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Address: 16A Crown Rd, St Margarets, Twickenham TW1 3EE
Tel: 020 8891 4440
Email: s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk
Inspirational features
As featured in The Times, 02 April 2024
Writer Victoria Hislop, published in the Times on 02 April discusses her favourite Greek island, Naxos in the Cyclades. Read more in our latest blog.
Aurora Borealis, Apukka Resort, Lapland, Finland
As featured in the Telegraph, 24 April 2023
The secret to the perfect Northern Lights holiday by Sarah Marshall, journalist for the Telegraph. Originally published on 24 April 2023. Learn more and be inspired here.
Rab Town, Croatia
As featured in The Times, 24 August 2023
Journalist Mary Novakovich, writing in The Times on 24 August discusses the sandy beaches, stirring ruins and buzzing food scene of Rab in Croatia. Read more in our latest blog.
Pula, Istria, Croatia
As featured in Woman and Home Magazine, August 202
Woman & Home journalist Ellen Himelfarb travelled with Sunvil to northern Croatia where she discovered Istria has all the best of the Med rolled up into one. Read her feature in our latest blog.
Barbati, Corfu
As featured in the Times, 26 July 2023.
Writing in The Times this week, Rory Boland explains why it's so important to ensure that any holiday you book, is through a reliable and trustworthy tour operator. Choose a company with experienced and dedicated travel professionals, who will guide you through any questions or concerns you may have. It is important that you receive the very latest information from the tour operator, including the company's local representatives in resort, when travelling to a destination that is affected with any potential disruptions to your holiday, such as wildfires. We couldn't agree more! Read here.
Karpathos
As featured in The Telegraph, 24 June 2023
Written by Chris Leadbeater, journalist for the Telegraph. Which Greek island is the greatest? It is a big question; with myriad answers – and yet Chris tries to answer it anyway. The following feature takes 20 of these sun-baked outcrops, and attempts to wrangle them into some sort of order. Click here to read Greece’s 20 greatest islands, ranked and rated, with holiday suggestions recommended by Sunvil.
Meganissi
As featured in The Telegraph, 08 June 2023
Written by Laura Fowler, journalist for The Telegraph. Forget Santorini... here’s where the Europeans holiday (but don't tell anyone). Beat the crowds and boost your holiday spending power by heading for a lesser-known island idyll this summer. Click here to read Laura's top suggestions with holiday suggestions recommended by Sunvil.
Epirus, Greece
As featured in the Daily Telegraph, 17 March 2023
The best bits of Greece you’ve probably never heard of: Few European destinations are more recognisable than Greece – particularly in the white heat of summer, when the Mediterranean sun smiles on the land of Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite. Its rays bounce of the honeyed pillars of the Parthenon, skip across the surface of the Aegean, wrap around the windmills of Mykonos, and dance on the seafront in Crete, Rhodes, Skiathos and Kos. It is a picture both familiar and inviting. But what of the less familiar side of Greece. Journalist, Chris Leadbeater highlights some lesser-known Greek destinations that deserve to be on your radar. All featured by Sunvil.
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Axiothea Hotel
As featured in The Times on 07 March 2024
Written by journalist, Lucy Thackray. Cyprus for a city break? It’s unorthodox, but if you’re into archaeology — and spring sunshine — Paphos is a thrill. The crumbling pillars and mosaics of Kato Paphos Archaeological Park will delight history buffs, followed by the Unesco-protected Tombs of the Kings (£6 for both sites; visitpafos.org.cy), which you can explore from March to May without breaking too much of a sweat. Continue your trail at the Agios Neophytos monastery with its tranquil hillside setting and well-preserved frescoes (£1.70; stneophytos.org.cy). May has the balmiest days for a brisk springtime dip: try Sodap beach for handy, swimmable shallows. The destination expert Sunvil can arrange a stay at the authentic Axiothea Hotel, close to charming tavernas. Details Three nights’ B&B from £544pp, including flights and transfers.
Annis House
As featured in I News, 03 February 2024
Journalist, Mary Novakovich writes about Annis House in the Larnaca area of Cyprus. “Take in the mild springtime air in sunny Cyprus from the vantage point of one of its most delightful villages, Lefkara. You’re not far from the foothills of the Troodos Mountains if you fancy exploring some of its lovely hiking trails, and you’ll be halfway between Larnaca and Limassol if you want some city and beach action. Annis House is a very cute stone cottage in the lower part of Lefkara, with three bedrooms and a secluded courtyard. Sunvil has a week’s self-catering from £937pp, based on two people sharing, including flights, checked luggage and car hire, for a 6 March departure.”
