Sunshine in November, help please!
Discussion
Hello,
Planning on getting away in November with the OH, it's the only time we will next both be able to get time off work..
The past couple of years have been holidays in Scotland with the dogs, but we are both ready for some sunshine and a week of eating, drinking and relaxing!! We're in our mid 20s but not the type to go out clubbing until 3 in the morning. Not any more anyhow.
So where do you suggest? The criteria is as follows:
Nothing mad hot, 25-30c is more than enough.
Not too long flight as its only a weeks holiday.
Nice hotel, not too full of kids or oaps. Good mix of all.
Nice area with restaurants and bars within walking distance of the hotel. Not rowdy rave central though!
Also, not crucial but wouldn't mind having the option of having one or two day trips to see some interesting mountains/ history/ volcano etc etc
So the Canary Islands have been suggested to me, good plan? If so where?
Over to the world of PH for some suggestions!
Many thanks
Planning on getting away in November with the OH, it's the only time we will next both be able to get time off work..
The past couple of years have been holidays in Scotland with the dogs, but we are both ready for some sunshine and a week of eating, drinking and relaxing!! We're in our mid 20s but not the type to go out clubbing until 3 in the morning. Not any more anyhow.
So where do you suggest? The criteria is as follows:
Nothing mad hot, 25-30c is more than enough.
Not too long flight as its only a weeks holiday.
Nice hotel, not too full of kids or oaps. Good mix of all.
Nice area with restaurants and bars within walking distance of the hotel. Not rowdy rave central though!
Also, not crucial but wouldn't mind having the option of having one or two day trips to see some interesting mountains/ history/ volcano etc etc
So the Canary Islands have been suggested to me, good plan? If so where?
Over to the world of PH for some suggestions!
Many thanks
The Canaries are nice. Lanzarote is a bit barren. Tenerife, away from Playa de las Americas, is actually pretty nice. Fuerteventura is very undeveloped, but has good mountains in the interior. Gran Canaria is lovely, with a stunning interior.
Other destinations within a reasonable flight time to consider at that time of year might be Marrakech or Cyprus. If you don't mind a ~6 hour flight, Dubai is a very bareable temperature at that time of year. There are one or two nice hotels there
and there is actually a fair amount to do (time it right and you could see the Abu Dhabi GP as well...)
Other destinations within a reasonable flight time to consider at that time of year might be Marrakech or Cyprus. If you don't mind a ~6 hour flight, Dubai is a very bareable temperature at that time of year. There are one or two nice hotels there
and there is actually a fair amount to do (time it right and you could see the Abu Dhabi GP as well...)Edited by schmalex on Wednesday 14th August 21:48
I found Gran Canaria the most boring. Lots of mountain roads but they ultimately go nowhere and it lacks villas, it's all hotels and apartments.
Lanzarote has the volcanoes and Jameos del Agua gardens and El Golfo black sand beach. Playa Blanca is a nice area with nice beaches and plenty of villas and nice hotels.
Fuerteventura is a more wild and barren experience but we quite liked Caleta de Fuste.
Tenerife is the most commercial and has the beautiful National Park round Mt Teide, cracking roads, Loro Parque with its killer whale show.
Most important is to hire a car so you can tour round.
I would lean towards Tenerife if only because the islands tend to be pretty dead, out of season. When we went to Caleta de Fuste, there were quite a lot of British "discount tourists" who filled a particular Irish pub and gave it a bit of atmosphere.
It can rain in the Canaries, being surrounded by sea, which tends to be cold.
I would have a look at Kerala in Southern India. It is an 11 hour flight but it's well worth it, even for a week, and it's a proper holiday you'll never forget, not a mini-Spain. Elephants, fireflies and fruit bats filling the skies make a pleasant change. You will need a medical stab and anti-malaria pills though (though many didn't bother and seemed to have no issues).
Lanzarote has the volcanoes and Jameos del Agua gardens and El Golfo black sand beach. Playa Blanca is a nice area with nice beaches and plenty of villas and nice hotels.
Fuerteventura is a more wild and barren experience but we quite liked Caleta de Fuste.
Tenerife is the most commercial and has the beautiful National Park round Mt Teide, cracking roads, Loro Parque with its killer whale show.
Most important is to hire a car so you can tour round.
I would lean towards Tenerife if only because the islands tend to be pretty dead, out of season. When we went to Caleta de Fuste, there were quite a lot of British "discount tourists" who filled a particular Irish pub and gave it a bit of atmosphere.
