Activitybreaks Features: Goodbye Ski Boots, Hello Flip Flops

Goodbye Ski Boots, Hello Flip Flops

Swiss Cow With a Bell, Rady One @ flickr

It may still feel like winter, but evidence is telling us that this is the most popular time of year to be booking your summer break if it's not already taken care of... I know it's on my to do list this week!

I think the same thing at the start of every season, but I feel that Spring really is my favourite season. There's something so uplifting about nature coming back to life and the sun shining for a bit longer every week.

Everyone works so hard during the winter, personally i've only had a break for a short skiing break - a long weekend in lovely Andorra so now i'm really ready for an opportunity to recharge my batteries, get away from it all and have some quality time with my nearest and dearest - and hopefully some sun to boot.

Activitybreaks.com have experienced a surge in sales for family activity holidays for the coming season, with families and groups of friends becoming much more open to the idea of doing things while on holiday rather than lying by a pool for 14 days.

Don't get us wrong, there's no issue whatsoever in enjoying a couple of your favourite novels with a cocktail by the sea or by the pool but more and more of us are opting to do something really special on at least one day. STA Travel recently reported that their bookings for Active and Adventurous Holidays have increased by 20% this year alone!

Holidays are all about relaxation and enjoyment while you're there and happy memories to keep for when you return home. We've asked some ActivityBreaks customers for a few words on their active holiday memories:

"There was the time we hired bikes while staying in the Alps. We had thought that a gentle cycle around the area would entertain us for a day and allow us to admire the scenery. Well, if someone had told me I would end up navigating my way down a World Championship Downhill Mountain Biking course I would probably have said "erm... no thanks!!" We took the cable car to the top of the mountains planning to follow the roadways back down the village and our hotel. After about 15 minutes of gentle cycling (complete with cows with bells!) we reached a fork in the road and went left, thanks to my husband's nose for adventure I think. This eventually lead us off the roads and onto tracks, going through forests and fields. For novices the speeds we reached on our hired bikes were terrifying, but looking back now that experience in the sunshine of beautiful Switzerland was one of the most exhilarating things i've ever done." Anna Mullan, 29, Ireland

Check out our new Austrian adventure centre with mountain biking and teepee accommodation!

"We booked a watersports holiday to Sardinia with ActivityBreaks, we wanted to take the kids away, get some sun and let them enjoy the beach activities which we don't get to do at home in the UK because of the weather, and the break we found fitted the bill perfectly. It was really good value - we were staying in permanent tents! - so we were a little apprehensive before we went. But we needn't have been. The people who run the campsite were lovely, everyone contributes to the serving of food and washing of dishes which creates a good atmosphere. And the tents were literally 1 minute from the most glorious beach where the beauty of it was that there were lots of watersports included in the price, like kayaking, bodyboarding, and windsurfing. We paid a little extra and hired jetskis too. Almost 2 years later and the kids are still telling their friends about all the things they tried while they were away. I think I enjoyed it so much because it reminded me of a PGL school holiday I had been on when I was 14 and we've already arranged to go back again this year." Wilson Family, Co. Durham, UK.

Cow Picture courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/radyone/ / CC BY 2.0