Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson hasn’t had the most stress-free time of late. After he was forced from office last month due to a run of dramatic resignations from his government, it is perhaps no wonder the 58-year-old is in need of some rest and relaxation in a sunny location.
The PM jetted off to Slovenia earlier this month for a stay an eco-hotel with no WiFi in the rooms and ‘soothing energies’ in the grounds to try to restore a sense of zen. With his wife Carrie Johnson, the trip was also a ‘mini-moon’ to mark their wedding celebrations. Just days later, they headed to Greece for a family holiday with their two children, Wilf and Romy.
The pair are known fans of luxury holidays and exotic locations. Aside from an anomaly of a camping trip in Scotland, Boris and Carrie normally opt for exclusive hotels with huge price tags.
Here we look at some of the couple’s best vacations.
The Caribbean holiday villa with an enormous price tag
In 2019 Boris and Carrie jetted off to a six-bedroom, three-pooled villa on the island of Mustique. The Moroccan style building normally costs between £20,000-30,000 a week but in this case use of it was donated by its owner, Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross. Boris and Carrie are understood to have bought their flights.
As well as the rooms and pools, the spacious house also boasts two bars, a library and four full time staff - a butler, chef, gardener and housekeeper. Boris also had use of not one but three 4x4s, multiple sundecks, three ornamental ponds and a gazebo. Plus, the beautiful and exclusive island is home to stunning white sandy beaches and crystal clear seas. No wonder it’s beloved by celebrities — Sir Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp, Jon Bon Jovi, Shania Twain, Jennifer Lopez and Noel Gallagher have all stayed in the accommodation and Mick Jagger owns lands on the island. The Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also holidayed on the island.
“This tranquil villa rests harmoniously on a hilltop overlooking Britannia Bay, which offers perfect trade wind breezes and panoramic views of the surrounding Caribbean and lush landscape of the island,’ says the brochure.
The pair arrived on Boxing Day and spent their New Year in the luxury resort.
The staycation in a remote Scottish cottage
In August 2020 when foreign travel was limited, the pair — like many of us — opted for a staycation. With their at the time four-month-old son, Wilfred, and their Jack Russell cross, Dilyn, in tow they headed to Scotland’s Applecross peninsula and stayed in a very remote three-bedroom cottage.
The six-day break was a ‘paternity holiday’ for the new dad and the family spent their time taking in the stunning scenery with plenty of walks and swims in the freezing sea.
However, the trip was cut short when the couple were photographed and location revealed, prompting security staff to advise they go home for safety reasons. Sometimes PMs allow for their holidays to be officially photographed but Boris Johnson did not agree to this.
At the time Boris encouraged the public to opt for a staycation instead of flying abroad. He said: ‘I would still encourage people to think of wonderful staycations here. All my happiest holiday memories are of holiday vacations in the UK, bucket-and-spade jobs or whatever.’
One rambler was surprised to walk past the PM and Carrie while out on a hike. He was with Carrie, Wilf, two close-protection guards, a local guide and an unknown woman, who was walking Dilyn but aside from that looked ‘like any other normal family day out,’ the passerby said.
The holiday reportedly almost ended in tragedy and The Times reported that Boris was swept out to sea while attempting to paddleboard. “He nearly drowned,” a government source told the newspaper. “He got swept away and found himself going further and further out.” According to the story, Boris managed to paddle half way back where his protection officers - who had stripped off and swum out to sea - pulled him back to shore. They were so worried they apparently considered calling a rescue helicopter.
Zac Goldsmith’s Marbella mansion with helipad for private access
In 2021 for his first foreign holiday since the pandemic Boris and Carrie headed to the hills above the Costa del Sol, staying in their friend, and Tory peer Zac Goldsmith’s luxury hideaway home.
