What Bunny? Two Vacation Packages Offer Up Easter Alternatives

PHOTO: A deluxe family room in a County Mayo classic castle is a good place to begin an egg hunt. (Courtesy of Ashford Castle)

Two Special Deals Offer Easter in an Irish Castle

Easter will be celebrated this April 20 and two Irish castle hotels, Ashford Castle and Dromoland Castle, are reaching out to American families with special holiday packages. Ireland’s 16^th century Dromoland Castle has put two Easter packages, available April 17 to 27, up for sale, the Two Night Easter Package and the Three Night Easter Package include accommodations for two adults and two children (under 12) sharing in deluxe guestrooms, full Irish breakfast and dinner one evening for the adults (children will be charged food on consumption basis only). Dromoland is located in County Clare, an especially beautiful region in the Irish West.

Special children’s amenities will include personalized cookies and milk at check-in; supervised activities daily from noon to 4 p.m. (activities include organized pool play and games of blind man’s bluff, three-legged races, and hide and seek). This allows time for adults to play golf, do spa treatments or try their hand at falconry, anyone, a Dromoland specialty.

The family can come together with a treasure hunt on the estate, an Easter egg hunt and pony and trap rides. On Easter Sunday, a special brunch will be served. Rates begin at $955 for the Two Night Easter Package and $1,432 for the Three Night Package, VAT and service charges included.

Another Irish castle, Ashford Castle in County Mayo is also getting ready for a special Easter with a family package that includes an Easter egg hunt, a boat cruise, a treasure hunt, and more. The two-night Ashford Castle Easter Family Package includes a Deluxe family room (two queen beds suitable for two adults and two children under the age of 16 years); full Irish breakfast for the family each morning; dinner for the family on an evening of their choice in Cullen's at the Dungeon; dinner for the family on an evening of their choice in the George V dining room; a one-hour cruise on Lough Corrib for the family on an afternoon of their choice aboard the Isle of Inishfree; a family treasure hunt on the Ashford estate on Saturday afternoon; and a family Easter egg hunt on Easter Sunday morning. The package is priced from €1,060 ($1,455 based on two adults and two children).

Turkish Easter Deals in Istanbul and Cappadocia

The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul  and the Argos Hotel in Cappadocia  are reaching out to American travelers with Easter packages. The four-night Easter package at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul features a Bosphorus View room with daily breakfast for two, an Easter brunch as well as a 40-minute couple’s massage. The package is good for travel April 17 to 22 and is priced from $3,051 for two people, based on double occupancy plus an eight percent VAT, gratuity and additional charges.

The three-night retreat to Argos in Cappadocia offers something of a luxurious adventure as the hotel is built into one of the many caves for which  Cappadocia is famous. The Cappadocians of antiquity built their communities underground with ancient cave complexes featuring such wonders as underground hospitals, restaurants and churches. The hotel’s Easter Special includes a suite room complete with a bottle of local wine, welcome gift and colored eggs. The Easter Package at Argos in Cappadocia is valid on travel from April 18 to 22 and is priced from $1,572 for two people, based on double occupancy.