Tell me about your best holidays!

[Lwrenagain]

Posting for traffic.

I've never had a holiday abroad or been on a plane.
My dream is to one day take my family on a really wonderful holiday that they'll remember and make wonderful memories.

I'm one of those weirdos who loves people's holiday pictures and stories and I've even watched a few holiday vlogs etc, but I'm skeptical now with so many #ad trips if they're really that wonderful.

So if you would be kind enough to tell me about your best holidays I'd love that.

Honestly one of my favourite holidays was to the Isle of Wight! But we had a fab holiday to Portugal last year. Self catering, huge apartment, near beach, shops, bustling town with loads of bars and restaurants, 5 pools shared between only 100 apartments

funkyslippers please can I know the name of the accommodation and your operator if it's a package holiday? Sounds like what I'm looking for?

Morocco. First time: with DH when we'd only been together a year, stayed in a riad in Essaouira, lots of walking around souks, fantastic food, camel and horse rides on the beach, etc. Second time: last year with 2 kids under 12, Marrakech, Atlas foothills, desert camping - great fun and the kids loved being somewhere so different.

Our best family holiday was 3 weeks in a RV in British Columbia and Alberta.

Just stunning.

I do also love a cruise.

I'm not very well travelled, sadly. Also a bit of a stickler for going back to the same places I really like! It's true, it depends on what kind of holiday you are after (City, beach etc.). Most of the time I llike to switch off completely on beach holidays - Mauritius was memorable in the sense that the people were lovely (extremely hospitable) and the beaches were beautiful. Clear, warm sea water. Not choppy at all because the coral reef broke the waves up, giving you the calmest water at the resort that we stayed at. It's a small and multicultural island. You could either stay at a resort or venture out to see the sights or even do some water sports. It seems like everyone knows everyone there on that little island!

My favourite was Kenya. A week on safari and a week in Diani Beach. The people were so lovely and friendly. I’m pretty well traveled and have never been anywhere more beautiful than Kenya.

I very much like the sound of PPs Egyptian trip.

Best holiday as a couple was Thailand . Went for 2 weeks, stayed in Phuket, Bangkok and khao lak. 5 star hotels the whole time (they are SO cheap over there which is only way we could afford it!) was absolutely breathtaking and luxurious!

If your kids are a bit older say 12+ and if you're happy to drive then you can't beat a USA road trip, so much variety even within one state like California.

But we've also had incredible cruises, and trips to Australia/far east.

You could start by narrowing it down a bit, for example you happy to drive abroad or is that too stressful, and would an AI luxury hotel be more up your street? Long flight ok or not? Cities or beaches? Is weather important?

Probably best family trip was to Japan. So interesting and safe. We went to Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone.

I've been lucky to have traveled all over the world! One person's amazing experience can be another person's nightmare, so it really depends on what you enjoy.
If you're going as a family, the thing to really appreciate is sharing a new experience together, as cheesy as it sounds! But that's a huge benefit of a family holiday, just enjoying being together away from normal routine and daily stress.
If it's your first holiday abroad, and with kids, I would always recommend Italy. There's something for everyone there - incredible history, old stuff to explore, beautiful scenery, lovely beaches, awesome food, easy to travel around so you can cover multiple stops.

My favourites have been multiple holidays to Majorca( always my return spot ) with a car-- lots of days out to beaches and mountain places like Deia, soller, pollensa etc

California coastline with a car, 3 and 4 days here and there

Hydra - car free upmarket Greek island - been lots of times and mix it in with spetse and Porto Heli on mainland

Loads. Berlin, Dubrovnik, Alvor in Portugal. Benidorm for my 50th - which is where I am now.

If you've never been abroad before, go to France, Italy or Spain first.

Who are you going with? If anyone? This is a big factor. But honestly for a first ever time abroad I'd keep it European, it's just easier to navigate. And I'd go on the train, not fly, to see more (unless the flight is a big part of it, which I bet it is, in which case deffo go Italy cause you can fly over the Alps and if it's not cloudy the view is is INCREDIBLE)

@Oblomov23 woo hoo- happy 50th- my grandparents lived in Altea for many years so I used to go to Benidorm a lot- took my son for his 18th - I'm a snob but I never knock Benidorm - I've had some fab and fun holidays there and it's a fab beach

Best holidays when the kids were small (primary age) - Florida (Disney, Universal, beaches on the gulf coast)
Best when the kids were teens - cruise from Miami, with Christmas in the Keys then a weekend in New York on the way home (flights were cheaper this way, so we made the most of it). Amazing holiday that they will remember for a lifetime.

@Crikeyalmighty I'm hoping to go to mallorca soon where do you stay, area /town.

Also where do you recommend in California please

@Crikeyalmighty is it worth seeing deia friend said nothing there's

@ohdofeckoff assume you have fine this if so what stops you did you make and where did you start. I believe most people start in the San gran, caramel, monterrey.... Los Angeles and santa Barbara?

@IamSlave

In no particular order over several California trips have been to:

SF, LA, Las Vegas, Grand C, Santa Barbara, San Louis Obispo, Carmel, Monterey, Yosemite, Palm Springs, Lake Havasu City, Sonoma wine country. A few more I've forgotten. So much to see, distances are huge and would suggest at least 2 nights everywhere otherwise so much time in the car. Internal flights can be good value too.

With the teenagers we started in SF and prioritised the main iconic sights plus a stop in San Louis Obispo which is absolutely gorgeous. Ended in LV. LV divides opinion but it's certainly a spectacle, we all loved it 😍

Japan has been our family favourite hands down. Had something for everyone and my kids couldn’t love it more. We went skiing for a week and a week in Tokyo. We are all dying to go back. Going somewhere different January next year..but I want to go back to Japan 🤣

Marocco is a great place, We were there couple years ago. Riding the camels was unforgetable and the most awesome.

Sorry only just seen your Msg!
To be honest it's not been great. We've had 2 beautiful sunny days and 3 cloudy days with torrential rain. The hotel is amazing though!

@Nw22

Deia is just really a street of restaurants and bars- but it's a very lovely setting - surrounded by deep wooded mountains. I wouldn't stay there but lovely for lunch!! Valdemossa and soller also lovely on that side - where to stay? Well we have stayed in Sant Elm which is gorgeous , Paguera (big German resort, touristy and very nice beach - Puerto pollensa- really lovely setting but gets very busy- - proper big resort- Cala D'or - very nice for families in particular - lots of Brits - nice cove style beaches, low rise- not quaint but nice. Puerto Soller- nice old style Spanish resort . I love palma too -

California- I like Newport beach area, Santa Monica, Venice beach , , LA , Santa Barbara (love SB) and sonoma valley, monterrey, - we haven't been north of that . Great driving holiday with teens.

I have been to 36 countries and hands down my favourite was Thailand! Although, I wouldn't recommend if you've never been abroad before as the flight is very long, jet lag etc. i think somewhere like majorca in Spain or Crete in Greece would be so lovely