Getting away from it all

MALCOLM ROGERS considers some ideal getaways throughout the world.

Coole Cottage, Belleek,
Co. Fermanagh

Nestling on the banks of Lough Erne in the naturally charming village of Belleek, this is an ideal base for cruising the Erne waterway, angling, boating, cycling or merely chilling out in some of Ireland’s most pastoral landscape.

And even if the clouds do descend to shoulder height on the odd occasion, it’s a mere 250-yard stagger to the village’s pubs and restaurants.

Contact: www.coolecottage.com

Prices: Weekly rates begin at £320 for two people in the low season.

Maison de la Fontaine, Meylan, Gascony, France

Maison de la Fontaine is a trés chic, five-bedroom chateau in the heart of rural Gascony. Next to the picturesque village of Meylan it comes with open fireplace, video, library and piano. And if you’ve a piano and some wine then you’ve got a party. Book through Gascony Secret on 01284 827253 or www.gascony-secret.com

Coombe Bank House, Valentia, Co. Kerry

Valentia Island is Europe’s most westerly community with only a few hundred yards of the Old World left.

During the day you’ll be entranced by views of Kerry’s mountains and islands; by night you’ll be dazzled by the constellations of Orion, Cassiopeia and The Plough. No light pollution here.

Coombe Bank House is a beautiful turn-of-the-century mansion catering for large groups as well as individuals. The main building can sleep up to 18 comfortably and boasts everything you could want from luxury accommodation — multi-channel TV, en suite bedrooms, free laundry facilities etc. But its real charm lies in the welcome you’ll receive from the proprietor Anne O’Driscoll.

Contact: Coombe Bank House, Knightstown, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. Tel: 00 353 (0) 66 94 76169 www.coombebank.20m.com

Urbino, Italy

The name of the farmhouse we’re headed for glories in the name of The Hill That Breathes.

Set in the countryside near Urbino this is as good a place to relax as anywhere in Europe, with long walks, good food, cheap drink and open fire.

The area still runs to a farming rhythm with a hint of feudalism in the air. Very attractive.

Book through www.thehillthatbreathes.com

The nearest airport is Ancona, served by Ryanair from Stansted.

Gosford Cottage, Co. Armagh, Ireland

Fifteen hundred years ago it was the very heart of Western civilization — today you can’t even get a direct bus to Armagh city from Dublin.

In the shadow of St. Patrick’s great learning monastery sits Gosford Cottage, just a half mile from leafy Gosford Forest Park — seclusion is guaranteed. The beautifully restored farmhouse cottage affords stunning views of the ancient Armagh countryside — and when it’s time for dinner you can even dig your own vegetables from the organic plot. From farm to fork in about 10 paces.

Tel 028 3755 2425 or see www.lurgaboylodge.com Prices begin at £75 low season for two nights. A larger cottage which accommodates six is also available.

Guludo, Mozambique

Brilliant sunshine, azure skies and whispering palm trees — welcome to the remote Guludo Beach Lodge in the Quirimbas Archipelago, about as serene and beautiful as you could possibly require. Just south of the Tanzanian border the dramatic chain of islands is only now becoming accessible to the outside world.

You can explore uninhabited islands and deserted beaches in blissful solitude.

Book through Mozambique Odyssey (020 7471 8780) or visit www.mozambiqueodyssey.com

Eorabus Croft, Isle of Mull, Scotland

A former crofter’s cottage on the Isle of Mull — aka The Enchanted Isle — in the Inner Hebrides is an ideal escape from the rodent race. Everything’s different here — clear blue water separates Mull from the rest of the world.

The Eorabus farmers’ cottages are a pair of semi-detached, beautifully furnished crofts, each sleeping four, on a 3.5acre plot near the hamlet of Ardtun, five minutes from the sea.

Book through Ecosse Unique (01835 822277) or visit www.unique-cottages.co.uk

Prices from £295 per week to £495 high season.

The Himalayas, India

OK, this isn’t a mountaineering quest — just a gentle ramble through the foothills of the Himalayas.

Village Ways is an eco-tourism project aiming to reinvigorate the economies of five Indian villages through walking holidays. You stay in local communities, eat local food and get the lowdown on the high life in the Himalayas.

Book through Village Ways (00 91 5962 251048) or visit www.villageways.com

Barns Tower, Scotland

Surrounded by woodland and open farmland Barns Tower, just west of the handsome old town of Peebles, stands on the upper slopes of the River Tweed in the border area of Scotland. This remote 16th century tower is perfect for the weekend getaway, ideal for long walks and cosy nights by the fire, dram of whisky in hand.

If you sometimes think you might travel more if there were an identical set of your own effects at every prospective destination, this is the place for you. It seems so familiar, with everything you might reasonably want for a long weekend — including two bottle openers.

Prices begin at £390 for three nights, or £590 for a week. Tel 0845 0900194 or visit www.vivat.org.uk

Casa des Pipas, Quinta do Portal, Douro Valley, Portugal

A beautiful, romantic wine lodge surrounded by bougainvillaea and oleanders, set on a working vineyard which produces port so fine it will be like a candlelit procession down your throat. The lodge has a restaurant attached which will provide you with some Harry-met-Sally culinary moments. Stunning views across the Douro Valley from the swimming pool are included in the deal and if you want to educate yourself, wine-tasting workshops and tours are all available. From e85 per night per person in low season.

Contact: www.quintadoportal.pt

Lissanerin Cottage, Aghancon, Co. Offaly

The four-bedroomed farmhouse is about 10 minutes from Roscrea, set in the most soporifically bucolic landscape. On a sunny day you could be in the middle of Provence. Except of course for the brooding presence of Leap Castle, reputedly the most haunted castle in Ireland, which probably puts it in the running for the world title. As they say, you’re sure of an Offaly big adventure.

But you need have no fears of ghosts in this well-appointed, cosy farmhouse. The welcome you’ll get from the owners will make anywhere else seem stand-offish and any iffy spirits will be completely banished by cordiality and craic.

Contact: Leslie tel 00 353 87 276 3565 or 00 353 57 91 312 68 Costs from around e200 per week.

A l’Olivier, Pierrefeu-du-Var, Provence, France

A l’Olivier, a four-bedroom village house set on two floors with terraced garden and swimming pool, is in the unspoilt village of Pieerefeu-du-Var.

Day trips will take you to St. Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Avignon and Italy. But you probably won’t want to bother with them. You’ll want to stay by the pool, high on the fifth terrace of the garden looking down on the village from the comfort of your sun lounger. As a gentle breeze wafts the perfume of almond bushes and jasmine flowers in your direction, you might just consider strolling down to the restaurant later on. But then again, maybe not.

Contact Provence Holiday Home on 0207 487 5186 or e-mail them at enquiries@provenceholidayhome.com. You can also visit their website at: www.provenceholidayhome.com