Known as Torre Tramores, the £25,000 a week mansion can sleep up to 13 people in the main house but also has a two-bedroom apartment with private access and another slightly smaller villa that sleeps up to 10 people,
It’s got 600 acres of woodland and a helipad to make sure VIP holidaymakers can arrive and leave without being spotted.
After her divorce from Prince Charles, Princess Diana is said to have holidayed at the estate and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, then a professional cricketer, went for his honeymoon in 1995.
‘With its understated elegance and rustic charm, the Tramores estate offers the perfect retreat to unwind, meditate and be inspired, or entertain family and friends,’ says the brochure.
It’s the ‘most enchanting, picturesque and serene private estate in southern Spain,’ it added.
The eco mini-moon with ‘soothing energies’ in Slovenia
After celebrating their wedding last month Boris and Carrie went on a ‘mini-moon’ to an eco-hotel in Slovenia. Vila Planinka, a five-star boutique hotel, is in the Kokra Valley near the village of Jezersko, half an hour from the capital, Ljubljana.
The hotel promises a soothing ‘balance of energies’ and doesn’t install WiFi in the guest bedrooms unless specifically requested. Its tap-water contains the ‘highest magnesium content in Slovenia’, which is supposedly good for one’s heart, and due to ‘four energy points’ that were discovered centuries ago in the grounds visitors will ‘slow down, harmonising your rhythm with your inner balance’.
Rooms in the beautiful hotel cost between £242 and £542 a night and there is a spa on the site that guests can use.
Hotel owner Katja Batajelj said that the pair made the most of the natural surroundings, going hiking, swimming in the lake and visiting the stunning Postojna caves.
Their two children Wilf, two, and Romy, seven months, didn’t join them.
”He was one of the most pleasant guests we have had and asked for nothing,” said the owner. “He was enthusiastic about the food and drink. If all guests were like him we’d be very lucky.”
At the hotel’s restaurants Boris would have had the opportunity to try local specialities such as ‘bear cheeks’ and ‘bear prosciutto’.
Speaking to local press as he checked out of the hotel, Boris said: “Massive thank you to Slovenia - the only country that actually has “love” in the title of the country. Love is in the name of Slovenia, we’ve had a wonderful time.”
Private island hopper in Greece
One summer holiday wasn’t enough for Boris and Carrie this year — just days after returning from their relaxing break in Slovenia the pair jetted off to Greece to board a private island hopper boat on the Mediterranean.
The couple relaxed on the luxury boat near the Greek island of Evia for around five hours, according to locals — with Boris reading a book and Carrie soaking up some sun. However, when it came to disembarking the boat it was a little less relaxing — six Greek men came to the aid of the ousted Prime Minister as he struggled to get to shore.
The pair are believed to have flown into Athens airport at the weekend, before heading to Nea Makri, a coastal town nearby, a few hours away from Pelion where Boris’s father Stanley has a villa. They then headed to the island of Evia but it is not known where the couple stayed. They were spotted on a secluded beach with their two children Wilf and Romy which residents say is a local secret. One Evia resident told The Sun: “I’ve no idea how Boris found that beach - even locals who have lived here for years don’t know it and his group were the only people there. It’s a lovely spot but there was no shade in the 34C heat so he couldn’t have stayed there for too long with his kids.
“They left as the sun went down in two people carriers parked on the dirt track leading to the beach.”
They concluded their week-long break with a meal at a local restaurant famous for its spinach and cheese pies. Olympia Banou, owner of Honi at Karystos, on the island of Evia, told MailOnline: “Apparently he saw us on TripAdvisor and the friends he was with also recommended my restaurant. We are a traditional, small family place and we use local produce from our farm.
“We make fantastic pies and everyone knows that and they also had pasta and lamb chops. It was a simple dinner with some rose wine and pomegranate liqueur to finish with.
“He really enjoyed it and said it was one of the best meals he had eaten while on holiday here. He said he had been doing a lot of swimming while he was here and joked he would have to keep it up when he went back as he had eaten so well.”
