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Hotels and holiday resorts
Crieff Hydro Hotel, in PerthshireFantastic aray of flexible holiday accommodation and adventures for all the family. Crieff Hydro hotel offers comfortable spacious family rooms, great food in two restaurants and kids' dining options. There are also chalets/apartments in the spacious attractive grounds with options to use all hotel facilities which include: horse riding, swing park, golfing, soft play and swimming. Best of all is the free up to 6 hours per day, split into two hour sessions
for children of all ages so parents can truely relax and pamper Entertainment
is great in the evening with dancing and fun activities for the kids and
adults. Well worth the money and a visit! Fun and frolics in Frejuis, FranceWe set off for a fortnight's holiday in Frejuis, France, our first family holiday with four children: our seven-year-old boy, five-year-old twin boys and our baby girl. Travel tip no.1: plan your packing and only take what you really need! Two trolleys and a buggy to push in the airport is quite a challenge! Budget airlines are great for price but offer no movies so don't forget the games, snacks, books, etc, to keep them happy for the two-hour flight. On arrival we collected our hire car, which they upgraded to a 9-seater from a 7-seater, though driving a minibus didn't quite feel like an upgrade! The height also prevented us from getting in lots of beachside car parks. Still, we had lots of sunshine and the boys loved the kids' club each morning as it was a good place for them to make new friends. Our mobile home was lovely and the site in Frejuis had plenty of activities on offer. My best advice is to relax and enjoy the moments with the children: appreciate their giggles down the waterslide, hunt shells on the beaches, (Saint Agulf had lots), play catch, dive on the inflatable, and watch the baby discover that sand does not taste so good! Excursions are fun as long as you turn them into an adventure; we enjoyed a lovely boat trip in Port Grimaud along with a yummy ice cream. The other excursion we would recommend was Marineland in Antibes, which we felt was a good-value day out. The children were mesmerised by the whale and dolphin shows and fascinated by the piranhas and thought 'mumble' may be amongst the penguins. Meals in restaurants are also good. A bag with some cards and colouring is really handy as each course can take a while. Staff in Europe are very comfortable around and accommodating with children. Teach your kids a few phrases in the local language as this entertained both our boys and the waiters no end as they practised their French with a lovely Lancashire accent. We have only a limited number of summer holidays when our children are
young, enthusiastic, full of energy, and appreciate getting up at 7.00am.
A holiday with four kids is not mad, but is a wonderful experience and
the children are already talking about where we should go next year. A marvellous time in MallorcaIn May we travelled to Sol Mirlos/Tordos in Majorca. We normally travel to unusual locations but really needed a beach holiday after a busy stretch. My husband, our 13-month-old daughter and I travelled from Manchester to Mallorca and overall it was a superb holiday - one of the best we've had. With regards to the hotel, it was large but friendly. Rooms have good decor and are of a decent standard. The staff were extremely friendly plus we had English-speaking managers. There was an excellent range of food daily and a good choice of drinks. The pool was smallish but nice with a children's section and the children's activities were superb, with a free crèche for babies which was unexpected. Negative points are slight: hard-ish beds and thin walls (with rowdy kids in the corridors), not enough lifts so determine to get fit and use the stairs. The hotel was very close to nice beaches and children's playgrounds. Some people focus only on the hotel pool and getting a bed there, but with an infant we find it far more worthwhile walking to the beach as kids love the sand and the more family-focused time possible there. Our daughter was not at all afraid of the water and loved going in, even though she'd recently gone off baths! It definitely helped that we went off-season as it kept things quieter for us. Each day we covered her up in a sunsuit, hat and lashings of cream, but were surprised that other kids didn't seem to have such protection. This seems vital to protect her. We generally stayed in the area and went for walks in the locality -
just having one lovely trip in a glass-bottom boat. Kaitlyn seemed far
more interested in being up-top than in the glass section which surprised
us. If you want a relaxing time with no pressure on and a beautiful location
then this is definitely worthwhile. Greek Island of Lefkas with Simply travelWe won this holiday through babyworld.co.uk and chose to go in September when the temperature was a more comfortable 26 degrees. We flew to Prevada airport where we were met by Simply Travel reps Simon and Susie. We took possession of the hire car, which was included in the prize and it was a pleasant half hour drive to our villa at Mousses. On arrival we were extremely impressed with our accommodation and the on-site facilities.Matthew was straight in the pool, where he would have spent the entire week, given the chance! The following morning the boys went to the crèche, staffed by Susie, who we had met at the airport, Jo and Rachel. They are all qualified nursery nurses who made the boys very welcome; by day two Matthew was dragging Neil out of the door at 8.30am to go to 'holiday nursery'. With the boys safely in the crèche we used the mornings wisely, by exploring the island. One morning we ventured into the mountains where the views are spectacular and the roads, in places, challenging! Lefkas is a fairly small island with only one big town, Lefkada, which is only 2km from Mousses. There are also some very nice beaches nearby and the area is popular for watersports of all kinds. Lefkada has a good range of shops and restaurants but we chose to eat 'on-site' most evenings and they even delivered food to the villa! All in all we had a fabulous week at Mousses. The boys thoroughly enjoyed
their mornings at the crèche, while we enjoyed some 'grown-up' time. The
afternoons round the pools were great fun and we met some lovely people.
