Family holiday 2017

tinkerbell2310

Hiya
Looking to book a family holiday Tenerife or one of the islands in June this year
Anybody with any recommendations. Have 3 kids 15,6 and 4. Would need a kids club.
Somewhere friendly. Stayed in a place 2 years ago that was advertised as family friendly and it was a living nightmare.
We a young enough couple so would be looking for somewhere lively enough but not clubbing scene just family fun.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated x

Eponymous

If you're looking for a good recommendation, not Tenerife though, I've been going to the Costa Sal in Lanzarote for the last few years with my kids. Didn't go last year and really missed it! Going at the end of May for a fortnight this year.

It's a beautiful complex in a quiet area at the edge of Puerto del Carmen and there's a great choice of bars and restaurants within a few minutes walk. Bar and restaurant on site are really good and there's entertainment for the kids during the day (not exactly sure what - we normally take off for the day or stay by the bottom pool) and in the evening they show movies for the kids while there's usually live music in the bar. Close enough to the beach and the kids will love being able to stand at the end of the runway which is a few minutes away and have planes fly directly over their heads!

We always book directly with the property by e-mail and get a discount as repeat customers, but if you ask for one, you may get one! You'd be looking a bungalow or a two-bed apartment... Pricey, but well worth it.

tinkerbell2310

Eponymous wrote: »

If you're looking for a good recommendation, not Tenerife though, I've been going to the Costa Sal in Lanzarote for the last few years with my kids. Didn't go last year and really missed it! Going at the end of May for a fortnight this year.

It's a beautiful complex in a quiet area at the edge of Puerto del Carmen and there's a great choice of bars and restaurants within a few minutes walk. Bar and restaurant on site are really good and there's entertainment for the kids during the day (not exactly sure what - we normally take off for the day or stay by the bottom pool) and in the evening they show movies for the kids while there's usually live music in the bar. Close enough to the beach and the kids will love being able to stand at the end of the runway which is a few minutes away and have planes fly directly over their heads!

We always book directly with the property by e-mail and get a discount as repeat customers, but if you ask for one, you may get one! You'd be looking a bungalow or a two-bed apartment... Pricey, but well worth it.

That sounds exactly what I would b looking for.
Thanks so much I will have a look

Eponymous

Just to note, their booking page on that website is a disaster. If you want to check availability, best to e-mail them!

Sinead Mc1

Hi folks,

I'm also planning a family trip with my husband and our children, 3 and 4 yo boys.
Costa Sal has received so many fantastic reviews and looks great. Can anyone tell me if it not having a kids club is a factor? It would be nice to maybe have a little time with the hubby, but it's not a deciding factor either.
Also, I am a first timer to Lanzorote. Would I be missing out not booking something more central to Puerto Del Carmen. It is very much a family holiday but I don't want to be somewhere too quiet. Could we do a day trip to the Puerto Del Carmen?

naughtysmurf

Sinead Mc1 wrote: »

Hi folks,

I'm also planning a family trip with my husband and our children, 3 and 4 yo boys.
Costa Sal has received so many fantastic reviews and looks great. Can anyone tell me if it not having a kids club is a factor? It would be nice to maybe have a little time with the hubby, but it's not a deciding factor either.
Also, I am a first timer to Lanzorote. Would I be missing out not booking something more central to Puerto Del Carmen. It is very much a family holiday but I don't want to be somewhere too quiet. Could we do a day trip to the Puerto Del Carmen?

5 or 6 euro will get you into Puerto del Carmen, old town, a 5min taxi ride, taxi rank about 100meters away from Costa Sal, maybe an hour's walk but it's not isolated by any stretch, it's very well run, a lot of the excursion buses go from the same spot

If kids can swim, no need for a kids club, they'll probably make plenty of friends anyway

Sinead Mc1

naughtysmurf wrote: »

5 or 6 euro will get you into Puerto del Carmen, old town, a 5min taxi ride, taxi rank about 100meters away from Costa Sal, maybe an hour's walk but it's not isolated by any stretch, it's very well run, a lot of the excursion buses go from the same spot

If kids can swim, no need for a kids club, they'll probably make plenty of friends anyway

That's the thing. Unfortunately the lads can't swim.
Either way I'm pretty much decided on Costa Sal. I just found out a friend from work goes here too and she says it's brill.
She was surprised there's no kids club. She said she saw a room with childrens paintings etc and assumed it was a club. I also read that they run movies and do activities for kids. I wonder does anyone know if these are supervised?

naughtysmurf

Their website says games room & playground, tbh our kids are a lot older so didn't take much notice, we don't often stay in apartments, just happened to be in Lanzarote for a family wedding in 2015, we were very happy with the property, you will certainly find cheaper but it's a good solid property, perfect for families with kids, well run, spotless, great staff, food on-site is good value & quiet in the evenings, we couldn't fault it

tinkerbell2310

Y 2 girls can't swim either, Ive contacted Costa sal directly by email.
But now hubby wants to go start of sept now instead of June. Is there much of a dif (besides weather ) ? Will all the restaurants still b open in del Carmen?

naughtysmurf

tinkerbell2310 wrote: »

Y 2 girls can't swim either, Ive contacted Costa sal directly by email.
But now hubby wants to go start of sept now instead of June. Is there much of a dif (besides weather ) ? Will all the restaurants still b open in del Carmen?

