It’s not often that the lunar cycle helps you book an amazing family holiday — but this year, with Pesach falling after the UK school Eastertime holidays, rather than overlapping, there’s a chance to find a bucket-list escape for less.
Instead of increased holiday prices, you can make the most of shoulder season rates with the start of the good weather. So here’s where to enjoy your matzah this April.
St Lucia
Escaping to the Caribbean is always tempting, but April is one of the best times to explore St Lucia — the weather is glorious but you’ll share the island’s attractions with far fewer people.
And Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences has both special activities for kids, and the option to self-cater in its villas.
Paddleboarding in St Lucia (Photo: Windjammer Landing)
Tucked away on a hillside near the island’s capital Castries, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained, including spa treatments and watersports (as well as swimming pools and a chance to relax in water hammocks).
There are also tours of the island and tailor-made experiences aimed at children aged four to 12.
You can try guided nature walks, Creole dance classes, arts and crafts activities, starlit beach storytelling, beachside film nights and disco glow parties, to name a few.
A ten-night stay at Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences costs from £1,738 per person based on two adults and two children sharing a hilltop bedroom villa, including flights from Gatwick departing 21 April and private transfers. Book with Sovereign Luxury Travel.
Canada
While late April marks the very end of the ski season in Europe, you can still find fantastic powder on the slopes at Whistler Blackcomb in Canada’s British Columbia where North America’s largest ski resort has one of its longest ski seasons.
Away from the slopes, there’s also the chance to go bear spotting as they start to come out of hibernation, plus some biking and hiking, spas and a chance to enjoy the local arts — ideal if not everyone in your family skis.
Black bear and cub (Photo: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane)
Add on a few nights in Vancouver on arrival to make the most of the city, with cherry blossom in bloom and a taste of Canada’s indigenous culture. The city’s huge array of dining options includes Jewish delis and kosher restaurants too.
A nine-night trip with Ski Independence costs from £7,479, based on two adults and two kids (age two to 11) travelling. Includes flights from Heathrow to Vancouver with Air Canada, private transfers throughout, two nights’ accommodation at Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver and seven nights in a two-bedroom suite at Delta Whistler Village lodges, with fully equipped kitchen.
Go to destinationvancouver.com and whistler.com for more information about the area, including details of lift passes and ski hire.
Sicily
You don’t need to travel long-haul for a memorable family adventure this Pesach — instead, head to Sicily for an active holiday with a side of history.
Take to the slopes of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna, in east Sicily with family-friendly 4x4 tours as well as the option to explore independently, stopping off to visit a lava cave and clamber over lava fields.
Kids will also love discovering this part of Sicily from the treetops via a series of zip wires, obstacle courses, suspended walkways and climbing walls at the Parco Avventura Etna.
For more ways to get your heart racing, wade through the Alcantara Gorge, created by centuries-old volcanic eruptions, or even try canyoning, if you’re travelling with children age ten plus.
Between the adrenaline thrills, head to Syracuse, where there are towers, tunnels and underground rooms for the kids to explore at the 13th-century sea-facing Castello Maniace, and the historic Jewish quarter on the island of Ortigia, once home to 12 synagogues and a community of more than 5,000 Jewish people, as well as Europe’s oldest surviving mikveh.
One week at two-bedroom villa Terrazza sul Mare from Wish Sicily costs from £1,537, with flights from Gatwick/Luton to Catania costing from £55 return per person.
View from the villa terrace (Photo: Wish Sicily)
Sri Lanka
If you’re craving sunshine, April is one of the best months to visit Sri Lanka’s south and west coast — and four-bedroom beachfront villa M Beach House in Tangalle is the perfect luxurious place to enjoy it.
Set on the Bay of Mawella, the villa has its own acre of gardens, a lap pool plus a nearby beach in a protected location, making it perfect for swimming.
The villa is laid out as three pavilions around the pool, ideal if you’re planning a multigenerational trip, so everyone can have their own space, all with air conditioning and wifi.
The on-site chef also prepares meals with organic produce fresh from the vegetable garden and fruit trees, to eat at the villa’s al fresco dining area, with terraces to relax with a drink and a view.
You’re only ten minutes from Tangalle itself, known for the enormous Buddha at the Wewurukannala temple, the rock temples of Mulkirigala and dramatic Hoomaniya blowhole, while Galle is a half-hour drive away with its own historic sites, including the colonial Dutch fort, and a string of tempting boutiques along its shady streets.
Seven nights at M Beach House from SJ Villas costs around £690 per person, based on eight guests sharing, including daily housekeeping, a chef, concierge and a caretaker (food costs at guest’s expense). Flights from London to Colombo cost from around £450 return.
Cabo San Lucas (Photo: Unsplash)
Kosher cruise to Mexico
Discover Hollywood glamour in Los Angeles and the glorious scenery of Cabo San Lucas on an 11-night cruise to Mexico this Pesach, travelling aboard Regatta, the flagship of the Oceania Cruises fleet.
Departing from LA on 20 April, the cruise stops at La Paz on the Baja California peninsula, and visits Mazatlan, Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico before returning via Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, just south of the US border, and on to Los Angeles to disembark.
There’s the usual temptations on board, including a pool, spa and shows featuring some of the highlights of Broadway, and more than 400 crew looking after a maximum of 656 guests. There’s the option to arrange kosher food in advance, from Borenstein Caterers in New York, as well as other treats from Oceania Cruises, such as wines for the Seder.
Book with Panache Cruises to get up to 50 per cent off, priced from £3,299 per person including return flights.
All the above have availability at time of writing
