Luxury break in Morocco

SAVINGS are relative, especially when mid-winter breaks don’t come cheap, but Tropical Sky is pushing packages for the luxurious Trou aux Biches on the northern coast of Mauritius in the hope there are some still hardy souls out there with at least €6,000 (saving €1,000 per couple) and more to invest in a week-long break.

The resort hotel has re-opened this month following a major renovation, and it comes highly recommended from a number of tourism sources. It has a reputation of being one of the ultimate tropical getaways in the Indian Ocean due in part to the facilities of the luxury suites and villas.

The beach front suites have private pools, while the two and three-bedroom villas, designed around a spacious open-air living area, boast a freeform infinity pool and large sun deck with outdoor barbecue and dining area.

Available until December 7 from €2,979 per person, the price includes scheduled flights from Dublin (via Heathrow) with Air Mauritius, seven nights’ accommodation in a junior suite on a half-board basis, resort transfers, taxes and surcharges. Visit www.tropicalsky.ie or call 01 8077996/068 56800.

- ETIHAD Airways, who recently celebrated its seventh anniversary in Ireland, has been named as top airline in the world.

Etihad has been flying out of Dublin to its hub in Abu Dhabi and onwards since July 2007, initially starting with four flights a week which has grown to 10 flights per week. Over 370,000 passengers have flown on the route.

The airline offers Irish customers flights to 66 destinations and details are available on www.etihadairways.com

- SMALL pickings perhaps, but any praise of Ireland is positive in these grim days of recession. Ireland has been voted ‘favourite holiday destination’ for 2011 in a global poll by travel guidebook series Frommer’s, beating Paris.

Almost one-third of Frommer’s readers chose Ireland as their favourite destination for next year over Hawaii, Australia, Egypt, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Greece, Paris and Alaska.

Voters praised Ireland’s spectacular landscape, history and opportunities to ramble and explore. To read some of the comments, go to http://www.frommers.com/micro/2010/top-destinations-2011/reader-favorite-ireland.html

- DISCOVERIRELAND.IE has launched the new Festive and New Year special brochure that offers a huge range of accommodation and activities to help banish the winter blues.

The brochure is bursting with over 200 winter breaks, and as a bonus discoverireland.ie is offering extra discounts on get-together breaks to allow for group and family breaks.

The guide is available at all tourist information offices, or it can be downloaded by accessing www.discoverireland.ie/specialoffers