Costa Rica
As featured in The Telegraph, January 30th 2024
Go wild in Costa Rica. Hang out with sloths, spot colourful wild macaws and get up-close with howler monkeys in Costa Rica, where every day brings a new wildlife encounter. Sunvil’s 12-night itinerary includes a trip to Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall Gardens alongside waterfall walks, jungle hikes, treetop walkways and croc-spotting boat trips. You’ll venture from the forest to the Caribbean coast, staying at eco lodges in spectacular locations along the way. From £4,299pp (based on four people), including a mix of B&B and full board accommodation, return flights from London and transfers.
Herodion Hotel, Athens
As featured in The Times on January 21st 2024
Double your budget and you can have half the holiday on this trip. Why would you want to do that? Well, Sunvil’s three-night Athens break bases you in heart-of the-action Herodion Hotel, rather than a budget two-star, so this works better if comfort is your priority. It has a rooftop bar and restaurant with Acropolis views, as well as two rooftop hot tubs — also with views — which sounds like a pretty perfect way to view the ancient wonder in February. If you choose to visit the Acropolis in person, the entrance is less than 100m from your door. Details Three nights’ B&B from £784pp, including flights. The £1,500 holiday.
As featured in the Daily Mail on 3 November, 2023
Written by journalist, Jessica Hamilton. “The family-run travel business Sunvil focuses on lesser-known holiday destinations, Which? reveals. It recommends booking a seven-day stay in Portugal's Alentejo region through the travel firm, with accommodation on a 'traditional B&B farm, which has been in the same family for 200 years'. Which? adds: 'You can take up hiking trails from the door.' The week-long stay is priced from £660 per person. Commenting on the list, Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: 'Travel disruption this year has brought into focus why the travel operator you book with is just as important as where you're going. We've seen that while the best companies have made sure their passengers are well taken care of when delays, cancellations or even natural disasters strike, the worst have left them high and dry. 'Our Which? Recommended Providers are all highly rated by travellers, offer great value for money, and have all guaranteed that they won't hike the price of your holiday after you've booked – something other companies don't rule out. So, whether you're in the market for a last-minute Caribbean cruise, or want to spend the festive season sipping hot cocoa by a log fire in Lapland, our list of the best winter holidays is sure to check all the boxes.”
As featured in The Telegraph on 29 October, 2023
Blaze a trail in the Cyclades. Raise a few eyebrows next summer by visiting Sifnos, Folegandros and Milos – trailblazing in the Cyclades, on a far-flung island hopping adventure. These lesser-known islands offer golden beaches and quiet coves, and are dotted with tiny white-washed towns – where the seafood is fresh, the weather is glorious and the accommodation is excellent value. Sunvil’s seven-night Island-hopping in the Cyclades trip costs from £1,866 per person, based on two sharing, including return flights from Gatwick, accommodation with breakfast, and all transfers (020 8758 4758).
Vintage House Hotel, Pinhao, Northern Portugal, Portugal
As featured in The Sunday Times, 22 October 2023
As the BBC show Celebrity Race Across the World nears its conclusion, The Sunday Times looks back on the teams' 6,000 mile journey from Marrakech, Morocco to Tromso, Norway. The Sunvil team has had the immense pleasure to visit many of the destinations featured including Seville, Lisbon, Porto, Lake Gsrda, Split, Rovaniemi and Tromso - you can find inspiration on our blog. The Sunday Times highlighted our trips to Pinhao in Portugal's beautiful Douro valley. "Winemaking is a tradition going back two millennia along the Douro River, and vineyard terraces are scored photogenically on to every slope. Autumn is a particularly magical time, as grapes are pressed and fiery bronze colours creep over the hills. Stay at the town’s Vintage House Hotel — an 18th-century port warehouse, it now has 47 tasteful rooms, a superb bar, an outdoor pool and gardens that slope down to the river."
Copenhagen
As featured in i News, 01 October 2023
Fans of Christmas and winter wonderlands who want to get a head start on the festivities can combine three Scandinavian capitals in one trip where, if you wait until 23 November, they’ll be in full-on Christmas market mode. On this nine-day holiday with Sunvil, you’ll fly into Copenhagen and explore the Danish capital for a couple of days before taking the train to Stockholm. Oslo is next on your rail itinerary before you fly home. Mary Novakovich, Journalist for i News recommends Sunvil’s Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo itinerary. The starting price is £1,965pp and includes flights, three nights’ B&B accommodation in each city and rail travel.
New Helvetia Hotel, Platres, Cyprus
As featured in The Times, 02 September 2023
Where to go for last-minute sunshine in autumn. Journalist Sarah Turner provides a list of short-haul spots to soak up the last rays of the year including the New Helvetia Hotel on Cyprus with Sunvil. "Heritage hotel near Mount Olympus: Although there are still temperatures of 30C in Cyprus in September, you’ll start to catch gentler breezes while based in the Troodos Mountains. With small villages, farms and forests, the enchanting region at the centre of the island is where foodies can make the most of the start of the partridge-hunting season. Between Pano Platres village and the Caledonia waterfalls, the New Helvetia hotel — owned by the same family for 100 years — has sun-dappled charm, and can help with excursions to Mount Olympus or the powdery beaches near Limassol."