It can rain in the Canaries, being surrounded by sea, which tends to be cold.
I would have a look at Kerala in Southern India. It is an 11 hour flight but it's well worth it, even for a week, and it's a proper holiday you'll never forget, not a mini-Spain. Elephants, fireflies and fruit bats filling the skies make a pleasant change. You will need a medical stab and anti-malaria pills though (though many didn't bother and seemed to have no issues).
I actually think Playa de las Americas is very nice (around the fountains) and it would provide what you are looking for (restuarants, nice hotels). The rest of the island is very interesting and you HAVE TO hire a car and explore for at least 2-3 days, and please go to the north-west corner of the island in the mountains - it's very different from the volcanic middle, which is obviously worth exploring as well.
how about Fuerteventura? I just booked this hotel, looks fantastic, 100 quid a night, adults only
http://avantihotelboutique.com/?lang=en
some v good restaurants, flights were 170ish, good beaches, catamaran sailing, buggies in dunes, surfing, plenty of drives to other places & to centre of island...
http://avantihotelboutique.com/?lang=en
some v good restaurants, flights were 170ish, good beaches, catamaran sailing, buggies in dunes, surfing, plenty of drives to other places & to centre of island...
Wow, I did not expect such detailed and thought out replies, thanks guys you've all been a great help. All your suggestions have been taken on board and I will be doing some research into all of them in the next few days. And of course seeing what my better half fancies!
I will let you know how we get on and what we decide on.
In the meantime if anyone else sees this thread and has a opinion, keep them coming!
Cheers
I will let you know how we get on and what we decide on.
In the meantime if anyone else sees this thread and has a opinion, keep them coming!
Cheers
You don't mention a budget, or how far you are prepared to travel.
Something different: Oman? We went there last November. 30C, sea was 27C. Plenty of nice hotels but of course this is more expensive than going to the Canaries for example. Opportunities to go into the desert, visit an oasis etc.
Something different: Oman? We went there last November. 30C, sea was 27C. Plenty of nice hotels but of course this is more expensive than going to the Canaries for example. Opportunities to go into the desert, visit an oasis etc.
Melonares is very pleasant. There is a lovely boardwalk with restaurants etc along the front of Maspalonad, which is very enjoyable for taking a coffee and people watching.
It's definitely worth hiring a car for a day or two to tour the island. If you fancy some excellent tapas without paying through the nose, come out of Maspalomas and go straight over the mini roundabout with the garage on your left and follow that road for about 3km, you will find a tallish wall on your right hand side with a restaurant on the top. It doesn't look all that, but their pimenton di padron and datiles con bacon are second to none and, last time we were there a couple of years back, we're priced at about 3E / tapas
It's definitely worth hiring a car for a day or two to tour the island. If you fancy some excellent tapas without paying through the nose, come out of Maspalomas and go straight over the mini roundabout with the garage on your left and follow that road for about 3km, you will find a tallish wall on your right hand side with a restaurant on the top. It doesn't look all that, but their pimenton di padron and datiles con bacon are second to none and, last time we were there a couple of years back, we're priced at about 3E / tapas
schmalex said:
Melonares is very pleasant. There is a lovely boardwalk with restaurants etc along the front of Maspalonad, which is very enjoyable for taking a coffee and people watching.
It's definitely worth hiring a car for a day or two to tour the island. If you fancy some excellent tapas without paying through the nose, come out of Maspalomas and go straight over the mini roundabout with the garage on your left and follow that road for about 3km, you will find a tallish wall on your right hand side with a restaurant on the top. It doesn't look all that, but their pimenton di padron and datiles con bacon are second to none and, last time we were there a couple of years back, we're priced at about 3E / tapas
Hi, thanks for the advice, sounds really nice. We have not made any plans on what to do once there yet. I will be able to use my phone out there to log on to this page and use your directions to the tapas! It's definitely worth hiring a car for a day or two to tour the island. If you fancy some excellent tapas without paying through the nose, come out of Maspalomas and go straight over the mini roundabout with the garage on your left and follow that road for about 3km, you will find a tallish wall on your right hand side with a restaurant on the top. It doesn't look all that, but their pimenton di padron and datiles con bacon are second to none and, last time we were there a couple of years back, we're priced at about 3E / tapas
I will probably start a thread nearer the time to get a list of things worth doing on the island, and especially restaurants to check out around Melonares, but if anyone want to throw some suggestions in now then they will be much appreciated.
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