The staff were all very friendly, helpful and professional, and we couldn't
have wished for better treatment (and, no, they didn't know we had won
the holiday!). Musty MallorcaThis year we went to Ca'an Picafort in Majorca. It was our first time abroad with our daughter Paige (20 months). A tip before leaving: Manchester airport has a really handy Boots store in the terminal so any of the things you may have forgotten or would like in your hand luggage (in our case Calpol, Nurofen and sunscreens) can be bought here instead of doing a gruelling show-and-tell of the inside of your handbag to the nice customs people. Please bear in mind that you have no extra baggage for an under 2! A mistake that was costly for us in excess baggage. Ensure that all clothes are thoroughly dried before packing away as this adds extra weight. Duty free at the airport on the way back seemed no cheaper than nipping to your local Tesco so do your shopping prior to getting to the airport to save you some Euros. We arrived at the start of the season and I'm afraid to say the room was not up to standard (I am told that the large tour operators close down most of their hotels in October/November until season starts again in May). Thus the room was musty and mouldy which was reported to the staff on several occasions. The resort: we were amazingly fortunate to be within a ten-minute walk of a supermarket, pharmacy and all local amenities. Although we had a good time in the resort our daughter fell ill with bronchitis and conjunctivitis. We called a terrific GP out to the hotel (which cost 100 Euros); however
he gave us a fab GP tip: if you do need to call out a GP once but then
have to call one again for the same problem, same patient, the GP's time
is free after the initial visit. But this is only if you use the exact
same GP! The delightful Dominican RepublicOur family holiday in the Dominican Republic was magical! From the cloudless skies, unspoilt beaches and azure sea, it could not have been more perfect. With so many activities during the day for adults and children alike, we were never stuck for something to do. As night falls, you can choose from a quiet stroll on a moonlit beach, a meal in the all-inclusive restaurants or more upbeat entertainment, courtesy of the aptly-named 'animation team'! With crèche facilities available for those parents wishing to take in the excursions, all ages are truly catered for. Those not wishing to use the crèche facilities have a myriad of alternatives - ranging from a day out at the local Waterworld, horse-riding on the beach and jeep safari, to lazing around the pool playing organised games with the little ones. A highly recommended holiday, which was made even more special by the
wonderfully friendly locals. A surprise holiday - and wedding - in the Dominican RepublicMy mum and dad booked a holiday for all of us to the Dominican Republic. What a fantastic surprise, bearing in mind that it wasn't just me but my partner and four children as well! After the holiday was booked I casually asked my partner Wayne if he would like to get married whilst we were away and amazingly he agreed. I nearly died of shock! We finally got to the Dominican Republic after a gruelling10-hour flight with a baby on my knee and three other children to distract and amuse, completely exhausted, but it was worth every minute. We had a brilliant time. We did lots of trips like swimming with dolphins and sea lions, the monster truck safari, etc, then two days before my wedding we took a ride in the dune buggies, only for me crash with my 10-year-old son in with me. Luckily we were OK apart from mega bruises and cuts. Later, back at the hotel, the wedding co-ordinator informed me that unless they got another $450 the wedding would not go ahead. The Thomson Rep was fantastic, bearing in mind she had only just started the job at this hotel and had never had a problem of this sort before. She got everything sorted a day later but as you can imagine I was in a mess and extremely upset thinking that my dream wedding was not going to happen! Eventually my wedding day arrived. My dad collected me after ushering Wayne and all the kids off, to walk me down the aisle (or, rather, around the apartments, around the pool along the pathway to the beach) and I felt like a princess. After the ceremony, we had our first dance, then all the pictures were taken, then finally we have a few hours to relax before an evening reception meal. After the wedding we had five days left to enjoy the holiday/honeymoon
and it was so lovely to have my family around me. All in all this was
a fantastic holiday. After nearly 10 years together, and four children,
I got to marry the man I love in beautiful surroundings, with the beach
a stone's throw away. And it was all down to a surprise holiday from my
