End May / beginning of June. Family holiday. Want sun, sea, sand. Had thought of Egypt but perhaps not this year...
Someone recommended Tenerife to me yesterday. Never been. Done the usual Mediteranean places several times over.
Anyone for or against Tenerife?
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You need to choose your resort destination with care.
I think the place is awful, and full of the worse kind of Brit, but I am probably in the minority on here.
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Haven't been for years so can't comment on current state of resorts. The North of the island, about 1/5th of the area is cool and almost verdant. To the South of the mountains it is warmer and much drier. A lot of resorts are SKY footie, pies and pizzas and discos until 5am. Los Christianos comes to mind. The North is quieter and has older people, to put it tactfully.
A pleasant resort, as far North as one get up the West coast, before the road turns inland is Los Gigantes. You don't say how old your children are. Why not try a travel book/guide from your local library for a bit more depth of info?
It is so large it can't all be awful and neither can all the Brits!
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Fri 18 Mar 11 at 19:46
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Dont think id go there if I had the choice. Always enjoyed Majorca if one doesnt go to the usual spots and id certainly choose there over Tenerife. Just me tho.
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OK - sounds slightly worrying so far...
:-)
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...Warsaw...
The pair of you could to a house swap, which would give BBD the chance to visit family, friends and old haunts.
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Would you want your neighbours to see his boots?
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>> Would you want your neighbours to see his boots?
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or his footwear.
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Estepona - decent beaches - too far west for most package holiday-makers.
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Thanks, I'll check it out.
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Hmm that looks quite nice...
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We enjoyed it, miles of beaches, but you need a car for access to some of the better ones.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 18 Mar 11 at 20:27
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Been to both Tenerife and Forty tins of tuna (as the kids named it at the time).
We went to Tenerfife for a sun sea and sand family holiday - were on the sand once and that was when we were walking along the beach at night.
Full of eat all you want Chinese buffets, discos, union jacks etc.
We stayed at a resort called Compostella Golf Resort about a mile inland from Playa Las Americas. Stayed at hotel most days and just went out walks in the evening when heat calmed down.
Hired a car for a few days and went up Teide and up to the North of the Island but I would rather pull my toenails out than go back.
Fuertaventura was much nicer imho although that may be partly due to the fact that I hired a car for 3 days, turned up to collect my Citroen Saxo and they were very apologetic but they had none left.
Would I accept a 4.0 litre Jeep Wrangler instead??? Mmm let me think about that!
Think its the only time I have been completely sober on holiday - wa up and down sand dunes, beaches etc.
What about Bulgaria - look up a wee resort called Obzor, thoroughly recommend that!
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Thanks Bobby, will do.
Last year we had a Vitara in Cyprus and got fairly seriously offroad in the Akamas most days. Loved it.
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Ahhh, that brings back happy memories. We were in Cyprus a few years ago, and loved the Akamas. Went very slightly off-road in our Yaris, but saw Vitaras venturing further than us.
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How about Crete? Great places if you ignore the major resorts on the north coast.
Corsica?
Sicily?
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Well, funnily enough, a Greek colleague mentioned Crete. His parents moved from the island to Athens where he now lives when he was a child but he and his family for fairly obvious reasons return there a lot. He admits to some bias but highly recommends the place.
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>> Hired a car for a few days and went up Teide
Neighbour of mine and his fiancee died on Teide...only young.
Sad to see their names and all the others on the flight in our local cemetery.
I think they closed the airport down not long after.
Anyway, I like the Greek Islands. Some of the smaller ones might not suit youngsters, though. Just what we oldies needed, warm evenings, good cheap local food and being served before the Germans.
Ted
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Northen Cyprus - less busy than the south and still pretty cheap. If you can put aside the politics.
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Ted, guess they were passengers on Dan Air DA1008 in April 1980?
Although the Tenerife north airport was later supplemented by Reina Sofia/Tenerife South, Los Rodeos is still used to access certain resorts.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 18 Mar 11 at 23:36
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That's right, Bromps....lad called Bobby Jones. Nice little memorial garden in our Southern Cemetery with 3 tablets in slate. Crew and flight details on the middle one, passengers on the two outers.
