Not leaving the hotel when on holiday

[LaDamaDeElche]

Do you go and see things when travel to a different country, or just stay in the hotel? I get it if you're doing a week all inclusive in Spain or something, that people want to just unwind and everything is paid for, but how about if you travel further. My dad has just been to the Caribbean and didn't leave the hotel in two weeks. He always does this - Mexico, Dubai, Greece etc - never even venturing out to a local restaurant. They usually go to the same hotel chain too, so it's like the same holiday over and over, but just travelling for more hours 😂 They just drink, eat, sunbathe and repeat. They've been to some beautiful countries and just seen the airport and the hotel. It seems so weird to me, but maybe it's normal and something a lot of people do.

Me too, especially long haul destinations. Unless you're rich and can travel first, or at least business class, the flight is awful. If I was going to do a flight like that, I'd be doing it to go somewhere to fully experience the country, otherwise there's no way I'd get on a plane for 10 hours! I've been to the States twice and still remember the uncomfortable flight and bad jet lag. I did have a brilliant time though and did loads of things while I was there. No way would I have travelled all that way to stay in the hotel.

It depends. Most of the time we travel to see the different countries, but sometimes what we want is a short break for the kids from school. When it's the latter I choose somewhere with a short flight, good weather, great resort, and we never leave the hotel.

I have a friend who used to go to a particular resort in Spain with her family. They stayed in the same apartment block each time. As an adult she would often go just with her mum off season too, they had plenty money. When she met her DH their first holiday was... same apartment block. They even went on their honeymoon. Now they go there every year with their kids. They eat in the same restaurants she went to years ago, once in a while they try something new and add that to their rotation. A few years ago we talked about a group holiday, and this couple kept pushing for us to go to not only this resort but this apartment block It absolutely baffles me.

Lovely local restaurants aside there are wonderful things to purchase - keeping local people going and helping the economy. Basque berets in northern Spain, hammam towels in Turkey, amber in Lithuania, proper Greek made sandals, cork accessories in Portugal, batik or hand made wooden goods from the Caribbean, Moroccan slippers, sombreros from southern Spain, this beautiful glove shop in Lisbon - look at the wonderful shop exterior
https://lisboacool.com/en/shop/luvaria-ulisses-portugals-last-glove-shop

AI may be different in the Caribbean, but it isn't if you go to a specific chain. The best hotel in this particular chain is in Tenerife. If you look at the pics, the hotels are very similar wherever you go. My dad doesn't do the beach, so that's not a consideration for him. I get that there are hotels in the Caribbean that are super luxurious and you'd probably be happy staring there for the duration, although I do think it's normal for most people to do the odd trip if they're there for two weeks, but he is literally having the same holiday, with longer flights and then complaining about the flights to me and my siblings. It just doesn't make sense to me. Tenerife is still hot and travelling there is less impactful on the environment, and my ears with all the moaning.

We go on a ‘drop and flop’ AI holiday to the Caribbean every February. We barely leave the hotel (might go scuba diving a couple of times).

We love nothing more than 10 days of relaxing, swimming, reading and drinking and eating. It’s the antithesis of the rest of the year and much needed.

DH and I set aside a week each year for this exact reason. We don't go anywhere exciting, but a good resort that we won't get bored in.

Sorry that’s not true, I can think of several chains where the service/food is just much better in the Caribbean hotels. Tenerife is a shit hole compared to much of the Caribbean and the beaches are not as nice. Plus in the winter months you are not guaranteed the nice weather in the same way you are in the Caribbean.

It doesn't work for me. I go on holiday to see somewhere new and different, usually to see art/hear music, or to walk or climb in new landscapes. I've never done any form of AI, because it doesn't offer what I want in a holiday.

What does he say when you challenge him on this point?

Sorry that’s not true, I can think of several chains where the service/food is just much better in the Caribbean hotels. Tenerife is a shit hole compared to much of the Caribbean and the beaches are not as nice. Plus in the winter months you are not guaranteed the nice weather in the same way you are in the Caribbean That may be true as a general rule, but doesn't apply to my dad's holiday as the hotel in the chain in Tenerife is the best one, he doesn't go to the beach and he doesn't visit anywhere, so the shitholeness doesn't apply. He just come back, so the weather here in Spain is still lovely. If it was a feb
holiday or something, I'd agree with you.

