Whatever your choice, a little planning can mean that your summer is packed with activities. And yes, topping up your tan does count as an activity! So, get your best girl friend or a group of your friends and get going!
Stockholm
We would: Spend a weekend in Stockholm. Where to better to spend a summer break than in the land of the midnight sun? Forget Ikea and discover the real face Swedish of design – through the looking glass you’ll find sleek, precise furniture stores and classic, highly stylised fashion labels.
Soak up the midnight sun on the shores of Lake Malaren – this fresh water lake doesn’t have an actual beach, but it does offer a rocky outcrop – as cool as Camps Bay, there isn’t even sand!
We recommend: the Lonely Planet travel Guide £4.95; live music gigs; reading Pippi Longstocking – quintessentially Swedish and very girly.
New York
We would: Take a city break in New York. Breakfast at Tiffany , Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s, bikini break in Central Park and take in the vast views of the city from the Empire State Building. A SATC bus tour is a must – you will see the real (and fictional) NY, eat cupcakes a la Carrie and co. and shop in their favourite spots. Should you choose to take your BF, planning ahead could get you a ticket to a Yankees game.
We recommend: Dorling Kindersley NY guide £9.79; booking at restaurants in advance; MOMA, a Harlem church service; boat trips to Ellis and Staten Islands.
Barcelona
We would: Pretend we are part of the Vicky Cristina Barcelona cast. Mediterranean and hot – and that’s just the city – Barcelona offers the getaway with everything. The buzzing nightlife and Spanish sounds will have you up and grooving until the early hours of the morning. Enjoy the sunrise, and sweeping views of the city from Gaudi’s surrealistic Parc Guell and spend the day soaking up the sun at Barceloneta beach, not far from the city centre, and for those more daring there are also nudist beaches!
We recommend: The Rough Guide to Barcelona £ 7.77; tapas tasting; walk along the Ramblas.
Ireland
We would: Detox in Ireland. Yoga retreats are all the rage, and for those of us who might’ve have partied a little too hard through June and July, a holistic break could be the best medicine. Promoting health and well being, these top class retreats also offer the ultimate choices in luxury spa treatments. Take the chance to replenish your energy and to rejuvenate your soul (and your soles!) Neither the trip to a happy medium nor to Ireland will take that long!
We recommend: Great Yoga Retreats £17.19 and limbering up.
Newquay
We would: Rent a car, get the girls together and go on the ultimate summer roadtrip! Fill those CDs with a mix of every song that reminds you of summer – you’ll need atleast 6 hours of sing-along tunes on the drive down. Newquay offers all kinds of surfing – water, kite and even tree surfing! At night you can enjoy bonfires on the beach and make memories to last a lifetime. And is every great beach holiday tradition, it should take you months to wash all the sand out of your hair!
We recommend: booking a surfing lesson in advance (unless you are already seasoned); falling in love with a lifeguard.
Ibiza
We would: Book a villa in Ibiza! The party capital of the world beckons clubbers, hedonists and sun worshippers from all over the world – its white beaches, the sparkling blue med, super cool bars and the music, oh the music! You can lose yourself in luxury, and in the sexy beats thrown out at Pacha, you could possibly also lose yourself in a whispered ‘te quiero’. But we won’t tell, because what happens in Ibiza stays on the island.
We recommend: Ibiza Style £15.47, dancing till the early dawn, renting in September as its cheaper and still hot,hot, hot!
Croatia
We would: Take a sailing holiday in Croatia. By far the most idyllic away-from-it-all-escape, a sailing jaunt is the perfect chance to round up a group of friends – on a staffed boat. Spend the week island hopping – there are over 1000 islands along the Croatian coast, exploring old towns, sampling traditional tastes and mingling with the locals. Use the time to work on your tan, swim in the Adriatic and to make awesome memories with your mates.
We recommend: Croatia: Dive into coral seas & rich culture £6.93; stocking up on bikinis, sun block, feasting on local seafood.
Of course, all these holiday suggestions can be tailored to include the boys! With or without them … “Roll on those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those days of soda and pretzels and beer… You’ll wish that summer could always be heeeeeeeeerre!”
