Lemon Valley Holidays was created in 2005 out of a passion for Andalucía where we lived and worked for 12 years. Our aim was to help the more curious traveller explore the historical, cultural and rural areas of this beautiful and historical part of Spain. At the end of their holiday, we wanted our clients to feel like they had had a more authentic experience, enhanced by perfectly located and welcoming hotels, meeting up with knowledgeable and friendly local guides and using our insider knowledge of the best places to visit to get a true taste of the "real" Andalucía. That is where it began over 15 years ago now, and over time, we have very slowly expanded our destination expertise to include the whole of Spain, Morocco, Portugal and finally (due to popular demand, and why not as it is our native home) the UK. It has taken all this time to really get to know these places and build up the knowledge and personal contacts we need in each area – we never want to conquer the whole world; just to know our own little corner exceptionally well.
We are a small, family business that deals personally with each client and are available at any time for queries or questions you have whether you are in the planning stages, are about to leave for your trip or are in the throes of your holiday. Many clients have returned to holiday with us time and time again and with all the contact that goes on it is impossible to not become close and even to be considered friends after many years. Smart phones and instant messaging has made it even easier to stay in touch – a delayed flight, a little bit lost on the way to meet a guide or even better just to check in at the end of a fabulous day - we can stay in touch the entire time as much as you need. We cater for all budgets and any length of trip - a special holiday does not need to break the bank, especially when you know how to avoid the tourist traps and know where to find real value for your money.
We all know the joy of finding a gem of a family owned hotel tucked away in a side street or a cosy local restaurant where the food and the wine is beaten only by the charm and hospitality of the host; it’s moments like these that create long lasting memories and we delight that it is our job to make this happen for our very valued clients from all over the world!
Where possible we work with small, privately owned hotels and over the years we have built up an excellent reputation and working relationship with all of our trusted hotels and are proud to say that Lemon Valley clients are warmly welcomed wherever they go as expected guests. We do of course work with the simply stunning larger, luxurious hotels but choose those that have a focus on maintaining a feeling of intimacy and try to offer an equal level of personal attention as the smaller hotels. Our in-depth local and specialized knowledge has proved invaluable to our clients who know they want to see the main sights but also the many other hidden, less touristy areas of a city or country but know that this can take months of planning and wading through heaps of information in books or on the internet. We create a guide pack that accompanies each trip and this will have been especially prepared for you, giving you just the right amount of information for each place you will visit, our personal recommendations, city maps, road maps, your vouchers and loads of other useful travel tips to use along the way.
We do not offer to our clients' every possible type of activity, guided tour or excursion that could be taken, but again include in our holidays only those that we know are good, worthwhile and where the providers over the years have shown us and our clients the care, service and professionalism that you deserve and we expect. Travelling independently is now very popular as it fits more conveniently with people's busy lives and varied interests, and as one client recently said about an organized large group tour they had taken in the past "it seems like you are watching a movie of your holiday rather than actually being there yourself". On our independent holidays, we can ensure you do not waste any of your precious holiday time and help you to relax knowing that all the essential elements have been booked in advance whilst you are free to explore and get the most out of your stay. A comment that comes up time after time from our clients is that the arrangements of the holiday "worked like clockwork" – this is because we plan so carefully but also because we stick to a relatively small area, enabling us to offer you the benefits of our in-depth knowledge and experience.
We pride ourselves on the feedback we get from customers and wait expectantly to hear how a trip went when people return home; what's more, many clients do not even want to wait until they get home and as we have said, keep in touch as they travel around; just to let us know all is well and they are having a wonderful holiday or telling us of new great experiences each day.
We hope that you will come and visit us soon and if you have any questions or would like some more information about any area or aspect of Spain, Portugal, Morocco or the UK, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Warm regards,
Nicola, Danielle & Anthony Wright
“We have a trip diary jammed full of our impressions and anecdotes, a photo album brimming with our enjoyment and a thousand and one memories that we will never forget…”
The Foster Family, Australia - Tour of Spain
“Our holiday in Portugal was perfectly orchestrated by Lemon Valley; our adventure a symphony of old and new. What a wonderful three weeks!”
Rob & Lynda Ecclestone, Canada – Tour of Portugal & Andalucía
“Saying goodbye to our private driver in Morocco was like leaving behind an old friend; he patiently and thoughtfully guided us all around his fascinating homeland; a truly meaningful experience that will never be equalled…”
The Wilsons, UK – Tour of Morocco
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful holiday in Andalucia. We loved the country, people, hotels, food, history and of course the wine. We greatly appreciated your notes and visited many of the sites and bars you recommended. We will return to Spain again now that you have whetted our appetite.
I took this tour with Lemon Valley in 2009 and simply had to come back and do it all again! The hotels chosen are excellent for both their amenities & locations. I love having all the bookings made for us, the hotels, trains, flamenco Alhambra & guided tours and yet at the same time being independent. Thank you for making the trip so memorable once again.
Just thought I'd let you know how much we enjoyed our holiday. All the arrangements you made for us worked out perfectly. We were very impressed by how easy it was to navigate the Spanish rail system and by the comfort and punctuality of the trains. The information booklet you prepared for us was really helpful and we were soon referring to it as "Nicola's bible". We ate at a number of the restaurants suggested in it and enjoyed the food in all of them. The guided walks also really added to the holiday experience. Thanks for creating such a stress-free holiday for us; we will be recommending you to our friends and family and we also hope to return before too long.
Nicola, I don’t know how to thank you enough for what you did for me. My time in Andalucia and Morocco was probably the highlight of my life. All of your organization in terms of accommodation, travel arrangements and information was absolutely impeccable and made my time there so much more enjoyable. In Morocco the driver/guide was superb and I couldn’t have asked for someone better.