Buccament Bay, Grenadines
Buccament Bay is tucked into a pretty corner of St Vincent, in the Grenadines, amid the spectacular scenery that nearly stole the show from Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But there’s more to it than looks: a Pat Cash tennis academy and a Liverpool FC soccer school are both part of the island’s cunning plan to overtake Sandy Lane, on Barbados, as the region’s premier resort for families. Fortunately, Buccament Bay’s big ambitions start with even bigger discounts. Hayes & Jarvis (0844 855 4488, hayesandjarvis.co.uk) has an all-inclusive week from £1,749pp, a saving of £764pp.
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
The beaches and diving are some of the best, but Mozambique’s transport links let it down — most of the more prestigious resorts are offshore and internal flights are torturous. Which is why there’s a buzz about White Pearl Resorts, newly opened in Ponta Mamoli, south of Maputo. It’s as breathtakingly romantic as its rivals, but it’s only a 30-minute helicopter transfer to the 22 beachfront suites. Ultimate Hideaways (01425 673848, ultimatehideaways.co.uk) has a week from £1,950pp, half-board, a saving of £495pp.
Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
There’s a no-fly zone over Peter Island, which means you can enjoy its five stunning sandy bays, discreetly scattered through 1,800 pristine acres of the British Virgin Islands, in perfect solitude. Its ultra-A-list villas were given a £750,000 facelift in March, and they’re currently a (relative) bargain. ITC Classics (01244 355527, itcclassics.co.uk) has a week at the three-bedroom Hawk’s Nest from £2,499pp, full-board, based on six sharing, for stays until December 19. That’s a saving of £1,165pp.
Mio Buenos Aires, Argentina
You can’t beat Buenos Aires for vibrancy, and the Argentine capital’s most happening neighbourhood is Recoleta, where the new Mio Buenos Aires hotel is a suitably sophisticated proposition. Bedrooms are open-plan, with oversized beds, doors made from wine barrels and bathtubs that double as artworks, lovingly hewn from fallen trees. Exsus (020 7337 9010, exsus.com) has doubles from £200 a night, a £70 discount. Return flights cost about £780 with British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com).
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The BodyHoliday, St Lucia
The BodyHoliday, on St Lucia, is the Caribbean’s best all-round fitness resort, but it needed sprucing up. Following a £10m refurb, it reopens this October with impressive prices for the first month. Health and Fitness Travel (0845 544 1936, healthandfitnesstravel.com) has an all-inclusive week, with a daily spa treatment and £90 spa credit per room, from £1,500pp for stays until October 31. That’s a 35% discount.
Yasawa Island Resort, Fiji
Fiji is many things, and cheap is not one of them. Fans argue that it’s worth forking out for white beaches, crystal waters and rainbow corals — so imagine how smug you’ll feel bagging it for a bargain. Yasawa Island Resort & Spa, one of its top hideaways, has been closed for extensive renovation. Keen to entice back former fans and attract new ones to sample the improvements to the 18 bungalows, as well as its new restaurant, private dining room and beach bar, it has dropped rates dramatically. A week costs £2,980pp, full-board, a saving of £700pp, with Turquoise Holidays (01494 678400, turquoiseholidays.co.uk).
Labriz, Seychelles
Apparently, a nice young couple called William and Catherine honeymooned here recently, turning the archipelago into confetti central for the foreseeable. While the royals were rumoured to have stayed on North Island, one of the world’s most expensive resorts, our seal of approval goes to Hilton’s new opening, Labriz. It’s also on a private island, with a lush jungle backdrop and beautiful beaches, but it is more affordable. Audley (01933 838500, audleytravel.com) has a week from £2,448pp, half-board, a saving of £692pp.
Singita Explore, Tanzania
Distilling the essence and excitement of African exploration and teaming it with impressive postmodern styling, Singita Explore’s camps are organised on a bespoke basis for each couple (or group of up to 12), which means that you decide with the guides where to roam within a 340,000-acre private concession on the Serengeti Plains. You pay for the privilege, naturally, but it’s some privilege. Journeys by Design (01273 623790, journeysbydesign.com) has three nights from £2,750pp, full-board, a saving of £812pp.
Mkulumadzi, Malawi
Robin Pope is one of the most respected names in African adventure and, on July 15, his latest venture opens in the Majete Wildlife Reserve, in southern Malawi. Mkulumadzi has just eight muslin-strewn chalets, with private viewing decks for dinners under the stars. The area is home to black rhinos, elephants and buffalo, so the game drives should be as memorable as the hospitality. Expert Africa (020 8232 9777, expertafrica.com) has a week from £2,555pp, full-board, including all game-viewing activities. That’s a saving of £1,090pp.
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The Residence, Zanzibar
The latest A-list opening on this increasingly high-class island is the Residence, set on an isolated mile of powder-fine sand on the southwest coast. It’s part of an award-winning group that operates exclusive properties in Tunisia and Mauritius. The Spice Island addition has 66 villas that combine Zanzibar’s Swahili, Omani and Indian influences, and come with pools and butlers. Seasons (01244 202095, seasons.co.uk) has eight nights from £2,695pp, half-board, a saving of £650pp.
