Travel and Leisure

A great holiday should transport you away from your everyday life and leave you feeling reinvigorated. If you choose a holiday on the water, you are quite literally taken away from it all. Whether you choose kayaking or a cruise, there are holidays afloat to suit all tastes and budgets. If you want a holiday on water, here's a brief selection of what's on offer.

Canals and Narrowboats
The UK is criss-crossed with a network of canals that pass through scenic countryside and historic towns. Travelling by narrowboat is a relaxing affair that allows you to soak up the views along the route and stop off at your leisure at canal-side pubs and visit nearby attractions. Whilst narrowboats were once basic homes to working families, now holidaymakers will find them fully fitted out for modern day living.

Not keen on doing the driving yourself? There are hotel barge holidays that combine all the convenience of a small hotel with the relaxed pace and scenery of a narrowboat, allowing you to sit back and enjoy yourself.

Cruise Britain's Inland Waterways
If you want to take to the water in something less traditional than a narrowboat, try a cruiser. Cruisers are ideal for exploring Britain's many lakes and rivers, as well as the wider canals. Explore the Norfolk Broads, Loch Ness, the Lake District or the River Thames in style. You could stop off for meals at a pretty riverside restaurant or cook in the on-board galley and dine al fresco on your own deck.

Sail Away
There are sailing holidays for sailors of all abilities, from total novices to experienced hands. You can enrol in a sailing school holiday and learn to sail in dinghies or help to crew a larger boat. If you are a confident sailor you could join a tall ship on a working cruise. Alternatively, you could hire a sailing boat for a spot of coastal cruising with the family or book onto a crewed yacht and just enjoy the ride.

Canoeing and Kayaking
For those who prefer an active holiday, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the water under your own steam. Canoes are ideal for families and couples who enjoy rugged, outdoor adventures. Paddling by day and camping by night is a great way to discover the countryside and coast. Kayaking too can be a fun experience, whether you choose the excitement of white water kayaking or a more even paced expedition. Some tours have special themes that take in lochs and castles or islands and beaches. Whatever you choose, it's likely that you will have the chance to explore places you would not normally reach on foot.

A holiday on the water is fantastic and completely flexible. Your holiday can be as relaxed or as invigorating as you choose, taking in the green countryside inland or the rugged cliffs of the coast. Individual, couples and families alike all love a life afloat!