To want to do something other on holiday than lie on a sunlounger?

[Chocolatelover223]

The people I'm on holiday with just want to lie on the sun loungers by the pool all day every day. Is this common?

I am literally counting the days till I can be waking up to guaranteed sunshine and blue skies on holiday, lying on a lounger on our swim-up terrace with a stack of good books, the cool water and warm sun and not a single decision to make all week.

I go on city breaks for culture and activities too but a restful, relaxing break is dreamy.

I can't to o of anything worse

I used to hate that sort of holiday and much preferred constant activities and sightseeing.
Now I go for a mix, I see that as you get older lying on a sunbed for a holiday seems more and more appealing.

What's so funny?

Think about it... How many Londoners or Cornwall residents want to become spectacles for tourists to gawk at, or humour them with inane chit chat, often with painful language difficulties?

Sure, some people like meeting new people, and locals in the tourist business will be really f£iendly, oops I meant friendly... But most people really just want to go about their daily life unmolested.

@FeelingHotHotHotFeelingHotHotHot I think the locals prefer the sun loungers tbf 🤣

How odd to classify holidays into such distinct groupings. I am going on holiday to the South of France and will be visiting Nice, Cannes, Menton, Eze and Monaco. I will also be going on boat trips and relaxing by the pool/sunbathing on the beach. You can combine both types of activities on the same holiday you know.

I agree with @LoveWine123! I think most holidays have mixed activities (rest & explore), but sometimes, different sort of places (e.g. resort on a pretty rural island with nowhere else to go, or hotel in a really urban area where you HAVE to get out and about) plus different seasons of life (knackered / OK / roaring with energy) call for different holiday themes!

Of course it’s common. Most people live stressful, busy lives that involve juggling children, work, running a house, food shopping, cooking and everything else on top and being able to pause absolutely all of that and do F all for a while is perfectly plausible.

That being said, if it’s not your kind of thing you are your own person and can say “I’m off for a walk down to the beach/local market etc”

I wouldn't feel confident going off on my own in a foreign country. Before we came we talked about things we were going to do, now we're here they just want to be by the pool all day every day.

That doesn't sound like fun.
Where are you? It may be a foreign country, but unless you are somewhere dangerous you should be able to wander and explore by yourself.

what foreign country are we talking about?

Some are famously less women friendly and more intimidating than others. You could still have a look at excursions offered by the hotel, and go safely with a group.

Yes it's common but no you don't have to do that if you don't want to. We like a mix of holidays, we've done road trips, city breaks, Florida theme parks etc, but sometimes it really is just lovely to do absolutely nothing other than lie in the shade with a good book. I'm currently laying on a Mexican beach, an iced coffee in my hand, listening to the waves and enjoying the smell of coconut sunscreen and salty sea air. I've got some good books, my son spends all day making new friends in the pool and going up and down the pool slides for hours at a time. It's been his absolute favorite holiday out of everywhere we've been. And my husband and I get frozen strawberry daiquiris and have the occasional swim in the pool or the sea.
My husband works ridiculously hard and has a stressful job, so for him it's needed to just do nothing and have no schedule or plan, nowhere to be and no alarms to set. And I love reading and being by the ocean, it's good for my mental health. We always come back from a busy holiday needing some down time. So once in a while we book a beach holiday. No cooking, washing up, laundry, tidying etc...
So that's why we do it, but if it doesn't appeal to you then do something else. Life would be so boring if we all liked the same things. Go do something you want to do while your friends take it easy on the beach/round the pool. But don't judge them for it.

We usually do a mix. A few days relaxing and then activities around them. We do however always stay near a bustling town and we eat out in the evenings. We did all inclusive once and absolutely hated it

the perfect holiday is a lounger in the shade, someone bringing you cocktails and snacks, a stack of books, and an occasional dip in the pool. The most excitement I want is a post lounge day shower and dressing for dinner.

I recently took a holiday that was almost as good. My family left the house and I stayed home alone. I did nothing but sit around and read and watch tv for a week. I ate simple food so no work cooking. No travel related stress of any kind, no airports, packing, or traffic. It was the most refreshing and effective leave from work I have taken in my entire adult life and it was very cheap. The trick was no children in the house, otherwise I would have still been on mom duty, even with a teenager.

There is almost nowhere that won’t offer some sort of guided trip that will be completely safe

This makes me feel glad that my family are just ok to do different things sometimes, so I can rest when I want and explore when I want

YANBU I would rather not go on holiday than sit around all day doing nothing.

Huh?

Oh wait, I think it’s another “I can’t think of anything worse” post 🙄

Sitting around the pool side or at the beach all day is my kind of holiday hell. I find it boring.

I go on holiday to explore the local sights, sample the local cuisine.

It would be cheaper for those who want to sit around the poolside all holiday to whack their CH to 30c and get a spray tan.

I go on holiday as a single traveller but tour with fellow single travellers. We have free time and some buddy up with others whilst others spend the free time alone. Done a bit of both.

We like a mix of holidays. Cruises, city breaks, cottages in the Highlands and Islands. On a cruise I like nothing better on sea days than to sit on my balcony with a book listening to and smelling the sea, popping up to the pool deck for dip in the pool or a go in the hot tub if I fancy.

So go to a restaurant in the UK with that cuisine?

Not quite the same is it? Same logic applies to relaxing in nature.

Unfortunately the charmingly grotty local rivers aren't quite the same as the turquoise sparkling waterfalls of Phuket or Bali.

As a young adult, most of my friends were into nightclubs and that is my another holiday hell. I hate nightclubs full stop - the music is awful, can't have a conversation with others as too loud.

Know couples who go on separate holidays due to conflicting wants on holiday. Prior to 9/11, one of my parents' friends - one books a holiday and the other one turned up at the airport and see what flights are flying from the airport about 1-1.5 hours after the booked holiday flight and went up to the desk of airlines to see if there's any spaces for any flights

Sometimes you just need to relax. Our last holiday was a week on a Greek island, we spent the first few days exploring the different beaches and once we found our favourite we went back there every day for the rest of the week. We swam in crystal clear water, read books, napped. I daydream about that holiday on particularly stressful days.

We also do city breaks and long haul holidays where we’re on the go constantly to try and see as much as possible.

No one is holding you prisoner! Do what you want