Credit-crunch busting short holiday ideas

For families whose holiday wouldn’t be complete without their dog and who fancy a stay in Cornwall, Cornish Cottages has more than 50 properties where one or two pampered pets are made welcome and where there are lots of exciting coastal ‘walkies’ within easy reach.

For example, Trebah is a three-bedroom bungalow in the creek-side village of Gweek on the Helford Rover. Sleeping five, the property boasts a large lawned garden and raised terrace with garden furniture and will accept two dogs.

A week’s rental in early July and early September is £481, falling to £321 from mid-September to mid-October. Dogs are charged at £25 each per week. See cornishcottagesonline.com

A sunshine holiday combined with some ‘cheap as chips’ retail therapy – the ideal combination for shopaholics on a budget in ‘credit crunch’ 2009.

The destination is Malaysia which hosts a ‘Mega Sale’ between 4 July and 31 August with huge discounts on a wide selection of goods -ranging from designer fashion, household and electrical goods, DVDs etc – not just in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, but also in stores countrywide.

Premier Holidays has a great range of holidays to Malaysia during this period. For example, a seven-night, room-only stay at the three-star Bayview Beach Resort in Penang during August is £ 875 per person (twin share) with return flights from Heathrow and private transfers. For more information, visit Premierholidays.co.uk.

For those inspired by the ‘BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2009’ competition – one of the world’s greatest contests for opera and concert singers – and the final on BBC2 on 14 June, walking and leisure activity breaks specialist, HF Holidays is highlighting a superb 20% saving on its Singers’ Workshop holiday in the Lake District.

Based at the company’s Monk Coniston Country House at Conistonwater, this four-night break is the ideal opportunity for singers with some experience to practise a vast range of styles and traditions. Singing individually and together, and guided by an expert tutor, guests work towards a final performance, concert-style.

Starting 19 October, the revised cost is £279 (saving £70) per person, twin-share, inclusive of full-board en-suite accommodation, the holiday programme and tuition. Bookings must be made by 31 July. For more information, visit Hfholidays.co.uk.