Travel tips: a retreat in Turkey and farms in the spring

A stylish new hotel looks set to put the Turkish fishing village of Selimiye on the tourism map when it opens in May. Badem Tatil Evi is an intimate retreat on the Bozburun peninsula, with just 12 rooms, a restaurant serving up Turkish home cooking, an infinity pool and a beach club. It's a short walk from the harbour, which is being touted as 'the new Kalkan' thanks to its lovely horseshoe bay and smattering of family-run restaurants and boutiques. A week's B&B booked with Turkey specialist Exclusive Escapes (exclusiveescapes.co.uk) costs from £750pp including flights, transfers, a day's cruise on a traditional gulet and a trip to Knidos on the Datça peninsula.


When it comes to celebrating spring, few things compare to a farm stay during lambing season. As well as upgrading their accommodation to offer five-star facilities, such as hot tubs and saunas, many farmers offer guests the chance to get hands on with visits to the lambing sheds.

Depending on where you are, lambing season can start in January or carry on until May. Guests staying at one of the self-catering cottages at the Olde House in north Cornwall, will be able to see lambing close up from now until Easter. As well as the chance to care for the lambs, there's an indoor pool, sauna, tennis courts and playbarn. A week in March at Bridge Cottage, which sleeps four, costs £400 (theoldehouse.co.uk).

Several of the Featherdown Farm properties, which offer luxury camping in canvas cottages on working farms, welcome guests during lambing time. At Howbeck Lodge Farm in Cumbria, children can enjoy tractor rides with Farmer John, while at Glanmor Isaf in north Wales the ewes will be lambing throughout April. Three nights at Howbeck Lodge in April costs from £335, and four nights at Glanmor Isaf £495 (featherdown.co.uk). You can search for other farm-stay lambing breaks at

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