The Azores
As featured in The Times, 27 August 2023
School’s nearly back, leaving the way open for a soothing dose of crowd-free, grown-up, late summer sunshine. Richard Mellor has the pick of the spots including the mid-Atlantic archipelago of the Azores. "With blue-green crater lakes, hot springs and waterfalls galore, the Portuguese Azores are akin to a subtropical Iceland; lots of volcanic fire, but no ice. Tea plantations add to the charm on Sao Miguel, the largest island, as do pirate-repelling 16th-century forts. Especially in luck are horse riders, bird and whale watchers, and surfers, with October peak time for humpback sightings. Learn more about our tailor-made trips to Europe's natural paradise here.
Anissa Hotel, Cyprus
As featured in The Times, 19 August 2023
Pools! Beaches! Grab a last-minute sunny escape to the island of Cyprus. Our 7 night stay at the sophisticated Anassa resort was highlighted by journalist Richard Mellor in his round-up of the best last-minute breaks. "Secure a week in September or October at the Anna resort, which sits just above a powdery turquoise-water bay on western Cyprus's Akamas peninsula and you'll receive a 500 Euro food and beverage credit per suite. Spend it across four restaurants, which range from informal Asian-Mediterranean to fine dining. Days might be spent strolling nature trails in the Akamas National Forest Park or lounging around the 166 room bolt hole's infinity pool. Book by 30 August."
Iliana Apartments, Panormos, Crete
As featured in The Sun, 22 August 2023
Ready! Get Sept! Go! Baklava and beaches on Crete. Lisa Minot, travel editor of The Sun suggests a stay at the Iliana Apartments in Panormos in her round-up of Indian summer breaks with balmy autumn weather. "The weather on the Greek island of Crete, with its 650 miles of glorious coastline, remains warm well into October. Spend a day lounging on one of the gorgeous beaches or pop to Rethymno Old Town to find Crete's oldest filo pastry - serving up sweet treat baklava. Stay at the Iliana Apartments in Panormos. This pretty village is home to a photogenic harbour and two sandy shores. Or kick back at the apartments' own pool."
As featured in The Telegraph, 12 August 2023
Journalist Sarah Marshall, writing in The Telegraph on August 12, 2023 discusses why your next beach break should be in the Baltic. “Part of the southern outer archipelago, a three-and-a-half-hour boat ride from the city centre, Uto is perhaps the loveliest spot in all of Sweden if you are hoping to get away from it all. Here, you will swim from the smooth granite boulders at Ravstavik, gaze longingly at romantic wooden summer cottages snapped up by local creatives, and learn about a mining industry started by the Vikings. A longer ferry ride into the Baltic connects Stockholm with the Aland Islands – a Swedish-speaking, Finnish-governed archipelago with an identity all of its own. Walk through avenues of linden trees and stop for a fika break in the cosy cafés of Mariehamn – one of 60 inhabited islands. Afterwards, take a ferry ride through a maze of skerries to reach the ruins of an abandoned Franciscan monastery on Kokar. Book: a seven-night trip to Stockholm and Uto from £1,095pp (two sharing), including flights.
Theodora Apartments, Paxos, Greece
As featured in The Telegraph, 03 August 2023
10 last minute getaways now that the heatwave is over. Journalist Greg Dickinson recommends a stay at the Theodora Apartments in his round-up of unmissable August escapes. Famously relaxed, tiny Paxos (it measures just seven miles by two) makes for the perfect last-minute summer getaway with its olive groves and pretty painted tavernas. Sunvil’s Theodora Apartments has a swimming pool and terraces fringed by cowers. A water-taxi from the nearby quay will take you to the even smaller Antipaxos, with its sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Seven nights (two sharing) costs £769 per person, departing August 14 from London Gatwick, with luggage and transfers included."
As featured in Platinum Magazine, 01 July 2023.
There’s no better way to immerse yourself in the stunning scenery of some of Europe’s must-see destinations than on-foot. Platinum Magazine discusses ‘travelling through time in Greece’ on our Kythnos Walking Holiday. Kythnos is one of the least-known islands of the western Cyclades and has a history dating back to pre-historic times. The island boasts hot springs, one of the largest caves in Greece, countless chapels across the landscape, plus ruined castles - and, now, a network of walking paths has been opened to explore it all. Prices start from £1,195 per person based on two sharing for seven nights.
