With a taste of summer under our belts and the hope of more fun in the sun to come, perhaps this year is finally the time to enjoy the summer at home and instead plan ahead for October half term - the next opportunity for some quality family time together in the sunshine. 

With just a week or at the very most two available, and almost all reliable short haul sunshine destinations and flights either fully booked or unreasonably expensive for a family seeking an autumn break, half term with warm weather in mind is never an easy holiday to arrange.

Turquoise Holidays, specialists in long haul luxury holidays has a new family brochure due out on 1st September with a choice of superb family holidays from Africa and the Caribbean to Asia and the Indian Ocean. 

Here are the Turquoise 'top ten' October half term holiday ideas for families of all ages. Book now and make savings of up to £3000 per family:

Thailand -Indigo Pearl, Phuket

 

Perfect for ....tens and teens

Just ten minutes from the airport, right by the white sandy beach of Nai Yang, a perfect choice for families seeking exotic sun in a week.  As well as a children's pool, there is a Kids Club, and teens will love the martial arts, yoga, tennis, cycling adventures and cooking classes at Moo's Cooking School. Water sports such as diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking, wind surfing and wake boarding are all available from the resort's private Beach Club. Families should opt for a D-Buk suite or one of the new two or three bedroom villas.

Flying time - 12 hours, time difference + 7 hours, price from £4270 per family (2 Adults and 2 Children under 12) staying 7 nights in a D-Buk Suite including breakfast, international flights and private transfers.  Save over £340 per family.

Malaysia - Four Seasons Langkawi

 

Perfect for ...adventurous tens and teens

A tropical beach and rainforest paradise, Langkawi is one of 99 islands in an archipelago in the Andaman Sea, and here the resort's accommodation is completely geared up to families.  Private pools, bonfires on the beach, private chefs to cook up a feast and the 'Kids For All Seasons' kids club with activities ranging from kite-making and coconut painting to fish feeding and Malay dance lessons will make you wish you were staying for longer. 

Flying time 13.5 hrs, time difference + 7 hours, price from £5550 per family (2 Adults and 2 Children under 12) staying 7 nights in a Lower Melaleuca Pavilion on Bed and Breakfast including international flights and transfers to and from the resort.  Saving of £1085 per family!

Zanzibar - Baraza Resort & Spa

 

Perfect for ...  fussy eaters and ice cream lovers

The all-inclusive pricing of this new family-friendly and family-run all-villa retreat is perfect for families with children who never know what and when they want to eat other than a constant supply of ice-creams. Located on the south eastern shore of Zanzibar on Bwejuu beach, regarded as one of the finest island beaches on earth, Baraza Resort has 30 one and two bedroom villas and a lovely spa complete with lap pool, tennis court, and watersports centre. 

Flying time: 11 hrs, time difference + 3 hours, price from £6951 per family (2 adults and 2 children under 12) staying 7 nights in a Garden View Two Bedroom Villa with plunge pool, based on  all inclusive plan, international flights and private transfers. Save over £1300 per family.

Saint Lucia - Sugar Beach

 

Perfect for... families of all ages.

Sitting on more than 100 acres of tropical rainforest and the only white sand beach in the area, Sugar Beach is perfect for families of all ages.  There are plenty of activities for all family members - glass bottom boat excursions, arts and crafts, volcano and botanical garden tours -  as well as fish feeding and shell collecting at the beach.  A kids club is also available for children aged between 5-12 years old while parents relax in the Rainforest Spa. 

Flying time 9 hrs, time difference - 5 hours, price from £7699 per family (2 Adults and 2 Children under 12) staying 7 nights in a Superior Luxury Villa on a bed and breakfast including international flights and transfers to and from the resort.  Save £1030 per family.

Mauritius - Anahita The Resort

 

Perfect for ..... . babies, tots, tens and teens

The Anahita's Our Space kids club  is enough to make you book half-term here on the spot, with activities ranging from kayaking  to sailing and snorkelling. The suites - one, two and three bedroom - provide spacious accommodation for even the largest and most boisterous of families with integrated entertainment systems and plunge pools on the terrace. Family dining and Anahita's dial-a-chef makes mealtimes a breeze.  Grown ups can enjoy two infinity pools and two golf courses with complimentary green fees. A convenient overnight flight and reasonable time difference.

Flying time - 12 hrs, plus 45 min resort transfer, time difference + 4 hours, price from £7888 per family (2 adults and 2 children under 12) staying7 nights in a Two Bedroom Garden Suite on bed & breakfast including international flights and private transfers. Must book 30 days prior to arrival.  Save over £1300 per family.

