NEW RESORT

Be the first to stay in the Anahita Resort, a luxury complex on the east coast of Mauritius with OurSpace kids' clubs (for ages eight months to 13 years). The resort opens next month. Scott Dunn (020-8682 5020, www.scottdunn.com) has an exclusive offer - book for four nights or more and get the same number of nights free, until September 30. For example, an eight-night stay for two adults and two children sharing a two-bedroom apartment with plunge pool, butler and breakfast costs £1,466 per adult and £1,081 per child for departure on July 27, including flights.

CRUISES

A ship with plenty of facilities for children keeps the whole family happy, and entertainments and meals are included in the upfront price, meaning the cruise-end bill isn't such a shocker. The new P&O ship Ventura was almost fully booked for the school holidays before she was launched in April.

100 summer holidays for '08

Our correspondent trawled the brochures and websites to find this summer’s best holidays for every taste and budget

Bag a late bargain summer holiday

The soaring cost of the euro doesn't help, but if you know where to look there are still bargain holidays

• This year’s holiday, last year’s prices

This year’s holiday, last year’s prices

The puny pound means Europe’s a wallet-buster, but if you go all-inclusive, you pay 2007 prices

• 25 summer holidays for under £500

Book your family holiday now!

Summer is around the corner and you still haven't booked your family holiday? Get cracking now...

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But there is good availability on the family-friendly Oriana's Baltic Explorer cruise departing Southampton for 14 nights on August 10. There are four kids' clubs for ages 2-17, a children's pool, and night nursery. From £1,599pp (brochure price £2,819). Discounts of 90 per cent for infants and 45 per cent for under-16s are available for children sharing their parents' cabin. Details: 0845 3555333, www.pocruises.co.uk

American-style Independence of the Seas, with climbing wall, onboard surfing, teens-only night club and an ice rink, is almost sold out for its summer sailing out of Southampton.

But the identical sister ship Freedom of the Seas has space on a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise from Miami. From £1,397pp (based on family of four sharing a cabin) for departures on July 19, including flights and one night in a hotel. Details: 0845 1658330, www.royalcaribbean.co.uk

Princess Cruises (0845 3555800, www.princess.com) has an 11-night Caribbean fly-cruise round trip aboard Caribbean Princess from New York and a ten-night fly-cruise to Scandinavia and Russia aboard Crown Princess departing on July 29.

UNITED STATES

Thanks to the weak dollar, the number of Britons holidaying in the US is up by 13 per cent on last year, according to the Association of British Travel Agents, ABTA. Hotels in Florida, New York and Las Vegas are particularly heavily booked. But there is still good availability if you are prepared to head farther into the great outdoors.

For instance, a week's holiday at Blackwater Creek Ranch in Wyoming includes the chance to go fishing, overnight pack trips, whitewater rafting and rodeos as well as riding. In August, the price is £1,920 per adult and £1,515 per child, full board, with flights from Heathrow. Details: 0845 2773306, www.ranchamerica.co.uk

Or take a group tour for families such as a 17-day Canyons & Cowboys trip starting in San Francisco. Highlights include hikes in Yosemite and Zion National Parks and Bryce Canyon, a Jeep drive through Monument Valley, and sleeping under the stars in a cowboy camp.

Departing August 8 or 15, the holiday costs from £1,879 per adult and £1,629 per child including flights from Heathrow and 15-night tour with guiding and most meals. Details: 0845 4505311, www.adventurecompany.co.uk

With the high season falling over the Christmas holidays, hotel prices in the Caribbean drop by about a third during the summer months, though flights go up in price during our school holidays.

The strength of sterling against the dollar means that prices have remained stable throughout last year. Tour operators with good availability include Caribtours (020-7751 0660, www.caribtours.co.uk) and Tropical Sky (0870 9079600, www.tropicalsky.co.uk).

CAMPING

Vacansoleil (0870 0778779, www.vacansoleil.co.uk) hasn't much left in France this summer, but if you are prepared to make a longer drive or fly, there is a good choice of locations in Italy including Tuscany and Venice.

For example, the wonderfully named Camping Fabulous in a large pine forest is in easy reach of Rome and the sandy beach at Lido Di Ostia, six miles away. A family of six can share a fully equipped tent for a week for £577 for arrivals between July 25 and August 8. For arrivals between August 16 and 22 the cost drops to £438. Prices include Dover-Calais car ferry crossings (£90 off if you choose to book your own flights to Rome).

Eurocamp (0844 4060552, www.eurocamp.co.uk) has reduced the price of two-bedroom mobile homes in Brittany. A week's stay at the St Cast Châtelet park is from £693 for a family of four (a saving of £238). Ferry crossings can be arranged at additional cost. Book by May 31 for stays from July 19 until August 1.

TROUBLE SPOTS

The political problems in Kenya mean that bookings are well down for the summer period, and travel companies have some really interesting deals. For example, Cosmos (0871 4238560, www.cosmos.co.uk) has seven nights' half-board at the four-star Southern Palms Beach Resort, near Mombasa, from £849 per adult (down from £1,029) and £679 per child departing on July 21; and seven nights at the all-inclusive Sun n' Sand Beach resort from July 14 from £629 per adult (down from £865) and £499 per child. Prices include flights from Gatwick. Thomson (0871 2308777, www.thomson.co.uk) has seven nights at the three-star all-inclusive Bamburi Beach Resort from £675pp, with departures from UK airports on July 21.

Sri Lanka's appearance in the news has been tied to the tsunami and Tamil Tiger activity in recent years. But for holidaymakers it is better value than Mauritius and the Maldives, with five-star hotels at four-star prices, and has great sightseeing, too. Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk) has seven nights' B&B at the family resort Riverina hotel on Beruwela beach on the south coast from £851 per adult and £593 per child, including flights from Heathrow.

ALL-INCLUSIVES

Going all-inclusive is not only an easy way to keep children occupied with activities, it's also less painful on the pocket, despite the soaring euro. Although Mark Warner has sold out of family rooms in Corsica, it still has availability in Greece, at the Lakitira Beach Resort on Kos. Throughout August a week for a family of four is from £2,389, half board, with sailing, windsurfing and kids' clubs and flights from Gatwick. Details: 0871 7033944, www.markwarner.co.uk

Free evening childcare for children aged from 2-17 years is on offer with Sunsail (0844 4636578, www.sunsail.co.uk). In Turkey there are spaces left at Club Phokaia and Club Perili in Palmiye. On August 23 a week at either club costs £1,059 per adult and £989 per child, including half board, sailing, tennis and mountain biking. Club Med still has space at Kamarina in Sicily. Prices start at £2,546 for a family of four with full-board, some activities and flights from Gatwick, Manchester or Birmingham. Details: 0845 3676767, www.clubmed.co.uk

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