mum! I am hoping to return one day but it was a dream holiday come true. Self-catering in CyprusWe stayed at the Akti Beach Tourist Village in Paphos, Cyprus. The rooms were clean and tidy, and the maid comes every day apart from Sundays. In the living area there were two single sofabeds, a television (3 English Channels), but the air conditioning was at extra cost: this I felt should be given free. The kitchen was basic but acceptable. We did have trouble with large ants appearing every so often and even the tiniest crumb attracts hundreds of them. The pool area was very nice, with two pools: one that was smaller and ideal for relaxation and the other was the family pool with a children's paddling pool. The main pool offered water sports every day except Wednesday. There were plenty of sunbeds around the pool on a grass area overlooking the sea. The pool bar sold drinks, snacks and great waffles, and there was a restaurant sel ling hot food all day. The portions were generous and available in kids' size too. The shop was very expensive! You could get the same products for a third of the price in the town, which was unfortunate as you had to walk up a dirt track in the scorching sun in order to get to the bus stop to get a bus in to town to go the shop! The food was very nice but I couldn't eat there every night. It was nice to go into the town and try out different restaurants, as Paphos is full of them! I wanted to try out Fat Mamas, which looked the most popular place to eat, but couldn't because of the queue. But there were plenty of nice places on the same street. Coral Bay is a beautiful beach with crystal-blue water: great for snorkelling. In order to get there you have to again walk the dirt track, or get a taxi, which wasn't the cheapest way about it. Car hire is a must! The hotel sorts you out a deal so you pay for three days' car hire and get the 4th day free. Different entertainment was on each night. Greek Dancing, Parrot Show, Music Quiz, Celebrity Face quiz, Magicians and Karaoke were a few. But the must-see was Elvis Night! Great entertainment and enjoyable to watch! Adel, the hotel's entertainer, organises the bingo every night and the water polo at 5pm, as well as the French Bowls in the morning. Lara is the kids' entertainer and also does the water gym and morning stretching exercise classes. She is always there of an evening offering Kids' Mini Disco before bingo starts. Overall the holiday was an enjoyable experience. Cyprus is an expensive
place but not ridiculously expensive. The hotel was clean and tidy and
well maintained. People in Cyprus are very friendly and always want to
help. The only downside of the holiday was the location of the hotel itself
but with a car hire it is no bother at all! A lot of fun in the AlgarveWe have recently returned from a week in Olhos d'Agua in the Algarve and must say that it is the best family holiday we have been on with our little girl. We rented a villa in a suburb called Falesia through James Villas, which was gorgeous. There was plenty of room and we had our own pool, which Seren loved. Seren is nearly 15 months old and loves swimming so loved the pool and the beach. The areas we particularly loved were the Oceanus Aparthotel (which catered particularly for children, having a baby pool and offering a lovely children's menu) and the Restaurant Fratellis, not far from the beach. We loved this restaurant as they paid particular attention to Seren and
the menu was very child friendly. Seren loved the waiters (and the ice
cream) and we had a fab night. I would recommend this resort to any family
with small children as everyone seems to cater so well for them. A first holiday in Almeria, SpainMy parents recently booked a last-minute week's holiday in Costa Almeria, Spain, before I returned to work. During my maternity leave last summer, I was expecting to be out and about on strolls to the park and picnics in the wonderful sunshine. Instead, we had a damp, miserable summer, with nothing to look forward to before going back to work. Then, my mum made a passing comment that I should go away with her. My husband Neil had been to Spain only the week before on a 'Lads Long Weekend' playing golf, so of course, he encouraged me and Louis to go with the grandparents, mainly to ease his guilt of having a few days himself! He couldn't go at such short notice due to work commitments. So off I went to Liverpool to get a passport for Louis within the week, which was a bit fraught. With that in hand, along with a new lightweight buggy, off we went. With the heightened airport security, I was a bit concerned about the baby stuff for hand luggage. No problems there, but I'd sooner not make a habit of drinking formula milk. Awful stuff. Although he is a happy and content baby, I really was worried how Louis would react to the plane, especially as it was an early-morning flight. He never batted an eyelid and was either cheery or asleep for the three-hour duration! We arrived in Almeria and were taken to our destination for the week, Roquetas de Mar. It's a really good place for kids and older folk as it's fairly flat. It's also a real dark horse with the weather. I was expecting it to be pleasant to warmish for the start of October, but it truly was HOT, climbing up to 27C on some days. We were given a ground-floor apartment next to the swimming pool, which was an excellent location for us. There wasn't any air conditioning or a ceiling fan, so we hired a small fan which fortunately kept Louis a bit cooler at nights. He coped brilliantly with the heat and didn't complain about it once, although he did get a heat rash on one of the hotter days. We had a fantastic week, albeit a bit strange being on holiday with my parents again after all these years. The only regret was that Neil wasn't there to share and enjoy Louis's