Antigua - Carlisle Bay

 

Perfect for ....families of all ages and grandparents

An easy flight takes you to one of Antigua's most family friendly resorts, on a quiet cove with a perfect arc of sand on an unspoilt corner in the south of the island, with a backdrop of rolling hills and lush tropical rainforest.  Stylish, spacious rooms all face the ocean, many designed with families in mind.  Mum and Dad can soak up the sun on a large day bed on their veranda or balcony with panoramic views of the ocean while children enjoy the Kid's Club, the younger ones in a crèche. Even if the sun takes a few hours off, the resort's afternoon cinema with children's films and popcorn will keep the family entertained for hours.

Flying time - 8.5 hrs, time difference - 4 hours, price from £8199 per family (2 adults and 2 children) staying 7 nights in a Beach Balcony Suite with all inclusive and including all international flights and private transfers. Save £1630 per family. 

Mauritius - The Residence

 

Perfect for .....babies, tots, tens and grandparents.

One of the Indian Ocean's first five star resorts to become truly family friendly, The Residence Mauritius beautifully sits on the east coast of Mauritius with activities ranging from horse riding on the beach to cookery classes with the chef, mum & daughter spa treatments to family day trips around the island. The hotel's kids club has a wonderful daily activity schedule.

Flying time - 12 hrs, plus 60 min resort transfer, time difference + 4 hours, price from £8289 per family (2 adults and 2 children under 12) staying 7 nights in a Colonial Garden View Rooms on half board including international flight and private transfers. Must book by 31 July 2013! Save over £1842 per family.

Maldives - Constance Halaveli

 

Perfect for ..... tots, tens and teens

You stay in stylish and spacious villas at this Maldivian paradise in the North Ari Atoll. All Beach Villas sleep parents and a child up to 12, and the Double Storey Beach Villa also has a separate room upstairs ideal for two children and the new Family Beach Villas accommodate comfortably a family of four.  Each has its own private plunge pool and youngsters from four to eleven will love the brilliant kids club with ice-cream and pizza making themed days.  Older members of the family and confident kids will enjoy spectacular snorkelling, diving, fishing and Mum can sneak away to the spa when no one's looking.

Flying time: 12 hrs plus 40 min seaplane transfer, time difference + 5 hours, price from £10,799 per family (2 adults and 2 children under 12)staying 7 nights in a Family Beach Villa on bed & breakfast including international flights and private transfers. Must book 60 days prior to arrival! Save over £3100 per family.

BVI - Peter Island

 

Perfect for ....teens and sailing enthusiasts

British Virgin Islands is rapidly becoming one of Turquoise's top sellers for 2013, and with the idyllic private Peter Island it is easy to see why. The largest of the private islands Peter Island offers its guests 1800 acres of uninhabited and unspoilt landscapes to explore.  With 5 pearl white beaches and complimentary water sports it is a haven for swimming, snorkelling and sailing.  Hiking, windsurfing and diving are also available, as well as 4 tennis courts and bicycles to rent.  One 'must do' during your stay is Sunset at the Loop - visit from 5 to 6.30pm and watch the spectacular BVI sunset from one of the most beautiful points on the island.

Flying time: 10 hrs plus transfer, time difference - 4 hours, price from £10380 per family (2 Adults and 2 Children) staying 7 nights in a Beach Front Junior Suite including bed and breakfast and international flights and transfers.

Kenya - Ol Donyo Lodge

 

Perfect for .... Horse and animal-loving teens.

Africa, with minimal time difference, is an outstanding family holiday destination and Ol Donya Lodge is hard to beat. Mount Kilimanjaro is the breathtaking backdrop for ten individually designed suites in the heart of the Masai Mara. Here is the best horse riding in East Africa, including multi day rides, along with four wheel drive game reserves, guided tracking and walking, mountain biking among zebra and wildebeest across the magnificent plains and visits to local villages.  Each suite has a roof top star bed accessed by a stone stairway.  Horse-mad families will be in heaven.

Flying time: 9 hrs, time difference + 3 hours.  Turquoise recommends twinning 3 nights at O'Donyo Lodge, price from £7249 staying in a 2 bedroom pool cottage on an all inclusive basis including private transfers, with four nights on the beach. Return flights for a 7 night stay in Kenya are from £3404 

Turquoise Holidays' new family-friendly shop opens in Northcote Road, London SW11 in September.  For more details of holidays, or to make a personal  appointment, call Turquoise on 01494 67800 or visit  www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk

Ends

For further information, images or press visits contact:

Susie de Carteret/Becky Fairlie-Clarke

T: 07974 306 579 / E: becky@magictorchpr.org

T: 07797742541/E: susie@juicycommunications.co.uk