PDC is a year round resort, everything will be open, expect hot & sunny in September, we were in Fuerteventura, a few kilometers away last end of September, weather was glorious

Sinead Mc1

Thanks for your advice lads. Tinkerbell, if you don't mind, can you let me know what they say when they get back to you.
I'm sold anyway but it'd be good to know. Might see some of ye there!!!!

Eponymous

Sinead Mc1 wrote: »

That's the thing. Unfortunately the lads can't swim.
Either way I'm pretty much decided on Costa Sal. I just found out a friend from work goes here too and she says it's brill.
She was surprised there's no kids club. She said she saw a room with childrens paintings etc and assumed it was a club. I also read that they run movies and do activities for kids. I wonder does anyone know if these are supervised?

The kids club really only got going a couple of summers ago and we weren't there last year, but Geraldine (the owner, I think) had been telling me of the great plans for it the last time we stayed. She's lovely and is rightly proud of the place!

To be honest it wasn't something we felt was missing in any event. Our now 7 year old didn't seem to enjoy her holidays any less and is only now learning to swim. We've been going there since she was two. They can still have great fun in the pool with close supervision and flotation aids like armbands. I don't really buy into the whole thing of offloading the kids to a club when we're on a family holiday, but I guess a lot of that stems from us both working so wanting to make the most of the time. I guess if you're at home with the kids then it's definitely something to take advantage of! Each to their own.

What dates are you looking at Sinead? We're last week of June first week of July approximately.

@Tinkerbell, weather in September is still great (around sunset there's a cooler breeze - not cold by any stretch, you wouldn't need an extra layer, just a little cooler after the heat of the afternoon and when that dies down it's very pleasant), nothing closes really on the Island as it's year-round.

tinkerbell2310

Eponymous wrote: »

The kids club really only got going a couple of summers ago and we weren't there last year, but Geraldine (the owner, I think) had been telling me of the great plans for it the last time we stayed. She's lovely and is rightly proud of the place!

To be honest it wasn't something we felt was missing in any event. Our now 7 year old didn't seem to enjoy her holidays any less and is only now learning to swim. We've been going there since she was two. They can still have great fun in the pool with close supervision and flotation aids like armbands. I don't really buy into the whole thing of offloading the kids to a club when we're on a family holiday, but I guess a lot of that stems from us both working so wanting to make the most of the time. I guess if you're at home with the kids then it's definitely something to take advantage of! Each to their own.

What dates are you looking at Sinead? We're last week of June first week of July approximately.

@Tinkerbell, weather in September is still great (around sunset there's a cooler breeze - not cold by any stretch, you wouldn't need an extra layer, just a little cooler after the heat of the afternoon and when that dies down it's very pleasant), nothing closes really on the Island as it's year-round.

That's why hubby wants to go in Sept. He can't stand it being too hot. He just ends up in the shade or stays indoors. That's what I get for shacking up with a very fair skinned person haha

Eponymous

To be fair, with the wind it never really feels too hot - it can actually be quite deceptive. If he's fair skinned, even if he's not feeling the heat he'd need to be very careful of burning. Keep topping up the sunblock!

Staying in the shade isn't necessarily a bad idea. One of the handy things about the Costa Sal is that the bottom pool has loads of shades!

tinkerbell2310

Eponymous wrote: »

To be fair, with the wind it never really feels too hot - it can actually be quite deceptive. If he's fair skinned, even if he's not feeling the heat he'd need to be very careful of burning. Keep topping up the sunblock!

Staying in the shade isn't necessarily a bad idea. One of the handy things about the Costa Sal is that the bottom pool has loads of shades!

Great thanks for the advice. We have decided to book this place. Although I emailed the owner and her price is coming in a few hundred more than travel republic so we will go n book with them . 😃

Eponymous

That's odd... Mail her back and let her know what you're getting with TR and ask if she'll at least match it! That said, that's just more hassle for the same money!

Really hope you enjoy it there... I recommend it a lot to friends and colleagues (another colleague is also booking today!) and I always get great feedback when they return home. Most have also returned for another holiday since.