first experiences. Knowing what a good traveller our son is, it gives
me confidence to book a holiday for next year for the three of us to enjoy
as a family this time. Paradise at the Villa Padierna, MarbellaWe visited Hotel Villa Padierna in Cancelada, near Marbella, and found it was a terrific place both for families and for giving everyone something to enjoy. It is far enough away from the busy Mediterranean hotspots to be relaxing, with the mountains on one side, the sea [and the rock of Gibraltar] on the other, and the golf course and stunning outdoor pool and gardens to relax in. There was a kids' club, a shuttle to the nearby beach, and lovely, child-friendly destinations like Ronda, Puerto Banus, Marbella and Estepona, all within driving distance. The staff were friendly and relaxed with children, the food was excellent and beautifully presented, and we took full advantage of the golf course and the wonderful spa facilities while we were there, knowing our son was well looked after. On our way home, following a lovely, stress-free transfer back to Malaga
airport in the hotel car, my son asked me wistfully if we could live there
forever. I realised I'd been thinking pretty much the same thing. Time
to start saving up, but that kind of relaxation is worth every penny. Child-friendly fun in MenorcaMy family and I stayed at the Tayalot Apartments in Cala'n Forcat in Menorca in August 2007 this year for a week and we had a great time. I booked the holiday via Thomson Auctions and got a good price with superb flights from a local airport. A tip for anyone who does use the auction site: make sure you decide which extras you want before you ring to confirm your booking (i.e. meals, transfers etc) as if you want to make any changes to your holiday after this initial call the call centre staff won't budge! We checked in promptly and shown to our apartment by a member of staff. We stayed in X-Block, which I was really pleased about as it was on the other side of the road from the 'main' apartments and large pool/snack bar area where the majority of the daytime entertainment happened. In the X-Block area there are two pools, one about 0.70m for the kids and a deeper one next to it. They were both clean and we always managed to get a sunbed. For the time of year it was quiet and very relaxed. This is absolutely not the case though in the other area, which is much livelier. There is a shallow pool with a fountain near reception which all the younger kids loved. I would like to have seen the pool areas, restaurant and all of the entertainment areas smoke-free especially given the amount of kids around. I could find no fault at all with the children's clubs reps. The Park Aire bouncy castle area (the whale) and snack bar was great value for money and away from the road and you always have the children in sight which isn't the case in other bars, staff are fantastic. This is apparently one of the busiest resorts in Menorca but wasn't overwhelming and is completely geared towards families with children. It was always quiet after 11pm. The apartments were basic, clean and bug-free, but the beds were very
uncomfy. Towels and sheets were changed regularly. We wanted to hire a
car but there were none left; I think you need a car in Menorca. I would
definitely return to Menorca but to the south where the beaches are better.
Delightful dolphins in MexicoMy husband, our two children (Megan 4 and Harvey 11 months) and I went to Mexico. It was the best family holiday that we had had so far, so much so that when we got back home we rebooked the same place and hotel for next year (this is a first for us). We stayed in a area called Riveria Maya, which is about 1 hr 30 minutes transfer from the airport, and that is after a 10-hour flight from London Gatwick. This can be a little off-putting but the arrival is definitely worthwhile. We stayed for 14 nights in a 5* AI hotel called the Gran Bahia Principe; it was fabulous from the moment we arrived. Cocktails waited our arrival at check-in, we were transported via shuttle train although it would have only been a 10-minute walk, luggage was transported within 10 minutes of our arrival to our well equipped room. The people were so friendly and welcoming. There was a babysitting service and complimentary kids' club that even
took them swimming and for lunch. My daughter loved this and when she
got up in the morning that was the first thing she asked about. My daughter
and I also did 'dolphin discovery' - a day of swimming with dolphins.
This was the highlight of the holiday; it was unbelievable. Looking forward
to next already. A family trip to SardiniaLara,Dan and Fin 22 months had a very successful trip to the Timi Ama resort read their account here
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