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l FORGET the usual hotel, motel
or holiday apartment and take
to the TREES. No, we aren’t bark-
ing! (See what we did there?)
HomeAway have some fab and
quirky tree-top properties, right,
around the world, including Tree
Tops in Asheville, North Carolina,
USA. It is nestled in the Asheville
mountains with six bedrooms
sleeping ten and spa features. The
Planet Heather
5 PAGES OF HOLS WITH SCOTTISH SUN TRAVEL EDITOR HEATHER LOWRIE
Capital gains
Sunday, November 11, 2018 ...............
l Music l Games l Money
l Motors l Puzzles l Travel
games room has a ping pong table,
and there’s a flat screen TV and
outdoor BBQ area and has great
mountain views from every room.
It’s also close to the city attractions.
In France stay in Saint-Nicolas-
La-Chapelle at the Treehouses
Between Land And Sky. The prop-
erty sleeps two and has a private
terrace to enjoy views of Mont
Blanc. See homeaway.com
INDULGE IN RETAIL THERAPY IN EDINBURGH
WE all know Edinburgh is
crammed with history,
beautiful architecture, a
stunning castle and an
endless list of things to see
and do.
But I’ll admit it — No1 on my
must-do list on our mini-break
in the capital was to enjoy some
retail therapy!
Luckily, I was staying at the Braid
Apartments, just a five-minute walk
to the swish cafes, restaurants and
shops of George Street and Princes
Street.
The building, a former office
block, is striking with its turret-style
frontage.
Our pad was modern, spacious
and air-conditioned, as well as
beautifully furnished.
There was a large bath and power
shower, a terrific kitchen area kitted
out with everything you’d want for
a short self-catering stay, comfort-
able sofa and the must-have wide-
screen TV.
And if you happen to need any-
thing else then there is a charming,
knowledgeable 24-hour concierge
on hand to provide the right
answers.
The homes from home are in
Thistle Street at the heart of the
capital’s New Town district.
The cobbled street is just off
Hanover Street, with a number of
independent clothes shops, nice
l THE Waldorf Astoria Bangkok
is opening in the heart of the
city in the 60-storey Magnolias
Ratchadamri Boulevard.
It’s close to shopping precincts,
the Erawan Shrine, the Gaysorn
Village mall and the Bangkok Mass
Transit System (BTS) Skytrain.
It features 171 residential-style,
rooms and suites with spa-inspired
bathrooms and marble bathtubs.
GO: BRAID APARTMENTS
STAYING THERE: Studios at Braid
Apartments start from £101 a night.
Visit bymansley.com for more information
or to book.
restaurants and pubs. There isn’t car
parking but it was actually a plea-
sure not to have to worry about my
wheels for a change.
I travelled to Edinburgh by train
and it was stress-free.
Yes, this was a break designed for
healthy walking and, of course, that
retail therapy!
And here’s my No1 shopping tip —
George Street is the real retail jewel
of the capital. It’s packed with classy
outlets and every possible option for
refuelling.
The ideal sanctuary to
recharge for a night out
And our apartment, just a few
minutes’ walk from Waverley Station,
really was the ideal base for this.
I must admit, after a hard day’s
shopping, it was the ideal sanctuary
to recharge for a night out.
And its location meant we were
in the thick of everything in this
wonderful city — including, after a
brief stroll, a fabulous view of Edin-
burgh Castle.
Scotland’s capital offers so much —
you can wander for hours soaking up
4
MORE u
PAGES
IT’S 23°C IN
The top three floors has three din-
ing outlets — Bull & Bear for sea-
food and grilled meats, The Loft for
hot
spot
TENERIFE — a
week at the 4H
Hotel Barceló
cocktails and Champagne Bar. Santiago in
The Front Room is the hotel’s sig- Puerto de Santiago is
nature restaurant while The Brass- from £607pp. The price
erie serves French brasserie fare is based on half-board
from breakfast to dinner and the with flights from
Peacock Alley does afternoon teas Edinburgh on November
and light meals. See waldorf 23. See tui.co.uk or visit
bangkok.waldorfastoria.com your local TUI holiday
store.
