Headwater Holidays Top Luxury Escapes

    SURREY, ENGLAND, April 21, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Holidays are all about being spoiled, pampered and made to feel that extra bit "special" - or at least they should be!

And, in case you thought you couldn't combine an activity holiday with staying in luxury accommodation, we've put together our top 10 selection to show you how you can!

Walking in Davos
In the fashionable Swiss resort of Davos, Headwater walkers stay at the elegant C19 Hotel Meierhof. Highlights include an indoor swimming pool and brand-new wellness centre (saunas, steam bath, whirlpool and mini gym) as well as exquisite cuisine, fine wines and complimentary wine tasting.

Gastronomic Barolo Cycling
This scenic cycling holiday explores the sun-drenched, highly sophisticated northern Italian region of Piedmont. Here, you'll stay in a fabulous range of hotels, including a country house and a beautifully restored C19 family villa, complete with its own frescoed chapel. Hand-picked gastronomic menus are included throughout.

Heart of Portugal Walk
How about exploring the Portuguese Beira - an outstandingly beautiful, and totally undiscovered, region of magnificent mountains, lush gorges, turquoise lakes and pretty white villages unchanged over the years? Our base for the week, the 24-room exclusive **** Convento de Belmonte is pretty special too and offers sweeping valley views from the candle-lit dining room.

Exploring the French Caribbean
This twin-centre independent walking holiday offers a unique blend of Creole joie de vivre and French chic at its finest! On Guadeloupe, you'll stay in the gorgeous 9-room, ocean-facing Jardin Malanga hotel, and in Martinique in a gorgeous Creole villa where, if you upgrade to a suite, you'll even get your own private plunge pool!

Coastal & Country Tuscany
Nestled between the olive-studded trees and vineyards of south-west Tuscany, the luxurious Agriturismo Acquaviva offers panoramic pool, tennis, exquisite cuisine and wine from its private vineyard. Both Pisa and Siena are easy day trips.

Gastronomic Walk in the Tarn
First discovered by lovesick Robert Louis Stevenson and his donkey, Modestine, the Tarn offers some of the finest walking in France: sweeping plateaux, plunging gorges, amazing rock formations. Your base for the week is the stylish Grand Hotel de la Muse et du Rozier where chef Samuel Breux combines regional country menus with exotic new flavours to produce gastronomic and innovative dishes.

Secrets of San Gimignano Cycling
We just love this holiday! It's a glorious mix of breathtaking cycling, with fantastic hotels - all with panoramic pools - unbeatable wines, and the option to visit the great art cities of Florence and Siena. It does sell out quickly though, so early booking strongly advised.

Secrets of Tenerife
If you are looking for an out-of-season break, with guaranteed sunshine and quality accommodation, then this guided walking week is a pretty good bet. You'll stay at the stylish **** San Roque Hotel, a listed building on the edge of the Teide National Park, and you'll explore the seldom-visited north-western corner of the island. When you're not walking, the old port and cobbled streets of Garachico are just a stone's throw away.

Footsteps of St Francis Walk
New for summer 2010, this 8-night independent walk follows a circular loop through the rolling countryside around Assisi, re-tracing in part the trail taken by St Francis when he last visited the town in 1226. It's a region of lush forests, sun-drenched villages, and ancient mediaeval towns with stunning views. Hotel highlights include a 230-hectare country estate and a magnificently restored C17 mill crammed with numerous works of art and boasting a fabulous wine cellar!

Drakensberg and Zululand
If you're looking for a "once in a lifetime" holiday experience, then consider this 15-day discovery of eastern South Africa. During your stay, you'll hike in the stunning Drakensberg mountains, visit traditional Zulu villages, and spend time tracing Churchill's steps on Spion Kop. The places you'll stay in are among the best available, and range from gorgeous country lodges to a luxury en-suite tented game reserve full of giraffe, rhino and zebra.

In addition, cyclists following our Loire Gastronomic Cycling route will spend two nights in the luxurious **** Chateau de Chissay, while in Cataluyna, we are privileged to be offering the magnificently restored **** Hotel Castel d'Emporda.

Website: http://www.headwater.com

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