Half term holiday sun - HELP!
Discussion
Hi All,
I'm going mad!
I have been looking for an all-inclusive holiday, during half term on the cheap.
We don't really mind where we go but the criteria is:
£300pp
5-7 night
Sunshine and warm weather, end of March, begining of April.
Depart from anywhere near London
All of the websites are asking for me to enter destination, when I all want is the above.
So far the Algarve or Malta seem to be cheap.
Any other pointers, Low Cost Holidays, seems to be good value.
Thanks
IceBoy
I'm going mad!
I have been looking for an all-inclusive holiday, during half term on the cheap.
We don't really mind where we go but the criteria is:
£300pp
5-7 night
Sunshine and warm weather, end of March, begining of April.
Depart from anywhere near London
All of the websites are asking for me to enter destination, when I all want is the above.
So far the Algarve or Malta seem to be cheap.
Any other pointers, Low Cost Holidays, seems to be good value.
Thanks
IceBoy
Furteventura or Lanzarote. Best weather is South Lanzarote which means Playa Blanca or north Furteventura which means Corralejo. Choose Playa Blanca for half board 4 star hotels or Corralejo for self catering.
Either resort will be good choice for reliable warm weather and both should be relatively chav free - unlike the rest of the Canaries. Any all inclusive option in any of the Canaries is likely to be overrun with Chavs enjoying unlimited beer and chips in the sunshine and is best avoided. Been there and done that once by mistake.. It's disgusting.
Furteventura has epic beaches at Corellejo, El Cotillo, and towards Jania in the south and several really good restaurants in Corralejo. There are some seriously good completely deserted honing roads inland. Lanzarote is much more populated and has more culture as well as fascinating volcanic scenery.
My choice would be Furteventura - I love the quiet laid back atmosphere and tiny inland villages and the beaches as well as the good food compared to the rather dull offerings in the hotel dining rooms in Playa Blanca and the very English atmosphere of the resort.
Either way hire a car and go exploring - for cheap off season sunshine either resort is hard to beat.
Posting this from Lajares, just outside Correlejo. It's a lovely warm evening, I'm in shorts and t shirt slowly working my way through a nice bottle of wine and the night sky is bright with stars.
Either resort will be good choice for reliable warm weather and both should be relatively chav free - unlike the rest of the Canaries. Any all inclusive option in any of the Canaries is likely to be overrun with Chavs enjoying unlimited beer and chips in the sunshine and is best avoided. Been there and done that once by mistake.. It's disgusting.
Furteventura has epic beaches at Corellejo, El Cotillo, and towards Jania in the south and several really good restaurants in Corralejo. There are some seriously good completely deserted honing roads inland. Lanzarote is much more populated and has more culture as well as fascinating volcanic scenery.
My choice would be Furteventura - I love the quiet laid back atmosphere and tiny inland villages and the beaches as well as the good food compared to the rather dull offerings in the hotel dining rooms in Playa Blanca and the very English atmosphere of the resort.
Either way hire a car and go exploring - for cheap off season sunshine either resort is hard to beat.
Posting this from Lajares, just outside Correlejo. It's a lovely warm evening, I'm in shorts and t shirt slowly working my way through a nice bottle of wine and the night sky is bright with stars.
Edited by Jaguar steve on Monday 11th March 21:25
If you're quick, you may be able to get a Vueling flight from Gatwick to Lanzarote or Tenerife. Very cheap with a 23kg luggage allowance included.
Despite being cheap, they also give you points you can cash in later (Tip is to register a myvueling account in your full name on your passport). Astonishing value! Just booked to go to Barcelona for 50 Euros a leg.
Despite being cheap, they also give you points you can cash in later (Tip is to register a myvueling account in your full name on your passport). Astonishing value! Just booked to go to Barcelona for 50 Euros a leg.
Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 12th March 08:52
Playa Blanca has small man made beaches in the resort that are safe for children. There is a long reasonably flat promenade from one end of the resort to the other. All the hotels are large 4star chains with reasonable standards, lifeguards in the pools and children's entertainment laid on through the day. It's an interesting island too with volcanic scenery and larger beaches just outside the resort. English is widely spoken and understood.
Corralejo is much more raw in character. Beaches are spectacular and the sea is certainly not safe for weak swimmers or unsupervised children. El Cotillo has lovely small bays to the north of the resort which are sheltered by an offshore reef so are probably the safest bet for paddling or playing on the beach. Accommodation is more biased towards self catering but you'll probably be in a complex that'll offer children's entertainment too.