IT’S 21°C IN
hot LANZAROTE —
spot seven nights at
Scotland’s the 3H+
Smartline
most read Lanzarote Palm in
travel Puerto Del Carmen is
from £287pp. The price
section is based on self-
catering with flights
from Glasgow on
December 13. See
barrheadtravel.co.uk
. . . BOUTY CALL: A week
B&B at the 3H Velamar Bou-
tique Hotel in Albufeira on the
Algarve is from £182pp,
leaving Glasgow on
November 24. See
easyjet.com/holidays or call
020 3499 5232.
. . . RIDE THE WILD SURF:
Seven nights’ half-board at
the 4H Breakers Diving &
Surfing Lodge in Soma Bay,
Egypt, is from £559pp, leav-
ing Glasgow on December
12. See holiday-
designers.com
. . . I WISH IT COULD BE
CHRISTMAS: A three-night
Christmas stay at the
Pentonbridge Inn in Penton,
Cumbria, including a six-
course tasting lunch on
Christmas Day, stocking
hamper and Boxing Day
Brunch, and a four-course
dinner is from £575pp. See
pentonbridgeinn.co.uk or
call 01228 586 636.
. . . DEHLICIOUS: A 13-day
India’s Golden Triangle tour is
from £1,995pp, including a
visit to the Taj Mahal, Dehli,
rail journey to Shimla, the
Shivalik Express, Agra Fort,
Fatehpur Sikri, Amber Fort,
the history of the Royal Mile, visiting The ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur and
the Scottish Parliament, get the best the Palace Of The Winds.
view of the city from the top of Price includes flights, 5H
Arthur’s Seat and soak up some accommodation and rail
culture at the National Museum of transfers. See greatrail.com
Scotland. or call 01904 521 936.
At the castle, you can see the . . . MR BLU SKY: Three
crown jewels of Scotland, known as nights’ B&B at the 4H
the Honours of Scotland, displayed
alongside the Stone of Destiny. Radisson Blu Saga
Of course, Edinburgh is bursting
late Hotel in Reykjavik,
with restaurants and we chose Miller
deals Iceland, is from
& Carter for a terrific steak. £449pp, including
We then took a leisurely walk to Northern Lights and
The Dome and La Monde, stopping Golden Circle tours and
off at Contini’s, a trendy spot on flights from various airports
George Street, to have one for the on selected dates between
road before the short walk back to now and April. Book by
our apartment. November 12 at
We also discovered a lovely little secretescapes.com or call
café Coletti & Co on Lothian Road 08444822972.
the next morning for breakfast. . . . BANKA IN SRI LANKA:
Their Ginger Tiffan Breakfast Tea Two weeks’ all-inclusive at
was the perfect way to start the day the 4H+ Riu Sri Lanka in
after a packed visit to Edinburgh. Ahungalla, Sri Lanka, is from
You know somewhere has hit the £1,180pp, leaving Glasgow on
mark when there’s a genuine feeling November 20. See
of disappointment at having to check tui.co.uk or visit your local
out and head home. TUI holiday store.
That’s the biggest compliment I
can give Braid Apartments. . . . AIRDS AND GRACES:
Packing my bags and walking out The week that separates
the door was a harder than usual Christmas and New Year is a
when I stay in a hotel — because I’d gap that needs filling. Airds
felt so at home in Braid. Hotel & Restaurant in Port
One thing is for sure, I’ll definitely Appin has three nights’ half-
be back for some more culture, great board from December 27
food and shopping. from £402pp. See
And there’s no doubt where I’ll be airds-hotel.com or call
staying. 01631 730236.
NICOLA GRIBBEN . . . LIGHT MY FIRE: A week
all-inclusive at the 5H
Sunlight Bahia Principe
Tenerife in Costa Adeje,
Tenerife, is from £599pp,
BAGGED IT . . . leaving Glasgow on January
Nicola sorted her 31. Find out more at
shopping fix then barrheadtravel.co.uk or call
chilled out in the 0141 222 2223.
awesome Braid . . . GOOD PLAYA: Seven
Apartments in nights’ all-inclusive at the 4H
the capital with Rio Playa Blanca in Playa
their comfy Blanca, Lanzarote, is from
bedooms and £591pp, leaving Glasgow on
spacious lounge November 22. See
firstchoice.co.uk