Better Together – Showcasing Ski Safari’s Twin-Centre Ski Holidays for Winter 2019/20
Currently, in the UK travel industry, we are seeing an uplift in demand for adventure travel, especially when a host of experiences can be ticked off in one trip. Adding a one- or two-day stay in an iconic city or an extra resort is a savvy way to discover multiple destinations and enjoy new experiences on a ski trip this winter. Ski Safari, six-time winner as UK’s Most Highly Rated Tour Operator, know the very best multi-resort and twin-centre combinations inside out, those which offer the best value for money, use of travelling time and the biggest endorphin release. With a huge choice of itineraries for world-class skiing spanning over three continents, there’s a twin-centre ski holiday for everyone. Whether you’re a competent thrill-seeker or an enthusiastic novice, the only difficulty will be choosing where to go! Here’s what’s booking for winter in 2019/20.
Ski Boots to Stetsons – NEW Nashville and Colorado Twin
British Airways flights to Nashville open up any of Colorado’s 11 world class ski resorts for a city break and ski holiday. This recently introduced flight offers guests incredible value for this twin-centre with the up and coming city destination, and country music capital, Nashville. Just two hours from Denver airport, pedestrianised Winter Park is one of Colorado’s most modern and affordable resorts. It is a favourite with the locals due to its excellent snow record and superb terrain for all levels – from easy cruisers to steeps and backcountry skiing on the wide-open bowls. Nashville, the toast of Tennessee, is famous for its music – Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Bob Dylan all recorded here. With more than 160 live music venues hosting music from country and blues to jazz and rock, a rich history and heritage and a thriving food and drink scene, Nashville is a truly vibrant place for all tastes and styles. One of the top attractions is to visit the Ryman Auditorium, not your average nightly music venue. This is hallowed ground in the exact spot where bluegrass was born (and where Johnny Cash met June).
How much? A 10-night twin-centre holiday costs from £1,935 pp (two sharing). Price includes a seven night stay at 4* Founders Pointe & Fraser Crossing in a studio on a self-catering basis in Winter Park with shared transfers and a three night stay at 4* Bode Hotel Nashville on RO basis in Nashville and return flights. Price based on 29 February 2020 departure. Ski Safari (01273 224 060, www.skisafari.com)
Make Mine a Double – Ikon Pass Twin
With new direct Delta Airlines flights from London Heathrow to Salt Lake City with a free stop-over to Jackson Hole, combining two of the best advanced mountains in the world on one ski holiday is now easier than ever. Twin Snowbird and Jackson Hole by flying directly to Salt Lake City, with a 45-minute transfer to the hotel. Skiing in Utah is an unadulterated pleasure: Snowbird and Alta (linked ski areas) don’t offer much for beginners but are ideal for those at the upper end of intermediate wanting to tackle off-piste and powder skiing, and expert skiers will lap up the double-blacks, moguls and tree skiing with the legendary 40 feet of virgin powder every year. For the second half of the holiday there’s no ski-time lost as it’s merely a one-hour evening flight to Jackson and 15 minutes to the town. The Wild West resort of Jackson Hole, Wyoming not only offers shedloads of snow and big vertical, but first-rate restaurants and lively après-ski activities. The resort continues to famously deliver legendary powder, 4,136 continuous vertical feet, 2,500 acres of the best intermediate and expert skiing and snowboarding and a genuine “Last of the Old West” atmosphere. Both resorts are covered on the Ikon Base Pass with five days’ skiing also available away from Snowbird, at nearby Solitude and Brighton.