Goldeneye, Jamaica
Ian Fleming, the creator of 007, used to write travel stories for The Sunday Times. Goldeneye, his retreat near chilled-out Oracabessa, on Jamaica, proved an inspirational place in which to write the Bond novels and has recently been reopened after an extensive facelift. The new villas have alfresco baths, private pools and views of the Caribbean; there’s also the chance to explore Fleming’s home. Virgin Holidays and Hip Hotels (0844 573 2460, vhiphotels.co.uk) has a week from £1,949pp, B&B, a saving of £450pp, including £125 resort credit.
Laamu, Maldives
The Six Senses hotel group put the Maldives on the map with the openings of the rustic-chic charmers Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili. A decade on, the company has just launched its third Indian Ocean property, Laamu, on a virtually uncharted atoll. The emphasis here is on adventure, with surfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing on the activities schedule. It’s got some show-off touches too, including an alfresco cinema and a spectacular glass “wine cellar” tower that rises 20ft out of the ocean. Scott Dunn (020 8682 5075, scottdunn.com) has a week from £1,900pp, B&B, for stays until October 11, a saving of £795pp.
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Anantara Kihavah Villas, Maldives
Setting up a new resort in one of the world’s most fragile environments is always going to be a contentious move, but Anantara Kihavah Villas has recognised this, setting up a coral-regeneration programme with a resident marine biologist. On terra firma, its vast villas are draped in Thai silks, with private pools just outside. Abercrombie & Kent (0845 618 2200, abercrombiekent.co.uk) has a week from £3,495pp, B&B, a saving of £983pp.
Song Saa, Cambodia
Cambodia is Asia’s hottest ticket, and Song Saa, a luxurious eco-retreat due to open in December, is tipped to be one of the country’s bright new stars. Straddling two teeny white-sand islands in the pristine Koh Rong archipelago, just off the coast of Sihanoukville, it has 25 villas with floor-to-ceiling windows. As you fly into Siem Reap, it’s easy to arrange a side trip to Angkor Wat for an unforgettable finale. From January to April 2012, Original Travel (020 7978 7333, originaltravel.co.uk) has eight nights from £2,740pp, room-only, a saving of £495pp.
Jalousie Plantation, St Lucia
Not only is the Jalousie Plantation nestled in 100 acres of beautiful bay between the twin Piton peaks, it is undergoing a renovation by one of America’s coolest hotel groups and will morph into the Tides Sugar Beach later this year. In the meantime, villas that have already been fairy-dusted are discounted, to compensate for the occasional sight of builders’ rubble. Caribtours (020 7751 0660, caribtours.co.uk) has a week from £1,330pp, half-board, a saving of £635pp, for stays until October 31. Book by July 15.
Mandarin Oriental, Paris
The new Mandarin Oriental (00 33 1 70 98 73 33, mandarinoriental.com/paris) opens in the City of Light this summer, and it is quite a spectacle. So, if you’re planning a romantic (ie, pricey) weekend away this summer, read on: from July 17 to August 28, book a night in a double from £689 and you’ll get £269 of credit, to be spent at its posh spa, bar or Sur Mesure restaurant, overseen by Thierry Marx, widely regarded as the Heston Blumenthal of France.
Natural Retreats, Lanzarote
Natural Retreats, which offers superior self-catering properties in this country, has expanded into Europe, with newly opened villas at the foot of Montana Roja, outside Playa Blanca, Lanzarote. The 10 whitewashed four-bedroom apartments have spacious open-plan living areas and large shaded terraces. Book direct on 0844 384 3166 or at naturalretreats.co.uk) and you’ll pay £696 for a week, a 30% discount. Flights are extra; EasyJet (0843 104 5000, easyjet.com) has returns from £80.
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Daios Cove, Crete
Some parts of this wonderful island are decidedly kiss-me-quick these days, but the new Daios Cove resort, about 10 minutes from Agios Nikolaos, is set on a private beach and retains a reassuringly exclusive ambience. With 300 rooms, suites and villas, it’s not small, but clever design means everyone gets fabulous views over the sparkling Aegean. Sovereign (0844 415 1936, sovereign.com) has a week from £979pp, half-board, a saving of £531pp.
Devi Ratn Rasa, India
Devi Resorts is the most imaginative hotelier in India, and its latest offering, Devi Ratn, in Jaipur, illustrates why. It is a striking modern interpretation of the city’s gem-crafting heritage, with dramatic colour schemes and latticework that creates the illusion of sparkling jewels when the sun hits it. Alternatively, Rasa lies just beyond the city boundaries, in the extraordinary Amber Fort, and is the ultimate in 21st-century glamping, with blindingly white modernist canvas cubes as bedrooms. Bailey Robinson (01488 689700, baileyrobinson.com) has a three-night stay at Devi Ratn from £1,055pp, B&B, a saving of £390pp; or three nights at Rasa from £995pp, B&B, a saving of £174pp.
Lombok Lodge, Lombok
Just off the east coast of Bali, this island bolt hole is where Asia’s smart set head, thus avoiding the sardine can of Aussie backpackers on its neighbour’s beaches. The recently opened Lombok Lodge offers a nice line in boho chic: nine spacious suites with flatscreen TVs and Bose sound decks, sea views — and not a singlet in sight. The Ultimate Travel Company Resort Collection (020 7386 4646, theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk) has nine days from £2,140pp, half-board, including spa treatments. That’s a saving of £320pp.
Unless stated, all packages include flights from London and are based on two sharing