Your Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wedding - October/November 2020 (Issue 85)

STAYCATIONS – YES PLEASE! Where better to honeymoon right now than right here in little ol’ Blighty! We’re spoilt for choice with both coast, country and city destinations. Here’s a few to whet the travel appetite: The Culloden Estate & Spa  in Belfast stands on the forested slopes of the Holywood hills, overlooking Belfast Lough and the glorious County Antrim coastline, offering idyllic surrounds for a cosy weekend break. Enjoy fine dining in front of a roaring fire, or spend a beautiful autumnal day in the tranquil spa, followed by indulgent afternoon tea.  Culloden Estate & Spa offers something for everyone during autumn, allowing guests to enjoy the stunning Northern Irish landscape and provide themselves with a well-earned break. The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa  is situated on the idyllic seashores of the Irish sea on Newcastle Bay. The hotel looks out to the Mountains of Mourne with spectacular views across the Royal County Down Golf Course. Set in six acres of beautifully kept private grounds, the property is famous for its expansive and luxurious spa. Guests can escape to a cocoon of calm and melt away their stresses with over two floors of tranquillity, including a magnificent 20m swimming pool and Vitality Pool, amethyst steam room and high tech fitness studio. Ballygally Castle  is beautifully located on the scenic Antrim coast facing the soft, sandy beaches of Ballygally Bay and only 26 miles from Belfast. The hotel offers 18 five-star coastal-view bedrooms including six family rooms making it one of the largest hotels on the Causeway Coastal Route – perfect for familymoons. The castle dates back to 1625 and is unique in that it’s the only 17 th -century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland today. The hotel is reputedly haunted by a friendly ghost and brave guests can visit the ‘ghost room’ in one of the towers to see for themselves. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL THREE HOTELS VISIT WWW.HASTINGSHOTELS.COM OPEN SESAME No matter how much we have loved the armchair-travelling during lockdown, we can’t hide our excitement that hotels are opening around the world: • Summer 2020: MarBella Elix, Greece | Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa, Puglia • September 2020: Kagi Maldives Spa Island, North Male Atoll | Victoria Falls Safari Spa, Zimbabwe  • Late 2020: Dumatau and Little Dumatau, Botswana  Enjoy MarBella Elix with its undiscovered land and perfect secluded beaches. With sensational sea views, contemporary spacious areas, well-appointed accommodation and a long sandy beach lapped by turquoise waters, MarBella Elix Hotel is the newest member of MarBella Collection Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa , the elegantly restored red palace in the heart of Puglia’s White City, Ostuni. This quintessentially Puglian property is being meticulously restored to boast 11 individually curated rooms and suites with a cosmopolitan soul. Five-star Kagi Maldives Spa Island is a boutique 50-villa property that will provide couples, friends and solo travelers with a 360° holistic wellness experience, just a 15-minute seaplane or 60-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport. Victoria Falls Safari Spa will be nestled in the bush and will offer a welcome hideaway for those wanting some R&R following a busy day discovering all that Victoria Falls has to offer, from daily game drives, guided tours of the Falls themselves, a host of adrenaline activities including zip- lining and white water rafting, and sunset cruises down the Zambezi River. In addition to upgrading DumaTau Camp, Little DumaTau is an exclusive and intimate camp featuring four tented suites; both will form part of Wilderness Safaris Premier portfolio. With a new wellness space and spa scenically located between the two, expansive guest rooms and decks with indoor and outdoor showers and plunge pools, as well as a Star Bed – and much more – these two camps are set to be the hottest openings in Botswana for 2020. For more about these destinations visit www.county.wedding 93 HONEYMOON NEWS