Book a luxurious holiday home on the Greek island of Ithaca for a week of boating, swimming, cycling and yoga. Getty Images
Book a luxurious holiday home on the Greek island of Ithaca for a week of boating, swimming, cycling and yoga. Getty Images

Travel Deals: August odysseys



Greece

The Greek island of Ithaca is the base for this luxury holiday accommodation. Sitting on a hillside overlooking the sea, the estate comprises an organic farm and four traditionally styled two-bedroom houses, each with a private terrace, garden and fully equipped kitchen. Outdoor activities around the area include boating, scuba diving, cycling, walking and trekking in the hills, as well as culture-rich expeditions to ancient ruins and mountain villages. There are also Pilates and yoga classes, conducted each morning on pool terraces at the edge of the forest bordering the estate, with views of the bay.

Travel Tips&Advice

On a budget? Tight schedule? Whatever your quandary, seasoned travellers help you make the most of your destination.

Or visit the neighbouring island of Kefalonia, known for its underground lake. If you'd rather stay back for rest and relaxation, visit the spa pavilion set in the bordering forest - it offers a range of therapeutic massages and aromatherapy with natural, homeopathic products. The estate also has a summer house and an infinity pool. The estate is a two-minute walk from a couple of natural swimming and fishing coves.

A house costs from €2,500 (Dh15,000) per week for two people (the price varies by season), including airport transfers, seasonal garden produce and car/bicycle rentals. Book through www.responsibletravel.com.

Sri Lanka

Bales Worldwide is organising a "Sri Lankan odyssey" - a two-week cultural trip - next month. The highlights of the tour are visits to ancient cities and the Unesco World Heritage Sites of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla. Visitors will spend a couple of days in Nuwara Eliya, a hill station set in stunning mountain scenery and surrounded by tea plantations, and also enjoy the beaches of Trincomalee on the country's little- known eastern coast. The itinerary includes some easy treks and nature safaris. The visit is set to coincide with the grand Esala Perahera Buddhist festival in Kandy.

The 13-day trip costs from £2,070 (Dh12,460) per person, including the services of an experienced local guide, local transport, sightseeing, entrance fees, accommodation and most meals. Visit www.balesworldwide.co.uk for details.

India

Wild Frontiers is offering a discount of £200 (Dh1,204) on its "Land of the Maharajahs" trip next month, with an itinerary centred on the "Golden Triangle" - Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. You'll start off with a day of sightseeing in New Delhi, the busy, chaotic capital, famous for its historic monuments such as the Lal Qila (Red Fort). Next up are Agra and the Taj Mahal, then on to the colourful Rajasthani cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Bijaipur, and the historic town of Bundi. You'll also get to stay and dine at the haveli, or mansion, of a maharajah and go leopard-spotting on a night safari.

The 15-day tour costs from £1,490 (Dh8,970) per person, including all accommodation, most meals, all local transport, the services of an experienced guide, entrance fees to sites and parks, and taxes. International airfare is not included. Visit www.wildfrontiers.co.uk or call 00 44 20 7736 3968 for more information.

Indonesia

The recently renovated Angsana Bintan Resort on Indonesia's Bintan island has a three-day "above the rest" spa and relaxation package for two that includes two nights' accommodation in a spacious one-bedroom suite, breakfast (a buffet or served privately in the suite), early check-in (9am) and late check-out (until 6pm), return transfers on Bintan island, one three-course, set dinner for two on the beach (depending, of course, on the weather) and one 150-minute spa treatment (choice of "Duet" or "Ayu Reverie") at the Angsana Spa for two.

The package costs from US$1,072 (Dh3,937) for two nights, including taxes. International flights are not included. For more information, visit www.angsana.com or call 00 62 770 693 111.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company%20Profile
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Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier

Sunday's results:

  • UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
  • Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
  • Oman v Hong Kong, no result

Tuesday fixtures:

  • Malaysia v Singapore
  • UAE v Oman
  • Nepal v Hong Kong
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO

Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')

Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')

Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Company%20profile
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Timeline

1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line

1962
250 GTO is unveiled

1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company

1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens

1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made

1987
F40 launched

1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent

2002
The Enzo model is announced

2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi

2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled

2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives

2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company

2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street

2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E620hp%20from%205%2C750-7%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E760Nm%20from%203%2C000-5%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1.05%20million%20(%24286%2C000)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
Honeymoonish
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Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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