Grab some winter sun

PANORAMA Holidays has January specials to Lanzarote from €408 per person sharing and families can take advantage of up to €100 off list prices.

Those booking online can also avail of a further 10% saving on all departures on January 5, 6 and 7.

One of the packages available from Cork is to Bahia Blanca Rock, in Playa Blanca, from €433 on a self-catering basis. Situated on the southern coast of Lanzarote, this relatively new resort is growing in popularity.

For further information or to book, call Panorama Holidays on 0818 20 20 20 or log on to www.panoramaholidays.ie.

* SUNWAY Holidays is reporting an increase in enquiries and bookings for Montenegro for 2007 due mainly to the excitement generated by the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale.

Sunway will operate weekly charters from Dublin, Cork and Shannon between May and October next year. Prices start from €569 for seven nights B&B in a two-star hotel in Budva, including return flights and airport transfers.

Details on www.sunway.ie or phone [phone]

* BULGARIA may be known for certain things — its ancient monasteries, for instance, or the local habit of nodding one’s head to say no — but skiing probably isn’t one of them.

That’s beginning to change as the Bulgarian slopes, the site of past Alpine World Cup races, are increasingly being explored by bargain-seekers from the west looking to get away this Christmas.

With Andorra going upmarket, Bulgaria has taken over as the destination for budget conscious skiers.

New chair lifts and hotels open nearly every year at the country’s three main skiing destinations.

Borovets, a purpose-developed, world famous international small resort on the edge of the Rila mountains is an hour’s drive from the popular Bulgarian destination of Sofia.

Bansko is a small town just below the northern slopes of the Pirin Mountains, which go up to almost 3,000m and have a very alpine character, while Pamporovo is a friendly, purpose-built resort which offers a range of beautifully scenic runs on the Snezhanka mountain.

Excellent value for money and caring ski schools are the main selling points of a ski holiday in Bulgaria, although the quality of accommodation is sometimes a concern for clients and Irish tour operators.

Still, it is regarded as very good value for money, and Bulgaria Air’s recently launched direct flights from Dublin to Sofia will surely help build bridges between the two countries. Prices on those flights start from €190 return.

For further information, contact Those Two Girls PR on [phone] or [e-mail].

Alternatively, check out www.westincorporated.ie and look for the link to West Travel, for package details.