How much? A 10 night twin-centre holiday costs from £1,595 pp (two sharing). Price includes a five night stay at 4* Hyatt Place, Cottonwood Canyons in a Standard Room on B&B basis in Snowbird with shared transfers and a five night stay at 3* Mountain Modern Hotel on B&B basis in Jackson Hole with SUV hire andreturn flights. Price based on January 2020 departure. Ski Safari (01273 224 060, www.skisafari.com)
Finding Your Zen – Powder & Temples Twin
With the Rugby World Cup and upcoming 2020 summer Olympics, everyone is talking about Japan. Now, thanks to new direct British Airways flights to Osaka, near Kyoto, it’s easy to combine Japan’s legendary powder with a truly cultural experience in its original capital city. With no need to fly back or take the train to Tokyo from Kyoto to get home, there’s an extra day to spend either skiing or sightseeing! Renowned for its beautiful volcanic backdrops, Hokkaido – Japan’s largest and least developed island – is an ideal place for a once in a lifetime trip. Niseko is top of Hokkaido’s resorts for record snowfall, world class terrain, incredible backcountry and vast and varied tree skiing. Kyoto, on Japan’s mainland is an incredible city with a myriad of history and an exciting culture to explore. It promises an abundance of ancient temples, perfectly manicured zen gardens and time-honoured tea ceremonies.
How much? A nine-night twin-centre holiday costs from £2,145 pp (two sharing). Price includes a seven night stay at 4* The Green Leaf in a Deluxe Room on a B&B basis in Niseko with shared transfers and a two night stay at 4* Hotel Granvia Kyoto on a room only basis in Kyoto, withreturn flights and transfers. Price based on March 2020 departure. Ski Safari (01273 224 060, www.skisafari.com)
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies – Powder Highway Twin
Enjoy a twin-centre holiday along the spectacular Powder Highway at the resorts of Kicking Horse and Fernie in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The resorts share the big value Resorts of the Canadian Rockies lift pass at £379 pp for nine days of skiing, where the average snowfall each winter is more than eight metres. Combined, they offer 10 bowls, 280 marked slopes and a vast ski area of 6,000 acres – which adds up to a massive amount of skiing with huge vertical drop and thigh challenging top to bottom skiing. Kicking Horse now claims Canada’s largest expansion in skiable terrain: 660 acres of new exciting skiing that embodies what the resort represents, and some of the most extreme skiing in Canada – steep-alpine bowls, gnarly chutes and tight tree runs. Its new terrain now includes the legendary Ozone South face (made famous as the competition venue for last year’s Freeride World Tour event) and Middle Ridge, offering fantastic turns into both Feuz Bowl and the adjacent Rudi’s Bowl. For the Fernie experience, drive along the scenic Powder Highway to its authentic old mining town full of grizzled, friendly locals. Fernie, known for its super-light powder and consistently steep pitch, is the resort with the largest number of marked runs in the Canadian Rockies.
How much? A 10-night twin-centre holiday costs from £1,725 pp (two sharing). Price includes a five night stay at 3*+ Glacier Mountaineer Lodge in a Hotel Room on RO basis in Kicking Horse and a five night stay at 3* Fernie Slopeside Lodge on RO basis in Fernie, return flights and car hire. Price based on February 2020 departure. Ski Safari (01273 224 060, www.skisafari.com)
Adventure in Norway – Lillehammer Olympic Twin
The most recent resorts to be added to Ski Safari’s portfolio, Hafjell and Kvitfjell in Norway are separated by an easy 40 minute drive and share a lift pass. These two internationally acclaimed resorts featured in the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. Hafjell offers ski terrain for all abilities where visitors are reminded of the resort’s rich history by the Fakkelmannen, an Olympian carved into the forest in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. The resort retains the competitive Olympic spirit, playing regular host to the World Cup tour and the X-Games whilst remaining welcoming to beginners with many gentle, tree-lined pistes. Kvitfjell is one of the most snow sure resorts in Norway, consistently being one of the first to open and the last to close. A variety of wide, open groomers and rolling tree-lined descents make Kvitfjell a fantastic resort for families and intermediates whilst the Olympiabakken downhill course presents a challenge to the most experienced. Twinning these resorts provides a varied ski area with more than 80 kms for all levels of skier.
How much? A seven-night twin-centre holiday costs from £825 pp (two sharing). Price includes a four night stay at 4* GudbrandsGard Hotel in Kvitfjell in a standard room on a full board basis and a three night stay at 4* Scandic Hafjell in Hafjell in a standard room on B&B basis, with car hire and return flights. Price based on January 2020 departure. Ski Safari (01273 224 068, www.skisafari.com)