Kalami Bay, north east Corfu
As featured in The Independent, 06 June 2023
The Best holidays to book for July. Journalist Mary Novakovich recommends following in the footsteps of the Durrells with a stay at Kalami Bay Apartments in north-east Corfu, just a short walk from the White House, where Lawrence Durrell used to live. You’ll have prime views of Kalami Bay and Albania from the apartments and the large pool terrace. Apartments come in either studios or one-bedroom options, and are only a few minutes’ walk from Kalami’s tavernas and beach. Sunvil has a week’s self-catering from 8 July starting at £719pp, a saving of £595pp, and includes flights and transfers.
Korcula, Croatia
As featured in The Times, 12 May 2023
The coolest hotels in Croatia for summer. Journalist Mary Novakovich uncovers the secret pads to book now in Dubrovnik, starting with the Zuviteo Residence, Korcula. A fascinating time in Croatian history came to life in 2020 when the Zuviteo family’s 14th-century stone house was restored and turned into a beautiful boutique hotel within the old town walls on the Dalmatian island of Korcula. It’s an exquisite collection of five rooms, with stylish modern decor framed by exposed stone walls and white ceiling beams. Pick one of the four with balconies or terraces and you’ll be transported into the heart of Korculanski life. Details: Seven nights’ B&B from £1,135pp, including flights and transfers.
Skyros, Greece
As featured in the Daily Express, 10 May 2023
Break in quiet foreign fields. Unspoiled Skyros, the largest island in Greece’s Northern Sporades, is new to Sunvil’s 2023 range of holidays. It’s home to endangered miniature wild horses and is also the marble grave of war poet Rupert Brooke. Skyros offers couples and families an authentic Greek getaway away from the crowds. You get there via connecting flights from Athens, and seven-night self-catering stays in May start at £973 per person departing from Gatwick with 23kg baggage and transfers.
Noel Josephides, Sunvil's Chairman
As featured in The Times, 11 April 2023
10 of the best tour operators: Journalist, Julia Brookes names Sunvil as one of the ‘best tour operators' to plan your next holiday with. "Owned and managed by the same family for more than 50 years, this is your go-to for lesser-known/undiscovered Greece and its islands (Cyprus, Portugal and the Azores, Scandinavia and Latin America are also in its portfolio). Forget glitzy and soulless all-inclusives, it specialises in value-for-money small hotels and resorts as well as villas with pools and its holidays are brilliant for getting under the skin of a destination." Try this: New for 2023 are the two-bedroom Anthilia Cottages in Sivota on Greece’s Epirus coast. They’re a ten-minute walk from the village and beaches and seven nights’ self-catering costs from £709pp, including flights and transfers.
Hestraviken
As featured in i News, 07 April 2023
Lake Algustorpasjön, Sweden: Småland in south-east Sweden has more than 5,000 lakes, plus deep-green pine forests and 400 nature reserves. Book in for a stay at Hestraviken Hotel near Lake Algustorpasjön, on the outskirts of the village of Hestra – 90 minutes from Gothenburg and renowned for its glove-making. Here you can pick from swimming, canoeing, mountain biking and horse-riding in the forests. There are hiking trails, too, including on nearby Isaberg mountain. Store Mosse National Park is a 12-mile drive from the lake. This vast area of sphagnum moss and forested sand dunes has more extensive hiking, as well as cranes, eagles, and moose. Journalist, Helen Pickles recommends Hestraviken, a modern country house hotel on the River Nissan, with light-filled rooms and a contemporary spa. One week departing Heathrow 5 July, from £1,425pp including car hire.
Quetzal, Costa Rica
As featured in the Times, 29 March 2023
Best tours in Costa Rica: Beach, jungle, rainforest and some astonishing wildlife — little Costa Rica certainly packs a big punch for adventurous travellers. And, our 10 night private adventure was highlighted by journalist, Adrian Pnillips as one of the best tours on offer. "This ten-night private adventure is perfect for couples with an interest in birds, and who want a holiday that combines wildlife-watching with a range of nature-based activities. Itinerary highlights feature excursions into the canals and lagoons of Tortuguero, going in search of quetzal, woodpeckers and hummingbirds in the cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota, exploring Corcovado National Park (with its 400 bird species) and Selva Verde, whose almendro trees are home to howler monkeys and keel-billed toucans." Price from £3,799.00 per person includes flights, lodge accommodation, guided tours and some meals.
Annie House, Kato Lefkara, Cyprus
As featured in the Independent, 22 March 2023
Where to holiday in April. Journalist, Mary Novakovich highlights the best destinations to visit in April including our very own holiday to Cyprus. Get a flavour of Orthodox Easter in the middle of a traditional Cypriot village when you stay at Annis House. This three-bedroom stone house has been sympathetically restored and is in the small village of Kato Lefkara, about halfway between Larnaca and Limassol. The weather should be pleasant enough for barbecues in the courtyard garden, and there’s some excellent hiking within a 15-minute drive. A 7 night holiday costs from £731pp, based on six sharing, including flights and car hire.