Home or away - make Mother's Day something special, says KEN BENNETT.

She is the most important person in your life but how often do you give her a really memorably treat?

With Mother's Day just around the corner (March 18), the kind-hearted Association of Tour Operators (AITO) has come up with a sparkling menu of ideas that could really ring her bell.

For something really ritzy, treat her to a luxurious five-star Cyprus break at the Thalassa Hotel, which offers an exclusive personal butler service 24 hours a day.

The hotel boasts the first holistic spa on the island - perfect for super-mums who deserve a much-needed break.

Seven nights' accommodation with breakfast staying in a mini-residence - one bedroom, separate sitting area and en-suite - costs from £795-a-head in March, based on two sharing.

The package includes Gatwick flights and private taxi transfers. The butler service costs an additional £75 per day per room. Telephone Sunvil Specialist Cyprus on 020-8568-4499, or visit www.sunvil.co.uk.

A gourmet getaway to West Sweden could be real food for thought. Show how much you appreciate your mum's cooking by treating her to a gourmet experience.

Stay at the stylish Handelsman Flink Hotel, Flaton, with rooms from about £101 per night, for bed and breakfast, and enjoy fabulous sea views and sumptuous seafood. Check out: www.handelsman flink.se. Then explore the beautiful Bohuslan coast where fishing villages cling to cliffs and the seafood is freshly caught that day.

Start your journey in the fascinating seaport of Gothenburg, with its first-rate shopping and an array of fine restaurants and cosy cafés, before heading to the small island towns of Marstrand and Flaton.

Return flights from Stansted to Gothenburg are available with FlyMe from £45 including taxes during March. Click: www.flyme.com. For more information on West Sweden and Gothenburg, visit www.west-sweden.com and www.gothenborg.com.

Say gracias to mum with a fantastic food and superb shopping on a girly getaway to Barcelona.

In between the retail therapy and tapas, take in some of the amazing architecture and colourful culture of this truly vibrant city.

You can even get a special thank you' letter written for her by some of the artists on La Ramblas, the two-mile flow of shops that have great bargains and interesting souvenir options.

VFB Holidays has two-night breaks from just £249 per person, based on two sharing, including accommodation with breakfast, flights and a Barcelona City Pass.

The pass offers free or discounted access to many of the city's top museums, attractions and the public transport network. Call 01452-716-831, or visit www.vfbholidays.co.uk.

Introduce mum to Mother Nature this spring in Italy's Aeolian Islands. After a mud bath on Vulcano, watch adjacent Stromboli's nightly eruption, when molten lava pours down the volcano's flanks and into the sea.

Stay on laid-back Lipari at the Agave Residence, an 18th century townhouse boasting a rooftop pool and views of the pretty harbour.

A week's B&B break in March costs from £266-a-head, based on two sharing, Flights and car hire can be arranged. Call Real Holidays on 020-7359-3938, or surf the web at www.realholidays.com.

You could really get back on track with mum on an unforgettable holiday to Venice, including a journey aboard the legendary Orient-Express train.

Kirker Holidays is offering a saving of £350 a head on the four-night break, departing on March 18. The holiday now costs from £1,719 pp and includes a flight to Venice, and three nights' accommodation with breakfast at the four-star deluxe Hotel Metropole.

There are private water taxi transfers, entrance tickets to Doge's Palace and - the highlight - an overnight private cabin aboard the Orient-Express, departing at 11am and arriving in London at 5pm the next day. All meals are included. Call 020-7593-2288, or visit www.kirkerholidays.com.

l For holiday options and booking made easy, visit www.aitoagents.com or call 020-8744-9271 to find your nearest agent.