Holidays Tomorrow

LB6

Flying out tomorrow night to Maspalomas.

Just curious, I've heard that there's a water park not far from the resort. Has anyone been and let me know if it's safe for kids 8,11 & 14?

Thanks

mikedragon32

I think it's called Aquasur... It's brilliant. Safe for all ages.

You can get a bus to it, although a taxi will only cost about €5 from Maspalomas.

LB6

Many thanks Mike - much appreciated.

mikedragon32

Oh yeah... A little further up the same road is Palmitos Park which is pretty good too. It's a tropical park with loads of tropical birds including parakeets, parrots etc.. The teenagers might find it boring (as is their wont) but the younger kids would certainly enjoy it. You can even have your picture taken with parrots perched on you!

Day trips out of Maspalomas that you might enjoy are Mogan, about 45 minutes away by bus. Beautiful quiet beach and a fantastic marina make this place. It's great while on the beach there to look up the cliff at the hairpin bend the bus you arrived on had to negotiate! Also while there you can take the Yellow Submarine. Leave Mogan on one of the boats to Puerto Rico and then take the bus back to Maspalomas from there, you'll get a great view of the cliffs.

One last thing. If you're going to Playa del Ingles in the evenings avoid the "Irish Centre" as it's incredibly rough and seems to be crowded with kids intent on drinking themselves to oblivion. The Kasbah should be avoided for the same reasons after about 9pm. Look out for African ladies trying to put bracelet type things on you too. It's a scam and they're looking for cash from you.

My favourite restaurant in PdI is the Rimini in the basement of the Corona Blanca. It's Italian (obviously) and the food is of fantastic quality. If fine wine is your thing, they have two wine lists. One is the typical sort of wine list you'd expect anywhere, the second is a select wine list with bottles which have been laid down for years and have reached a good age for drinking. Last time we were there we spent about €30 on food and €250 on wine and a very decent port!

If you hire a car, head north toward San Bartholome or beyond. You'll see some fantastic terraced valleys and caves where the Guanches (natives) lived. If you're up for it, you can park within about a mile of the summit of Roque Nueblo and can walk the rest of the way up with not too much difficulty. From there you'll see the snow topped peak of El Teide in Tenerife.

There's a go-kart track in San Agustin where Michael Schumacher once raced, allegedly, and beyond that there's a commercial centre which has a cinema showing some movies in English. There's a bowling alley there too.

LB6

Thanks Mike,

Printing this off now and will have a look when I get there.

Let you know how I got on.

Signing off now for 2 weeks.


LB6

LB6

Well Mike, I've survived.

Thank you for the tips. Very true to form.

The kids had a ball in the waterpark, spent ages in the queues, but that was to be expected. Spent a fortune at the Holiday World centre and not to mention Faro 1 and 2, Kasbah, etc etc.

Went down to the Yumbo centre one night too to Ricky's Cabaret. Didn't realise it was a drag show, my first experience of that. Must say I had a thoroughly enjoyable night. My teenage son nearly had a kitten when he saw what we were going to see and stayed outside on the terrace out of reach of the "ladies"!

We did the Yellow submarine too. That knocked em for six. On the second week, we got to go to the party night. That was good crack too.

As for the food, it depended on where you went. You could pay through the nose and get the same food as in Mc Donalds or dine in style, or visa versa.

We had a treat one day in Faro 1 in one of the beach front terrace restaurants. 1 adult and 3 kids, 4 courses (all eaten too) €89 - not bad.

Never got the car but did a lot of tripping round.

You were right too about the Irish centre. Must say we got a great family place up in Sonnenland. Travel agents should be more aware of where they're sending young lads tho. Last morning, Irish (Dublin & Cork) boys got in bout 4am and stayed out on terrace till all hours of the morning shouting and playing music to wake the dead. In fact they woke most of the complex. Didn't last long tho, the Manager had it under control.

Anyway, that's it, bar getting scalded by the Airhostess on the flight home. She knocked my black tea down my arm and legs. Not so much as a sorry or a first aid kit. Just as well it didn't land on either of my two girls sitting either side of me. Did get another cup of tea tho!

Thanks again.

Shar.

mikedragon32

Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and happier that I didn't steer you wrong!

Where were you staying? The Vista Oasis, by any chance? I love the views from Sonnenland over the golf course and the dunes.

LB6

Nope - you didn't steer me wrong.

How'd you guess. The apartments were a bit sparse, just enough to get by on. Could have done with having air conditioning in them tho. Even though you'd leave the door, windows and patio door open, there still wasn't enough of a draft to pull a whiff of fresh air through. We were lucky too, we got a bungalow beside the pool that had a back patio and extended garden behind that. The views were phenominal at night too - the colours were brilliant, and as you said, during the day - you could see for miles out to sea and watch the tankers go by! (if you were that way inclined).

The pool, brilliant, spotless and very well maintained. Well I couldn't keep the kids out of it. Don't think they ever swam so much in their lives, nor me for that matter.

Need another holiday now on my own just to relax

mikedragon32

I stayed there too and also had a bungalow, but mine was set back from the pool. I've stayed there twice, but I guess as we're a couple with no kids, we weren't too worried about equipment in the apartment, as long as the fridge kept the beer and wine cold I wasn't complaining. We hired a fan for the duration of our last holiday there for about €10 and it was a godsend.

I forgot to mention the Yumbo centre but I'm glad you found it!!! Personally I reckon Cafe La Belle hosts the best of the Drag Shows there and anytime we travel over we go to the show a couple of times as it's different every night.

Ricky's was set up by one of the original cast of La Belle after a falling out about 3 years ago and we went one night but found it a bit tacky... (yeah, I know what you're thinking... none of them are remotely classy!)

Jeez, if we weren't going to France/Italy on our holiday next month, I reckon I'd be booking it again! I'm not ashamed to say I love GC!!!

Dave!

Glad to hear you both enjoyed it!

LB6

Well for some. I'd love to be heading back to France again.

Spent the last couple of years going down there. Absolutely lovely country, lovely people, food, wine, I could go on.....

What part are ye heading to?

I biked it down there 2 yrs ago. Drove down the west coast and up over the pyrenees. Baking in the leathers at the bottom of the mts and freezing the ..........................monkeys iykwim at the top.

If you haven't been before, you'll love it. If you have, you know you're going to enjoy it. I don't half envy ye.

s