Sunny days will be seriously hot with a high risk of burning disguised by a cool breeze anywhere in the hours around midday.
Emergency healthcare - don't ask how I know this - in case one of your little ones slips over on wet tiles and concusses himself is good.
We've been spending a month or so every year for decades in either Furteventura or Lanzarote. I know neither are to everybody's taste but for cheap winter sunshine the islands are hard to beat
Corralejo is much more raw in character. Beaches are spectacular and the sea is certainly not safe for weak swimmers or unsupervised children. El Cotillo has lovely small bays to the north of the resort which are sheltered by an offshore reef so are probably the safest bet for paddling or playing on the beach. Accommodation is more biased towards self catering but you'll probably be in a complex that'll offer children's entertainment too.
Sunny days will be seriously hot with a high risk of burning disguised by a cool breeze anywhere in the hours around midday.
Emergency healthcare - don't ask how I know this - in case one of your little ones slips over on wet tiles and concusses himself is good.
We've been spending a month or so every year for decades in either Furteventura or Lanzarote. I know neither are to everybody's taste but for cheap winter sunshine the islands are hard to beat
Villas in Lanzarote are quite cheap. Cheap car hire can be got from Autoreisen.
Having been to the main 4 Canary Islands, I would say Tenerife has more to do as they have the Loro Parque zoo and the national park around Mount Teide is stunning. They also have Siam park water park.
Having recently been to Gran Canaria, I'm not a fan - lots of mountains and scenery but, certainly in the south, the beaches and dunes at Maspalomas were an effort and parking was an issue, at least where I stayed. Lots of Germans too.
Lanzarote offers a good blend though I wouldn't want to go too many times as you can do most of what it offers in one or two trips. The volcanoes and park can only be circulated by coaches whereas Tenerife you can do in the car, for example, El Golfo black sand beach is very pretty and the Cesar Manrique Jardin del Agua is worth a visit. I would agree about Playa Blanca for family-friendly though Puerto del Carmen/Matagorda and Costa Teguise are the alternatives and both have nice beaches.
Fuerteventura is the rural option. We stayed in Caleta de Fuste which was quite nice and reasonable compact and we drove round the largely deserted island but it doesn't offer much as volcanic scenery can be very "samey" and it lacks the Lanzarote national park and volcanoes. I also visited Corralejo and wasn't impressed (sorry, Steve) - all a bit tawdry (most Spanish resorts suffer this) and I got bitten by sand fleas. There is a nice unmade rutted road along the northern coast which is even more wild and remote but leads along elevated rock to surfing beaches. Some nice dunes and as said, Jandia has a huge beach but most Canarian beaches suffer blowing sand.
Having been to the main 4 Canary Islands, I would say Tenerife has more to do as they have the Loro Parque zoo and the national park around Mount Teide is stunning. They also have Siam park water park.
Having recently been to Gran Canaria, I'm not a fan - lots of mountains and scenery but, certainly in the south, the beaches and dunes at Maspalomas were an effort and parking was an issue, at least where I stayed. Lots of Germans too.
Lanzarote offers a good blend though I wouldn't want to go too many times as you can do most of what it offers in one or two trips. The volcanoes and park can only be circulated by coaches whereas Tenerife you can do in the car, for example, El Golfo black sand beach is very pretty and the Cesar Manrique Jardin del Agua is worth a visit. I would agree about Playa Blanca for family-friendly though Puerto del Carmen/Matagorda and Costa Teguise are the alternatives and both have nice beaches.
Fuerteventura is the rural option. We stayed in Caleta de Fuste which was quite nice and reasonable compact and we drove round the largely deserted island but it doesn't offer much as volcanic scenery can be very "samey" and it lacks the Lanzarote national park and volcanoes. I also visited Corralejo and wasn't impressed (sorry, Steve) - all a bit tawdry (most Spanish resorts suffer this) and I got bitten by sand fleas. There is a nice unmade rutted road along the northern coast which is even more wild and remote but leads along elevated rock to surfing beaches. Some nice dunes and as said, Jandia has a huge beach but most Canarian beaches suffer blowing sand.
Try holiday lettings, owners direct and holiday rentals for self catering accomodation, and travel republic for hotel deals. Demand is down and theres good deals to be had. Ryanair serve all the canaries in around 4 hours. Orlando car rentals usually come up with the best price and you get a spectacularly battered Clio which blends in with the locals cars nicely.
its bloody hot in Furteventura at the moment - I'm hiding in the shade typing this and will have raid the fridge for another cold beer...
its bloody hot in Furteventura at the moment - I'm hiding in the shade typing this and will have raid the fridge for another cold beer...
