Luxury Family Holidays for May Half Term
May half term brings with it an annual quandary – do you stay in the UK for your family holiday and risk an early summer wash out, or head overseas to early summer sunshine. We know which we prefer!
The Middle East is always a great option for a shorter luxury family holiday, although it is getting hot so head for the water parks such as Aquaadventure where the huge people carrying conveyor belts carry you effortlessly up to the top of the next waterslide! For an easy but spectacular half term break, take the family to South Africa. Children love Babylonstoren in the Winelands, a historic Cape Dutch working wine farm where they can pick grapes, harvest honey, collect eggs and help herd 250 ducks out into the vineyards to harvest snails. Follow this with a two hour flight to malaria-free Kalahari and Tswalu - South Africa’s largest private game reserve complete with two colonies of curious meerkats.
A family holiday anytime between May and September would be a lovely time to go the Seychelles. Book Constance Lemuria on Praslin, always a big hit with families, not least for its superb kids club and the country’s only golf course. And finally you simply cannot go wrong with the Caribbean in May – low season rates and great weather combine to make the entire region half-term holiday heaven for all ages.
Where to go on a family holiday in May
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Indian Ocean
Seychelles
Just four degrees south of the equator, the 115 granitic and coralline islands of the Seychelles make up the world’s only…
Africa
South Africa
Big Five safari, Cape Town, Winelands, wild coastlines and epic road trips make South Africa one of Africa’s most varied…
Thailand
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan
Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most accessible islands and is just a short flight from Bangkok and other Asian hubs such as Kuala…
Our top family hotels & resorts in May
Carlisle Bay
Carlisle Bay epitomises the perfect ideal of a luxury Caribbean resort. To the rear a tangle of emerald green rainforest and to the fore, a crescent of white sand beach licked by the warm Caribbean Sea.
Banyan Tree Samui
There are many beachfront, luxury resorts on Koh Samui, and indeed in Thailand, but every now and again you come across one which seems to epitomise everything you would expect from a fabulous retreat in the ‘land of smiles’. The Banyan Tree Samui is just such a place. Set into the hillside, the resort commands exceptional views over the sapphire waters of Lamai Bay which lap the pristine white sands of the beach below.
Babylonstoren
Artisanal charm and chic organic living have reached the heart of the beautiful Winelands in the form of Babylonstoren, a stunning and historic working wine farm just under an hour's drive from Cape Town.
Six Senses Ninh Van Bay
This envy-inducing eco-chic resort is set in a sublime bay accessible only by boat – dramatic, smooth, granite boulders frame a picture perfect crescent of golden sand. You share the sea here with just a few other guests and a handful of local lobster fishermen in their traditional coracles. This is a total escape from reality.
Bunga Raya
As sensual and exotic as the hibiscus flower from which it takes its name, Bunga Raya is a hidden paradise just off the coast of Borneo. A secluded retreat that we think is a real hidden gem, this beautiful boutique resort is a cross between jungle-chic and being ‘at one with nature’. With the dense green jungle canopy and divine white beaches, you feel a million miles away from civilization – the reality is you are only 30 minutes from the airport making this an easily accessible island hideaway.
Coastal California
13 nights from £5,995 per person
This classic, all-American road trip takes you along one of the USA’s most renowned routes, Highway One. A…
A Little May Sunshine
May is a lovely month for getting away as a family, with plenty of destinations to choose from. Whether you fancy the beach or somewhere to explore, we can help you find the right fit.