A sad little spot, but always well maintained.
Plane flew into the mountain in fog, IIRC.
Ted
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How's about Menorca ~ www.aboutmenorca.com/
or Macedonia.
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nothing wrong with Teneriffe! - if you want it slightly cooler and damper and greener aim for Porto de la Cruz, plenty to do and see, slightly more German orientated but if you get up early with your towels no probs!
If you like it a bit hotter, head for las Americas, not as bad as some folk have portrayed! the old veronicas area has been largely removed and there is now some respectable night-life down there, but if you like it a bit calmer and quieter, aim for the San Eugenio area, it`s not right on the beach, and it`s not on top of the hill! - it`s a nice lavel bit in the middlle, loads of good eatin places, 2 local supermercardo`s, and some good watering holes, The Irish Fiddler is one of our favorites. Two good places to stay, we`ve used them both, theres the Los Gigantes complex, you can rent rooms on`t net, and theres the Tenerfe Gardens complex, this is only rated 2* but the terraced rooms are well appointed and comfortable with a daily maid service. should be rated higher!
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Sorry! - Los Geranios complex, not Los Gigantes!
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>> Sorry! - Los Geranios complex,
Los Geriatrics? Just the place for Humph.
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I see Linekers is still about then me old devon toffee ~ www.linekerstenerife.com/
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Ok - thanks everyone.
Been looking a bit further afield today and have now included ( along with some of the suggestions from the forum ) the possible options of Jamaica, Cuba and Kenya.
Remarkably enough, these are not significantly more expensive than the Canaries or the Med.
Never been to the Caribbean or Kenya.
Anyone care to comment on their experience or views of any of those destinations?
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How long do you want to sit in a 'plane seat?
I find my limit's about two hours.
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You'll love old Havana and the 1940s / 1950s US cars. The beach resorts IMHO are total poo but great if you want plenty of sand, UK OAPs, all you can eat buffets, watered down beer and wine and concrete blocks.
I'd love to go to Cuba again and would suggest 5 days in Havana and max of two in the seaside resorts.
Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Sat 19 Mar 11 at 20:42
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Plus at least 2 hours for queuing and strip searching at one end of the trip and an hour at each destination waiting for your luggage and the joy being let back into your own country by someone wearing a turban!
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Mate of mine has been to Cuba a couple of times. Rates it very highly. Warm welcoming people he says.
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Ahh yes! - Linekers, been there a couple of times, tis ok! - met Daniel o` Donell in`t Fiddler and spent many woozy hours suppin with him after hours! - even got involved with a singer from Los Hacienda, who took us to a club called the "stage door", where most of Tenerifes entertainers meet up "after hours" and put on ad-lib performances! - admission is by invite only! - we were very honoured! and didn`t get out `till 08.30!!
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>> met Daniel o` Donell in`t Fiddler and spent many woozy hours suppin with him after hours!<<
I remember once upon a time, trying to explain to a chap I met in Los Cristianos, that St. Patrick was actually an Englishman, so he invited me into his pub to discuss the matter,
It was the Irish pub next to Desperate Dans down by the Arona Gran!!
We went to the Bahia del Duque once wearing shorts & t-shirt and they wouldn't allow us in,
til I explained who I was :)
Did you ever venture further than the bars, devonite :), we used to go to Masca and the barranco del infierno quite regularly as we lived out there for 3.5 years,
I orften wonder why on earth we ever came back ere!
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St. Patrick was actually an Englishman, so he invited me into his pub to discuss the matter,
English ? - don't think so - most evidence suggests he was Romano-British or Welsh and pre-dated the Saxons.
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>>English ? - don't think so - most evidence suggests he was Romano-British or Welsh and pre-dated the Saxons<<
Well OK Pugley, but he came from what is now Engerland, possibly :)
At least I got out of the Irish pub alive!
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>> Been there
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So have I.............fourteen times. Did you like?
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Yes, it was pleasant enough. Not ideal for kids though in my opinion. More the sort of place for a grown-up relax.
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Holidays....Tenerife? - Zero
