitdenmark.com);
Norway (0207-389 8800, www.visitnorway.com).
Jutland is unremarkable - nice but not stunning. I had an unhappy and (in relation) expensive aftersales experience with DanCenter in Blavand. Sweden is far more stunning.
Rachel Wilkinson, Southampton, Hampshire