Chic, hip and happening in Puglia

Emma and Glyn managed to catch the last of the summer sun in Puglia for their November photoshoot at the new Luxury Trulli “Trullo Azzurro” and “Trullo Delizioso”.

Trullo Azzurro is a beautifully renovated, luxury, 3 bedroom trullo with air conditioning and is ideal for families with young children. The property has been renovated with small children in mind as the owners have small children themselves. All the tiles around the pool are non slip and there are soft edges to the pool and infinity edge. It also has a circular childrens pool(0.6metres). This villa can also be rented with Trullo Stella Bianca and Trullo Mimosa for large groups of up 18 people to as they are 100 metres away. Each villa is in a private locationand not overlooked with private grounds so they are ideal for private bookings or for group bookings.

Working with our local, selected caterers Discovery Travel can organize Birthday parties, anniversaries and weddings at the trulli.

At Trullo Delizioso Emma and Glyn enjoyed the glorious evening sunset . Situated in a very private, secluded location Trullo Delizioso enjoys superb views across the valley. Trullo Delizioso is actually divided in two parts and has a 1 bedroom equipped trullo and a separate 2 bedroom trullo with 2 kitchens. The property has lovely new gardens and a covered terrace. The owner following our recommendations will be adding a dishwasher and oven which will be ready for 2008 bookings.

Gastronomic tours with Alex –Sabrina and Glyn also managed to spend some time with Alex who organizes unique gastronomic and wine tasting tours for Discovery Travel clients. (Not offered by any other UK Tour operator). Here are some comments from past clients who booked the tour –

“We really enjoyed our stay in the Trullo. The tour you organized with Alex was also excellent & very different - we even saw donkeys being milked!! All your recommendations we followed were good. Thank you for an enjoyable holiday.” Irene Overton, Shropshire October 2006

Special Offer:
March/April/May Bookings Villas in Puglia - 5% discount from the weekly price if booked before 10 February. Food Welcome pack included with all properties. Detailed 10 page, well researched information pack also included on the area with our recommended restaurants, places to visit, beaches and much more.

To benefit from Emma and Glyn’s first hand knowledge of Puglia, please call 01889 882170 to discuss a tailor made itinerary and flight options.

Car hire at Cost Price –Offer ends 29/2

For a limited period only we are offering car hire at cost price to clients who book between 1-29 February. We work with small, local suppliers including Maggiore and Targarent. There are NO hidden extras. The policies include CDW excess reduced to 200 euros or zero excess. The cost includes 2 drivers and unlimited mileage, all taxes and insurances. Unlike the larger suppliers such as Hertz you will not have to wait in a long queue to collect your car. We pass on our discount directly to you. Example price – 5 door Fiat Panda £153.75 per 7 days rental.

Sicily

Due to the extensive demand we received from regular clients for properties in Sicily, we sent three of our team to explore the wonders of this fantastic region. Sabrina, Aimee and Glyn were lucky enough to explore Sicily from top to toe, sampling the tastiest local cuisine, unearthing the best villas and boutique hotels and revelling in the unique history of this rich and varied region.

They even managed to sample the delights of a new 8 berth luxury, crewed catamaran with a chef on board which is usually chartered by Italian politicians and film stars! (Details on hiring this fabulous skippered yacht for special occasions available upon request.)

Starting in the North, Sabrina, Glyn and Aimee discovered the beautiful Scopello coastal area and Zingaro Natural Reserve. They managed to sample the restaurants which featured in Rik Steins Foodie tour of Sicily. They started at the capital Palermo with its’ cultural mix of Arabic and Italian influences and then traveled on to Trapani and the castle at Erice. From here, the girls travelled to Cefalu and to central Sicily, visiting the mosaics at Piazza Armerina.

The last day was spent discovering the baroque town of Noto. which is on the Unesco “World Heritage” list. The cathedral reopened in 2007 after years of restoration after the cathedral collapsed in 1996. Noto is definitely worth a visit and we will be going back again soon!

Whilst exploring the Noto area the girls stumbled across a delightful new Country farmhouse set in acres of lemon groves. Salvatore, the proud owner of the Lemon Grove owns most of the land in the area and a private beach too just 5 minutes drive from the property! Salvatore is the largest exporter of lemons from Sicily! The property is aptly named “The Lemon Grove” and is currently awaiting its new swimming pool. The location is ideal as you can also walk to a lovely country restaurant too. Check back on our website for updated progress on this new property as it is a real gem.

Where to stay in Sicily…

Romantic, Ideal for couples - Villa Carissa situated close to Piazza Armerina is a haven of tranquility in central Sicily. This beautifully restored Masseria run by Philippe offers bed and breakfast or half board accommodation. The food is divine, prepared by the owner Cavalier Gollino who is a well known chef in Sicily. The 2,000 hectare estate offers guests a choice of pastimes to explore this beautiful area. There are 8 quad bikes and Philippe who is a qualified instructor takes small groups along well planned tracks through the woods, some tracks rising to a high ridge with wonderful views to the coast, some leading to Roman archaeological remains in the woods. Nearby, visit Agrigento with the famous 600 BC Doric Temple, Caltagirone and the Roman villas at Piazza Armerina. From relaxing by the pool to horse riding and sampling the local cuisine Villa Carissa is the ideal retreat for your stay in rural Sicily.

Special Offer:
Stays during March/April/May
1 Complimentary 3 course meal for 2 adults with wine for stays longer than 5 nights during April/May. Book before 10 February.

Ideal for families/groups of friends - Private 5 bedroom Villa - A real highlight for them was a stay at “Baglio La Vigna”, a new luxury, restored Masseria villa situated close to the delightful harbour Castellammare del Golfo. This new villa which sleeps 10 has spectacular views across the hills and is just a 20 minute drive from the coast. We can also arrange a chef upon request and various other services such as meal delivery and babysitting.

Special Offer:
5% discount off weekly prices at all villas in Sicily during April. For all other months, 5% discount on a second week booked at a villa. Welcome pack included with all properties.

To benefit from Sabrina and Glyn’s firsthand knowledge of Sicily, please call 01889 882170 to discuss a tailor made itinerary and flight options.

Award winning Bed and Breakfast in Puglia

We are delighted to announce that La Pergola, a property exclusive to Discovery Travel was voted the best luxury boutique bed and breakfast in Puglia by the Italian Tourist Board.

The regular positive feedback that we receive from our clients adds testimony to Leonie’s Hard work in maintaining her beautiful Masseria situated in the Olive groves just below Ostuni town.


"Lovely apartment, friendly and helpful hosts, clean, well equipped and quiet.......We appreciated the tranquil location and the ease of getting to the main sights." R.Goldberg, Leicester - July 2007