Srin
Madipalli is the disabled entrepreneur and CEO at Accomable, the leading booking platform for
accessible hotel rooms and holiday rentals with more than 1,100 accessible
properties available worldwide.
As
someone who works in accessible travel, I often get asked where are the best
places to go for disabled travellers.
I
am extremely lucky to have travelled to some far flung places, like Bali, where
I tried adapted SCUBA diving and stayed at the incredible accessible Villa G complete
with pool hoist. Highly recommended if you’re up for a little adventure!
But
more often than not, some of my favourite places are a little closer to home –
either a cool stay in London, where I grew up, a relaxing idyll in the
countryside, or a fun city break in Europe.
Here
are some of my tips on where to go:
Try
Barcelona for a cool accessible city break
People
are often surprised at how accessible
Barcelona is.
I love Barcelona! The tourism board has injected a huge amount of money into
ensuring the city is accessible and it really shows – pretty much all of the
museums and attractions are
wheelchair friendly, there are accessible paths along the beach; and it’s easy
to get around.
Along
with visiting the city’s well known sights – Gaudi’s magnificent cathedral, La
Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter and the beach, Barcelona is also great as a
city to hang out and soak up the lively Catalan culture. Stroll through the
atmospheric streets (all accessible), and you’ll find fantastic tapas bars and
cafes where you can stop for an icy caña (small beer) or a coffee.
I recommend staying
at MICs Sant Jordi –
a favourite with our customers – for its excellent accessible facilities, great
value price, and easy access to the metro system, which is also brilliantly
accessible.
I
also always enjoy travelling to Holland, Belgium and Germany, as they have
great accessible stays, infrastructure and things to do. In Amsterdam, for example, you can choose from accessible
canal boat rides and specially adapted bikes so you can explore the city like a
local. Many of the city’s famous museums, including my favourite, the beautiful
Rijksmuseum, are also accessible.
Go
designer on a UK staycation
If
you want to treat yourself to some luxury, there are some gorgeous accessible
stays here in the UK. I love Annie’s
eco-log cabin near
Shropshire – built in the traditional Finnish style with an outdoor
firepit, it’s a great place to savour long summer nights on the terrace.
I
was lucky enough to visit the Calf Shed this year, a brilliantly adapted
designer pad in the midst of the Wiltshire countryside. The views from the
floor to ceiling windows are jaw dropping. If you can bring yourself to leave,
Salisbury and Stonehenge are just a scenic drive away.
Adventurous
staycations
If
you’re looking for something that’s a bit different, there are lots of fun,
accessible options too. We have some accessible
yurts in Dorset listed that I’m keen to try and there’s a fantastic fully adapted canal boat you can commandeer just outside of
London that has great reviews.
For
our team away day this year, we visited the Calvert Trust, which has something
for everyone. If you have kids (or are a big kid like me) make a beeline for
the zipwire. It’s awesome. Though you may need to beat me to it first…Discover more than 1,100 fully verified
accessible stays at Accomable – visit www.accomable.com or call 0203 409 6773
Tell us about your summer plans! Are you going on holiday? Are you having a staycation? Where is your favourite place to go? How accessible are your holidays? What can be done to improve travel for disabled people?