Jaguar steve said:
My choice would be Furteventura - I love the quiet laid back atmosphere and tiny inland villages and the beaches as well as the good food compared to the rather dull offerings in the hotel dining rooms in Playa Blanca and the very English atmosphere of the resort.
So the huge nudist beach has nothing to do with your choice?
Sir Bagalot said:
Jaguar steve said:
My choice would be Furteventura - I love the quiet laid back atmosphere and tiny inland villages and the beaches as well as the good food compared to the rather dull offerings in the hotel dining rooms in Playa Blanca and the very English atmosphere of the resort.
So the huge nudist beach has nothing to do with your choice?Jaguar steve said:
Probrably not. Hideously overweight, late middle aged German gay men with hairy arses are not really my thing...
It's the same in the dunes in Gran Canaria - a horrendous collection of shaved men in varying lobster hues. One gargantuan British female iceberg whose *rse you could have parked a Harley in and one or two motley leathery pensioners. That'll teach me to try and take a shortcut from Meloneras to Maspalomas through the dunes. I'll go the long way round next time. Outstandng natural beauty? Er...no. 
I'm in the same boat as the OP - my other half is a teacher so we have to go during the school hols unfortunately, but have decided we need a bit of warmth and are looking for something last minute. So if you do find something decent for £300pp at this late stage I'd be very keen to know, as there doesn't seem to be any bargains about. I'm looking at Rhodes or Cyprus now, but the weather is still a bit iffy there. I can't find anything good and cheap (and reasonably classy) in the Canaries in the first two weeks of April!
We were in the same boat in late Jan. Wanted somewhere guaranteed warm to take the family for Easter school hols, there's ten of us travelling. We've done Canaries and other islands a few times and whilst most times it's been OK and the weather's been nice, it can get very windy especially with Easter being early this year.
Thomson's recommended Cape Verde, but that was out of my budget so their next idea was Sharm el Sheik in Egypt. And that's what we've booked. Five star all inclusive with Thomsons. Spoke to a buddy who went to the same resort but different hotel all inc in Feb and he took £300 with him spending money and bought back £200. Had a great time and even in late Jan/early Feb the weather was good though then the pool's were a bit chilly.
Weather there today is cloudy 34, forecast for the next week is 33 Thurs and Friday and Sat dropping to 29.
On Monday back up to the 30's. No clouds. Sounds a real PITA. 
Can't wait for Easter Sunday.
Have a look at Thomsons website. Some good deals on-line but DON'T go into their shops. The Thomson shop quoted me £1200 more for the same holiday than their online price.
Thomson's recommended Cape Verde, but that was out of my budget so their next idea was Sharm el Sheik in Egypt. And that's what we've booked. Five star all inclusive with Thomsons. Spoke to a buddy who went to the same resort but different hotel all inc in Feb and he took £300 with him spending money and bought back £200. Had a great time and even in late Jan/early Feb the weather was good though then the pool's were a bit chilly.
Weather there today is cloudy 34, forecast for the next week is 33 Thurs and Friday and Sat dropping to 29.
On Monday back up to the 30's. No clouds. Sounds a real PITA. Can't wait for Easter Sunday.
Have a look at Thomsons website. Some good deals on-line but DON'T go into their shops. The Thomson shop quoted me £1200 more for the same holiday than their online price.
Had a look at a few websites inc Thomson and as the OP says there's not many bargains about. I reckon it's cos everyone's only just realised we're coming up to an early Easter so have snapped up the cheapo holidays. Can't see much of a reasoanble quality for under £600 so double your budget.
We've never been AI before either but a few family and friends who have, say you've just got to work on the basis that the food will be about the standard as you eat at home and if you're after cordon bleu Michelin star stuff, then you'll be disappopinted. Drinks are OK unless you plan to get blotto every night. To be honest a couple of G&T's and a bottle of wine with dinner is all I'm looking for so AI should suit me. I'm not of the opinion "it's all free so I've got to drink it all" and get ratted every night.
I'll give it a go and report back next month
We've never been AI before either but a few family and friends who have, say you've just got to work on the basis that the food will be about the standard as you eat at home and if you're after cordon bleu Michelin star stuff, then you'll be disappopinted. Drinks are OK unless you plan to get blotto every night. To be honest a couple of G&T's and a bottle of wine with dinner is all I'm looking for so AI should suit me. I'm not of the opinion "it's all free so I've got to drink it all" and get ratted every night.
I'll give it a go and report back next month
Edited by ColinM50 on Wednesday 13th March 17:14
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