Fuck knows then 😂 maybe he just likes the bragging rights of going to a far flung destination!

How is it different from going to the Caribbean just to chill though? It seems kind of similar to me.

Rangali island was where we went, lucky us!

I'd rank scuba diving there as one of my top-10 life experiences but even without that I would still have had a wonderful time. So I can see the appeal of now in a way I couldn't before. But unless I had unlimited budget and unlimited time for holidays, I can't imagine choosing to spend a week on a beach, however wonderful that beach, because I could be investing that time and money in seeing new places.

I’ve done AI a few times, regardless where or what type I always leave the resort to explore and sight see!

different strokes for different folks

How is it different from going to the Caribbean just to chill though? It seems kind of similar to me. You're on a tiny desert island. All there is to do are those things and a limited number of restaurants. In the Caribbean there's more to do and see, depending on the island.

We always leave the hotel. I actually don’t book all inclusive, only ever b&b so we can go out and try local places to eat and see what actual local culture is.

I’ve never done an all inclusive as I love exploring, eating out every day, wandering the streets and sights.

I cannot imagine anything more boring than staying in the same place for 2 weeks!! That said - that’s me. If your Pops absolutely loves his holidays who are we to judge his needs and enjoyment.

Fuck knows then 😂 maybe he just likes the bragging rights of going to a far flung destination I think I'd prefer a bit of bragging than the moaning about the journey to be honest 😂

Same. AI to us means "we don't have to go anything, do anything or withdraw cash". But if we want to, we do.

The difference is usually piffling between B&B and AI - certainly less than one night of eating and drinking out. So to us, it's a case of "why wouldn't you?".

But we even spend nights away in different cities or even countries whilst on an AI.

@ActDottie just so you know if you ever find yourself in an AI situation you are allowed to freely leave the hotel and eat elsewhere, you’re not held captive and will not be arrested.

Ha ha @Baffled1989 just what I was thinking! I do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry and gardening for 51 weeks of the year. My one week’s holiday is when I get a rest from all that shit. I like a little stroll about in the evening find a nice restaurant. Or a cafe / nice shop during the day maybe but that’s it. My DH loves marching about ‘sightseeing’ it does my head in. I let myself be persuaded into ‘going on two excursions’ this year. Getting up at the crack of dawn then 10 hours out of the hotel on sweaty coaches, trailing around places for hours. It doesn’t matter how interesting the places are I can’t be arsed anymore. Plus I caught COVID on the flight home and was ill for 3 weeks. I won’t be going abroad ANYWHERE for a long time. Oh and you ABU OP your parents can please themselves on their holidays.

It depends if it's only for a week i am happy just to sunbathe, read a book and stay in resort, i have a stressful job and life and just need to relax and do nothing to find myself, my other half is completely different he would not lie on a sunbed for even one minute, so he goes off exploring or on trips after breakfast then we meet back up for dinner at the AI resort in the evening, works well for both of us.

I would always leave the hotel on holiday, but I do have different holidays with some being more hotel focused and others being more exploring/travelling focused. They always have at least a little bit of both though (and I haven't yet ever gone all inclusive).

I think it must be relatively unusual to never ever leave a hotel.

we have only ever done AI once and that was to tunisia. I was 5 months pregnant and it was a last minute cheap deal. We didnt really like it - the hotels had armed guards on the gates and you werent supposed to leave the site on your own. We did get the bus to the local town/market but that was it.

Not really for us. I like to try different restaurants and look around different places and museums and ruins etc.

I’m a big fan of exploring when on holiday. I also appreciate a lazy all inclusive.

There is a big difference between a hotel holiday in Spain vs Caribbean vs Dubai etc . Even if you don’t leave the hotel and stay in the same chain . It really is a completely different experience .

I use to feel frustrated hearing how others travel, especially those who go back to the exact same location and hotel year after year but I have come to realise that everyone is different and not everyone likes to explore. I know people who actively avoid it and wouldn’t travel if it wasn’t for an all-inclusive hotel. At the end of the day, everyone should live life how they want to do the things that they want to.